USA - Dangerous ‘Fill and Build’ Floodplain Policy Should Be Scrapped, Experts Say
A FEMA advisory council says a program that allows developers to elevate homes on fill dirt is environmentally harmful and can increase flood risks for nearby homes
CLIMATEWIRE | Federal rules allowing developers to use fill dirt to elevate new houses in high-risk flood areas should be changed because the practice can exacerbate damage to nearby homes, according to an advisory board to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC) said the widespread use of "fill and build" in floodplains, which has drawn fire from environmental groups in low-lying neighborhoods, can be environmentally harmful.
The practice “can create a false sense of security” for property owners, especially new buyers who believe they are safe from flooding, the council said in an interim report obtained by E&E News last week. “The placement of fill for this purpose reduces the carrying capacity of the floodplain, leading to increased flood risk over time."
CLIMATEWIRE | Federal rules allowing developers to use fill dirt to elevate new houses in high-risk flood areas should be changed because the practice can exacerbate damage to nearby homes, according to an advisory board to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC) said the widespread use of "fill and build" in floodplains, which has drawn fire from environmental groups in low-lying neighborhoods, can be environmentally harmful.
The practice “can create a false sense of security” for property owners, especially new buyers who believe they are safe from flooding, the council said in an interim report obtained by E&E News last week. “The placement of fill for this purpose reduces the carrying capacity of the floodplain, leading to increased flood risk over time."
