"A new push for stricter rules in flood zones could force Biden’s team to choose: Increase construction costs, or leave people exposed to climate change."
"WASHINGTON — President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has promised to help communities prepare for the effects of climate change. A new demand for tougher building standards could test that commitment.
On Wednesday, two influential organizations that advocate for stronger measures to withstand natural disasters, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Association of State Floodplain Managers, filed a petition with the federal government urging more stringent building standards for homes and infrastructure along rivers and coasts.
Those changes would better protect millions of Americans as climate change worsens, and they reflect the sort of policy changes that experts say the United States must adopt to cope with the effects of global warming. But they would also make homes more expensive to build, risking the anger of local governments and home builders, which is why previous administrations have been reluctant to impose similar changes."
Christopher Flavelle reports for the New York Times January 6, 2021.
SEE ALSO:
"Biden Climate Team Says It Underestimated Trump's Damage" (E&E News)
"Biden Nominees Signal Cooperation With States On Climate" (HuffPost)
"Control of Senate Allows Democrats To Act On Biden’s Climate Change Agenda" (CNBC)
