Moving Forward  on Gulf Hypoxia
                                                                                                 Tho Witcrahcd Academy
 Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Eastern: l:00p.m.-3:00p.m.
Central: 12:00p.m.- 2:00p.m.
                                                              Two-hour audio Web broadcast
Mountain: ll:00a.m.-l:00p.m.     Pacific: 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
A Watershed Academy Webcast
    In 2008, the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico was the second largest on record - bigger than the State of Massachusetts, and the
    second largest in the world, after the Baltic Sea. This oxygen-depleted water, referred to as the hypoxic zone, is largely caused by
    nitrogen and phosphorus pollution mainly from the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basins. In 1997, a partnership of federal, state,
and tribal agencies established the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force to understand the causes and effects
of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and to coordinate activities to help reduce the hypoxic zone. The Task Force developed a 2001 Action
Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In spring 2008, they completed a reassessment
of the science, and in June released an updated 2008 Action Plan. Join us for this Webcast to learn more about the hypoxic zone in the
Gulf of Mexico, improvements in the 2008 Action Plan, and how EPA and other federal agencies and state agencies are implementing
actions to reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin.

Instructors:

Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, USEPA
Mr. Grumbles is the Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. EPA as well as the Chair of the Mississippi River/
Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. Prior to coming to EPA, Mr. Grumbles was Deputy Chief of Staff
and Environmental Counsel for the Committee on Science in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also served for
over 15 years in various capacities on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, including Senior
Counsel for the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee.
                 Nancy Rabalais, Executive Director and Professor, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
                 Dr. Rabalais has conducted research on hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico for the past 25 years and received
                 several research and environmental awards for her work on Gulf hypoxia. Dr. Rabalais first identified and mapped the
                 Gulf hypoxic zone in 1985. She is an author of 3 books, 26 book chapters, and over 80 peer-reviewed publications.
                 Her research interests cover a wide range of coastal and estuarine topics.

Darrell Brown, Associate Director, USEPA's Oceans & Coastal Protection Division
Mr. Brown is the leader of EPA's Gulf Hypoxia Team, responsible for coordinating EPA's efforts to reduce the
hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In addition, his division is responsible for overseeing a broad range of
coastal programs, including the National Estuary Program for habitat restoration, coastal research and monitoring,
aquatic nuisance  species, and impacts of growth on estuarine water quality and the Marine Pollution Program,
including marine and vessel discharge, marine debris, and ocean dumping and dredged material management.
                                                                                                               m^f

              John Kessler, Assistant Chief, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
              Mr. Kessler spent 12 years with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in the Division of Surface Water before
              moving to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, where he has spent the past four years. His work at DNR deals
              with the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force and the Ohio River Basin Steering Committee.


The Watershed Academy
The Watershed Academy is a focal point in EPA's Office of Water for providing training and information on implementing watershed
approaches. The Academy sponsors live classroom training and online distance learning modules through the Watershed Academy Web at
www.epa. gov/watertrain. For more information, visit www.epa. gov/watershedacademy.

Registration
You must register in advance to attend this Webcast. Register at the Watershed Academy Webcast Web site at www.epa. gov/watershedwebcasts
Note: The Watershed Academy is using a NEW Webcast vendor, and your computer must have the capability of playing sound in order to attend
this Webcast. To view archived Webcasts, go to www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/webcasts/archives.html

Questions?  Please contact Adrianna Berk at adrianna.berkfgjtetratech.com or 703-385-6000.

The materials in  this Webcast have been reviewed by EPA staff for technical accuracy. However, the views of the speakers and the speakers
organizations are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of EPA. Mention of commercial enterprises, products, or publications does not mean
that EPA endorses  them.

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