DOVER, Del. - The cost of protecting communities along the Delaware Bay from rising sea level could reach into the tens of millions of dollars, according to a new report.
The costs to combat sea level changes range from under $1 million to roughly $155 million over the next three decades, according to a report from JMT, an engineering consultant.
The study was released by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to state lawmakers and community members at a meeting in Dover Friday morning.
The group examined four possible scenarios: beach renourishment, two methods of beach retreat and taking no action.
In all cases, the report shows the costs exceed the projected monetary benefits. The retreat methods, deemed the most expensive, involve purchasing property to build a dune and beach system depending on the location of homes and the pace of sea level rise, said Tony Pratt, DNREC shoreline administrator. Taking no action would cost the least amount of tax dollars but could mean devastation for homeowners, the report shows.
Pratt said the huge costs, compared to a relatively small benefit, presented tough policy decisions for state leaders. More than 1,700 structures in seven bay communities are also at stake, the report said.
"Government looks at things that are beyond just the bottom line. It looks at human beings. It looks at cultures. It looks at communities," said Pratt. "I think that's the challenge to the elected officials to take into consideration those intangible values and combine those with these hard values that we measured to see where we come out at the end of the day."
Homeowners and community members watched as slides and pie charts explained the cost analysis.
"I'm one of the residents and I'd like to see what I can expect to save my home," said Prime Hook homeowner John Chirtea. "Right now, I don't think I heard that."
Chirtea said he is happy leaders are addressing the situation but noted he was also hoping for more concrete answers.
"Maybe what we're looking forward to is a lot more studies, many more studies to happen, before we get any kind of a firm, conclusion for what it means for my community in particular," said Chirtea.
The consultant's report from Friday was nearly two years in the making and is separate from a DNREC report released Wednesday identifying areas at risk of sea level rise. The state's vulnerability assessment report shows sea level rise could leave up to 11 percent of Delaware under water over the next century, possibly impacting up to 17,000 homes and hundreds of roads and bridges.
A final decision on how to proceed at the bay communities could be years away; the state will likely engage in more studies and public meetings in the near future, Pratt said. In the meantime, Pratt said the state would pay to dredge sand into the bay communities as a short term fix over the next few years.
