BATH, Maine — Few cities in our state carry more vital infrastructure on their waterfront than Bath. Nicknamed “The City of Ships,” the cranes of Bath Iron Works loom over the downtown skyline, as the frames of Navy vessels sit near the shore below.
But in the wake of several violent storms in recent years, including serious flooding this spring, leaders in the public and private sectors are worried about the longevity of the waterfront and are eagerly pursuing plans to prepare for a future of high seas and severe weather.
The city itself is seeking public input on its development of a new climate action plan, Resilient Bath. The goal is to use data, notably a 2023 vulnerability assessment, to implement strategies to protect the city and its infrastructure from the threat posed by climate change.
Rod Melanson, Bath’s sustainability and environment director, hopes this mission will be carried out through collaboration between the local government and the public.
“It's neighbor-to-neighbor communications. It's city communications and adapting to that new reality,” Melanson explained. “Now there's a level of urgency that perhaps wasn't here a year or two ago.”
While Resilient Bath is still in its information-gathering phase, the city’s largest employer, Bath Iron Works, has already begun to implement its own strategy.
Two new buildings in the shipyard were built at higher elevations than normal (between 1-3 feet higher), with a third currently under construction.
Representatives say some oil and hazmat storage has also been moved away from low lying areas in an effort to prevent damage from flooding, which a BIW manager called “moderate” this past winter.
“It’s a significant threat. And that's why we're putting in time and resources towards hardening the shipyard,” Pat Hennessey, the manager of BIW Environmental Lab and Industrial Hygiene Department, said Wednesday. “Historically speaking we’ve seen higher storm surges recently.”
Through these processes require an investment on the part of the company, Hennessey feels efforts like raising buildings will pay off.
“The elevation increase will certainly pay dividends for us," he said.