Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) Sea level has risen 5 to 6 inches over the last 30 years along the United States Coastline and is expected to rise by an additional 8 to 15 inches by 2050. (2) The response of shallow, coastal groundwater levels to sea level rise will vary across different areas, complicating efforts by State, local, and Tribal policymakers to plan for the future. (3) Groundwater rise presents multiple threats to infrastructure and human health, such as increased flooding and soil liquefaction risk, destabilization of underground infrastructure and building foundations, contamination of drinking water, damage to sewage systems, and mobilization of underground contamination, but there has not been a national assessment of these potential impacts.