A literature review of available, published resources on climate change for the Philadelphia region and discussion of the potential implications to Evergreen’s groundwater model will be included in the upcoming Fate and Transport RIR. Evergreen’s groundwater flow model for the former Philadelphia Refinery has been calibrated and validated to recent environmental conditions and measured observations. As a part of the remedial investigation’s contaminant fate and transport assessment, Evergreen will review available information related to climate change in the Philadelphia area and, if warranted, the groundwater model could be adjusted to adapt to predicted climate conditions and could provide a range of potential outcomes for consideration (e.g., a higher average Schuylkill River stage due to sea-level rise or an increased recharge rate due to an increase in annual precipitation). For a defensible model and reliable predictions, the boundary condition data variability must be quantifiable and based on accepted models or observations.
Addresses similar questions:
“Specifically, I call on you to include research about the threat posed by rising sea level and extreme weather events that could be triggered by climate change.”
“Contaminated groundwater in this low-lying geographic region will be affected by sea-level rise and frequent superstorms ushered in by the climate crisis.”