U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Publication Number: EPA 100-K-14-001
June 2014
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To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so
for informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or
regulations, and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require.
Neither this document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change
or impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community.
Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally
binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency
decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions
described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is
subject to change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it
is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan., each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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Contributors
This document was produced by the Cross-EPA Work Group on Climate Change Adaptation
Planning. The Work Group members include:
Chair
Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation
Office of the Administrator/Office of Policy: Joel D. Scheraga
Office of Administration and
Resources Management (OARM): Dan Amon
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR): Bill Perkins, Erika Sasser, Lourdes Morales, Dana
Hyland
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO): Wyatt Boyd, Jason Bossie
Office of the Congressional
and Intergovernmental Relations (OCIR): Reynold Meni
Office of Chemical Safety and
Pollution Prevention (OCSPP): Richard Dumas
Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance (OECA): Gerard C. Kraus, Melanie Shepherdson, Carol
Holmes, Nathaniel Folkemer
Office of Environmental Justice (OECA/OEJ): Victoria Robinson
Office of External Affairs
and Environmental Education (OEAEE): Cathy Milbourn, Enesta Jones
Office of General Counsel (OGC): James Curtin, Daniel P. Schramm, Thomas
Marshall
Office of Homeland Security (OHS): Steve Williams
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Office of International and Tribal
Affairs (OITA):
Office of Policy (OP)
David Guest, Anthony Socci
Gerald Filbin, Catherine Allen
Office of Research and Development (ORD): Andy Miller, Michael Slimak
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response (OSWER):
Brigid Lowery, Jennifer Brady
Office of Water (OW):
Region 1: Ken Moraff, Cynthia Greene
Region 2: Paul Simon, Irene Nielson
Region 3: Michael Dunn, Joe Piotrowski
Region 4: Beverly Banister, Kenneth Mitchell
Region 5 Timothy Henry, Kate Balasa
Region 6: Jim Brown, Jim Yarbrough
Region 7: Rebecca Weber, Toni Gargas
Region 8: Laura Farris
Region 9: Karen Schwinn, Suzanne Marr
Region 10: Joyce Kelly, Bruce Duncan
Staff Support: Leah Cohen (Office of Policy)
Karen Metchis, Joel Corona
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Dedication
This Plan is dedicated to the memory of our colleague, David Guest, from the Office of
International and Tribal Affairs (OITA). David was a most thoughtful and willing collaborator
and friend in the preparation of the Agency Climate Adaptation Plan. Throughout his work with
this Plan and with EPA he was an ardent advocate for the issues important to tribal
governments, our crucial partners in environmental protection.
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Table of Contents
Section Page
Climate Change Adaptation: Executive Summary 10
Parti: Vision of the Future EPA 14
Part 2: Known Vulnerabilities to EPA's Mission from Climate Change 18
2.1 Climate Change and Climate Impacts 18
2.2 Synthesis of EPA's Vulnerabilities 19
2.2.1 Goal 1: Taking Actions on Climate Change
and Improving Air Quality 20
2.2.2 Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters 23
2.2.3 Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development 27
2.2.4 Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 29
2.2.5 Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws 31
2.2.6 EPA's Facilities and Operations 31
2.3 Climate Change Impacts on the Most Vulnerable Communities 34
2.4 Summary of Key Areas of Known Vulnerability 37
Part 3: Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in EPA 40
3.1 Building Adaptive Capacity 40
3.2 Guiding Principles for Adaptation at EPA 41
3.3 Agency-wide Priorities 42
3.3.1 Priority: Fulfill Strategic Measures in FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan 42
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3.3.2 Priority: Protect Agency Facilities and Operations 44
3.3.3 Priority: Factor Legal Considerations into Adaptation Efforts 45
3.3.4 Priority: Strengthen Adaptive Capacity of EPA Staff and Partners
Through Training 46
3.3.5 Priority: Develop Decision-Support Tools that Enable EPA Staff and
Partners to Integrate Climate Adaptation Planning into their Work 47
3.3.6 Priority: Identify Cross-EPA Science Needs Related to Climate
Adaptation 48
3.3.7 Priority: Partner with Tribes to Increase Adaptive Capacity 49
3.3.8 Priority: Focus on Most Vulnerable People and Places 49
3.3.9 Priority: Measure and Evaluate Performance 50
3.3.10 Priority: Develop Program and Regional Office Implementation Plans 51
3.4 Importance of Partnerships 54
Part 4: Measuring and Evaluating Performance 57
4.1 Existing Strategic Performance Measures 57
4.2 New Performance Measures 58
Table: Summary of Program Vulnerabilities to Climate Change
Impacts by EPA Strategic Goal 60
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Climate Change
Adaptation Plan:
Executive Summary
We live in a world in which the climate is
changing at a rate faster than that which
society has experienced in modern history.
Because many of the environmental
outcomes that EPA is working to attain
(e.g., clean air, safe drinking water) are
sensitive to changes in weather and
climate, these changes are posing new
challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its
mission of protecting human health and the
environment.
To address these challenges, EPA has
developed a Climate Change Adaptation
Plan. The Adaptation Plan relies on peer-
reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to begin to identify potential
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission from
climate change. The Adaptation Plan also
presents priority actions the Agency will
take to integrate climate adaptation
planning into its programs, policies, rules,
and operations to ensure they are effective
in a changing climate. EPA's focus on
climate adaptation is part of a larger federal
effort to promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing
climate. EPA's Climate Change Adaptation
Plan provides a road map and commitment
from the Agency to addressing the direction
provided in the President's Climate Action
Plan, and Executive Order 13653, Preparing
the United States for the Impacts of Climate
Change.
Vision of the Future EPA
EPA's Policy Statement on Climate-Change
Adaptation, issued in 2011, called for EPA to
plan for future changes in climate and to
mainstream considerations of climate
change into its activities. As part of that
effort, the Policy Statement called for the
Agency to develop and implement a Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. It also called for
EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Plan
> EPA's Adaptation Plan identifies ways in which
climate change could affect EPA's ability to fulfill
its mission.
> EPA's Adaptation Plan describes priority
actions that EPA will take to ensure that its
programs, policies, rules, and operations will
remain effective under future climatic conditions.
each EPA National Environmental Program
Office and all of the Regional Offices to
develop Implementation Plans to explain
how they will carry out the work called for
in the Agency-wide Plan. EPA made these
Implementation Plans available as drafts for
public comment late in 2013 and they have
been revised with this Plan.
EPA's vision is for the Agency to continue to
fulfill its mission of protecting human health
and the environment even as the climate
changes. EPA will build and strengthen its
adaptive capacity and work with its
partners to build capacity in states, tribes,
Adaptive capacity is the ability of a human or
natural system to adjust to climate change
[including climate variability and extremes) by
moderating potential damages, taking advantage
of opportunities, and/or coping with the
consequences.
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and local communities. EPA will empower
its staff and partners by increasing their
awareness of ways that climate change may
affect their ability to implement effective
programs, and by providing them with data,
information, and tools to integrate climate
adaptation into their work.
Identifying Vulnerabilities to
EPA's Mission from Climate
Change
Using the best available science, EPA has
begun to identify ways in which its mission,
facilities, and operations are vulnerable to
climate change. EPA will refine this initial
effort to identify and understand areas of
vulnerability by
undertaking research,
assessment, and
monitoring activities in
the coming years. EPA's
Climate Change
Adaptation Plan
summarizes known
vulnerabilities related to
the Agency's five
strategic goals:
• Taking Action on Climate Change and
Improving Air Quality. Climate change is
likely to affect air quality in a variety of
ways. For example, higher air
temperatures, more frequent wildfires,
heavy precipitation events, and changes in
atmospheric transportation patterns may
lead to increased tropospheric ozone levels,
changes in particulate matter exposure,
worsened indoor air quality, changes to the
stratospheric ozone layer, and changes in
Vulnerability assessment is an ongoing
process. EPA's Climate Change Adaptation
Plan should be viewed as a living
document that will be updated as needed
to account for new knowledge, data, and
scientific evidence about the impacts of
climate change on EPA's mission.
deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury
in ecosystems.
Protecting America's Waters. More
frequent hurricanes, rising sea levels,
increasing water temperatures, ocean
acidification, and changing precipitation
patterns may all have adverse effects on
water quality protection, the operation of
water management infrastructure, the
quality and availability of drinking water
supplies, and the restoration and protection
of watersheds, wetlands, oceans, and
aquatic ecosystems.
Cleaning Up Communities and
Advancing Sustainable Development.
Flooding from sea-level
rise, more intense and
frequent storm surges, as
well as melting
permafrost could disrupt
waste management
networks and may also
lead to releases from
contaminated sites under EPA's jurisdiction.
Changes in temperature and precipitation
may impact the performance and efficiency
of cleanups. Increased frequency and
intensity of extreme weather events may
affect EPA's capacity to manage debris and
respond to emergencies.
• Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and
Preventing Pollution. Climate change may
affect exposures to a wide range of
chemicals due to changing use patterns and
environmental conditions. For example,
EPA's decisions about how pesticides are
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registered may be affected by the impact of
climate change on pest pressure and how
and where pesticides are used.
• Enforcing Environmental Laws. More
frequent extreme weather events might
divert EPA's staff and resources away from
enforcement and toward disaster response
and remediation.
Mainstreaming Climate Change
Adaptation at EPA
Climate change is one of many factors that
can influence the effectiveness of EPA's
activities over time. It is essential for the
Agency to account for climate change as it
designs its programs, policies, and rules, in
the same way that other factors such as
population growth and economic
development are regularly considered.
EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Plan
identifies a broad set of priority actions that
EPA will take to begin addressing its
vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate
change adaptation into its activities:
Continue to fulfill strategic measures in
FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan: EPA's FY
2011-2015 Strategic Plan established the
Agency's first "Strategic Performance
Measures" for integrating climate
adaptation into EPA's day-to-day
operations. The Strategic Plan committed
EPA to integrating considerations about
climate change science and adaptation into
(1) five rulemaking processes, (2) five major
grant, loan, contract or technical assistance
programs, and (3) five major scientific
models or decision-support tools, all by
2015.
• Protect Agency facilities and operations:
EPA will develop and implement measures
to protect its workforce, operations, and
underlying infrastructure against extreme
weather events such as floods.
Factor legal considerations into
adaptation efforts: EPA's Climate Change
Adaptation Plan encourages managers in
the Agency's programs and regions to
consult with EPA's attorneys to ensure that
all adaptation work is within the scope of
the Agency's statutory authorities.
• Strengthen adaptive capacity of EPA
staff and partners through training: EPA
will design and implement climate change
adaptation training for its staff and its
partners in states, tribes, and local
communities.
Develop decision-support tools that
enable EPA staff and partners to integrate
climate adaptation planning into their
work: EPA is committed to developing
decision-support tools to improve the
quality and efficacy of decisions that are
sensitive to changes in climate.
• Identify cross-EPA science needs related
to climate adaptation: EPA's Office of
Research and Development will coordinate
an effort to identify priority research needs
for the entire Agency to support the
integration of adaptation planning into
EPA's activities. This will produce research
results that benefit multiple program areas
of EPA.
Partner with tribes to increase adaptive
capacity: Each EPA Program and Regional
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Office will support the development of
adaptive capacity in the tribes and identify
clear steps for ongoing collaboration with
tribal governments where appropriate.
• Focus on most vulnerable people and
places: EPA will help increase the resilience
of the most vulnerable people and places by
improving their capacity to predict, prepare
for, and avoid adverse impacts from climate
change.
• Measure and evaluate performance:
EPA will evaluate its climate change
adaptation actions on an ongoing basis, in
order to maintain progress toward the long-
term goal of integrating climate adaptation
into the Agency's programs, policies, rules,
and operations.
• Develop Program and Regional Office
Implementation Plans: EPA's National
Environmental Program Offices and all of
the Regional Offices have each developed
their own Implementation Plans and they
are being released along with this EPA
Agency Plan. The Implementation Plans
describe how the Offices are integrating
climate adaptation into their planning and
work, and how they are addressing the
cross-EPA priorities identified in this
Agency-wide Adaptation Plan. Each
Implementation Plan reflects unique
program or regional circumstances and
goals.
Measuring and Evaluating
Performance
Because of the uncertainties involved in
understanding how climate change will
affect EPA's programs and activities, EPA's
adaptation planning will include a
continuing effort of evaluation and
adjustment. In the near term, EPA will
evaluate its adaptation planning efforts
using the three strategic performance
measures from its FY2011-2015 Strategic
Plan. In the longer term, EPA will develop
additional measures to evaluate the
outcomes and effectiveness of the broader
set of actions described in its Climate
Change Adaptation Plan.
Based on these assessments, EPA will
The Importance of Program Evaluation
Because EPA's Programs and Regions will be
learning by experience as they mainstream
climate adaptation planning into their activities,
it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in
order to understand how well different
approaches work and how they can be improved.
identify program areas where its climate
adaptation activities have had the greatest
impact, and program areas needing
improvement. The lessons learned will be
shared across the Agency and with EPA's
partners and other stakeholders. On the
basis of these lessons, EPA will make
adjustments to the way adaptation is
integrated into its activities.
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Part 1: Vision of the Future EPA
We live in a world in which the climate is changing. Changes in climate have occurred since the
formation of the planet. But humans are now influencing Earth's climate and causing it to
change in unprecedented ways.
It is in this rapidly changing world that EPA is working to fulfill its mission to protect human
health and the environment. Many of the outcomes
EPA is working to attain (e.g., clean air, safe drinking
water) are sensitive to changes in weather and
climate. Until now, EPA has been able to assume that
climate is relatively stable and future climate will
mirror past climate. However, with climate changing
more rapidly than society has experienced in the past, the past is no longer a good predictor of
the future. Climate change is posing new challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission.
Vision
EPA continues to fulfill its mission of
protecting human health and the
environment even as the climate changes.
It is essential that EPA adapt to anticipate and plan for changes in climate. It must integrate, or
mainstream, considerations of climate change into its programs, policies, rules and operations
to ensure they are effective under future climatic conditions. Through climate adaptation
planning, EPA will continue to protect human health and the environment, but in a way that
accounts for the effects of climate change.
EPA has not yet conducted a detailed quantitative assessment of the vulnerability of its mission
to climate change. This Climate Change Adaptation Plan uses expert judgment, combined with
information from peer-reviewed scientific literature on the impacts of climate change, to
identify potential vulnerabilities. It then presents priority actions the Agency will take to begin
integrating climate adaptation planning into its activities.
EPA's focus on climate adaptation is part of a larger federal effort to increase the nation's
adaptive capacity and promote a healthy and
prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing
climate. A central element of EPA's efforts to adapt
to a changing climate will be to strengthen the
adaptive capacity of its own staff and its partners
across the country. It will increase staff's awareness
of ways that climate change may affect their ability
to implement effective programs. It will empower
staff to integrate climate adaptation into the work
they do by providing them with the necessary data,
Adaptive Capacity
Adaptive capacity is the ability of a human
or natural system to adjust to climate
change (including climate variability and
extremes) by moderating potential
damages, taking advantage of
opportunities, and/or coping with the
consequences.
information and tools.
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EPA will also strengthen the adaptive capacity of its partners across the country in ways that are
critical to attaining the Agency's mission. States, tribes, and local communities share
responsibility for protecting human health and the environment, and partnerships with EPA are
at the heart of the country's environmental protection system. These partnerships will be
critical for efficient, effective and equitable implementation of climate adaptation strategies.
EPA's Regional and Program Offices will therefore work with their partners, engage local
stakeholders, and use a diversity of approaches to build adaptive capacity and encourage
climate adaptation planning depending upon state, local, and tribal needs and conditions. EPA
will continue to work with other federal agencies and international partners to enhance
understanding of climate change risks and leverage collective knowledge about climate
adaptation planning.
EPA Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation
EPA issued its first Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation in June 2011.1 The Policy
Statement recognized that climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA's ability to
fulfill its mission. It called for the Agency to anticipate and
"I skate to where the puck is going to
plan for future changes in climate and incorporate „
r & r be, not where it has been.
considerations of climate change into its activities.
—Hockey great, Wayne Gretzky
The Policy Statement noted that many programs
throughout the Agency have already begun to anticipate and address the implications of a
changing climate. These efforts laid a solid foundation on which to build climate adaptation
planning into EPA's activities. Nevertheless, more needs to be done.
The Policy Statement called for the development and implementation of this EPA Climate
Change Adaptation Plan to integrate climate adaptation into the Agency's programs, policies,
rules and operations. Priority activities were also identified to be undertaken by the Program
and Regional Offices, and reflected in the EPA's annual budget submissions. This Plan lays out
the priority actions to begin the long-term process of integrating climate adaptation into the
Agency's activities.
The Policy Statement also directed every EPA Program and Regional Office to develop an
Implementation Plan that provides more detail on how it will meet the priorities and carry out
the work called for in the agency-wide plan. The Policy Statement recognized that each Office is
best positioned to determine how to integrate climate adaptation into its own activities, and
provided each Office with the flexibility to develop its Implementation Plan in a manner
consistent and compatible with its own circumstances and objectives. EPA is updating its Policy
Statement to reflect the progress that has been made thus far and focus more fully on
implementation activities and on helping states, tribes and communities build their capacity to
adapt to climate change. The updated Policy Statement will be released in June 2014.
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EPA's ongoing work is guided by principles representing EPA's core values. EPA's efforts to
integrate climate adaptation into existing programs and activities will use the best available
science, protect populations and locations most vulnerable to climate change and with the least
ability to adapt, and use sensible analytic methods and approaches for developing adaptation
strategies. Partnerships will be forged that include multiple levels of government, as well as
private and nongovernmental partners throughout the country and internationally.
The Policy Statement acknowledges that mainstreaming adaptation planning will be an
ongoing, long-term activity. The effectiveness of the Agency's adaptation activities will be
monitored and evaluated to continually assess the effectiveness of actions. Lessons will be
learned and shared across the Agency and with its partners at home and abroad. Likewise, EPA
will learn from the experiences of its international counterparts and partners. Adjustments to
the Agency's approaches and plans will be made as necessary. These adjustments will be
reflected in regular updates to this agency-wide Plan.2
Initial Strategic Measures
EPA has established initial goals for mainstreaming climate adaptation planning into its
activities. The FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan contains the Agency's first "strategic
performance measures" for integrating climate adaptation into its day-to-day operations.3
Explicit commitments to attain the performance measures are now included in EPA's annual
budget submissions to Congress.
The strategic performance measures contained in the FY2011-2015 Strategic Plan commit the
Agency to integrating adaptation planning into five major rulemaking processes and five major
financial assistance mechanisms by 2015, using existing authorities. They also call for the
integration of adaptation planning into five major scientific models or decision-support tools
used in implementing Agency environmental management programs. These Strategic Plan
commitments represent the Agency's best and most informed judgment about the most
effective mechanisms for building adaptive capacity and promoting adaptive planning within
EPA and by its partners. They also provide a set of measures for monitoring the Agency's
progress on adaptation planning.
EPA emphasizes the importance of evaluating activities and acting on the lessons learned. EPA
will seek to identify where its climate adaptation activities might have the greatest impact on
protecting human health and the environment, replicate its successes, and identify areas
needing improvement. It will be an ongoing challenge to measure the direct impact of EPA's
adaptation planning activities on the resilience of its programs, and on the human health and
environmental outcomes it is striving to attain. The Agency will continue to explore, test and
evaluate other approaches for mainstreaming adaptation planning besides those already
contained in the strategic performance measures. If necessary, it will develop improved
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strategic measures and annual performance measures. This ongoing process of evaluation and
learning is consistent with EPA's commitment to transparency and accountability.
Contribution to a Healthy and Prosperous Nation
The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to
encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government. Federal
agencies now recognize that climate change poses challenges to their missions, operations and
programs. Ensuring the capacity of federal government agencies to maintain essential services
and achieve their missions in the face of climate change is critical for successful adaptation by
the entire nation. Federal agencies are working together to plan for climate change using
approaches that no longer assume past conditions are good indicators of the future. Although
there is no single planning approach appropriate for all agencies, the use of consistent, but
flexible, frameworks facilitates coordination across agencies and allows them to leverage
common tools and methods.4
The federal government has an important and unique role in climate change adaptation, but is
only one part of a broader effort that must include public and private partners throughout the
country and internationally. Partnerships with states, tribes, local communities, other
governments and international organizations, many of which have already begun to implement
adaptation measures, are essential.
EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the nation's adaptive capacity are vital to the
goal of protecting human health and the environment. Working with its partners, the Agency
will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Endnotes
1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation, June 2, 2011,
http://epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf.
2 Executive Order 13514 resulted in a process that requires every federal agency to submit annual progress reports
to its sustainability and climate change adaptation plans.
3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, Achieving Our Vision (2011),
http://epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.
4 White House Council on Environmental Quality, Progress Report on the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation
Task Force: Recommended Actions in Support of a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (Washington, DC,
October 5, 2010).
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Part 2: Known Vulnerabilities to EPA's Mission from
Climate Change
2.1 Climate Change and Climate Impacts
The global climate is changing, and the impacts of this change are being felt across the United
States and the world. These impacts pose new challenges to EPA as it strives to fulfill its mission
of protecting human health and the environment. It is essential for the EPA to adapt if it is to
reduce the vulnerability of its mission to climate change and continue fulfilling its statutory,
regulatory and programmatic requirements. It is vital
that the EPA anticipate and plan for future changes in
climate and incorporate considerations of climate change
into many of its programs, policies, rules, and operations
Vulnerability
Vulnerability is the degree to which a
where appropriate to ensure they remain effective under system is susceptible to, or unable to
cope with, adverse effects of climate
change, including climate variability
and extremes.
future climatic conditions.
During the past 50 years, average temperature across the
United States has risen more than 2°F, while
precipitation has increased an average of about 5
percent. Some extreme weather events, such as heat waves, intense precipitation events and
regional droughts, have become more frequent and intense. One of the precipitation trends in
the United States is the increasing frequency and intensity of heavy downpours (the types of
events that cause runoff of pollutants and pathogens into our rivers and streams, and cause
combined sewer systems to overflow in our cities). This change in heavy downpours was
responsible for most of the observed increase in overall precipitation during the last 50 years.1
Also, during the past 50 years, sea level has risen up to 8 inches or more along some coastal
areas of the United States, and has fallen in other locations.2
These trends are expected to continue, partly due to past and future emissions of heat-trapping
greenhouse gases from human activities, but will occur against a background of natural
variations in climate.3 In the United States, temperatures are projected to warm substantially
over the 21st century under all projections of future climate change. These changes pose risks
for a wide range of human and environmental systems, including public health, the quality of
the air we breathe and the water we drink, freshwater resources, the coastal environment,
wildlife and ecosystems, infrastructure, economic activity, cultural resources and social well-
being. As such, the impacts of climate change introduce vulnerabilities across the mission and
goals of EPA.
Around the world all countries are expected to feel the effects of climate change, although the
specific impacts will vary. The impacts, however, are expected to disproportionately affect
developing countries and those already at risk.4 Within the United States, certain parts of the
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population may be especially vulnerable to climate change5. For example, EPA recognizes that
climate change may have significant impacts on subsistence resources in rural communities,
Alaskan Native villages, and Indian Country. EPA's efforts to anticipate and adapt to the effects
of climate change on its core mission, therefore will include helping the most vulnerable people
and places reduce their exposure to climate change and improving their capacity to predict,
prepare for and avoid adverse impacts.6
2.2 Synthesis of EPA's Vulnerabilities
The best available science directs our attention to areas where EPA's mission, facilities, and
operations may be adversely affected by climate change. EPA has not yet conducted a detailed
quantitative assessment of the vulnerability of its mission to
climate change. This Climate Change Adaptation Plan uses
expert judgment, combined with information from peer-
reviewed scientific literature on the impacts of climate
change, to identify potential vulnerabilities.
The assessment of EPA's climate-
related vulnerabilities is an
ongoing process. This summary of
This section summarizes the Agency's known mission, known vulnerabilities should be
r ... , -ii ,.,.....,. viewed as a living document that
facility, and operational vulnerabilities. As scientific
will be updated as needed to
understanding increases, other vulnerabilities may join the . ,
account for new knowledge, data
list. This summary is organized by EPA's five strategic goals, and scientific evidence.
which represent EPA's approach to its work and reflect the
results it works to achieve on behalf of the American
people:7
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
• Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
In addition to known vulnerabilities affecting each of the five goals, EPA has begun to assess the
vulnerabilities of its facilities and operations to a changing climate. EPA must ensure the safety
of its personnel, the safe and continued operation of its buildings and other critical assets (e.g.,
vehicles), and the integrity of its grants and procurement systems. In the event of any
catastrophic weather event, EPA's people, buildings and operations could be impacted. These
vulnerabilities are summarized in this section. Finally, this section includes information on
climate change impacts on the most vulnerable communities. For example, the Agency has a
priority focus on children's environmental health and environmental justice, including minority,
low-income, and indigenous populations, and these populations are discussed.
19
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The assessment of EPA's climate change vulnerabilities is a dynamic process. The extent to
which vulnerabilities have been identified and are understood varies across goals. The science
of climate change will improve over time, providing greater weight of evidence to evaluate the
consequences of existing and expected impacts. EPA will continue to identify new
vulnerabilities and improve its understanding of known vulnerabilities as it undertakes more
research, assessment, and monitoring activities, and fills in data gaps.
Examples of Data, Information, and Research Needs to Improve EPA's Assessment of its
Vulnerabilities from Climate Change
Potential vulnerabilities remain difficult to assess in some areas because of limited scientific understanding of the
potential impacts of climate change on some of EPA's programs. Examples of data, information, and/or research
needs include:
• Characterization of local impacts to precipitation and hydrology for use in planning long-lived water
infrastructure.
• Monitoring shifts in water quality and aquatic ecosystems in watersheds, and methods for incorporating such
changes into water quality programs.
• The potential impact of more intense weather events on EPA's disaster response planning efforts.
• The site-specific impacts of climate change on Brownfields, Corrective Action Facilities under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Superfund sites, RCRA Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) facilities,
non-hazardous solid waste facilities, and Leaking Underground Storage Tanks.
• The effect of climate change on energy efficiency programs given changes in energy demand and supply.
• The interactions between climate and the stratospheric ozone layer.
• The effects of climate change on multi-pollutant interactions in ecosystems.
• A characterization of climate-related trends in chemical use [e.g., changing patterns of pesticide use and new
chemical exposures to people and the environment), and implications for the review process for new chemicals
or the registration process for new pesticides.
2.2.1 Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
America's communities face health and environmental challenges from air pollution, some of
which are exacerbated by the growing effects of climate change. EPA is working with its
partners to protect public health and the environment with programs that address indoor and
outdoor air quality, climate change, pollution prevention, energy efficiency, industrial air
pollution, pollution from vehicles and engines, radon, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion,
and radiation protection. Within this broad portfolio, several programmatic areas are
vulnerable to future climate change, presenting challenges for EPA to continue to achieve its
core mission.
20
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The extent of vulnerability, however, differs across program areas and is tied to EPA's
understanding of the science and projections of future climate change impacts. Some key areas
of known vulnerability for EPA's air programs are:
Tropospheric ozone pollution is likely to increase in certain regions due to the effects of
climate change. The relationship between temperature changes and tropospheric ozone
formation is well understood. With climate change, higher temperatures and weaker air
circulation in the United States will lead to more ozone formation even with the same level of
emissions of ozone forming chemicals.8 Studies project that climate change could increase
tropospheric ozone levels over broad areas of the country, especially on the highest-ozone
days.9 Climate change also has the potential to lengthen the ozone season (the months of the
year when weather conditions, along with pollutants in the air, can result in the formation of
ground-level ozone in particular locations around the country), and may increase individuals'
vulnerability to air pollution.
10
Climate Change Impacts on Tropospheric Ozone Pollution
EPA is working to reduce
the number of areas in
America that do not meet
air quality standards.
Increases in ozone due to
climate change may make
it more difficult to attain or
maintain ozone standards.
This will need to be taken
into account when
designing effective ozone
precursor emission control
programs.
Increases in tropospheric
ozone concentrations due
to climate change would
increase the public health burden from air pollution. The potential impacts on public health
include more respiratory illnesses and increased risk of premature deaths.11 This is a particular
concern to sensitive subpopulations which are at risk for health effects from exposure to ozone.
In order to better protect human health, Federal, state, tribal, and local governments will need
to respond by improving the effectiveness of existing emissions control programs for ozone
precursors or by implementing new control measures that will ensure attainment of the ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Studies project that climate
change could increase
tropospheric ozone levels over
broad areas of the country.
Climate change also has the
potential to lengthen the
ozone season, and may
increase
individuals' vulnerability to air
pollution.
Photo: U.S. EPA
Sources: (1) U.S. EPA (2009). Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on
Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-
Level Ozone. An Interim Report of the U.S. EPA Global Change Research
Program. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC,
EPA/600/R-07/094F. (2) K. Katsouyanni, et al., "Air Pollution and Health: A
European and North American Approach (APHENA)," HEI Health Review
Committee, Research Report #142 (Boston, MA: Health Effects Institute,
October 2009), 5-90.
21
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Particulate matter (PM) levels are likely to be affected through changes in the frequency or
intensity of wildfires. While the impact of climate change on ambient PM levels remains
somewhat uncertain, there is evidence indicating that climate change will affect PM levels
through changes in the frequency or intensity of wildfires.12 The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) has reported with very high confidence that in North America,
disturbances such as wildfires are increasing and are likely to intensify in a warmer future with
drier soils and longer growing seasons.13 Forest fires are likely to increase in frequency,
severity, distribution and duration in the Southeast, the Intermountain West and the West due
to climate change. The potential increase in PM resulting from wildfires may increase the public
health burden in affected areas, which may include sensitive subpopulations at risk for
increased health effects from being exposed to PM pollution and also complicate state efforts
to attain the PM NAAQS and address regional transport of air pollution.
Climate change may worsen the quality of indoor air. Climate change may worsen existing
indoor environmental problems and introduce new ones as it alters the frequency or severity of
adverse outdoor conditions. Some examples of potential indoor air quality impacts include:
• Heavy precipitation events may contribute to increases in indoor dampness and building
deterioration, increasing occupants' exposure to mold and other biological contaminants
and emissions from building materials, as well as outdoor environmental pollutants, due to
breakdown of the protective building envelope.
Temperature increases may affect the emergence, evolution and geographic ranges of
pests, infectious agents and disease vectors. This may lead to shifting patterns of indoor
exposure to pesticides as occupants and building owners respond to new infestations.
Warmer average temperatures may lead to changes in occupant behavior that may create
health risks. Moreover, residents may weatherize buildings to increase comfort and indoor
environmental quality in addition to saving energy. Although in general, these actions
should be encouraged, this may lead to a reduction in ventilation and an increase in indoor
environmental pollutants unless measures are taken to preserve or improve indoor air
quality.14
These impacts may increase public health risks, particularly to the young, the elderly, and other
disproportionately impacted populations.
Climate change may alter the effects of and strategic priorities within EPA's regulatory and
voluntary programs to help restore the stratospheric ozone layer. The interactions between
the changing climate and ozone layer are complex. Climate change affects the ozone layer
through changes in chemical transport, atmospheric composition and temperature. In turn,
changes in stratospheric ozone can have implications for the weather and climate of the
22
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troposphere. Stratospheric ozone depletion and increases in global tropospheric ozone that
have occurred in recent decades have differing contributions to climate change. Additionally,
climate change may exacerbate the health effects of ozone layer damage at some latitudes and
mitigate them at others.15 Ozone depletion and climate change are also linked because both
ozone depleting substances and most of their principal substitutes are significant greenhouse
gases. While the science continues to evolve, potential climate change impacts are included in
the planning and implementation of the Agency's programs to protect stratospheric ozone.
Scientific understanding related to ways that climate change may affect the interactions of
sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury deposition with ecosystems is evolving. While there is limited
scientific evidence on this topic, additional research is underway to better understand how
patterns in the atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury with projected changes
in the climate and carbon cycle will affect ecosystem growth, species changes, surface water
chemistry, and mercury methylation and bioaccumulation.16The potential impacts could have
consequences for the effectiveness of ecosystem protection from Agency emissions reduction
programs.
2.2.2 Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
The nation's water is the lifeblood of our communities, supporting our economy and way of life,
and is the basis of all ecosystems.
EPA works with its state, local and tribal partners to protect and restore the nation's waters.
Together we protect public health by reducing human exposure to contaminants in drinking
water, fish and shellfish, and recreational waters. We protect and restore watersheds and
aquatic ecosystems by protecting the quality of rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and coastal and
ocean waters. EPA's programs include support for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater
infrastructure; setting standards for protecting water quality and regulating municipal, and
industrial discharges of pollutants to waters; working to control nonpoint sources of pollution;
monitoring conditions of surface water, watersheds, beaches and coastal and ocean waters;
and implementing programs to preserve healthy watersheds and to restore impaired waters.
Climate change alters the hydrological cycle, changing the background conditions in which
natural and man-made systems function. Changes have already been observed and are
expected to continue, such as warming air and water, changes in the location and amount of
rain and snow, increased intensity of rainfall and tropical storms, sea level rise, changes in
ocean chemistry, and indirect effects related to energy generation and fuel production.17
23
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Climate Change Impacts on Water
While there is relatively high confidence in our ability to project temperature increases due to
climate change, projected changes in precipitation and its effects on hydrology at the local scale
are less certain. Therefore,
a key challenge will be how
to help local decision
makers understand
potential local impacts, and
how to make long-term
plans under a new range of
uncertainty about future
hydrologic conditions.
Water resource managers
will also need to consider
the local impacts of climate
change as they grapple
Climate change impacts include too little
water in some places, too much water in
other places, and degraded water quality.
Some locations will be subject to all of
these conditions during different times of
the year. Water cycle changes are expected
to continue and will affect water
infrastructure, energy production and use,
human health, transportation, agriculture,
and ecosystems.
Source: USGCRP, "Global Climate Change
Impacts in the U.S."(2009), Water Sector,
at:
http://globalchange.gov/publications/repo
rts/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/climate-change-impacts-bv-
sector/water-resources
Photo: www.water.ky.gov
with other challenges-
including population
growth, land use changes,
economic constraints, and a variety of stressors to the quality and quantity of our nations
waters.
Protection of water quality, and restoration and protection of watersheds, wetlands, oceans,
and aquatic ecosystems will be greatly challenged by changes in climate throughout the
United States. EPA, working with its state, tribal, and local partners, is responsible for
developing and implementing a portfolio of regulatory and non-regulatory programs to protect
and improve water quality in the nation's watersheds and estuarine, coastal and ocean waters.
As better information is developed for local decision making, changes may be needed in how
EPA and our partners implement water quality programs, including Water Quality Standards,
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL), Effluent Guidelines, National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES), nonpoint pollution control programs, and other watershed
management programs.
The potential vulnerabilities of EPA's water quality programs to climate change include:
• Higher air and water temperatures will increase pollutant concentrations and lower
dissolved oxygen levels, potentially resulting in additional water bodies not meeting water
quality standards and being listed as impaired.
• Higher air and water temperatures combined with nutrient pollution will increase the
incidence of Harmful Algal Blooms, threatening ecosystems and public health.
24
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Warmer waters and other ecological shifts will threaten aquatic habitats and aquatic
species, such as cold water fisheries, with the potential for significant impacts on
subsistence fishing tribes.
Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms will cause an increase in the number of
sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, fouling streams.
Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms will cause increased pollutant loads in
runoff, and the velocity of runoff will scour and erode creek beds.
Areas experiencing periods of less precipitation, drought, lower stream flow and limited
ground water recharge will result in less water flow for dilution of permitted discharges,
alterations of aquatic environments, and increased impairments. Competition will be
exacerbated for limited water supplies for municipal, industrial, energy, agricultural, and
ecological uses.
Areas with increased intensity of drought or that may experience increases in events such
as wildfires may see alterations in the structure and function of wetlands and watersheds.
Sea-level rise combined with coastal development will challenge the ability of coastal
wetlands to migrate.
Ocean acidification resulting from the absorption of C02 will continue to stress coral reefs.
As the nation pursues alternative strategies for producing energy and fuel, both to reduce
greenhouse gases and to increase energy independence, local or regional demand for
limited water supplies for energy and fuel production may increase, placing additional
pressures on water quality programs.
The ecological effects of climate change, such as shifts in aquatic species and their habitats
or the quality of snowpack, are likely to affect the economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities.
Sea level rise and coastal surges increase erosion that can affect coastal zones that support
aquatic species.
25
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Climate change will have a significant impact on water infrastructure. In most of the United
States, we enjoy the benefits of clean and safe water resulting from an extensive network of
drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. EPA recognizes that this
infrastructure is aging and is being further taxed by the impacts of climate change. Additionally,
as state, tribal and local governments face more demands for increasingly limited resources,
the ability to respond to these growing infrastructure pressures becomes more complicated.
Climate change will create vulnerabilities in the nation's infrastructure system in the following
ways:
Changes in rainfall patterns beyond the design capacity of drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure, or flooding due to increased intensity of storms, could
overwhelm and damage infrastructure.
• Sea-level rise could affect water infrastructure, including drinking water intakes and
wastewater outfalls, and could push saline water into coastal aquifers. Combined with
tropical storms and associated storm surges, the integrity of coastal water infrastructure
systems may be at increased risk.
Drinking water and wastewater utilities need to take an "all hazards" approach to planning
for emergencies and extreme weather events, which may be impacted by climate change. In
order to support the efforts of such utilities, it is important for EPA guidance, tools, and
technical support to also support this all hazards approach.
• Vulnerable and economically deprived communities may be particularly at risk, both for
access to clean and safe water as well as for their ability to respond to emergencies during
extreme events.
Climate change will affect the quality and availability of drinking water supplies. More than
290 million people living in the United States rely on the safety of tap water provided by public
water systems that are subject to national drinking water standards. EPA ensures that these
water systems are sustainable and secure by developing and revising water standards, ensuring
compliance with these standards, and protecting sources of drinking water from contamination.
EPA's role in drinking water is solely to protect the quality of what Americans consume. EPA
does not have a direct role in ensuring adequate water supplies. However, changes in water
quantity may affect water quality. The issue of water quantity is a significant issue for many
communities, and will be increasingly so especially in the west and southeast. We can expect
increasing numbers of communities grappling with increased drought, reduced snow pack, and
challenges to water supplies. Such communities will be faced with managing competition
between municipal supplies, energy production, industrial use, agricultural use, and ecological
needs, and it is likely that EPA and our partners will be called on to address water quality issues
26
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in this context. EPA has identified a number of areas where its programs designed to protect
drinking water are vulnerable to climate change. These vulnerabilities include:
Higher air and water temperatures will promote increased growth of algae and microbes,
which will increase the need for drinking water treatment.
Changes in water temperature can lead to increased risk from invasive species that can
disrupt water and waste water systems.
Increased stormwater runoff will wash sediment and other contaminants into drinking
water sources, requiring additional treatment.
Sea-level rise could increase the salinity of both surface water and ground water through
saltwater intrusion, encroaching upon coastal drinking water supplies.
• Reduced annual precipitation or increased intensity and duration of drought in some
regions will affect water supplies, causing drinking water providers to reassess supply plans
and consider alternative pricing, allocation and water conservation options.
• Warming temperatures will cause precipitation in some areas to increasingly fall as rain
rather than snow. Combined with seasonal shifts in springtime snowmelt, areas relying on
snowpack to serve as a water 'reservoir' may need to develop new plans for ensuring water
supplies.
In areas with loss of snowpack or less precipitation, water demand may shift to
underground aquifers or prompt development of underground storage of treated water,
which will require EPA to assure the safety of such underground sources of drinking water.
2.2.3 Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development
EPA's highest priorities under this goal are to prevent and reduce exposure to contaminants
and accelerate the pace of cleanups across contaminated sites and properties, including
Brownfields, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Facilities,
Superfund sites and Leaking Underground Storage Tanks.18
A range of major climate change stressors may affect contaminated sites, which in turn could
affect how EPA addresses contamination and manages cleanups. In order to understand the
potential impacts to these sites, EPA has begun to use broad screening analysis mapping to
identify the sites most likely threatened by climate change impacts. EPA has a general
understanding of the potential vulnerabilities at these sites. Key vulnerabilities identified by
EPA include:
27
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Increased Temperatures May Represent a Significant Risk for
Waste Sites in Alaska
*
Flooding from more intense and frequent storms and sea-level rise, as well as melting
permafrost, may lead to contaminant releases from Corrective Action sites, Superfund sites,
Brownfield sites and
landfills. Inundation and
flooding may lead to
transport of contaminants
through surface soils,
ground water, surface
waters and/or coastal
waters. Saltwater intrusion
and increased ground
water salinity in coastal
aquifers may also increase
the permeability of clay
liners installed at waste
sites, such as landfills,
allowing contaminants to
spread to nearby
properties. Melting
permafrost may allow
contaminants to migrate
and may cause land shifting
-
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a
3 1*
two
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Vw
2000
2006
and subsidence. These
contaminant releases may
pose an increased risk of
adverse health and
environmental impacts.
Temperature increases associated with climate change may lead to the
melting of permafrost - which acts as a barrier to the transport of
contaminants - in northern latitudes. With increased temperatures, thawing
could allow contaminants to migrate more freely to adjoining areas.
Source: Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds.,
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States (New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press, 2009),
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-
report.pdf.
Changes in precipitation patterns and temperature may adversely affect the performance of
the cleanup remedy and alter the efficacy of cleanups. To the extent that climate change leads
to more prolonged droughts, water-intensive remedies may be impacted and the risk of
wildfires spreading to contaminated sites may increase. Changes in precipitation may affect the
rate at which vegetation grows at various sites and may affect phytoremediation and ecological
revitalization efforts. The impacts may be positive or negative, depending on conditions at each
site. Ground water processes may also be altered, resulting in potential adverse impacts on the
performance and cost of remediation. To the extent that temperatures increase with climate
change, contaminants at cleanup sites may become more volatile, increasing risks for local
populations. The extent of this effect will depend on the contaminants at individual sites.
28
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Climate change may also affect the ability of EPA's emergency management workforce to
respond to natural disasters. For example, the release of hazardous substances or chemicals
through flooding or storm surge creates demand for emergency response personnel and assets
to monitor environmental conditions and respond. EPA has several programs to respond and
minimize exposure to human populations and ecosystems, including the Oil Spill Response
Program and Superfund Emergency Response. These programs provide an institutional
framework to use and build upon when responding to climate change impacts. When
responding to emergencies, EPA often coordinates with other Federal agencies, as well as state,
tribal and local organizations. These organizations will be important partners in EPA's work
responding to natural disasters of increased severity and frequency.
Flooding from more intense and frequent storms and sea-level rise may disrupt existing
waste management networks Flooding from sea level rise or severe storms may disrupt the
transportation system in place to handle waste. For example, flooding may disrupt the pick-up
of waste in neighborhoods and business or the work performed at transfer stations. Cities with
transfer stations along waterways are at particular risk. A major storm event may increase the
amount of solid waste generated and lead to the release of fuel or hazardous materials.
Smaller entities with hazardous materials may lack resources for emergency planning, which
may increase the risk of abandoned hazardous materials during a flooding or storm event.
Changes in precipitation may impact waste management practices such as composting by
affecting biological processes.
2.2.4 Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
Impact of Climate Change on Pesticide Exposure Models
A major component of
EPA's mission is ensuring
the safety of chemicals.
Increasingly, the
chemicals used to make
our products, build our
homes, and support our
way of life end up in the
environment and in our
bodies. A changing
climate can affect
exposures to a wide
range of chemicals. Exposures may change because of changing environmental conditions or
changing use patterns. EPA's efforts to reduce exposures may be affected.
Many of EPA's tools and models
for examining exposure to
chemicals rely on inputs that are
sensitive to climate data (e.g.,
changing weather patterns,
temperatures, stream flow
rates, air currents and
precipitation rates). EPA is in
the early stages of examining the vulnerability of its models to climate change,
beginning with a review of its pesticide exposure models.
Source: U.S. EPA, Memorandum: Transmittal of Meeting Minutes of the FIFRA
Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) held December?, 2010, on Pesticide Exposure
Modeling and Climate Change, March 3, 2011. SAP minutes, No. 2011-01.
29
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EPA relies heavily on tools and models to help estimate exposures to chemicals when
monitoring data are unavailable. The Agency is in the early stages of examining the ways in
which its models may have to be updated to account for climate change. It has begun with a
review of the potential implications of climate change for its current approaches to evaluating
pesticide exposures to people and the environment.19 These approaches are currently and will
continue to be used to assess exposures to the general population, as well as children,
agricultural workers and other groups who may be disproportionally affected.
EPA consulted with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific
Advisory Panel (SAP) to provide guidance on its model review and preliminary conclusions, and
on sources of information that may help fill knowledge gaps. The SAP concluded that climate
change is likely to affect future decisions because of its impact on pest pressure, how and
where pesticides are used, and the quantity of pesticides used. Since EPA reviews pesticide
registrations every 15 years using assessment methodologies that are conservative and
protective of human health and the environment, it is expected that the assessments, and
decisions based on them, will remain protective. However, the SAP also concluded that weather
data used in models that estimate pesticide exposure are becoming dated, and thus may not
adequately reflect recent changes in climate. Some of EPA's exposure models that contain
climate-related variables may have to be updated as weather patterns, temperatures, stream
flow rates, air currents, precipitation rates, and other climate variables continue to change.
The Agency has not yet conducted vulnerability assessments of the potential impacts of climate
change on exposures of people and the environment to other types of chemicals. For example,
there may be increased risk of exposure to lead
and asbestos as homes, buildings, and other
community infrastructure are damaged by fires,
high winds, and flood events. Similarly, climate
change may lead to the development of new
chemicals submitted for Agency review that
have uses for water purification and
desalinization, wastewater treatment,
antimicrobial disinfection, and disease
prevention. EPA will explore the need for future
assessments that evaluate potential impacts like
these.
Climate Change and FIFRA
An increase in the frequency of emergency
pest problems could lead to an increase in
the need for emergency exemptions under
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) if currently
registered pesticides are ineffective. This
would allow for the use of chemicals which
are not registered.
30
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2.2.5 Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
EPA protects human health and the environment through vigorous and targeted civil and
criminal enforcement and by ensuring compliance with environmental laws. Climate change
may affect decisions related to the enforcement of environmental laws. For example:
The risks posed by climate change may affect decisions by EPA about where resources
should be allocated to ensure compliance with rules or regulations it believes to be
priorities. These enforcement priorities may be derived from a variety of sources, ranging
from the Administrator's identified goals for EPA, to program-specific guidance memoranda
to assist enforcement personnel in selecting appropriate enforcement mechanisms
depending on site-specific circumstances.
• A flood, hurricane or wildfire can swiftly divert the Agency's focus.20 If climate change leads
to more intense weather events and increases EPA's involvement in disaster response and
remediation, then enforcement efforts (as well as efforts in other EPA programs) could be
affected due to a scarcity of available staff and resources.
2.2.6 EPA's Facilities and Operations
EPA must ensure the security of its personnel, the safe and continued operation of its buildings
and other critical assets (e.g., vehicles), and the integrity of its grants and procurement systems.
In the event of any catastrophic weather event, EPA's people, buildings and operations could be
affected. Based on the potential for climate change to alter water supplies and increase the
frequency and severity of extreme weather events, EPA has identified the following
vulnerabilities to the Agency's continued safe and efficient operations:
31
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Increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events may affect Agency facilities,
personnel safety, physical security and emergency communications. Some extreme weather
events are expected to become more commonplace as the climate changes, increasing the
occurrence of flooding, heat waves, lightning and high winds. An increase in these events would
increase the risk to EPA's personnel in the field and EPA facilities. EPA has begun to assess these
vulnerabilities and has identified the following areas of potential impact:
Severe weather and flooding could cause damage to EPA facilities, especially in coastal
areas. The Agency has already seen such damage to its Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory in
Florida. Sea Level rise could also impact low lying coastal facilities and their access roads,
especially when
coupled with
storm surges
and flooding.
Extreme
weather events,
including severe
winds and
lightning could
cause damage to
EPA's long-term
environmental
monitoring
assets,
particularly in
coastal and
flood prone
areas. The
EPA's Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory
When Hurricane Ivan tore through Florida's Gulf Coast in September 2004, it served
as a powerful reminder to EPA's Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory facilities that
st
intelligent facility design in the 21 century requires the highest standards for safety
and durability, as well as sustainability. Located on Sabine Island, a 16-acre patch of
land off the coast of the Florida Panhandle, the laboratory campus was especially
vulnerable to the hurricane's devastating winds and rain. In the wake of the storm,
six of the 40 buildings at the campus were destroyed and had to be temporarily
replaced with modular structures.
In 2008, these buildings were permanently replaced with a new Computational and
Geospatial Sciences Building. This facility was designed to meet the Florida Building
Code, which requires stringent hurricane mitigation techniques. It has also earned
the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
®
[LEED ) Silver 2.2 certification for New Construction. This building meets the
demands of its environment in a sustainable manner.
(Source: "Sustainable Facilities at EPA: Computational and Geospatial Science
Building, Gulf Breeze, Florida," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA-200-F-09-
002, Washington, DC, 2009.)
Agency has already seen such damage to equipment at sites in the Clean Air Status and
Trends Network and the National Atmospheric Deposition Program.
Seasonal temperature changes and changing weather patterns can affect air quality and the
general comfort of outdoor activities. Extreme heat, bad air quality or other weather
conditions exacerbated by climate change may increase the health risks of EPA employees
and contractors engaged in field work, such as sampling, remediation and inspections.
Severe winds, lightning and other extreme weather events could cause power outages that
disrupt EPA's security systems, outdoor lighting and emergency communication systems.
Some of these systems are not linked to an uninterruptible power supply or backup
32
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generators. Outdoor lighting and security cameras are also vulnerable to direct impacts
from high winds and other severe weather.
An increase in the number of extreme weather events could affect planning and management
of emergency operations. During and after extreme weather events, EPA employees and
contractors are dispatched to assess impacts to the environment and human health. The
Agency also awards acquisitions and grants to support stakeholder emergency response. An
increase in extreme weather events could result in the following impacts:
An increase in the occurrence of extreme weather events may affect the availability of the
Agency's personnel and resources to support the dispatch of emergency management
personnel to assess environmental damage and test sites for air quality, water quality and
other human health and environmental threats. At the same time, EPA personnel would
increasingly be drawn away from their normal day-to-day activities to respond to extreme
weather events or emergencies.
• EPA's Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (SSPP) addresses issues related to resiliency
in the Agency's suppliers, supply chain, and real property procurement under Goal 2:
Sustainable Buildings and Goal 6: Sustainable Acquisition. Climate change adaptation,
mitigation, and resiliency planning are incorporated into sustainable procurement
efforts through the Agency's Balanced Scorecard Initiatives, and acquisition, real property
and leasing decisions incorporate sustainability through the GreenCheck process. Facility
locations and siting decisions are driven by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
process, which reviews all environmental aspects of new facilities, sites, and construction.
• Changing weather patterns and weather events may increase the demand for protective
gear and appropriate vehicles and vessels to meet the demands of extreme working
conditions during research, field work, and emergency management.
• EPA continues to award and manage acquisitions and grants during severe weather events;
both those that are required for ongoing needs and those required for emergencies. An
increase in such events could affect EPA's ability to assess contractor readiness and
capabilities, process and award contracts, provide financial assistance, enter into
interagency agreements and train essential personnel.
Changing water supplies may pose a risk to the quality of water used at EPA facilities. Shifts in
snowpack in some regions of the country could mean a change in the disposition of water
supplies and potentially compromise the quality of water available to the Agency. EPA
laboratories require water to conduct experiments and meet building cooling requirements.
Water shortages and quality issues could have significant impacts on the Agency's ability to
manage its facilities and conduct important research, particularly in drought-prone regions.
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2.3 Climate Change Impacts on the Most Vulnerable Communities
Climate change will have a disproportionate effect on particular geographic locations,
communities, and demographic groups.
The impacts of climate change raise environmental justice issues. Environmental justice
focuses on the health of and environmental conditions affecting minority, low-income, and
indigenous populations. EPA places emphasis on these populations because they have
historically been exposed to a combination of physical, chemical, biological, social, and cultural
factors that have imposed greater environmental burdens on them than those imposed on the
general population. Climate change is likely to exacerbate existing and introduce new
environmental burdens and associated health impacts in communities dealing with
environmental justice challenges across the nation.21 EPA's Policy Statement on Climate Change
Adaptation calls on the Agency to focus on incorporating consideration of environmental justice
into the design and evaluation of adaptation strategies.
The populations most vulnerable to climate change often include, but are not limited to, the
communities that are the focus of EPA's environmental justice program. Children, the elderly,
the poor, the infirm, and tribal and indigenous populations are among the most vulnerable.22
For example, children living and playing outdoors in regions with higher ozone levels resulting
from increased temperature will be at higher risk for experiencing asthma symptoms and
exacerbations. The elderly are more vulnerable to heat stress because they are often in poorer
health, have debilitating chronic diseases and are less able to regulate their body temperature
during periods of extreme heat. They may also be taking medications that increase risk for
dehydration and may live alone or have fewer social contacts, which may further exacerbate
their vulnerabilities.23 Economic constraints can also place low-income households at
disproportionate risk to extreme heat events due to lack of air conditioning or failure to use air-
conditioning to cut down on associated energy costs.24
EPA has a special obligation to work consultatively with the tribes to help them as sovereign
governments address their climate adaptation concerns. EPA's 1984 Policy for the
Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations directs the Agency to work
"in a manner consistent with the overall Federal position in support of Tribal 'self-government'
and 'government-to-government' relations between Federal and Tribal Governments."
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EPA is committed to integrating environmental justice and climate adaptation into its programs,
policies, rules and operations in such a way that to the extent possible, it effectively protects all
demographic groups, geographic locations and communities, and natural resources that are
most vulnerable to climate change. The Agency will place special emphasis on overburdened
populations that are least able to help themselves, and work in partnership with them to
empower them to effectively adapt to climate change.
Coastal Climate Change Impacts on Low-Income Minority Communities
Climate change will affect certain groups of people more than others, depending on where they live and their ability
to cope with different climate hazards. For example, a combination of sea level rise and land subsidence in coastal
Louisiana has increased the area's vulnerability to storm surge and hurricane damage.1'2 Hurricane Katrina, though
not necessarily directly a result of climate change, provides an illustrative example of how storm surges can result in
catastrophic effects for coastal communities and how social vulnerabilities can be manifested in the form greater
vulnerability for lower income minority communities and unequal access to resources. Barriers for the community to
avoid the risks posed by Katrina included the lack of material resources, such as cash and access to transportation,
for evacuation purposes.3'4'5 These factors contributed to disproportionate impacts on minority and low-income
communities in New Orleans. For example, African Americans were overrepresented in mortality rates in all age
categories compared to their proportion of the pre-Katrina population.6 The impacts of Hurricane Katrina were
devastating and highlight the environmental as well as social vulnerabilities of coastline communities.
1. Sources:USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Karl, T.R., J.M. Melillo, and T.C.
Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.
2. CCSP (2008). Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: Gulf Coast
Study, Phase I. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change
Research. Savonis, M. J., V.R. Burkett, and J.R. Potter (eds.). Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, USA,
445 pp.
3. Elliott, James R. and Jeremy Pais. 2006. "Race, class, and Hurricane Katrina: Social Differences in Human Responses
to Disaster," Social Science Research, 35: 295-321.
4. Fothergill, A., and L. Peek. 2004. "Poverty and disasters in the United States: A review of recent sociological
findings." Natural Hazards Journal 32(1): 89-110.
5. Berube, A., and B. Katz. 2005 "Katrina's Window: Confronting Concentrated Poverty Across America." The
Brookings Institution Special Analysis in Metropolitan Policy.
6. Sharkey, P. 2007. Survival and Death in New Orleans: An Empirical Look at the Human Impact of Katrina. Journal of
Black Studies, 37:482-501.
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Climate Change Impacts on Tribal Communities
Indigenous people are among the most vulnerable communities in North America.1 Tribes are more vulnerable
to climate change impacts because of their dependence upon a specific geographic area for their livelihoods,
the degree to which those geographic areas embody climate-sensitive environments, and their unique cultural,
economic, or political characteristics and contexts. Also, tribes generally have fewer resources to prepare for,
respond to, and recover from natural hazards, including those related to climate change.2 The disproportionate
vulnerability of tribes to climate change affects EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment in
Indian country.
Examples of the impacts climate change is already having on tribes include:
• The coastal Inupiat village of Shismaref Alaska is one of many coastal villages in Alaska facing relocation
due to threats from flooding and erosion related to a rise in sea level and a decrease in sea ice. Sea walls
have been broken and homes washed away. Residents have decided to relocate farther inland for safety,
giving up their traditional fishing, sealing, and home-building sites.3
• Drought is perhaps the most pervasive climate-induced weather impact on tribes. Water is at the heart of
many tribal cultures and the foundation of their livelihoods, economies, subsistence, and treaty rights.
Water is essential to the sustainability of the fish, wildlife, and plants on which tribes rely. The recent trend
toward more severe and frequent droughts, especially in the American Southwest, threatens the very
underpinnings of tribal communities. The Southwest is already in the midst of a 10-15 year drought, and
climate projections suggest the Southwest may transition to a more arid climate on a permanent basis over
the next century and beyond.4 In fact, climate observations indicate that this transition may have already
begun.
• Moose, a species important to many tribes in the Great Lakes region, are suffering the impacts of warmer
weather. In a recent study of moose at the southern edge of their range in northwest Minnesota,
researchers found that over the past 40 years, declines in the moose population are related to increases in
mean temperature with winter and summer temperatures increasing by an average of 12°F and 4°F,
respectively, over this period. Lack of food resources and increased exposure to deer parasites associated
with warmer summer temperatures appear to be the primary causes of more decline.6
Sources:
1. Ml. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (eds). Contribution of Working Group II to the
Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. "Climate Change 2007: Working Group II:
Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA,
2007.
2. Cutter, S.L. and C. Finch. 2008. "Temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards." Proceedings of the
National Academy of Science 105(7): 2301-2306.
3. National Research Council, Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change, America's Climate Choices: Panel on Adapting to the
Impacts of Climate Change, The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2010.
4. Solomon, S., G-K Plattner, R. Knutti, and P. Friedlingstein, 2009. Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(6): 1,704-1,709. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812721106; Johanson, C.M., and Q.
Fu, 2009: Hadley Cell Widening: Model Simulations versus Observations. Journal of Climate, 22:2,713-2,725.
5. Seager, R., et al., 2007. Model Projections of an Imminent Transition to a More Arid Climate in Southwestern North America.
Science, 316:1,181-1,184.
6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rising to the Urgent Challenge: Strategic Plan for Responding to Accelerating Climate Change
http://www.fws.gov/home/climatechange/pdf/CCStrategicPlan.pdf
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2.4 Summary of Key Areas of Known Vulnerability
The current list of known vulnerabilities of EPA's programs to climate change are summarized in
the table at the end of this report. The vulnerabilities listed in the table help to guide the
Agency in identifying areas to focus its adaptation planning efforts. For several of the
vulnerabilities, current scientific understanding is that the climate impact is likely or very likely
to occur and EPA's best judgment is that there is a high likelihood the program will be affected.
The Agency, as part of its efforts to mainstream adaptation into its programs (addressed in Part
3 of this document), will conduct a more comprehensive vulnerability assessment to determine
which programs and areas are most suitable to initiate action. This qualitative assessment has
been done at a national level. It identifies vulnerabilities to entire programs within EPA to help
focus the Agency's climate adaptation efforts. However, there is a "regional texture" to the
impacts of climate change. The severity and importance of known vulnerabilities will vary
across regions. EPA's Program and Regional Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plans
capture the regional differences and identify the vulnerabilities of greatest importance,
including identifying the most vulnerable people and places within these programs. The
Implementation Plans describe how climate change adaptation will be integrated into Program
and Regional planning and work in a manner consistent and compatible with their own
circumstances and objectives.
Endnotes
1 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009),
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
2 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009),
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
3 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009),
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
4 Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Parry, M.L, Canziani, O. F., Palutikof, J. P., van der
Linden, P. J., et. al., contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change 2007, "Summary for Policy Makers" (2007), 11-12.
5 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 89-106,
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
6 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation, June 2, 2011,
http://epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf.
7 While the discussion of vulnerabilities is organized by goal, some of the impacts of climate change are expected
to cut across goals. For example, climate change may increase the number of weather-related emergencies to
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which the Agency is called to respond, potentially drawing staff from multiple locations and program areas. Staff
participating in emergency response work would be unavailable to complete their normal program responsibilities.
Climate change is also expected to affect many of the models that EPA programs and the states use to make
environmental decisions.
8 Denman, K.L, et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate
Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt,
M. Tignor and H.L Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
9 U.S. EPA (2009). Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate
Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone. An Interim Report of the U.S. EPA Global Change Research Program. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-07/094F.
10 Katsouyanni, K., et al.; HEI Health Review Committee (2009). Air pollution and health: a European and North
American approach (APHENA). Research Report Health Effects Institute. 2009 Oct;(142):5-90.
U.S. EPA. Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (2006 Final). U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-05/004aF-cF, 2006.
12 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on
the United States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology
Council, U.S. Climate Change Science Program, 2008), http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/scientific-
assessment/Scientif ic-AssessmentFINAL.pdf.
13 C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, ed. M.L Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United
Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
14 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2011).
15 World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and
Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011).
16 Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011,National Acid
Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science and
Technology Council, Washington, DC, 114 p.
17 "Global Climate Change Impacts in the U.S."(2009), Water Sector, at:
http://globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/climate-change-impacts-by-
sector/water-resources.
18 There may be additional sites not included in this list that occur as a result of emergency response activities or
unanticipated events.
19 Conclusions from EPA consultations with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific
Advisory Panel (SAP), a panel of external experts established under FIFRA to provide the Agency with advice on
pesticide-related science matters.
20 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, Achieving our Vision" (2011), 43,
http://epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.
21 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 89-106,
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
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22 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 89-106,
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
23 G. Luber et al., "Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events," Am J Prev Med 35(5), August 2008.
24 Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 89-106,
http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.
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Part 3: Mainstream ing Climate Change Adaptation in EPA
3.1 Building Adaptive Capacity
EPA's Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation acknowledges the importance of
adapting to climate change if the Agency is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and
programmatic requirements. It is vital that the EPA anticipate and plan for future changes in
climate and incorporate considerations of climate change into many of its programs, policies,
rules and operations to ensure they remain effective under
future climatic conditions.1
EPA will continue to protect human
health and the environment, but in a
way that accounts for the effects of
Climate change is one of many factors that can influence the
0 ' climate change.
effectiveness of EPA's activities over time. It is essential the
Agency account for climate change as it designs its programs,
policies and rules, in the same way other factors such as population growth and economic
development are regularly considered. EPA will integrate, or mainstream, climate change
adaptation by strengthening the adaptive capacity of its own staff. EPA will empower them to
account for climate change in the normal course of doing business. It will increase staff's
awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective
programs, and provide them with the necessary data, information and tools to integrate
climate adaptation into the work they do.
EPA will work to strengthen partners' adaptive capacities. The Agency will work with its state,
tribal and local partners and will strive to ensure that to the greatest extent possible, their
human health and environmental protection programs are resilient to climate change. This is
particularly important since the Agency authorizes many states and tribes to implement various
environmental programs. Also, EPA's efforts to help communities become more
environmentally and economically sustainable could be affected by the impacts of climate
change. EPA will work with its partners in states, tribes and communities to look for
opportunities to create co-benefits from implementation of adaptation plans. For instance,
where communities take steps to improve storm water system resilience by reducing combined
sewer overflows, these actions may also reduce energy use for water. EPA will need to ensure
that its tools, research, and technical assistance evolve to help communities and other entities
take projected climate changes into account as they plan development. International
partnerships and collaboration on adaptation will also be important to address the
transboundary impacts of climate change.
The Agency's investment in building adaptive capacity is an ongoing effort. It will require a
sustained, long-term commitment to empower EPA's workforce and partners by providing the
information and tools necessary to account for climate change.
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3.2 Guiding Principles for Adaptation at EPA
EPA has adopted a set of principles to guide all of its efforts to integrate climate adaptation into
its programs, policies and rules. The principles affirm EPA's approach of integrating climate
adaptation into existing programs and activities to ensure their effectiveness as the climate
changes. They uphold EPA's core values of using the best available science, protecting
populations and locations most vulnerable to climate change, and using sensible analytic
methods and approaches for developing and implementing adaptation strategies. EPA has an
Guiding Principles for Adaptation
• Adopt integrated approaches: Adaptation should be incorporated into core policies, planning, practices and
programs whenever possible.
Prioritize the most vulnerable: Adaptation plans should prioritize helping people, places and infrastructure
that are most vulnerable to climate impacts and be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement
from all parts of society.
• Use best-available science: Adaptation should be grounded in the best-available scientific understanding of
climate change risks, impacts and vulnerabilities.
Build strong partnerships: Adaptation requires coordination across multiple sectors and scales and should
build on the existing efforts and knowledge of a wide range of public and private stakeholders.
• Apply risk-management methods and tools: Adaptation planning should incorporate risk-management
methods and tools to help identify, assess and prioritize options to reduce vulnerability to potential
environmental, social and economic implications of climate change.
• Apply ecosystem-based approaches: Adaptation should, where relevant, take into account strategies to
increase ecosystem resilience and protect critical ecosystem services on which humans depend to reduce
vulnerability of human and natural systems to climate change.
Maximize mutual benefits: Adaptation should, where possible, use strategies that complement or directly
support other related climate or environmental initiatives, such as efforts to improve disaster preparedness,
promote sustainable resource management, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions including the
development of cost-effective technologies.
Continuously evaluate performance: Adaptation plans should include measureable goals and performance
metrics to continuously assess whether adaptive actions are achieving desired outcomes.
(Source: The White House Council on Environmental Quality, "Progress Report of the Interagency Climate Change
Adaptation Task Force: Recommended Actions in Support of a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy,"
Octobers, 2010, http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ceq/lnteragency-Climate-Change-
Adaptation-Progress-Report.pdf.)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^•^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^•^^^
important and unique role in climate adaptation, but is only one partner in a broader effort that
must include multiple levels of government, as well as private, nongovernmental, and
international partners. The principles call for ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of climate
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change adaptation approaches, recognizing that the Agency will continue to learn how to adapt
effectively over time.
3.3 Agency-wide Priorities
EPA has identified priority actions it will take to begin integrating climate change adaptation
into its programs, policies, rules and operations. These priorities represent EPA's commitment
to address the known vulnerabilities of its mission to climate change, and to continue to
identify other vulnerabilities its programs may have to climate change.
Agency-wide Priorities
Fulfill Strategic Measures in FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan
Protect Agency facilities and operations
Factor legal considerations into adaptation efforts
Strengthen adaptive capacity of EPA staff and partners through training
Develop decision-support tools that enable EPA staff and partners to integrate
climate adaptation planning into their work
Identify cross-EPA science needs related to climate adaptation
Partner with tribes to increase adaptive capacity
Focus on most vulnerable people and places
Measure and evaluate performance
Develop and Implement Program and Regional Office Implementation Plans
3.3.1 Priority: Fulfill Strategic Measures in FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan
EPA expects that its understanding of how to integrate climate adaptation into its programs,
policies, rules and operations will improve overtime. The FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan
identified three initial mechanisms through which the Agency will begin mainstreaming climate
adaptation by 2015:2
Strategic Measures in FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan
By 2015:
1. Integrate climate change adaptation into rulemaking processes.
2. Integrate climate adaptation into financial mechanisms.
3. Develop decision-support tools.
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1. Integration of climate change adaptation into rulemaking processes: EPA will integrate
climate change trend and scenario information into five rulemaking processes to further
EPA's mission, consistent with existing authorities. The integration of climate adaptation
into Agency rulemaking processes will help ensure the rules are effective as the climate
changes.3 A variety of "entry points" can be considered, including the development of the
rule itself; related policy and guidance development; and post-rule permitting, monitoring
and enforcement.
EPA will enhance the ability of rule makers to address the implications of climate change
through updates to the Action Development Process (ADP). This process was developed by
EPA to guide the Agency's rulemaking activities from the start of the rulemaking process
through the analysis of regulatory options to the final publication of a regulation. EPA will
integrate climate adaptation into the ADP by:
• Identifying process points where climate change adaptation considerations need to be
identified, analyzed and
discussed. The
rulemaking process4
includes opportunities to
discuss climate change
adaptation
considerations, both
internally and with
stakeholders. An Analytic
Blueprint spells out a
workgroup's plan for data
collection and analyses to
support development of a
specific action. The
development of an
Analytic Blueprint
provides an early
opportunity to articulate
Progress is already being made to fulfill the Strategic Measures
EPA is already making progress to fulfill the three Strategic Measures. For
example, the Agency issued guidance in October 2011 encouraging all Offices
to include climate adaptation evaluation criteria into announcements of
competitive funding opportunities The guidance is relevant to announcements
in which the outcomes to be supported by the awards are sensitive to changes
in climate [e.g., ability to attain air quality standards; effectiveness of water
infrastructure), or the projects being solicited would be more effective if they
addressed climate change adaptation issues [e.g., development of models and
tools to support decision making). EPA is also making progress on integrating
climate adaptation into its categorical funding mechanisms such as the Clean
Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds in the Water Program
and Brownfields Restoration Grants in the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response.
EPA is also already developing tools to support climate adaptation planning.
For example, the BASINS tool that is designed for use by regional, state, and
local agencies in performing watershed and water quality-based studies now
includes a Climate Assessment Tool (CAT). CAT provides a capability for
understanding how water resources could be affected by a range of potential
changes in climate, and the possible effectiveness of management practices
for increasing resilience of water resources to climate change.
any climate change
adaptation issues that
need analysis.
Developing guidance
documents and training rule writers to understand the implications of climate change
impacts. EPA has guidance on addressing children's health and environmental justice for
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all of its rulemakings. EPA will develop a similar guide for climate change adaptation,
and provide training. This will improve the regulatory work groups' understanding of
climate change adaptation and how to consider it in rulemaking, when appropriate.
• Tracking and monitoring rulemakings where climate change adaptation may be an
important consideration. To help identify rulemakings where climate change adaptation
may be relevant, EPA will use its internal regulatory tracking databases to manage and
report on regulatory development. This will allow EPA workgroups and stakeholders to
plan and allow for integration of climate change considerations when identified in the
critical process points described above.
2. Integration of Climate Change into financial assistance mechanisms: EPA will integrate
considerations of climate change impacts and adaptive measures into five major grant, loan,
contract or technical assistance programs. This will further EPA's mission, consistent with
existing authorities. The integration of "climate adaptation criteria" into financial
mechanisms will encourage recipients to account for climate change.
Although this Strategic Measure is limited to a goal of five major financial assistance
mechanisms by 2015, the ultimate goal is to integrate climate adaptation into all financial
assistance agreements, where appropriate.
3. Development and use of decision-support tools: EPA will integrate climate change trend
and scenario information into five major scientific models or decision-support tools used to
implement Agency environmental management programs. The development of decision-
support tools will help build the adaptive capacity of the Agency's workforce and its
partners.
These three mechanisms represent different pathways through which the Agency can integrate
climate change into ongoing programs and priorities, to attain desired environmental and
human health outcomes and sustain them as the climate changes. EPA will continue to explore
more pathways through which the resilience of the Agency's mission can be enhanced.
3.3.2 Priority: Protect Agency Facilities and Operations
EPA is committed to the safety of its personnel, the integrity of its buildings, and the efficiency
of its operations, but the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events poses
risks to meeting these objectives. Climate change could disrupt the operation of the Agency's
programs, compromise the safety of its staff, or affect the integrity of its physical infrastructure.
Adaptation planning to protect EPA's workforce, operations and underlying infrastructure is
crucial.
EPA will develop and implement measures to protect its workforce and increase the resilience
of its facilities and operations to climate change. For example, where possible, EPA will
enhance the resilience of existing facilities in coastal areas to protect them from severe
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weather, flood damage, and sea level rise. The Agency will also work with other government
agencies, particularly the General Services Administration, to account for climate change in the
design and construction of new facilities, or when new buildings are leased.
3.3.3 Priority: Factor Legal Considerations into Adaptation Efforts
As a general matter, the Agency's broad mandates to protect human health and the
environment afford a large reservoir of legal authority to support EPA adaptation work.
However, specific legal questions that may arise in the course of adaptation issues cannot be
answered in the abstract.
As a federal agency, EPA derives its authority to act from the U.S. Constitution and the laws
passed by Congress. The Agency is committed to ensuring that its actions are constitutional,
authorized by statute, consistent with Congress's vision and intent, and otherwise legally
supported. The 2011 EPA Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation called on the Agency
to "identify for the Office of General Counsel areas where legal analysis is needed to carry out
agency actions called for in this policy statement." Because the legality of its actions is such a
high priority for EPA, program managers and staff are encouraged to freely and frequently
consult with the appropriate attorneys in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Offices of
Regional Counsel (ORC), and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) as
they conduct their adaptation work.
Important variation exists among the statutes EPA administers, as well as the regulatory
programs EPA designs, implements, and enforces under those laws. Some of these laws, like
the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, give EPA regulatory powers, such as the authority to
write regulations, set standards, issue permits, ensure compliance, and authorize state and
tribal environmental programs. Other laws govern EPA actions in a variety of areas essential to
its mission, such as research and development, budget and personnel management, contracts,
and the award of financial assistance. Still other laws impose obligations on EPA, such as
responsibilities to evaluate the effect of its activities on state and local governments,
overburdened communities, small businesses, and endangered species, among others.
Each of these laws, whether granting EPA authority or imposing an obligation, may deserve
special attention and analysis in resolving legal questions related to adaptation work. For
example, EPA may need to determine the extent of its authority to incorporate adaptation
measures into the terms and conditions of financial assistance mechanisms; evaluate the legal
basis for considering climate change impacts in setting standards or issuing permits under the
Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act; or review the adequacy of its emergency response
authorities in the context of more frequent natural disasters. These examples are merely
illustrative of the diversity of ways in which legal issues may arise for EPA as it mainstreams
climate adaptation.
Important variation also exists in the level of scientific understanding of climate change impacts
and the sensitivity of EPA programs to those impacts. These variations inform the analysis of
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EPA's legal authority and responsibilities. For instance, under the Administrative Procedure
Act, federal agencies like EPA have a basic obligation to act transparently and rationally. This is
generally demonstrated through an administrative record that documents the analysis and
reasoning leading to a final decision and responds appropriately to concerns raised by
interested parties and the public, using the information available to the Agency at the time of
its decision. The relative weight climate change considerations should be given in evaluating
options for EPA action may depend on factors such as the time and geographic scale of the
potentially relevant climate impacts compared to the temporal and spatial scale of the
proposed EPA action; the strength of the scientific understanding of the climate impacts; and
the environmental and economic consequences estimated to result from including or choosing
not to include climate change adaptation measures or considerations in the EPA action.
Considerations such as these are by definition case specific. Over time, however, EPA
anticipates that more detailed policy principles and legal precedents will emerge to further
guide and inform EPA's adaptation efforts.
3.3.4 Priority: Strengthen Adaptive Capacity of EPA Staff and Partners Through
Training
An organization with adaptive capacity has the ability to craft and adopt new means to achieve
its goals as circumstances change. EPA needs its personnel and partners in states, tribes, and
local communities to have adaptive capacity if it is to achieve its mission in the midst of climate
change. EPA will build adaptive capacity through ongoing education and training. Equipped
with an understanding of expected climate-related changes and adaptation approaches, and
provided with and trained on how to use new decision-support tools, EPA and its partners will
be able to incorporate climate change adaptation into their plans and decisions.
EPA's training, education and outreach programs that are focused on climate adaptation will
evolve over time. As an initial step, EPA will design and implement a training program for its
staff and its partners focused on topics relevant to EPA's mission. One goal is to increase
awareness about the importance of climate change adaptation, and to encourage all EPA staff
and partners to consider the changing climate in the normal course of business. A second goal
of EPA's training will be to expose its staff and partners to specific approaches and tools for
integrating climate adaptation into decision-making processes.
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The assumption of stationarity
Until now, EPA (for those programs not explicitly focused
on climate change) has been able to assume stationarity
of climate; that is, climate is relatively stable and future
climate will mirror past climate. But the past is no longer
a good predictor of the future.
3.3.5 Priority: Develop Decision-Support Tools that Enable EPA Staff and
Partners to Integrate Climate Adaptation Planning into their Work
The fact that the climate is no longer relatively stable, but will continue to change in new ways,
presents a major challenge for decision
makers working to protect human health
and the environment. Many standard
practices may no longer be effective
unless they account for climate change.
For example, standard methods used for
estimating the probability and expected
frequency of floods for flood plain
mapping, designing infrastructure
systems, and estimating runoff of pollutants and sediments into rivers and streams are based
on the assumption of climate stationarity.5 The end of climate stationarity means that EPA and
its partners need to alter their standard practices and decision routines to account for a
continuously changing climate.
The development of decision-support tools plays a central role in EPA's overall efforts to adapt
to climate change. Following the recommendations of the National Research Council, EPA is
committed to developing decision-support tools to improve the quality and efficacy of decisions
related to outcomes that are sensitive to changes in climate.6 These tools will empower staff to
consider climate, as well as
changes in social and economic
conditions that are influenced
by climate change. They will
enable staff to integrate climate
adaptation planning into their
work and decision-making
processes. Priority will be given
to the development of tools that
would benefit end-users in
multiple areas of EPA.
Decision Support Tools
"The effectiveness of any decision support tool depends on whether it
provides information that is relevant to decision makers. Tools need
to be useful at space and time scales that are meaningful and
relevant for specific decisions and decision makers, and they also
need to be based on up-to-date and reliable information"
(Source: National Research Council, Informing an Effective Response
to Climate Change, America's Climate Choices: Panel on Informing
Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change, The
National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2010.)
EPA will also support capacity-
building for state, tribal, local, and international partners by working with them to develop and
use effective decision-support tools. EPA will coordinate with other Federal agencies on
developing decision-support tools with partners, when appropriate.
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3.3.6 Priority: Identify Cross-EPA Science Needs Related to Climate Adaptation
Implementing effective strategies to adapt to the changing climate requires that decisions be
grounded in the best available science on climate change risks, impacts and vulnerabilities, and
adaptive management practices. Throughout EPA, there is a growing need for up-to-date
information on the existing models, tools, data and information relevant to climate change
adaptation.
EPA has made great progress in climate-related research and with the development of models
and tools. However, the complex interactions of climate change impacts mean that
uncertainties and data gaps persist and that multiple Agency stakeholders have a role to play in
developing a research agenda. In order to identify the most pressing science needs for
improved adaptation decision making, priority research needs related to climate change
adaptation will be identified and periodically updated for the entire Agency through a
coordinated approach. This approach is designed to produce research results that benefit end-
users in multiple areas of EPA.
EPA will advance a rigorous basic and applied science program that will inform, enable and
deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to environmental problems in a changing climate.
The EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) has the primary responsibility of
coordinating with the Program and Regional Offices to identify the priority science needs of the
Agency and its partners. This coordination is essential since some of the priority science needs
will be met by ORD's research program, and some by scientists in Program and Regional Offices.
In cases where other agencies could produce the scientific information needed, ORD will play a
major role representing EPA's needs to other federal agencies. For example, ORD is EPA's
primary representative to the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which
coordinates and integrates climate change research across 13 federal departments and
agencies.
Available data, tools, and information will be shared across the Agency and with its partners to
avoid redundancy given the Agency's limited resources. To facilitate the ongoing sharing of
information, EPA will establish a central repository of data (and associated metadata), models,
tools and information related to climate adaptation that are produced by the Agency. The
repository will also include information ("lessons learned") about methods for mainstreaming
climate adaptation that have been used by particular EPA Offices that may be applicable to
other users across the Agency. Where relevant to the adaptation efforts of EPA and its partners,
the repository will be linked to other databases and repositories of information within EPA, as
well as those produced by other federal agencies and non-federal entities.
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3.3.7 Priority: Partner with Tribes to Increase Adaptive Capacity
EPA is committed to strengthening its partnerships with tribes on their priorities related to
climate change adaptation. A unique government-to-government relationship exists between
the U.S. Government and the 565 federally recognized tribes. EPA gives special consideration to
tribes in developing policies that may affect their interests. EPA recognizes that tribes will likely
be disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. This disproportionate vulnerability is partly
due to their dependence on specific geographic areas for their livelihood; unique cultural,
economic and political characteristics; and limited resources to prepare for, respond to and
recover from climate-related hazards (i.e., limited adaptive
capacity).7
EPA is committed to an ongoing
partnership with tribes to build their
adaptive capacity and address their
adaptation-related priorities.
Each Program and Regional Office Implementation Plan will
support the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes
and identify clear steps for ongoing collaboration with
tribal governments where appropriate. These efforts will include increasing tribal capacity to
identify vulnerabilities in order to adapt to a changing climate. EPA will work with tribes to
support the effectiveness of national climate change adaptation programs in Indian country.
The Agency will support the development of climate science to meet priority research needs
and decision-support tools useful to the tribes. EPA will also work with the tribes to identify and
support the use of climate change relevant traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in decision
making. EPA recognizes that TEK, as an expression of key information that links historical,
cultural and local ecological conditions, may help tribes choose how they adapt to climate
change while also protecting resources and resource uses important to their culture and
livelihood. These efforts will leverage existing EPA partnerships with the tribes and tribal
networks.
On a national level, EPA will work with other Federal agencies to collectively support tribes as
they assess their vulnerabilities to climate change and plan and implement adaptation actions.
Regional Offices will seek opportunities to work together with other Federal agencies' regional
offices to provide strong support to tribes on their particular climate change challenges.
3.3.8: Priority: Focus on Most Vulnerable People and Places
The Agency places special emphasis on, and works in partnership with, overburdened
populations. As discussed in Part 2 of this report, certain parts of the population, such as
children, the elderly, the poor, Tribes and indigenous people can be especially vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change. This may be due to susceptibility to health impacts of
environmental contaminants, economic status, health status, education or access to
information. Also, certain communities will be particularly vulnerable, such as those that are in
low-lying coastal areas or subsistence fishing tribal communities. EPA is also concerned about
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the potential impacts on human health and the environment in rural communities, including
agricultural communities. In these communities, some climate change effects such as long-term
drought or severe storms have the potential to cause severe effects on local economies. EPA's
efforts to anticipate and adapt to the effects of climate change on its core mission, therefore,
will include helping the most vulnerable people and places reduce their exposure to climate
change and improving their capacity to predict, prepare for and avoid adverse impacts. For
example, Program and Regional implementation plans will include a focus on understanding the
environmental-justice implications of climate change impacts, identifying populations and
communities vulnerable to climate change and with limited ability to adapt, and incorporating
consideration of environmental justice issues into the design and evaluation of adaptation
strategies.
The Agency will make special efforts to connect with populations that have been historically
underrepresented in decision-making in order to support the development of adaptation plans
that are culturally sensitive and that improve their capacity to predict, prepare for, and avoid
climate change impacts. The Agency will also continue to focus on life stages vulnerable to
climate change.8 The development of effective adaptation plans and strategies will also be
improved by examining the interaction of multiple stressors, including climate change, on
communities and populations.
3.3.9 Priority: Measure and Evaluate Performance
Evaluation is a systematic way to learn from experiences. In its Strategic Plan, EPA emphasizes
the importance of evaluating activities and acting on the lessons learned. Through systematic
evaluation, the Agency can identify where activities have the greatest impact on protecting
human health and the environment; provide the roadmap needed to replicate successes; and
conversely, identify areas needing improvement.
EPA will evaluate its climate change adaptation actions on an ongoing basis to assess the
Agency's progress toward attaining the desired long-term outcome of mainstreaming climate
change adaptation into the Agency's programs, policies, rules and operations. Based on lessons
learned about the most effective climate change adaptation strategies, EPA can make
adjustments to the way adaptation is integrated into its activities.
EPA's commitment to measuring and evaluating the progress it is making to integrate climate
adaptation into its programs, policies, rules, and operations is discussed in greater detail in Part
4.
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3.3.10 Priority: Develop and Implement Program and Regional Office
Implementation Plans
EPA includes National Environmental Program Offices and National Support Offices
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and 10 Regional Offices around the country. The 2011 EPA
Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation directed the development of programmatic
Implementation Plans. EPA National Environmental Program Offices9 and Regional Offices
developed their own Implementation Plans providing more detail on how they will integrate
climate adaptation into their planning and work, and help address the cross-EPA priorities
identified in this agency-wide plan. The National Environmental Program and Regional Offices
had flexibility to develop their Implementation Plans in a manner consistent with their own
circumstances and objectives. Support Offices will assist with the implementation of the
Agency-wide Plan and National Environmental Program and Regional Office Plans as they do for
other initiatives. The ultimate goal of the Implementation Plans is to focus on the core missions
and priorities of the Program and Regional Offices, and to ensure that their programs and
operations are resilient and effective in a changing climate.
While flexibility was essential to produce Implementation Plans that are effective and
responsive in meeting each specific organization's needs, Environmental Program and Regional
Offices cooperated as they developed their respective plans, shared experiences and lessons
learned, and coordinated on issues that cut across Agency programs and regions. The EPA
National Water Program developed a second iteration of its National Water Program Strategy:
Response to Climate Change. The 2008 Strategy and 2012 revision provided opportunities for
lessons learned and examples of how other EPA programs could approach development of their
plans.
10
The Cross-EPA Work Group on Climate Adaptation Planning will oversee the development of
the Implementation Plans and identify required interim products (e.g., comprehensive
vulnerability assessments) that will facilitate the development of the Plans.
Common Areas of Focus for Implementation Plans
1. Vulnerability assessments
2. Priority actions on climate adaptation
3. Agency-wide Strategic Measures on climate adaptation
4. Legal and enforcement issues
5. Training and outreach
6. Partnerships with tribes
7. Vulnerable populations and places
8. Evaluation and cross-Office pilot projects
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Annual highlights of progress from each Environmental Program and Region will be included in
updates to the agency-wide Climate Change Adaptation Plan that will be submitted on an
annual basis with the Agency's Sustainability Plan. The Implementation Plans will also be used
to provide input to the Agency's annual planning and budgeting process, where appropriate.
In order to promote consistency, the Implementation Plans for all Environmental Program and
Regional Offices have several common areas of focus, as outlined in the table below. There is
diversity among the plans and some offices may have a broader scope in some areas than
others. For instance, Regional Offices focus their efforts on particular geographic locations
more than National Program Offices.
1. Vulnerability assessments: Each Implementation Plan (Office or Region) contains an
initial assessment of the implications of climate change for the organization's priorities and
objectives. This assessment builds on the work presented in Part 2 of this document.
Program and Regional Offices are at different stages of understanding and addressing the
ways climate change may affect their respective missions. Some Implementation Plans
therefore have more detailed information on vulnerabilities than others.
2. Priority actions for climate adaptation: Each Implementation Plan describes the
organization-specific priorities related to climate change adaptation. At the core of each
Implementation Plans a description of the activities that the Program or Regional Office will
pursue over time to integrate climate change adaptation into its programs, policies and
operations. The Plans describe how these activities address both organization-specific
priorities and the cross-Agency priorities. In addition, Implementation Plans describe how
Program and Regional Offices will work together on actions that are most effectively
accomplished by more than one Office or Region.
For each action, the Implementation Plan identifies the organization's key partners at the
international, federal, state, tribal, local, public and private sector levels, including state,
tribal and local co-regulators. Attention will be given to engaging those partners who have
been historically under-represented.
Activities include both short- and long-term actions. Short-term activities include actions
that are readily achievable, such as specific training needed to begin building adaptive
capacity. Short-term activities also focus on areas where the organization has relative
certainty about climate impacts, and therefore feels that action cannot be delayed. The
more immediate actions enable the organization to learn what works. Armed with the
lessons learned, the organization can move forward with insights and information as it
tackles additional issues. Longer-term activities will focus more broadly on building resilient,
healthy communities that have the knowledge and tools needed to inform decisions.
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3. Agency-wide Strategic Measures on climate adaptation: At a minimum, the
Implementation Plans consider activities that address the three existing Agency-wide
Strategic Measures (discussed in Section 3.3.1 and in Part 4), to the extent they are
applicable to the organization.
4. Legal and enforcement issues: Specific legal questions may have arisen as each Program
and Regional Office integrates adaptation planning into its programs, policies, and rules.
Each Office describes how its program managers and staff will consult with the appropriate
attorneys in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Offices of Regional Counsel (ORC), and the
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), as they conduct their adaptation
work.
5. Training and outreach: All Program and Regional Offices will benefit from Agency-wide
training activities that they will work together to develop and implement under the auspices
of the Cross-EPA Work Group on Climate Change Adaptation. Each Implementation Plan
describes the ways in which the organization will use the Agency-wide training resources to
educate its staff. Each Implementation Plan also indicates how the organization will then,
overtime, integrate climate adaptation where appropriate into existing Office-specific
training programs used by its workforce and external partners. Regional Offices, working in
coordination with HQ Program Offices as needed, may also choose to take the lead on
cross-media training and awareness-building among states and other external partners.
6. Partnerships with tribes: Each Program and Regional Office Implementation Plan
includes actions to address the tribes' adaptation issues relevant to the Office. The
Implementation Plans identify how the Office will work collaboratively with tribes to
increase the adaptive capacity of the tribes. This partnership will help ensure that priority
tribal adaptation needs are addressed, and efforts to build adaptive capacity within tribes
are effective. The Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) will support the efforts of
all Offices to consult and partner with the tribes to develop and implement the actions.
Also, OITA will help coordinate the interactions of EPA Offices with tribes to promote
unified EPA consultations with individual tribes.
7. Vulnerable populations and places. Each implementation plan describes how the
Program or Regional office will identify vulnerable populations and places to climate
change. The process of conducting vulnerability assessments and determining priority
actions for climate adaptation should consider how each Program and Regional Office can
help vulnerable populations and places reduce their exposure to climate change and how to
improve their capacity to predict, prepare for, and avoid adverse impacts. The plans are a
useful tool to account for the regional variability in how climate change will impact people
and places already overburdened by environmental pollution or other stressors.
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8. Evaluation and cross-organization pilot projects: Each Implementation Plan includes a
process for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness over time. Program and Regional
Offices are encouraged to partner with each other to conduct pilot projects that test
climate adaptation approaches that are broadly applicable. Relevant Implementation Plans
describe these joint efforts, as well as Office-specific pilot projects. The goal is to learn what
approaches work and why. The Implementation Plans will periodically be adjusted to
improve the organization's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its activities.
3.4 Importance of Partnerships
EPA believes strong partnerships are critical to fulfilling its mission of protecting human health
and the environment. As stated in the EPA Strategic Plan, successful partnerships make the
most effective use of
partners' respective
bodies of knowledge,
resources and talents.
Partnerships are keys to
effective integration of
climate change adaptation
considerations into the
protection of human
health and the
environment. In general,
EPA will focus adaptation
work on existing
geographic-based
partnerships with the goal
of increasing effectiveness
in climate change adaptation efforts.
States, tribes, and local communities share responsibility for protecting human health and the
environment, and partnerships with EPA are at the heart of the country's environmental
protection system. These partnerships will be critical for efficient, effective and equitable
implementation of climate adaptation strategies. EPA's Regional and Program Offices will
therefore work with their partners, engage local stakeholders, and use a diversity of
approaches to form the development of adaptive capacity and encourage climate adaptation
planning depending upon state, tribal, and local needs and conditions.
EPA will continue to build and maintain strong partnerships with other federal agencies. For
example, EPA will continue to actively participate in the interagency Council on Climate
Preparedness and Resilience established under EO 13653 and related working groups. EPA is
Climate Change Collaboration - One potential model of
place-based collaboration is C3 (the Climate Change
Collaboration) in EPA Region 10 (Seattle, Washington). C3
includes 13 agencies focused on climate change that meet
monthly (http://www.c3.gov/). The group was formed
through a bottom-up approach when representatives from
several agencies realized they were working (redundantly]
on the same topics. Through its participation in C3, Region 10
has gained better access to information and technical
assistance to support adaptation efforts at local and regional
levels; it was also able to learn from the adaptation efforts of
states and communities within and outside the region.
Similar efforts beyond Region 10 include those in New
England, the Southeast, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf Coast.
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Cross-cutting national strategies relevant to adaptation
planning at EPA
President's Climate Action Plan
Executive Order 13653 - Preparing the United States for the Impacts of
Climate Change
National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a
Changing Climate
Draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan
(For more information:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/adaptation)
part of the Federal Agency
Climate Change Adaptation
Community of Practice, a
forum that allows agency
staff working on adaptation
to share knowledge and
experience on adaptation
planning, implementation
and evaluation. The
Program and Regional
Office Implementation
Plans identify specific areas
of collaboration with other
federal agencies, such as in
delivering support to tribes.
Finally, climate change impacts do not stop at our borders, but instead can pose risks globally.
EPA is committed to working with our international partners to share expertise, practical
experiences, information and data to address adaptation issues.
Endnote
1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation, June 2, 2011,
http://epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf.
2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, Achieving Our Vision" (2011), 43,
http://epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.
3 It will also be important, as EPA moves forward, to examine what impact rules being developed now could have
in the future, taking climate into consideration.
ICF Incorporated, "The Reg Map: Informal Rulemaking," 2003,
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/reginfo/Regmap/regmap.pdf.
5 National Research Council, Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate, Panel on Strategies and Methods for
Climate-Related Decision Support, Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change, Division of Behavioral
and Social Sciences and Education (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2009).
National Research Council, Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate, Panel on Strategies and Methods for
Climate-Related Decision Support, Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change, Division of Behavioral
and Social Sciences and Education (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2009).
7 S.L Cutter and C. Finch, 'Temporal and Spatial Changes in Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards," Proceedings of
the National Academy of Science 105(7) (2008), 2301-2306.
8 In 2005 EPA started using the term life stages to refer to age-defined groups. The term life stage refers to a
distinguishable time frame in an individual's life characterized by unique and relatively stable behavioral and/or
physiological characteristics that are associated with development and growth. For example, EPA views childhood
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as a sequence of lifestages. There are other lifestages that may be important to consider when assessing human
exposure and risk including, pregnancy, nursing, and middle and later years.
g
This includes the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), Office of Water (OW), Office of Research and Development
(ORD), Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
(OECA), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and the Office of International and Tribal
Affairs (OITA).
National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. 2008 and 2012. Available at:
http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange
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Part 4: Measuring and Evaluating Performance
4.1 Existing Strategic Performance Measures
The FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan outlines the Agency's long-term goals, objectives, and strategic
measures, which are the
measurable human health and
environmental results the
Agency is working to achieve.1
The EPA Strategic Plan
acknowledges that the ability
of communities to respond to
changes in climate over the
coming decades is critical to
achieving many of the
environmental outcomes the
Agency is working towards.
Consequently, the EPA
Strategic Plan contains three
strategic measures intended to
promote the integration of
climate adaptation planning
into the Agency's activities.2
The three strategic measures
are focused on core Agency
activities that influence its ability to fulfill its mission: (1) rule-making processes; (2) the distribution of
financial resources and technical assistance; and (3) the development of science models and decision-
support tools.
The strategic measures are used by the Agency to design annual performance measures that are
presented in EPA's Annual Plans and Budgets, and to establish priorities in the annual National
Program Manager (NPM) Guidance. The Agency then reports on its performance against these annual
measures in the Annual Performance Reports.
FY 2011-2015 Strategic Measures on Climate Adaptation
By 2015, EPA will account for climate change by integrating climate
change science trend and scenario information into five rule-making
processes to further EPA's mission, consistent with existing authorities
[preference for one related to air quality, water quality, cleanup
programs, and chemical safety.)
By 2015, EPA will build resilience to climate change by integrating
considerations of climate change impacts and adaptive measures into
five major grants, loan, contract, or technical assistance programs to
further EPA's mission, consistent with existing authorities (preference
for one related to air quality, water quality, cleanup programs, and
scientific research).
By 2015, EPA will integrate climate change science trend and scenario
information into five major scientific models and/or decision-support
tools used in implementing Agency environmental management
programs to further EPA's mission, consistent with existing authorities
[preference for one related to air quality, water quality, cleanup
programs, and chemical safety.)
1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, Achieving Our Vision" (2011), 43,
http://epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.
Performance measures can be used to provide accountability, as well as to guide decisions about program refinement
and prioritization. They can be used to provide program managers and staff, and other external stakeholders, with
valuable information about whether a project or program is meeting the desired goals. Measures can help identify when
program goals are not being met and whether changes need to be made to meet those goals.
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In its FK2011-2015 Strategic Plan, EPA emphasizes the importance of continuously evaluating
activities based on their
progress and performance, and
acting on lessons learned. EPA
is already using the three
strategic measures pertaining
Importance of Program Evaluation
Because EPA programs and regions will be learning by experience as we
integrate climate change adaptation into regulation, financial
to climate change adaptation to mechanisms and information tools, it will be essential to apply
evaluation as a tool to better understand how well approaches work and
begin evaluating its actions on
how they can be improved upon.
an ongoing basis. Through
ongoing evaluation, the Agency
will learn how to effectively mainstream climate adaptation planning into its activities. EPA will
evaluate what worked and why, as well as what didn't work and why not. Based on the lessons, EPA
will make adjustments to the way adaptation is integrated into its activities.
4.2 New Performance Measures
Over time, the Agency will identify where its adaptation activities have or can have the greatest
impact on protecting human health and the environment. However, it will be an ongoing challenge to
measure the direct impact of EPA's adaptation planning activities on the resilience of its programs,
and on the human health and environmental outcomes it is striving to attain. Metrics that enable one
to attribute changes in resilience of environmental and human health outcomes to EPA's adaptation
efforts, where this is possible, do not yet exist. Such metrics need to be developed over time.
Although the three existing strategic measures do not directly attribute changes in resilience of
environmental and human health outcomes to EPA's adaptation efforts, they are focused on essential
processes and outcomes (e.g., increased adaptive capacity gained through changes in knowledge and
changes in behavior) that are important steps toward achieving the long-term goal of resilience to
climate change.
As the Agency works to fulfill each of the three existing strategic measures, it might be possible to
identify additional actions that must be taken to successfully attain the measures. For example, as
EPA Program Offices integrate climate change adaptation into major rulemaking processes, they may
discover that an effective approach is through the development of guidance for states and tribes
authorized to implement Federal environmental programs. Identification of key steps like this might
lead to the development of additional measures (e.g., numbers of states applying climate-related
aspects of EPA guidance) for evaluating EPA's progress.
As EPA works with interested states and tribes to consider climate adaptation as they implement
environmental programs, it could work with them to explore ways to measure changes in their
adaptive capacity. Metrics could reflect changes in knowledge (e.g., number of partners taking formal
training to increase their awareness of the importance of adaptation planning), changes in behavior
(e.g., increases in the use of decision support tools to integrate climate adaptation planning into state
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and local planning activities such as infrastructure planning decisions), and changes in state/condition
(e.g., changes in the ability of communities to withstand more frequent and intense storm events and
avoid, for example, combined sewer overflow events).
Some of the pilot projects that will appear in Program and Regional Office Implementation Plans may
also explore innovative ways for measuring changes in adaptive capacity through changes in
knowledge, changes in behavior, or changes in state/condition. These will also inform the
development of future Agency strategic measures.
EPA recognizes that the integration of climate adaptation planning into its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will occur over time. This change will happen in stages and measures should reflect
this evolution. The earliest changes in many programs will be changes in knowledge and awareness
(e.g., increase in the awareness of EPA staff and their external partners of the relevance of
adaptation planning to their programs). Building on this knowledge, they then will begin to change
their behavior (e.g., increase their use of available decision support tools to integrate adaptation
planning into their work). As programs mature, there will be evidence of more projects implemented
as a result of increased attention to climate-related programmatic issues. Finally, in the long-term,
adaptation planning efforts will lead to changes in condition (e.g., percentage of flood-prone
communities that have increased their resilience to storm events) to directly support EPA's mission to
protect human health and the environment.
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Summary of Program Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts by EPA Strategic Goal
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Climate Change Impact
d Likelihood of
Impacte
• Increased tropospheric
ozone pollution in
certain regions
• Likely1
Focus of Associated EPA
Program
• Protecting public health and
the environment by setting
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and
implementing programs to
help meet the standards
Likelihood EPA
Program will
be Affected by
Impact'
. High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Could become more difficult to attain NAAQS for ozone in many
areas with existing ozone problems
• Increased frequency or
intensity of wildfires
• Likely
• Protecting public health and
the environment by setting
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and
implementing programs to
help meet the standards
• Medium
• Could complicate Agency efforts to protect public health and the
environment from risks posed by particulate matter (PM)
pollution in areas affected by more frequent wildfires
• Increasing extreme
temperatures
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Very Likely
• Likely
• Protect public health by
promoting healthy indoor
environments through
voluntary programs and
guidance
• Medium
• Could increase public health risks, including risks for the young,
the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically
disadvantaged populations
• Effects on the
stratospheric ozone
layer
• Likely1
• Restoring the stratospheric
ozone layer
• Preventing UV-related
disease
• Providing a smooth transition
to safer alternatives
• High
• Unable to restore ozone concentrations to benchmark levels as
quickly at some latitudes
• Effects on response of • Likely
ecosystems to
atmospheric deposition
of sulfur, nitrogen, and
mercury
• Ecosystem protections from
Agency emissions reduction
programs
• Low
• Based on evolving research, could have consequences for the
effectiveness of ecosystem protections under those programs
60
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Goal .. . d Likelihood of
Climate Change Impact e
Impact
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS c
Focus of Associated EPA
Program
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
• Ocean acidification
• Increased water
temperatures
• Likely
• Likely
• Very likely
• Likely7
• Certain
• Very Likely9
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Likelihood EPA
Program will
be Affected by
Impact
• High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased number of sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses,
as well increased pollutant loads in runoff, fouling streams and
threatening public health.
• Challenges to coastal wetlands' ability to migrate.
• Reduced streamflow, altering the aquatic environments and
increasing impairments.
• Continued stress on coral reefs.
• Shifts in aquatic habitat will threaten the economic and cultural
practices of tribal communities.
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
• Increasing flood risk
• Likely
• Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely3
• Likely7
• Drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater
infrastructure
• High
• Water infrastructure could be overwhelmed or damaged.
• Drinking water intakes and wastewater outfalls could be
affected.
• Integrity of coastal water infrastructure systems could be put at
increased risk.
• Drinking water and wastewater utilities will need an 'all hazards'
approach to planning for emergencies and extreme weather
events.
• Problems of safety as well as access to clean and safe water will
be exacerbated for vulnerable and economically deprived
communities.
• Increased water
temperatures
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Loss of snowpack
• Very likely
• Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely7
• Very likely
• The quality and availability of
safe drinking water
• Medium
• High water temperatures and increased stormwater runoff will
increase the need for drinking water treatment, raising costs.
• May cause saltwater intrusion in surface water and ground water,
placing increased demands on drinking water treatment.
• Water supplies may be affected, forcing communities to seek
alternative sources.
* Water demand may shift to underground aquifers or prompt
development of reservoirs or underground storage of treated
water, requiring EPA to ensure safety.
61
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Goal .. . d Likelihood of
Climate Change Impact e
Impact
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS c
• Sea Level Rise
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Increasing risk of floods
• Changes in
temperature
• Very likely6
• Likely7
Likely7
Very likely3
Focus of Associated EPA
Program
Cleaning up Contaminated
Sites and Waste
Management
Likelihood EPA
Program will
be Affected by
Impact
• Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased risk of contaminant release from EPA Sites
• May need to alter selected remedies to ensure protection.
• Hazardous waste permitting may need to be updated to reflect
climate change impacts.
• Melting permafrost in
Northern Regions
Likely
• Cleaning up Contaminated
Sites and Waste
Management
. High
• Increased risk of contaminant release at sites and potential impact
to drinking water where permafrost was utilized as a containment
remedy.
• May need to implement new remedies to contain contaminants at
sites previously protected by permafrost.
• Likely
• Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Increasing risk of floods . Likely7
• Emergency Response
• Likely
• Medium
• Increased need for emergency response.
• Possible limitations to response capability due to staff and
financial resource constraints.
• Current waste management capacity, including interim capacity,
may be insufficient to handle surges in necessary treatment and
disposal of hazardous and municipal wastes, as well as mixed
wastes generated from severe weather events.
• Increasing extreme
temperatures
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Very likely • Protecting human health and
ecosystems from chemical
• Likely" risks.
• Low
• Assure that chemical exposure models reflect changes in the
environment
• Changing in planting timing or location may affect the volume and
timing of agricultural chemical use which could impact the
appropriate risk management decisions.
• Increased Water
Temperatures
• Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
• Very likely
• Likely7
• Water usage at EPA facilities
• High
• Water temperatures impact research activities or cooling
requirements.
• Facilities could be located in areas with water shortages
62
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Goal .. . d Likelihood of
Climate Change Impact e
Impact
• Increasing risk of floods
• Increasing intensity of
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS c
hurricanes
• Sea level rise
• Increasing extreme
temperatures
• Very likely
• Very likely3
Focus of Associated EPA
Program
• Operations of Agency
facilities, personnel safety,
physical security, and
emergency communications
• Emergency management
mission support (protective
gear and acquisition)
Likelihood EPA
Program will
be Affected by
Impact
• Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Facilities in coastal or flood-prone areas
• Personnel engaged in field work and vulnerable to extreme
temperatures or events
• Security, lighting and communication systems without backup
power
• Personnel and real property supporting emergency response and
management
63
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Footnotes for Summary of Climate Change Vulnerabilities to Climate Change
Impacts by EPA Goal Table
aThis table summarizes vulnerabilities by goal for four of the five goals in EPA's
Strategic Plan. Goal 5 "Enforcing Environmental Laws" is not included in this table.
Please note that the table also summarizes vulnerabilities to EPA facilities and
operations; this is not part of the EPA Strategic Plan goal structure but is an
important element of EPA's vulnerability assessment. Please see Section 2 of this
document for a fuller discussion of impacts.
bClimate Change Impacts are based upon peer-reviewed scientific literature
c Programmatic Impacts are based upon EPA best professional judgment at this time.
d Impacts can vary by season and location.
e In general, the sources cited in this section use Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology where the term 'very
likely'means 90-100% probability and the term'likely'means 66-100%
probability. For some impacts in the table, additional discussion on the likelihood
term is provided in the associated footnote.
f High assumes the program will be affected by the impact; Medium assumes the
program could be affected under some conditions by the impact; Low assumes that
there is a potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists
as to the potential nature and extent of the impact. This assessment is based on
best professional judgment within EPA at this time. Please note, this column does
not reflect several important considerations. For example it does not distinguish
timeframes (current, near-term, long-term). It does not account for regional and
local variations. And it does not reflect the priority of actions the agency may
undertake now or in the future.
5) Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div.,
2011,National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated
Assessment, National Science and Technology Council, Washington, DC, p. 114.
6) IPCC, 2012: "It is very likely that mean sea level rise will contribute to upward trends in
extreme coastal high water levels in the future."
7) USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M.
Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge
University Press, New York, NY, USA.
8 ) NRC, 2010: National Research Council of the National Academies, America's Climate
Choices: Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change, 2010. p41. "One of the most certain
outcomes from increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is the acidification of the world's
oceans." For purposes of this table, the term "certain" is used.
9) USGCRP, 2009: p. 46. [In the case of freshwater] "Increased air temperatures lead to higher
water temperatures, which have already been detected in many streams, especially during
low-flow periods." For the purposes of this table "very likely" is used.
10) Bates, B.C., Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., 2008: Climate
Change and Water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
IPCC Secretariat, Geneva, p. 130
1) Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and
Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working
Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
[Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller
(eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
2) C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation
and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van
der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge
University Press, 2007).
3) IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and
Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J.
Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea,K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M.
Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-19.
4) World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global
Ozone Research and Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011). Note: the
word "expected" is used in the report to characterize projected climate change impacts on the
stratospheric ozone layer. For purposes of this table the word "likely" has been used as a proxy for
"expected."
64
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EPA OFFICE OF AIR AND
RADIATION CLIMATE
CHANGE ADAPTATION
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
June 26, 2014
-------
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document,
nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed
intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA,
States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise
their discretion in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is
contingent upon availability of resources and is subject to change.
-------
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside
the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to
the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue
fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore
anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of
protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment
to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents
10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will
remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on mainstreaming climate
adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning
across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide
priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans
is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states,
tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their
awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and
by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation
into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for new
knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission.
The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin addressing its
vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the
selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people
and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying
clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be improved.
Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will regularly
evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
-------
EPA Office of Air and Radiation Climate
Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
Contents
Disclaimer 2
Background 6
Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment 6
I. Introduction 6
II. OAR Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts 6
III. Conclusion 10
IV. Programmatic Vulnerability Summary Table 11
Priority Actions 13
I. Introduction 13
II. OAR Categories of Priority Actions 14
Category 1: Outreach and Education 14
Category 2: Research and Collaboration 14
Category 3: Modeling and Analysis 14
III. Agency-wide Priorities 15
Partnerships with Tribes 15
Vulnerable Populations and Vulnerable Places 16
Measuring and Evaluating Performance 17
I. Introduction 17
II. Measures and Evaluation 17
Strategic Performance Measures 17
Training 17
Outreach 17
III. Conclusion 18
References 19
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Background
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment. EPA's Policy
Statement on Climate Change Adaptation, issued in June of 2011, calls for the Agency to anticipate
and plan for future changes in climate and incorporate considerations of climate change into its
activities. In response, the EPA drafted an agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan in June 2012. This
document recognized that climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill
its mission. It also directed every Program and Regional Office within the EPA to develop an
Implementation Plan detailing how they will integrate climate adaptation into their work, and address
the priorities identified in the Agency-wide plan. This document is the Implementation Plan for EPA's
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR).
Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment
I. Introduction
The OAR Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment builds on the work presented in Part 2 of the EPA
Climate Change Adaptation Plan. OAR's contribution to this plan is based on Goal 1: Taking Action
on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality in the EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan. OAR
primarily relied on the Fourth Assessment Report to the International Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), the US Global Change Research Program's 2009 report Global Climate Change Impacts in
the United States, and assessment reports from the National Academies of Science to identify OAR
program vulnerabilities. The brief summaries below also identify where limitations in the current
science exist. As the science continues to grow and evolve in key areas, OAR will evaluate and update
its vulnerabilities as needed. A summary table at the end of this section provides an overview of the
programmatic vulnerabilities identified in the narrative.
OAR intends to fulfill its mission, even in the face of a changing climate. The Office must consider
climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in the regular course of work, all while meeting its goals
and building more resilient and climate-responsive programs. This vulnerability assessment focuses
on evaluating how climate change may affect the OAR mission and programs, using the best available
science. This is an evaluation of program vulnerabilities rather than an assessment of all potential
impacts of climate change. Therefore, it does not include discussion of all impacts whether negative
or potentially positive.
II. OAR Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts
Tropospheric ozone pollution is likely to increase in certain regions due to the effects of climate
change. The relationship between temperature changes and tropospheric ozone formation is well
understood. With climate change, higher temperatures and weaker air circulation in the United States
will lead to more ozone formation even with the same level of emissions of ozone forming chemicals.1
Studies project that climate change could increase tropospheric ozone levels over broad areas of the
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country, especially on the highest-ozone days." Climate change also has the potential to lengthen the
ozone season (the months of the year when weather conditions, along with pollutants in the air, can
result in the formation of elevated levels of ground-level ozone in particular locations around the
country), and may increase individuals' vulnerability to air pollution.111
Increases in tropospheric ozone concentrations due to climate change would increase the public health
burden from air pollution. The potential impacts on public health include more respiratory illnesses
and increased risk of premature deaths.1V This is a particular concern to sensitive subpopulations
which are at greater risk for health effects from exposure to ozone. Furthermore, potential increases
in tropospheric ozone, also known as surface ozone, due to climate change would lead to more
pollution controls being required to attain or maintain ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) than would be necessary under the present day climate.
There are uncertainties associated with the precise timing and location of expected climate
impacts. While there is a consensus that ozone air quality levels will increase, different regional
climate models provide varying estimates of the magnitude of the ozone increases from a changing
climate. On-going changes in emissions levels (expected to decline over the next decade) and the
significant year-to-year variability in ozone levels we already see from natural variability in weather
patterns are additional complicating factors. The state-of-the-science continues to evolve and will
serve to inform specific measures to counteract this vulnerability. EPA will continue to evaluate and
improve our regional climate tools to allow for more refined estimates of ozone impacts for specific
climate scenarios. Additionally, we will continue to monitor and assess trends of ozone air quality.
To the extent that it becomes apparent that a changing climate is preventing attainment of national air
quality goals and depending on the specific circumstances, Clean Air Act provisions may require
identification of additional control measures at both the State and national levels.
Particulate matter (PM) levels are likely to be affected through changes in the frequency or
intensity of wildfires. While the impact of climate change on ambient PM levels remains somewhat
uncertain, there is evidence indicating that climate change will affect PM levels through changes in
the frequency or intensity of wildfires.v The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has
reported with very high confidence that in North America, disturbances such as wildfires are
increasing and are likely to intensify in a warmer future with drier soils and longer growing seasons."
Forest fires are likely to increase in frequency, severity, distribution and duration in the Southeast,
the Intermountain West and the West due to climate change. PM emissions will also be affected by
changes in the production of wind-blown dust due to changes in soil moisture/" There are technical
challenges associated with assessing the specific impacts that climate change will have on PM
concentrations. As an example, it is particularly difficult to accurately determine how precipitation
and wildfire patterns will evolve in a changing climate. These second-order climate effects have the
potential to significantly impact future aerosol air quality. Coupled climate and air quality modeling
systems can show significant variation of future impacts on particulate matter by season and by
region. As with ozone, this uncertainty will need to be taken into account.
The potential increase in PM resulting from wildfires may also increase the public health burden in
affected areas, which may include sensitive subpopulations at risk for increased health effects from
being exposed to PM pollution. This potential increase may also complicate state efforts to attain the
PM NAAQS and address regional transport of air pollution.
7
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Climate change may worsen the quality of indoor air.1 Climate change may worsen existing indoor
environmental problems and introduce new ones as it alters the frequency or severity of adverse
outdoor conditions.
Heavy precipitation events may contribute to increases in indoor dampness and building deterioration,
increasing occupants' exposure to mold and other biological contaminants and emissions from
building materials, as well as outdoor environmental pollutants, due to breakdown of the protective
building envelope. As more severe flooding and storms are expected, the built environment will be
more susceptible to damage. This may require increased engagement across public and private sectors
as mold and moisture problems become more pervasive in some areas.
Additionally, due to climate projections of increased storms and flooding events, the availability of
biomass fuels for cooking in developing nations may be affected. More research is required to better
understand the influence that climate change has on indoor air quality and biomass burning in low-
income countries.
Temperature increases may affect the emergence, evolution and geographic ranges of pests, infectious
agents and disease vectors. This may lead to shifting patterns of indoor exposure to pesticides as
occupants and building owners respond to new infestations.
Increased stress on the building envelope from temperature shifts and more extreme weather events
may decrease the capability of homes and buildings to protect occupants from shifts in the numbers
or types of organisms in a given area. In addition, increased outdoor temperatures may lead rodents
and other pests into the indoor environment, leading to potential increases in pesticide use. Exposures
to the pests themselves, and the pesticides used to respond to infestations, can contribute to illness
and disease, including allergy and asthma exacerbation. More research on the relationships between
climate changes, pest infestation, and prevention and adaptation strategies by occupants is needed.
EPA may need to increase its intra- and inter-agency interactions, as well as update its guidance and
messaging to ensure climate projections are accounted for in comprehensive asthma intervention
programs.
Warmer average temperatures may lead to changes in occupant behavior that may create health risks.
For example, residents may spend more time indoors and in so doing, may become more prone to
health risks from indoor environmental conditions. Moreover, residents may weatherize buildings to
increase comfort and indoor environmental quality in addition to saving energy. Although in general
these actions should be encouraged, this may lead to a reduction in ventilation and an increase in
indoor environmental pollutants unless measures are taken to preserve or improve indoor air quality.
EPA has developed practical guidance for improving or maintaining indoor environmental quality
during home energy upgrades or remodeling in single-family homes and schools. EPA's guidance
and protocols may need to be revised to include state and local considerations for projected climatic
changes. In addition, these programs may need to increase partnerships with other Federal agencies
to address training needs and workforce development for building owners, managers, and others, as
1 All information in this section is cited from the following: Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor
Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2011).
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well as develop new tracking mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of weatherization and
remodeling techniques as they relate to indoor environmental quality.
As homes and buildings are constructed or weatherized/recommissioned with greater energy
conservation in mind, potential reductions in ventilation or changes in pressurization could occur.
These actions might increase exposure to radon and its decay products. For example, shielding spaces
from extreme shifts in temperature may involve increased building below ground level, which may
be more cost effective in saving energy, but if spaces are occupied, could lead to increased levels of
radon exposure. EPA may need to update its voluntary guidance or increase its work with other federal
and industry partners to ensure that homes and buildings continue to be built with or near materials
that have low radium content, and that buildings are built or modified to ensure that effective exposure
prevention mechanisms are in place.
Climate change may alter the effects of and strategic priorities within EPA's regulatory and
partnership programs to help restore the stratospheric ozone layer. The interactions between the
changing climate and ozone layer are complex. Climate change affects the ozone layer through
changes in chemical transport, atmospheric composition and temperature. In turn, changes in
stratospheric ozone can have implications for the weather and climate of the troposphere.
Stratospheric ozone depletion and increases in global tropospheric ozone that have occurred in recent
decades have differing contributions to climate change. Additionally, climate change may exacerbate
the health effects of ozone layer damage at some latitudes and mitigate them at others/111 Ozone
depletion and climate change are also linked because both ozone depleting substances and their
principal substitutes are significant greenhouse gases. While the science continues to evolve, potential
climate change impacts are included in the planning and implementation of the Agency's programs
to protect stratospheric ozone.
Specific potential vulnerabilities of EPA stratospheric ozone programs include:
• Different ozone depleting substances (ODS) have different atmospheric lifetimes and patterns
of transport in the atmosphere. If climate change increases the heterogeneity of processes that
influence ozone destruction and production, increased regional disparities may need to be
taken into account when implementing programmatic priorities.
• Climate change may lead to increased use of cooling devices in commercial, residential, and
transportation applications as well as increased use of insulation foams containing ODS or
their substitutes. Such a shift in demand might impact how EPA plans and operates its
programs concerned with the ODS that are used to produce and operate these devices and
materials. A shift in demand for ODS may also increase imports of ODS, which could affect
EPA's oversight of such imports.
• EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program evaluates and regulates
substitutes for ODS, seeking a constantly improving suite of chemicals for protection of the
environment. Evaluation of substitutes can depend on factors influenced by climate change,
for example the effectiveness of various refrigerants varying with ambient temperature. A
changing climate may influence priority setting and operation of SNAP in relation to the
suitability of substitutes.
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Scientific understanding related to ways that climate change may affect the interactions of
sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury deposition with ecosystems is evolving. While there is limited
scientific evidence on this topic, additional research is underway to better understand how patterns in
the atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury with projected changes in the climate and
carbon cycle will affect ecosystem growth, species changes, surface water chemistry, and mercury
methylation and bioaccumulation.lx The potential impacts could have consequences for the
effectiveness of ecosystem protection from Agency emissions reduction programs.
Additional areas of interest and exploration:
Climate change may increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and may
affect the Agency's capacity to reliably monitor and assess the effectiveness of certain Agency
programs. As the climate changes, extreme weather events such as regional droughts and heat waves
have already increased. These patterns are projected to continue in the coming years, bringing heavier
precipitation, stronger hurricanes, and an increase in conditions favorable to severe thunderstorms.x
Specific potential vulnerabilities related to an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme
weather events may include:
• Extreme weather events, including severe winds and lightning, could cause damage to EPA's
long-term environmental monitoring assets, particularly in coastal and flood prone areas. The
Agency has already seen such damage to equipment at sites in the Clean Air Status and Trends
Network (CASTNET) and the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP).
• More frequent and intense weather events could impact OAR's disaster response planning
efforts, requiring consideration of more frequent events and more complex responses.
III. Conclusion
This is an initial assessment of the potential vulnerabilities EPA's Office of Air and Radiation may
face due to a changing climate. It provides a foundation on which to examine OAR's programs and
is meant to provide flexibility so that emerging scientific understanding may be incorporated over
time.
10
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IV. Programmatic Vulnerability Summary Table
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS b
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS'
Climate Change Impact
Likelihood
of Impacte
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Likelihood EPA Program
will be Affected by
Impactf
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased tropospheric
ozone pollution in
certain regions
• Increased frequency
and intensity of
wildfires
• Increasing extreme
temperatures
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
• Effects on the
stratospheric ozone
layer
• Effects on response of
ecosystems to
atmospheric deposition
of sulfur, nitrogen, and
mercury
• Increased frequency
and severity of severe
weather events
• Likely1
• Likely2
• Very
Likely3
• Likely3
• Likely4
• Likely6
• Very
Likely7
• Protecting public health and the environment
by setting National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and implementing
programs to help meet the standards
• Protecting public health and the environment
by setting National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and implementing
programs to help meet the standards
• Protect public health by promoting healthy
indoor environments through voluntary
programs and guidance
• Restoring the stratospheric ozone layer
• Preventing UV-related disease
• Providing a smooth transition to safer
alternatives
• Ecosystem protections from Agency
emissions reduction programs
• Monitoring and assessing the benefits and
effectiveness of Agency emissions reduction
programs
• Agency disaster response planning
• High
• Medium
• Medium
• High
• Low
• Medium
• Could become more difficult to attain NAAQS for
ozone in many areas with existing ozone problems
• Could complicate Agency efforts to protect public
health and the environment from risks posed by
particulate matter (PM) pollution in areas affected
by more frequent wildfires
• Could increase public health risks, including risks
for the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and
socioeconomically disadvantaged populations
• Unable to restore ozone concentrations to
benchmark levels as quickly at some latitudes
• Based on evolving research, could have
consequences for the effectiveness of ecosystem
protections under those programs
• Could decrease the amount and/or quality of data
collected by the Agency
11
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Footnotes for Program Vulnerability Summary Table
aThis table summarizes vulnerabilities by goal in EPA's Strategic Plan. OAR's program
vulnerabilities all fall under Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving
Air Quality.
bClimate Change Impacts are based upon peer-reviewed scientific literature
c Programmatic Impacts are based upon EPA best professional judgment at this time.
d Impacts can vary by season and location.
e In general, the sources cited in this section use Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology where the term 'very likely' means
90-100% probability and the term 'likely' means 66-100% probability. For some
impacts in the table, additional discussion on the likelihood term is provided in the
associated footnote.
f High assumes the program will be affected by the impact; Medium assumes the
program could be affected under some conditions by the impact; Low assumes that there
is a potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists as to the
potential nature and extent of the impact. This assessment is based on best professional
judgment within EPA at this time. Please note, this column does not reflect several
important considerations. For example it does not distinguish timeframes (current, near-
term, long-term). It does not account for regional and local variations. And it does not
reflect the priority of actions the agency may undertake now or in the future.
1) Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System
and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.
Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z.
Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
2) C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts,
Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. M.L. Parry,
O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, PJ. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United
Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
3) IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme
Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros,
T.F. Stacker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea,KJ. Mach, G.-K.
Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working
Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1 -19.
4) World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion:
2010, Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva,
Switzerland, 2011). Note: the word "expected" is used in the report to characterize
projected climate change impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer. For purposes of this
table the word "likely" has been used as a proxy for "expected."
5) USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, "Energy
Use and Supply" Chapter. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson
(eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press,
New York, NY, USA. Note: The USGCRP chapter "Energy Use and Supply"
characterizes some impacts discussed above as "likely" and others as "very likely." For
this table we use "very likely" to indicate that at least one impact related to energy
production is characterized this way in the assessment literature.
6) Burns, DA., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, IS., US EPA Clean Air
Markets Div., 2011, National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress
2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science and Technology Council,
Washington, DC, p. 114.
7) USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, "Energy
Use and Supply" Chapter. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson
(eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press,
New York, NY, USA. Note: The USGCRP chapter "Energy Use and Supply"
characterizes some impacts discussed above as "likely" and others as "very likely." For
this table we use "very likely" to indicate that at least one impact related to severe
weather events is characterized this way in the assessment literature.
12
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EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) works to fulfill EPA's Strategic Goal 1: Taking Action on
Climate Change and Improving Air Quality. In doing so, OAR implements programs including those that
address air quality, climate change, stratospheric ozone, atmospheric deposition and indoor air. OAR
works closely with EPA's Program and Regional Offices and other federal agencies to implement many
of the programs and establishes collaborative partnerships with the business community when
implementing certain programs. OAR also collaborates closely with researchers and modelers to more
fully understand, characterize and project the potential impacts of climate change on air quality, indoor
air, and other environmental and public health endpoints that are the subject of OAR programs.
Furthermore, OAR works with an extensive set of stakeholders from states and local communities, tribal
nations, and various business, environmental, and health organizations to effectively reach the public.
Many of these efforts provide opportunities to consider factoring in climate change.
While OAR has initiated certain regulatory actions under the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gases,
the primary pollutants that cause climate change, this plan is designed to address adaptation of OAR's
programs in response to climate change, including considering when and how analytical tools relied upon
can be adapted to better reflect a changing climate.
OAR derived its priority actions from the vulnerabilities in the Agency's Climate Change Adaptation
Plan. In determining these priority actions, OAR considered the following:
• The strength of the science
• The extent of the threat to the program
• Complexity in implementation
• How easily OAR can integrate climate change adaptation into a particular program
• Legal authorities
The three categories below represent different types of efforts and timeframes over which OAR intends
to implement these priority actions. The categories range from relatively easily incorporating adaptation
into ongoing programs to actions that will require an initial step before implementation. For example,
before recalibrating any regulatory or program models, OAR would follow all existing Clean Air Act
procedures for public engagement and initiate a process for a transparent and methodological approach to
incorporate climate change. Consistency across OAR programs, and across the Agency, will be important.
While OAR is committed to accomplishing the following actions, implementation of these actions will
depend on availability of appropriate resources (e.g.; staff and funding). This list of priority actions reflects
the Office's best current understanding and is designed to be amended as the science and knowledge about
vulnerabilities and adaptation issues expands.
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II. OAR Categories of Priority Actions
Category 1: Outreach and Education
These actions are considered achievable in the short-term by leveraging and building on existing OAR
efforts.
• Work within EPA and with external stakeholders, as necessary, to review and revise information
for citizens, especially at risk populations, on the impact of climate change on ozone health
impacts, particulate matter (PM) health impacts, and indoor air quality.
• Incorporate climate change adaptation information into guidance, ongoing outreach tools, and
communications for partnership program participants and other federal agencies, state, local, and
tribal stakeholders.
• Updating existing indoor air guidance to incorporate climate change adaptation strategies and
equip stakeholders to build adaptive capacity in communities.
Category 2: Research and Collaboration
These actions are stepping stones that will inform potential future actions.
• Promote and foster research, internally and externally, on climate change adaptation and its effects
on OAR programs.
• Collaborate with the environmental research community on climate change interactions with
atmospheric deposition of pollutants and ecosystem impacts. This also includes collaborating with
the long-term monitoring community on the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events
on atmospheric deposition, and consideration of potential implications for long-term monitoring
sites and networks.
Collect information necessary to consider the effects of climate change in the implementation of
the ozone-depleting substances (ODS) phase-out.
Category 3: Modeling and Analysis
These actions require additional considerations prior to implementation; they constitute potential long-
term actions for OAR. A good deal is known about the impacts of climate change (e.g., on tropospheric
ozone, indoor air, etc.) and as the science continues to grow, existing processes will be utilized to
incorporate the science. However, incorporating scientific projections of future climate change into
analytical tools, including ones that are relied upon for regulatory purposes, require additional steps to
assure transparency and consistency. OAR will plan to engage in and, as appropriate, facilitate that
process prior to implementing the actions identified below.
• Incorporate the latest research on ozone, PM, and climate change into National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) development and implementation.
• Determine if modifications to the air quality monitoring program, guidance and procedures are
necessary to account for a changing climate.
• As appropriate, adjust air quality modeling tools and guidance to incorporate projections of
meteorological parameters (e.g., temperature, precipitation) and potential changes in emissions
resulting from climate change.
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Incorporate climate change and adaptation (e.g., costs) to a greater extent in economic modeling.
Re-calibrate models of transition of refrigerants and refrigerant-containing equipment due to the
effects of a warmer climate (e.g., changes in effectiveness of refrigeration and air conditioning
systems under different temperature scenarios).
Integrate climate change into models of skin cancer incidence and other health risks.
III. Agency-wide Priorities
Partnerships with Tribes
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and decision
making. Existing policies recognize and support the sovereign decision-making authority of tribal
governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes are
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the environment
within their traditional lifeways and culture. OAR is committed to developing adaptation actions that help
to reduce or avoid the impact of climate change on Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes recommended a number of
tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information; supporting
baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level education and
awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time, tribes challenged
EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources are better leveraged
and administrative burdens are reduced.
OAR's efforts outlined in this plan will benefit from the expertise provided by our tribal partners and the
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in
understanding the current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia
as a tool to adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 EPA Policy for the
Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations, TEK is viewed as a complementary
resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Existing networks, partnerships, and sources of funding and training/technical assistance will be used to
assist tribes with climate change issues, including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the National
Tribal Air Association, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, and the Indian General
Assistance Program. Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and Program
Offices in EPA, since climate change has many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries.
Transparency and information-sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage activities already taking place
within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
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Vulnerable Populations and Vulnerable Places
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons with underlying
medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information, and tribal and indigenous
populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Also, certain geographic
locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in low-lying coastal areas or
living in isolated or segregated areas.
One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies and
rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places and infrastructure that are most
vulnerable to climate impacts, designing and implementing the plan with meaningful involvement from
all parts of society. OAR currently integrates environmental justice and tribal issues into its voluntary
indoor air program guidance, but may have to increase its work with partners and regional staff to update
or change guidance so that it further addresses the adaptive capacity to climate change impacts among
disproportionately impacted populations.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will be
taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is conducted, where
appropriate and technically possible, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change will be identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these
communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts
can be informed by experiences with previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and
Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
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Measuring and Evaluating Performance
I. Introduction
EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Plan emphasizes the need for measuring and evaluating performance
in order to ensure that climate change adaptation is successfully integrated into the Agency's operations.
The integration of climate adaptation planning into Agency programs, policies, rules, and operations will
occur gradually over time. This will happen in stages and measures should reflect this evolution. The
earliest changes in many programs may be changes in knowledge and awareness, followed by changes in
behavior and the incorporation into and use of climate change adaptation tools, and then implementation
of projects that build adaptive capacity and lead to changes in state, condition, and preparedness.
OAR plans to update the information and analysis in this implementation plan, evaluate the status of
activities, and continually improve the process of EPA programmatic adaptation to climate change. Since
this is an emerging field, OAR's initial measurement and evaluation plan will focus on learning and the
capacity building elements of the plan. OAR will utilize existing mechanisms and forums whenever
possible and ensure that these efforts do not include any new budget implications.
II. Measures and Evaluation
Strategic Performance Measures
The FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan contains the Agency's first strategic performance measures for
integrating climate adaptation into its activities. These strategic performance measures commit the Agency
to integrate adaptation planning into five major rulemaking processes and five major financial assistance
mechanisms by 2015. They also call for the integration of adaptation planning into five major scientific
models or decision-support tools used in implementing Agency environmental management programs.
Keeping this in mind, OAR will evaluate its priority actions to determine which of these strategic measures
we are able to support.
Training
OAR will participate in the Agency workgroup tasked with developing an Agency-wide climate change
adaptation training module for EPA staff. Training for staff will be focused on both raising awareness of
the elements of climate change in general, as well as how climate change is likely to impact our mission.
OAR will evaluate the Office's participation level in this training in an ongoing basis.
Outreach
OAR supports activities to cooperate with other EPA offices, Federal agencies, and other organizations
interested in addressing the impacts of a changing climate on EPA programs. These ongoing activities
provide an opportunity to measure internal and external engagement levels in adaptation awareness.
• OAR will track the number of hits on the adaptation pages of the climate change website and
overlay that data with information about new additions to the site in order to determine interest
levels.
17
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• OAR will continue to publish the State and Local Climate and Energy Newsletter, which includes
adaptation related resources and events. OAR will measure listserv membership levels, with a goal
of increasing the number of addresses in 2013.
• OAR will work to increase engagement with EPA Regions to support adaptation efforts and
qualitatively evaluate these relationships in an ongoing basis.
• OAR will continue to aggregate the number of health care professionals trained annually on indoor
environments and health. Moving forward, training will be supplemented to include climate
impacts and adaptation approaches.
• OAR will continue to track the number of outreach, training and technical assistance activities to
advance indoor air programs and guidance for health buildings, and foster implementation of
climate adaptation activities.
OAR will periodically evaluate its climate change adaptation activities, particularly the identified priority
actions, to assess progress toward mainstreaming climate change adaptation into our programs.
OAR will also review emerging scientific understanding on climate impacts and vulnerabilities, OAR
programs, and Agency practices on an ongoing basis. As new information emerges, OAR is prepared to
update this plan accordingly.
The initial focus of our evaluation will be a qualitative narrative description of the outputs and outcomes
of the identified priority actions. This may include successes and accomplishments, what efforts and
strategies are working well - and why - as well as an identification of those activities that are not proving
successful, the reasons, and any recommendations for new or different approaches that would yield better
results and outcomes. This type of evaluation will best allow OAR to highlight our progress, and learn
from our efforts in order to continually improve the effectiveness of our climate change adaptation efforts.
III. Conclusion
Measurement and evaluation of progress toward adaptation goals is an important component of the
overarching climate change adaptation strategy as it facilitates robust understanding of the effectiveness
of our programs. OAR must ensure that its policies and procedures continue to protect human health while
being cognizant of the additional programmatic burdens as a result of climate change.
Evaluating progress on these actions is particularly important because climate change adaptation is a new
field and there will be a lot of learning throughout the process. Based on lessons learned about the most
effective climate change adaptation actions, OAR will make appropriate adjustments to its approach.
This implementation plan is not an endpoint. It is intended to be a living document that will change and
mature as the Agency's knowledge of, and experience with, climate change adaptation grows.
18
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References
1 Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change
2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.
Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
11 U.S. EPA (2009). Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate
Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone. An Interim Report of the U.S. EPA Global Change Research Program. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-07/094F.
111 Katsouyanni, K., et al.; HEI Health Review Committee (2009). Air pollution and health: a European and North American
approach (APHENA). Research Report Health Effects Institute. 2009 Oct; (142):5-90.
lv U.S. EPA. Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (2006 Final). U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-05/004aF-cF, 2006.
v Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United
States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council, U.S. Climate
Change Science Program, 2008), http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/scientific-assessment/Scientific-
AssessmentFINAL.pdf.
vl C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed.
M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, PJ. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York,
NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
vn Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United
States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council, U.S. Climate
Change Science Program, 2008), http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/scientific-assessment/Scientific-
AssessmentFINAL.pdf.
vm World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and
Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011).
1X Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011, National Acid
Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science and Technology
Council, Washington, DC, 114 p.
x USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C.
Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.
19
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Office of Administration and Resources Management
(OARM)
June 2014
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is
to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and
mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will
carry out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates
how the office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner
consistent and compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the
most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the
tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate
their efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and
prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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Office of Administration and Resources Management
Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
June 2014
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. High-level Vulnerability Assessment
3. Current Efforts to Address Climate Change
4. Possible New Action Items
5. Monitoring and Evaluation
6. Appendix: Potential Analysis Tools
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Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to the safety of its personnel, the
efficient operation of its buildings, and the sustainability of the communities in which its
facilities are located. One of the areas where EPA demonstrates its mission is preparing for and
mitigating the potential effects of global climate change, including severe weather events,
water shortages, and sea level rises. Adaptation planning to protect EPA's workforce and
increase the resiliency of its facilities to ensure
continued operations is a critical part of OARM's
mission.
As the office within EPA responsible for facilities,
transportation, security, health and safety, human
resources, grants, and procurement, OARM is
responsible for ensuring the safe and continued
operation of the Agency's buildings, contracts, grants,
and personnel. EPA's people, buildings, and
operations could be impacted by any number of
potential climate change effects. As required by the
EPA Policy Statement on Climate Change Adaptation
(June 2014), OARM has revised its Climate Change
Adaptation Implementation Plan (dated June 2013).
EPA has made great strides in both preparing for and
mitigating climate change effects wherever possible.
The Agency's Strategic Sustainability Performance
Plan (SSPP), for example, outlines numerous goals and
achievements in reducing the Agency's greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions, energy dependence, water use
requirements, solid waste, pollution, and other
environmental impacts. EPA also has in place an
extensive continuity of operations plan (COOP)
designed to address natural disasters and other
events that could interrupt Agency operations.
Where necessary, EPA will develop and implement
new action items to protect its workforce, facilities,
and operations against climate change effects and
become more resilient to these effects. For example,
EPA will consider enhancing the resilience of existing
facilities in coastal areas to protect them from severe
weather, flood damage, and sea level rise. The Agency
will also work with other government agencies,
particularly the U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA), to account for climate change effects and
resiliency in the design and construction of new
facilities, or when new buildings are leased. Before
undertaking any actions, EPA will assess the need and
OARM Primary Functions
Office of Human Resources (OHR): Manages
traditional human resource functions and
provides Agency-wide policy development,
strategic planning, and direction for EPA's
human resource programs.
Office of Administration (OA): Enables,
manages, and maintains sustainable, safe
and secure workplaces and manages
facilities, safety, and security activities in
support of the Agency's mission.
Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD):
Provides cradle-to-grave administrative
management of all Headquarters-
administered grants, loans, cooperative
agreements, fellowships, interagency
agreements, and Suspension and
Debarment program management.
Office of Acquisition Management (OAM):
Manages the planning, awarding, and
administering of contracts and procurement
policy for the Agency.
Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ):
Conducts hearings and renders decisions in
proceedings between the EPA and persons,
businesses, government entities, and other
organizations that are, or are alleged to be,
regulated under environmental laws.
Environmental Appeals Board (EAB): Acts as
the final Agency decision maker on
administrative appeals under all major
environmental statutes that the Agency
administers.
Office of Diversity, Advisory Committee
Management and Outreach (ODACMO):
provides strategic leadership in furthering
the EPA's commitment to building a high
performing organization that draws on the
talents, experience and perspectives from
all segments of society and the EPA
workforce.
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evaluate the potential for effectiveness of each activity, as well as estimate the resources
needed to implement it.
This plan includes the following key components:
• High-level vulnerability assessment
• Current efforts to address climate change
• Possible new action items
• Measurement and performance evaluation
• Additional analysis tools and criteria for prioritizing action items
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High-Level Vulnerability Assessment
In 2011, OARM developed a high-level assessment of the Agency's vulnerabilities to climate
change specific to its functional areas. Based on the potential effects of climate change, OARM
has identified the following vulnerabilities as medium to high priority. Note: This assessment
does not address EPA research capabilities that might be affected, only its ability to maintain
the facilities, operations, procurement, security, and personnel in support of those needs.
Water Quality and Supply: Changes to water ecosystems—including
increasing water temperatures, decreasing precipitation days, and increasing
drought intensity—could mean a change in the disposition of water supplies
and potentially compromise the quality and quantity of water available for
use. EPA laboratories require water to conduct experiments and meet
building cooling requirements. Water shortages and quality issues will require
better water conservation planning, especially in drought-prone regions.
Severe Weather or Flooding Damage: Facilities in coastal or flood-prone
areas could face the effects of increasing floods, intense hurricanes, and
extreme temperature shifts. In addition to planning and preparing for such
severe weather events before they occur, EPA may have to shift its real estate
priorities and resources to respond to damage incurred by facilities in coastal
regions and other affected locations.
Field Worker Safety: Because a portion of EPA employees and contractors are
engaged in field work, they may be vulnerable to extreme temperatures or
other weather events. Emergency management mission support must include
procuring the proper personal protective equipment to be prepared for such
types of working conditions while conducting sampling, remediation, and
other outdoor/field activities.
Physical Security: In many EPA locations, closed-circuit television (CCTV)
security cameras, intrusion detection systems, outdoor lighting, and access
control devices must run continuously. EPA should ensure that these devices
are secure in severe weather conditions and continue to be powered by an
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or have access to a backup generator as
needed if climate-related conditions cause interruptions in the power supply.
Security Operations and Emergency Communications: Severe weather events
and other climate-related conditions causing interruptions in power could
limit electronic communications, cell phone services (including radio
communication "walkie-talkie" service), and analog phones in EPA locations
where public address systems are not connected to backup power. EPA's
COOP should address emergency communications in such instances.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability
Medium
Vulnerability
Medium
Vulnerability
Medium
Vulnerability
Medium
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Current Efforts to Address Climate Change
Even before such measures were required under Executive Order (EO) 13514, EPA undertook a
variety of climate change mitigation strategies, setting aggressive goals to quantify and reduce
the carbon footprint associated with its facilities, employees, and operations. Following are just
a few of OARM's efforts and recent results in this area.
GHG Emissions Inventory and Reductions
In fiscal year (FY) 2013, EPA's Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions were 57.4 percent lower than its
FY 2008 emissions baseline (far exceeding the Agency's goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2
emissions 25 percent by FY 2020), thanks in large part to energy efficiency projects at its
facilities, improved fleet management practices, and extensive green power purchases. EPA's
Scope 3 GHG emissions decreased 40.4 percent compared to its FY 2008 baseline, due to
reductions in business air travel, increased use of telework, and cuts in travel budgets.
Energy Efficiency
EPA's FY 2013 energy intensity was 25.6 percent below the FY 2003 baseline, exceeding the EO
13514 requirements. EPA closely tracks and manages its energy use and plans to continue
making significant progress in reducing its energy intensity by focusing on implementing key
projects identified during facility energy assessments. The Agency also exceeded the EO 13514
petroleum use reduction requirement by using 38.9 percent less fuel in fleet vehicles compared
to the FY2005 baseline.
High Performance Sustainable Buildings
Approximately 11.5 percent of EPA's Federal Real Property Profile buildings met the Guiding
Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings in FY 2013.
To make the Agency's facilities more climate-resilient, EPA has reviewed resiliency-related
municipal regulations, zoning ordinances, building codes, subdivision specifications, and other
literature from federal, state, and local entities and from academia. As part of this effort, EPA
has also discussed climate resiliency planning with GSA's Office of Mission Assurance and is
examining proposed and existing green building rating systems for relevant climate resiliency
considerations. EPA has developed an initial list of climate resiliency planning considerations,
which it will use to update the Agency's space planning and leasing guidelines in FY 2015 and
2016.
Water Conservation
In FY 2013, EPA's water intensity reduction of 38.8 percent far exceeded the EO 13514
requirement of 10 percent. EPA also far exceeded requirements for reducing landscaping
water use, achieving a 95.3 percent reduction compared to FY 2010.
Pollution Prevention and Waste Reduction
EPA adopted a more aggressive waste reduction goal of 55 percent compared to the 50
percent goal required by EO 13514. The Agency already exceeded that goal with an FY 2013
waste diversion rate of 64.7 percent.
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Electronic Stewardship and Data Centers
EPA's purchasing and IT policies require: energy-efficient and environmentally preferable
features on electronic products; achieving a 100 percent power management enabling rate on
computers and monitors; and reusing, donating, recycling, or disposing of electronic equipment
in an environmentally sound manner. EPA plans to reduce its number of data centers as well.
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Possible New Action Items
In addition to addressing its high-level vulnerabilities described previously, OARM will consider
possible new action items to pursue as part of its climate adaptation plans, depending on
funding and available resources (including personnel and other Agency resources).
Lead
Office
Action Item
Priority &
Timeframe
OA
Make Adaptation Part of High Performance Sustainable Buildings
• Consider Adaptation and Resiliency as Part of Building
Management Plan Guidelines (BMPG): As part of its efforts to
meet the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High
Performance and Sustainable Buildings (Guiding Principles),
EPA developed and is working to implement the BMPG in its
owned facilities. OARM will review the BMPG for existing
mitigation strategies and identify opportunities to address
climate change adaptation and resiliency when assisting
existing facilities in meeting the Guiding Principles.
• Work With GSA: For facilities that EPA does not own, OARM
will work with its counterparts at GSA to ensure climate
change adaptation and resiliency are taken into account in
procuring, renewing leases, and maintaining existing
facilities, especially in communities where severe weather
and other climate-related events could have the most
impact.
• Update Best Practices (Environmental) Lease Provisions
(BPLP): EPA includes the BPLP with GSA's standard
Solicitation for Offer template to facilitate inclusion of
environmental provisions in new lease actions. EPA will
identify potential impacts of several key climate stressors on
leased facilities and will review the BPLP to determine if
climate change resiliency requirements should be added in
the future.
• Update Architecture and Engineering Guidelines (A&E
Guidelines): EPk'sA&E Guidelines provide guidance for
facilities management, engineering, planning, and
architecture professionals in the design and construction of
new EPA facilities and the evaluation of existing facilities.
EPA will identify potential impacts of several key climate
stressors and will review \lsA&E Guidelines to determine if
climate change resiliency requirements should be added in
the future.
• Incorporate Adaptation and Resiliency Into GreenCheck:
GreenCheck, OARM's process for evaluating new
construction and renovation projects for various
environmental initiatives and high performance sustainable
building characteristics, will consider measures to ensure
Medium/
Ongoing
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building additions, construction, and other efforts take
adaptation and resiliency to severe weather and other
climate change-related effects into account when projects
are undertaken.
OA Conduct Pilot Facility Climate Resiliency Assessment
EPA will select a representative, mission-critical facility that is
currently experiencing impacts from climate change and conduct a
pilot assessment analyzing the climate stressors, vulnerabilities,
adaptive responses, and lessons learned for that facility. Through
the pilot study, EPA will "beta test" the proposed updates to its
facility planning documents to improve resiliency for EPA facilities
and contribute to the climate adaptation knowledge base for the
federal community.
Medium/
2015
OA Incorporate Adaptation Into Water Conservation Planning
As part of its ongoing work to reduce water intensity across all of its
reporting facilities, EPA will revisit its existing Water Conservation
Strategy to ensure that water is being used as efficiently as possible
in its facilities, and that laboratories are prepared to respond in the
event of a drought or other water shortage or quality event.
Medium/
2015
OA Reduce Energy Reliance
EPA laboratories demand higher-than-average energy use to meet
the Agency's research requirements. Because severe weather events
and rising temperatures can impact the consistent delivery of power
from the nation's electrical grid, EPA will continue to reduce its
reliance on traditional energy sources through energy conservation
measures, fleet efficiency, and onsite renewable energy generation.
Medium/
Ongoing
OAM Prepare for Contract Continuity
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 18 addresses emergency
contracting policies at the federal regulatory level, and the Office of
Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Emergency Acquisitions Guide
provides supplemental guidelines, as does OARM's COOP.
Low/2015
OHR Educate Employees on the Impacts of Climate Change
Once the final Climate Adaptation Plan is published, OARM will
integrate with other Agency-wide adaptation efforts to increase
employee awareness of climate change effects that may affect their
ability to implement effective programs. OARM will work with the
EPA Office of Policy to provide the necessary data, information,
training, and tools to employees to ensure continuity of operations.
Low/2015
OHR Redirect Personnel as Needed
Following severe weather and other events, EPA response personnel
may need to be redirected to assist emergency management
personnel, assess environmental damage, and test sites for air
quality, water quality, and other environmental health concerns.
As needed
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Monitoring and Evaluation
OARM recognizes that evaluating progress on climate change adaptation and resiliency is
important. Much of the work described in this plan is evaluated annually as part of the SSPP,
OMB Scorecard, and federal agency environmental compliance process. In addition, EPA will
gather and review lessons learned over time as the Agency responds to severe weather events,
addresses changing priorities, and mainstreams climate adaptation planning into personnel,
facilities, and operations processes. We will use this information to continually improve our
climate change adaptation and resiliency planning and response actions.
Looking ahead, OARM could track progress on climate change adaptation by incorporating new
action items into future SSPP updates. As an existing, annually updated strategy that
encompasses both climate change mitigation activities and EPA's progress on specific Agency-
wide goals regarding facilities, personnel, and operations, the SSPP is the most appropriate way
to track actions taken to adapt to climate change effects such as severe weather events that
impact its facilities and operations and document EPA's efforts to build resiliency to such
impacts.
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Appendix: Potential Analysis Tools
Regional Climate Scenarios
In January 2013, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGRP) made available the first
standardized set of regional climate scenarios and global sea level rise scenarios that all federal
agencies can use in their adaptation planning efforts. The scenarios provide pictures of future
climate and sea level rise that EPA can use as it anticipates and prepares for climate change.
OARM and each Region could, depending on funding availability, evaluate the potential impacts
of climate change on their facilities, personnel, and operations using the Integrated Climate and
Land Use Scenarios (ICLUS) (http://www.epa.gov/ncea/global/iclus/) developed by EPA's Office
of Research and Development. These are nationwide housing-density scenarios consistent with
climate change storylines. Combined with the USGCRP's regional climate scenarios, ICLUS can
help answer the question, "What should we plan for?" They can help evaluate how interactions
between climate and land-use changes may affect air and water quality, human health, and
ecosystems.
EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool
Version 2.0 of EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (GREAT) is now available
for download at www.epa.gov/climatereadyutilities. The tool assists drinking water,
wastewater, and stormwater utilities in identifying climate change threats, assessing potential
consequences, and evaluating adaptation options.
Eight Regions Defined by the National Climate Assessment
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Office of International and Tribal Affairs
Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
Publication Number: EPA-100-K-14-001E
June 2014
This document has been prepared by the Office of International and Tribal Affairs, within the
Environmental Protection Agency, as part of an Agency-wide effort to address climate change.
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document,
nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed intention,
suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes,
the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion
in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it
is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan., each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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I. Background
Overview of OITA's Role
The role of the Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) is to advance EPA's international
environmental priorities and lead the Agency's Tribal Environmental Program tribal environmental
program. To achieve this, OITA employs a multi-disciplinary approach.
Internationally, OITA staff works at the national, regional and multilateral levels to identify risks to
human health and the environment and forge policy and programmatic responses. OITA works with
other federal agencies to develop negotiating positions and represent the foreign policy interests of the
United States.
OITA also leads EPA's efforts to protect human health and the environment of federally-recognized
tribes by supporting implementation of federal environmental laws consistent with the federal trust
responsibility, the government-to-government relationship, and EPA's 1984 Indian Policy.
While OITA is a small office, and thus limited in scope, it currently addresses climate change adaptation
in several program areas and will continue to consider the effects of climate change when developing
policies and implementing programs. OITA anticipates that requests for assistance to build climate
adaptive capacity will increase over time.
II. Vulnerability Assessment for OITA
Vulnerable Populations
Certain parts of the population, such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, minorities, the poor,
persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information,
and tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in
low-lying coastal areas. A key principle guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its
programs, policies and rules calls for adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places and
infrastructure most vulnerable to climate impacts, designed to be implemented with meaningful
involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will be
taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As this Plan is implemented, special consideration will
be given to communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
The Agency will work in partnership with these communities to increase their adaptive capacity and
resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts will be informed by experiences with previous
extreme weather events (e.g. Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and subsequent efforts.
In general, since OITA views its programmatic and mission related vulnerabilities as largely arising from
the potential climate vulnerabilities of partner organizations.
A. International - Addresses country, regional, and multilateral environmental engagements,
typically driven by formal international processes and partnerships.
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Approach
The international office engages international and regional organizations and governments in
order to further international environmental priorities. In the context of international
environmental policy development, reliable data, thorough analysis, and vetted approaches are
important foundational elements. These foundational elements can be used by stakeholders at
the local, national, and international levels to inform policy development. The development of
virtual networks allows this information and policy guidance to be shared among relevant
stakeholders, and facilitates recognition and sharing of best practices.
Examples of Potential Vulnerabilities
• Lack of basic data needed to make informed decisions about climate adaptation,
especially for urban settings that anticipate dramatic increases in population in the
coming decades.
• While the United States has an array of sophisticated analytical tools for assessing
climate vulnerability, many partner countries do not possess this capacity.
• The United States has identified the Arctic as a region where the effects of climate
change have been and will continue to be felt most acutely, with a high degree of
certainty.1
• Lack of effective networking and information sharing mechanisms in many partnering
developing countries to assess vulnerabilities, development effective action plans, and
implement these plans, especially in urban settings.
• Based on specific climactic circumstances in countries and regions, vulnerabilities such as
heat stress, sea level rise, droughts and floods are expected to have significant negative
impacts, particularly in partner developing countries in Africa and Asia3.
B. Tribal -The American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO)
Approach
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with tribes in planning and
decision-making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further
expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian
Reservations and the 2011 EPA Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes.
These policies recognize and support the sovereign decision-making authority of tribal
governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes
are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, due to the integral nature of the
environment within their traditional lifeways and culture. Due to shrinking federal budgets,
there is increased need to develop adaptation strategies that promote sustainability and reduce
the impact of climate change on tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's
Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues including
erosion, temperature change, drought, and changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes
recommended a number of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving
access to data; supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change;
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developing community-level education and awareness materials; and providing financial and
technical support. At the same time, tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change
activities with other federal agencies so that resources are better leveraged and administrative
burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal
governments on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their
adaptation-related priorities. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provided
by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a
valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate change and
has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt. Consistent with the principles
of the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning
and decision-making.
AIEO will work with both its internal and external parts to advocate for the priorities detailed
above.
Examples of Potential Vulnerabilities
• Among tribes, a lack of capacity among tribes to adapt to climate change.
• Limited access to data, training and resources to build adaptive capacity and monitor
progress and effectiveness.
• A lack of community-level education and awareness materials to improve the
understanding of climate change among tribal member and leaders.
• Limited financial and technical support to adapt to climate change.
• A lack of administrative capacity to understand and manage all of the information and
programs coming to tribal governments from a variety of U.S. Government Agencies.
• Additionally, tribes have repeatedly noted the lack of Traditional Ecological Knowledge
(TEK) used in EPA's decision-making and policymaking. One approach AIEO will support
is to incorporate TEK into its Agency environmental projects and work. TEK is a valuable
body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate change that
has been used by tribes as a valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings. As EPA
develops a greater understanding of TEK alongside our tribal partners, AIEO will support
the incorporation of TEK whenever possible.
III. Priority Actions Criteria
OITA is already addressing climate change adaptation in several international and tribal program areas
and will continue to pursue opportunities for integrating the effects of climate change into our existing
programs, including responding to climate change adaptation-related requests from our tribal partners -
as resources and skills permit - especially in border regions.
To prioritize climate change adaptation needs, OITA has developed criteria unique to its mission to
identify potential first steps. These criteria are based on a thorough examination of the potential
vulnerabilities that face OITA and its mission, in the wake of climate change impacts. The highest priority
will be given to those actions that meet several of the following criteria:
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• Does the action involve existing partners?
• Does OITA have the necessary resources to meaningfully and effectively help address its
partner vulnerabilities in some manner?
• Is this action required in order to enable other actions?
• Can the benefits of this action be measured or documented?
• How extreme is the vulnerability, as informed by relevant EPA, IPCC and USGCRP
assessment reports?
• Do the climate vulnerabilities affect U.S. border regions?
• Is OITA the most appropriate lead for the intended action within EPA?
When receiving a request for cooperation in the area of climate adaptation, OITA will consider EPA
experience and USG experience more broadly, and when appropriate, explore facilitating linkages with
other U.S. agencies and relevant NGOs for implementation support.
IV. Priority Actions
International Priority Actions
• Explore with existing partners, especially along our borders, information needs related
to climate literacy, climate vulnerability and climate adaptation options.
• Work with Durban Adaptation Charter cities and their international partners as a means
of responding to urban and local government information needs and the need to share
city and municipal government experiences, knowledge and best practices. Cities are
first responders to climate/weather disasters and are projected to house about 70% of
the world's population by 2050s.
• The International Office will work with the Arctic Council and the International Maritime
Organization to address the effects of climate change, including threats due to increased
economic activity and shipping in the Arctic.
• Work with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
member countries and the U.S. Agency for International Development on development
of information, planning and assessment tools and guidelines for assessing
vulnerabilities to climate change and sharing experiences and best practices.
• Work as a planning committee member on the annual Resilient Cities Congress, the
largest international gathering of urban adaptation experts, policymakers, and local
officials, for the purpose of exchanging experiences and knowledge.
• Play a lead role in the U.S. Government review of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) climate assessments, which provide analyses of critical data that
are made available to all countries.
• OITA seeks to help institute effective information sharing networks among international
organizations and governments, especially among urban centers.
Tribal Priority Actions
• Support the Tribal Science Council's efforts to educate EPA scientists on the use of
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in EPA's work. For example, AIEO supported a
8
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workshop in 2013 to train EPA staff on the value and applicability of TEK. TEK has been
underutilized at the Agency, and is an important source of local, baseline information
critical for deploying successful adaptation measures.
Promote the use of Tribal ecoAmbassador funding to support projects related to climate
change adaptation. This EPA program promotes collaborative research in partnership
with tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). Professors from TCUs receive funding and
technical support from EPA to solve the environmental problems most important to
their tribal communities, and are then asked to share their findings with a variety of EPA
and tribal audiences.
Under new guidance issued for the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP) in May
2013, tribes may use funding for climate change adaptation purposes. This has the
potential to have an immediate impact on the adaptability of tribal governments, as
every tribe is eligible to receive funding through the IGAP program. AIEO will work
through the grants staff at EPA Regional Offices to ensure that tribal partners are aware
of funding opportunities.
Establish relationships with a variety of potential tribal partners, including tribal
programs in other U.S. Government Agencies, climate-focused programs at Tribal
Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)
dedicated to the advancement of climate change adaptation for tribes.
Host periodic stakeholder meetings on environmental issues, including climate change
adaptation. These meetings will bring together a variety of tribal partners to both learn
what resources are provided by EPA related to climate change, and also give tribal
partners a chance to share their resources and experiences with EPA and other tribal
partners.
Update EPA's annual mandatory training, Working Effectively with Tribal Governments,
to include information on the vulnerability of tribes to climate change adaptation as
needed.
AIEO will work with the Tribal Program Managers and IGAP Project Officers in each of
the NPMs and Regional Offices to support any climate change adaptation efforts that
benefit tribes.
V. Metrics and Evaluation
OITA, on a five-year basis, will review emerging scientific understanding on climate impacts and
vulnerabilities, OITA programs and Agency practices, as well as its incorporation of traditional ecological
knowledge, in the interest of maintaining an effective adaptation implementation strategy.
The international side of the Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) established a Performance
Measurement Framework to measure and analyze the results achieved from OITA's engagement with
other countries and organizations to advance protection of human health and the domestic and global
environment. Until now, EPA's international programs have only been able to collect, analyze, and
report information about the results of its activities in a fragmented fashion. This framework has
enabled OITA to describe its contributions toward characterizing and addressing environmental risks,
improving environmental governance, and promoting environmental cooperation. As part of this
framework OITA identified 26 measures that could be used to track, and evaluate progress and
effectiveness in conducting our mission and achieving our goals.
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OITA will evaluate the performance and effectiveness of its adaptation implementation strategy using
measures such as the following:
• Number of partner engagements conducted
• EPA-based tools implemented by assisting organization
• Progress toward achieving identified policy goals
• Partnerships, alliances or networks established or enhanced
Additionally, with climate change adaptation now eligible as a use for Indian General Assistance Program
(IGAP) grant funds, AIEO will:
• Monitor how tribes apply for and use funding for climate change adaptation
• Build these experiences into the program where appropriate
• Use these real world examples to improve our technical and financial support for tribes
working to adapt to climate change
VI. Table of Examples of Potential Climate Vulnerabilities That May Affect
OITA Programmatic Activities
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Coastal flooding in
low-lying areas is
very likely to
become a greater
risk than at present
due to sea-level
rise and more
intense coastal
storms, unless
there is significant
adaptation
In new
industrialized areas
in Asia air quality
trends will likely
add to heat
stress and smog
Increase in annual
mean rainfall in
East Africa
Increase in runoff
(and possibly
floods) in East
Africa
Mean sea level rise
will contribute to
upward trends in
extreme coastal
high water levels
as well as coastal
erosion in the
future
Annually averaged
Arctic sea-ice
extent is projected
to show a
reduction of 22% -
33% by the end of
the century
Very likely
Likely
Likely
High
Confidence
Very likely
High
confidence
and environmental
agencies that share
expertise, technology,
lessons learned to
reduce environmental
and sustainability
impacts of marine
goods movement
East Africa -OITA is
working with water
utility companies in 10
East African countries,
to improve planning for
the delivery of water
and water services
Arctic - OITA and the
USG play a leading role
in Arctic Council
deliberations on toxics
and climate pollutants
OITA plays a lead role
as well in the Intl.
High
High
operation, as well as
access to goods and
shipping routes.
Additional
pollutant/greenhouse
gas emissions from
ports, ocean-going
vessels, and other
sources will continue
to impact air quality
and human health in
port cities and in
shipping lanes
Climate projections
for East Africa
suggest an annual
increase in rainfall
and runoff, and more
frequent extreme
precipitation events,
which could impact
water management
Sea level rise may
create issues with
salt water intrusion
into existing aquifers,
calling for different
approaches to water
resource planning
With increased
access and economic
activity in the Arctic,
additional pollutants
may exacerbate
climate impacts,
making emissions
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Over the next
century there will
be significant
melting of Arctic
glacial ice due to
warming resulting
in a substantial
contribution to sea
level rise
For Arctic human
communities, it is
virtually certain
that there will be
negative and
positive impacts on
infrastructure and
traditional
lifestyles
Very high
confidence
High
confidence
Maritime
Organization's (IMO)
development of
standards and
voluntary measures on
polar shipping and
pollution prevention
and mitigation. OITA
also contributes to USG
engagement in black
carbon assessment and
mitigation work
(AIEO) works with
federally-recognized
tribes on enforcement
of environmental laws
and standards
reductions more
difficult
Such trends will also
affect IMO
discussions on an
emerging Polar Code,
as sea level rises, sea
ice retreats, and
Arctic Ocean transit
increases
Projected climate
trends in the Arctic
will especially affect
native peoples and
AlEO's ability to
enforce standards
and laws in a rapidly
changing setting
Footnotes for Summary Table of Examples of Potential Climate Change Vulnerabilities
aThis table summarizes potential vulnerabilities according to the 5 goals or priorities in the EPA Strategic Plan.
b Climate change impacts/vulnerabilities are based upon the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 (see Ref. 3 below).
c Programmatic Impacts are based upon EPA best professional judgment at this time.
d Statements on impacts are based upon the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 (see Ref. 3 below).
e Expressions of confidence and likelihood cited in this table are adopted from the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 (see Ref. 3
below) as follows:
Very high confidence-At least 9 out of 10 chance of occurring
High confidence-About 8 out of 10 chance of occurring
Medium confidence-About 5 out of 10 chance of occurring
Low confidence-About 2 out of 10 chance of occurring
Very low confidence- Less than 1 out of 10 chance of occurring
Virtually Certain - >99% probability
Very likely - >90% probability
Likely - >66% probability
About as likely as not - 33-66% probability
Unlikely-0-33% probability
Very unlikely-0-10% probability
Exceptionally unlikely-0-1% probability
'Assessment of possible programmatic impact is based upon OITA's best professional judgment. High assumes that the program is very likely to be
impacted; Medium assumes that the program has a moderate chance of being affected; Low assumes that there is a slight chance that the program
will be impacted. This assessment is based on best professional judgment within OITA.
12
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1 U.S. Global Change Research Program, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, 2009.
3IPCC Contribution of Working Group II to the 4th Assessment Report, Summary for Policymakers, Cambridge Univ. Press, UK, 2007.
4 EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan, 2012.
5. World Bank, Cities and Climate Change: An Urgent Agenda, 2010.
VII. Conclusion
OITA is dedicated to advancing EPA's priorities of climate change adaptation and will work within its
authorities to achieve these goals with our international and tribal partners.
13
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Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)
June 2014
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory
authority, it does so for informational purposes only. This document does not
substitute for those statutes or regulations, and readers should consult the
statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document,
nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or
impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the
regulated community. Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or
recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA,
States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision
makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the
actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
-------
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying
and responding to the challenges that a changing climate poses to human
health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an
increasingly rapid rate, outside the range to which society has adapted in the
past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the EPA's ability to
fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue
fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The
Agency is therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate
to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and
the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan
to the public for review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed
scientific information and expert judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's
mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority
actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and
operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority
placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts
to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal
government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA
National Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several
National Support Offices developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation
Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in the
agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will
integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner
consistent and compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will
attain the 10 agency-wide priorities presented in the Climate Change
Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to build and
strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity
in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and
partners by increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may
affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them
with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate
adaptation into their work.
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Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial
assessment of the implications of climate change for the organization's goals
and objectives. These "program vulnerability assessments" are living
documents that will be updated as needed to account for new knowledge,
data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will
take to begin addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate
change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the selection of priorities are
discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people
and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the
tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal
governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by
experience as they mainstream climate adaptation planning into their
activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to understand
how well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each
Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make
adjustments where necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and
commitment to help build the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to
the goal of protecting human health and the environment. Working with its
partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that
is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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Draft: Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)
June 4, 2013
Background
On October 5, 2009, the President signed Executive Order (EO) 13514 on
Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance1.
The EO established the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
and tasked it with delivering a report within a year with recommendations on
policies and practices that Federal agencies can adopt that are compatible
with and reinforce a national climate change adaptation strategy. The Task
Force, co-chaired by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) delivered the report to the President
on October 5, 20102. One of its recommendations calls for all Agencies to
develop a climate change adaptation plan. On March 4, 2011, the CEQ
issued guidance for Federal agencies to implement climate change
adaptation planning in accordance with EO 13514. That guidance sets a
target for each agency to develop a policy statement and an adaptation plan.
On June 2, 2011, the EPA Administrator issued a policy statement on climate
change adaptation3. The statement commits the Agency to develop an EPA
Climate Change Adaptation Plan to integrate climate adaptation into the
Agency's programs, policies, rules, and operations. The statement also
directs all EPA program and regional offices to develop plans for
implementing the Agency-wide Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The Agency
1 EO 13514, October 5, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/sustainability
2 White House Council on Environmental Quality, Progress Report on the Interagency
Climate Change Adaptation Task Force: Recommended Actions in Support of a National
Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (Washington, DC, October 5, 2010).
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ceq/Interagency-Climate-Change-
Adaptation-Progress-Report.pdf
3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation,
June 2, 2011. http://epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-
statement.pdf.
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provided its draft plan it to OMB and CEQ during the summer of 2012. The
draft plan was publicly released on February 7, 20134.
Each program and regional office was asked to develop an implementation
plan, contributing to the Agency's adaptation plan that addresses certain key
elements in its implementation plans. The elements considered include:
programmatic vulnerabilities, priority actions, role in the Agency's strategic
measures, legal/enforcement, training/outreach, partnerships with tribes,
impacts on vulnerable populations/locations, and evaluation to inform the
organization's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its activities.
Overview of OCSPP's Role in Implementing Agency Strategic Goals
Goal 4 of EPA's Strategic Plan is "Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and
Preventing Pollution". OCSPP has the primary responsibility in its day-to-day
decisions to ensure the safety of chemicals. OCSPP also is responsible for
managing the Agency's pollution prevention programs that are designed to
prevent pollution at the source, promote the use of greener substances, and
conserve natural resources.
Chemicals used to make our products, build our homes, protect property and
crops, and support our way of life can end up in the environment and some
may accumulate in our bodies. A changing climate can affect exposures to a
wide range of chemicals. EPA's efforts to assess chemical safety, and to
implement chemical management decisions and pollution prevention
programs to minimize exposures could be impacted by changing
environmental conditions related to extreme weather events (e.g.,
increasing run off can increase pollution in nearby streams) or changing
chemical use patterns (e.g., changing pest pressure can affect the use of
agricultural chemicals).
The regulatory framework that OCSPP uses to ensure chemical safety differs
for pesticides and other industrial chemicals in commerce. Pesticides are
regulated under the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA) and under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which
4 EPA's Draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, February 7, 2013.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA-climate-change-adaptation-plan-final-for-
public-comment-2-7-13.pdfhttp://epa.gov
~ 6 ~
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are managed by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) within OCSPP. Other
industrial chemicals in commerce are regulated under the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA), which is managed by the Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics (OPPT) within OCSPP. OPPT also administers the Pollution
Prevention Act through a series of programs that identify and leverage
opportunities to prevent pollution.
Vulnerability Assessment
The effects on the environment resulting from climate change pose new
challenges to EPA as it strives to fulfill its mission of protecting human health
and the environment. Challenges resulting from a changing environment due
to climate change that may inhibit the Agency's ability to fulfill its mission
are referred to as vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities can be a physical change in
the environment causing increased exposure to chemicals or that may relate
to programmatic processes or tools that may need to be adapted as a result
of a changing environment. This section discusses potential vulnerabilities to
the Agency's mission of ensuring chemical safety and preventing pollution.
Overall, it is not likely the vulnerabilities discussed below will impede
OCSPP's ability to carry out its core mission of ensuring chemical safety and
preventing pollution because many of its programmatic processes can be
readily adapted to address changing environmental conditions, including
those resulting from climate change.
Changes in chemical exposure can result from the effects on the
environment caused by a changing climate. For example, a changing climate
can alter pest pressure or the location where crops are grown, which in turn
may affect the rate, timing and/or frequency of chemical use. Changing
environmental conditions may result in the introduction of new disease
vectors or invasive species that could increase the demand for evaluating
and making decisions regarding the safety of new chemicals or new uses of
existing products to address public health threats.
To make decisions on the safety of chemicals, EPA relies on the best
available science and assessment tools and when quality monitoring data are
unavailable, it relies on models to estimate exposures to chemicals. The
primary vulnerability OCSPP identified for its chemicals management
programs is to ensure that the tools and methodologies it uses remain
robust so that they reasonably reflect environmental changes, including
those influenced by climate change.
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OCSPP is examining the ways in which its models and tools may need
updating to account for changing environmental conditions and the potential
effects of climate change. OCSPP has begun to review the potential
implications of climate change for its current approaches to evaluating
pesticide/industrial chemicals exposures to the environment and people
including children, agricultural workers, and other groups who may be
disproportionally exposed or affected.
The role of OPP is to make pesticide licensing and re-licensing decisions and
conduct additional program activities to ensure that pesticides are used in a
manner that is protective of human health and the environment. OPPT
assesses the potential safety of new and existing industrial chemicals in
commerce on human health and the environment using the same or similar
models and tools as used to evaluate pesticide exposures. The
methodologies and tools used to assess pesticide risks have been peer
reviewed and are the state of the art used throughout the world. To ensure
that the underlying science is sound in light of climate change, OCSPP is
evaluating its assessment tools to ensure that they address changes in
important environmental factors resulting from climate change.
To assist with the evaluation of potential programmatic vulnerabilities, OPP
consulted with the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP)5 to seek advice on
areas within pesticide assessment processes that may be vulnerable to
changing climatic conditions. OPP asked the SAP to provide guidance on its
model review and preliminary conclusions, and on sources of information
that may help fill knowledge gaps. The SAP concluded that climate change
would likely impact pest pressure, how and where pesticides are used, and
the quantity of pesticides used. The SAP agreed with OPP's preliminary
conclusion that since EPA reviews pesticide registrations at least every 15
years using assessment methodologies that are conservative and protective
of human health and the environment, it is expected that the assessments,
and decisions based on them, will remain protective.
One area of vulnerability identified by the SAP was the use of increasingly
dated weather datasets in some models that estimate pesticide exposure.
The SAP noted that the historical weather datasets might not fully reflect
5 The SAP is a Federal Advisory Committee established under the law to
provide advice on pesticide-related science issues.
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recent changes in climate and current weather trends. OPPT has similar
concerns, especially in the assessment of chemicals that have the potential
for large releases to air and resulting exposures to the environment and
people, including children. Some of EPA's exposure models that contain
climate-related variables may need updating as weather patterns,
temperatures, stream flow rates, air currents, precipitation rates, and other
climate variables continue to change. With input from the SAP, OCSPP has
begun to update its assessment approaches with the inclusion of current
weather data to ensure that its assessments reflect current environmental
conditions that could include factors affected by climate change. In the
course of keeping its modeling capabilities current, as other information and
resources become available, OCSPP may need to consider incorporating
different assumptions or default environmental variables for physical-
chemical properties that may vary with a changing climate and
environmental conditions (pH, temperature, or flow rates).
Extreme weather events and impacts to energy production and use are
important considerations in OCSPP's Pollution Prevention Program. Limited
availability of water and other natural resources are changing the way
manufacturers produce products, driving them to look for new ways to
reduce and reuse water and materials. Increased demands on energy are
pushing businesses to streamline production processes and minimize waste.
The Pollution Prevention program did not identify additional vulnerabilities to
its programmatic capabilities that could result from changing climatic
conditions. The program's focus on water and energy conservation supports
approaches and practices that businesses, communities, and state and local
governments will need to employ in order to respond to climate change.
Recognizing the critical role pollution prevention can play is an important
environmental consideration within the context of climate change
adaptation. The Pollution Prevention program did not identify specific
vulnerabilities to its programmatic capabilities that could result from
changing climatic conditions although they may present new challenges.
There may be other changes in environmental conditions that could impact
chemical safety for which the Agency may need to consider. Rising sea levels
and more frequent extreme weather events increase the vulnerability to
flooding and destruction of structures in low lying areas. Chemical storage
facilities may be located in low lying areas and could be at risk of increasing
potential for chemical releases into the environment as a result of major
weather events. Many farms are along major rivers, and storage facilities
and businesses supplying pesticides can be in close proximity to the field
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where pesticides are used. Similarly, industrial chemicals could be stored in
low lying areas near ports along the seaboard, rivers, and other waterways.
The Agency is not certain of the significance of this vulnerability; however,
further study to determine the location of chemical facilities that may be at
risk may be warranted.
10
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Summary of Program Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts on Chemical Safety
Climate Change Impact
Likelihood of
Impact
Focus of Associated EPA
Program
• Increasing extreme
temperatures
• Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Very likely • Protecting human health and
ecosystems from chemical
Likely • risks.
• Reduces pollution at sources
Likelihood EPA
Program will
be Affected by
Impact
• Low
• Low
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Assure that chemical exposure models continue to be protective
in light of changes in the environment
• Changing in planting timing or location may affect the volume and
timing of agricultural chemical use which could impact the
appropriate risk management decisions.
• Changing pest pressure in agriculture and public health may place
additional demands on the new registration, special local need
and emergency exemption processes.
• Chemical storage facilities may be located in low lying areas that
may be increasing at risk due to sea level increases or an increase
in severe weather events.
• Disruptions in energy or water supplies may increase demand for
pollution prevention resources.
11
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Priority Actions on Climate Change Adaptation
To determine which potential programmatic vulnerabilities may warrant
closer attention, OCSPP considered a number of criteria. Factors considered
included the ability to quickly mainstream climate change adaptation into
core processes, the likelihood for affecting core program goals, the scale of
the potential impact, the timing of the impact, and the severity of the
impact. Vulnerabilities that can readily be incorporated into core processes
generally are addressed in OCSPP current approaches. These actions involve
little additional cost to the program. Some actions are currently underway,
while others may be addressed without additional resources.
OCSPP is positioned to address the effects of climate change and changing
environmental conditions on chemical safety and pollution prevention. The
principal challenge to the program is to ensure that the tools and models it
uses adequately reflect the changes in the environment that may affect
human health and the environment.
This section discusses climate change adaptation-related activities and
processes that OCSPP can readily mainstream into its programs so that it
continues to meet its protection goals.
Public Health Pesticide Registration
• The spread or introduction of certain public health pests can be
attributed, in part, to climate change. OPP has and will continue to
work aggressively with companies and researchers to identify safe pest
control products and strategies to minimize adverse effects on public
health.
Tools and Models
• Volatilization - In the past, the FIFRA SAP raised concerns that OPP's
current risk assessment approach does not consider off-site movement
due to volatilization of pesticides. OPP now includes the potential for
volatilization in its screening level assessments and will keep climate
change in mind as it considers how to incorporate volatilization into its
more refined assessments.
• Developing a spatial component to PRZM/EXAMS - The Pesticide Root
Zone Model (PRZM) simulates chemical movement in unsaturated soil
systems within and immediately below the plant root zone. PRZM is
1 9
-L L*
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often linked with the Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS),
which simulates the processes that occur in a water body situated next
to an agricultural field. The FIFRA SAP suggested that OPP consider the
geographic changes in pesticide use that will likely occur as a result of
climate change. OPP is currently developing a spatial component to
PRZM/EXAMS that it expects to complete by 2014. This model
development effort is expected to more fully account for regional
differences in cropping, pesticide use, and environmental conditions.
These changes will help ensure that pesticide environmental
assessment methodology is resilient to changes in real-world
conditions, including those caused by climate change.
• In the normal course of updating models and tools, OCSPP will
consider new pathways and changes in chemical behavior resulting
from a changing climate.
• OPPT also has developed a geospatial component for its web-based
IGEMS (Internet Geographical Exposure Modeling System) model to
advance its higher tier exposure modeling capability to assess
exposure to chemicals, calculating environmental concentrations in air,
soil, water, and ground water. As resources are available, OCSPP
could consider updating modeling capabilities to address changing
assumptions or default variables for other physical-chemical properties
that may vary with changing environmental conditions (pH,
temperature, or flow rates).
Pollution Prevention
• OPPT's Economy, Energy, Environment (E3) framework helps
manufacturers reduce energy usage and conserve natural resources.
Helping businesses to employ energy conservation techniques and
discover new ways to reduce and reuse water and materials better
positions them to respond to resource challenges that may result from
climate change.
Specific information and data that would support OCSPP's mainstreaming
efforts include:
• Acquiring current weather data to incorporate into risk assessment
tools. This effort is underway.
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Acquiring, as the budget allows, up-to-date chemical use information.
Acquiring information to improve our understanding of the location of
existing facilities and the effect extreme weather events might have on
facilities in low lying areas. Acquiring such information would be a part
of an Agency-wide mapping effort lead by the Office of Research and
Development.
Agency-wide Strategic Measures on Climate Change Adaptation
The Agency's Strategic Plan 2011-2015 includes a strategic goal to
mainstream climate change adaptation into its programs. One specific
mechanism for achieving the mainstreaming goal is through the
development of scientifically sound decision tools. The primary mechanism
by which the OCSPP will contribute to this goal is by ensuring that the tools
used to assess chemical risks continue to provide robust estimates of
potential risks in light of changing environmental conditions that may result
from climate change.
Legal and Enforcement Issues
OCSPP believes that any changes in the conditions for regulating, approving,
licensing or regulating chemicals can be accomplished in the current
regulatory or enforcement structure.
Training and Outreach
Existing training and outreach programs within OCSPP can be used to
communicate with, and educate the public about, any changes in the
permitted use of chemicals that may result from changing environmental
conditions. Internally, OCSPP will, as appropriate, encourage staff to
participate in training developed across the Agency regarding mainstreaming
of climate change adaptation into its programmatic work.
Partnerships with States and Tribes
14
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OCSPP currently has existing mechanisms and strong partnerships with
states and tribes which can be utilized to seek input and communicate
programmatic activities related to climate change adaptation.
Vulnerable Populations and Places
Currently, OCSPP's assessment and decision making approaches take into
consideration the identification of populations that may be disproportionately
affected by chemical exposures. One area that may warrant further cross-
agency discussion and investigation is the impact of the potential exposures
to communities near chemical storage facilities in the event of a significant
weather event.
Evaluation and Cross-Office Pilot Projects
Currently, OCSPP's key chemical assessment tools and science policies are
peer reviewed by the FIFRA SAP for pesticides and by the Agency's Science
Advisory Board (SAB) for other industrial chemicals. OCSPP would use
independent peer review of any significant changes to assessment tools or
models.
15
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Prepared by the OKD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Team
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so
for informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or
regulations, and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they
require. Neither this document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot
change or impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated
community. Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose
any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community.
Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the
actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources
and is subject to change.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside
the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges
to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue
fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore
anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission
of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also
presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and
operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's
plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity
in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing
their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective
programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate
climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will
regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Contents
ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Team
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
The EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan 1
ORD's Mission and Adapting to Climate Change 3
Relationship of climate adaptation to ORD's Research Programs 4
Components of the Implementation Plan 4
Chapter 2. Assessment of ORD Vulnerabilities and Challenges to Climate Change 5
Operational Vulnerabilities 5
Scientific Challenges 6
Understand partner needs and regional differences 6
Incorporate climate science, strengthen climate adaptation science, and develop cross-Agency
research priorities 9
Improve flexibility to address emerging and unexpected problems 9
Communicate climate, adaptation, and mitigation science 9
Chapter 3. ORD's Priority Actions for Climate Adaptation 10
Identify vulnerable research resources and develop response plans 10
Develop an approach to identify Agency-wide research priorities 10
Work with EPA partners to develop effective venues to communicate advances in climate impact
and adaptation research 10
Design extramural research efforts that appropriately incorporate climate change adaptation
questions and measures 11
Chapter 4. Measuring and Evaluating Performance 12
Agency science priorities 12
Incorporating climate adaptation into extramural research 12
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Team
C. Andrew Miller (Lead; Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program)
Peter Beedlow (National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory)
Tim Benner (Office of Science Policy)
John Dawson (National Center for Environmental Research)
Andrew Gillespie (National Exposure Research Laboratory)
James Goodrich (National Risk Management Research Laboratory)
Anne Grambsch (National Center for Environmental Assessment)
Alan Lindquist (National Homeland Security Research Center)
Jennifer Scola (Office of Administrative and Research Support)
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Chapter 1. Introduction
As the climate changes, it affects the ability of EPA to achieve its basic mission to protect human health
and the environment. Many of the outcomes EPA is working to attain (e.g., clean air, safe drinking
water) are sensitive to changes in weather and climate. Until recently, EPA has been able to assume that
climate is relatively stable and future climate will mirror past climate. However, with climate changing
more rapidly than society has experienced in the past, the past is no longer a good predictor of the
future. Climate change is posing new challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission.
To address these challenges, EPA developed its first Agency-wide plan for adapting to the changing
climate in 2012. EPA was one of over 60 federal agencies that were required to develop climate
adaptation plans under Executive Order 13514, signed by President Barack Obama in 2009.That order
required each federal agency to "evaluate agency climate-change risks and vulnerabilities to manage the
effects of climate change on the agency's operations and mission in both the short and long term...."1
On June 2, 2011, Administrator Lisa Jackson issued the "EPA Policy Statement on Climate-Change
Adaptation." The Policy Statement recognizes that climate change can pose significant challenges to
EPA's ability to fulfill its mission and calls for the Agency to anticipate and plan for future changes in
climate and incorporate considerations of climate change into its activities. The first action called out in
the Policy Statement is to "Develop and publish the EPA Climate-Change Adaptation Plan," which was
completed and submitted to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in late June 2012.
The EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan
The EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan is the first step in meeting the requirements of Executive
Order 13514 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance) to implement
climate change adaptation planning across the Agency. The Plan was developed by a cross-Agency
working group led by the Office of Policy and including each national program and regional office, and it
represents a true EPA-wide perspective on climate change adaptation, Agency vulnerabilities to climate
change, and priority actions needed to ensure that EPA and its partners at the tribal, state, and local
levels are able to fulfill EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment even as we face the
impacts of a changing climate.
The EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan calls for each office to develop an office-specific plan for
implementing the priority actions as appropriate for that office. These implementation plans have been
developed in coordination across EPA to enable adequate flexibility to address the challenges and
situations faced by each office without losing the strength of collaboration to address common
vulnerabilities.
The Adaptation Plan outlines the known vulnerabilities of EPA carrying out its mission due to climate
change, identifies approaches to "mainstreaming" climate change adaptation in EPA through a series of
ten priority actions (see text box), and describes measures to evaluate performance.
1 Executive Order 13514, "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance," October 5,
2009.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
June 2014
Agency-wide Climate Change Adaptation Priorities
1. Fulfill Strategic Measures in FY 2011-2015 EPA
Strategic Plan
Protect Agency facilities and operations
Factor legal considerations into adaptation efforts
Strengthen adaptive capacity of EPA staff and
partners through training
Develop decision-support tools that enable EPA staff
and partners to integrate climate adaptation planning
into their work
Identify cross-EPA science needs related to climate
adaptation
Partner with tribes to increase adaptive capacity
8. Focus on most vulnerable people and places
9. Measure and evaluate performance
10. Develop program and regional office Implementation
Plans
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Among the Agency priorities for
implementing measures to adapt to
climate change is partnering with
tribes. EPA works with federally
recognized tribes on a government-
to-government basis to protect the
land, air, and water in Indian
country.
Supporting the development of
adaptive capacity among tribes is a
priority for the EPA. Tribes are
particularly vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change due to
the integral nature of the
environment within their traditional
life ways and culture. There is a
strong need to develop adaptation
strategies that promote
sustainability and reduce the impact
of climate change on tribes and tribal lands.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes recommended a number
of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information;
supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level
education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time,
tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribes on an ongoing
basis to understand, increase, and address their adaptive capacity and adaptation-related priorities.
These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provided by our tribal partners and Traditional
Ecological Knowledge (TEK). TEK can be a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and
future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes to adapt to changing surroundings.
Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is viewed as a complementary resource that
can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues,
including the National Tribal Caucus of EPA's National Tribal Operations Committee, Regional Tribal
Operations Committees, and EPA-tribal partnership groups. EPA can also use funding through the Indian
General Assistance Program (IGAP) to support climate change capacity-building efforts. Additionally,
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
efforts will be made to coordinate with other regional and program offices in EPA, since climate change
has many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries. Transparency and information sharing
will be a focus, in order to leverage activities already taking place within EPA offices and tribal
governments.
An additional priority for all regional and program offices is the need to focus on vulnerable populations
and locations. Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons
with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information, and tribal
and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Also, certain
geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in low-lying
coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its
programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places and
infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts and to be designed and implemented with
meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will be
taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is conducted, the
communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change will be
identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these communities to increase their adaptive
capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts will be informed by experiences with
previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and Superstore Sandy) and the subsequent
recovery efforts.
The Adaptation Plan also includes a list of comment areas of focus for the office-specific implementation
plans, which will be addressed in the text below. The EPA Adaptation Plan sets the stage for the
implementation plans for each office, including ORD.
ORD's Mission and Adapting to Climate Change
ORD's mission is to provide the solid underpinning of science and technology for the Agency. ORD has
been involved in climate change research for over 20 years, with a strong focus on conducting research
to inform the Agency regarding the impacts of climate change on air quality, water quality, and human
and ecosystem health. These efforts, at their core, have been designed to inform EPA's program and
regional offices as they set and implement policies that will remain effective in a changing climate.
The pace and scale at which climate impacts are occurring create a challenge for ORD by increasing the
rate at which new issues arise and new scientific and technical information is needed by the Agency.
The impacts of climate change are now illustrating the need to address impacts that the Agency is likely
to face in the future, while maintaining flexibility to respond to issues that may arise as climate change
impacts occur in unexpected ways.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Relationship of climate adaptation to ORD's Research Programs
ORD's research must be conducted in the context of a changing climate. Such changes will occur across
all of ORD's research programs as we learn more about environmental conditions and as we respond to
EPA programs and regions and their needs to address those changing conditions.
The recent restructuring of ORD's research programs places ORD in a good position to effectively adapt
to climate change and maintain our ability to provide the scientific and technical information needed by
our program and regional office partners. The expanded and on-going interactions with our EPA
partners form a good foundation for understanding their concerns regarding climate adaptation and
enable us to communicate new research needs as they develop. The current program structure also
provides a strong means for developing research that cuts across the ORD research programs to bring to
bear the right mix of expertise needed to address issues identified by our partners.
Components of the Implementation Plan
This implementation plan has three main components: (1) an assessment of ORD's vulnerabilities to
climate change impacts; (2) priority actions for ORD to take to adapt to climate change and reduce its
vulnerabilities; and (3) a discussion of performance measures to be developed to evaluate progress
toward meeting key goals.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
June 2014
Chapter 2. Assessment of ORD Vulnerabilities and Challenges to Climate
Change
In the context of the EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan, ORD seeks to understand the climate-related
vulnerabilities and challenges to providing needed scientific and technical support to EPA's program and
regional offices, and how to adapt to those vulnerabilities and challenges. EPA's program and regional
offices have developed initial vulnerability assessments of their programs to climate change, which will
inform ORD's vulnerabilities. ORD's vulnerabilities refer to the degree to which ORD's capacity to carry
out its mission is susceptible to the impacts of climate change, including climate variability and
extremes. These could include damage or limited access to facilities, worker safety or security, or lack of
fundamental resources such as water or energy. To effectively
support the EPA programs and regions, climate change
presents ORD with numerous challenges that do not pose
physical, climate-related constraints on our ability to conduct
and deliver research, but could require changes in our
research portfolio to address climate change impacts,
compared to what we would have done in the absence of
those impacts. ORD's challenge is to be flexible and
responsive to the changing science needs of our EPA partners
as they work to maintain and improve environmental
protection in the face of a changing climate.
Vulnerabilities refer to the degree to
which ORD's capacity to carry out its
mission is susceptible to the impacts
of climate change, including climate
variability and extremes.
Challenges do not pose physical,
climate-related constraints on our
ability to conduct and deliver
research, but could require changes
in our research portfolio to address
climate change impacts.
Operational Vulnerabilities
OARM has primary responsibility for operation and maintenance of the research facilities used by ORD,
including addressing the vulnerability of these facilities to the impacts of climate change. The key
operational vulnerabilities are listed in Table 1 below (with OARM's assessment of the level of
vulnerability). Given ORD's knowledge of these facilities, ORD staff will work collaboratively with OARM
to identify potential problems and develop proactive adaptation measures for facilities and those who
use them. Even though OARM has primary responsibility for facility protection and response, ORD will
carry significant responsibility for unique research equipment, continuity of experiments, archived
samples, and historical data within those facilities which may be vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Coordination between on-site ORD staff and OARM will substantially improve the evaluation of
vulnerabilities, particularly climate-related environmental changes such as temperature and extreme
precipitation events, and the possible approaches to mitigate them.
ORD will also have responsibility for those systems that may be vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change, such as field sampling systems, that do not fall under the heading of "facility." Such systems
may be vulnerable to temperature or precipitation extremes or other climate-associated impacts.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
June 2014
Table 1. Key operational vulnerabilities posed by climate change
Area of Vulnerability
Energy Security
Water Quality and Supply
Severe Weather or Flooding Damage
Safety of Field Workers
Security Operations, Emergency Communications
Personal Property
Real Property
Shift in Emergency Response Personnel
Continuity of Operations Plan (includes training of
essential personnel)
OARM Estimated Level of Vulnerability
High
High
Medium (Will vary with location. Gulf Breeze,
Edison, and Narragansett are likely to face higher
levels of vulnerability to severe weather and
flooding than other ORD locations.)
Medium
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Low
Scientific Challenges
Understand partner needs and regional differences
The scientific challenges, to a large degree, have been well communicated to ORD, partly as a
consequence of the increasing interactions with EPA program and regional offices during the
development of ORD's program-focused research portfolios. A primary focus of the consolidation of
ORD's research into six national research programs has been to expand the opportunities for program
and regional offices to identify their needs for scientific and technical information and support, which is
then incorporated into the development of ORD's research agenda. Such interactions are not new in the
area of climate change and adaptation - discussions to identify partner office needs related to climate
adaptation have long been a core component of ORD's Global Change Research Program (now part of
the Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program) and the Water Quality and Drinking Water research
programs (now incorporated into the Safe and Sustainable Water Research Program).
The climate adaptation research needs identified in past and current discussions are consistent with the
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission identified by EPA's program and regional offices in the development of
their Adaptation Implementation Plans. The on-going interactions between ORD and the program and
regional offices have provided ORD with a head start toward meeting the scientific challenges posed by
our partners' programmatic vulnerabilities. Examples of research results that address vulnerabilities to
climate change include the assessment of air quality impacts associated with climate change2 and
development and release of scenarios for land use change under different possible future conditions,
including climate change.3
Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change
Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-07/094F,
2009.
3ICLUS Tools and Datasets. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-09/143F, 2010.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
June 2014
The key programmatic vulnerabilities identified by the program and regional offices are listed below in
Table 2, with the understanding that this list will very likely change as EPA's adaptation planning efforts
progress and our understanding of the science of climate change and its impacts expands.
Given the dynamic nature of the scientific needs across the Agency, one of ORD's challenges will be to
develop the flexibility to respond quickly to emerging adaptation issues that may not now be seen as
priorities.
Table 2. Key programmatic vulnerabilities identified by program and regional offices, with ORD
capacity to provide relevant information related to those vulnerabilities. The order of
the list does not necessarily reflect the program or regional office priority.
Programmatic adaptation vulnerabilities that may pose scientific
challenges
Tropospheric ozone (OAR Tier lc)
Particulate matter (OAR Tier II)
Indoor air quality (OAR Tier 1)
Biogeochemical Cycling (Tier III)
Impact of more intense extreme weather events on OAR disaster
response planning (potential)
Environmental justice implications (potential)
Stratospheric Ozone (Tier II)
Effect on energy efficiency programs of climate-driven changes in
energy demand and supply (potential)
Changes in chemical use patterns (fracking, oil spill dispersants,
water purification and desalinization, wastewater treatment or
antimicrobial and disease prevention)
Changing weather trends (including weather extremes) in pesticide
exposure models and tools
Increased demand for climate adaptation information applicable to
developing countries that are at greatest risk for climate-related
disasters; technical support is likely to be needed for both rural
areas and urban centers
Programmatic adaptation vulnerabilities that may pose scientific
challenges
Increased vulnerability to diseases (waste disposal, clean water,
changing disease geographies)
Invasive species and ocean acidification
International risk assessment, including SLR, weather extremes,
cookstoves, glaciers and snow cover, clean water supply
Arctic Council participation
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)
Primary
Office3
OAR
OCSPP
OITA
Primary
Office3
OITA
Current ORD
capacity13
High
High
Medium
Medium
(nutrients),
Low (carbon
and water)
Medium
Medium
Low
Low
High
Low
High
Current ORD
capacity13
High
Medium
Medium
Medium
Low
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
June 2014
Impacts to cultural resources, including traditional food resources
(fishing, hunting)
Arctic impacts (loss of sea ice and potential village abandonment,
mobilization of POPs)
Low
Low
Transport of hazardous substances due to flooding from more
intense and frequent storm events
Changes in groundwater processes and impact to hydrogeological
remediation
Change in liner permeability due to saltwater intrusion and
increased groundwater salinity in coastal aquifers
Temperature-driven changes in contaminant volatility
Impacts to phytoremediation and ecological revitalization due to
changes in plant growth
Inundation and vulnerability to storm surge
Potential need for increased emergency preparedness due to
impacts from severe weather events
Drying of the landscape
Contamination risk due to melting of permafrost
OSWER
High
High
High
High
Medium
Medium
Medium
Low
Low
Air and water temperature increases
Storm intensity (impacts to stormwater infrastructure)
Rainfall/snowfall levels and distribution
Sea level rise
Changes in energy generation
Coastal/ocean characteristics
OW
High
High
Medium
Medium
Medium
Low
a. Regional offices are not listed separately. The issues identified by the program offices are repeated in regional
office vulnerability assessments as appropriate to regional needs.
b. ORD Capacity refers to the internal expertise and facilities available to ORD to conduct research in the specific
area.
c. OAR described vulnerabilities in terms of tiers according to their estimate of scientific understanding. Tier I:
impact is well established in the literature and has clear implications for the Program's success; Tier II: impacts
are being or have been explored by the research community, but significant uncertainties remain; Tier III: the
literature is evolving and program implications are uncertain
Although the purpose of this plan is to ensure that EPA is able to carry out its mission as the climate
changes, the broader and longer-term need is to ensure that the nation is able to adapt to the impacts
of climate change. While this broader scope is closely related to the vulnerabilities identified by EPA's
program and regional offices, ORD must also remain cognizant of the adaptation needs of various
external partners in local, state, and tribal governments; other federal agencies; international
institutions; industries; the research community; and, the public at large. Many of the issues identified in
this section are applicable to this broader set of partners and will require their active participation. This
broader scope will also require incorporation of research results developed by other science partners in
the US Global Change Research Program, the academic community, industry, and research carried out at
the tribal, state, and local levels.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Incorporate climate science, strengthen climate adaptation science, and develop cross-Agency
research priorities
The issues listed above highlight the need to continue to develop the scientific and technical information
to support adaptation. This will require an on-going effort to incorporate the latest understanding of
climate science into the development of ORD's research planning to ensure that the adaptation research
efforts are focused on understanding how to adapt to conditions that are likely to be experienced in the
future. It will also require that ORD conduct research, incorporate the results of others, and work with
others to identify the issues that are likely to pose the most serious threats to human health and the
environment and to the Agency's ability to continue to protect them. This will require that ORD work
with EPA program and regional offices to identify Agency-wide research priorities, as opposed to a set of
office-specific priorities. The existing ORD programmatic structure and the EPA Adaptation Working
Group provide the means through which such priorities can be developed. Even so, further discussions
will be needed to clearly define the approach needed to identify priorities that cut across partner and
ORD program boundaries.
Improve flexibility to address emerging and unexpected problems
There are likely to be issues related to climate impacts and adaptation that arise more rapidly than the
normal planning cycle, and which may require relatively rapid response from ORD. Where the
magnitude of such issues is significant enough, it may be necessary to divert resources (whether staff or
funds) to address the emerging or unexpected problem. More generally, however, ORD will need to
continue its close interactions with program and regional partners to ensure close communication is
maintained so that such issues are quickly identified in the context of the Agency's needs. In addition,
ORD will need to continue to provide expert perspectives on emerging issues. This requires that ORD
continue development of the staff's scientific and technical capabilities across a broad spectrum of
climate-related topics.
Communicate climate, adaptation, and mitigation science
One need that has been identified by program and regional office partners is to develop the ability to
communicate current, relevant scientific information about climate change across EPA. For example,
given the rapidly growing volume of research on climate change, its impacts, and responses, one of
ORD's challenges related to climate adaptation will be to effectively identify and communicate key
scientific results that impact EPA's ability to effectively adapt to climate change and support climate
change adaptation across the country. The critical need for such information has been identified as a
priority by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. This interagency group is in the process of
developing a Global Change Information System (GCIS), which is intended to provide a single source of
up-to-date information on science and technology related to climate change, climate impacts and
adaptation, and mitigation.
Even with the development and deployment of the GCIS, communications across all EPA offices on
climate science issues needs to be enhanced to ensure quick and effective sharing of key information,
identification of science needs, and understanding of stakeholder perspectives and needs. To the extent
that new databases or information systems are needed, ORD will need to remain closely involved in how
such approaches are developed and implemented.
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Chapter 3. ORD's Priority Actions for Climate Adaptation
ORD's priority actions are derived from the vulnerabilities and challenges discussed in the previous
section and, to a significant extent, from the Agency-level adaptation priorities presented above. ORD
has already made considerable progress toward meeting many of the key adaptation priorities identified
in EPA's 2012 Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Although many of these priorities have been an integral
part of our research planning, conduct, and communication for the past several years, there are still
opportunities for developing a more explicit and robust response to the impacts of climate change, as
outlined in the priority actions below.
Identify vulnerable research resources and develop response plans
ORD makes use of various research resources to accomplish its mission, e.g. laboratories, pilot-scale
equipment, measurement instruments, and animal care facilities. The first priority action is to assess the
potential vulnerabilities of ORD research systems to the impacts of climate change and to develop
approaches, in collaboration with OARM, to minimize those and other facilities vulnerabilities. For
example, it will be critical to ORD's delivery of high quality research and data-in the face of extreme
temperatures and precipitation events as a result of climate change-to maintain continuity of
measurements and experiments, and protect archived samples, data repositories, and monitoring
networks that may be located at sites remote from ORD facilities. A "self-assessment" of the
vulnerabilities of ORD research resources can result in adaptation approaches that are designed to
protect not only the facilities themselves, but also the research capabilities associated with the facility
and its integrated research systems.
Develop an approach to identify Agency-wide research priorities
Because of the broad implications of climate change, there is a need to "identify cross-EPA science
needs related to climate adaptation." Therefore, an ORD priority action is to coordinate discussions
between ORD's Deputy Associate Administrator for Science and National Research Program Directors
and cross-agency program and regional management to identify and incorporate input on climate
adaptation research priorities.
Work with EPA partners to develop effective venues to communicate advances
in climate impact and adaptation research
It will be important to effectively identify and communicate advances in the science of climate change
and adaptation. One of ORD's priority actions is to play a key role in developing approaches to
consolidating and communicating climate change and adaptation research, particularly by engaging at
the interagency level, such as with the development of the Global Change Information System by the
U.S. Global Change Research Program.
10
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Design extramural research efforts that appropriately incorporate climate
change adaptation questions and measures
In October 2011, the Office of Policy and the Office of Grants and Debarment sent a memo4 to Senior
Resource Officials across the agency directing them to incorporate criteria for climate change
adaptation into the grant development process. ORD's National Center for Environmental Research
(NCER) has already made this directive a standard component of their process for developing requests
for application (RFAs).
ORD will consider how to incorporate criteria for climate adaptation into other major financial
mechanisms.
4 "Incorporating Climate Change Adaptation Considerations into Applicable Assistance Agreement Competitive
Funding Opportunity Announcements," Memo from J.D. Scheraga and B.S. Binder to Grants Customer Relations
Council and Agency Senior Resource Officials, October 18, 2011.
11
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ORD Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan June 2014
Chapter 4. Measuring and Evaluating Performance
ORD's performance in effectively adapting to climate change should consider two primary areas: (1)
identifying Agency-wide research priorities for climate adaptation and (2) incorporating climate change
into extramural research efforts.
Agency science priorities
Priority 3.3.6 of the EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan is to "identify cross-EPA science needs related
to climate adaptation/' which is one of ORD's Priority Actions for climate adaptation discussed above.
Performance will be evaluated and measured by degree of participation from each affected EPA office,
identification of cross-agency priorities in a timely manner, and dissemination of consensus priorities.
ORD will also continue its efforts to develop decision support tools useful to decision makers at federal,
state, and local levels.
Incorporating climate adaptation into extramural research
ORD is already incorporating climate adaptation as a required factor for consideration by extramural
research grant applicants if appropriate. One possible metric of evaluation could be to quantify the
number of requests for applications (RFAs) that include climate adaptation as a review criterion, or to
demonstrate consistent use of climate adaptation review criteria for appropriate solicitations.
12
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Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations,
and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this
document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose
legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further,
any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision
makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions described in
this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is subject to
change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it
is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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OSWER Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan Workgroup Members:
Andrea Barbery, Office of Underground Storage Tanks
Jennifer Brady, Center for Program Analysis
Richard Canino, Office of Emergency Management
Ann Carroll, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Steven Chang, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation
Thornell Cheeks, Region 4
Anne Dailey, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation
Michelle Davis, Region 10
Shannon Davis, Region 9
Ben Franco, Region 4
Elisabeth Freed, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
JeffGaines, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
Linda Gerber, Office of Underground Storage Tanks
Sara Goehl, Office of Emergency Management
Katie Matta, Region 3
Ellen Treimel, Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
Elsbeth Hearn, Region 1
Camille Hueni, Region 6
Carol Keating, Region 1
Jeffrey Kohn, Innovations, Partnerships, and Communications Office
Tiffany Kollar, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
Rachel Lentz, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
NatMiullo, Region 8
Nicole Nakata, ASPH Environmental Health Fellow
Rebecca Ofrane, Region 2
Carlos Pachon, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation
Scott Palmer, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
John, Podgurski, Region 1
Kristin Ryan, Region 10
Daniel Schramm, Office of the General Counsel
Mickey Young, Region 3
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Table of Contents
I. Climate Change Impacts to OSWER Programs 1
• What We Do 1
• Impact of Climate Change 1
• Purpose of this Document. 2
• Process for Developing this Document 2
II. Vulnerability Assessment 4
• Climate Change Impacts 4
• Identification of Vulnerabilities 5
III. Addressing Impacts of Climate Change 9
• Focusing on Specific Vulnerabilities 9
• Developing Priority Actions 10
• Priority Actions 11
IV. Disproportionately Affected Populations 17
• Disproportionate Impact. 17
• Partnerships 18
• Priority Actions 20
V. Measures and Evaluation 23
VI. Legal and Enforcement Issues .23
Appendices
Appendix A - Effect of Climate Change Impacts on Programs Vulnerabilities 24
Appendix B - Vulnerability Scorecard 27
Appendix C - OSWER Actions 31
Appendix D - Bibliography 35
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I. Climate Change Impacts to OSWER Programs
What We Do
Climate change is posing new challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ability to
fulfill its mission. The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response's (OSWER's) mission is to
protect human health and the environment, and preserve and restore land resources. OSWER strives to
protect the land from contamination through sustainable materials management and the proper
management of waste and petroleum products. When contamination does occur, OSWER and its partners
clean up communities to create a safer environment for all Americans. In addition, OSWER prepares for
and responds to environmental emergencies and promotes redevelopment of contaminated areas and
emergency preparedness and recovery planning.
Without proper protections and effective restoration, the presence of uncontrolled hazardous substances in
surface water, ground water, air, soil and sediment can cause human health concerns, threaten healthy
ecosystems, and inhibit economic opportunities on and adjacent to contaminated properties. Waste on the
land can also migrate to ground water and surface water, contaminating drinking water supplies. There
are multiple benefits associated with cleaning up contaminated sites: reducing mortality and morbidity
risk; preventing and reducing human exposure to contaminants; reducing impacts to ecosystems; making
land available for commercial, residential, industrial, or recreational reuse; and promoting community
economic development. In addition, materials management and sustainable land management practices
can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Impact of Climate Change
Changes in climate and its impacts may test OSWER's ability to serve
these important functions. OSWER recognizes that anticipating and
planning for future changes in the climate and incorporating climate
considerations into its programs and operations is critical for OSWER to
continue to achieve its mission and fulfill its statutory, regulatory, and
programmatic requirements. There is some uncertainty, however, as to how
and when these changes to the climate will occur. OSWER will act
prudently to ensure its actions address pressing needs and will review its
vulnerabilities, actions and the state of climate science to make adjustments
Vision
OSWER will continue
to achieve its mission
to protect human
health and the
environment, and
preserve and restore
land resources, even as
the climate changes.
in the future.
Page 1
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Purpose of this Document
In June 2011, EPA issued a Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation which recognized that
climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. It calls for the
agency to anticipate and plan for future changes in climate and incorporate considerations of climate
change into its activities. The Policy Statement also requires the development of an agencywide
adaptation strategy that would integrate climate adaptation into the agency's programs, policies, rules and
operations. OSWER participated in the cross-agency workgroup that developed EPA's Climate Change
Adaptation Plan, which was released for public review February 2013. In addition to the Agency Plan,
the Policy Statement also directed every EPA program and regional office to develop an Implementation
Plan that provides more detail on how it will meet the priorities and carry out the work called for in the
agencywide plan.
The purpose of this document is to describe OSWER's process for identifying climate change impacts to
its programs and the plan for integrating consideration of climate change impacts into the office's work.
OSWER will monitor the status of climate science, particularly as it relates to known or anticipated
impacts on OSWER's program areas, as well as the effectiveness of its program activities under changing
conditions, and update or adjust its direction as necessary. As its knowledge evolves, OSWER will
continue to refine its approach to climate change adaptation and build on the current plan.
Process for Developing this Document
OSWER's Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan was created by a workgroup of EPA
employees located throughout the United States representing each of OSWER's headquarters and regional
offices. Descriptions of OSWER offices and programs are listed in Table 2.
There were three primary stages in the development of OSWER's Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan. First, a comprehensive set of vulnerabilities was developed, as described in Section
II. Next, evaluation criteria were applied to each vulnerability to guide the development of actions. These
scores are shown in Appendix C. Finally, specific actions were developed to address the vulnerabilities
that were identified as most critical, as described in Section III.
This plan also includes sections on vulnerable populations, working with tribes, legal and enforcement
issues, and measurement of progress.
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Definition of Key Terms
Adapt, Adaptation: Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment that
exploits beneficial opportunities or moderates negative effects.
Adaptive capacity: The ability of a human or natural system to adjust to climate change (including
climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or
to cope with the consequences.
Mitigation: An intervention to reduce the causes of changes in climate, such as through reducing
emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Resilience: A capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover, from significant multi-
hazard threats with minimum damage to social well-being, the economy, and the environment.
Risk: A combination of the magnitude of the potential consequence(s) of climate change impact(s)
and the likelihood that the consequence(s) will occur.
Vulnerability: The degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects
of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is a function of the
character, magnitude, and rate of climate variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its
adaptive capacity.
Source: NRC. (2010). America's Climate Choices: Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. National
Research Council.
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II. Vulnerability Assessment
Climate Change Impacts
The global climate is changing and the impacts of this change are being felt across the United States and
the world. Many of these impacts will directly affect OSWER programs and activities. Listed below are
several climate change trends described by the U.S. Global Change Research Program: and their potential
impacts on OSWER programs.2
. "One of the clearest precipitation trends in the United States is the increasing frequency and intensity
of heavy downpours. The amount of rain falling in the heaviest downpours has increased
approximately 20 percent in the last century. " Flooding and inundation from more intense and
frequent storms may lead to contaminant releases through surface soils, ground water, surface waters,
sediments, and/or coastal waters at OSWER sites.
. "During the past 50 years, sea level has risen up to 8 inches or more along some coastal areas of the
United States, and has fallen in other locations. " Rising sea level may inundate OSWER sites in
coastal areas and increase flooding from storm surge, both of which could damage cleanups and
increase human and ecological exposures to contaminants.
. "The power and frequency of Atlantic hurricanes have increased substantially in recent decades. "
More powerful hurricanes may increase the area affected by these storms, putting sites and
communities that had not been previously impacted by flooding and storm surge in the past at risk.
More powerful storms may also increase storm debris that will need to be appropriately managed.
. "United States average temperature has risen more than 2°F during the last 50 years. " Increased
average temperature and increased extreme temperatures may result in more frequent and longer
lasting heat waves, increasing the risk of wildfires capable of spreading to OSWER sites and affecting
the performance of remedies.
. "Over the past 50 years, Alaska has warmed at twice the rate of the United States' average. The
higher temperatures are already contributing to . . . permafrost warming. " The melting of
permafrost may allow contaminants at OSWER sites in Alaska to migrate and may cause land shifting
and subsidence.
1 USGCRP. (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and
Thomas C. Peterson (Eds.). Cambridge University Press.
2 This list is not intended to be exhaustive. A more complete list is included in subsequent parts of this section and
Appendix A.
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. "In much of the Southeast and large parts of the West, the frequency of drought has increased
coincident with rising temperatures. " Decreased precipitation and increased frequency of drought
may impact water-intensive remedies and site stability, as well as increase the risk of wildfires.
. "Wildfires in the United States are already increasing due to warming. In the West, there has been a
nearly fourfold increase in large wildfires in recent decades, with greater fire frequency, longer fire
durations, and longer wildfire seasons. " Wildfires at contaminated sites could promote the spread of
contamination or impact remedies. Wildfire in the upland areas above contaminated sites could
reduce vegetative cover, thereby increasing surface water runoff and resulting in catastrophic flooding
that spreads contamination or impacts remedies.
In order for OSWER to fulfill its mission to protect human health and the environment, it is critical that
OSWER anticipate and plan for future climatic conditions. OSWER must appropriately integrate
consideration of climate into its program activities, policies, and regulations. Through adaptation
planning, OSWER can continue to protect human health and the environment but in a way that accounts
for effects of climate change.
Identification of Vulnerabilities
The first step in the development of OSWER's Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan was the
identification of OSWER's vulnerabilities to climate change. A vulnerability in this context reflects the
degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change,
including climate variability and extremes. Using expert professional judgement and information from
peer-reviewed scientific literature, the OSWER workgroup used the aforementioned climate change
impacts as an initial screening tool to determine vulnerabilities to OSWER's processes, activities, and
functions. OSWER did not conduct a detailed quantitative assessment of vulnerabilities. In total, 27
unique vulnerabilities were identified (Table 1).
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Table 1. OSWER Climate Change Vulnerabilities
rvina Land
o
(0
£
a
Proper Management of
Hazardous and Non-
Hazardous Wastes
Reducing Chemical
Risks and Releases
Restoring Land
-------
Each vulnerability is linked to at least one climate change impact, however most vulnerabilities are linked
to multiple impacts (Appendix A). For example, increased contaminant spread could occur because of the
greater incidence of flooding at contaminated sites from heavy precipitation, hurricanes, and sea level
rise, as well as, melting permafrost or wildfires. Several vulnerabilities, such as data collection for
mapping and training are linked to all the impacts of climate change.
As the vulnerabilities were identified, they were organized by four critical OSWER programmatic focus
areas and a cross-cutting category:
• Preserving Land -Proper Management of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Wastes;
• Preserving Land -Reducing Chemical Risks and Releases;
• Restoring Land;
• Emergency Response;
• Tools, Data, Training and Outreach.
Under each focus area a vulnerability may apply to more than one OSWER program office. For example,
five different OSWER offices identified contaminant migration from sites as a vulnerability for their
program. In addition, there were several vulnerabilities related to training and data needs that cut across
all program offices in OSWER, as well as across EPA.
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Table 2. OSWER Programs
Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation and
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
The Superfund Remedial and Federal Facilities Program addresses long-term risks to human health and the
environment resulting from releases of hazardous substances at the nation's highest priority sites. Superfund sites
are found throughout the country. The Federal Facilities Program works with federal entities to ensure fast and
effective cleanup at federally-owned sites, and facilitates partnerships between the other federal agencies and the
surrounding communities. The Superfund Remedial Program works on non-federally owned sites.
Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
The Brownfields Program addresses environmental site assessment and cleanup of abandoned and potentially
contaminated sites through grants, cooperative agreements, and technical assistance to communities, states, and
tribes. Brownfields' sites have potential contamination that needs to be assessed and in some instances cleaned up
before redevelopment and reuse can occur. These sites generally are much less contaminated than Superfund and
RCRA Corrective Action sites. Funding to states and tribes helps develop and enhance their voluntary cleanup
programs for these sites.
Office of Emergency Management
The Superfund Emergency Response and Removal Program functions as the backbone federal response to
many emergency events; provides response support to state, local, tribal and potentially responsible parties when
their response capabilities are exceeded; and manages risks to human health and the environment. Removal actions
are typically responses intended to protect people from threats posed by hazardous waste sites.
The Oil Spill Program protects U.S. waters by preventing, preparing for and responding to oil spills. Section 311 of
the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 provide EPA with the authority to establish a regulatory
program for preventing, preparing for and responding to oil spills that occur in navigable waters of the United States.
The EPA Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Program is the national regulatory framework to
prevent, prepare for and respond to catastrophic accidental chemical releases at industrial facilities throughout the
United States.
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Solid Waste Program encourages states to develop
comprehensive plans to manage nonhazardous industrial solid waste and municipal solid waste, sets criteria for
municipal solid waste landfills and other solid waste disposal facilities, and prohibits the open dumping of solid waste.
A core function of this program is to look for and incentivize more sustainable ways to manage our materials,
prolonging the life of materials as usable commodities for as long as possible.
The RCRA Hazardous Waste Program issues comprehensive, national regulations, defines solid and hazardous
wastes, and imposes standards on anyone who generates, recycles, transports, treats, stores or disposes of
hazardous waste. This program also monitors the movement of hazardous waste in and out of U.S. borders and
works to help ensure the waste that is exported is properly recycled or disposed of.
The RCRA Corrective Action Program directly implements the corrective action (CA) program in 13 states and
territories, and performs as lead regulator at an increasingly significant number of facilities undergoing CAs in 42
states across the country that are authorized for the RCRA CA Program. An essential element of EPA's hazardous
waste management program is the statutory requirement that facilities managing hazardous wastes must clean up
releases of hazardous constituents that could adversely impact human health and the environment. The CA program
is critical to preventing future Superfund sites and the associated resources and expenditures.
Office of Underground Storage Tanks
The Underground Storage Tanks (LIST) Prevention Program works with state, tribal and inter-agency partners to
set and implement standards which prevent and detect releases from underground storage tanks. EPA provides
resources to support the infrastructure of state and tribal UST programs and provides regulations, guidance and
policies to support program implementation. An essential element of the UST program is full implementation of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005.
The Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Cleanup Program works with state and tribal partners to clean
up releases from LUST sites, many of which impact ground water resources. Cleaning up LUSTs is a key part of
protecting our environment. EPA provides resources to support the infrastructure of state LUST programs so that
private and state resources can directly finance the field work necessary to address contamination at federally-
regulated tank releases. EPA also provides regulations, guidance and policy to support cleanup of tank releases.
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III. Addressing Impacts of Climate Change
Focusing on Specific Vulnerabilities
In a resource-constrained environment, in order to prioritize and focus OSWER's efforts to address the
impacts of climate change, each vulnerability was evaluated based on a set of criteria. Together, these
criteria allowed each OSWER office to use its best professional judgment to evaluate the areas that
needed the most or immediate attention and where its contribution would be most effective.
The first two criteria, referred to as the "Characterization Criteria", were designed to enhance the
understanding of the overall impact of a particular vulnerability. Because climate change is a long-term
problem, both the scale and timing of adaptation actions are important.
Characterization Criteria:
• Scale of impact to human health, the environment or vulnerable communities because of the
vulnerability - The scores for this criterion reflect the potential for harm to human health, the
environment, or a vulnerable community, if the vulnerability is not addressed.
• Likelihood of occurrence because of the vulnerability - This criterion is a reflection of what
impacts have already occurred at OSWER sites and programs.
The second set of criteria reflect EPA roles in addressing the impacts of these vulnerabilities and are
collectively referred to as "Opportunities for OSWER to make a difference". These criteria are intended
to identify those vulnerabilities for which action by OSWER would significantly advance adaptation
efforts and ones in which OSWER is more directly responsible for addressing.
Opportunities for OSWER to make a difference:
• Does EPA have a unique or lead role or technical expertise in this area?
• To what extent are climate impacts currently not considered in this area?
• To what extent could additional EPA involvement build momentum or leverage current
activities?
• Is there an opportunity to incorporate climate change into an ongoing effort (e.g., rulemaking,
changes to grant criteria, updates to guidance and training)?
Each OSWER office determined which vulnerabilities were applicable to its work and developed a score
for the vulnerability. When applying the criteria, offices did not rank vulnerabilities in relation to each
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other, but instead considered each vulnerability independently. These scores were used to aid OSWER
offices in determining which vulnerabilities were most critical to focus actions.
The score sheet with the criteria is shown in Appendix B. To maintain transparency OSWER has included
all identified vulnerabilities regardless of the final score.
Developing Priority Actions
Using the vulnerability criteria as a guide, the following OSWER offices developed priority actions:
+ CPA - Center for Program Analysis
+ FFRRO -Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
+ OBLR - Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
+ OEM - Office of Emergency Management
+ ORCR - Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
+ OSRTI - Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation
+ OUST - Office of Underground Storage Tanks
In addition, EPA regional offices play a central role in implementing OSWER programs. Regions work
closely with states, tribes, and other stakeholders to protect the environment and human health at a more
localized, geographically focused level than the OSWER national program. OSWER reviewed actions
proposed by Regional offices in their climate change adaptation plans and supports them as a crucial
element to advancing climate change. OSWER regional actions were primarily in support of EPA's
Strategic Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development.
Continued Actions to Lessen Climate Change Impacts
While preparing for the potential impacts of climate change, leveraging materials and land
management programs to achieve measurable greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions remains a
focus of OSWER programs. It is estimated that approximately 42% of GHG emissions are
attributable to materials management activities and approximately 16% are related to land
management choices. To promote continued GHG reductions, OSWER is increasing efforts
for the advancement of life-cycle-analyses, the promotion of sustainable production and
material management, as well as promoting the use of green remediation principles that
reduce emissions during cleanups.
Source: USEPA. (2009). Opportunities to Reduce or Avoid Greenhouse Gas Emissions through
Materials and Land Management Practices.
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Priority Actions
OSWER has identified 26 priority actions to begin over the next 3 years. These actions are in one or more
of the four programmatic focus areas and one cross-cutting category. The actions are found in a summary
chart in Appendix C and are listed below by programmatic focus area and office.
Preserving Land - Proper Management of Hazardous & Non-Hazardous Wastes
Proper treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste protect the environment from harmful
contamination. To ensure these materials are properly managed, OSWER supports prevention by
activities such as permitting and inspections. Non-hazardous waste must also be properly managed, both
routinely and in times of emergency.
In the "Proper Management of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Wastes" focus area, the vulnerability that
ranked the highest was the management of surges in waste, particularly from the impacts of extreme
events. ORCR is already involved in several efforts in this area and has identified several actions to
respond to this vulnerability. These actions are also applicable in the "Emergency Response" focus area.
As a crucial part of the RCRA program, ORCR has also identified a long-term action that will begin to
look at issues related to climate change and permitting programs. Even though, vulnerabilities related to
permitting did not receive high criteria scores, particularly in terms of likelihood of occurrence and
potential impacts.
Actions:
ORCR
• Based on outreach to states and tribes, develop recommendations for these stakeholders to
incorporate climate change into RCRA Permitting Programs as appropriate (e.g., through robust
implementation of technical standards for facility location and design).
ORCR (also in the Emergency Response section)
• Prepare Fact Sheets on proper management of wastes/debris associated with large natural
disasters (e.g., electronic, household hazardous wastes, white goods, etc.).
• Continue collaborative development with the Office of Homeland Security, on an interactive
electronic waste management planning tool to aid federal, state and local emergency planners and
managers in development of waste/debris management plans.
• Finalize a document describing the "4 Step Process for Waste Management Planning."
• Update ORCR Homeland Security Website with updated waste management planning
information.
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Preserving Land - Reducing Chemical Risks and Releases
EPA has several programs in place to prevent contamination from chemical releases. Prevention is
accomplished through effective operation and maintenance activities, containment strategies, as well as
inspection and monitoring of facilities that deal with hazardous materials.
The actions in this programmatic focus area address activities that prevent contamination from occurring.
Other vulnerabilities with high scores in this focus area will benefit from the actions to address
remediation and containment approaches as described in "Restoring Land".
Actions:
OEM
• Incorporate sensitivity for climate change vulnerabilities into oil Spill Prevention, Control, and
Countermeasure (SPCC) and Facility Response Plan (FRP)3 inspector training.
• Incorporate into SPCC and FRP guidance the statement of potential vulnerabilities to oil facilities
from catastrophic weather events due to climate change.
• Incorporate sensitivity for climate change vulnerabilities in risk management plan (RMP) 4
inspector training and guidelines.
Restoring Land
Accidents, spills, leaks and past improper disposal and handling of hazardous materials and wastes have
resulted in tens of thousands of contaminated sites in the United States. Contaminated land can threaten
human health and the environment, impact our water and air quality, and potentially hamper economic
growth and the vitality of local communities. Numerous activities address the contamination, reduce risk
to human health and the environment, and move the contaminated site along the cleanup process to return
the site to use or reuse.
Two primary types of vulnerabilities were identified as the most critical in the "Restoring Land" focus
area. First, several offices identified increased contaminant migration as having a high potential impact,
3 The Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule includes requirements for oil spill prevention,
preparedness, and response to prevent oil discharges to navigable waters and adjoining shorelines. The rule requires
specific facilities to prepare, amend, and implement SPCC Plans. The SPCC rule is part of the Oil Pollution
Prevention regulation, which also includes the Facility Response Plan (FRP) rule. A Facility Response Plan (FRP)
demonstrates a facility's preparedness to respond to a worst case oil discharge. Under the Clean Water Act, as
amended by the Oil Pollution Act, certain facilities that store and use oil are required to prepare and submit these
plans.
4 Under the authority of section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act, the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions require
facilities that produce, handle, process, distribute, or store certain chemicals to develop a Risk Management
Program, prepare a Risk Management Plan (RMP), and submit the RMP to EPA.
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high probability of occurrence, and often under the control of EPA programs. Second, remedy
effectiveness, which includes three separate vulnerabilities representing various stages of the cleanup
process (remedy selection, remedy effectiveness during cleanup, and remedy effectiveness after a cleanup
is complete), was also identified by several offices as having a high vulnerability score and a role for EPA
involvement.
Numerous OSWER offices involved in cleanup activities identified either a short- or long-term action
related to the vulnerabilities mentioned above. Due to the differences in how OSWER cleanup programs
are implemented, whether at the headquarters office, in partnerships with states, or through grants, the
actions differ across offices. There may, however, be areas where offices can share resources and
knowledge, for example, as we learn more about the effectiveness of particular remedies under extreme
climate conditions.
Actions:
ORCR
• Develop recommendations for states and tribes to encourage climate change considerations be
incorporated into all of their RCRA Corrective Action Programs (e.g., regarding remedy
selection, etc.).
OUST
• Work with the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials
(ASTSWMO) to gather information on if and how states currently:
• alter remediation plans in response to changing climate impacts;
• alter site assessments in response to flooding or drought conditions;
• alter risk factors and rankings in response to flooding or drought conditions.
• Share information among states, tribes, and EPA regions regarding:
• new or modified investigation strategies and remediation techniques;
• new or modified assessment techniques;
• how climate conditions may impact risk-based cleanup factors and rankings.
OBLR
• Work with regional staff to update the Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA)
language in the brownfield grant Terms and Conditions to include language that requires
recipients take potential changing climate conditions into consideration when evaluating cleanup
alternatives.
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• Develop an outreach strategy to promote the importance of climate change adaptation and
mitigation, explaining how it will affect all communities at varying degrees and why it is
important to consider when developing revitalization plans in their community.
OSRTI and FFRRO
• Share vulnerability screening protocol for regional application.
• Develop criteria to identify remedies where performance may be impacted by climate
change.
• Develop a methodology to evaluate and ensure remedy protectiveness.
• Prepare remedy-specific climate change adaptation fact sheets for remedies most likely to be
impacted and identify potential vulnerabilities and adaptation recommendations.
• Identify existing Superfund program processes (Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Record
of Decision, Remedial Design/Remedial Action, Five Year reviews, etc.) for implementation of
climate change adaptation protocols to ensure continuing protectiveness of current and future
remedies.
• Prepare training materials, coordinate with the National Association of Regional Project
Managers (NARPM) co-chairs and Superfund forums to integrate the training into future
NARPM events, and provide web-based content and training.
• Participate with OSWER and other EPA programs to initiate conversations as appropriate
regarding approaches for handling remedy impacts from climate change.
Emergency Response
OSWER responds to a variety of emergencies, varying greatly in size, nature, and location, including
natural disasters. OSWER staff act as response coordinators and on-site responders. In all cases, prompt
action is crucial and the first priority is to eliminate dangers to the public; dangers include contamination
from chemical releases in the air, water or soil and large amounts of waste. In addition to the
responsibilities of OSWER's Office of Emergency Management, many other OSWER and EPA program
offices play a role in addressing the impacts of emergency events.
The management of debris was a highly ranked vulnerability in this category, as well as in the "Proper
Management of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste" focus area. Several actions are identified to
address this vulnerability.
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a vital part of OSWER's response program. Actions are
identified to ensure EOC staff are provided with the most accurate and comprehensive information that
takes into consideration changes in climate.
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Actions:
OUST
• Work with ASTSWMO to gather information on if and how states currently respond to climate-
related emergencies (e.g., use of GIS mapping in flood-prone areas).
• Analyze lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) to identify how EPA
can help states respond to UST-related hurricane impacts.
• Share information among states, tribes, and EPA regions regarding emergency response and
preparedness (e.g., OUST's Flood Guide).
ORCR (also in the Proper Management of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Wastes section)
• Prepare Fact Sheets on proper management of wastes/debris associated with large natural
disasters (e.g., electronic, household hazardous wastes, white goods, etc.).
• Continue collaborative development with the Office of Homeland Security, on an interactive
electronic waste management planning tool to aid federal, state and local emergency planners and
managers in development of waste/debris management plans.
• Finalize a document describing the "4 Step Process for Waste Management Planning."
• Update ORCR Homeland Security Website to incorporate facts sheets, 4 Step Process, and
updated waste management planning information.
OEM
• Utilize the National Response Team multi-agency membership (e.g., National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard) to
monitor the state of preparedness. Based on these meetings, evaluate if additional resources and
planning exercises will be needed to address the impacts from changes in the frequency and/or
severity of extreme weather events.
• Incorporate the use of FlexViewer technology as a preparedness tool for climate change impacts.
• The EOC will build on-going development and use of FlexViewer technology to graphically
display information on notifications and incidents in headquarters and all 10 regional EOCs.
This technology will allow for improved and up-to-date Geographic Information System
(GIS) mapping of watersheds and coastal areas impacted by climate change.
• Incorporate materials on the impacts of climate change as EOC training materials are updated and
exercises are planned.
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Tools, Data, Training and Outreach
In order to make informed decisions about program direction, design, and implementation, OSWER must
use the best available data. As a result of climate change, assumptions about ecosystem conditions are
shifting more rapidly, affecting the ability to predict potential weather patterns and map the geographic
conditions at and around its sites.
Several vulnerabilities, including data collection and training, were identified as applicable and important
to all OSWER offices. One of the primary challenges to incorporating climate change into its activities
will be obtaining reliable projections of sea level rise, flooding zones, and other impacts of climate
change. These projections will help guide decisions such as remedy selection. Access to this data is
needed by all programs. In addition, training is a vital component of information dissemination and use;
therefore, OSWER must appropriately consider relevant training. To best address these vulnerabilities it
will be necessary for OSWER to work with regions and other EPA offices, including the Office of
Research and Development, to ensure consistency across the agency.
Actions:
CPA
• Provide recommended data sources and parameters to OSWER offices and regions to ensure
consistent mapping data and protocols. Develop these recommendations by working with the
agency's climate change workgroup and EPA's Office of Research and Development.
• Participate in agency climate change adaptation training development, as well as develop specific
training as needed for OSWER staff.
• Work with EPA partners and external experts to monitor evolving assumptions related to climate
science. Develop a method for disseminating this information to OSWER offices that ensures
consistent assumptions are used across all activities.
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IV. Disproportionately Affected Populations
Disproportionate Impact
While climate change will affect all parts of society, it will have disproportionate effects on particular
communities, demographic groups and geographic locations.5 Certain parts of the population, such as
children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities,
those with limited access to information, and tribal and indigenous populations can be especially
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. These disproportionately affected groups may have less
ability to cope with or adapt to climate change due to economic, social, physical, or health constraints.
Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in
low-lying coastal areas.
Populations that are already overburdened by environmental contamination, poverty, and environmental
health issues, may face greater adaptation challenges.6 Though Hurricane Sandy was not necessarily due
to climate change, the impacts resulting from associated flooding are similar to what could occur in a
climate related flooding or storm surge event. Many of the elderly and poor in New York and New Jersey
suffered significantly from flooding-associated power and heat loss, scarcity of food and supplies, and
difficulty in accessing medical care.7 These populations may have lacked the resources to evacuate
outside the affected areas and as a result could not as readily avoid the adverse conditions resulting from
the storm. During the recovery and reconstruction phases, vulnerable populations may also have a more
difficult time due to underlying factors such as economic and social resource base and health status that
can limit their access to resources as well as their ability to take action.
In addition, a community's location near a vulnerable ecosystem or a contaminated site may also result in
differential impacts depending on how that ecosystem or site is impacted by climate change. Degraded
ecosystems or those changed from human activities may place communities near them at higher risk for
the effects of climate change. The ecosystems that may have served as a natural buffer against storm
surge or may have provided valuable cultural, recreational, or other resources can no longer serve this
purpose due to their altered state.8 For example, an environmental justice community's resilience and
ability to adapt to climate change may be complicated by their location both near a hazardous waste site
5 USEPA. (2012). Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Public Review Draft.
6 ibid.
7 USEPA. (2012). Region 2 Adaptation Plan.
8 USGCRP. (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and
Thomas C. Peterson (Eds.). Cambridge University Press.
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and in an area prone to increased climate-related storm surge. It is important to recognize the factors that
may compound a community's vulnerability to climate change in order to implement effective strategies
to increase adaptive capacity.
Climate change may also pose unique challenges to tribes and other indigenous populations. Tribes are
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, due to the integral nature of the environment
within their traditional lifestyles and culture. Partly due to their dependence upon a specific area for their
livelihood, the degree to which those geographic areas embody climate-sensitive environments, and their
unique cultural, economic, or political characteristics and contexts, tribes and indigenous groups may be
especially sensitive to climate change related shifts in their environment.9 Their ability to cope with
climate-related hazards is further restricted by limited access to preparedness, response, and recovery
resources.10 While tribes and indigenous populations will likely be disproportionately vulnerable to
climate change, they are uniquely positioned to provide valuable community level, culturally relevant
data, information on climate change impacts, and relevant solutions.
For instance, Alaskan Natives are one population that is experiencing disproportionate impacts from
climate change. Temperature increases associated with climate change have led to the melting of
permafrost. In some cases, permafrost acts as a barrier to the transport of contaminants. With increased
temperatures, thawing could allow contaminants to migrate more freely to adjoining areas_and those
effects would only accelerate with continued changes in the climate.11 In several Alaskan coastal
communities, melting ice and erosion have caused landfills to fall into the ocean, affecting environmental
and human health.12
Partnerships
States, tribes, and local communities share responsibility for protecting human health and the
environment, and partnerships with EPA are at the heart of the country's environmental protection
system. These partnerships will be critical for efficient, effective, and equitable implementation of climate
adaptation strategies. Strong partnerships make the most effective use of partners' respective bodies of
knowledge, resources, and talents. Below is a summary of how OSWER currently works with
underserved populations and tribes.
9 USEPA. (2012). Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Public Review Draft.
10 Cutter, S.L. and C. Finch. (2008). "Temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards."
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 105(7): 2301-2306.
11 USGCRP. (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and
Thomas C. Peterson (Eds.). Cambridge University Press.
12 The National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee Report (Draft for public comment)
Page 18
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Ongoing Partnerships to Address Vulnerable Populations and Places
OSWER has identified three focus areas to address environmental justice (EJ) in its programs. These
focus areas are designed to integrate ongoing EJ activities and produce tangible outcomes in
overburdened and underserved communities impacted by OSWER programs. These focus area activities
listed below are designed to meaningfully advance EJ in OSWER programs, have EJ as the central focus,
and can produce meaningful, measurable outcomes in low income and minority communities.
• Focus Area #1: Incorporate EJ considerations into OSWER programs, policies, and activities by
addressing disproportionately high, adverse human health and environmental impacts on
overburdened and underserved populations to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law
• Focus Area #2: Institute a continual learning process through training and the use of agency
environmental justice tools to help OSWER staff better serve overburdened and underserved
communities
• Focus Area #3: Expand community engagement approaches and increase partnership building
which allows overburdened and underserved communities to meaningfully participate in decision
making activities and address local environmental concerns.
Ongoing Partnerships with Tribes
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and decision
making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further expressed in the 1984 EPA
Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations and the 2077 Policy on
Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These policies recognize and support the sovereign
decision-making authority of tribal governments. OSWER works as a partner with many Tribal Nations to
implement OSWER programs. OSWER's partnership with tribes is based on its tribal strategy.13 The
long-term goal of the tribal strategy is to support and provide direction for OSWER's Indian program,
enhance outreach efforts with tribes on environmental protection in Indian country, and maintain
consistency with EPA's Indian Policy. OSWER short-term strategies include:
• Ensure appropriate government-to-government consultation and communication with tribal
leaders in accordance with EPA's 2077 Policy.
• Build tribal capacity. OSWER provides support through training, financial support, and technical
assistance to tribes to build capacity in assuming regulatory and program management
responsibilities. Additionally, OSWER develops guidance and provides for research in
13 USEPA, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. (2008). Tribal Strategy: EPA & Tribal Partnership to
Preserve and Restore Land in Indian Country.
Page 19
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cooperation with tribes to clarify key issues and/or obtain relevant information for addressing
issues potentially affecting tribal health and the environment.
• Facilitate meaningful communication, coordination, and cooperation within OSWER on tribal
issues and cultural awareness.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the agency's Climate
Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified erosion, temperature change, drought, and various changes in access to
and quality of water as some of the most pressing issues. Tribes recommended a number of tools and
strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information; supporting baseline
research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level education and
awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time, tribes challenged
EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources are better leveraged
and administrative burdens are reduced.
Priority Actions
Community Engagement
One of the principles guiding OSWER's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies,
and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places, and infrastructure that are most
vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all
parts of society. Within OSWER, community engagement is a critical component to how the office does
its job of protecting human health and the environment. Effective community engagement is about a
process of interactions that builds relationships over time and recognizes and emphasizes the
community's role in identifying concerns and participating in formulating solutions. It establishes a
framework for collaboration and deliberation. In the broadest sense, community engagement in
environmental decision-making is the inclusion of the community in the process of defining the problem
and developing solutions and alternatives.
For climate change decision-making processes to be effective they must be transparent and accessible and
communities must be well informed and engaged. Communities should therefore have access to clear and
understandable information. The local knowledge and input gained from meaningful engagement with the
full diversity of the community will help to strengthen OSWER's decisions about climate change
adaptation and the actions developed to address vulnerabilities, ensuring that these activities are well
suited to the community's particular needs and circumstances. OSWER will work in partnership with
communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts
Page 20
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will be informed by experiences with the impacts of previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane
Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
Adaptation actions must recognize and be tailored to the specific issues at the regional, state, local, and
community levels.14 OSWER can provide federal leadership, guidance, information, and support which
are vital to planning for and implementing adaptive actions, however, adaptation planning must include
collaboration between multiple stakeholders including state and local governments, tribes, communities,
non-governmental organizations and others.
Vulnerable Population Actions
OSWER will give special attention to populations and places that are most vulnerable to climate related
impacts to its sites. OSWER will also continue to work to better understand the populations that surround
these sites in order to expand its knowledge on potential impacts and better protect vulnerable
communities and places.
Actions:
• Work with the agency's climate change workgroup and EPA's Office of Research and
Development to ensure consistent mapping data and protocols to better understand the
intersections of climate impacts and population vulnerability and help to inform future policy and
office activities and ensure they take evolving climate science into account.
• Review and update as necessary, existing community engagement tools and training to
incorporate climate change concerns in how we partner with communities, based on new
knowledge relating to climate change.
In addition, the Community Engagement Network being created by OSWER may provide a valuable
internal forum for sharing and gathering information about best practices for engaging communities in
climate change conversations.
Tribal Actions
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Networks and
partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues, including Regional
Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and the Indian
General Assistance Program. Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage
activities already taking place within EPA offices and tribal governments.
14 USGCRP. (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and
Thomas C. Peterson (Eds.). Cambridge University Press.
Page 21
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Actions:
• Work with the agency's climate change workgroup and EPA's Office of Research and
Development to share mapping data and protocols with its partners, including tribes to help
inform their adaptation activities.
• Assist the Institute for Environmental Tribal Professionals (ITEP) in developing adaptation into
their normal climate change training.
Collaborative efforts on climate change will benefit from the expertise provided by tribal partners and the
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in
assessing the current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a
valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in EPA's Indian Policy,
TEK should be viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision making.
Supporting Regions
While OSWER headquarters program offices are taking actions to address climate change adaptation,
much of the work with tribes and vulnerable populations will occur within the EPA regions, since climate
change has many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries. OSWER plans to coordinate with
and support regional and program office actions by working to ensure that they have access to evolving
climate science and standardized data to inform policy and other activities. For instance, data could be
used for mapping impacts relating to vulnerable populations and tribes. Data driven mapping will help
ensure that adaptation actions can be prioritized and tailored to those populations who are most at risk for
disproportionate impact from climate change. Data can also be shared with tribes to help them create
adaptation strategies to address their climate change impacts.
Page 2 2
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V. Measures and Evaluation
The actions proposed in this plan expand OSWER's efforts to mainstream and integrate climate change
adaptation into its programs. OSWER will monitor the status of climate science, particularly as it relates
to known or anticipated impacts on OSWER's program areas, as well as the effectiveness of its program
activities under changing conditions, and update or adjust its direction as necessary. OSWER commits to
periodically publicly reporting on progress implementing these actions and what it has accomplished in
website updates or factsheets.
To measure and evaluate progress toward completing actions, the workgroup that developed this
document will continue to meet to discuss progress implementing actions and share information that may
assist other offices in their efforts. Collaborative tools may also be utilized to facilitate the discussion.
VI. Legal and Enforcement Issues
OSWER works closely with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) to ensure that its actions are legally
supported and in compliance with all applicable laws. OSWER will continue to work with OGC as it
plans for and develops programming related to adaptation and the impacts of climate change.
OSWER will partner with the Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE) to address enforcement
concerns related to climate change issues. OSWER and OSRE will work together to develop tools that
address climate change policy questions as well as site-specific issues.
Page 2 3
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Appendix A - Effect of Climate Change Impacts on OSWER Program Vulnerabilities
The If- symbol indicates climate change impacts that are expected to significantly contribute to the identified program vulnerabilities. Note: The likelihood of occurrence for
each climate change impact is taken from EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Additional sources are found at the end of the table.
Program Vulnerability
Climate Change Impact
(Increased
extreme
temps1
Sustained
changes in
average temp1
5"
-------
Program Vulnerability
1! o.
to E <2
w SJ c"
Sustained
changes in
average temp1
"o
~~ to
m -c
tu
W
Very Likely
Climate Change Impact
Decreased
permafrost3
Decreased
precipitation
increasing
drought4
Increased
heavy
precipitation
events1
Increased
flood risk4 | |
Increased
frequency &
intensity of
wildfires5 |
Increased
intensity of
hurricanes1
Likely
Restoring Land
Site characterization and design of cleanups may not reflect changing
climate conditions.
Risk factors and rankings for risk-based cleanup strategies may need to
be reassessed based on changing climate conditions.
Changing climate conditions may impact continued remedy
effectiveness.
Remedies that are "complete" or are long-term actions may no longer
be protective and resilient as climate conditions change at site.
Increased contaminant migration may lead to boundary changes at
current sites or creation of new sites.
Changes in climate conditions may alter assumptions about
contaminant form/volatility.
Current scientific monitoring and sampling protocols on sites may no
longer be effective.
Safety procedures on sites may not reflect likelihood or intensity of
surrounding conditions.
Availability of utilities and transportation infrastructure may be limited
as a result of increased impacts to those systems.
Current assumptions regarding protectiveness of remediation and
containment methods may not reflect changing climate impacts.
Periodic evaluations of implemented remedies may not incorporate all
climate change impacts, including changes in frequency and intensity
that may impact remedy effectiveness.
Use of natural resources impacted by sites may change as a result of
increased need, resource scarcity, or compromised resources.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Page 2 5
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Program Vulnerability
Emergency Response
Current levels of administrative, enforcement, and emergency
response staff may be insufficient to cover needs if number of
extreme events increase.
Sufficient capability and capacity for conducting necessary lab analysis
following significant weather events may not be available.
Current waste management capacity, including interim capacity, may
be insufficient to handle surges in necessary treatment and disposal of
hazardous and municipal wastes, as well as mixed wastes generated
from climate events.
Training needs (both current and future) are likely to increase in order
to meet the increase demand for response actions.
Existing emergency planning currently required or employed by
OSWER may not sufficiently consider elevated risks from multiple
climate impacts.
Climate Change Impact
!8 E"«>
Co ff\ *i
1
*
Sustained
changes in
average temp1
-------
Appendix B - Vulnerability Scorecard1
Program Vulnerability
Office
Characterization Criteria
Total
Score
o tS
01 15
8 1
V) —
Likelihood of
occurrence
Scale 1-10
10(High) -l(Low)
Opportunities for OSWER to Make a Difference
Total
Score
Role for EPA
technical
expertise?
Scale 1-5
5(Yes)-l(No)
0) 0"
a j2 = ~a
J|i|
o Q. L. .s
£ .1 i 1
< ° 8
Scale 1-5
5(Not) -
l(Fully)
2 £ 0, . 01 M
HIM cSS*
1 E 1 i 1 a & 1 1
I i s ° s 1 1 •
Scale 1-5
5(Very Likely)-l(Not Likely)
Preserving Land - Proper Management of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Wastes
Design and placement of RCRA Treatment, Storage and
Disposal facilities, non-hazardous Subtitle D landfills,
Superfund remedies and municipal recycling facilities may
need to change to accommodate climate change impacts.
Hazardous waste permitting requirements may need to be
updated to reflect climate change impacts.
Current waste management capacity may be insufficient to
handle surges in necessary treatment and disposal of
hazardous and municipal wastes, as well as mixed wastes
generated from climate events.
Levels of necessary financial assurance at RCRA and CERCLA
Facilities may need to adjust for increased risks/liabilities at
specific facilities that may be directly affected by climate
change impacts.
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
FFRRO
ORCR
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
6
6
6
15
6
20
15
15
10
10
10
5
5
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
1
1
1
5
1
10
10
10
5
5
5
12
10
18
14
13
8
15
18
12
8
15
^| 4
2
5
5
5
1
4
5
4
3
5
2
3
3
2
3
3
•
3
2
3
3
3
4
5
4
4
3
4
5
3
1
4
^H 3
1
5
3
1
1
«
5
3
1
3
Preserving Land - Reducing Chemical Risks and Releases
Remediation and containment strategies and materials used
in construction may need to be strengthened to reflect
changing climate conditions.
Current equipment, scientific monitoring and sampling
protocols on sites may no longer be effective and therefore
may require adjustments due to climate change impacts.
Current assumptions regarding protectiveness of remediation
and containment methods may not reflect changing climate
impacts.
Spill Prevention Plans may need to be updated due to the
significant increases in the incidence of flooding and storm
events.
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
OEM
15
10
10
12
2
2
10
15
16
4
8
5
5
5
1
1
5
5
8
2
7
5
5
7
1
1
5
10
8
2
8
14
18
10
9
18
8
6
8
6
1
5
5
1
4
5
1
3
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
1
3
4
5
3
1
5
4
2
1
2
2
2
5
3
1
5
1
1
2
1
Page 2 7
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Program Vulnerability
Office
Characterization Criteria
Total
Score
e
IS
Q.
i
01
5
V)
Scale
10(High)
it * \
£ o Likelihood of
-£- occurrence
Opportunities for OSWER to Make a Difference
Total
Score
I. IS 01
O 0 <"
01 C '€
III
*^ 01
Scale 1-5
5(Yes)-l(No)
Currently
considered?
Scale 1-5
5(Not) -
k.
10 1 £ 3 €
o —
-------
Office
Characterization Criteria
Total
Score
Scale of impact
Likelihood of
occurrence
Scale 1-10
10(High) -l(Low)
Opportunities for OSWER to Make a Difference
Total
Score
o»
I. IS 01
O 0 <"
o. 'E t
111
*^ 01
Scale 1-5
5(Yes)-l(No)
!)
Scale 1-5
5(Not) -
l(Fully)
Build
momentum or
leverage
current
Ongoing effort?
5(Very Likely)-l(Not Likely)
Restoring Land (continued)
Current scientific monitoring and sampling protocols on
sites may no longer be effective.
Safety procedures on sites may not reflect likelihood or
intensity of surrounding conditions.
Availability of utilities and transportation infrastructure
may be limited as a result of increased impacts to those
systems.
Current assumptions regarding protectiveness of
remediation and containment methods may not reflect
changing climate impacts.
Periodic evaluations of implemented remedies may not
incorporate all climate change impacts, including changes
in frequency and intensity that may impact remedy
effectiveness.
Use of natural resources impacted by sites may change as a
result of increased need, resource scarcity, or
compromised resources.
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
OBLR
FFRRO
OSRTI
OBLR
FFRRO
OSRTI
OBLR
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
OBLR
OUST
FFRRO
ORCR
OSRTI
OBLR
FFRRO
OBLR
15
2
2
2
6
6
6
10
15
15
17
15
15
15
15
10
10
10
10
10
6
7
1
1
1
5
5
5
5
10
10
7
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
8
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
5
5
10
10
10
10
10
5
5
5
5
5
1
14
16
16
9
15
17
8
12
13
11
10
15
16
12
7
14
16
18
8
12
9
4
5
3
1
3
4
1
3
2
2
4
4
5
2
1
3
4
5
1
3
2
4
5
3
4
5
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
3
4
3
3
4
3
^^^^^B
3
4
3
3
5
2
3
5
2
3
5
3
4
4
3
3
1
4
4
5
2
3
2
3
3
5
2
4
5
2
3
3
3
4
5
3
2
4
4
5
1
3
1
Page 29
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Program Vulnerability
Office
Characterization Criteria
Total
Score
Scale 1-10
10(High) -l(Low)
Total
Score
Opportunities for OSWER to Make a Difference
2 t
o|
_Q) 01
&
Scale 1-5
5(Yes)-l(No)
> TJ
OJ
73
=
Scale 1-5
5(Not) -
l(Fully)
E «
i .2
4-* Q) 4-*
C U> •=
oi a .2
E S C
O > »
E .£ £
2 S £
t
I
M
C
'5
Scale 1-5
5(Very Likely)-l(Not Likely)
Emergency Response
Current levels of administrative, enforcement, and
emergency response staff may be insufficient to cover
needs if number of extreme events increase.
OEM
ORCR
20
10
10
Sufficient capability and capacity for conducting necessary
lab analysis following significant weather events may not
be available.
FFRRO
10
ORCR
10
Current waste management capacity, including interim
capacity, may be insufficient to handle surges in necessary
treatment and disposal of hazardous and municipal wastes,
as well as mixed wastes generated from climate events.
FFRRO
ORCR
15
15
10
18
Training needs (both current and future) are likely to
increase in order to meet the increase demand for
response actions.
ORCR
15
10
12
Existing emergency planning currently required or
employed by OSWER may not sufficiently consider elevated
risks from multiple climate impacts.
OUST
10
1. OSWER did not conduct a detailed quantitative assessment of vulnerabilities to determine scores. Using best professional judgement and information from peer-reviewed
scientific literature, the OSWER workgroup members determined values for each criteria. When applying the criteria, offices did not evaluate vulnerabilities in relation to each
other, but instead considered each vulnerability independently. These tables are not intended to be a ranking, but rather as a useful and informative guide for OSWER offices as
they determine which vulnerabilities to focus activities.
Characterization Criteria:
Scale of impact to human health, the environment or vulnerable communities because of the vulnerability.
Likelihood of occurrence because of the vulnerability.
Opportunities for OSWER to Make a Difference:
Does EPA have a unique or lead role or technical expertise in this area?
To what extent are climate impacts currently not considered in this area?
To what extent could additional EPA involvement build momentum or leverage current activities?
Is there an opportunity to incorporate climate change into an ongoing effort (e.g., rulemaking, changes to grant criteria, updates to guidance and training)?
Page 30
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Appendix C - OSWER Actions
Theme
reservina Land
Q.
Proper Management of
Hazardous and
Non-Hazardous Waste
Reducing Chemical
Risks and Releases
Vulnerability
Design and placement of RCRA Treatment,
Storage and Disposal facilities may need to
change to accommodate climate change
impacts.
Current waste management capacity may be
insufficient to handle surges in necessary
treatment and disposal of hazardous and
municipal wastes, as well as mixed waste
events.
(Actions also in Emergency Response)
Spill Prevention Plans may need to be updated
due to the significant increases in the
incidence of flooding and storm events.
Office
ORCR
OEM
Action
Prepare Fact Sheets on the proper management of wastes/debris associated with large
natural disasters (e.g., electronic, household hazardous wastes, white goods, etc.)
Continue collaborative development with the Office of Homeland Security on an
interactive electronic waste management planning tool to aid federal, state and local
emergency planners and managers in development of waste/debris management plans.
Finalize a document describing the "4 Step Process for Waste Managment Planning."
Update the ORCR Homeland Security Website with updated waste management
planning information.
Incorporate sensitivity for climate change vulnerabilities in oil Spill Prevention, Control,
and Countermeasure (SPCC) and Facility Response Plan (FRP) inspector training (e.g.,
reminding inspectors to consider vulnerabilities at the subject facility during
catastrophic weather events).
Incorporate in SPCC and FRP guidance the statement of potential vulnerabilities to oil
facilities from catastrophic weather events due to climate change.
Incorporate sensitivity for climate change vulnerabilities in risk management plan
(RMP) inspector training and guidelines, (e.g., example, reminding inspectors to
consider vulnerabilities at the subject facility during catastrophic weather events).
Timing
L
s
«
M
M
M
M
M
Page 31
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Theme
Restoring Land
Vulnerability
Increased contaminant migration may lead to
boundary changes at current sites or creation
of new sites.
Current assumptions regarding protectiveness
of remediation and containment methods may
not reflect changing climate impacts.
Changing climate conditions may impact
continued remedy effectiveness.
Remedies that are "complete" or are long-
term actions may no longer be protective and
resilient as climate conditions change at site.
Risk factors and rankings for risk-based
cleanup strategies may need to be reassessed
based on changing climate conditions.
Site characterization and design of cleanups
may not reflect changing climate conditions.
Office
ORCR
OSRTI/
FFRRO
OBLR
Action
Develop recommendations for states and tribes to encourage that climate change
considerations be incorporated into all of their RCRA Corrective Action Programs (e.g.,
regarding remedy selection, etc.)
Share vulnerability screening protocol for regional application.
- Develop criteria to identify remedies where performance may be impacted by climate
change.
- Develop a methodology to evaluate and ensure remedy protectiveness.
Prepare remedy-specific climate change adaptation fact sheets for remedies most likely
to be impacted and identify potential vulnerabilities and adaptation recommendations.
Identify existing Superfund program processes (RI/FS, ROD, RD/RA, Five Year reviews,
etc.) for implementation of climate change adaptation protocols to ensure continuing
protectiveness of current and future remedies.
Prepare training materials, coordinate with NARPM co-chairs and Superfund forums to
integrate the training into future NARPM events, and provide web-based content and
training.
Participate with OSWER and other EPA programs to initiate conversations as
appropriate regarding approaches for handling remedy impacts from climate change.
Work with ASTSWMO to gather information on if and how states currently alter
remediation plans in response to changing climate impacts.
Share information among states, tribes and EPA regions regarding new or modified
investigation strategies and remediation techniques.
Work with ASTSWMO to gather information on if and how states currently alter site
assessments in response to flooding or drought conditions.
Share information among states, tribes and EPA Regions regarding new or modified
assessment techniques.
Work with ASTSWMO to gather information on if and how states currently alter risk
factors and rankings in response to flooding or drought conditions.
Share information among states, tribes and EPA regions regarding how climate
conditions may impact risk-based cleanup factors and rankings.
Work with regional staff to update the Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives
(ABCA) language in the brownfield grant T&Cs to include language that requires
recipients take potential changing climate conditions into consideration when
evaluating cleanup alternatives.
Develop an outreach strategy to promote the importance of climate change adaptation
and mitigation, explaining how it will affect all communities at varying degrees and why
it's important to consider when developing revitalization plans in their community.
Timing
L
M
M
S
M
M
L
L
L
L
L
L
S
S
Page 3 2
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Theme
01
-------
Theme
-------
Appendix D - Bibliography
Council on Environmental Quality. (2010). Progress Report on the Interagency Climate Change
Adaptation Task Force: Recommended Actions in Support of a National Climate Change Adaptation
Strategy. Washington, DC.
IPCC. (2007). Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working
Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. M.L.
Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E.Hanson (Eds.), Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press.
IPCC. (2008). Climate Change and Water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change. B.C. Bates, Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof (Eds.). Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. IPCC Secretariat, Geneva.
IPCC. (2012). "Summary for Policymakers." In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to
Advance Climate Change Adaptation. C.B. Field, V. Barros, T.F. Stacker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi,
M.D. Mastrandrea,K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (Eds.). A Special
Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA.
NRC. (2010). America's Climate Choices: Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. National
Research Council, (http://americasclimatechoices.org/)
USEPA, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. (2008). Tribal Strategy: EPA & Tribal
Partnership to Preserve and Restore Land in Indian Country.
(http://www.epa.gov/oswer/tribal/pdfs/oswer_tribal_strategy.pdf)
USEPA. (2012). Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Public Review Draft.
USEPA. National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. EPA 800-R-08-001,
September 2008. (http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/strategy.cfm.)
USEPA. (2012). National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change. EPA-850-K-12-
004.
(http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/epa_2012_climate_water_strategy_full_report_fmal.p
df)
USEPA. (2011). Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation.
(http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf)
USEPA. (2010). Community Engagement Initiative Action Plan.
(http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/cei_action_plan_12-09.pdf)
USGCRP. (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M.
Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson (Eds.). Cambridge University Press.
(http://library.globalchange.gov/products/assessments/2009-national-climate-assessment/2009-global-
climate-change-impacts-in-the-united-states)
Page 3 5
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
Report Number: EPA-100-K-14-001A
May 2014
POLICE
Wllli
•\ BIUM
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Prepared by:
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
May 2014
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document,
nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed intention,
suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes,
the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion
in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it
is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan., each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
-------
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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Table of Contents
I) Introduction 1
II) Vulnerability of Water Resources to Climate Change 3
III) Priority Actions to Respond to Climate Change 10
IV) Office of Water Contribution to Meeting EPA 15
Strategic Measures on Climate Change
V) Legal and Enforcement Issues 15
VI) Training and Outreach 16
VII) Partnerships with Tribes 19
VIM) Vulnerable Populations and Places 21
IX) Evaluation and Cross-Office Pilot Projects 23
Appendices
1. Table of Vision Areas, Goals and Strategic Actions from EPA National Water Program
2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change
2. Graphic Illustrating the Organizational Framework for Climate Change work by the EPA
National Water Program
3. EPA National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup: Principal Members
4. Table Illustrating the Climate Change Impacts on Clean Water and Drinking Water
Program Components
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UA National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
\-^ Response to Climate Change
INTRODUCTION
This Implementation Plan provides an overview of the opportunities available to the Office of
Water within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to respond to the challenges that
a changing climate poses for the successful operation of national programs to protect the
quality of the national water resources and drinking water.
This Plan is organized using the framework adopted by the EPA for each of its major national
offices and regional offices. Key elements of the Plan address:
> Vulnerability of water resources, including clean water and drinking water programs,
to climate change;
> Priority actions for water program response to climate change;
> Office of Water contribution to meeting EPA strategic measures on climate change;
> Legal and enforcement issues;
> Training and outreach for climate change adaptation;
> Partnerships with Tribes;
> Populations and places vulnerable to a changing climate; and
> Program evaluation and cross-Agency pilot projects.
This Plan draws on, and is intended to help implement,
the EPA National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
Response to Climate Change published in December
2012. The 2012 Strategy describes long-term goals for
the management of sustainable water resources in
light of climate change and is intended to be a
roadmap to guide future programmatic planning and
inform decision makers during the Agency's annual
planning process. The 2012 Strategy is available at
http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange. Some
initial steps by EPA national water programs and
regional offices are described in the 2012 Highlights of
Progress Report (available at the website above).
"Many of the programs and
activities already underway
throughout the National Water
Program...are even more important
to do in light of climate change.
However, climate change poses
such significant challenges to the
nation's water resources, that
more transformative approaches
will be necessary."
National Water Program 2012
Strategy: Response to Climate Change;
EPA; 2012; p. 1
Pagel
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The 2012 Strategy identifies five long-term Climate Change Vision:
programmatic vision areas:
The National Water Program's overarching
1. water infrastructure; . . r ,. . .. . ,
vision for responding to climate change is:
2. watersheds and wetlands;
3. coastal and ocean waters; „. .. ., . ,, . , .. . ,
Despite the ongoing effects of climate change,
4. water quality; and ., .. .. ,,., ± n • ., . ...
the National Water Program intends to
5. working with Tribes. .. . ,. . . . . ,
continue to achieve its mission to protect and
restore our waters so that drinking water is
Each of these programmatic vision areas is , , .. . . . ,. ,
safe; and aquatic ecosystems sustain fish,
supported by more specific goals and . . , ..,.., „
plants, and wildlife, as well as economic,
strategic actions. Additional goals and .. . , , . . .. ...
recreational, and subsistence activities.
actions address cross-cutting program
support" topics. A table providing a brief
summary of the 5 vision areas, 19 goals, and 53 strategic actions described in the 2012 Strategy
is provided in Appendix 1. Climate change issues and actions in climate regions across the
country are also described in the 2012 Strategy.
The National Water Program, including both EPA Headquarters offices and EPA Regional offices,
has taken several steps to implement the new 2012 Strategy including:
> Developing this Implementation Plan as part of the Agency-wide work to prepare EPA
climate change adaptation implementation plans;
> Preparing internal workplans for 2013 and 2014 describing specific implementation
actions that EPA Headquarters and Regional offices plan to implement;
> Committing to the continued operation of the EPA National Water Program State and
Tribal Climate Change Council made up of representatives of States and Tribes to
provide advice and guidance to the National Water Program in addressing issues related
to climate change and water;
> Identifying future directions for the work on climate change issues in the EPA FY2015
Addendum to the EPA FY 2014 National Water Program Guidance for FY 2014; and
> Committing to leadership of cooperative efforts with other organizations to address
climate change and water issues including serving as co-chair of the Interagency Climate
Change and Water Workgroup (made up of Federal agencies) and the Climate Change
Workgroup of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) made up of 40
stakeholder organizations and Federal agencies.
A graphic illustrating the organizational framework for the climate change work by the National
Water Program is provided in Appendix 2. Appendix 3 provides a list of the principal members
of the National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup that developed this Plan.
Page 2
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II. Vulnerability of Water Resources to Climate Change
The many impacts that a changing climate is likely to have on water resources, both
freshwater and coastal resources, include:
1. Increases in water pollution problems as air and water warm;
2. More extreme weather events;
3. Changes to water availability (rain and snow level and distribution);
4. Sea level rise/storm surge and waterbody boundary movement and
displacement;
5. Collective impacts on coastal areas; and
6. Indirect impacts resulting from changes in energy and fuel production.
The nature and extent of these impacts is described in greater detail below, together
with the relationship of these impacts to clean water and drinking water program
components. The association of climate change impacts on water with clean water and
drinking water programs is illustrated using a chart of the full range of programs (see
sample chart below). For each of the six climate change impacts identified above, the
specific programs identified in the chart affected by the impacts are highlighted. This
chart format illustrates both the programs expected to be affected by the specific type
of climate change impacts and the programs expected to be less affected.
Clean Water and Drinking Water Program Template
Drinking Water Standards
Drinking Water Planning
Underground Injection
Control Permits
Source Water Protection
Drinking Water SRF
(State Revolving Funds)
Surface Water Standards
Clean Water Planning
Discharge Permits
Nonpoint Pollution
Control
Clean Water SRF
(State Revolving Funds)
Technology Based
Standards
Water Monitoring
Storm Water Permits
Coastal Zone
Ocean Protection
Emergency Planning
Water Restoration/ Total
Maximum Daily Loads
(TMDLs)
Wetlands Permits
National Estuaries
Program
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
A table illustrating the collective climate change impacts on clean water and drinking water
program components is provided in Appendix 4.
Page3
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1) Increases in Water Pollution Problems as Air and Water Warm:
Warmer air temperatures will result in warmer
water. Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen
making instances of low oxygen levels or "hypoxia"
more likely (which is detrimental to the aquatic
ecosystem); foster harmful algal blooms; and alter
the toxicity of some pollutants. For further details
on these impacts see pages 41-51, 56, 81, 87, 96,
122, 150, 151 in Karl et al., 2009.
As air and water warm, water resource managers
will likely face significant challenges:
• increased pollutant concentrations and
lower dissolved oxygen levels will result in
Vulnerability Citations:
Descriptions of vulnerabilities
provided in this section are drawn
from: Global Climate Change
Impacts in the United States,
Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo,
and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.)
Cambridge University Press, 2009
(Karl etal 2009). Connections of
climate impacts to water programs
are the assessment of water
program managers.
higher incidences of impaired water quality; (Karl et al.; p. 46)
» increased growth of algae and microbes will affect drinking water quality; (Ibid; p. 46,
96)
» some aquatic taxa will be replaced by other taxa better adapted to warmer water (i.e.,
cold water fish will be replaced by cool water fish), and this process will likely occur at
an uneven pace disrupting aquatic system health and allowing non-native and/or
invasive species to become established; (Ibid; p. 81, 87, 122)
» warmer air temperatures will increase demand for cooling and for power production,
resulting in increased discharges of warm water from power plants; (Ibid; p. 49, 56)
» increased water use will put stress on water infrastructure and demands on the clean
water and drinking water State Revolving Funds; (Ibid; p. 48, 49) and
» increased evapotranspiration rates resulting from temperature increases may result in
water losses for which drinking water and wetlands managers will need to account (Ibid;
p. 49).
Pollution Problems Related to Warmer Air and Water: Effects on Water Programs
(Shaded areas reflect programs most affected by air and water temperature increases)
Drinking Water Standard
Drinking Water Plan
Underground Injection
Control Permits
Source Water Protec
Drinkins Water
:e Water Standards
Technology Based
Standards
lean Water Pla
)ischarge Pern
>oint Pollution
i Water SR
astal Zone
Ocean Protection
National Estuaries
Program
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
2) More Extreme Weather Events:
Page 4
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Heavier precipitation from tropical and inland storms will increase flood risk, expand
flood hazard areas, increase the variability of stream flows (i.e., higher high flows and
lower low flows) and increase the velocity of water during high flow periods, thereby
increasing erosion. These changes will have adverse effects on water quality, drinking
water sources, and aquatic ecosystem health. For example, increases in intense rainfall
may result in more nutrients, sediments, pathogens, and toxins being washed into
waterbodies. For further details on these impacts, see pages 18, 25, 34-36, 41, 44, 88,
94, 95, 102 in Karl et al., 2009.
Water resource managers will face significant challenges as storm intensity increases:
• although there is uncertainty with respect to climate models addressing storm intensity
and frequency, emergency plans for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure need
to recognize the possibility of increased risk of high flow and high velocity events due to
intense storms and potential low flow periods; (Ibid; p. 25, 34-36, 44)
• damage from intense storms may increase the demand for public infrastructure funding
and may require re-prioritizing of infrastructure projects; (Ibid; p. 47)
• floodplains may expand along major rivers requiring protection or relocation of drinking
water and wastewater infrastructure facilities and coordination with local planning
efforts; (Ibid; p. 44)
• in urban areas, stormwater collection and management systems may need to be
redesigned to increase capacity; (Ibid; p. 47, 48)
• combined storm and sanitary sewer systems may need to be redesigned because an
increase in storm event frequency and intensity can result in more combined sewer
overflows causing increased pollutant and pathogen loading to receiving waterbodies;
(Ibid; p. 48, 94, 95)
• changes in precipitation patterns and intensity may increase the demand for watershed
management that mitigates the impacts of intense storms and build resilience into
water management through increased water retention (e.g., green infrastructure, smart
growth, and source water protection practices); (Ibid; p. 41, 44, 45) and
• the management of wetlands for stormwater control purposes and to buffer the
impacts of intense storms will be increasingly important. (Ibid; p. 88,102)
Extreme Weather: Effects on Water Programs
(Shaded areas reflect programs most affected by storm intensity)
Drinking Water Standards
Underground Injection
Control Permits
Surface Water Standards
Technology Based
Standards
Emersencv Plannini
Clean Water Planning
ischaree Permits
Jonpoint Polluti
Control
Water SRF
Water Momtorim
storm Water Permi
/etlands Permit
tional Estuai
rogram
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
PageS
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3) Changes to Water Availability (Rain and Snow Level and Distribution):
In some parts of the country, droughts, changing patterns of precipitation and
snowmelt, and increased water loss due to evaporation as a result of warmer
temperatures, will result in changes to the availability of water for drinking and for use
for agriculture, industry, and energy production, as well as fire protection. In other
areas, sea level rise and salt water intrusion will have the same effect. Warmer air
temperatures may also result in increased demands on water supplies, and the water
needs for agriculture, industry, and energy production are likely to increase. For further
details on these impacts see pages 44-46, 48, 82, 94, 95, 113, 124, 129 in Karl et al.,
2009.
Changing precipitation patterns pose several challenges for water program managers:
• increased rainfall, especially more intense rainfall, will result in increased stormwater
runoff and may make overflows of sanitary sewers and combined sewers more
frequent, putting new demands on discharge permit and nonpoint pollution programs;
(Ibid; p. 44,45, 48, 94, 95)
• increased storm water runoff will wash sediment and other contaminants into drinking
water sources, requiring additional treatment; (Ibid; p. 44-46)
• additional investments in water infrastructure may be needed to manage both
decreases and increases in rainfall and these demands could increase demand for water
financing generally, including from the State Revolving Funds; (Ibid; p. 44-46)
• limited water availability and drought in some regions will require drinking water
providers to reassess supply facility plans and consider alternative pricing, allocation,
water conservation, and water reuse options; (Ibid; p. 44, 48, 113, 129)
• in areas with less precipitation or reduced snowpack, demand for water may shift to
underground aquifers and prompt water recycling and reuse, development of new
reservoirs, or underground injection of treated water for storage; (Ibid; p. 44, 45, 124)
• in areas with less precipitation, reduced stream flow may make meeting water quality
goals more challenging; (Ibid; p. 44, 45, 46) and
• increased incidence of wildfire as a result of higher temperatures and drought may
increase soil erosion and sedimentation, increase water pollution, increase risk of
flooding, and pose a threat to aquatic habitats and water infrastructure. (Ibid; p. 82)
Changes in Rainfall and Snowfall Levels/Distribution: Effects on Water Programs
(Shaded areas reflect programs most affected by rainfall and snowfall levels)
Drinking Water Standards
Technology Based
Standards
National Estuaries
Program
Page6
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4) Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge and Waterbody Boundary Movement and Displacement:
Rising sea levels will move ocean and estuarine shorelines by inundating lowlands,
displacing wetlands, and altering the tidal range in rivers and bays. Storm surges
resulting from more extreme weather events will increase the areas subject to periodic
inundation. Changing water flow to lakes and streams, increased evaporation, and
changed precipitation in some areas will affect the extent of wetlands and lakes. Water
levels in the Great Lakes are expected to fall. For further details on these impacts, see
pages 12, 25, 34, 47, 48, 84, 109,114,138, 152 in Karl et al., 2009.
Sea level rise, storm surges, and waterbody movement will affect a range of water programs
and pose significant challenges for water program managers:
• emergency plans for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure need to account for
long-term projections for rising sea levels; (Ibid; p. 12, 25, 34, 47, 114)
• drinking water systems will need to consider relocating intakes as sea levels rise and salt
water intrudes into freshwater aquifers used for drinking water supply and protecting or
relocating some treatment facilities; (Ibid; p. 47,138)
• wastewater utilities will need to consider hardening facilities against storm surge,
protecting facilities with natural or man-made barriers, and relocation of some
treatment facilities and discharge outfalls as a result of sea level rise; (Ibid; p. 12, 109,
152)and
• watershed-level planning will need to incorporate an integrated approach to coastal
management in light of sea level rise including land use planning, building codes, land
acquisition and easements, shoreline protection structures (e.g., seawalls and channels),
beach nourishment, wetlands management, and underground injection to control salt
water intrusion to fresh water supplies. (Ibid; p. 12, 49, 84, 114)
Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge: Effects on Water Programs
(Shaded areas reflect programs most affected by sea level rise)
Drinking Water Standards
Surface Water Standards
Source Water Protection
Nonpoint Pollution
Control
i Water SR
Technology Based
Standards
Water Monitoring
Storm Water Permits
Emergency Planning
Water Restoration/
TMDLs
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
Page?
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5) Collective Impacts on Coastal Areas:
Coastal areas are likely to see multiple impacts associated with climate change
including: sea level rise, increased damage from floods and storm surges, coastal
erosion, changes in drinking water supplies, and increasing temperature and
acidification of the oceans (e.g., decreases in pH, decreases in carbonate ion availability
for calcifying organisms). These overlapping impacts make protecting water resources
in coastal areas especially challenging. For further details on these impacts, see pages
17, 43, 47, 84, 85,148,151 in Karl et al., 2009.
Changes in ocean characteristics pose several challenges for water program managers
including:
• watershed-level protection programs may need to be revised to account for changes in
natural systems as salinity and pH levels change; (Ibid; p. 17, 43, 47, 151)
• climate change and ocean acidification may exacerbate existing stresses on coral reefs
such that programs to protect coral reefs, including temperate and cold water corals,
from land-based pollution and impacts may need to be reassessed to provide enhanced
protection; (Ibid; p. 84, 85, 148) and
• wetlands programs may need to be adjusted to account for changing salinity levels and
impacts on wetlands health. (Ibid; p. 47, 84)
Changing Ocean Characteristics: Effects on Water Programs
(Shaded areas reflect programs most affected by changing ocean characteristics)
Drinking Water Standards
Drinking Water Planning
Underground Injection
Control Permits
Source Water Protection
Drinking Water SRF
Surface Water Standards
Clean Water Planning
Discharge Permits
Nonpoint Pollution
Control
Clean Water SRF
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
PageS
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6) Indirect Impacts Resulting from Changes in Energy and Fuel Production:
Possible responses to climate change include development of alternative methods of
energy and fuel production that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as
development of carbon sequestration technology. Alternative methods of both energy
production and sequestration can have impacts on water resources including: increased
water use and withdrawals from surface waters and groundwater, potential nonpoint
pollution impacts of expanded agricultural production, increased water temperatures
due to discharge of process cooling waters and reduced assimilative capacity of warmer
waters, increased pollution concentration due to low flows, and effects of carbon
sequestration on groundwater or ocean environments. For further details on these
impacts, see pages 48, 49, 56, 59, 60, 74 in Karl et al., 2009.
Changing energy generation methods poses several challenges for water program managers
including:
• increased water use and withdrawals will require expanded efforts to ensure water
supply availability; (Ibid; p. 48, 49, 56)
• increased water supply demands and more variable water supplies will have effects on
water resource management and reservoir operation; (Ibid; p. 48, 49, 59, 60) and
• need for increased attention to discharge permit conditions to address increased
temperature and concentration of pollutants due to low flows. (Ibid; p. 49, 56)
Energy Generation Shifts: Effects on Water Programs
(Shaded areas reflect programs most affected by energy generation shifts)
Drinking Water Standards
Drinking Water Plannim
Underground lnj~~4
Control Permits
Source Water Protec
Drinking Water SRF
Surface Water Standards Technology Based
ndards
Clean Water Planning
>:scharge Permits
Nonpoint Poll
Control
"lean Water SP
Water Monitoring
Emergency Planning
Water Restoration/
TMDLs
Storm Water Permits
Coastal Zone
:ean Protection
Wetlands Permits
National Estuaries
Program
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
Page 9
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III. Priority Actions
Recognizing the impacts that a changing climate is likely to have on water resources generally,
and clean water and drinking water programs more specifically, the Office of Water identified
criteria to consider in defining "priority actions" to respond to these impacts and make the
water programs more "climate ready." These criteria, and the "priority actions" defined based
on the criteria, are described below. The Office of Water commitment to "mainstreaming"
climate considerations into the full range of core clean water and drinking water programs is
also described. Some specific core programs that, although designed for other purposes, have
clear benefits in responding to a changing climate, are identified.
In addition, EPA Regional offices play a central role in implementing clean water and drinking
water programs and are especially important because they are in a position to tailor
implementation actions to the varied climate change and water adaptation challenges that exist
across the country. Additionally, EPA Regional offices are able to work closely with States,
Tribes, and other stakeholders to advance these activities. The Office of Water and Regional
office water programs have identified a set of nine "common" activities that water programs in
each Regional office will attempt to implement to build their capability to respond to climate
change challenges related to water resources. These common climate change and water
actions are described at the end of this section.
Criteria to Identify Priority Actions
Since resources to implement climate change response actions are limited, it is
important to consider the significance of the impacts and to allocate scarce resources to
response actions that address the most pressing and critical threats.
Some key criteria to consider when linking climate change impacts to potential response
actions include:
> Urgency: What is the timing of the impact? How urgent is it that it be addressed?
> Risk: How significant is the risk to public health, infrastructure, or aquatic
ecosystems?
> Geographic Scale: What is the geographic/demographic scale of the impact?
> Programmatic Scale: What is the scale of the programmatic impact?
> Probability of Occurrence: What is the likelihood the impact will actually occur?
Page 10
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Office of Water Priority Actions
Based on consideration of the criteria identified above, the Office of Water has identified ten
"priority actions". These actions were identified from a larger group of national program office
and regional water program actions developed as part internal work planning processes.
1. Encourage water utilities to use the Climate Resiliency Evaluation and Awareness Tool
(GREAT) and develop Version 3.0 of this tool.
2. Promote use of an Extreme Events Workshop Planner designed to provide everything a
water sector utility needs to plan, customize, and conduct a workshop focused on
planning for extreme events including flooding, drought, sea level rise and storm surges,
wildfire, and reduced snowpack.
3. In cooperation with EPA Regional offices, expand the number of WaterSense partners
nationally and in each Region, with a goal of a 150 additional partners annually.
4. Encourage the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to incorporate
climate change considerations into their processes.
5. Encourage the National Estuary Programs and other watershed managers at the state
and local level to use the Watershed Climate Change Adaptation Planning Workbook
developed by the EPA National Estuary Program.
6. Complete development of initial screening criteria to identify water and wastewater
facilities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts that may be at risk of inundation in the event
of a storm surge comparable to Hurricane Sandy and work with utilities to address risks.
7. Complete technical development of the Climate Change Extension within the
Stormwater Calculator and identify and implement enhancements to improve its utility.
8. Work with EPA Regional office counterparts to identify ways to better integrate climate
change considerations into water quality management planning projects and
processes and develop an initial report.
9. Draft a white paper providing information States and Tribes can use to protect aquatic
life from negative effects associated with alteration of hydrologic conditions, including
potential effects from climate change.
10. Engage key stakeholders in climate change adaptation work by continuing to support
the EPA State and Tribal Climate Change Council that advises the National Water
Program and engaging additional stakeholders using a range of forums and mechanisms.
Page 11
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It is important to note that a key objective of the 2012 Strategy is to integrate climate change
considerations and awareness into day-to-day management decisions for clean water and
drinking water programs at national, regional, state, tribal, and local levels. The National
Water program is facilitating this "mainstreaming" of climate change into core water programs
by providing information and training to water program managers on climate change issues and
prompting discussions of opportunities to recognize climate change in program management
wherever possible. The Office of Water is also working with water programs in the ten EPA
Regions to address climate change and water issues generally, as well as specific challenges that
occur in each Region (see common EPA regional climate change actions below).
In addition to the specific "priority actions" identified above, the National Water Program
conducts a range of programs that, although not designed to directly or uniquely address the
impacts of a changing climate, make important contributions to making water resources more
resilient to the impacts of a changing climate. Some examples of climate change-supporting
programs include:
• Wetlands programs that help protect and restore wetlands that serve as sponges to
retain water from more intense storm events, increased precipitation, and more rapid
snowmelt;
• Stormwater permit programs that reduce pollution levels and the rate of runoff of
rainfall in developed areas with large percentages of impervious surfaces and
programs that promote improved stormwater management through implementation
of "green infrastructure" practices;
• Healthy watershed programs that help maintain the quality of healthy watersheds and
supportive habitat corridor networks across the country that provide resilience to
climate change impacts;
• The National Estuary Program supports development and implementation of
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) in 28 estuaries around
the country and had supported the development of a range of projects to address
climate change challenges faced in these estuaries;
• Infrastructure management programs to expand the use of management practices that
make water and wastewater treatment facilities more sustainable, including practices
that improve resilience to climate change; and
• Monitoring programs, such as the National Coastal Condition Report, that can provide
benchmarks of progress in addressing key climate change impacts.
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Common Climate Change Actions for Regional Water Programs
Each regional water program will attempt to carry out the following common climate change
related activities in 2013:
1. Participate in the National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup: Maintain
current participation in the National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup,
including identifying a single point of contact for the regional water program.
2. Support the EPA Office of Water Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan:
Help to develop and implement the EPA-wide Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan (and coordinate between the National Water Program 2012
Strategy and the EPA regional climate change adaptation implementation plans.
3. Build Internal Climate Change Communications: After the completion of the EPA
Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan, draw on materials developed by the
Office of Water to provide training for regional water program staff on the challenges
that climate change poses for water programs and familiarize them with the National
Water Program 2012 Strategy and regional climate adaptation plans through a variety of
means such as "all hands" meetings, webinars, seminars, and dissemination of the
plans.
4. Build External Climate Change Communications: Support national program efforts to
inform and educate water program managers in the public and private sectors on
climate change and water issues through a variety of means such as identifying key
stakeholders and expanding professional networks, improving educational outreach
efforts on national and regional EPA climate change websites and in other media, and
disseminating clear and credible messaging on climate change science and impacts.
5. Address Climate Change in Meetings with States and Tribes: In program meetings with
States and Tribes in 2014, include discussion of ongoing Agency and regional climate
change adaptation planning, the National Water Program 2012 Strategy, and climate
change activities related to State water programs as appropriate.
6. Support Coordination among Federal Agency Regional Offices: Coordinate with the
Regional offices of other Federal agencies on climate change adaptation matters and
participate, where appropriate, with related interagency cooperative and collaborative
efforts to address climate change challenges on a regional scale.
7. Promote Use of Tools from the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) and Climate
Ready Estuaries (CRE) Programs: Work with municipal and private water and
wastewater utilities to promote use of the Climate Resilience, Evaluation and Awareness
Tool (GREAT) to recognize and respond to climate change risks and promote with
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National Estuary Program partners the use of the new Climate Ready Estuaries
workbook to develop local climate vulnerability assessments and resilience plans.
8. Develop Regional WaterSense Partners: Work with States, Tribes, municipalities, non-
profit organizations and businesses to promote the WaterSense Program in the region.
9. Work with State Revolving Loan Fund Programs to recognize climate change impacts.
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IV. Office of Water Contribution to Meeting EPA
Strategic Measures on Climate Change
The EPA Strategic Plan identifies several objectives for strengthening the Agency response to a
changing climate by 2015. The Office of Water is committed to contributing to the Agency
work to meet these objectives. The Agency objective and the Office of Water contribution to
meeting the objective are identified below. Implementation plans from other offices within
EPA address additional steps to be taken to meet these objectives.
• Save energy and conserve resources: The Office of Water will support this objective
through measures to reduce energy use at wastewater treatment plants and through
the WaterSense program.
• Integrate climate change science into five major models and/or decision support tools:
The Office of Water supported this objective through publication of Version 2.0 of the
Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (GREAT) for water utilities.
• Integrate climate change science or trend information into five major rulemaking
processes: The Office of Water will support this objective through the development of a
water program regulation prior to 2015. The specific regulation is not yet determined.
• Integrate climate change considerations into five major grant, loan, or technical
assistance programs: The Office of Water is meeting this objective through integrating
climate change in the National Estuary Program grant program.
The Office of Water will monitor progress in supporting these Agency objectives annually and
will adjust programs and activities as needed to assure that the water program contributions to
meeting the goals are achieved by the 2015 due date.
V. Legal and Enforcement Issues
The Office of Water works closely with the EPA Office of General Counsel and matters related
to climate change and water resources and will continue this working relationship in the future.
To date, water program actions to respond to a changing climate have not faced significant
legal issues.
As noted in Section IX of this Plan, the Office of Water is interested in initiating a pilot project
for collaboration with the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance addressing
inclusion of climate change considerations in compliance and enforcement activities.
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VI. Training and Outreach
The Office of Water will continue and expand current work to provide training to water
program managers on climate change issues and to ensure strong communication and
coordination among EPA water program offices, regional offices, other Federal agencies, and
stakeholders. These training and outreach materials are addressed in Goal 17 of the 2012
Strategy.
Training
The Office of Water will continue to work to provide training on climate change impacts on
water resources, and especially on the impacts on clean water and drinking water programs.
Some key actions the Office of Water will take include:
> Update the Climate Change and Water training module included as part of the EPA
Watershed Academy online training program and promote this climate change and
water training with EPA water program staff in national and regional offices;
> Continue the monthly Climate Change and Water Seminar Series which invites experts
in climate change and water issues to speak to EPA Headquarters and Regional staff;
> Continue to support the Climate Change Module at the EPA Water Quality Standards
Academy that presents an overview of climate change impacts on water resources and
climate change vulnerability considerations for managers;
> Participate in the Agency workgroup tasked with developing a general training tool for
EPA staff addressing climate change adaptation challenges;
> Work with Regions to develop a model presentation that EPA regional water programs
can use to describe the climate change and water issues generally, with a focus on the
implementation of the National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate
Change; and
> Sponsor an all-hands meeting of the Office of Water after the completion of the EPA
Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan to generally familiarize all staff with
the challenges that climate change poses and to describe the new Agency
Implementation Plan with special emphasis on the 2012 Strategy for the National Water
Program and this Office of Water Implementation Plan.
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Outreach
The Office of Water will support several activities to cooperate with other EPA offices, Federal
agencies, and other organizations interested in addressing the impacts of a changing climate on
water resources including:
> Continue to support the National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup and
provide oversight and management of National Water Program climate change
actions, including implementation of the National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
Response to Climate Change (this Workgroup includes staff from national program
offices, other EPA offices, EPA regional offices, and Great Waterbody offices);
> Continue to support the EPA National Water Program State and Tribal Climate Change
Council that advises the National Water Program on a full range of climate change
adaptation issues, including implementation of the National Water Program 2012
Strategy: Response to Climate Change, and engaging additional stakeholders using a
range of forums and mechanisms.
> Continue to serve as co-chair of the Interagency Water Resources Workgroup that
supports the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience and Preparedness and provide
staff support to this Workgroup that oversees the implementation of the National
Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate;
> Serve as the Federal Agency co-chair of the Climate Change Workgroup of the Advisory
Committee on Water Information (ACWI) in cooperation with the non-Federal co-chair
from the Water Environment Federation;
> Continue to manage the EPA climate change and water website providing information
and materials on a range of climate change and water topics;
> Continue to publish the EPA Climate Change and Water News electronic newsletter
and consider options to expand the number of subscribers (currently approximately
2,700 email addresses) with a goal of doubling that number;
> Work with EPA Regions to support efforts to link and coordinate Office of Water
climate change website content with climate change content provided on regional
water program websites;
> Work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the effective operation and management
of the Water Resources Toolbox website which provides a one stop website of
information on a range of water resources management issues, including climate
change;
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Work with EPA Region 10, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
State of Washington, and other interested agencies and Tribes on issues related to
assessing water quality criteria relevant to ocean and coastal acidification (e.g.,
aragonite saturation state (calcium carbonate availability for calcareous organisms' shell
building); and
Work with the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate progress in understanding and
developing innovative technologies and processes that lead to improved management
of both water resources and energy production including topics such as:
o Integrated water resource management;
o Water and energy efficiency and conservation;
o Water quality;
o Use and reuse of wastewater for power generation;
o Emergency response and recovery; and
o Thermoelectric generation.
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VII. Partnerships with Tribes
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian Tribes in planning
and decision making. Supporting the development of capacity to adapt to climate change
among Tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change due to the integral nature of the environment within their traditional lifeways
and culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation strategies that promote sustainability
and reduce the impact of climate change on Tribes.
EPA engaged Tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's
Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion,
temperature change, drought, and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes
recommended a number of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving
access to data and information; supporting baseline research to better track the effects of
climate change; developing community-level education and awareness materials; and providing
financial and technical support. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise
provide by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK
is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate change
and has been used by Tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings.
The Office of Water has a strong partnership with Tribes and works closely with Tribes in the
implementation of clean water and drinking water programs. This partnership extends to work
on issues relating to climate change and water.
The 2012 Strategy addresses cooperation with Tribes on climate change and water matters in
Goals 15 and 16. Some key objectives of these goals include:
»«» Strategic Action 47: Through formal consultation and other mechanisms, incorporate
climate change as a key consideration in the revised National Water Program Tribal
Strategy and subsequent implementation of Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA), and other core programs;
»«» Strategic Action 48: Incorporate adaptation into tribal funding mechanisms, and
collaborate with other EPA and federal funding programs to support sustainability and
adaptation in tribal communities;
»«» Strategic Action 49: Collaborate to explore and develop climate change science,
information, and tools for Tribes, and incorporate local knowledge; and
»«» Strategic Action 50: Collaborate to develop communication materials relevant for tribal
uses and tribal audiences.
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Some key actions that the Office of Water will implement to advance the goal of supporting
Tribes in responding to the water-related impacts of climate change include:
> Continue to support the EPA National Water Program State and Tribal Climate Change
Council as a vehicle for sharing information and hearing the views of Tribes on climate
change issues;
> Include a presentation addressing tribal climate change recommendations at the next
Office of Water tribal water quality conference, planned for 2015;
> Continue to support sustainability and adaptation in tribal communities in coordination
with the EPA-Tribal Science Council (TSC), as the TSC implements its tribal science
priorities for climate change and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) (e.g. the Office
of Water will develop and incorporate water-resource specific information into
materials, presentations, and training related to TEK);
> Collaborate with the EPA American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO) to incorporate
climate change adaptation into the tribal General Assistance Program (GAP) grant
guidance;
> Work with Tribes to identify the most pressing and significant impacts that a changing
climate poses for tribal management of water resources and support actions to
respond to climate change related vulnerabilities; and
^ Partner with tribal stakeholders to develop and pilot the Tribal-Focused Environmental
Risk Screening Tool (Tribal-FERST), a web-based geospatial and information access tool
to support tribal environmental decision making that provides access to relevant
science and information that can be used to help identify, prioritize, and manage
environmental and public health issues.
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VIM. Vulnerable Populations and Places
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons with
underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information, and
tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as
those located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate
climate adaptation into its programs, policies, and rules calls for its adaptation plans to
prioritize helping people, places, and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts
and to be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
The Office of Water is giving special attention to populations and places that are most
vulnerable to the water related impacts of a changing climate. As noted above, the Office of
Water is working closely with Tribes to respond to climate change impacts on water resources.
In the case of vulnerable places, the Office of Water is supporting national program initiatives
that address places that are especially vulnerable to a changing climate. For example, the
Climate Ready Estuaries program advances climate adaptation work in many of the 28 estuaries
that participate in the National Estuary Program.
In addition, the Office of Water will work with EPA Regional offices to support climate change
adaptation work by Great Waterbody offices (e.g., the Chesapeake Bay Program Office and the
Great Lakes National Program Office) as well as other large ecosystem programs. Some
examples of actions planned in this area are provided below.
> The Chesapeake Bay Program Office will develop a research coordination and support
program to address climate change issues in the Chesapeake Bay.
> The Great Lakes National Program Office will initiate the Climate Change Impacts
Annex Subcommittee to the newly formed Great Lakes Executive Committee under the
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with Canada and develop and implement a bi-
national workplan to undertake activities over the next three years to fulfill the
commitments in the annex.
> EPA Region 10 will address climate change in grants to support protection and
restoration of Puget Sound consistent with the Puget Sound Action Agenda including:
o conduct an erosion survey to evaluate sea level rise threat in San Juan County;
o map habitat and infrastructure vulnerability in Puget Sound and restoration
potential for reducing vulnerability;
o Tribes and counties will incorporate climate change in their plans and/or
analyses.
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Puget Sound Grant partners include: Puget Sound Partnership, Friends of the San Juans,
The Nature Conservancy, Snohomish County, Washington Department of Ecology,
Samish Indian Nation, Swinomish Tribe, Nooksack Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, and Port
Gamble Indian Commission.
> EPA Regions 1 and 2 will revise the Lake Champlain TMDL, including an analysis of
potential effects of climate change on phosphorous loads to the Lake.
> EPA Regions 2 and 3 will support the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary efforts
toward climate change adaption planning by expanding upon the work of the climate
change adaptation plan of 2010 including:
o creating a living shorelines process document that combines their knowledge of
the Delaware Estuary Living Shorelines Initiative planning, installation, and
outreach processes and best practices; and
o continue recruiting communities to the Weathering Change program in which
agencies work with the community to help them understand the weather-
related changes that are beginning to happen in their community.
> EPA Regions 1 and 2 are supporting the Long Island Sound program in implementing the
"Sentinels of Climate Change: Coastal Indicators of Wildlife and Ecosystem Change"
project in Long Island Sound. The project will address several of the key climate change
sentinels identified by the Sentinel Monitoring program, including the responses of
critical and sensitive habitats, such as salt marsh and tidal flats, and how changes in
these ecosystems impact the population and behavior patterns of key bird species
inhabiting them.
> EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4 are working with other Federal agencies (e.g., the U.S.
Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and
Army Corps of Engineers) and States to manage development of off-shore renewable
energy facilities, including identify areas best suited for wind energy production. EPA
will have significant National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) responsibilities once
projects are proposed and, to a lesser degree, Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act
permitting responsibilities.
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IX. Evaluation and Cross-Office Pilot Projects
Work is underway within the Office of Water to develop strong program evaluation practices
for assessing progress in responding to climate change impacts and to develop effective
collaborations with other EPA national program offices are described below.
Evaluation of Progress
The National Water Program initiated a new process in 2012 to track progress in implementing
climate change response programs based on assessing the stage or phase of development of
efforts to implement each of the 19 major Goals identified in the 2012 Strategy. Progress
toward each of the 19 Goals was assessed by program staff in the context of one of seven
phases of development. The seven developmental phases are:
1. Initiation; conduct a screening assessment of potential implications of climate
change to mission, programs, and operations;
2. Assessment; conduct a broader review to understand how climate change affects
the resources in question;
3. Response Development; identify changes necessary to continue to reach program
mission and goals and develop initial action plan;
4. Initial Implementation; initiate actions in selected priority programs or projects
5. Robust Implementation; programs are underway and lessons learned are being
applied to additional programs and projects;
6. Mainstreaming; climate is an embedded, component of the program; and
7. Monitor Outcomes and Adaptive Management; continue to monitor and integrate
performance, new information, and lessons learned into programs and plans.
In the 2012 Highlights of Progress (see http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange), the Office
of Water identified the status of work on each of the Goals in the 2012 Strategy (see Appendix
1) as of December 2012. This 2012 baseline assessment has a total numeric value of 43 out of
a total possible score of 133 (i.e., 19 Goals times a score of 7 for each action = 133). This
combined score indicates that many actions are in the early stages of implementation.
Future annual progress reports will identify the cumulative progress toward full
implementation of the 2012 Strategy in both narrative and numeric terms.
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In the future, the Office of Water will work to develop metrics that assess the readiness of clean
water programs in the face of a changing climate and the contribution that water programs
make toward reducing releases of greenhouse gases (e.g., reducing water use which reduces
energy use, or generating energy from wastewater treatment to lower carbon footprints of
these facilities).
Cross-Organization Projects
The EPA Office of Water is engaged in two major cross-organization projects related to climate
change adaptation:
> Collaboration on National Estuaries Program: The Office of Water, in collaboration
with the EPA Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) has funded 37 projects with 23 National
Estuary Programs (NEPs) in six EPA Regions through the Climate Ready Estuaries
Program. In 2012, the program completed the first Climate Ready Water Utilities pilot
project, held a lessons learned workshop with NEPs in EPA Region 1, held a joint
stakeholder meeting with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and
promoted Fall 2011 king tide sea level rise education campaigns with 10 NEPs. In
addition, two NEPs collaborated with the EPA Office of Research and Development to
pilot test an expert elicitation approach to address climate change vulnerability
assessments. In 2013, the Office of Water will continue to work with OAR to help
National Estuary Programs respond to a changing climate.
> Collaboration on Evaluation: The Office of Water has undertaken a measurement and
evaluation project through the EPA Office of Policy's Evaluation Support Division to
guide implementation of National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate
Change (2012 Strategy). The purpose of this project is to:
• develop a robust performance measurement approach for the 2012 Strategy; and
• identify lessons learned from previous climate change planning efforts that can
inform implementation of the new strategy.
The Office of Water views measurement in general, and this project specifically, as
critical for the long-term success of the 2012 Strategy.
> Collaboration on Climate and Water Research: The Office of Water has a longstanding
collaboration with the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) to ensure that
climate change issues are addressed to the extent possible in water research supported
by the Agency. In 2013, the Office of Water and ORD will begin quarterly meetings to
review progress and set directions for research related to climate change and water and
will organize research projects from different parts of ORD according to the specific
goals identified in the 2012 Strategy.
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Potential future collaborations with other EPA Offices include:
> Collaboration on Enforcement Issues: The Office of Water is interested in working with
the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance to identify opportunities to
recognize the impacts of a changing climate on water resources in the context of
compliance and enforcement activities and actions through the use of green
infrastructure, climate resilient approaches, and other measures.
> Collaboration on Storm Surge Screening Criteria: The Office of Water is working with
Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 to begin development of initial screening criteria that could be
used to identify water and wastewater facilities that may be at risk from inundation as a
result of a storm surge event comparable to that generated by Hurricane Sandy.
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APPENDICES
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Appendix 1:
Visions, Goals and Strategic Actions of the
National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change
Including 2012 Baseline Assessment Scores
Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions (SA)
2012
Development
Phase /Score
Infrastructure: In the face of a changing climate, resilient and adaptable drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater utilities (water sector) ensure clean and safe water to protect the nation's public
health and environment by making smart investment decisions to improve the sustainability of their
infrastructure and operations and the communities they serve, while reducing greenhouse gas
emissions through greater energy efficiency.
Goall:
Build the body
of information
and tools
needed to
incorporate
climate change
into planning
and decision
making.
Goal 2:
Support
Integrated
Water
Resources
Management
(IWRM)to
sustainably
manage water
resources.
SA1: Improve access to vetted climate and hydrological science,
modeling, and assessment tools through the Climate Ready Water
Utilities Initiative.
SA2: Assist wastewater and water utilities to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and increase long-term sustainability with a
combination of energy efficiency, co-generation, and increased use
of renewable energy resources.
SA3: Work with the States and public water systems, particularly
small water systems, to identify and plan for climate change
challenges to drinking water safety and to assist in meeting health
based drinking water standards.
SA4: Promote sustainable design approaches to provide for the
long-term sustainability of infrastructure and operations.
SA5: Understand and promote through technical assistance the
use of water supply management strategies.
SA6: Evaluate and provide technical assistance on the use of water
demand management strategies.
SA7: Increase cross-sector knowledge of water supply climate
challenges and develop watershed specific information to inform
decision making.
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
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Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions
2012
Development
Phase/Score
Watersheds & Wetlands: Watersheds are protected, maintained and restored to ensure climate
resilience and to preserve the social and economic benefits they provide; and the nation's wetlands
are maintained and improved using integrated approaches that recognize their inherent value as well
as their role in reducing the impacts of climate change.
Goal 3:
Identify, protect,
and maintain a
network of
healthy
watersheds and
supportive
habitat corridor
networks.
SA8: Develop a national framework and support efforts to
protect remaining healthy watersheds and aquatic ecosystems.
SA9: Collaborate with partners on terrestrial ecosystems and
hydrology so that effects on water quality and aquatic
ecosystems are considered.
SA10: Integrate protection of healthy watersheds throughout the
National Water Program core programs.
SA11: Increase public awareness of the role and importance of
healthy watersheds in reducing the impacts of climate change.
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
Goal 4:
Incorporate
climate resilience
into watershed
restoration and
floodplain
management.
SA12: Consider a means of accounting for climate change in EPA
funded and other watershed restoration projects.
SA13: Work with federal, state, interstate, tribal, and local
partners to protect and restore the natural resources and
functions of riverine and coastal floodplains as a means of
building resiliency and protecting water quality.
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
GoalS:
Watershed
protection
practices
incorporate
Source Water
Protection to
protect drinking
water supplies.
SA14: Encourage States to update their source water
delineations, assessments or protection plans to address
anticipated climate change impacts.
SA15: Continue to support collaborative efforts to increase state
and local awareness of source water protection needs and
opportunities, and encourage inclusion of source water
protection areas in local climate change adaptation initiatives.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
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Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions
2012 Baseline
Assessment
Watersheds & Wetlands (continued)
Goal 6:
Incorporate
climate change
considerations
into the Clean
Water Act (CWA)
404 regulatory
program as they
relate to permit
reviews and
compensatory
mitigation.
SA16: Consider the effects of climate change, as appropriate,
when making significant degradation determinations in the CWA
Section 404 wetlands permitting and enforcement program
SA17: Evaluate, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, how wetland and stream compensation projects could
be selected, designed, and sited to aid in reducing the effects of
climate change.
Phase:
Initiation
Score:
1
Goal?:
Improve baseline
information on
wetland extent,
condition and
performance to
inform effective
adaptation to
climate change.
SA18: Expand wetland mapping by supporting wetland mapping
coalitions and training on use of the new federal Wetland
Mapping Standard.
SA19: Produce a statistically valid, ecological condition
assessment of the nation's wetlands.
SA20: Work with partners and stakeholders to develop
information and tools to support long term planning and priority
setting for wetland restoration projects.
Phase:
Initiation
Score:
1
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Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions
2012 Baseline
Assessment
Coastal and Ocean Waters: Adverse effects of climate change and unintended adverse consequences
of responses to climate change have been successfully prevented or reduced in the ocean and coastal
environment. Federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, organizations, and institutions are working
cooperatively; and information necessary to integrate climate change considerations into ocean and
coastal management is produced, readily available, and used.
Goal 8:
Collaborate to
ensure
information and
methodologies
for ocean and
coastal areas are
collected,
produced,
analyzed, and
easily available.
SA21: Collaborate to ensure that synergy occurs, lessons learned
are transferred, federal efforts effectively help local communities,
and efforts are not duplicative or at cross-purposes.
SA22: Work within EPA and with the U.S. Global Change Research
Program and other federal, tribal, and state agencies to collect,
produce, analyze, and format knowledge and information needed
to protect ocean and coastal areas and make it easily available.
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
Goal 9:
EPA
geographically
targeted
programs
support and build
networks of local,
tribal, state,
regional and
federal
collaborators to
take effective
adaptation
measures for
coastal and
ocean
environments.
SA23: Work with the National Water Program's larger geographic
programs to incorporate climate change considerations, focusing
on both the natural and built environments.
SA24: Address climate change adaptation and build stakeholder
capacity when implementing National Estuary Program
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans and
through the Climate Ready Estuaries Program.
SA25: Conduct outreach and education, and provide technical
assistance to state and local watershed organizations and
communities to build adaptive capacity in coastal areas outside
the National Estuary Program and Large Aquatic Ecosystem
programs.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
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Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions
2012 Baseline
Assessment
Coastal and Ocean Waters (continued)
Goal 10:
Address climate
driven
environmental
changes in
coastal areas and
ensure that
mitigation and
adaptation are
conducted in an
environmentally
responsible
manner.
SA26: Support coastal wastewater, stormwater, and drinking
water infrastructure owners and operators in reducing climate
risks and encourage adaptation in coastal areas.
SA27: Support climate readiness of coastal communities,
including hazard mitigation, pre-disaster planning, preparedness,
and recovery efforts.
SA28: Support preparation and response planning for diverse
impacts to coastal aquatic environments.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
Goal 11: Ocean
environments are
protected by EPA
programs that
incorporate
shifting
environmental
conditions, and
other emerging
threats.
SA29: Consider climate change impacts on marine water quality
in National Water Program ocean management authorities,
policies, and programs.
SA30: Use available authorities and work with the regional ocean
organizations and other federal and state agencies through
regional ocean groups and other networks so that offshore
renewable energy production does not adversely affect the
marine environment.
SA31: Support the evaluation of sub-seabed sequestration of
carbon dioxide (CO2) and any proposals for ocean fertilization.
SA32: Participate in interagency development and
implementation of federal strategies through the National Ocean
Council and the National Ocean Council Strategic Action Plans.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
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Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions
2012 Baseline
Assessment
Water Quality: Our Nation's surface water, drinking water, and ground water quality are protected,
and the risks of climate change to human health and the environment are diminished, through a
variety of adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Goal 12:
Protect waters of
the United States
and promote
management of
sustainable
surface water
resources.
SA33: Encourage States and communities to incorporate climate
change considerations into their water quality planning.
SA34: Encourage green infrastructure and low-impact
development to protect water quality and make watersheds
more resilient.
SA35: Promote consideration of climate change impacts by
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permitting authorities.
SA36: Encourage water quality authorities to consider climate
change impacts when developing wasteload and load allocations
in Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) where appropriate.
SA37: Identify and protect designated uses that are at risk from
climate change impacts.
SA38: Clarify how to re-evaluate aquatic life water quality criteria
on more regular intervals; and develop information to assist
States and Tribes who are developing criteria that incorporate
climate change considerations for hydrologic condition.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
Goal 13:
As the Nation
makes decisions
to reduce its
greenhouse gas
emissions and
develop
alternative
sources of energy
and fuel, the
National Water
Program will
work to protect
water resources
from unintended
adverse
consequences.
SA39: Continue to provide perspective on the water resource
implications of new energy technologies.
SA40: Provide assistance to states and permittees to assure that
geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide is responsibly managed.
SA41: Continue to work with States to help them identify
polluted waters, including those affected by biofuels production,
and help them develop and implement Total Maximum Daily
Loads (TMDLs) for those waters.
SA42: Provide informational materials for stakeholders to
encourage the consideration of alternative sources of energy and
fuels that are water efficient and maintain water quality.
SA43: As climate change affects the operation or placement of
reservoirs, EPA will work with other Federal agencies and EPA
programs to understand the combined effects of climate change
and hydropower on flows, water temperature, and water quality.
Phase:
Initiation
Score:
1
Page 34
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Visions and
Goals
Strategic Actions
2012 Baseline
Assessment
Water Quality (continued)
Goal 14:
Collaborate to
make
hydrological and
climate data and
projections
available.
SA44: Monitor climate change impacts to surface waters and
ground water.
SA45: Collaborate with other Federal agencies to develop new
methods for use of updated precipitation, storm frequency, and
observational streamflow data, as well as methods for evaluating
projected changes in low flow conditions.
SA46: Enhance flow estimation using National Hydrography
DatasetPlus(NHDPIus).
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
Working With Tribes: Tribes are able to preserve, adapt, and maintain the viability of their culture,
traditions, natural resources, and economies in the face of a changing climate.
Goal 15:
Incorporate
climate change
considerations in
the
implementation
of core programs,
and collaborate
with other EPA
offices and
Federal agencies
to work with
Tribes on climate
change issues on
a multi-media
basis.
SA47: Through formal consultation and other mechanisms,
incorporate climate change as a key consideration in the revised
National Water Program Tribal Strategy and subsequent
implementation of the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act,
and other core programs.
SA48: Incorporate adaptation into tribal funding mechanisms,
and collaborate with other EPA and Federal funding programs to
support sustainability and adaptation in tribal communities.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
Goal 16:
Tribes have
access to
information on
climate change
for decision
making.
SA49: Collaborate to explore and develop climate change
science, information, and tools for Tribes, and incorporate local
knowledge.
SA50: Collaborate to develop communication materials relevant
for tribal uses and tribal audiences.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
Page 35
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Visions and Goals
Strategic Actions
2012 Baseline
Assessment
Cross-Cutting Program Support
Goal 17:
Communication,
Collaboration,
and Training
SA51: Continue building the communication, collaboration, and
training mechanisms needed to effectively increase adaptive
capacity at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels.
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
Goal 18: Tracking
Progress And
Measuring
Outcomes
SA52: Adopt a phased approach to track programmatic progress
towards Strategic Actions; achieve commitments reflected in the
Agency Strategic Plan; work with the National Water Program
Climate Change Workgroup to develop outcome measures.
Phase:
Response
Development
Score:
3
Goal 19: Climate
Change and
Water Research
Needs
SA53: Work with the EPA Office of Research and Development,
other water science agencies, and the water research community
to further define needs and develop research opportunities to
deliver the information needed to support implementation of this
2012 Strategy, including providing the decision support tools
needed by water resource managers.
Phase:
Assessment
Score:
2
Total Score:
42 of a possible
133
Page 36
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APPENDIX 2:
National Water Program Climate Change Organizational Framework
Assistant Administrator for
Water
EPA Planning and Budget
FY2011-2015 EPA
Strategic Plan
(Climate Change
Adaptation Strategic
Measures)
National Water
Program Planning and
Budget
EPA National Water
Program Guidance
(Climate Section)
\
(Deputy Assistant
Administrator chairs
National Water Program
Climate Change Workgroup1
National Water Program
Climate Change Workgroup
(EPA Headquarters Water
Program Offices and
Regions)
2012 National Water
Program Climate Change
Strategy
National Water Program
Climate Change Adaptation
Workplan (Internal}
National Water Program
Climate Change Adaptation
implementation Plan (partat
Agency Climate Plan)
Council on Climate,
Preparedness, and Reslience
Water Resources Workgroup
EPA Office of Water, Co-chair
National Action Plan:
Priorities for Managing
Freshwater Resources in a
Changing Climate
Interagency Advisory
Committee on Water
Information (ACWI)
Water Resources and
Climate Change
Workgroup (WRCCWG)
EPA Office of Water,
Federal Co-chair
EPA Cross-Agency
Adaptation Workgroup
EPA Climate Change
Adaptation Plan
(June 2012)
EPA Program
Office/Region-Specific
Climate Adaptation
Implementation Plans
EPA 10 Regional Offices
Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plans
(part of Agency Climate
Change Implementation Plans)
EPA National Water
Program
State and Tribal
Climate Change
Council
Page 37
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Appendix 3:
National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup
Principal Members
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
Mike Muse
Curt Baranowski
Office of Science and Technology
Rachael Novak
Office of Wastewater Management
Veronica Blette
Karen Metchis
Lynn Stabenfeld
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
Michael Craghan
Kathleen Kutschenreuter
Julie Reichert
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Water
Mike Shapiro
Jeff Peterson
Elana Goldstein
David Bylsma
Region 1 - Mel Cote
Region 2 - Alexandre Remnek
Region 3 - Joe Piotrowski
Region 4 - Bob Howard
Region 5 - Kate Balasa
Region 6 - Jim Brown
Region 7 - Mary Mindrup
Region 8 - Mitra Jha
Region 9 - Suzanne Marr
Region 10 - Paula VanHaagen
Page 38
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Appendix 4: Table Illustrating Climate Change Impacts on
Clean Water and Drinking Water Program Components
Clean Water/
Drinking Water
Program
Component
Drinking Water
Standards
Drinking Water
Planning
Underground Injection
Control Permits
Source Water
Protection
Drinking Water SRF
(State Revolving
Funds)
Surface Water
Standards
Clean Water Planning
Discharge Permits
Nonpoint Pollution
Control
Clean Water SRF
(State Revolving
Funds)
Technology Based
Standards
Water Monitoring
Storm Water Permits
Coastal Zone
Ocean Protection
Emergency Planning
Water Restoration/
Total Maximum Daily
Loads (TMDLs)
Wetlands Permits
National Estuaries
Program
Combined Sewer
Overflow Plans
Climate Change Impacts
Increased
Water
Pollution
More
Extreme
Weather
Events
Changes in
Water
Availability
Sea
Level
Rise
Coastal
Area
Impacts
Water
Impacts of
Energy
Production
Page 39
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tsszz*
Prepared by:
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
May 2014
-------
EPA NEW ENGLAND
REGIONAL
CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN
EPA Publication Number 100K14001H
JUNE 10, 2014
-------
Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document, nor
any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed intention,
suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes,
the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion
in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
-------
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the
range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the
EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue fulfilling its
statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore anticipating and planning
for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and
the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for review
and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to identify
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority
actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will remain effective
under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA
complements efforts to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal
government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National Environmental
Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices developed a Climate
Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in the
agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will integrate climate adaptation
into its planning and work in a manner consistent and compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide
priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to
build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes, and
local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways that
climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them with the
necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program vulnerability
assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data,
and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission. The plan then identifies
specific priority actions that the office will take to begin addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming
climate change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An
emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development
of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal
governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream
climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to
understand how well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each Implementation
Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of
its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where necessary.
-------
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the environment.
Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is resilient
to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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Prepared by the EPA New England Regional Adaptation Plan Workgroup
Workgroup Members:
Office of Ecosystem Protection:
Dave Conroy, Chief, Air Programs Branch
Mel Cote, Manager, Ocean and Coastal Protection Unit
Cynthia Greene, Manager Energy and Climate Unit
Lisa Grogan-McCulloch, Energy and Climate Unit
Ken Moraff, Deputy Office Director
Alison Rogers, Oceans and Coastal Protection Unit, ORISE Fellow1
Jessica Hing, Air Permits, Toxic, Indoor Programs Unit, Schools
Marybeth Smuts, Air Permits, Toxic, Indoor Programs Unit Public Health/Indoor Air
Michael Stover, Indian Program Manager
Norman Willard, Energy and Climate Unit1
Steve Winnett, Water Quality Branch
Shutsu Wong, Energy and Climate Unit
Office of Environmental Stewardship
Roy Crystal, Assistance and Pollution Prevention
Joanna Jerison, Chief Superfund Legal Unit
Rob Koethe, Toxics and Pesticides Unit
Thomas D'Avanzo, Director Assistance and Pollution Prevention
Office of Site Remediation and Restoration
Sherry Banks, Emergency Response and Removal II
Elsbeth Hearn, Emergency Response and Removal I
Ginny Lombardo, Federal Facilities
John Podgurski, Response & Removal II Branch
Office of Regional Counsel
Tim Williamson, Office of Regional Counsel, air
Mark Stein, Office of Regional Counsel, water
Office of Administration and Resource Management
Alice Kaufman, Manager Facilities Unit
Office of Environmental Measurement and Evaluation
Greg Hellyer, Ecosystem Assessment Unit
Alan Van Arsdale, Ecosystem Assessment Unit
Office of the Regional Administrator
Emily Zimmerman, Communications
Amy Braz, Environmental Justice1
Kathleen Nagle, Children's Health
Kristen Conroy, Children's Health
Rosemary Monahan, Smartgrowth
longer employed or working at the US EPA as of June 2014.
6
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Table of Contents
List of Figures 9
List of Tables 9
I. REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION (RCAP) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 12
II. EXISTING AND FORECASTED CONDITIONS 15
III. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT 23
GOAL 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality 24
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts 24
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities 24
Ozone (Os) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) 24
Particulate Matter (PM) 24
Indoor Air 25
Mercury 25
C. Enforcement and Compliance 25
GOAL 2: Protecting America's Waters 25
Cross-Program Water Management 25
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts 26
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities 27
Water Quality Standards 27
Monitoring, Assessing, and Reporting 27
Total Maximum Daily Loads 28
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 29
Nonpoint Source Management 29
Wetlands 30
Ocean Dumping and Dredging 31
National Estuary Program 31
Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Infrastructure 31
Drinking Water Quality 32
C. Enforcement and Compliance 32
GOAL 3: Cleaning up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development 33
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts 33
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities 35
Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Removal, RCRA Corrective Action, TSCA) 35
Emergency Response Program 36
RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities 37
Oil Program and Underground Storage Tanks 38
C. Enforcement and Compliance 39
GOAL 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 39
A. Pesticides 39
B. Enforcement, Compliance and Pollution Prevention 40
Enforcement 40
Pollution Prevention 40
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Facilities and Operations 40
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts 41
B. Facility-Specific Vulnerabilities 41
Tribal and Vulnerable Populations 42
A. Air 45
B. Water 46
C. Waste and Pesticides 47
Cross-Cutting Vulnerabilities 47
A. Energy 47
B. Communications 48
IV. PRIORITY ACTIONS 49
GOALl 49
GOAL 2 50
GOALS 54
GOAL4 55
FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS 55
TRIBAL AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS 56
CROSS CUTTING ACTIONS 56
COMMUNICATIONS 56
V. MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION 57
REFERENCES 1
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Route 107 Stockbridge, VT, August 29, 2011 12
Figure 2: Daily Peak PM2.s Air Quality Index 12
Figure 3: Projected New Hampshire Summers 15
Figure 4: Extreme Heat in Boston 16
Figure 5: Percentage Change in Very Heavy Precipitation 17
Figure 6: Projected 100-Year Flood Zone in Boston 19
Figure 7: New England Tribes 44
List of Tables
Table 1: Summary of State Adaptation Planning Efforts 23
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List of Acronyms
ANR Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
AST Above Ground Storage Tanks
BAT Best Available Control Technology Economically Achievable.
BCT Best Conventional Pollutant Control Technology
BIP Balanced indigenous populations
BMP Best Management Practices
BPT Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available
CAA Clean Air Act
CCMP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (in the National Estuary Program)
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CT Connecticut
CWA Clean Water Act
DEP Department of Environmental Protection
DOT Department of Transportation
EGU Electric Generating Units
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
F Temperature in Fahrenheit degrees
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FIFRA Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
FRP Facility Response Plans
GCCN EPA Region I's Global Climate Change Network
GIS Geographic Information System (a mapping tool)
HUD Housing and Urban Development
IPCC International Panel on Climate Change
LiDAR Light Detection and Radar (a tool to determine topography using light beams shot from
an airplane)
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards
NARS National Aquatic Resource Surveys
NECIA Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment
NH New Hampshire
NY New York
NEON National Ecological Observatory Network
www.neoninc.org/about/overview
NEP National Estuary Program
NEWMOA Northeast Waste Management Officials Association
NOAA National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
NOx Nitrogen Oxides
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
MA Massachusetts
ME Maine
OA Ocean Acidification
OPA Oil Pollution Act
PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyl
pH pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. It ranges from 0 to 14.
A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic, and a pH greater than 7 is basic.
PM2.5 Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter
PPA Performance Partnership Agreement
10
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PPG
RCRA
RI
SDWA
SO2
SPCC
SUPERFUND
TITAN
TMDL
TSCA
UNH EPSCoR
USAGE
USDA
USG
USGS
USGCRP
UST
VOC
VT
WARNs
Performance Partnership Grants
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Rhode Island
Safe Drinking Water Act
Sulfur dioxide
Spill Prevention and Control Countermeasures
Superfund is the federal government's program to clean up the nation's uncontrolled
hazardous waste sites
Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis
Total Maximum Daily Load
Toxic Substance Control Act
University of New Hampshire Experiment Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
(EPSCoR) www.epscor.unh.edu/whats-epscor
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Department of Agriculture
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
United States Geological Service
United States Global Climate Research Program is a Federal program that coordinates
and integrates global change research across 13 government agencies to ensure that it
most effectively and efficiently serves the Nation and the world. USGCRP was
mandated by Congress in 1990. http://www.globalchange.gov/home
Underground Storage Tanks
Volatile Organic Compounds
Vermont
Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks
11
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I. Regional Climate Change Adaptation (RCAP) Executive
Summary
Climate change and its associated impacts to air, water and waste systems are challenging EPA's mission
of protecting the environment and public health. One impact, increasing extreme precipitation1, has
already taken a large toll on New England's environment. In August 2011, tropical storm Irene dumped
three to five inches of rain throughout Vermont over two days, with many areas receiving more than
seven inches. Extensive flooding caused millions of dollars of damage to infrastructure. Wells and
public water systems were submerged and contaminated with chemicals and pathogens, degrading safe
drinking water supplies.2
Figure 1: Route 107 Stockbridge, VT, August 29, 20113
Two months later in 2011, an unseasonably early
October snowstorm dumped one to two and a half
feet of snow, felled trees and resulted in
significant power outages across the New
England region. As shown in Figure 2, increased
usage of local generators and wood stoves in
response to the loss of power led to unhealthy
ambient air conditions particularly for sensitive
groups.4
For over 40 years, EPA New England has been
protecting the region's environment and public
health through the implementation of air, water
and waste programs. EPA New England has
been working on climate mitigation, greenhouse
gas reduction strategies since 2000 and has had a multi-media Global Climate Change Network that has
educated EPA staff and worked on climate mitigation and adaptation since 2009.
In 2009, President Obama established an Interagency Figure 2: Daily Peak PM2.5 Air Quality index5
Climate Change Task Force. He called on that task
force to develop recommendations for adapting to
climate change with the goal of promoting a healthy
and prosperous nation resilient to climate change.
The Task Force's 2010 report recommended that
every Federal Agency develop a Climate Change
Adaptation Plan. EPA's national Climate Adaptation
Plan was developed and released for public comment
on February 8,2013. In 2011, EPA's Administrator
Lisa Jackson asked that all EPA regional and
program offices develop climate adaptation plans to
detail how we will carry out the work in the agency-
wide plan, taking into account the impacts on EPA's
regional mission and operations. In September
2012, EPA New England convened 30 employees knowledgeable in their media programs and asked them
to assess the risks and impacts of climate change that are and will be pertinent to the region's mission and
•ated: 2011-11-0117:16:412
12
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responsibilities, and to develop a plan of action to address these risks and impacts within the region.
This draft regional climate adaptation plan outlines existing conditions in New England and how we will
incorporate the challenges of climate change into our programs and operations. Based on global, regional
and state specific scientific research and modeling projections, EPA New England staff determined the
vulnerabilities for our programs and facilities and identified priority actions for both the chronic and
episodic impacts of climate change.
The major chronic impacts reviewed include:
• Heat - Since 1970 the average annual temperature rose 2°F and the average winter temperature
4°F6
• Extreme Precipitation - Over the past 50 plus years the Northeast has seen a 71% increase in the
amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events (defined as the heaviest 1% of all daily
events).7
• Sea Level Rise - Global sea levels are projected to rise 12 to 48 inches by 2100, depending in
large part on the extent to which the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets experience
significant melting.8
The episodic impacts include:
• Flooding - In August 2011, tropical storm Irene hit New England. In Vermont alone, recovering
from the widespread damage and destruction is expected to cost between $700 million and $1
billion dollars.9
• Ocean Storm Surge - In October 2012, Super Storm Sandy caused a storm surge of 9.2 ft. in NY
City10. The coastal areas of CT and RI were also significantly affected. According to The
Boston Harbor Association report, if the storm had hit Boston 5.5 hours earlier on the high tide it
would have caused a 5 foot storm surge that would have flooded 6.6% of Boston.11
For this plan, regional programs were reviewed and the vulnerabilities of these programs to one or more
of the above impacts were determined. For example, an increase in heat could increase the number of
unhealthy ozone days.12 Priority actions to address the vulnerabilities were then drafted. Over 100
actions were identified. Each priority action was evaluated based on its ability to reduce risk, whether the
action would protect a critical asset, whether it would be easy to implement (i.e., whether it would be
"low-hanging fruit"), whether it would leverage other larger efforts, EPA's unique role and capacity, the
time frame to accomplish and the funding needed.
The final section of the plan lays out how these actions will be incorporated into the region's existing
programs and how we will measure our progress. For instance, the Agency works with the states and
tribes on an annual basis to determine activities that EPA will fund. We will work with the states and
tribes to incorporate climate adaptation into those activities. Additionally, the Region has a Global
Climate Change Network (GCCN) made up of staff and managers from every office in the Region and
each year the GCCN develops a strategy for activities it expects to accomplish for both climate change
mitigation and adaptation. The priority actions identified in this plan will be incorporated into the
GCCN strategy on an annual basis.
In order to gather stakeholder input, we have held ten webinars with the air, water and waste interstate
organizations whose members come from the six New England states air, water and waste environmental
agencies, New England nongovernmental organizations, the New England Environmental Business
13
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Council, tribal leaders, tribal environmental managers and tribal historic preservation officers. All of
their input has been incorporated into this plan.
EPA New England will continue to evaluate the science and impacts of climate change and will update
the vulnerabilities and priority actions for our programs in order to reduce risk to New England's health
and environment.
14
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II. Existing and Forecasted Conditions
Forecasted Climate Change Impacts in New England of Concern for EPA's Regional Mission and
Operation
New England is well known for its varying seasons, rocky coastline,
extensive beaches, and mix of both urban and rural settings. Over
the last several decades, New England has experienced noticeable
changes in its climate. New England is and will be uniquely
impacted by climate change due to its population distribution,
geography, seasons and weather patterns. Below is a summary of
existing conditions and forecasts for New England climate change
impacts. As indicated by the references, a key source of existing
and forecasted information is taken from the 2009 publication by
the United State Global Climate Research Program (USGCRP),
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States13 as well as
from the 2014 publication Northeast Chapter of Climate Change
Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate
Assessment14.
. Where appropriate, we have also included information used by
New England States when considering climate change impacts
within their respective states.
Population Distribution in New England
Figure 3: Projected New Hampshire
Summers21
Higher Emissions Scenario
Lower Emissions Scenario"
Havhoe ef a/.SM: Fio. from Frumhoff e(a/.2M
New England has a population of over 14 million, with a large portion of the population located along a
coast that spans approximately 6,100 miles. From 1960 to 2008, Maine and New Hampshire had the
highest increase in the share of population in coastline
counties.15 From 2010 to 2030, New England's population is
projected to increase by eight percent.16
Figure taken from Global Climate Change Impacts
in the United States.19
Demographics
According to the Census, the population in the nation is aging and New England has a larger proportion
of the elderly and baby boomers (14.4%) than the rest of the nation (13%).17 Four of New England's six
states are more densely populated than the nation's average.18 Rhode Island and Massachusetts are the
second and third most densely populated states with 91% of its population in urban areas; and
Connecticut is fourth with as much as 88% of its population in urban areas.19
15
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Lower Emission Scenario"
Higher Emission Scenario9'
Days over 100'F
1 6
-J I96t-l9» MJO-20W
96-990 20 0-2039 2040-2069 2070-2099
Hayhoe st al,359
The graph shows model projections of the
number of summer days with temperatures
over 90°F in Boston, Massachusetts,
under lower and higher (referred to as
"even higher" on page 23) emissions
scenarios.91 The inset shows projected
days over 100°F.3S9
Increases in Air Temperature
Since 1970, the average annual temperature in the Northeast has risen by 2°F and the average winter
temperature has increased by 4°F.20 This trend is projected to continue. As shown in Figure 3, by 2100
New Hampshire's summers could be as warm as North Carolina's summers are today.21
. . _. , . . _ ... Figure 4: Extreme Heat in Boston22
As shown in Figure 4, over the same period, Boston is projected
to experience an increase in the number of days reaching 100°F -
from an average of one day per year between 1961 and 1990 to as
many as 24 days per year by 2100.22 Under a higher emissions
scenario identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (TPCC), Hartford, CT could see as many as 30 days per
year with temperatures reaching 100°F.23 These rising
temperatures have potential impacts on public health, ranging
from heat-related stress to infectious diseases. This is further
explained in Public Health Impacts below.
General warming is expected, in New England. However, the
Houlton Band of Maliseets, a federally-recognized tribe on the
Meduxnekeag River in Maine, cite a reference that suggests that a
narrow strip along the eastern Maine coast may not experience a
general warming trend. The reference states that in the past
"twice daily tidal mixing of the Gulf of Maine brought deep, cold
water to the surface, and southwesterly current along the coast
brought cool temperatures, often accompanied by fog." The
reference states that this effect may continue into the future for
this small geographic area.24 This supposition was not included in the recently published Northeast
Chapter of Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment25
Seasonal Shift
Increased air temperatures have already resulted in shifts in the seasonal patterns in New England and
that trend is projected to continue. When there is an extended warm period in either late winter or early
spring, premature leaf-out or bloom can occur. If this is followed by a frost event, damage to plants can
occur. This occurred in 2007 and in 2012 in the northeast, when apple and other fruit crops were hard
hit.26
In the winter, more precipitation is falling as rain rather than snow, and as a result, there is a reduced
snowpack.27 A 2011 Vermont Agency of Natural Resources group of publications noted that the timing
and form of precipitation affects the quantities of water stored in surface waters and aquifers, potentially
affecting the availability of water for human use.28 The publications also state that in the spring, the ice
on lakes and rivers melts earlier, resulting in earlier peak river flows. The publications forecast that,
combined with reduced snowpack, earlier snow melt is anticipated to lead to an increase in frequency of
summer droughts.29 In addition, both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Vermont note that the
duration, timing, and frequency of seasonal precipitation and flooding are changing, resulting in impacts
on the hydrologic cycle and aquatic habitats and the organisms that depend on them, including migratory
fish and aquatic insects.30'31 In Vermont, they are concerned that summer low flows from increased
drought frequency may also reduce aquatic habitats and make them more isolated, and that lower flows
may lead to higher water temperatures, reducing the amounts of dissolved oxygen. Lastly, Vermont
Figure taken from Global Climate Change
Impacts in the United States.20
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notes that all of these changes have the potential to shift prevalent fish species and reduce cold-water fish
populations, potentially allowing new species to gain competitive advantages.32
In a Climate Change Adaptation White Paper Series, Vermont stated that a changing climate may cause
species to shift their distribution on the landscape to follow the presence of preferred or essential
habitats.33 In this paper, Vermont identified the invasion of Asian long-horned beetle as well as woolly
adelgid while Maine has seen Asian shore crab and Eurasian water milfoil.34 Wooly adelgid is an insect
that is native to Japan that threatens Eastern Hemlock trees.35
Figure 5: Percentage Change in Very Heavy Precipitation3
<0
0-9
Change (%)
10-19 20-29 30-39 40+
Changes in Precipitation Patterns
Warmer temperatures increase the rate of
evaporation of water into the atmosphere, in
effect increasing the atmosphere's capacity to
"hold" water.36 Increased evaporation may dry
out some areas and increase precipitation in
other areas. In fact, drought and increasing
heavy precipitation are not mutually exclusive
and may even happen in the same locations.
While winter precipitation is projected to
increase along with temperature, little change is
projected for summer rainfall.37 Combined with
greater evaporation from higher temperatures
and earlier winter and spring snowmelt, the
summer and fall drought risk for the Northeast
is projected to increase.38 At the same time, in
the Northeast, heavy precipitation events have
increased more dramatically over the past 60
years than in the rest of the country. As shown
in Figure 5, in the northeast, the amount of
precipitation falling in very heavy precipitation
events from 1958 to 2011 has increased by
71%.39 This increasing trend is projected to
continue into the future. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts projects that rainfall during the wettest
five days of each year will increase 10% by mid-century and by 20% by 2100.40
Sea Level Rise
Since 1900, sea level in the Northeast has risen by approximately 12 inches.41 Global sea levels are
projected to rise 12 to 48 inches by 2100, depending in large part on the extent to which the Greenland
and West Antarctic Ice Sheets experience significant melting.42 Sea level rise along most of the coastal
Northeast is expected to exceed the global average rise due to local land subsidence, with the possibility
of even greater regional sea level rise if the Gulf Stream weakens as some models suggest.43 Two New
England States — New Hampshire and Massachusetts - cite a 2008 study by Pfeffer, J. T. et al44 that
includes the contribution to sea level rise from the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice
sheets that suggests that sea levels could rise as much as 79 inches by 2100.45 The City of Boston
projects that the Boston's sea level rise will range from 24 to 72 inches by the end of the century,
depending on how quickly the ice in Greenland and Antarctica melt.46
The map shows percent increase in the amount of precipitation falling in very
heavy events (defined as the heaviest 1% of all daily events) from 1958 to 2011
for each region.37
Figure taken from Climate Change Impacts in the United States:
The Third National Climate Assessment.37
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In June of 2012, a USGS study stated that between 1950-1979 and 1980-2009, sea levels between Cape
Hatteras and Boston rose approximately three to four times faster than the global average.47 Taking
subsidence at a rate of six inches per century into account, the state of Rhode Island Coastal Resources
Management Council has begun to plan for a 36 to 60 inch sea level rise by 2100 and they have codified
their projection in state regulations.48 Other states, such as Massachusetts, also cite subsidence as a
potential factor influencing the magnitude of local sea level rise.49
Increased Flooding and Storm Surges
In the past 50 years, there has been an increase in flooding in New England, both in coastal and inland
areas threatening manmade and natural infrastructure. New England's industrial development in the 19th
century was along its rivers where the water could be used as a source of energy. Many of these facilities
still exist today and are vulnerable to river flooding. Between 1955 and 1999, floods accounted for
$16.97 million in damage annually in Vermont alone.50 In 2011, tropical storm Irene dumped three to
five inches of rain throughout the state over two days, with many areas receiving more than seven
inches.51 The extensive flooding caused millions of dollars of damage to Vermont's infrastructure
including damage to 500 miles of road and 200 bridges. The cost of rebuilding this infrastructure is
estimated to be up to 250 million.52 Wells and public water systems were submerged and contaminated
with chemicals and pathogens, thereby affecting safe drinking water supplies.53 A state-wide drinking
water advisory was issued to warn citizens of the possibility of harmful chemicals or bacteria in their
flooded wells. Approximately 30 public water systems issued "boil water" notices, affecting
approximately 16,590 people. Seventeen municipal wastewater treatment facilities also reported
compromised operations54and private water supply wells were also affected. The Vermont Department
of Health distributed over 3,000 free bacterial sample kits for homeowners to test their wells. Of the test
kits returned to the Department for testing, 37% were positive for total coliform (of the 37, 8% were
positive for E.coli). Lastly, hazardous waste spills increased by a factor of fourteen during the first week
after tropical storm Irene.55 Projecting forward, Vermont anticipates the increasing probability of high-
flow events could be as high as 80%.56
Coastal flooding is also an issue for New England. It is expected that the combination of a projected
increase in heavy precipitation and sea level rise will lead to more frequent, damaging floods in the
Northeast.57 Less winter precipitation falling as snow and more as rain will also increase the number and
impact of flooding events as the frozen ground is unable to absorb the winter rain. Sea level rise, storm
surges, hurricanes, erosion, and the destruction of important coastal ecosystems will likely contribute to
an increase in coastal flooding events, including the frequency of current "100-year flood" levels (severe
flood levels with a one-in-100 likelihood of occurring in any given year). Figure 6 shows the current
Federal Emergency Management Agency 100-year flood zone (hatched darker blue) as well as the extent
of the projected 100-year flood zone in 2100 (lighter blue) for the waterfront/Government Center area of
Boston under a "higher-greenhouse gas emissions scenario" used by the Northeast Climate Impacts
Assessment (NECIA) in a report titled Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast5* What is now considered
a once in a 100-year coastal flood in Boston is expected to occur, on average, as frequently as every two
to three years by mid-century and once every other year by late-century - under either emissions scenario
identified by NECIA. Cumulative damage to buildings and building contents, as well as the associated
emergency costs, could potentially be as high as $94 billion between 2000 and 2100 in Boston,
depending on the sea level rise scenario and which adaptive actions are taken.59
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Figure 6: Projected 100-Year Flood Zone in Boston58
G»rent 10Vf*jr flood zone
Protected 100-y** Hooded ma (higher-emissions icenariol
Sourt*
Figure taken from Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast: Science, Impacts, and Solutions.59
Increase in Fresh and Ocean Water Temperature and Acidification
In addition to changes in the level of the sea, the physical and chemical properties of the ocean are
changing. As the air temperature warms, it warms the ocean. Globally, sea surface temperatures have
been higher during the past three decades than at any other time since reliable observations began in
1880.60 Warmer fresh and salt waters hold less dissolved oxygen making "hypoxia"2 more likely,
fostering harmful algal blooms, and changing the toxicity of some pollutants.61
The pH level of seawater has decreased significantly since 1750, and is projected to drop much more
dramatically by the end of the century if carbon dioxide (CCh) concentrations continue to increase as the
oceans absorb this CCh.62 According to the 2011 Massachusetts' Climate Change Adaptation Report, pH
levels are projected to decrease by 0.1- 0.3 by 2100, making the ocean more acidic.63 As EPA stated in
the draft National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change^ scientific research over
the last 10 years indicates serious implications of ocean acidification for ocean and coastal marine
ecosystems. In its 2010 report, Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a
Changing Ocean, the National Research Council65 concludes that ocean chemistry is changing at an
unprecedented rate due to human-made CCh emissions. The report also states that "while the ultimate
2 Hypoxia occurs when dissolved oxygen declines to the point where aquatic species can no longer survive
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consequences are still unknown, there is a risk of ecosystem changes that threaten coral reefs, fisheries,
protected species, and other natural resources of value to society." Of particular concern in New England
is the threat that acidification has for shellfish populations, especially soft shelled clams, and research on
this issue is underway in Maine and elsewhere.
Public Health Impacts
Extreme heat events can and have impacted human health. A three-day heat wave (temperatures reaching
triple digits on two days) in Chicago in 1995 led to nearly 700 heat-related deaths.66 The possibility of
similar heat waves are increasingly likely in New England as projections for the number of days per year
over 100°F grow (see Figure 4). In September 2010, Maine experienced a heat wave in which many
schools closed due to excessive heat and the fact that schools do not have air conditioning. During this
heat wave, the National Weather Service issued an advisory warning that "the high heat and humidity
combined with the long duration of the current heat wave would make conditions uncomfortable and
potentially dangerous especially in hot buildings without air conditioning or proper ventilation."67 Since
the hottest days in the Northeast are often associated with high concentrations of ground-level ozone and
other pollutants, the combination of heat stress and poor air quality can pose a health risk to vulnerable
groups: young children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions including asthma.68
The combination of warmer temperatures and extreme weather events encourages the spread of infectious diseases
in new areas and affects many aspects of human health.69 Changes in vector-borne diseases are already
being seen in the Northeast with Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, a tick borne infection, reported in 4 of the 6
states. Babesiosis, or animal malaria also carried by ticks may threaten the blood supply. This newly
reportable disease has been growing in the northeast and is now reported in every New England state.70
Suitable habitat for the Asian Tiger Mosquito, which can transmit West Nile and other vector-borne
diseases, is expected to increase in the Northeast from the current 5% to 16% in the next two decades and
from 43% to 49% by the end of the century, exposing more than 30 million people to the threat of dense
infestations by this species.71
Over the last 10 summers from 2004 through 2013, New England has averaged 30 days per year with
unhealthy air for the current ozone standard of 75 parts per billion. In New England, high ozone levels
usually occur between 1:00 and 7:00 pm on hot days from May through September.72 Hot days are
particularly conducive to ground-level ozone formation, and air conditioning loads on such days are often
a major contributor to electricity demand spikes. At the same time, some EGUs called "peaking units"
only operate during periods of peak demand when the electric grid requires maximum generating
capacity, and could be high-emitting sources of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which are a key
contributor to ground-level ozone formation. Peaking units might lack NOx controls because they have
low emissions on a seasonal basis, even if hourly NOx emissions are high during periods when they are
in use.73 Thus, it is expected that with an increase in the number of days with high temperatures, New
England will see increases in ozone on those days.
Built Environment-Housing and Indoor Air
In the United States, citizens spend over 90% of their time inside with an estimated 70% of that time
spent in their homes. The US Census's American Housing Survey in 2009 reported that nearly 6 million
housing units have moderate to severe physical infrastructure problems.74 The National Center for
Healthy Homes citing this Census study states that the most common problems in American housing are
water leaks from the outside (11%) and inside (8%), roofing problems (6%) and damaged walls (5%).
According to the Census's American Community Survey Summary from 2007-2011, only 14% of the
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homes in the nation were built before 1939. In New England 28% of the homes were built before 1939.75
These older homes were built prior to many of the new construction codes and may be more susceptible
to structural problems. In addition, the northeast has a higher percentage of multi-family structures; 63%
of family homes in the northeast are single family homes, as opposed to 83% in the United States as a
whole.76 New England housing units also rely more on the use of fuel oil or kerosene. In New
Hampshire, Vermont and Maine over 50% rely on these fuels for heating vs. only 7% in the entire
nation.77 These fuels are delivered by fuel trucks and those deliveries could be disrupted by severe
weather events. All of these factors combined indicate that New Englanders are potentially exposed to
more indoor pollutants than those in other parts of the US.
Adaptation Planning Underway in New England
Because of the susceptibility of New England to climate change impacts, New England federal, regional,
state agencies, and non-government organizations have already begun addressing this issue. New
England states in particular have been out in front of the nation in planning for both climate mitigation
and adaptation. Table 1 summarizes the adaptation efforts of the New England states, and the adaptation
activities are expanded upon below:
• In 2005, the Governor's Steering Committee on Climate Change for Connecticut produced a
Climate Change Action Plan focusing on greenhouse gas emissions. In 2010, the Adaptation
Subcommittee of the Governor's Steering Committee produced a report "The Impacts of Climate
Change on Connecticut Agriculture, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Public Health,"
detailing the potential impacts of climate change. In 2011, this subcommittee produced a draft
report addressing adaptation strategies in light of identified impacts, "Connecticut Climate
Change Preparedness Plan." This report was finalized in July 2013. In January, 2014, the
Institute for Community Resiliency and Climate Adaptation was created in Connecticut. The
Institute is a collaboration between the University of Connecticut, the state Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• In Maine, Governor LePage recently created a workgroup entitled "Environment and Energy
Resources Work Group" which consists of state agencies focused on transportation, energy,
fisheries and wildlife, forestry, agriculture and marine resources. The cross-agency effort is
aimed at discussing mechanisms for cross agency partnerships, information sharing, efficiencies
and streamlining. These efforts will provide specific and identifiable tools to assist decision-
makers in preparing for climate change78.
• In 2008, Massachusetts' Global Warming Solutions Act led to the establishment of a Climate
Change Adaptation Advisory Committee that produced a report on adaptation strategies in light of
predicted climate changes for the state. The report, published in 2012, provided conclusions and
recommendations by the committee regarding anticipated climate change and future adaptation
strategies. In addition, the report provides sector-specific impacts and adaptation strategies.
• In December 2007, Governor Lynch of New Hampshire established a Climate Change Policy
Task Force, charging the group with the development of a Climate Action Plan for New
Hampshire. The report was published in March 2009. The final report focused on greenhouse
gas emissions reductions to address climate change but also identified anticipated future impacts
of climate change on various sectors: agriculture, forestry and waste, electric generation,
transportation and land use.
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• In 2010, Rhode Island's Climate Change Commission was established through the state's Climate
Risk Reduction Act. In November 2012, a progress report was produced; summarizing key
climate risks and vulnerabilities to those risks, identifies existing climate change adaptation
initiatives, and highlights the areas that have yet to be addressed. In addition, in Section 145
"Climate Change and Sea Level Rise" of Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Management
Program, Rhode Island has codified in regulation that future policies, plans, and regulations
proactively plan for and adapt to climate change and sea level rise.79 In addition, the University of
Rhode Island and other collaborators recently launched a website designed to inform the public
about climate change and to help prepare for the changes.80
• From 2010 to 2012, Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources (Vermont ANR) developed a series
of sector-based white papers as part of an initial education effort. Sectors included: agriculture,
water resources, recreation, forestry, public health, public safety, fish and wildlife, and
transportation. Vermont ANR expects to have a vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy
for Vermont lakes, rivers, forests, and wetlands, including those natural communities and the
organisms that inhabit them in 2013.
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Table 1: Summary of State Adaptation Planning Efforts
State
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New
Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
Summary of Adaptation Effort
Final Adaptation Plan Complete (Climate Change Preparedness Plan, 2011:
http://www.ct.sov/deep/lib/deep/climatechanse/connecticut climate_preparedness
_plan 201 l.pdf. The Impacts of Climate Change on Connecticut Agriculture,
Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Public Health, 2010:
httD://www.ct.sov/deeD/lib/deeD/climatechanse/iniDactsofclimatechanse.Ddf.
Summary of climate change adaptation work is available at
http://www.maine.sov/dep/sustainabilitv.
Initial Adaptation Plan Complete (Climate Change Adaptation Report, 2011:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/air-water-climate-change/climate-change
Initial Adaptation Planning Process Underway (Climate Action Plan, 2009:
http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/air/tsb/tps/climate/action_plan/documents
/nhcap _final.pdf)
Initial Adaptation Planning Process Complete (Adapting to Climate Change in the
Ocean State, 2012:
http://www.riHn. state, ri. us/Reports/Climate %2 OChange %2 OCommission %2 OProg
%20Revort%20Final%2011%2015%2012%20final%202.vdf)
Initial Adaptation Planning Process Underway (Vermont Climate Change White
Papers, 2010-2012:
http://www. anr. state, vt. us/anr/climatechange/Adaptation. html)
In addition to state activity related to adaptation, there are adaptation planning activities occurring at the
municipal level as well. For example, Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Portland, ME; Scarborough-Old
Orchard Beach, ME; and several communities in New Hampshire and the Metropolitan Area Planning
Council, a regional planning agency that serves over one hundred cities and town in Metropolitan Boston,
are all engaged in adaptation planning.81 In 2011, EPA New England, in coordination with the Institute
for Sustainable Communities, launched the New England Municipal Sustainability Network (NEMSN),
which fosters peer to peer communication between municipal Sustainability practitioners across the
region on key priorities including climate change adaptation. In December of 2011 the NEMSN
sponsored climate adaptation training for themselves. At the federal level, in 2010, the New England
Federal Partners Climate Workgroup was formed and it includes 17 federal agencies and their staff
including National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), EPA, Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), United States Geological Service (USGS), United States Army Corps of
Engineers (USAGE) and Department of Interior (DOI) who are working and coordinating on climate
change adaptation and mitigation activities.
III. Vulnerability Assessment
This section contains a preliminary assessment of the vulnerabilities of key EPA New England programs
to the impacts of climate change. It builds on the work presented in Part 2 of EPA's agency-wide Plan,82
and is structured by the goals in EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan.83 These vulnerabilities were
identified by the EPA New England Adaptation Planning Workgroup. Note that EPA New England has
not conducted a quantitative vulnerability assessment, but has qualitatively evaluated the nature and
magnitude of risks associated with climate change impacts. This assessment is based on best
professional judgment within EPA at this time and may change in the future as our understanding of
climate science evolves.
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GOAL 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
Communities within New England face public health and environmental challenges from ambient and
indoor air pollution. Climate change will increase these challenges. EPA New England partners with
federal, state, tribal and local agencies to protect public health and the environment by directly
implementing programs that address air quality (indoor and outdoor), toxic pollutants, climate change,
energy efficiency, pollution prevention, industrial and mobile source pollution, radon, acid rain,
stratospheric ozone depletion, and radiation protection. Several program areas are vulnerable to future
climate conditions that may be characterized by elevated baseline temperatures, increased frequency and
duration of heat waves, more extreme swings in weather conditions (drought and precipitation events),
and more severe hurricanes and coastal storms. These future conditions will present challenges to EPA
to achieve its core mission.
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities
Ozone (Os) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
New England has made progress in attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for
the current ozone standard of 75 parts per billion, but problem areas remain in southern
New England. 84> 85Although there are continuing NOx and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission
reductions from ongoing control strategies for on-road and non-road mobile sources and fossil-fueled
fired power plants, future climate conditions may make it more difficult to attain the NAAQS for ozone.
Impacts on Os and NOx programs:
• Volatile organic compound emissions from biogenic sources such as trees should increase due to
increased temperatures.86
• NOx emissions from fossil-fuel burning power plants, operating during peak electricity demand
periods, may increase with increased temperatures.87
• The rate of ozone production in the atmosphere should increase with increased temperatures.88
• Additional Os production and inter-regional transport due to prolonged heat waves, stagnation and
increases in upwind emissions.89
• The length of the ozone monitoring season may be extended into early spring and late fall.90
Paniculate Matter (PM)
Similarly, New England has made progress in attaining and maintaining the NAAQS for PIVh.s.
Impacts on PM program:
• There is the potential to see increases in certain air pollutants from power plants (e.g., sulfur
dioxide [SO2], particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter [PIVb.s], etc.) during peak
electricity demand due to increased regional temperatures. These increases may contribute to
local air quality problems. 91
• As seen during prolonged power outages from the October 2011 snow storm, PIVh.s violations
from local increases in PM2.5 due to the use of backup electricity (e.g., generators) and heat (e.g.,
wood stoves, fireplaces) sources because of increased extreme weather events and resulting power
outages.
• PM2.5 violations from local increases in PIVh.s may occur due to the uncontrolled burning of storm
debris after intense weather events.
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Indoor Air
Impacts on indoor air program:
• Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change may lead to breakdowns in building
envelopes, causing the flooding of indoor spaces. Dampness and water intrusion create
conditions favorable to fungi and bacteria (including mold). This can also cause building
materials to decay or corrode, which can lead to off-gassing of chemicals.92
Mercury
Impacts on mercury program:
• Mercury in soils and vegetation, such as boreal peat, may be emitted with increased wildfires
adding to the global atmospheric reservoir. 93Mercury deposition in New England waters and
subsequent mercury contamination offish and wildlife may continue and possibly increase with
the increase in extreme precipitation events.94> 95
• Precipitation events will incorporate a fraction of this global pool in rain and snow, thus
contributing to mercury pollution in the region. Therefore, local and regional efforts to achieve
water quality loading thresholds (Total Maximum Daily Loads, TMDLs) may be more difficult to
achieve.
C. Enforcement and Compliance
Region 1 conducts both Clean Air Act (CAA) enforcement and compliance assistance to the regulated
community on meeting EPA air quality regulations. Increasing resource demands as a result of climate
change impacts could put additional strain on the use of declining resources for these
Enforcement/Compliance activities.
Impacts on enforcement and compliance programs:
• Increased power plant peaking demand could increase the likelihood of emergency generators
being used to meet the peak demand due to increased temperatures and higher mean summer
temperatures.
• There may be an increased burden on compliance and enforcement staff to respond to an
increased number of industry inquiries for regulatory interpretations and CAA applicability
determinations to ensure consistent application of regulatory requirements across the country.
• Major storm or heat events could result in an increased number of requests for temporary waivers
from regulatory requirements, including requirements for gasoline and diesel fuels.
GOAL 2: Protecting America's Waters
Cross-Program Water Man agent en t
While considerable progress has been made since the enactment of the Clean Water Act and the Safe
Drinking Water Act, America's waters continue to be threatened by pollutants including excess nutrient
loadings, stormwater runoff, invasive species and drinking-water contaminants. EPA works with states
and tribes to develop nutrient limits and to restore and protect the quality of the nation's streams, rivers,
lakes, bays, oceans and aquifers. EPA also uses its authority to address urban rivers; to ensure safe
drinking water; and to reduce pollution from nonpoint and industrial dischargers. 96
At EPA New England, protection of regional waters occurs through eleven programs:
1. Water Quality Standards;
2. Monitoring,
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3. Assessing and Reporting;
4. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs);
5. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES);
6. Nonpoint Source Management;
7. Wetlands;
8. Dredging/Ocean Dumping;
9. National Estuary Program;
10. Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Infrastructure; and
11. Drinking Water Quality.
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
In March 2012, EPA published the draft 2072 National Water Program Climate Change Strategy97 which
describes the following impacts to water resources.
• Increases in water pollution due to warmer air and water temperatures and changes in
precipitation patterns, causing an increase in the number of waters categorized as "impaired,"
with associated impacts on human health and aquatic ecosystems.
• Impacts on water infrastructure and aquatic systems due to more extreme weather events,
including heavier precipitation and tropical and inland storms.
• Changes to the availability of drinking water supplies due to increased frequency, severity and
duration of drought, changing patterns of precipitation and snowmelt, increased evaporation, and
aquifer saltwater intrusion, affecting public water supply, agriculture, industry, and energy
production uses.
• Waterbody boundary movement and displacement as rising sea levels alter ocean and
estuarine shorelines and as changes in water flow, precipitation, and evaporation affect the size of
wetlands and lakes.
• Changing aquatic biology due to warmer water and changing flows, resulting in deterioration of
aquatic ecosystem health in some areas.
• Collective impacts on coastal areas resulting from a combination of sea level rise, increased
damage from floods and storms, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion to drinking water supplies,
and increasing temperature and acidification of the oceans.
• Indirect impacts due to unintended consequences of human response to climate change, such as
those resulting from carbon sequestration and other greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
In New England, EPA has identified additional impacts that include:
• Flooding from increasingly frequent and intense rain events as well as intense tropical storms will
tax aging infrastructure, including combined sewer systems, wastewater and drinking water
facilities and adversely impact water quality.
• Dense coastal development and shoreline armoring with sea walls and other hardening structures
will prevent wetland migration and lead to loss of wetlands as the sea level rises.
• Increases in the extent of storm surge and coastal flooding will cause erosion and property
damage to the densely populated coasts.
• Sea level rise may increase saltwater intrusion to coastal freshwater aquifers, resulting in water
resources that are unusable without desalination. Increased evaporation or reduced recharge into
coastal aquifers exacerbates saltwater intrusion.
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• Sea level rise will lead to direct and indirect losses for the region's energy infrastructure (e.g.,
power plants and located along the coast, marine facilities that receive oil and gas deliveries),
including equipment damage from flooding or erosion. Damaged energy facilities also may be a
source of pollution.
• Aquatic ecosystem species composition and distribution will change due to sea level rise,
increased water temperatures, salinity distribution and ocean circulation, changes in precipitation
and fresh water runoff, and acidification. This will also result in potential for new or increased
prevalence of invasive species.
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities
Water Quality Standards
Water Quality Standards are the foundation of the Clean Water Act - they designate the goals and uses
for water bodies, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing provisions to protect water bodies
from pollutants. States, territories, and authorized tribes establish water quality standards, and EPA
reviews and approves those standards.
Impacts on Water Quality Standards Program:
• Salinity changes may create a need to reclassify some water bodies from fresh to salt water.
• Recreation and shell fishing season onset and duration may change.
• Some water quality standards may become unattainable due to changing conditions (e.g., warmer
water, drier conditions, less snowpack).
• The relative contribution of snowmelt vs. groundwater flow to stream flow could change,
affecting stream temperature regimes and biological conditions.
• Some designated uses and their associated criteria may need to be removed or changed
based on monitored changes (e.g., intermittent streams may be dry for longer periods of
time in summer and no longer support certain aquatic life forms).
• Some standards (i.e., pollutant-specific goals) may need to change to reflect more
sensitive environmental conditions.
Monitoring, Assessing, and Reporting
Our nation's waters are monitored by state, federal, and local agencies, universities, dischargers, and
volunteers. Water quality data are used to characterize waters, identify trends over time, identify
emerging problems, determine whether pollution control programs are working, help to direct pollution
control efforts to where they are most needed, and respond to emergencies such as floods and spills.
Impacts on Monitoring Program:
• Current location of monitors may no longer be appropriate in order to effectively monitor and
assess changes and to provide access to the monitors (e.g. sea level rise, precipitation,
temperatures, stratification).
• Current detection protocols, criteria, monitoring and analysis may not be sufficient to
detect ocean acidification and/or salinity.
• Current timing of monitoring may not be sufficient in order to pick up seasonal shifts and the full
range of climate vulnerability, especially for recreational and aquatic life uses.
• The current number of monitors used may not be sufficient to assess an increased number of
303(d) impairment listings due to the increased stresses.
• Stream ecosystems will be affected directly, indirectly, and through interactions with other
stressors. Biological responses to these changes include altered community composition,
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interactions, and functions. Effects will vary regionally and present biomonitoring
challenges for water-quality agencies that assess the status and health of ecosystems.
• With more rapidly changing conditions, more monitoring may be required to adequately
assess the condition of waterbodies.
Total Maximum Daily Loads
Under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to
develop lists of impaired waters. These are waters that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the
water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. The law requires that these
jurisdictions establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop a Total Maximum Daily Load,
or TMDL. A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive
and still safely meet water quality standards.
Impacts on TMDL Program:
Over the past decade, EPA Region 1's cross-program effort to address storm water-related water quality
impairments has provided valuable experience in how to develop and implement TMDLs that address
multiple environmental stressors resulting from various flow regimes. For example, impervious surfaces
in urban environments deliver a mix of pollutants and increased flow to rivers and streams resulting in
soil erosion, stream bank scouring, deposition of sediment and nutrients increases in receiving
waters. The increasing amount of impervious surfaces in urban areas causes less precipitation to infiltrate
into the ground, which may cause streams to experience much lower base flows during dry conditions,
along with low dissolved oxygen, increased eutrophication, and higher stream temperatures. Flashy
streamflow conditions (i.e., rapid increases in streamflow and velocity in response to rainfall, followed
by rapid recovery to pre-storm conditions) related to excessive stormwater runoff and corresponding
droughts are anticipated to become even more frequent and/or intense in response to further climate
change.
Stormwater TMDLs now being implemented effectively on a sub-watershed basis involve the use of
surrogates for the mix of pollutants in stormwater (i.e., impervious cover, or flow). Innovative and
flexible approaches to TMDL development like this show promise for addressing the complex challenges
of climate change. For instance, under the surrogate approach, TMDL end-points are tied to aquatic life
use protections in State water quality standards, which provide environmental protection based on
whatever the current conditions happen to be (rather than future projections based on past
conditions). The technical basis for aquatic life use-based TMDLs is derived from significant
investments over the past 35 years developing state ambient biological monitoring programs in our
Region. Bioassessments (using ambient assemblages of macroinvertebrates, fish, or algae that integrate
the effects of multiple stressors over time), in concert with physical and chemical monitoring data, now
support the water quality assessment of aquatic life use attainment for these surrogate TMDLs, and
provide clear environmental indicators of stream health under whatever the existing conditions are.
Summary of anticipated water quality programmatic climate change vulnerabilities includes:
• Challenges in quantitatively demonstrating how implementation of current stormwater BMPs
(occurring primarily through permitting programs), and NFS BMPs, will address future changes
in climate;
• TMDLs may need to be revised in the future as monitoring shows that TMDL target attainment
isn't leading to designated uses being met;
• Increased need for efforts to support local and state partners in additional local land use planning,
stormwater and wastewater TMDL implementation actions needed to achieve the TMDL
endpoints (water quality standards);
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• Increased need for resources at federal, state, and local levels to address these challenges.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for existing uses, including drinking water,
fishing, swimming, and other water recreation. As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating
point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. NPDES permits have a five year
permitting cycle.
Impacts on the NPDES program:
• Increased need to respond to requests for assistance from municipalities regarding stormwater
management implementation and financing methods.
• Current thermal discharge limits may not sufficiently account for increasing temperatures of the
influent and receiving waters.
• The assemblage of aquatic organisms residing or transiting a particular receiving water may
change due to water temperature increases.
• Entrainment of different fish species and greater numbers of organisms could occur at power
plant and industrial water intakes due to changes in local communities of organisms as a result of
habitat changes from increased water temperatures and increased cooling water demand.
• Increased extreme precipitation and stormwater runoff will cause an increase in erosion and
sedimentation in receiving waters.
• Reduced flows in streams, especially during summer months, will likely not dilute wastewater
treatment plant and other facility effluents as they do now.
• Water quality standards and BAT/BPT/BCT (Best Available Control Technology Economically
Achievable / Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available / Best Conventional
Pollutant Control Technology) technology-based limitations may not account for site-specific
effects of:
o changing ambient loading of metals and chemicals from acid deposition, leaching of
contaminated groundwater into discharge infrastructure or movement of pollutants
resulting from flooding, extreme precipitation and atmospheric exchange,
o increasing difficulty of meeting permit requirements due to growing frequency of
extreme precipitation events, storm surge and sea level rise,
o changes in discharge toxicity of specific pollutants (such as ammonia), cumulative effects
of pollutants and persistence of certain pollutants due to changing ambient surface water
and air temperatures.
• A facility's climate change mitigation or adaptation measures may not conform to
BAT/BPT/BCT technology-based limitations.
• More compliance issues in impaired watersheds for NPDES and SOW programs.
Nonpoint Source Management
Nonpoint source pollution comes from many diffuse sources and is caused by rainfall and snowmelt
runoff that picks up natural and human made pollutants and deposits them in lakes, rivers, wetlands,
coastal waters and ground water. State nonpoint source programs, developed under the Clean Water Act
(CWA) Section 319 Program, are working to meet this challenge.
Impacts on the Nonpoint Source Management Program:
• Accounting for greater quantities of runoff and pollutant effluents, with more variability, from
both urban and suburban stormwater and agricultural sources.
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• Increasing heavy precipitation days and more concentration of runoff in intense storms is likely to
be more damaging to aquatic habitats, and carry more erosion-related pollutants into water bodies.
• Extended drought conditions that may cause inadequate stream flows and further stress aquatic
systems, including the vegetation that is used in riparian areas and in management practices to
filter, treat, and infiltrate effluent flows (e.g. best management practice [BMP] utility may need to
be reevaluated under future conditions).
• More restoration and protection challenges for watershed protection and NFS programs.
Wetlands
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires EPA to concur with permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers to allow dredging or filling of wetlands. Wetlands function to protect ecosystems, streams
and other aquatic resources. Wetlands provide four crucial functions for helping to make the Nation
more resilient in response to climate change:
• Coastal protection in the face of sea level rise and increased hurricane intensity, including the
ability to reduce wave energy;
• Protecting Water Supplies in the face of increased drought conditions by providing groundwater
recharge and maintaining minimum stream flows;
• Flood mitigation in the face of increased precipitation and storm frequency in the northeastern
United States. The capacity of wetlands and headwater streams to reduce flood peaks, detain
stormwater, and filter pollutants is critical to the protection of life, property, and water quality;
• Wetlands can serve to sequester carbon.
Impacts on wetlands program (coastal and inland wetlands):
• Wetland migration due to sea level rise that inundate or submerge the wetlands.
• Variability in salinity levels, caused by drought, sea level rise, and increased precipitation and
changes in the plant and animal species that inhabit the wetlands as well as potential impacts on
endangered species and/or critical habitats.
• Increased sedimentation and nutrient loading, with increased precipitation potentially changing
wetland characteristics and structures.
• Drying out of seasonal wetlands with increased drought, which may also potentially change
wetland characteristics.
• Changes in soil dynamics may also affect wetland characteristics, such as hydrology, size, and
sediment types.
• Physical damage or elimination of wetlands and dune structures that protect them due to
hurricanes and other seasonal changes.
• Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns can affect the nature and distribution of inland
wetlands. Decreased precipitation and increased temperatures (greater evaporation and less
frequent flooding), can result in loss of vernal pools and shallow emergent wetland. These
changes can affect the plant and animal species that inhabit the wetlands and may cause potential
impacts on endangered species and/or critical habitats. Sea level rise may submerge/inundate
wetlands, potentially changing wetland characteristics (e.g. designation from fresh to saltwater
wetland).
• Sea level rise and increased storm activity will increase erosion of salt marshes. For coastal
marshes, if sea levels rise at a rate that exceeds the accumulation of substrate (marsh sediments)
the coastal wetlands will break down due to inundation, erosion and intrusion by salt water.
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Ocean Dumping and Dredging
The Ocean Dumping and Dredged Materials Management programs established by Congress in 1972,
prohibits ocean dumping of materials that would unreasonably degrade or endanger human health or the
marine environment.
Impacts on the Ocean Dumping and Dredging program:
• Increase need and frequency for dredging due to increased precipitation intensity, and severe
storms that may cause erosion and sedimentation of streams, rivers, and harbors.
• Earlier sedimentation due to shorter winters and earlier snowmelts.
• Shifting sediments and forming of shoals in harbors that impede safe navigation and may require
emergency dredging.
• Need for dredged materials to protect shorelines, beaches, dunes and marshes from sea level rise.
National Estuary Program
The National Estuary Program (NEP) was established in 1987 to restore and protect the physical,
chemical, and biological integrity of "estuaries of national significance" by focusing our Clean Water Act
authorities in these highly productive ecosystems. There are 28 NEPs across the country, six of which
are entirely or partially within EPA New England. The NEPs promote technical transfer of information,
expertise, and best management practices to accelerate and embellish implementation of "core" Clean
Water Act programs. Lessons learned by the NEPs are shared across the network of 28 programs
nationally, as well as with other coastal watersheds facing similar water pollution and water quality
impairments. This approach has proven to be a success over the past 25 years and the NEP is seen as a
model for other comprehensive watershed and community-based programs.
Impacts on the NEP Program:
• Biological communities are vulnerable to sea level rise, warming ocean temperatures,
acidification, and increased sedimentation and erosion caused by extreme precipitation events as
well as other impacts described in other water programs above.
Drinking Water, Wastewater, and StormwaterInfrastructure
The Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act are the two primary federal laws that protect
water quality and specifically drinking water quality. Both laws include provisions that authorize EPA to
award annual grants to states to help capitalize their State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs, which
support construction and maintenance of wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water treatment and
conveyance infrastructure. The following are some of the most significant threats to water infrastructure
posed by climate change.
Impacts on Drinking Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Infrastructure Programs:
• Damage to infrastructure due to increases in flooding from extreme precipitation, storm surges,
loss of wetlands, and sea level rise.
• Source water intake changes may be needed due to droughts and summertime extreme heat.
• Coastal infrastructure may be impacted by sea level rise.
• Pathogen growth may be fostered due to warmer waters and may test the reliability of drinking
water disinfection.
• Additional pollutant loadings of nutrients, pesticides, and other chemicals may challenge drinking
water treatment.
• Fresh water supplies for all uses, particularly drinking water, may be at risk in coastal areas with
sea level rise.
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• Coastal aquifers may experience salt water intrusion where withdrawals are outstripping recharge
and increased pressure head from higher sea levels may worsen this problem.
• Community drinking water intakes may end up in brackish waters as the salt front migrates up
coastal rivers and streams.
• There may be an impairment of ability to treat wastewater or provide drinking water in the
aftermath of extreme weather events due to compromised energy infrastructure.
• Decentralized septic systems may be vulnerable to damage from sea level rise, storm surge, and
flooding.
Drinking Water Quality
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans'
drinking water. EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and
water suppliers who implement those standards.
Impacts on Drinking Water Quality Program:
• Changes in aquifer recharge due to earlier ice breakup causing earlier peak river flows may
require changes in source and demand management.
• Increased runoff and turbidity due to more precipitation falling as rain than as snow.
• Source and demand management changes due to short-term droughts lasting 1-3 months and more
frequent days of extreme heat.
• Threats to source water quality due to flooding, storm surges, coastal flooding, loss of wetlands,
and sea level rise.
• Diminished reliability of future water supply may require water supply management and water
demand management practice changes.
• Changes in the salt front of estuaries and tidal rivers due to sea level rise and fresh water flow
changes may result in increased pressure to manage freshwater reservoirs to increase flows and
attempt to maintain salinity regimes, in order to protect estuarine productivity and drinking water
supplies. Water quality standards in watersheds experiencing reservoir depletion may need to
reflect these conditions.
• Biological expectations may need to be adjusted due to saltwater intrusion.
• May become harder to meet drinking water standards due to higher flows with associated erosion
and sedimentation and lower flows and increased pollutant contamination and reduced dissolved
oxygen.
• Increased contaminants in public drinking water sources and supplies due to runoff from
increased rain events.
C. Enforcement and Compliance
• Extreme weather events can do significant and potentially long-term damage to drinking water
facilities and sewage treatment plants, resulting in contaminated drinking water and the discharge
of untreated sewage in violation of applicable requirements. Such damage will increase the
burden on Enforcement/Compliance programs to respond to these violations and water quality
impairments resulting from such damage.
• It may be physically more difficult to conduct compliance evaluations and inspections in the field
due to harsher weather conditions and extreme weather events. The weather conditions could
have an adverse effect both on the physical well-being of inspectors, as well as on equipment used
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to monitor and test compliance. Weather conditions and the aftermath of extreme weather events
may affect our ability to actually collect samples and determine compliance.
• Impacts on Enforcement/Compliance resources for enforcement of wetlands regulations could be
particularly impacted by the response to storm surges in vulnerable areas (see wetlands section,
above).
GOAL 3: Cleaning up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development
Contaminated site cleanup and waste/petroleum management occur under a variety of EPA programs,
most commonly Superfund (i.e., remedial, time-critical and non-time critical removals, and emergency
response), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)
(e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs), Clean Air Act (CAA) (e.g., asbestos), and the Oil Pollution Act
(OPA). A high percentage of cleanups, including most Brownfields sites, are regulated through State
programs.
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
The potential climate change impacts described below broadly apply to each of the cleanup and
management programs; however, the implications of these climate change impacts may differ by
program.
For New England, the impacts that could most likely pose risks to contaminated sites (including
controlled, uncontrolled, and undiscovered contamination), waste management facilities, and petroleum
storage facilities are sea level rise, extreme storm events (precipitation and wind), temperature extremes,
and decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity. Ocean acidification and increased
water temperatures may also pose additional risks to coastal petroleum storage facilities and affect the
natural bio-degradation of oils released to the environment. Potential environmental conditions arising
from these impacts and specific examples illustrating how they could influence contaminated sites are
described below. The likelihood and severity of climate change impacts can also be expected to vary
considerably from site to site depending on the location, cleanup technologies/approaches used, and
many other factors.
Sea Level Rise: Sea level rise will affect coastal areas in every New England state except for Vermont.
The impact on contaminated sites, waste management facilities, and petroleum storage facilities may be
partially mitigated because sea level rise is expected to occur gradually over the course of decades. This
may allow additional time to appropriately plan for and respond to these changing conditions (e.g.,
construction of berms, removal of wastes, and completion of shorter-term treatment activities).
As a result of sea level rise, contaminated sites, waste management facilities, and petroleum storage
facilities located in vulnerable areas could be subject to inundation and salt water intrusion. Inundation
may lead to the release and dispersal of contaminants, physical damage to remediation-related structures,
degradation of coastal aquifers (thereby impacting cleanup performance goals), and other adverse
impacts. Saltwater intrusion may also impair habitat restoration efforts; cause corrosion of underground
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tanks, piping, and other equipment; and may lead to changes in soil/water chemical and biological
properties, altering the toxicity, transport, and natural degradation of contaminants.
Extreme Storm Events: Existing climate studies suggest that New England has been experiencing more
intense storm events. Unlike sea level rise, which predominantly affects coastal areas, extreme storm
events can impact a much wider range of contaminated sites. These impacts could include:
• Flooding of surface water bodies and surrounding land areas due to heavy precipitation events
(i.e., regional drainage).
• Flooding of coastal areas and rivers from storm surge due to higher intensity hurricanes.
• Increased local surface runoff.
• Increased infiltration of storm water into soils and elevation of water tables.
• Increased wind damage and dispersion of contaminants.
Because much of the historical development of industry and commerce in New England occurred along
rivers, canals, coasts, and other water bodies, these areas often have a higher density of contaminated
sites, waste management facilities, and petroleum storage facilities. This increases the number of these
sites and facilities potentially vulnerable to flooding. Potential consequences of this flooding include the
spread of contaminants through erosion, dissolving of contaminants, physical entrainment and deposition
of soils or sediments, and flotation and rupture of tanks or drums. Flooding and high winds may also
result in the delay or impairment of remedial operations, and damage to remediation and waste/petroleum
management structures, contaminated buildings, utilities and other related infrastructure. In addition, the
increased amounts of infiltration and runoff, and higher water table levels, could impact the performance
of remediation systems and require management of greater volumes of clean and contaminated ground-
and surface-water. In this way, increased precipitation events and hurricanes may potentially impact sites
even if they are remote from coastal areas and rivers.
In addition, prior to the enactment of environmental laws, industrial wastes were routinely discharged to
rivers/streams, industrial canals, ponds and other water bodies. As a result, many contaminants may exist
within the layers of sediment that accumulated over the years. Increased water flows due to extreme
storm events could potentially re-suspend these sediments, or damage sediment caps, which are
engineered covers intended to prevent contaminated sediments from migrating. Furthermore, river and
canal flooding could also potentially cause the breaching or failure of dams — such as old mill dams
which are numerous in New England — resulting in the spread of contaminated sediment previously
contained by the dams. Such events could also cause flooding impacts to sites or chemical facilities
downstream.
Temperature Change: The direct consequence of elevated temperatures on contaminated site cleanups
is expected to be relatively limited. However, elevated temperatures could lead to increased
pressurization of storage containers, volatilization of hazardous materials, and other factors which may
affect design and operation of remediation systems and emergency response actions. Worker health and
safety concerns during site operations may also be impacted by higher temperatures (e.g., handling of
pressurized drums, heat stress to responders).
Decreasing Precipitation Days/Increasing Drought Intensity: Decreasing precipitation compounded
by higher ambient temperatures may increase drought conditions that could adversely impact the function
of remediation systems (e.g., vegetative layers on landfills, phytoremediation). Droughts also may
increase the potential for wildfires that could further damage remediation systems, and cause contaminant
releases from facilities used to manage hazardous materials and wastes, and from buildings containing
asbestos and other hazardous construction materials.
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Ocean Acidification: The acidification of sea water may adversely impact the corrosion and degradation
of pipelines and construction materials (e.g. concrete pads/berms) used to convey, store, or contain
petroleum products at coastal facilities.
Increased Water Temperatures: Increased water temperatures may lead to a change in native or
endemic organisms available for biotic degradation of petroleum released to the environment.
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities
Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Removal, RCRA Corrective Action,
TSCA)
Longer-term response cleanups such as those occurring under the Superfund remedial and removal
programs and the RCRA corrective action program are intended to significantly reduce the dangers
associated with the threats of and actual releases of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants
that pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. Many of these cleanups are also
viewed as "permanent" solutions, and thus must be "protective" of human health and the environment.
Impacts on Longer-term Cleanups:
Cleanups where waste is left in place (e.g., landfills, cap-in-place remedies) or involve treatment that
occurs over a long period of time (e.g., ground water pump & treat systems) could be especially
vulnerable to changes in climate. For remedies that are typically of much shorter duration (e.g., soil
vapor extraction, enhanced thermal treatment), the impacts of climate change are more predictable and
easier to factor into the selection and design of a particular remedy. Some specific programmatic
vulnerabilities are:
• Climate change introduces uncertainties into the underlying assumptions that could affect the
selection and design of future remedies (e.g., precipitation records and floodplain maps used for
remedy selection and design may not account for future climate change impacts) potentially
leading to:
o more extensive and costly remedies, such as excavation and removal of wastes, for sites that
are potentially vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding
o designs that are based on conservative engineering assumptions to reflect uncertainty over
future environmental conditions (e.g., planning for increased surface water runoff or
infiltration from extreme storm events)
• There could be physical damage to structures and other components of the site remedy due to
extreme flooding, hurricanes, winter rain/ice storms, and increased drought conditions.
• In some cases, cleanups that were once believed to be protective may no longer meet that standard
as changes in climate occur. This could result in extensive and potentially costly redesign, and
potentially create an extra demand on EPA and State legal and technical resources.
• Sites that were previously not considered or were excluded from cleanup programs may now
require reconsideration under site assessment programs (e.g., changes in the direction and extent
of contaminated ground water; collapse of abandoned, structurally unstable buildings containing
asbestos, lead paint, and other hazardous construction materials).
• The validity of past and ongoing modeling/monitoring could be affected by changing
environmental conditions (e.g., changing groundwater flow, groundwater and surface water
salinity and other chemical properties).
• Assumptions made for the use and value of natural resources may be affected by changes to those
natural resources (e.g., degradation of an aquifer due to salt water intrusion).
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• Time-critical removal actions, which often bridge the gap between emergency response actions
and longer-term remedial actions, may involve unique challenges resulting from climate change
impacts, such as:
o The preliminary assessment/site investigation (PA/SI) phase of time-critical removal
actions does not currently include potential climate change impacts, and the associated
risk may not be factored into cleanup prioritization.
o The remedy selection process that provides the foundation for more permanent remedies
may not adequately consider climate impacts.
o Time-critical removals often involve labor intensive operations, leading to additional
vulnerabilities from acute impacts of climate change (e.g. flooding and ground water level,
temporary or long-term power outages, extreme heat). These impacts may lead to
increased costs, decreased productivity, and increased migration of contaminants.
o The available capacities for off-site disposal, waste transport, construction equipment, and
laboratory services may be overwhelmed by extreme storm events that may generate large
volumes of hazardous materials and debris (including household hazardous waste). The
intermixing of hazardous materials and debris complicates the separation, collection, and
transport of these materials and also increases disposal costs. Temporary, on-site staging
of hazardous materials and debris may also be adversely affected by flooding and other
conditions that limit usable land space.
o Extreme storm events may create chaotic conditions that increase health and safety risks to
personnel during time-critical removal and emergency response actions (e.g., unstable
buildings/structures; release and intermingling of hazardous materials; physical hazards;
contamination by biological wastes from the flooding of waste water treatment facilities,
sewers).
o Flooding may lead to increased need for dewatering, water treatment and other
remediation processes that can add greatly to the cost of cleaning up the site.
Emergency Response Program
EPA coordinates and implements a wide range of activities to ensure that adequate and timely response
measures are taken in communities affected by hazardous substances and oil releases where state and
local first responder capabilities have been exceeded or where additional support is needed. EPA's
emergency response program responds to chemical, oil, biological and radiological releases and large-
scale national emergencies, including homeland security incidents.
Impacts on Emergency Response Program:
• Releases of hazardous materials or chemicals through high winds, flooding, and storm surge and a
need for increased frequency and intensity of emergency response for both hazardous materials
and oil. Current response resources, including laboratory services, may not be adequate for
responses to extreme events. Specific impacts include:
o The industrial mill infrastructure along New England Rivers poses a unique threat to the
region. Many of these structures contain hazardous chemicals, oil, and contaminated soil
directly adjacent to streams and rivers that may release with extreme storms and flooding
events. Old, structurally unstable mill buildings containing containerized hazardous
substances or hazardous material as part of the structure (e.g., asbestos, lead paint, PCBs) may
collapse due to storm forces and cause releases that could warrant response actions. Potential
for failure of aging mill dams will increase as frequency and intensity of storms stress the
structures, leading to potential impact to chemical and oil facilities downstream.
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o Increased number of brown/black outs could adversely impact the operation of chemical
facility processes and equipment, leading to potential releases of hazardous materials (e.g.,
runaway reactions).
o Coastal hazardous material and oil facilities may be impacted by extreme storm events (e.g.,
storm surge). The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has jurisdiction over hazardous
material and oil spills along the coast, but the U. S. EPA has interagency agreements in place
to support the USCG during responses.
o Collection of household hazardous waste (HHW) and biological waste collection or mitigation
may be included in EPA's mission during extreme weather events. In preparation for more
frequent events, additional planning may be necessary to plan for response to these wastes
• Pest type and range may change with climate changes and there may be an increase or change in
type of pesticides stored and transported across the region resulting in potential increase in
releases.98
• Additional planning for emergency response may be needed:
o The impacts of increased blackouts/brownouts, severe storm damage, and other adverse
conditions may need to be incorporated into current national and area contingency plans.
o Facility Response Plans (FRP) and Spill Prevention and Control Countermeasures (SPCC)
plans may not adequately consider climate change impacts.
o Current regional debris management plans rely on historical climate assumptions and do not
address the increasing uncertainty in climatic extreme events.
o Additional planning may be needed as Stafford Act declarations (federal emergency
declarations) may be more frequent with a changing climate.
o Current energy infrastructure (oil, natural gas, nuclear) in New England may not include
climate change assumptions for emergency planning.
RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates, among other things, the treatment,
storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes. Owners/operators of these treatment, storage, and disposal
(TSD) facilities must generally obtain a permit for those activities. Facilities that generate hazardous
waste and store it for 90 days or less are also regulated under RCRA. In New England, the individual
states are authorized to implement this program in lieu of EPA.
In order to operate as a TSD facility, the owner/operator must comply with numerous technical
requirements which ensure that covered activities can be conducted in a manner that is protective of
human health and the environment. These requirements apply to on-going hazardous waste management
units (e.g., drum and tank storage, surface impoundments, waste piles), as well as to the closure (i.e.,
cleaning and decommissioning) of those units that are no longer in use. TSD facilities must also conduct
cleanup of past and present releases of hazardous constituents.
Impacts on RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities:
The same climate change impacts that could affect contaminated site cleanups may also affect the
management and operation of hazardous waste facilities. Some examples are:
• Tanks containing hazardous waste could be damaged by high winds or flying debris during
hurricanes.
• Integrity of drums and drum storage areas could be compromised by flooding, allowing drums to
be floated out of containment barriers, or cause intermingling of incompatible wastes, etc.
• The potential for failure of process equipment (e.g., pressure relief valves, emergency vent fans
and pumps) could increase with increases in winter rain and ice storms.
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• Over-pressurization of tanks containing volatile wastes and the emergency venting of these
wastes could occur with extreme ambient temperatures.
• Buildings or other structures used for indoor storage of waste piles could be damaged or flooded
in a hurricane causing the release of this material.
• Emergency evacuation routes for facility personnel and the surrounding community, as well as
facility access by fire and other emergency response vehicles, could be flooded or otherwise
restricted due to an extreme storm event.
While the New England states are authorized to implement the RCRA hazardous waste management
program, EPA retains oversight authority to ensure compliance with the statute and regulations and
there may be a need for increased coordination to respond to climate change impacts.
Some specific programmatic vulnerabilities for EPA in its oversight role are:
• Uncertainties in the underlying assumptions that could affect the design, operation and
management of hazardous waste facilities, including contingency planning (e.g., RCRA TSD
facilities must meet specific requirements if waste management units are located within a 100-
year floodplain).
• Financial assurance estimates for closure/post-closure may not reflect changing climate change
impacts on those activities.
Oil Program and Underground Storage Tanks
The Oil Pollution Act (OP A) was signed into law in August 1990. The OP A improved the nation's ability
to prevent and respond to oil spills by establishing provisions that expand the federal government's
ability, and provide the money and resources necessary, to respond to oil spills. To reduce the likelihood
of a spill, regulations issued under CWA Section 31 l(j) (published in the Code of Federal Regulations,
40 CFR Part 112) require facilities that store oil in specified threshold amounts to prepare spill
prevention, control, and countermeasure (SPCC) plans and to adopt certain measures to keep releases
from reaching navigable waters. Certain types of facilities that pose a greater risk of release must also
develop plans to respond promptly to clean up any spills that do occur". It is estimated that there are
between 1,000 and 12,000 SPCC facilities per state and 200 FRP facilities in New England.
EPA created the Office of Underground Storage Tanks to carry out a Congressional mandate to develop
and implement a regulatory program under RCRA for underground storage tank (UST) systems. EPA
works with its state, territorial, and tribal partners to prevent and clean up releases from UST systems.
The greatest potential threat from a leaking UST is contamination of groundwater, the source of drinking
water for nearly half of all Americans. EPA, states, and tribes work together to protect the environment
and human health from potential UST releases. 10°
Impacts on the Oil and Underground Storage Tank Programs:
• Secondary containment and flooding of coastal facilities may be compromised by sea level rise.
• Increase in precipitation and floods may have many impacts, as follows:
o Decrease the effectiveness of secondary containment.
o Increase flow and pressure to underground infrastructure/structures i.e. pipelines,
wastewater treatment facilities, power plants, and paper mills. Increased flow and pressure
to containment systems may result in back feed and flow of product resulting in increased
discharges of oil.
o Decrease tank headspace thereby displacing buffer space available to prevent overflow/
overfill, potentially leading to increased oil spills.
o Increase weathering of underground and aboveground storage tanks (ASTs and USTs).
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o Increase flow and changes of navigable water depth, thereby increasing difficulty in
preparing and implementing planning distance, booming strategies, and cleanup strategies.
• Failure of infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, and secondary containment) and damage or displacement
of tanks due to increased intensity of hurricanes and resulting winds and storm surges. Damage to
storage tanks would increase the likelihood of spills to navigable waters, coastlines and oceans.
• Increased degradation and weathering of pipelines and infrastructure due to ocean acidification
could result in oil spills.
• Higher ambient temperatures that decrease the viscosity of heavy oil and the lowering of water
tables due to drought conditions may potentially increase the mobilization of oil spills.
• Change in native or endemic organism availability for biotic degradation of oil due to increase in
water temperatures.
C. Enforcement and Compliance
• There may be an increased demand for compliance monitoring support during emergency/disaster
situations (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, drought, wildfires), and it may be difficult to deploy
compliance experts in a timely manner to the areas where assistance is needed. Infrastructure
failures may also result in regulatory violations which could require a state or federal enforcement
response.
GOAL 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
A. Pesticides
EPA receives its authority to regulate pesticide products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) registers or licenses pesticide products for sale, distribution, and use in the
United States. As part of pesticide product registration EPA approves, or more properly "accepts"
pesticide label language. In addition, states, usually through a program housed in the State Department
of Agriculture, registers pesticide products available for use in individual states. Anyone planning to
import pesticides into the U.S. must notify EPA.
EPA's Pesticides program covers:
• Providing oversight to state and tribal pesticide programs responsible for certifying and training
pesticide applicators and enforcing pesticide use.
• Implementing the federal certification plan for Pesticide Applicators using Restricted Use
Pesticides in Indian Country.
• Evaluating Potential New Pesticides and Uses.
• Providing for Special Local Needs and Emergency Situations.
• Reviewing Safety of Older Pesticides.
• Registering and inspecting Pesticide Producing Establishments.
• Enforcing Pesticide Requirements.
• Risk assessment.
• Pesticide Field Programs.
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Impacts on Pesticides Program:
• New pest problems will occur in New England, many of which will be from exotic invasive
species.
• Potential changes in program focus to include more emphasis on structural and public health pests
due to weather related impacts on housing and vector pest habitats (i.e., more standing water)
• Changes in pests and pest pressures due to increases in temperatures and variations in rainfall
patterns.
• Increase in fungal and microbial organisms in agricultural and non-agricultural settings due to
extreme rainfall.
• Changes in chemical and non-chemical agricultural practices due to extreme storms and farmers'
inability to work in their fields (e.g. increases in the likelihood of run-off and off-target movement
of chemical products; limits on the potential use of certain non-chemical methods such as
cultivation because it may not be possible to bring heavy farm equipment onto wet fields and
saturated soils).
• Increased use of aerial applications resulting in increased risk of pesticide drift due to extreme
storm events.
• Increase in dry condition pests due to drought (e.g. mites that feed on a variety of field, vegetable
and fruit crops).
Changes in pesticide choices and quantities may require changes to the pesticide applicator certification
and training programs. Changes in chemical selection could result in new and increased chemical
exposures, especially for indoor applications. Types of new pest problems could include:
• Indoor and outdoor molds and microorganisms which are controlled by disinfectant pesticide
products;
• Public health pests such as mosquitoes and ticks;
• Forest pests,
• Aquatic pests including weeds; and
• Various agricultural pests including weeds, insects and plant diseases.
B. Enforcement, Compliance and Pollution Prevention
Enforcement
As with other regulatory programs, climate impacts noted above could cause an increased strain on
Enforcement/Compliance resources because of an increased need to respond to changes in pesticide
choices and application methods.
Pollution Prevention
The long term response to climate change may create demands on EPA and state pollution prevention
programs due to the need to provide additional assistance to the regulated community. As an example,
there may be increased demand for assistance regarding mitigation methods for reducing GHG
emissions. Green Chemistry resources will be in greater demand as businesses and the public seek more
sustainable substitutes for materials used for manufacturing and other industrial and commercial
activities.
Facilities and Operations
Climate change poses a range of risks to EPA New England's facilities and operations. The following
sections detail the general risks and then delve into the risks specific to each facility. Note that each
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facility does not operate in isolation; the climate impacts experienced by each facility will be greatly
influenced by the larger systems (utilities, transportation, communities) of which it is a part.
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts101
From the facilities and operations perspective, the vulnerabilities associated with climate change
encompass issues of energy security, water quality and supply, severe weather and flooding damage,
personnel safety, physical security, and communications interruptions. Facilities and operations support
the broader agency mission of protecting air, water, and human health through the provision of
functional, appropriate, and safe working spaces for personnel. Beyond the infrastructure and utilities
that serve EPA rented or owned facilities and the operations that support the function of those facilities,
broader impacts of climate change on transportation and communication systems are also vulnerabilities
that can hamper EPA New England's efforts to meet agency goals. While telework policies are in place
to address these vulnerabilities, the magnitude of these impacts may extend to those alternate work
locations, causing significant disruption to employee work and ultimately hampering fulfillment of the
EPA New England mission.
However, while operations may be vulnerable in the areas described above, EPA New England has
developed a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to maintain emergency functions should any
particular facility or location be compromised. This plan provides guidance for continued uninterrupted
operations and the performance of essential functions during emergency situations. The COOP includes
provisions for physical relocation from current facilities and resource planning for up to 30 days.
B. Facility-Specific Vulnerabilities
The Boston McCormack office building located in Boston, MA is approximately 0.5 miles from the
Boston waterfront and sits at an elevation of approximately 12.3 feet (2.76 meters) above mean sea
level.102 The building is a massive granite structure, serviced by underground utilities for water, natural
gas and steam heating. All building mechanical systems are on the 17th floor roof. Most notable about
this facility is its position as a part of a larger urban community. While impacts can be explored with the
view that the building sits in isolation from the rest of the city, more likely, the experience of impacts will
be moderated and influenced by its proximity to other buildings and infrastructure of significance.
The impacts and risks associated with higher water levels from sea level rise, storm surge or flooding
include: building damage, inaccessibility of the building to employees, and damage to the larger utility
systems that support the operation of the McCormack building. In addition, mobile equipment (e.g.
vehicles, emergency response resources, etc.) stored in the building's basement may be vulnerable to
flooding. However, the structural soundness of the building will limit the impacts of extreme weather on
the building itself, and the location of mechanical systems on the 17th floor will limit the damage to
critical building equipment. In addition, the McCormack building is equipped with a natural gas fueled
backup generator.
The Boston office utilizes a parking garage for Government Owned Vehicles. The vehicles are on the
ninth floor of the parking structure and are not susceptible to flooding concerns because of the high
elevation. However, access to this facility may be hampered by local flooding, affecting the usability of
those vehicles.
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The Chelmsford Lab is built high on a hill approximately 40 miles from Boston Harbor, at an elevation of
156.2 feet (47.61 meters) above mean sea level103 obviating any risks of sea level rise or direct flooding.
However, surrounding roads may be flooded during extreme storms.
The power grid near the Chelmsford Lab is particularly susceptible to several hour power interruptions
due to rain and wind. Due to the existing weaknesses of the power grid, the Lab is equipped to manage
short interruptions. At this facility, oil fueled backup generators have been sufficient for up to 44 hours
of backup power and can be extended by additional fuel deliveries.
EPA's Emergency Response Warehouse is located approximately 30 miles from Boston Harbor at the
intersection of Routes 128 and 1-93 in an industrial park. At an elevation of 73.3 feet (22.36 meters)
above mean sea level,104 the likelihood of sea level rise impacts is very low. Impacts to the larger
transportation systems may affect accessibility, but similar to the McCormack building, those impacts are
a part of the larger context and beyond EPA's control and jurisdiction. The susceptibility of this facility
and its access roads to flooding due to nearby rivers and water bodies is currently unknown. Impacts to
this warehouse may affect the access to and availability of emergency response resources that are stored
at this location.
Tribal and Vulnerable Populations
The impacts of climate change may disproportionately impact tribal communities and vulnerable
populations, including children.
Tribal Communities
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and
decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further expressed in the
1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations and the
2011 Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These policies recognize and support
the sovereign decision-making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes are
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the environment
within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation strategies that
promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes recommended a number of
tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information;
supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level
education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time,
tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal governments on
an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation-related priorities. These
collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provide by our tribal partners and the Traditional
Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the
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current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool
to adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is
viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues,
including the National Tribal Operations Committee, Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the EPA-
Tribal Science Council, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and the Indian General
Assistance Program (IGAP). Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and
Program Offices in EPA, since climate change has many impacts that transcend media and regional
boundaries. Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage activities already
taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
There are 10 federally recognized tribes (see Figure 7 105) in New England and climate change may have
the potential to disproportionately impact tribal communities compared to non-tribal communities.
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Figure 7: New England Federally Recognized Tribes
Aroostook Band of Micmacs
Houlton Sand of Haliseet Indians
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indians
Indian Township Reservation
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indians
Pleasant Point Reservation
Penobscot Indian Nation
Mohegan Tribe
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
Narragansett Indian Tribe
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Environmental Justice
The impacts of climate change raise environmental justice issues. Environmental justice focuses on the
health of and environmental conditions affecting minority, low-income, and indigenous populations.
EPA places emphasis on these populations because they have historically been exposed to a combination
of physical, chemical, biological, social, and cultural factors that have imposed greater environmental
burdens on them than those imposed on the general population. Climate change is likely to exacerbate
existing and introduce new environmental burdens and associated health impacts in communities dealing
with environmental justice challenges across the nation.106
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Children
The impacts of climate change can have unique effects on the health of children. Children are different
from adults in how they interact with their environment and how their health may be affected.
Below is a list of potential impacts on tribal populations, environmental justice communities, and
children, broadly organized by EPA programs.
A. Air
Impacts on tribal programs (raised by tribal leaders and tribal environmental departments at various
meetings with the Agency):
• Potentially higher health risk of methyl mercury contamination due to higher fish and shellfish
consumption by tribal members compared to the average consumer.107
• Potentially higher risk of exposure to increase in mercury and cadmium as well as other pollutants
as it concentrates in moose liver, turtle, and fiddlehead ferns consumed by the Maine tribal
populations. 108>109
• Potentially higher mercury exposure from tribal members' reliance on wood stoves for home
heating, and increased air transport and deposition of mercury or other contaminants that
bioaccumulate on wood bark. no
• Higher incidence of asthma as indoor air exposure to mold and second-hand smoke exposure
increases with more time spent indoors due to more extreme weather events.
• Impacts to sustenance practices due to warmer ambient temperatures and extended warmer
seasons as predator tick populations impact moose and deer hunting111, invasive plant species
impact agronomic practices such as fiddlehead harvesting and blueberry farming, and invasive
insects such as the emerald ash borer impact native practices involving black ash species (e.g.
basket-making for harvesting).112
• Moose populations may decline due to warmer mean temperatures in winter.113
• Forestry operations and changes of species from hardwoods such as oak and maple to more
spruce and fir populations with temperature increase.
Impacts on vulnerable populations:
• Combination of heat stress and high concentrations of tropospheric ozone could pose a health risk
to young children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions, including
asthma. 114Increase in health risks from worsening indoor environmental conditions due to
increases in mold and other indoor air pollutants as a result of increased flooding or leaks from
storm events.115
• Increase risk to low-income households from extreme heat events due to lack of air conditioning
or failure to use air-conditioning to cut down on associated energy costs.116
Impacts on children:
• Increased frequencies of elevated levels of ozone may lead to a number of adverse health effects
in children, such as shortness of breath, chest pain when inhaling deeply, wheezing and coughing,
temporary decreases in lung function, and lower respiratory tract infections.117' 118
• Increased levels of particle pollution during extreme weather events could cause increased
exposure to children. Childhood exposure to paniculate matter has been associated with
respiratory symptoms, decreased lung function, development of chronic bronchitis, and worsening
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of asthma. Children's exposure to particle pollution can result in increased hospital admissions,
emergency room visits, absences from school and restricted activity days.
• If radon is present in schools, higher incidence of exposure to radon with more time spent indoors
due to more extreme weather events.
B. Water
Impacts on tribal programs:
• Coastal infrastructure may be impacted by sea level rise including the Passamaquoddy Pleasant
Point wastewater treatment facility that is located near sea level with an ocean outfall discharge.
• Ocean acidification may have a particularly acute impact on the coastal tribal members, including
Passamaquoddy, Mashpee Wampanoag and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) who
depend on shellfish harvesting for sustenance practices, employment and economic development.
• Lobster shell wasting disease that may be linked to climate change has also been raised as a
concern.119
• Damage to wildlife and fish habitat, potentially altering spawning habitat by increasing siltation
due to sea level rise.
• Cold water fish species such as trout and salmon may be more susceptible to poisons, parasites
and disease, and stunted fish growth, as well as increased juvenile mortality resulting from lower
oxygen levels due to warmer waters.
• Fishery habitat including nesting sites and increased fish mortality due to flooding of tribal rivers
as a result of increased snowfall and rapid snowmelt. Tribal communities depend on sustenance
fishing.
Impacts on vulnerable populations:
• Increase in severity and frequency of extreme storms can result in catastrophic effects for coastal
environmental justice communities with limited resources to prepare and respond to natural
disasters.
• Increase risk of exposure to hazardous substances as flooding from more intense and frequent
storms and sea-level rise may lead to contaminant releases from Corrective Action sites,
Superfund sites, Brownfield sites and landfills which often are located in close proximity to
environmental justice communities.
• Impacts to water infrastructure may put vulnerable and economically deprived communities at
risk, both for access to clean and safe water as well as for their ability to respond to emergencies
during extreme events.
Impacts on children:
• Extreme weather also can result in the breakdown of sanitation and sewer systems, increasing the
likelihood of water-borne illness. Children are especially susceptible to such illness due to their
developing immune systems.
• School drinking water supplies may be compromised. New England schools are responsible for
providing safe drinking water to their students, staff and visitors. Many school systems do not
have access to a nearby public water supplier and provide drinking water by operating their own
onsite well water system.
• Increases in the extent of storm surge and coastal flooding will cause erosion and property
damage to schools along the densely populated coasts.
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C. Waste and Pesticides
No tribal impacts were identified that would be different from the impacts of the surrounding community
for these programs.
Impacts on vulnerable populations:
• Potential changes in pesticide exposures may exacerbate existing burdens placed on children,
agricultural workers and other groups who may be disproportionally affected.
Impacts on Children:
• Schools may experience a higher incidence of exposure to chemicals and pesticides increases with
more time spent indoors due to more extreme weather events.
Cross-Cutting Vulnerabilities
A. Energy
Managing electricity and natural gas facilities to meet environmental goals and reliability standards will
be challenged by long term temperature increases and increased extreme weather events.
Temperature increases will increase energy demand, particularly on peak summer days. As demand
increases, additions and adjustments to the electric generating system need to be made. Many of the
typical responses to these increases may increase air pollution emissions.
Additionally, since thermal power plants operate at lower capacities in the summer versus the winter, the
higher ambient temperatures get, the less efficient the power plants are over a greater portion of the year,
resulting in the consumption of more fuel, thus more emissions, to produce an equivalent amount of
usable energy. In addition, higher cooling water temperatures during summer months also mean that the
power plant will operate at less than its peak capacity. As a result, as long-term temperatures increase,
the overall efficiency of most power plants will decrease, resulting in higher emissions per megawatt-
hour produced over a larger portion of the year. This situation will not be unique to New England, and
New England will also be adversely impacted by additional pollution moving into the region as a result
of similar situations in upwind states and control areas.
The increased frequency of extreme weather events will impact the integrity of the energy system and can
lead to the disruption of electrical service. During the cold weather season, residents without power are
forced to utilize alternative methods of heating such as wood stoves or fireplaces. The resulting increase
in wood burning can contribute to elevated ambient fine particle (PM2.s) pollution concentrations. This
phenomenon was observed in the several days of "unhealthy for sensitive groups" (USG) PM2.5
concentration measured in the Springfield, MA area following the October 29, 2011 snowstorm.120
Power losses usually result in the increased usage of local generators which produce much more pollution
per unit of usable energy than a typical power plant. In addition, since both drinking and waste water
require substantial amounts of energy, long term disruptions in energy infrastructure can result in
negative public health outcomes related to an inability to provide clean water or treat wastewater.
Restoration of such capabilities within acceptable environmental parameters should be a priority for
emergency response restoration efforts as well.
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Sea level rise will also lead to direct and indirect losses for the region's energy infrastructure (e.g., power
plants located along the coast, marine facilities that receive oil and gas deliveries), including equipment
damage from flooding or erosion.
Air Issues/Impacts:
• Increased atmospheric concentrations of criteria pollutants due to increased electric demand
resulting from heat waves and generally higher temperatures. New England will be impacted
from inter-regional transport of pollutants caused by similar situations in upwind states.121
• Increased levels of criteria pollutants may result from decreased capacities of electric generating
units to operate due increased temperatures of cooling water. Long term temperature increases
may require a proportionally higher number of electric generating units (EGUs) to provide
equivalent amounts of power.
Water Issues/Impacts
• Decreased power output from power plants resulting from increases in the waterbody
temperatures that supply cooling water to the plant.
• The Region may be requested to allow enforcement forbearance to allow the discharge of heated
water into water bodies that exceed the temperature limits in violation of the power plant's
NPDES permit, in order to permit electrical generation.
• Impairment or inability to treat wastewater or provide drinking water in the aftermath of extreme
weather events.
B. Communications
Effective communication to stakeholders is critical to meeting EPA's mission. The following are impacts
on communications at EPA New England.
• As communities are impacted by severe storms, impaired waters, contaminated flood waters, and
other impacts of climate change, current communication mechanisms regarding the environment
and public health during these periods may not be sufficient to ensure that communities receive
the appropriate guidance on how to react to these events and protect public health.
• Current mechanisms of communications with states, cities and towns, and guidance regarding
how to best handle climate change impacts and vulnerabilities may not be sufficient.
• Current mechanisms regarding how EPA communicates information may not be sufficiently easy
to access and understandable to the audience in need, both during emergency events and when
conducting communication on climate change impacts.
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IV. Priority Actions
The EPA New England climate change programmatic vulnerability assessment points to the specific
program and operations that may be impacted by the projected climate changes. Based on these
vulnerabilities, EPA New England identified priority actions it could take to ensure that we can continue
to accomplish our mission and operate at our multiple locations. These priorities represent EPA New
England's commitment to address the known programmatic vulnerabilities, and to continue to identify
other vulnerabilities that may occur over time due to climate change.
The workgroup developed a set of criteria to take into consideration when evaluating the priority actions.
The following qualitative criteria were considered. .
• Timeframe when risk would occur?
• Magnitude of impact of risk on environment or health?
• Magnitude of impact on EPA program?
• Does the action reduce the risk?
• Does the action protect a critical resource/investment?
• Does the action address "low-hanging fruit" that would be easy to accomplish?
• Would the action leverage a larger effort outside of EPA?
• Does EPA have a unique role or capacity to address this issue?
• What is the timeframe of the problem that this action would be addressing?
Could the action be accomplished within current budgets or would additional funds be necessary?
Taking these criteria into account, priority actions were determined for each strategic goal. The
following section summarizes the priority actions for each goal.
GOAL1
Ozone and NOx
1. Work with other EPA Regions and HQ air program managers to develop a strategy, in context to
other programmatic priorities, on how to incorporate climate adaptation into air quality programs
(e.g., SIPs, permits).
2. Develop new VOC and NOx control strategies with the States to offset the effects from higher
peak (and prolonged) temperatures as necessary.
PM
3. Devote more Regional staff time to providing the public with "Burn Wise" information, and work
with the states and tribes to inform the public about unhealthy air quality.
4. Work with the States to analyze further control strategies for wood combustion to avoid PM2.5
violations.
Indoor Air
5. Prepare information and recommendations regarding mold and other indoor air quality issues for
distribution to the public due to increase in extreme events and flooding, and residents spending
more time indoors.
6. Enhance messaging on the dangers from backup electricity sources (e.g. generators) and heat
sources (e.g., wood stoves, fireplaces) that might be used more frequently due to power outages.
7. Devote more Regional staff time as needed to answer indoor air calls from the public.
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Enforcement
8. Enhance Regional compliance assistance efforts to insure emergency generators are properly
used, and are in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements.
9. Enhance Regional compliance monitoring efforts to insure that air pollution sources are properly
controlled and in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements.
Tribal Programs
10. Work with New England tribes to monitor and assess local mercury deposition trends and advise
them on potential additional health precautions to take, if and when trends indicate increases in
atmospheric deposition and corresponding increasing mercury levels in fish and turtle.
GOAL 2
Water Quality Standards
1. As circumstances arise, revise water quality criteria to reflect climate change impacts.
2. As conditions change, modify water body classifications (salt v. fresh water) or Integrated Report
designations (e.g., causes of impairment) to reflect climate change impacts.
Monitoring, Assessment, and Listing
3. Increase monitoring to adequately assess the effects of rapidly changing conditions.
4. Continue to support EPA's National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS), which provide ongoing
assessment of the ecological condition of statistically representative samples of wadeable streams,
large rivers, wetlands and coastal resources.
5. Implement collaborative year-round monitoring of high-quality (reference) wadeable streams,
with other water resources to follow as feasible, for temperature, flow, physical habitat, biological
resources, and other water quality parameters such as nutrients, as proposed in the state, tribal and
federal Northeast (New England and NY) stream climate change monitoring network.
6. Work with HQs to develop and implement a national monitoring program for ocean acidification
(OA), which is caused by the dissolution and reaction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into ocean water.
7. Modify freshwater, estuarine, and marine sampling protocols and locations based on effects of
climate change, including sea level rise, considering the need for a long term monitoring record.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
Over the past decade, EPA Region 1's cross-program effort to address storm water-related water quality
impairments has provided valuable experience in how to develop and implement TMDLs that address
multiple environmental stressors resulting from various flow regimes. For example, impervious surfaces
in urban environments deliver a mix of pollutants and increased flow to rivers and streams resulting in
soil erosion, stream bank scouring, deposition of sediment and nutrients increases in receiving
waters. The increasing amount of impervious surfaces in urban areas causes less precipitation to infiltrate
into the ground, which may cause streams to experience much lower base flows during dry conditions,
along with low dissolved oxygen, increased eutrophication, and higher stream temperatures. Flashy
streamflow conditions (i.e., rapid increases in streamflow and velocity in response to rainfall, followed
by rapid recovery to pre-storm conditions) related to excessive stormwater runoff and corresponding
droughts are anticipated to become even more frequent and/or intense in response to further climate
change.
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Stormwater TMDLs now being implemented effectively on a sub-watershed basis involve the use of
surrogates for the mix of pollutants in stormwater (i.e., impervious cover, or flow). Innovative and
flexible approaches to TMDL development like this show promise for addressing the complex challenges
of climate change. For instance, under the surrogate approach, TMDL end-points are tied to aquatic life
use protections in State water quality standards, which provide environmental protection based on
whatever the current conditions happen to be (rather than future projections based on past
conditions). The technical basis for aquatic life use-based TMDLs is derived from significant
investments over the past 35 years developing state ambient biological monitoring programs in our
Region. Bioassessments (using ambient assemblages of macroinvertebrates, fish, or algae that integrate
the effects of multiple stressors over time), in concert with physical and chemical monitoring data, now
support the water quality assessment of aquatic life use attainment for these surrogate TMDLs, and
provide clear environmental indicators of stream health under whatever the existing conditions are.
8. Promote use of hydrological information to the extent available and adequate that takes climate
change effects into consideration during development of TMDLs, their implementation plans,
NFS plans, and NPDES permits.
9. Support increased monitoring to assess the effectiveness of attained TMDL targets in the face of
changing conditions.
10. Promote close collaboration among TMDL, NPDES, and NPS program staff during stormwater
TMDL development and public outreach, in order to help MS4s and other stakeholders
understand the need for more detailed local watershed planning for stream restoration actions and
the use of structural and non-structural BMPs as part of post-TMDL implementation.
To address new information and evolving circumstances, focus climate change adaptation on the
selection and design of more effective TMDL implementation. For example:
• Promote selection of BMP types that perform well under varying climate conditions, such as
certain low impact development practices.
• Promote consideration of projected precipitation changes during the design of stormwater
BMPs and other practices built to accommodate or treat specific storm sizes or runoff
volumes, especially when these investments are anticipated to have life expectancies of 30
years of more.
• Support BMP studies to evaluate how resilient BMPs are to climate change, and whether
additional capacity is warranted to address future concerns, such as flooding or groundwater
recharge.
Cross-Program Water Management
In line with EPA's agency-wide climate change priorities and strategic measures, Region 1 priority
actions will continue to focus on cross-program stormwater management, and will continue interagency
collaboration and development of decision-making tools capable of promoting environmentally sound
and cost-effective management actions. For example:
11. 2010 RARE-funded project, Assessing Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Stormwater BMPs at
the Small Watershed Scale (WQ Branch & ORD/Narragansett).
12. 2011 ORD Green Infrastructure-funded project, Development of an Integrated Watershed
Management Optimization Decision Support Tool, which accounts for water supply, wastewater,
stormwater, in-stream conditions, groundwater, and land use to achieve optimal actions to achieve
water quantity-related management goals at least cost (collaboration among WQ and SOW
programs).
13. Major regional meetings in 2012 and 2013 were co-sponsored with USFWS and USGS on
temperature data and monitoring which has prompted NE CSC research projects on climate
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change impact on headwater systems (areas of aquatic refugia), and development of a multi-
agency regional stream temperature framework and database for New England (ME, NH, CT, RI,
and MA) and the Great Lakes States (MN, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH, PA, NY).
14. , Develop Optimizing Stormwater/NutrientManagement Region 1 Opti-Tool, a user-friendly
(spreadsheet) tool allowing optimization of structural and non-structural BMPs, and account for
BMP pollutant removal, stormwater flow control performance, and estimated cost (collaboration
among TMDL and NPDES programs).
15. Estimate how stormwater controls would work cumulatively to address future changes to
precipitation patterns in order to determine whether or not modification of the levels of control is
warranted.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits
16. Review water treatment requirements as reduced water flows in streams, especially during
summer months, will not dilute treatment plant effluents as they do now, so more treatment may
be needed to maintain current water quality standards.
17. Stormwater permits will need to account for increased extreme precipitation and erosion and
sedimentation.
18. Promote the "Soak up the Rain" program.
19. Permits with temperature limits (e.g., electric generating units) will need to account for increased
water temperatures in receiving waters and potential changes to local assemblages of aquatic
organisms.
Non-Point Source (NFS)
20. Promote appropriately sized best management practices (BMPs).
21. Promote demand management ways to preserve base stream flow levels.
22. Find additional sources of funding for NFS abatement.
23. Promote appropriately sized transportation infrastructure.
24. Identify and use drought resistant species to aid in infiltration in BMPs.
Wetlands (coastal and inland)
25. Increase use of invasive species control plans and their implementation in coastal wetlands.
26. Increase protection for vernal pools.
27. Promote beneficial uses of dredged material such as for beach nourishment, and marsh restoration
as well as the potential use of thin layer dredged material disposal in eroding coastal wetlands.
28. Review and comment on Corps permit applications for coastal engineering structures to evaluate
potential adverse impact on coastal wetlands, considering sea level rise and marsh migration
potential.
29. Recommend consideration of "living shorelines" where appropriate to restore eroding wetlands
and protect shorelines as an alternative to hard engineering structures.
30. Prioritize restoration work for tidal wetlands that have room to migrate.
31. Work with HQs and other regions to determine how to take into account seasonal variabilities in
precipitation for "Waters of US" determinations.
Dredging/Ocean Dumping
32. Promote beneficial uses of dredged material such as for beach nourishment, and marsh restoration
as well as the potential use of thin layer dredged material disposal in eroding coastal wetlands.
33. Establish emergency dredging protocols to prepare for increased erosion and sedimentation
associated with more extreme precipitation.
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34. Promote Regional Sediment Management approaches to better understand sediment dynamics and
potentially reduce the need for, or frequency of, dredging.
35. Modify dredging windows to better align with changes in seasonality (earlier fish migration and
spawning).
National Estuary Program (NEP)
36. Through the Climate Ready Estuaries program, assist state and local partners conduct
vulnerability assessments, prepare adaptation plans, and develop tools to facilitate these activities,
like the Connecticut Adaptation Resources Toolkit.
37. Promote the New England Environmental Finance Center's use of the Coastal Adaptation to Sea
Level Rise Tool (COAST) to raise awareness among coastal cities and towns about the economic
impact of sea level rise and storm surge on coastal property and infrastructure.
38. Develop guidance for different coastal habitat types (dunes, dams, etc.) restoration activities to
account for sea level rise.
39. Revise and update Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) to address
vulnerabilities to climate change and include adaptation measures.
40. Prioritize wetlands that have room to migrate for restoration.
41. Promote implementation of more effective erosion and sediment controls to adapt to increasing
heavy precipitation events and storm intensity.
42. Support efforts to better characterize impacts of ocean and coastal acidification in cooperation
with the Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NEC AN).
Drinking Water, Wastewater, Stormwater Infrastructure
43. Educate and encourage use of Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs) to
promote specialized water sector mutual aid and recovery in events of infrastructure damage or
other emergencies.
44. Through the Climate Ready Water Utilities program, educate facility operators on using localized
climate projections to help identify specific vulnerabilities, including Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) mapping of flood zones. Facilities
should then update and train staff on revised Emergency Response Plans as needed.
45. Promote the WaterSense program to help utilities implement water efficiency/conservation
measures to reduce or delay the need for system expansion and reduce energy use.
46. Encourage utilities to compile an inventory of utility assets to help determine the location,
importance and condition of each asset, which will lead to an improved response in emergency
situations. Provide assistance to municipalities and others on use of asset management methods.
47. Promote green infrastructure projects, such as low impact development (LID), to help manage wet
weather and improve water quality, reduce hydraulic loads on combined sewers, and reduce the
risk of flooding. Increase public understanding of the need to implement and finance Stormwater
management systems.
48. Develop outreach and tools for flood proofing infrastructure.
49. Promote opportunities such as periodic larger-scale system evaluations, planned upgrades, or new
construction to incorporate climate-change considerations into facility design. Educate utilities on
tools to seek federal funding (FedFUNDS tool) and other opportunities to address needed
improvements.
50. To help ensure that climate change impacts on septic systems are addressed in a proactive
manner, assess which areas in New England may be vulnerable to damage to decentralized septic
systems due to sea level rise, storm surge, and flooding, starting with Cape Cod. Based on the
results of the mapping assessment, determine appropriate actions, including promoting improved
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decentralized sewage system management in accordance with EPA's Voluntary Guidelines.
Quality and Availability of Safe Drinking Water
51. Promote source water protection and watershed management activities to protect water supplies
from increased threats to water quality and to increase recharge to aquifers. Use natural flood
control vegetation for protection.
52. Encourage source redundancy and flexibility for seasonal adjustments to meet demand, water
quantity and availability.
53. Provide new information, as available, on specific threats to water quality and sources, such as:
cyanobacteria, drinking water bacterial requirements and water sector general vulnerabilities.
54. Promote erosion and sediment controls.
55. Promote monitoring of weather conditions and trends, use modeling and mapping to better
prepare and adapt for expected changes, including in emergency response plans.
GOALS
Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Time-Critical Removal, RCRA
Corrective Action, TSCA) and RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
1. Include consideration of potential climate change impacts in EPA New England management
reviews of Superfund National Priority List (NPL) sites.
2. In conjunction with the New England Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA)
and member state agencies, initiate an interagency dialog to plan and coordinate efforts to
consider climate change impacts at contaminated site cleanups and RCRA hazardous waste
management facilities.
3. Identify and assess the potential vulnerability of NPL sites within delineated GIS-mapped zones
(i.e., sea level rise, flooding due to storm surge, and flooding due to higher precipitation events)
based on a consideration of site-specific factors (e.g., local topography, proximity to rivers/canals,
design and duration of cleanup remedies, potential risk to the cleanup).
4. Based on the findings from the evaluation of potentially vulnerable NPL sites, develop an action
plan to evaluate the vulnerability of other contaminated sites (e.g., Brownfields, Superfund Time-
Critical Removal, RCRA corrective action) and RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities.
5. Develop and conduct training on considering climate change impacts in site cleanups for EPA and
state project managers.
6. Work with HQs to revise technical guidance (e.g., relating to 5-year reviews, management
reviews, remedial investigation/feasibility studies, remedial design, sediment management) to
address consideration of climate change impacts.
7. Coordinate with HQs and FEMA and other federal agencies to update, as necessary, reference
maps and data (e.g., 100- year flood plain, precipitation from 100-year storm events) to aid in the
evaluation, design and implementation of cleanup response actions.
Emergency Response
8. Continue coordination among program offices to plan for potential coordination during
emergency response actions.
9. Utilize the GIS-based EPA Flex Viewer platform to prepare for and respond to climate change
impacts in New England.
10. Provide training to responders in preparation and response of climate change impacts with option
for state agencies to participate in the training (e.g. potential for increased pesticide responses,
extreme storm events, Stafford Act declarations, incident command structure, etc.).
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11. Conduct an assessment of current regional resources and response framework to determine if
resource levels and existing plans would be sufficient to adequately respond to an extreme event,
such as a hurricane or large storm.
12. Incorporate climate change impact planning into regional contingency plans (e.g. debris
management plans, area contingency plans, etc.).
13. Assess interagency agreements with the Coast Guard to determine how coastal impacts from
climate change will be addressed.
14. Coordinate with OEME to assess whether current regional laboratory capabilities will be
sufficient during responses to extreme events and whether the infrastructure can sustain
potentially increasing demands over time.
Oil Program (e.g., Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC)/ Facility
Response Plans (FRP) Facilities)
15. Develop, conduct, and/or maintain training on climate change impacts for EPA, USCG and state
counterparts.
16. Enhance GIS-based mapping tools to incorporate climate change impacts and identify vulnerable
zones to aid in planning.
17. Conduct management reviews of SPCC/FRP New England Facilities within potential impact
zones to aid in setting inspection targets.
18. Develop technical guidance to aid in climate change impact planning.
19. Continue monitoring efforts to determine if SPCC and FRP regulated facilities are impacted by
climate change.
20. Coordinate with OEME to identify specific research needs.
GOAL 4
Ensuring Safety of Chemicals:
1. Increase EPA support for pesticide enforcement and applicator education - direct and through
states and tribes.
2. Strengthen and develop new relationships with federal (or other) agencies for new pesticide
related problems (e.g., USD A, CDC, HUD, DOD, etc.).
3. Change regional oversight to meet new priority areas. Provide pollution prevention assistance to
states, businesses, and others that promote sustainable practices. Implement regional Green
Chemistry strategy to promote development of more sustainable manufacturing methods and
materials.
FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS
1. Develop/codify storm event pre-deployment strategies for government owned vehicles (currently
informally included in the COOP). Develop/codify storm event pre-deployment strategies for
vehicles and equipment stored in the garage and ground floor of the McCormack building.
2. Develop extended contingency/telework plans for employees (management/human resources).
3. Ensure Continuity of Operations Plan can also address situations that extend beyond 30 days.
4. Conduct further research to assess the risks of flooding associated with nearby water bodies,
rivers, lakes and ocean.
5. Work toward developing a deeper understanding of how flooding occurs through storm surge in
urban areas, given that the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge are not well understood,
particularly for the McCormack building.
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TRIBAL AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
1. Work with EPA programs to target climate adaptation efforts in the most vulnerable communities,
including tribes.
2. Educate vulnerable populations about climate adaptation. Provide assistance to tribes (if
requested) in developing their individual tribal adaptation plans or a comprehensive regional
tribal adaptation plan if pursued by the tribes.
3. Expand use of existing communication tools and develop a comprehensive contact list of
organizations representing vulnerable populations as a resource for preparedness and response to
extreme events.
4. Utilize GIS-based mapping tools to identify coastal vulnerable populations that could be
potentially subject to an increased sea level rise, flooding due to storm surge, and flooding due to
higher precipitation events.
CROSS CUTTING ACTIONS
1. Utilize GIS-based mapping tools to delineate New England zones that could be potentially subject
to an increased sea level rise, flooding due to storm surge, and flooding due to higher
precipitation events.
2. Leverage21st century 'big data' science initiatives relevant to New England climate change such
as NEON, UNH EPSCoR and other novel environmental monitoring technologies.
3. Incorporate climate change adaptation into performance partnership agreements
(PPA)/performance partnership grants (PPG) state program requirements.
4. Develop and implement adaptation plans with state and local partners to address risks to habitats,
infrastructure, and human populations; estuarine and coastal area plans will be initiated first.
5. Deliver technical assistance programs to communities on smart growth topics such as how to
achieve compact, walkable, transit-oriented development.
6. Work with the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (HUD, DOT, EPA, FEMA, and USDA
Rural Development) to help communities become more disaster resilient, and ensure that our
programs don't support non-resilient development in vulnerable locations. Beginning in June
2014, disseminate final report from post-Irene Smart Growth Implementation Assistance project,
which includes a checklist for communities interested in improving their flood resilience.
7. Develop and implement adaptation training for all staff.
COMMUNICATIONS
1. EPA Rl Drinking Water program will work with states and tribes to improve effectiveness when
providing requested assistance to states and tribes in emergency events by doing training to our
Regional Water Team volunteers on doing phone call damage assessments on an event-specific
basis.
2. EPA Rl Drinking Water program will work with State programs to improve data collection and
sharing by revising our damage assessment forms as needed per each State's preference.
3. Increase education to states, tribes, cities, and municipalities on common climate change impacts
and guidance for the impacted.
4. Evaluate how EPA can ensure that we are easily accessible and responsive to tribes and states
during and after large storms or other emergency events.
5. Streamline how EPA communicates information so that it is easy to access and understandable to
the audience in need. These efforts should be coordinated with federal, tribal, and state partners.
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V. Measurement and Evaluation
This section describes how EPA New England will incorporate priority actions into its programs and how
these actions will be measured.
A. Measure: Integrate climate adaptation priority actions into the GCCN strategy annually and into other
planning documents as needed.
Evaluation: Include consideration of climate impacts into at least 3 processes (e.g., permitting, grant
solicitation, enforcement integrated strategies, Invasive Species Control Plans) in the GCCN FY 14 plan.
Annually thereafter, review the vulnerabilities and priority actions to update according to the current
science and actions taken by others to determine what to address in the annual GCCN Strategy.
B. Measure: Work with states and tribes to integrate climate adaptation into State-EPA and Tribal-EPA
planning mechanisms (e.g. PPA/PPGs, begin preliminary discussion in FY 14). Work with grantees and
local communities to integrate climate adaptation into planning mechanisms.
Evaluation: All NE states and at least some of the tribes will incorporate adaptation into at least one
program action and planning mechanism. Grantees and local communities incorporate adaptation into
their planning.
C. Measure: EPA New England will work with EPA national Program offices on national program
climate adaptation guidance (e.g., oil program, streamlining of FIFRA registration process, dredging)
Evaluation: Participation in workgroups as invited.
D. Measure: Improve preparedness for extreme events, including incorporating climate change impacts
(e.g., flooding, storm surge) into planning documents (e.g. Emergency Planning documents) and outreach
(e.g., guidance use of back-up power and alternative heating sources).
Evaluation: EPA will develop response protocols and tools for public outreach; Dialogue with Region 2
to learn from Super Storm Sandy experience.
E. Measure: Collaborate with other federal agencies, academics and NGOs in New England regarding
climate change impacts (e.g. coordinating with NEFP, NROC, etc.)
Evaluation: Identify and act on collaboration opportunities to increase scientific understanding and to
increase resiliency.
F. Measure: Train EPA employees and states and tribes where appropriate on how to consider impacts of
climate change in their EPA duties and obligations.
Evaluation: 90% participation in climate adaptation training.
G. Measure: Conduct outreach on climate change impacts to affected stakeholders (E.g., Soak Up The
Rain, outreach to vulnerable population, Burn Wise)
Evaluation: Development of outreach tools and outreach campaigns or events.
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87 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Clean Energy Options for Addressing High Electric Demand Days." September
2008, EPA 430-R-08-014
88 Denman, K.L., et al., 2007: Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change
2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L Miller
(eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
89 Jacob, Daniel J., and Darrell A. Winner, 2009: Effect of climate change on air quality. Atmospheric Environment 43(1): 51-
63.
90 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A
synthesis of climate change impacts on ground level ozone." April 2009, EPA/600/R-07/094F
91 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Clean Energy Options for Addressing High Electric Demand Days." September
2008, EPA 430-R-08-014
92 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National Academies
Press, 2011).
93 Jacob, Daniel J., and Darrell A. Winner, 2009: Effect of climate change on air quality. Atmospheric Environment 43(1): 51-
63.
94 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Mercury Study Report to Congress. Volume III: Fate and Transport of Mercury in
the Environment". December 1997, EPA-452/R-97-005.
95 Ecotoxicology, 14, 37-52. Keeler, G., et al. 2005. Long-term atmospheric mercury deposition at Underhill, Vermont.
Ecotoxicology, 14, 71-83.
96 Adapted from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 2010: "FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan: Achieving Our
Vision".
97 US EPA, December 2012: "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change".
98 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Adaptation Advisory
Committee, September 2011, "Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report".
http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/eea/energy/cca/eea-climate-adaptation-report.pdf
Jacobson, G.L, I.J. Fernandez, P.A. Mayewski, and C.V. Schmitt (editors), 2009: "Maine's Climate Future: An Initial
Assessment." Orono, ME: University of Maine. Available at http://www.climatechange.umaine.edu/mainesclimatefuture/.
Karlsson, Lee, May 2011: "Vermont Climate Change Health Effects Adaptation." Vermont Agency of Natural Resrouces
Climate Change Adaptation White Paper Series.
http://www.anr.state.vt.us/anr/climatechange/Pubs/VTCCAdaptHealthEffects%20.pdf.
99 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 2012: "Oil Storage Facility Spill Prevention and Planning." Waste Site
Cleanup and Resuse in New England.. http://www.epa.gov/regionl/superfund/er/oilstor.html.
100 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, November 2011: "Semiannual Report of UST Performance Measures: End of Fiscal
Year 2011 (October 2010-Septevember 30, 2011)". http://www.epa.gov/oust/cat/ca 11 34.pdf
101 This information is mostly derived from US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Administration and Resources
Management's Draft "High-Level Assessment of EPA's Vulnerabilities to Climate Change".
102 Vertical accuracy of 0.49 feet (0.15 meters). Elevation based on MassGIS- LiDAR Terrain Data, accessible at:
http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/it-serv-and-support/application-serv/office-of-geographic-information-
massgis/datalayers/lidar.html.
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103 Vertical accuracy of 0.49 feet (0.15 meters). Elevation based on MassGIS- LiDAR Terrain Data, accessible at:
http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/it-serv-and-support/application-serv/office-of-geographic-information-
massgis/datalayers/lidar.html.
104 Vertical accuracy of 0.49 feet (0.15 meters). Elevation based on MassGIS- LiDAR Terrain Data, accessible at:
http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/it-serv-and-support/application-serv/office-of-geographic-information-
massgis/datalayers/lidar.html.
105 Map developed by EPA New England's GIS Center. Tribal seals from individual tribes' websites.
106 Karl, Thomas R., Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, eds., 2009: "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States" New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usirnpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-
report.pdf.
107 http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/PenobscotRiver/PenobscotRiverPHAPC01072014_508.pdf p.6.
108 http://maliseetnationconservation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Fiddleheads-Contaminants-Study-revised.pdf.
109 http://maliseetnationconservation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Moose-Contaminants-Study.pdf.
110 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231096002312.
111 http://www.nwf.Org/~/media/PDFs/Global-Warming/Reports/NowheretoRun-BigGa meWildlife-
LowResFinal_110613.ashx.
112http://www.pressherald.com/news/Wabanaki_basket_makers_livelihood invasive_beetle_interwoven_.html?searchte
rm=emerald+ash+borer
113 Melillo, Jerry M., Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and Gary W. Yohe, Eds., 2014: Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The
Third National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 841 pp. doi:10.7930/JOZ31WJ2.
114 Melillo, Jerry M., Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and Gary W. Yohe, Eds., 2014: Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The
Third National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 841 pp. doi:10.7930/JOZ31WJ2.
115 Institute of Medicine, The National Academies Press; June 2011: Climate Change, the Indoor Environment and Health.
Washington, DC.pp.134,146-147.
116 The National Academies Press, June 2011: Climate Change, the Indoor Environment and Health. Washington, DC: Institute
of Medicine, p. 192.
117 Denman, K.L, et al., 2007: Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change
2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L Miller
(eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
118 US Environmental Protection Agency, February 2009: Ozone and Your Health.
EPA-456/F-09-001.
119 Wall, Dennis, 2008: "Tribal Climate Change Profile: Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point." Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professional, Northern Arizona University.
120 National Weather Service Forecast Office, October 29, 2011. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=box.
AIRNow. October 29, 2011. www.airnow.gov
121 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Clean Energy Options for Addressing High Electric Demand Days." September
2008, EPA 430-R-08-014.
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PA Region 2
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for informational
purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and readers should consult
the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or
a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the
regulated community. Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any
legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision
makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such
implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is subject to change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the challenges
that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the range to
which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill
its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and
programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to
ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate
changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for review and
comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to identify vulnerabilities
to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to
ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions.
The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and
mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National Environmental Program
Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices developed a Climate Adaptation
Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in the agency-wide plan.
Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work
in a manner consistent and compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide priorities
presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to build and
strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes, and local
communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways that climate change
may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data,
information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the implications of
climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program vulnerability assessments" are living
documents that will be updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about
the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office
will take to begin addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable
people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear
steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream climate
adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to understand how
well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a
discussion of how the organization will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make
adjustments where necessary.
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The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the nation's
adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the environment. Working with its
partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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EPA REGION 2 CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Prepared by the following EPA Region 2 Climate Change Workgroup contributors:
Irene Nielsen
Joseph Siegel
Clean Air and Sustainability Division, Workgroup Co-chair
Office of Regional Council, Workgroup Co-chair
Alyssa Arcaya
Heather Barnhart
Dale Carpenter
David Cuevas
Melissa Dimas
Anhthu Hoang
Grant Jonathan
Nica Klaber
Gavin Lau
Kathleen Malone-Bogusky
Ameesha Mehta-Sampath
Esther Nelson
Douglas Pabst
Rebecca Ofrane
Alexandre Remnek
Alex Rivera
Derval Thomas
Janice Whitney
With initial leadership from:
Paul Simon
Clean Water Division
Office of Policy and Management
Clean Air and Sustainability Division
Caribbean Environmental Protection Division
Public Affairs Division
Office of the Regional Administrator
Office of the Regional Administrator
Emergency and Remedial Response Division
Clean Air and Sustainability Division
Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
Clean Air and Sustainability Division
Division of Environmental Science and Assessment
Clean Water Division
Emergency and Remedial Response Division
Clean Water Division
Caribbean Environmental Protection Division
Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
Clean Water Division
Deputy Regional Counsel
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 8
Background: Region 2's Known Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts 8
Our States & Territories & INDIAN NATIONS: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico &the U.S. Virgin Islands 8
Vulnerable Communities 11
EPA Region 2's Programmatic Vulnerabilities to Climate Change 16
1. Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality 16
2. Protecting America's Waters 19
3. Cleaning Up Communities 25
4. Assuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 26
5. EPA Region 2's Facilities and Operations 27
EPA Region 2 Priority Actions 31
Short Term Priorities 32
Air 32
Water 32
Waste: Superfund & RCRA 33
Emergency Response 33
Communities & Vulnerable Populations 34
Indian Nations 34
Facilities 35
Long Term Priorities 35
Air 35
Water-Caribbean 35
Waste: Superfund & RCRA 36
Emergency Response 36
Communities & Vulnerable Populations 36
Moving Toward A Climate Resilient Region 37
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Tracking Progress Over Time: Measurement & Evaluation 39
References 41
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INTRODUCTION
The first section of the Regional Implementation Plan provides an initial assessment of the implications of
climate change for EPA Region 2's programs and objectives. This regional vulnerability assessment builds on the
preliminary agency-wide vulnerability assessment contained in EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Plan (draft
released Feb 20131) and was developed in concert with vulnerability assessments developed by EPA's national
program offices.
This Assessment is divided into three main sections: Background on projected climate change effects; EPA
Region 2's Vulnerability Assessment based on programmatic expertise; and an attached Summary Table
analyzing the range of vulnerabilities. The information on climate change impacts in the Background section
comes from peer-reviewed scientific literature, including the major climate assessments produced by the U.S.
Global Change Research Program. The Vulnerability Assessment section sets forth the Region's preliminary
judgment regarding the risks that those climate change impacts pose to the programs that Region 2 implements
and to our facilities, assets and day-to-day operations. Finally, the Summary Table follows a common format put
forth for all the Regions and Program Offices, and presents a broad picture of how climate change impacts may
affect programs in Region 2.
This assessment of our programmatic risks and vulnerabilities should be viewed as a living document that will be
updated as needed and when possible, to account for new knowledge, data and scientific evidence. As in the
agency-wide Climate Change Adaptation Plan, our assessment of regional programmatic vulnerabilities is
organized around EPA's strategic goals.
BACKGROUND: REGION 2'S KNOWN VULNERABILITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
In order to determine our region-specific vulnerabilities, EPA Region 2 began with a research effort to
understand the current science and modeling on climate change effects. This section summarizes the state of
the science for known or expected vulnerabilities for the region.
OUR STATES & TERRITORIES & INDIAN NATIONS: NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PUERTO RICO & THE
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Climate change, interacting with changes in land use and demographics, will affect important human facets in
the United States, especially those related to human health, communities, and welfare. The challenges
presented by population growth, an aging population, migration patterns, and urban and coastal development
will be affected by changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme climate-related events. According to the
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global average temperature over the 21st century is expected to
increase by between 3.5 and 7°F. The large range is due to uncertainties both in future GHG concentrations and
the sensitivity of the climate system to GHG emissions. The greatest warming is expected over land and in the
1 http://epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/fed-programs.html
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high altitudes of the
northern hemisphere
where local warming
may exceed 15° F. In
these regions, winter
warming is expected to
be greatest (NPCC 2010).
Hurricane wind speeds,
rainfall intensity, and
storm surge levels are
likely to increase. Other
changes include
measurable sea level rise
EPA Region 2
and increases in the occurrence of coastal and riverine flooding (NYSERDA 2011). Given the diverse geography
covered by Region 2 and the varied environmental programs that EPA implements in this region, climate change
presents a broad array of risks to the achievement of our mission. The risks vary somewhat between the
continental states (NY/NJ) and the tropical region where Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are located, but the
theme of coastal concerns is common for the Region as a whole.
PRECIPITATION AND INLAND EFFECTS
Nearly all climate models are predicting changes in precipitation patterns. In New York and New Jersey,
precipitation will fall in heavier events with hotter and drier periods in between. Similarly, the Caribbean
may see less frequent but heavier storm events, with more severe drought periods. Severe storms are
also predicted to increase, with 100-year storms likely to occur every 80 years by the end of the century
(USGCRP 2009, NYSERDA 2011). In the New York area, average precipitation is projected to increase up
to 5% by 2020, up to 10% by 2050, and as much as 15% by 2080. Much of this increase is projected to
fall in the winter months (NYSERDA 2011), and more likely to fall as rain instead of snow. In upstate New
York, the changing balance between rain and snow has already reduced snowpack and, in addition,
many areas have already seen flooding from extreme rainfall events like Hurricane Irene. Warming
temperatures have led to decreases in ice cover on lakes and rivers. By the end of this century, the
length of the winter snow season in northern New York is predicted to be reduced by half (USGCRP
2009).
In the Great Lakes region, which includes portions of upstate NY, reduction in ice cover will lead to cold
air moving over open water that would have otherwise been frozen. This will increase evaporation,
leading to heavier and more frequent lake effect snow. Rising atmospheric temperatures will cause
annual spring runoff due to snowmelt to occur up to two weeks earlier in the year. This change will
decrease water from runoff later in the year, stressing ecosystems that depend on the availability of
water in the summer (USGCRP 2009). Studies also predict a decrease in the Great Lakes water levels due
to increased evaporation and decreased runoff from snowmelt. This has implications for energy
generation and downstream ecosystems (NYSERDA 2011). Rising air temperatures also increase water
temperatures. In lakes and reservoirs, warmer surface waters reduce the frequency of turnover with
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cooler bottom waters, resulting in increased periods of stratification (USGCRP 2009). Increased
stratification isolates layers of warm water, which is less capable of holding dissolved oxygen (DO),
which is critical to supporting aquatic ecosystems (NYSERDA 2011).
SEA LEVEL AND OCEANS
Climate change also has impacts on marine resources and coastal regions. Currently, sea levels are rising
an average of 0.86 to 1.5 inches per decade, as measured by tide gauges, with an average of 1.2 inches
per decade since 1900. Before the Industrial Revolution, the rate of increase had been approximately
0.34 to 0.43 inches per decade, mostly as a result of land subsidence (NPCC 2010). For the Long Island
and New York City shorelines, models predict a rise of 7-12 inches by 2050 and 19-29 inches by 2080.
Under a rapid ice melt scenario in the arctic, sea levels could rise by as much as 55 inches by 2080
(NYSERDA 2011). Freshwaters and marine waters alike are expected to see increases in temperature
with higher air temperatures. Models predict an ocean temperature increase of 1.8 - 2.5°F for near-
shore waters by 2050, depending on the model used (NYSERDA 2011).
When atmospheric CO2 increases, more CO2 is dissolved in the ocean, decreasing the pH of the water
and creating an acidic environment that dissolves the hard shells of corals, shellfish and smaller
organisms. This process, called ocean acidification, also decreases the availability of calcium carbonate
(CaCO3), a building block for the shells and exoskeletons of many marine organisms. Although
dissolution of CO2 in oceans is a natural process, the current rate of ocean CO2 dissolution is
unprecedented, with serious implications for the marine food chain and ocean ecosystems.
Puerto Rico (PR) and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) are especially vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change due to their smaller land size (and therefore diminished resources, population mobility,
infrastructure and resilience), limited water resources, vulnerable ecosystems, susceptibility to natural
hazards and the location of large urban centers near the coastline (e.g. San Juan, Charlotte-Amalie).
Threats of climate change to this portion of the Caribbean include the potential increase in sea level of
at least 15.7 inches based on a linear trend of observed sea level rise (PRCCC 2012), increase in average
annual temperature between 3.5 - 5 °F, (USGCRP 2009) and decrease in precipitation between 5 to 20%
by the end of the century (USGCRP 2009). Other impacts include the formation of more intense
hurricanes and increase in ocean temperature and acidity (USGCRP 2008). These threats will cause
myriad adverse effects to PR and the USVI including: increases in coastal inundation, storm surge,
erosion and increased water pollution as a result of coastal flooding, threatening vital infrastructure,
settlements and facilities that support the livelihood of near shore and low lying communities;
compromised water resources in PR and USVI islands; heavy impacts on coral reefs in PR and the USVI;
and changes in fisheries and other marine-based resources.
HUMAN HEALTH
Climate change is very likely to accentuate the disparities already evident in the American health care
system. Many of the expected health effects are likely to fall disproportionately on the poor, the elderly,
the disabled, and the uninsured. The most important adaptation to ameliorate health effects from
climate change is to support and maintain the United States' public health infrastructure (USGCRP
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2008). Urban areas are especially prone to increased morbidity and mortality due to heat waves and
poor air quality that results from higher temperatures and dry conditions. In addition to air pollution and
heat-related impacts on health, extreme weather events due to climate change will likely increase risk
for injuries such as those from debris during storm events where high winds and fast moving flood
waters are involved. In Region 2, recent severe storm events have also caused unexpectedly high
incidences of drowning. Moreover, flood waters can expose people to harmful environmental
contaminants, especially if the flooding affects people who live nearby industrial sites or facilities that
store or contain hazardous materials. For coastal and waterfront communities, heavy storms can cause
storm surges that overwhelm or damage wastewater and drinking water treatment systems with high
water volumes or salt water. The result is that communities are inundated with sewage- and industrial
waste-contaminated waters, the health impacts of which could be severe gastrointestinal and
respiratory illnesses. In PR and the USVI, potential adverse human health impacts are expected due to
these previously discussed concerns, as well as increased incidence of vector-borne diseases and more
frequent dust storms.
The National Research Council 2011 report, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health
addresses the impacts that climate change may have on the indoor environment and the resulting
health effects. The report points to extensive research on how climate change affects the outdoor
environment, how the outdoor environment affects indoor environments under different climate
conditions, and how indoor environments affect occupant health, among other related topics. The
impacts on the indoor environment include poor indoor air quality, for example, due to changing indoor
concentrations of pollutants from increased outdoor concentrations of those pollutants caused by
alterations in atmospheric chemistry or atmospheric circulation. Other indoor impacts include: moisture
and mold, flooding, infectious agents and pests, and thermal stress (NRC 2011).
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minority persons, persons of low income,
persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, persons with limited access to information
(such as those with low English proficiency), and tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are
particularly vulnerable, such as those located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding
EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation
plans to prioritize helping people, places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts,
and to be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will be
taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is conducted, the
communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change will be
identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these communities to increase their adaptive
11
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capacity and resilience to climate change impacts.
These efforts will be informed by experiences with
previous extreme weather events (e.g., Superstorm
Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
As noted in the agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan,
the populations most vulnerable to climate change
often include children, elderly, poor, persons with
underlying medical conditions and disabilities, and
tribal and indigenous populations, and this applies in
Region 2. The primary concerns are extreme storm
events, sea level rise, and extreme high temperatures.
Without strong adaptation measures, climate related
health impacts may become more prevalent as the
frequency and severity of extreme climate events such
as heat waves, flooding, and severe storms increase .
According to the U.S. Census, the U.S. population is
aging; the percent of the population over age 65 is
projected to be 13 percent by 2010 and 20 percent by
2030, at which time NY and NJ alone will be home to
over 7.8 million seniors over age 65. Older adults, very
young children, persons with underlying medical
conditions such as some disabilities or compromised
immune functions are vulnerable to temperature
extremes. Heat-related mortality affects low-income
and minority populations disproportionately, because
they are generally concentrated in highly developed
urban environments that suffer from heat island
effects (USGCRP 2008). For the past decade, Region 2
communities from the Caribbean to the northeast
have faced summers with increasing numbers of days
over 90° F. For example, between 2010 and 2011, San
Juan, Puerto Rico experienced 100 days of
temperatures over 90 degrees; the same number of
days with such extreme temperatures was
experienced between 1900 to 1949 - a span of nearly
50 years (PRCCC 2012). Low-income seniors are at
highest risk for heat-related health impacts. According
to estimates from the New York City Department of
Aging, 55% of people hospitalized for heat-related
illness were over 65 years of age; most of these were
CASE STUDY: SUPERSTORM SANDY
Superstorm Sandy, which struck the east
coast in late October 2012, starkly
illustrated the special vulnerability that
low-income, elderly and people with
serious medical conditions face from
extreme storms and flooding. While Sandy
was not necessarily a result of, or
exacerbated by, climate change, it was an
example of the extreme weather events that
are expected to become increasingly
frequent in the NY/NJ region over time, due
to climate change. The extended
deprivations wrought by Superstorm Sandy
and the associated flooding (e.g. loss of
power and heat for days or weeks; difficulty
in obtaining food and supplies, medical
care, transportation) were felt particularly
by vulnerable populations, who in many
cases lacked some of the resources or
options available to others - such as the
ability to stay with friends or family or at
hotels located outside of the affected area.
Of the more than 100 people in NY and NJ
who lost their lives due to Superstorm
Sandy, the majority were seniors. Many of
the buildings that had to be evacuated in
New York City as the storm approached
(because of their location in low-lying
areas) were public housing for low-income
residents. It was reported that one week
after the storm, 174 of the 402 public
housing buildings that were impacted by
the storm still lacked heat and hot water;
114 of them lacked power. The lack of heat
meant enduring near-freezing
temperatures with no heat and no hot water
for bathing. Lacking power meant they had
no lights or water for ordinary household
uses because water needs to be pumped up
to their homes. Because of the significant
damage incurred by many of these
buildings during the storm, many of the
residents needed to remain in shelters or
temporary housing for an extended period.
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low-income seniors. Fortunately, air conditioning is an effective intervention in preserving heat health
and reducing risk of heat-related death. However, as the EPA Climate Adaptation Action Plan
acknowledges, economic constraints prevent some low-income households from using air conditioning
for relief against extreme heat. For example, a family may not have access to an air conditioning unit, or
choose not to use one so as to cut down on energy costs. Air conditioning may also not be a good
solution in some heavily industrialized urban communities because high usage encourages power
producers to run highly polluting "peaker plants" (e.g., older, high-emission power plants that are put
into service to meet periods of peak energy demands) or puts the community at risk for power outages,
which creates other hardships. Warming temperatures will also likely increase ozone concentrations.
Increased ozone concentrations could in turn contribute to increased morbidity and mortality due to
cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses, including exacerbation of asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disorder (COPD) if current regulatory standards are not attained. If the projections for
increased drought risk and lower precipitation in summer months prove correct, ozone health impacts
will become a major issue for the respiratory health of residents in our region.
With sea level rise and the projected increase in the frequency and intensity of storms, low lying
communities in our region will also likely see more health issues related to exposure to mold and
mildew, which have been known to trigger asthma and allergic reaction as well as more severe
respiratory symptoms. In areas where flooding can damage electrical systems necessitating the use of
residential generators, we also expect to see more health problems related to carbon monoxide
poisoning, especially when residents do not know to ensure proper ventilation when such equipment
are in use. Flooding of industrial and environmental infrastructure also presents unique challenges to
vulnerable communities. For example, during and after Superstorm Sandy, Indian nation communities
like the Shinnecock people who live in the lowlands along the coast of Long Island Sound were faced
with potential loss of drinking water because floodwaters infiltrated the private wells on which they rely
for drinking water. Similarly, the low-income community of the Ironbound section in Newark, New
Jersey, was inundated with flood waters that carried raw sewage and treatment chemicals from the
nearby sewage treatment plant and industrial operations.
INDIAN NATIONS
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian nations in planning and
decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further expressed in the
1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations and the 2011
Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian nations. These policies recognize and support the
sovereign decision-making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among nations is a priority for the EPA. Nations are
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the environment
within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation strategies that
promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Indian nations.
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EPA engaged nations through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Nations identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Nations recommended a number
of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information;
supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level
education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time,
nations challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal governments
on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation-related priorities.
These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provide by our tribal partners and the
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing
the current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by nations for millennia as a
valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy,
TEK is viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist nations with climate change issues,
including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
and the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP). Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with
other Regional and Program Offices in EPA, since climate change has many impacts that transcend
media and regional boundaries. Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in order to
leverage activities already taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
Region 2 is also home to eight Federally-recognized Indian nation communities, all located in NY State.
The nations in Region 2 are likely to be impacted by similar vulnerabilities discussed in other portions of
this vulnerability assessment. In addition to those vulnerabilities mentioned throughout, nations in
Region 2 have indicated that there are ecological as well as cultural activities that are vulnerable to the
effects of climate change,
,/ M
Saml Regis Mohawfc Tribe
directly affecting many of
the cycles of the natural
world.
The nations have noted a
change in the composition
of tree species in forests
due to climate change. The
change in forest tree
species may not be moving
at a rate as fast as that of
climate change and
therefore could lead to
diminishing forest size. This
Approximate Locations of Current Federally
Recognized Indian Nation Lands
<
Tuscarora Nation
Seneca Nation of
Indians (Niagara Falls)
Tonawanda Seneca
CayugaNation +QneidaIndian Nation
Seneca Nation * if
Seneca Nation of 4 of lndisms (Buffalo) Ononcteoa Nation
Indians (Caltaraugus)
JL. Seneca Nation
Seneca Nation * "of Indians (Oil Spring)
of Indians (Afiegany)
NEW YORK
Total Population; Approximately 25.000
0 SO 100
d Miles
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has resulted in an increased reliance on the planting by Indian nation communities of tree species that
are more typically found in southern climates like the Carolina region of the U.S. Moreover, there is a
growing concern that climate conditions are affecting many species of culturally significant trees such as
the maple tree, causing an infestation of pests, insects, and fungi attacks.
The harvesting of culturally important crops such as maple syrup and wild strawberries as well as the
undertaking of ceremonies to celebrate their harvest and medicinal purposes have also been affected by
the changing climate. The traditional timing for harvesting crops depends largely upon the weather. If
there is a cold winter with a lot of snow, the nations will have a good harvest of maple syrup in the
spring. If there is a mild winter with limited precipitation, the maple syrup is not as plentiful and even in
some cases, not available. In addition, the wild strawberry plant has unique nutritional and medicinal
qualities that contribute to blood purifying and blood building. The berries, leaves and roots of the wild
strawberry plant also contribute to a variety of women's health concerns and pregnancies. During the
mid to late spring is traditionally the time that the wild strawberries come into being. But with changing
climate, they now grow in the summer months, or are not as bountiful as previous years.
The undertaking of cultural activities such as ceremonies held in nations' longhouses have significantly
been impacted with the unpredictable climate. For example, the Thunder Dance (or "Welcoming of our
Grandfathers") is typically held two times per year with the first being held during the spring when one
to three thunderstorms are heard and the second ceremony held during a dry period when rain is
needed for crops. The nations thank the Thunderers or Grandfathers in the ceremony for returning
again that year and for continuing to perform their responsibility of providing rain and fresh water,
renewing the lakes, rivers, streams and wells. With the changing climate however, thunder is now
common during rain and snow storms in the winter months (December thru February). Likewise, the
ceremonies for the Strawberry, String Bean, and Green Corn are determined based upon the time for
harvest, which more often depends upon the unpredictable climate conditions. Other cultural and
economic activities such as fishing and hunting of wild game have also been impacted by changes in
streams, other fishing waters, and natural habitats.
Climate change impacts for indigenous cultures are not expected to be clearly all positive or all negative.
For example, increased air temperatures have the potential to lengthen the growing seasons of
medicinal plants, higher CO2 concentrations in the air can enhance plant growth, and in some areas, the
availability of water resources may increase as rainfall patterns shift as a result of climate change.
However, increased air temperatures may impair growth of certain species of traditional plants and
cause them to migrate to zones outside Indian nation communities in our Region while allowing for a
rise in invasive plant species, and water resources may be negatively impacted by extreme rainfall
events that compromise drinking water supplies. While the extent and nature of climate related impacts
are not clear, it is apparent to indigenous cultures that there will be climate related impacts that will
impact their cultural heritage.
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EPA REGION 2'S PROGRAMMATIC VULNERABILITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
This section focuses on those vulnerabilities that we believe, at this time, are most significant to EPA Region 2,
and are presented in alignment with EPA's priorities where possible. A summary of program vulnerabilities to
climate change is contained in the attached table.
| 1. TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND IMPROVING AIR QUALITY
TROPOSPHERIC OZONE POLLUTION
Various studies project that daily maximum ozone levels could increase between 2 and 5 parts per
billion (current 8 hour ozone standard is 75 ppb) across the eastern U.S. between 2020 and 2080 due to
climate change if no additional emissions controls for ozone precursors are implemented (Hogrefe
2004). The potential lengthening of the ozone season has also been projected, as reported in the 2007
IPCC Report and ClimAID. Region 2 States are located in the Ozone Transport Region2, which indicates
the sensitivity of the area to tropospheric ozone. The Jamestown, NY, NYC metro area and Philadelphia
metro area currently violate the 2008 8-hr ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
The projected ozone impacts of climate change may make it more difficult for New York and New Jersey
to maintain compliance with existing ozone standards. Sources in or upwind of the Region may be
required to implement additional control measures or emissions controls. EPA's air programs would
oversee states' efforts to develop State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions to address the issue.
PARTICULATE MATTER (PM)
WILDFIRES
Though wildfires are not common in Region 2, they have been known to occur in the Pinelands region of
central/southern NJ, NJ Meadowlands and in Staten Island, NY. The risks of wildfire occurrences could
be enhanced by climate change-induced effects such as higher temperatures, decreased soil moisture,
and longer and more numerous periods of drought (IPCC 2007). All of these factors could increase the
number, length, and size of wildfires.
The projected particulate impacts from wildfires could, but are not likely to, hinder areas in Region 2
from meeting or maintaining compliance with the PM NAAQS. Region 2's air program would oversee
states' efforts to develop SIP revisions to address the issue if wildfire events lead to issues in complying
with the PM NAAQS.
OTHER SOURCES OF PM AIR EMISSIONS
An increase in extreme weather events, which in the case of storms could include strong winds and/or
heavy precipitation, increase the risk of disrupting energy delivery to many areas in Region 2. For
2 See Clean Air Act §184(a) for list of states in the Ozone Transport Region.
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example, electrical and natural gas distribution could be disrupted by downed trees and flooding.
Extended periods with energy delivery disruption in cold seasons could lead to increased use of
alternative heating fuels such as wood or backup generators. Residences which rarely use fireplaces
could begin using them in a manner that does not reflect best practices. Using wood for heating that has
not been seasoned properly or using fireplaces improperly increases the amount of wood smoke
exhausted from wood burning devices, which can have negative impacts on human health and air
quality. Occupants of indoor environments where wood is burned could be exposed to wood smoke. A
major health threat from smoke comes from fine particles, also known as particle pollution (EPA).
Particle pollution has been linked to premature death in people with heart or lung disease, nonfatal
heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, and increased
respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing (EPA). The
increased PM could affect also an area's ability to comply with the PM NAAQS, which could have
regional health impacts. In addition, weather events with high winds and storm surges such as those
many areas in Region 2 have experienced, can generate a tremendous amount of debris from, among
other things, destroyed buildings, displaced sand and felled trees. Efforts to remove construction debris
(e.g., from buildings) could require months and involve a large number of vehicles which could generate
combustion related emissions. Biomass removal could involve incineration which could also operate for
months and adversely impact air quality. Region's 2 air program would be required to monitor clean-up
efforts to assure compliance with the PM NAAQS.
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
IN DOOR AIR QUALITY
One of the best sources of information on impacts on the indoor environment is Climate Change, the
Indoor Environment, and Health. The following subsections provide findings from this report from the
National Research Council. Indoor environments can be contaminated by chemical, organic, and
particulate pollutants that migrate from outdoors. Indoor migration is likely to be of particular concern
on high temperature days in residences without air conditioning. Indoor air can also be contaminated by
gas stoves and other indoor emission sources, such as building materials, radon, wood stoves, and
environmental tobacco smoke. Climate change can affect these factors in various ways. For example,
changes in the outdoor concentrations of a pollutant due to alterations in atmospheric chemistry or
atmospheric circulation will affect indoor concentrations. The expected increased use of air
conditioning, if accompanied by reduced ventilation, could increase the concentrations of pollutants
emitted from indoor sources. Additionally, power outages—caused by heat waves or other extreme
weather events—could lead to the use of portable electricity generators that burn fossil fuels and emit
poisonous carbon monoxide (NRC 2011).
DAMPNESS, MOISTURE, AND FLOODING
Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change may lead to more frequent breakdowns in
building envelopes—the physical barrier between outdoor and indoor spaces—followed by infiltration
of water into indoor spaces. Dampness and water intrusion create conditions that encourage the growth
of fungi and bacteria and may cause building materials and furnishings to decay or corrode, leading in
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turn to chemical emissions. Poorly designed or maintained heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
systems may introduce moisture and create condensation on indoor surfaces. Humid conditions can,
however, be improved by well-designed and properly operating systems. Mold growth prevention and
remediation activities also may introduce fungicides and other agents into the indoor environment (NRC
2011).
PESTS AND INFECTIOUS AGENTS
Weather fluctuations and seasonal to annual climate variability influences the incidence of many
infectious diseases which may affect the evolution of existing and emergence of new infectious diseases,
for example, by affecting the geographic range of disease vectors. The ecological niches for pests will
change in response to climate change, leading to changed patterns or routes of human exposure and
potentially, increased use of pesticides in these locations. Climate change may also lead to shifting
patterns of indoor exposure to pesticides as occupants and building owners respond to infestations of
pests (e.g. termites) whose geographic ranges may have changed. Although decreases in pest
populations in some locations may lower the incidence of allergic reactions to particular pests, the
overall incidence of allergic disease may not go down, because those individuals with a predisposition to
allergies may become sensitized to other regional airborne allergies (NRC, 2011).
THERMAL STRESS
Extreme heat and cold have several well-documented adverse health effects. High relative humidity
exacerbates these effects in hot conditions. As increased frequency of extreme weather events may
result in power outages, corresponding increased use of portable generators may expose occupants to
potentially dangerous conditions indoors. Seniors, persons with medical conditions, persons of low-
income, and residents of urban environments are more likely to be exposed to extreme temperature
events. These vulnerable populations experience excessive temperatures almost exclusively in indoor
environments. Increased temperatures will result in increased use of air conditioning. Air conditioning
provides protection from heat but is associated with higher reported prevalence of some ailments,
perhaps because of contaminants in HVAC systems (NRC, 2011).
BUILDING VENTILATION AND WEATHERIZATION
Leaky buildings are common and cause energy loss, moisture problems, and migration of contaminants
from the outdoors (e.g. pests, chemical, volatile organic compounds, and particulates). Research
indicates that poor ventilation is associated with occupant health problems and lower productivity in all
populations, and is exacerbated in vulnerable populations such as children, seniors and persons with
medical conditions (NRC 2011).
Residents may weatherize buildings to increase comfort and indoor environmental quality in addition to
saving energy. Although in general these actions should be encouraged, this may lead to a reduction in
ventilation and an increase in indoor environmental pollutants unless measures are taken to preserve or
improve indoor air quality. EPA has developed practical guidance for improving or maintaining indoor
environmental quality during home energy upgrades or remodeling in single-family homes and schools.
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EPA's guidance and protocols may need to be revised to include state and local considerations for
projected climatic changes. In addition, these programs may need to increase partnerships with other
agencies to address training needs and workforce development for building owners, managers, and
others, as well as develop new tracking mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of weatherization and
remodeling techniques as they relate to indoor environmental quality.
INCREASED ENERGY DEMAND
Increased temperatures due to climate change could have a potential two-fold effect on energy
consumption for heating and cooling. Energy used for heating is likely to decrease while energy used for
cooling is likely to increase. Summer peak demand in the New York metro area could increase 7 to 17%.
Increases in peak demand without changes to energy infrastructure could lead to increased brownouts
(IPCC 2007, NYSERDA 2011) or operation of "peaker" electric generating units in order to meet the
increased demand. During high energy demand days, peaker units operate and generally produce more
emissions than the typical electric generating unit. Furthermore, increased energy use for cooling would
occur in the summer, which would lead to increased emissions during the ozone season (unless there is
an increase in the supply of renewable energy to match the increased energy demand). The emissions
impacts from increased energy demand could hinder areas in Region 2 from meeting or maintaining
compliance with the NAAQS (PM, O3, NOX). Sources in or upwind of the Region may be required to
implement additional control measures or emissions controls. Region 2's air program would oversee
states' efforts to develop SIP revisions to address the issue.
MOBILE SOURCE EMISSIONS
Warming due to climate change could lead to damages to transportation infrastructure. Increased
frequency, intensity, and/or duration of heat events could lead to railway deformities, road softening,
and traffic-related rutting due to the road softening (IPCC 2007). If damages to transportation
infrastructure lead to increased congestion, traffic-related emissions could increase. If the costs of
maintaining roads and rail lines in good repair divert limited funds from planned mass transit capital
projects this could hinder work performed by the Region 2 states and EPA Region 2 in promoting and
supporting mass transit projects to reduce transportation related emissions (NYMTC, FTA). Heavy
precipitation events resulting from climate change can threaten travel routes on coastal and low lying
roadways, lead to the closure of airports, and damage to shipping channels and ports (IPCC 2007). If
these damages and closures lead to traffic congestion in other locations, this could cause increases in
mobile source emissions. Extreme events experienced in Region 2, such as hurricanes, that hinder
refinery operations or fuel transportation could require EPA to grant fuel waivers to allow more
polluting fuels to be used for a short time period. Extended periods of congestion could arise in areas
that are flooded, which could lead to increased transportation related emissions (USDOT, USDOE).
2. PROTECTING AMERICA'S WATERS
WATERSHEDS, AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS AND WETLANDS
SEWERS AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS
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Variability in precipitation patterns and an increase in the intensity and severity of storms will lead to an
increase in the number of sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses. Predicted increases in storm
events and rainfall intensity, as well as sea level rise and storm surges, will contribute to the frequency
and volumes of combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges in heavily urbanized regions in New York and
New Jersey. New York State has 76 CSO permit holders with 966 outfalls, and New Jersey has 25 CSO
permit holders with 217 outfalls. These include the Region's largest cities, such as New York City, Albany,
Binghamton, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Jersey City and Newark. Furthermore, increased heavy
precipitation events could trigger increased sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, especially in
low-lying communities like those surrounding the Martfn Pena Canal in San Juan, PR. These overflows
contain not only stormwater but also pollutants such as untreated human and industrial waste, toxic
materials, debris, and oil and grease. Consequences include an increased risks of waterborne diseases,
greater loads of pollutants entering our waterways, aquatic habitat impairments, loss of recreational
access to water bodies due to high bacteria levels, fish kills, fishing and shellfishing restrictions, and
increased flows in streams and other conveyance channels that could be eroded. This reduces EPA's
ability to ensure human health and safety and our goal to make waterbodies fishable and swimmable.
Utilities will be challenged by the need to address uncertainties associated with severe storm events and
frequency when they evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative approaches for capital infrastructure
planning and outlays. Communities seeking to reduce sewer and wastewater overflows should
coordinate with the state agency administering EPA's State Revolving Fund (SRF) for funding
consideration. Climate change will lead to a need for greater investment provided by the SRF.
Increased precipitation may also result in additional pollutant loadings of nutrients, pesticides, and
other chemicals, further challenging permittees' ability to meet water quality standards and permit
requirements. For industrial dischargers and wastewater treatment plants, lower baseflows due to
increased evapotranspiration and increased likelihood of drought conditions will make meeting permit
requirements more challenging. This will have an impact on our watershed programs as well as our
regulatory programs, including the NPDES3 and TMDL4 programs.
WATER QUALITY STANDARDS AND PERMITTING
Under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states, territories and authorized tribes are required to
develop lists of impaired waters (i.e., "the 303(d) list"). These are waters that are too polluted or
otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes
after the implementation of effluent limitations or other pollution control requirements. For future
TMDLs, models to evaluate impacts under a range of projected future climatic shifts, using the best
information and tools available, will need to be used on a site-specific basis. For the NPDES program,
there will be a need to incorporate greater uncertainty into permit calculations to reflect the uncertainty
3 As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program
controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States.
4 A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet
water quality standards, and an allocation of that load among the various sources of that pollutant.
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in climate projections related to NPDES permitting (e.g., precipitation projections), revise low-flow
stream estimates, and consider warmer surface waters when evaluating applications for variances from
thermal effluent limitations.
WETLANDS AND WATER BODY ECOSYSTEMS
As sea level rises, barrier island configurations will change and coastal shorelines will retreat. Wetlands
will be inundated and eroded, and low-lying areas will be inundated more frequently - some
permanently - by the advancing sea. Freshwater wetlands will be subject to changes in hydrology,
precipitation and temperatures impacting the ecological services that they provide. Since coastal areas
are already well developed, there would be limited opportunity for wetlands to migrate upland. There
will need to be a focus on wetland protection, restoration and capacity for resiliency in all wetland
ecosystems. As sea level rises, temperature increases and rainfall patterns change the salinity of
estuaries, coastal wetlands, and tidal rivers, which are likely to become more variable, further altering
the composition and ecosystem function of existing wetlands. Furthermore, Mid-Atlantic tidal marshes,
mangrove forests and other coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean which provide important services for
shoreline protection, species habitat, and nutrient cycling in the environment will be vulnerable with sea
level rise. Inland wetlands - which provide important services in flood protection, water quality, nutrient
cycling and species habitat - will be vulnerable with changes in precipitation and groundwater
recharge. EPA Region 2's wetland and mangrove protection and restoration efforts will face challenges
due to uncertainty with regards to sea level rise and the wetland's ability to migrate and respond to
changes in hydrology and precipitation.
New York State
Great Lakes Basin
Changing water flow to lakes and streams, increased evaporation, and changed precipitation in some
areas will affect the size of wetlands and
lakes. For example, water levels in the Great
Lakes are expected to fall. Headwater streams
will be increasingly dry during summer
months as drought conditions occur more
often and evapotranspiration increases. This
will have an effect on aquatic ecosystems
because species that are susceptible to higher
temperatures or lower dissolved oxygen
levels, such as freshwater trout fisheries in
New York and New Jersey, will lose viable
habitat.
Increasing sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification have the potential to reduce the stability of
corals in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, especially in the presence of stresses from the existing land-
based sources of pollution and overuse of the reefs for fishing and recreation. In the Caribbean, already
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stressed coral reef ecosystems will be highly compromised by the increasing sea surface temperature
which will result in more chronic bleaching events and subsequent vulnerability to diseases associated
with bleaching. Ocean acidification will reduce the capacity of reef corals to calcify and protect
themselves against more frequent hurricanes (EPA 2012). The collapse of coral reef ecosystems will
have a significant impact on greater ocean ecosystems, food supplies and recreation and tourism
industries. This will make implementation of local stormwater runoff reduction and improved coral reef
management efforts by EPA and its partner agencies much more critical for preserving current coral reef
habitat.
DRINKING WATER, WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY
An increased number of flood events of greater intensity is impacting water infrastructure. Many water
and wastewater treatment systems and pumping stations in New York and New Jersey were damaged
due to Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy in 2011 and 2012. For example, many of the wastewater
facilities were flooded and/or shut down or lost power during these events, after which they only
performed primary treatment for a period until the digester systems stabilized and discharged
untreated or partially treated sewage to local waterbodies. Furthermore, providing emergency support
to these facilities was complicated by flooding of low-lying access roads, damaged electrical supply
systems or shortages of fuel for backup generators, and overstretched personnel. In New Jersey, the
Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority facilities alone suffered $300 million dollars of damage due to
Superstorm Sandy. This has required major financial resources to pay for the repair or replacement of
damaged infrastructure or proactively retrofit existing infrastructure, including treatment plants,
pumping stations and conveyance systems.
In June 2013, New York City presented a comprehensive coastal protection plan which articulates a
diverse selection of coastal protection measures tailored to the specific geomorphology of and risks
facing neighborhoods most in peril'11; other local governments will likely develop similar plans as well.
Dredged material management plans will need to be adjusted because a number of the coastal
resiliency projects will use dredged sediments and also due to potentially greater sediment loadings
entering our waterways and harbors from more intense storm events. While the Army Corps of
Engineers is the primary permitting authority on dredged material management in the coastal zone, EPA
and the states have oversight roles of dredged materials management activities and are involved in
developing dredged materials management plans. Coastal protection measures may also have an impact
on water quality in Region 2 coastal waters and in the New York and New Jersey Harbor and Estuary in
particular.
General population growth combined with a loss of snowpack in the Northeast and declining surface
and groundwater quality and quantity, particularly in the Caribbean, will increase competition for water
among energy, agriculture sectors, public drinking water supply, and maintenance of ecological service.
in see "PlaNYC: A Stronger, More Resilient New York" - http://www.nyc.gov/html/sirr/html/report/report.shtml
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This will have an impact on water supply and water use, along with the water body's ability to provide
ecosystem services. An example is the stress placed on the cold-water trout fishery due to inadequate
reservoir releases in the Pequannock River in New Jersey due to drinking water diversions which causes
water temperatures to be elevated in the stream during the summer months.
Sea level rise in coastal areas puts fresh water supplies for all uses, particularly drinking water, at
increased risk. Salt water intrusion into coastal aquifers is a problem in some areas where withdrawals
are outstripping recharge; increased pressure head from a higher sea-level worsens this problem. As sea
level rises, community drinking water intakes may end up in brackish waters as the salt front migrates
up coastal rivers and streams. For example, sodium concentrations could increase at the drinking water
intakes on the Delaware River that serve Camden, NJ, degrading the community's supply of drinking
water.5 The integrity of coastal water infrastructure systems could be put at increased risk because
systems designed for current sea levels are likely to have to operate under conditions where the sea
level is 2 to 5 feet greater than current levels. Wastewater outfalls will have reduced capacity and will
have to be redesigned given increased water heights in receiving waters. Communities may need
infrastructure improvements to become more resilient to sea level rise and more frequent storm events.
In Region 2, many low-income and/or minority communities are located within or near floodplains or in
areas with older water infrastructure which may not be designed to handle increased water flows.
Residents of these areas are vulnerable to flooding impacts from a variety of sources; a major concern in
this regard is the incidence of wastewater and stormwater sewer systems back-ups that could cause
localized flooding and water inflows into basements in urban areas. These flooding events are likely to
increase in frequency and magnitude with more frequent heavy rainfall events under climate change
(NYSERDA 2011). Unfortunately, communities most impacted by this flooding risk are also those least
able to relocate from flood-prone areas, and therefore are more likely to be impacted by weather
events that could disrupt the drinking water and electrical supply as well as damage plumbing and
electrical systems at homes and businesses.
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
Increased temperatures will lead to increased evapotranspiration, thereby reducing the amount of
water available to recharge groundwater aquifers. In the Northeast more precipitation is forecast to
occur as heavy downpours and in addition, the snowpack is expected to be reduced. Overall, this will
result in increased surface runoff and reduced infiltration and groundwater recharge, particularly in
upland areas. This will place strains on the use of groundwater for municipal, industrial, and agricultural
water supply. For example, the Long Island Aquifer is a source of drinking water for 2.7 million people in
New York State, and over 900 million gallons per day (mgd) of water is used (8% of total water use).
Aquifers supply drinking water to New Jersey at the rate of 570 mgd (31% of total water use) and Puerto
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Rico at the rate of 137 mgd6. In order to ensure adequate water supplies, the importance of
groundwater protection from contamination will become more crucial in maintaining water supplies for
the Region.
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
When there is flooding, or when soils are saturated for extended periods of time, septic systems cannot
function properly. Proper septic system performance depends on having aerated conditions in the soil
so that bacteria can properly treat wastewater by removing pathogens and other contaminants.
Flooding events and rising groundwater tables due to sea level rise and increased precipitation saturate
the soils and causes sewage backing up in buildings. Flooding also allows contaminants to enter ground
and surface water, reducing water quality and recreational access. In Region 2, the major contaminants
that could increase due to climate change are bacterial contamination, greater algal blooms due to
increased nutrient loadings, and higher nitrate concentrations in groundwater. Additionally, certain
areas such as Suffolk County, NY or some coastal areas of Puerto Rico rely primarily on cesspools and
septic systems for sanitation; these areas are particularly threatened by impacts from climate change.
EPA works with local officials and partner organizations to support onsite wastewater management and
develops voluntary policies and guidance for onsite wastewater management programs.
QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF SAFE DRINKING WATER
Protecting public health from contaminants in drinking water will require adapting to the impacts of
climate change. Warmer waters foster pathogen growth, which affects the reliability and the cost of
drinking water disinfection. Increased precipitation, and in particular, more extreme rainfall events may
result in additional pollutant loadings of nutrients, pesticides, and other chemicals, further challenging
drinking water treatment. New York City's ability to continue to meet the criteria for the drinking water
filtration avoidance, thereby reducing the need for water supply treatment, may be affected due to
increased runoff and turbidity. Small water systems, such as non-PRASA (Puerto Rico Aqueduct and
Sewer Authority) systems in Puerto Rico, are particularly vulnerable due to reduced water yields and/or
poor water quality. Longer periods of drought are expected to occur and may produce an increase in the
energy and costs associated with the production of drinking water.
New drinking water sources and/or enhanced treatment will be needed in some localities, including
relocating water intakes and building desalinization plants. Rising sea levels cause intrusion of saltwater
into the underground freshwater aquifer, contaminating the supply of usable groundwater and reducing
the freshwater supply for the Caribbean islands, on Long Island, and in coastal sections of New Jersey.
Desalination to treat marine or brackish water is becoming increasingly important in certain locations in
the Virgin Islands and circumstances where demand is driven by population growth or drought.
Wastewater or stormwater utilities could distribute reclaimed water from a centralized treatment
' http://www.ngwa.org, http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/circl268/htdocs/table04.html
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system for park irrigation or other uses, which may require additional treatment. EPA's drinking water
and groundwater protection programs will be involved in permitting and monitoring the systems and
providing technical support.
Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) is a process of storing water underground to provide future domestic,
industrial and agricultural water supplies. ASR is increasingly used where fresh water demand is
beginning to or projected to exceed supply, and ASR is likely to increase in drought prone areas. When
applied to stormwater, this practice can also reduce nonpoint source pollution of our lakes, streams and
rivers. However, the infiltration or injection of polluted stormwater increases the risk of contamination
of fresh water aquifers. In Region 2, the majority of ASR facilities are located in New Jersey. In light of
increasing demand, EPA will need to ensure that groundwater quality and supply are maintained given
greater use of this resource (EPA 2012).
3. CLEANING UP COMMUNITIES
RISK OF CONTAMINANT RELEASES
The prospect of more intense and more frequent storms and sea-level rise carries with it the risk of
contaminant releases from RCRA Corrective Action sites, Superfund sites, Brownfield sites and landfills.
As noted in EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Plan, inundation and flooding may lead to transport of
contaminants through surface soils, groundwater, surface waters and/or coastal waters. Uncontrolled
migration of contaminants may pose an increased risk of adverse health and environmental impacts. An
example in Region 2 is American Cyanamid, a Superfund site on the banks of the Raritan River in
Bridgewater Township, NJ. The site has two impoundments of harmful chemicals that release
contamination during major flood events such as Hurricanes Floyd and Irene (1999 and 2011
respectively). There is currently no remedy selected for the impoundments area of the site, so future
flood events will continue to release contamination on the site and into the river until a remedy is
selected and implemented.
While this issue is, of course, most relevant to sites that have not yet been remediated, some sites
where a containment remedy has been performed may also be vulnerable. For example, saltwater
intrusion and increased groundwater salinity in coastal aquifers may increase the permeability of clay
liners installed at waste sites, such as landfills, allowing contaminants to spread to nearby properties.
Several landfills in Puerto Rico and the USVI are located at or near sea level. Many of these landfills are
still operating and/or have been improperly closed. Rising sea level poses a significant risk of erosion to
these landfills and the potential migration of contaminants towards nearby communities and
ecosystems (i.e. coastal wetlands and coral reefs). Examples of these are the Culebra Island Landfill and
the Rincon Municipal Landfill.
Severe storms, storm surge and sea level rise may also cause flooding of coastal or other riparian located
facilities in Region 2 where chemicals, oil or other hazardous substances are present. Of notable concern
are pesticide and chemical production or storage facilities, which are governed by the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA),
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respectively. These facilities are also vulnerable to extreme weather events, possibly leading to the
dispersal of such materials to nearby properties or surface waters and, in turn, creating risks to public
health and the environment. This is an issue about which local Environmental Justice groups have raised
concerns to EPA, as a number of such facilities in our Region are located near low-income minority
communities. Releases of hazardous substances or other materials from such facilities could potentially
lead to cleanup actions by EPA's Superfund program, the oil spill response program, or state or local
government response programs to conduct cleanup actions.
ADVERSE EFFECTS ON CLEANUPS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
As noted in the Agency-wide Climate Change Adaptation Plan, changes in precipitation patterns and
temperature as a result of climate change may adversely affect the performance of some site cleanup
remedies and may require some remedies to be changed. In February 2012, EPA's Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response (OSWER) released a report, Adaptation of Superfund Remediation to Climate
Change, which identified vulnerabilities to site remedies nationwide. The assessment identified sites
with on-site pump and treat or containment remedies within 100- and 500-year floodplains, as well as
those within the modeled 5 ft. sea level rise zone. While the report concluded that there are multiple
programmatic systems in place to address effects of climate change on Superfund sites, more evaluation
is ongoing to look at more specifics regarding vulnerabilities during a site's lifecycle, as well as at
sediment and other types of sites. The report also found that climate change effects could be accounted
for within the remedy assessment criteria or the Five Year Review process, but site managers may need
to be more aware of these opportunities for addressing adaptation issues. Other vulnerabilities include
changes in site conditions and contaminant characterization of groundwater plumes as groundwater
recharge may be affected by climate change. Flooding and storm surges are also likely to affect ongoing
ecological redevelopment of sites, as well as oil tank storage.
4. ASSURING THE SAFETY OF CHEMICALS AND PREVENTING POLLUTION
USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS
A changing climate will likely result in changes in the kind of agricultural crops planted in New York, New
Jersey, and the Caribbean. For example, current cash crops in the Northeast such as apples, maple
syrup, and cranberries will likely move further north into Canada while crops now grown in the
Southeast will move into the region (USGCRP 2009). This in turn will affect the quantity, type, and timing
of agricultural chemical use as well as the appropriate application method. These changes in chemical
use and application could impact the appropriate risk management decisions made by EPA Region 2's
Pesticides Program in determining what pesticides and geographic areas to focus our efforts to ensure
compliance with the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), particularly with regard
to the protection of migrant farm workers and rural communities. For instance, soil fumigation as a
method to apply pesticides is now rarely used in Region 2 but would be expected to become more
common as crops move into the area that requires pest techniques that are associated with longer
growing seasons and warmer winters (NYSERDA 2011). Soil fumigants are among the most hazardous of
all pesticides and rapidly volatilize once in the soil. Once in gaseous form, the fumigant can disperse
throughout the soil and contact target pests making them extremely effective. However, because of the
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volatility of fumigants, people who live, visit, and/or work near fumigated fields may be exposed to
these toxic emissions if the gases travel offsite either via wind aboveground or through wells, sewers,
vaults and other underground pathways to the surface. Consequently, EPA Region 2's Pesticides
Program would likely need to reevaluate its priorities if spray drift from fumigants becomes more
common in Region 2.
Similarly, changes in temperature and precipitation levels are expected to result in increased cases of
the West Nile Virus and other diseases carried by mosquitoes, some not usually found this far north. In
fact, the migration of Aedes albopicus (Asian tiger mosquito) has resulted in increasing populations in
more northern regions, especially Region 2 (Shope 1991). These mosquitoes have begun to take over
areas previously inhabited by the Culex species of mosquito during the winter (i.e., NYC). The movement
of this invasive species may increase the northward spread of Dengue. As the incidence and type of
diseases carried by mosquitoes increases, EPA Region 2's Pesticides Program will likely need to broaden
their knowledge of new types of pesticides and/or application methods to ensure compliance with
FIFRA. EPA will also need to engage diverse stakeholders with disparate views on the merits of spraying
pesticides. These activities will have resource implications for EPA Region 2 as will most of the
programmatic impacts referenced in this Assessment.
EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS FROM INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE
The extreme weather events that are likely to occur as a result of climate change (e.g., high winds, heavy
precipitation events) may damage community infrastructure (e.g., schools and child care facilities) and
residential homes. As a result, there may be an increased risk of exposure to lead, asbestos and PCBs,
when these buildings are initially damaged and when they are renovated/demolished as part of the
recovery efforts. Children are particularly vulnerable to this risk, particularly those living in
disadvantaged communities where buildings tend to be older and poorly maintained. Therefore, to
mitigate/prevent such exposure and ensure compliance with the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA),
EPA Region 2's Toxics Substances program will need to educate the affected communities about
safeguarding themselves and provide technical assistance to debris removal companies and the
construction/renovation industry. Depending on the extent of the communities impacted and the
amount of damage resulting from these extreme weather events, the capacity of EPA Region 2 Toxic
Substance program to provide such information/assistance in a timely manner, especially in a face-to-
face format, could be sorely tested.
5. EPA REGION 2'S FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS
EPA Region 2's main office is in Lower Manhattan, with other facilities in Edison, NJ, and Guaynabo, PR, as well
as small field offices in Hudson Falls and Buffalo, NY, Stamford, CT and in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our Edison, NJ
facility houses, among other things, our regional laboratory and EPA's Emergency Response Team. Overall,
Region 2 currently has about 840 employees. The climate change impacts discussed in the above sections
present a number of risks to Region 2's staff, facilities, assets, and day-to-day operations, as summarized below.
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FACILITY OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS
Extreme heat, bad air quality or other weather
conditions exacerbated by climate change may
increase the health risks of EPA Region 2 employees
and contractors engaged in field work -- such as
sampling, remediation and inspections -- or force them
to delay such work. In addition, increased demands
placed on electrical grids during heat waves could
jeopardize the grids' integrity or force utility providers
to institute rolling brownouts or blackouts. The
occurrence of such outages would force EPA to use
auxiliary power sources (generators, uninterrupted
power supplies). Building lighting, HVAC systems
and/or elevator service may have to be reduced or
adjusted to compensate for the loss of power. EPA
offices in the Caribbean could potentially close for
short periods of time due to impacts of hurricane,
tropical storms or other weather events and potential
impacts on the facilities themselves and the
employees' ability to safely travel to and from work. In
addition, potential water shortages due to reduced
water availability as a result of prolonged drought
could disrupt day to day operations. Severe storms (for
example, as seen during Superstorm Sandy) could also
cripple public transportation systems, highways and
roads, and/or result in significant gasoline shortages,
thus preventing Region 2 employees from being able to
come into work. We have prepared for such scenarios
through our telework program, portable computing
equipment for employees, and remote networking
capabilities, but at a minimum, some impact on
productivity can be expected. In addition, many
regional staff conducts field-based work, such as site
remediation and inspections. Instability of weather
patterns (with more heavy snow and ice events in
winter months) also impacts the safety of staff
traveling to and from remote (and sometimes off-road)
locations and increases the chance for automobile
accidents with government vehicles.
EPA Operations &
Superstorm Sandy
When Superstorm Sandy struck the east
coast in October 2012, EPA Region 2's main
office - located in lower Manhattan - lost its
main power supply for five days and its heat
supply longer, which forced the closure of
the building for almost two weeks (9
business days). Closing the main office had
a major impact on our operations, and due
to the extent of impact - power outages,
wireless and landline telephone service
limitations - employees had limited ability
to access their work virtually. The storm
also knocked out the normal power supply
for our Edison, NJ facility, forcing the facility
(and the Region's command center for
emergency response) to operate on
emergency backup power. For nonessential
Edison, NJ staff- including laboratory staff
- the Edison facility was closed for five
business days, creating a backlog in regular
work while additional storm-related needs
were developing. Edison's Regional
Emergency Operations Center (REOC) ran
on generator power from Monday through
Saturday. Bottled water and dispensers had
to be brought in to supply potable water for
staff working at the REOC.
In addition to building operations, road and
tunnel closures, hobbled public
transportation (NYC subway, PATH, NJ
Transit trains and light rail) and gasoline
shortages created hardships mobilizing the
workforce at both locations, whether
bringing employees into the office or more
importantly deploying employees to the
field to assist other state and federal
agencies.
Regardless of whether Superstorm Sandy
can be directly attributed to climate change,
the storm is illustrative of the sort of
extreme weather events that are expected
to occur in the Northeast with greater
frequency in the future, as a result of climate
change.
J
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EPA Region 2 has Continuity of Operations Plans that are formulated to address an "all hazards"
approach. Damages to EPA facilities and/or impacts to critical infrastructure due to extreme weather
events could force Region 2 to implement those plans, or even Devolution of Operations Plans, in order
for EPA to continue to execute Mission Essential Functions. The Region maintains a Continuity of
Operations site in Edison, NJ that is capable of providing fully supported workspace for up to 200
emergency support personnel. The site has backup power and was constructed to withstand hurricane
force winds and earthquake level forces.
Over time, climate change may result in EPA Region 2 personnel - including those working in our
emergency response program or who collect or analyze environmental samples, as well as our contract
support staff, public affairs staff, and others - being increasingly drawn away from their normal day-to-
day activities to respond to extreme weather events or emergencies. This, in turn, could lead to a
reduced capacity to perform regular duties (e.g., monitoring compliance with and enforcing hazardous
waste laws).
IMPACTS ON WATER SUPPLIES USED BY EPA REGION 2
As described previously, water availability, quality, and safety could be compromised by climate-
influenced events. At all regional offices and the laboratory, the staff relies upon potable drinking water
from municipalities. The availability of safe drinking water (as described in the Superstorm Sandy
example) needs to be considered for all offices. Water supply issues could impact the Regional Lab at
Edison, NJ and its ability to operate. In Edison, the ORD National Risk Management Research Laboratory
conducts research on stormwater management practices and technologies. In-situ research requires
copious amounts of water to mimic various storm intensities (and related overflows). Droughts can
impact the Laboratory staff's ability to test technologies and conduct research because access to water
could be limited through rationing/availability.
EPA developed a Water Conservation Strategy that identifies water conservation projects and
approaches that reduce potable water use by 2% annually. This strategy applies to EPA-owned spaces,
such as the Edison, NJ facility and laboratory that are owned and operated by the Regional office.
Projects to ameliorate local water supply issues include gray water (rain water runoff and water
condensation) capture for cooling. Increased drought intensity - and overall changes with the frequency
and intensity of storm events - may reduce the availability of gray water over time.
In addition, water shortages could impact office operations of leased space in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin
Islands, New York and New Jersey. Spaces leased from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
may be dependent upon water for consumption, cooling, landscaping, etc. However, GSA (directly or
indirectly) is the responsible party for addressing water conservation and stormwater reduction. During
extreme drought conditions, employees may be asked to conserve water such as limit watering plants,
showering at the facility gym, etc. Long-term droughts and increased scarcity of water may cause local
water rates to increase thereby increasing operational costs related to potable water use in office
buildings and negotiated during lease renewal.
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EPA REGION 2 PRIORITY ACTIONS
Adaptation planning efforts in Region 2 began with a vulnerability assessment of Regional programs to identify
how climate impacts may affect our mission, program and operations. Region 2 focused on actions that would
address the areas of highest likely risk and subsequently developed a preliminary list of action items to address
the impacts identified in the vulnerability assessment. Next the group identified criteria to select the best
actions from the preliminary list and developed a draft set of priority actions selected by applying the criteria.
See the criteria listed below.
CRITERIA
• Action meets other regional/national objectives [Consider whether action is part of EPA's core or
optional programs]
• Action must be implemented in order to enable other actions (sequencing)
• Region 2 is the best fit as implementer or co-implementer
• Action is achievable
• Action fills a gap
• Action reduces risk significantly
• We can measure benefits of the action
• There are resources available to do the action
• Action has short-term and long-term benefits
• Actions that address current impacts are more important than actions that address projected
impacts
• The action avoids maladaptation
• Action addresses EJ communities and vulnerable areas/populations
• The law can provide an opportunity for the action; There is legal authority for the action
• The action is scalable and transferable
• Action advances sustainability
• Action has durability/stability/longevity
The following section lists priorities that represent regional actions to reduce the impacts of climate change to
EPA Region 2 programs. Region 2 priority actions are categorized to demonstrate the region's short-term
priorities, and long term priorities. The short-term priority action designation reflects the regional offices'
assessment of appropriate resources and ability to implement the actions in the near-term while long-term
priority actions are slated for the future and pending resource allocation. Additionally, the region identifies goals
that are best suited for a headquarters or nationally-led initiative, due to factors such as scope, rulemaking
authority, and resource requirements. Region 2 is committed to supporting the development of potential legal
strategies underlying existing and new priority actions on adaptation and will more broadly consider options to
improve the effective use of legal tools in the response and recovery phases following impacts from climate
change. Such legal tools are relevant to consideration of a range of issues including but not limited to access
issues, waivers, no-action assurances, and efforts to secure staging areas. Region 2 will also seek opportunities
and develop options to increase resilience at entities regulated by environmental statutes and regulations by
incorporating information and knowledge on vulnerabilities into permits, environmental reviews, injunctive
relief portions of enforcement documents, and other EPA decisions and approvals, where appropriate.
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Region 2 recognizes the iterative nature of adaptation planning and will use an adaptive management
framework, or develop adaptation strategies based on assessments that are monitored, revisited, redesigned
and adjusted over time, to implement these priority actions. An adaptive management framework will be
particularly helpful given uncertainties about Regional climate change impacts and the effectiveness of our
priority actions as well as changing resources and needs. Through an adaptation management framework,
Region 2 will be able to more nimbly and effectively reprioritize and revise our actions.
SHORT TERM PRIORITIES
THE SHORT-TERM PRIORITY ACTION DESIGNATION REFLECTS THE REGIONAL OFFICES'ASSESSMENT
OF APPROPRIATE RESOURCES AND ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THE ACTIONS IN THE NEAR-TERM.
AIR
• Focus enforcement resources on emitters of tropospheric ozone precursors, volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) and NOx, to reduce the impacts on air quality associated with projected temperature rise due to
climate change.
• Increase outreach regarding the effects of emissions from emergency generators and wood smoke.
Educate emergency generator purchasers about newer, cleaner, and more efficient generators. Promote
best practices for using emergency generators and wood burning to reduce emissions associated with
generating electricity and heat during extreme weather events which disrupt energy delivery. Enhance
messaging on dangers from increased use of back-up electricity sources (e.g. generators) and heat
sources (e.g. woodstoves, fireplaces) during power outages.
WATER
Region 2 contributed to the development and implementation of the National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
Response to Climate Change7 which identifies 19 Goals and 53 Strategic Actions that are being implemented
nationally. The priority actions listed here include short-term priorities for which sufficient levels of funding and
resources are available for implementation.
• Promote the Climate Ready Water Utilities program and the Climate Resilience Evaluation and
Awareness Tool (GREAT) tool to water utilities and municipalities. Support utilities in modifying
treatment plants to withstand future storm surges.
• Work with states to establish SRF criteria for building resistance to climate change impacts through
infrastructure investment.
• Promote Green Infrastructure practices to state and municipal governments to help them better
manage increased precipitation and flooding. Develop and finalize the regional Green Infrastructure
Action Plan.
7 http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/2012-National-Water-Program-Strategy.cfm
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• Identify and assess public water supply systems that are close to streams or rivers that may be subject to
climate impacts, including flooding and severe storm events.
• Implement the Coral Reef Protection Plan, which addresses climate impacts to corals such as ocean
acidification and coral bleaching, as well as waste discharges, water quality criteria, and areas to be
protected through a watershed management approach.
• Continue to support and incorporate climate change considerations into funding and support for coastal
habitat restoration and monitoring activities.
• Engage with Regional National Estuary Programs (NEPs) to implement climate change priorities
identified in NEP Action Plans and other key documents. Work with regional NEP programs to
incorporate climate change considerations into funding and coastal habitat restoration activities, as
appropriate.
• Improve coordination of Clean Water Act funding that supports wetland protection and monitoring to
incorporate resilience of wetlands to climate change and sea level rise. Funding sources include CWA
104, 106, 319, and 320 grant programs.
• Collaborate with NOAA, US Fish & Wildlife, and FEMA to identify opportunities for coordination of
wetland restoration funding. Identify duplicative actions and possibilities for collaboration to ensure
more efficient use of federal funds. Streamlining restoration spending may free up funds that can be
used for further restoration work, which can protect coastal communities from sea level rise, erosion
and storm surge.
• Promote wetland conservation and restoration through Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) in
the Caribbean.
WASTE: SUPERFUND & RCRA
• Assess vulnerabilities of existing Superfund/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites,
including proximity to flood zones, coastal or riverfront sites, etc. (National Priorities List or NPL, non-
NPL, RCRA corrective action facilities, Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program or FUSRAP sites)
working with state and other federal agencies as appropriate. To be completed internally by site
managers with a vulnerability checklist. Additional resources would be needed for a more complex
vulnerability assessment, which may be more appropriate as a nationally-led report.
• Include consideration of potential climate change impacts in Five Year Reviews of NPL sites (e.g. flooding
impacts to capped sites, changes to aquifers and plume migration, etc.).
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Since Superstorm Sandy made landfall on the coast of New York and New Jersey the evening of Oct. 29,
2012, EPA Region 2 has been providing ongoing emergency response in our two northeastern states. In
addition to emergency response actions provided by our on-scene coordinators, Region 2 staff persons
were stationed at the FEMA Joint Field Operations as part of the federal response to Superstorm Sandy
in New York and New Jersey to develop Recovery Support Strategies. Region 2 continues to coordinate
with other federal agencies on addressing climate risk in the rebuilding process. The region's immediate
response work is not fully captured within the scope of this plan. Response work addresses a number of
environmental and human health concerns including monitoring water quality, managing household
hazardous waste and disaster debris in accordance with the National Response Framework. EPA Region
2 has been implementing recovery actions in accordance with the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental
Appropriations bill. The bill provides funds for EPA in the following program areas: the drinking water
and waste water State Revolving Loan Funds, Superfund sites, and monitoring environmental conditions.
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The Region is working with state and federal partners to build climate resiliency into the recovery
activities implemented by many federal and local organizations through the Superstorm Sandy
Supplemental Appropriations bill. In the long-term, the Region will take into consideration lessons
learned from recent climate events, including Superstorm Sandy response operations work, to address
climate change in emergency response preparedness.
COMMUNITIES & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
• Inspect regulated facilities in flood prone areas that store hazardous waste, chemicals, and oil to
promote climate resilient practices. Design materials to distribute containing environmental assistance
resources for regulated facilities in flood prone areas and distribute through inspections, meetings, and
outreach events and in partnership with other technical assistance providers such as small business
assistance programs. Make use of existing mapping applications with new climate data projections to
identify regulated facilities in flood prone areas, especially in EJ areas.
• Identify areas of opportunity in hazard mitigation planning to integrate sustainability principles
(including land use principles) into community planning documents to reduce further impacts and
connect sustainability to long term recovery from extreme weather events. Expand partnership with
research institutes, and FEMA to develop tools that planners can access.
• Develop and distribute resource materials for communities to conduct assessments of climate
vulnerabilities and devise potential strategies for climate resilience.
• Use the EPA Environmental Justice Screening tool, EJSCREEN, to do an assessment of Superstorm Sandy-
impacted communities. Support FEMA and the Federal Disaster Recovery Support Strategy to identify
communities with potential areas of EJ concern for purposes of targeting and prioritizing technical
support/assistance for local recovery efforts. Develop a plan for incorporating EJ in community
development scenario planning protocols that will help communities rebuild sustainably.
• Incorporate climate adaptation concerns for communities and vulnerable populations into regional
science priorities which prioritize future science and research funding.
• Use GIS-mapping and existing climate model information to assess vulnerabilities of public infrastructure
(electric utilities, wastewater treatment plants, chemical storage facilities, public transport facilities,
gasoline and oil storage locations).
• Create a regionally specific website to provide resources and information to stakeholders on preparing
for the impacts of climate related events such as heat waves. Highlight priority actions as they are
accomplished via press events, social media, and/or press releases.
• Address vulnerabilities regarding the water infrastructure and other industrial facilities with emphasis
on low-income communities located near coastal water bodies in the Caribbean (e.g. Martfn Pena and
G-8 communities).
• Address climate change-related impacts in NEPA reviews, including consideration of options to reduce
environmental consequences of climate change-related impacts on proposed federal actions.
INDIAN NATIONS
• Support Region 2 Nations in assessing impacts to tribal lands and cultural activities.
• Support tribal climate change information sharing amongst tribes in Region 2 and beyond. Region 2 will
promote increased capacity for Indian nations to create and maintain adaptation plans for their
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communities, and promote improved communications between EPA and Indian nation communities,
and also tribal organizations, on climate change activities.
FACILITIES
• Update communication methods to staff during incidences of long and short term disruptions to
wireless and phone capabilities. Address methods for communicating staff availability to other
Regions, HQ, etc. during long and short term office and facility closures.
• Update disaster/emergency planning for operations, including protocols for asset management and
tracking as well as the transition from normal operations to emergency status and vice versa.
• At our Guaynabo facility, promote use of WaterSense products.
LONG TERM PRIORITIES
LONG-TERM ACTIONS ARE SLATED FOR THE FUTURE AND PENDING RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
AIR
• Establish post-storm planning with multiple components to address air quality aspects of waste removal,
including maximizing potential for re-use or composting of vegetative debris; removal of non-reusable
debris *(e.g. asbestos); cleanest transportation options, e.g. marine, rail instead of trucks.
• Work with Headquarters to implement any necessary changes to air quality guidance and procedures to
account for a changing climate (e.g., adjustments to waiver and waiver extension request procedures in
response to more frequent or severe extreme weather impacts on facilities).
• Bring air pollution consequences of climate change impacts on transportation systems to the attention
of state and local partners.
WATER-CARIBBEAN8
• Foster renewal of discussions about the implementation of source water protection programs in the
Caribbean islands.
• Train Caribbean enforcement officers to increase awareness of the impact of climate change to
regulated facilities and their activities. Give out information to public works personnel during Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) inspections.
• Improve communications with Puerto Rico Department of Natural & Environmental Resources and U.S.
Virgin Islands Department of Planning & Natural Resources and other state agencies for collaborations in
the respective coastal zone management programs in the Caribbean to work together in addressing
coastal vulnerabilities.
• Implement water conservation programs to address anticipated levels of reduced precipitation in the
Caribbean. Promote more sustainable small water systems infrastructure, operation and maintenance
for the Caribbean islands.
8 New York and New Jersey long-term priority actions are identified in the "Moving Toward a Climate Resilient Region"
Section.
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• Outreach and implementation of water reuse/reclamation programs to address future water scarcity for
the Caribbean islands.
WASTE: SUPERFUND & RCRA
• In the Caribbean, promote Climate Change Adaptation SEPs, in future enforcement orders, permits to
CWA sites as well as RCRA Hazardous Waste sites.
• Promote more P2/Sustainable Practices in the Caribbean to prevent/minimize releases of hazardous
material as a result of hurricanes, flooding, etc.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
• Develop database/ for reuse and recycling of disaster debris. Simultaneously develop in-house
expertise for debris management and conduct training for EPA staff through ICS exercises.
• Conduct outreach with states & municipalities to encourage development and implementation of
disaster debris management plans.
• Conduct outreach with states and municipalities to improve management of household hazardous
waste to prevent releases during extreme weather events. Increase awareness among federal, state and
local agencies/first responders about the impacts of climate change in emergency situations in the
Caribbean.
• Review CEPD's emergency response plan to ensure that the vulnerabilities of the new San Juan office
location are considered.
• Improve communications with DNER/DPNR and other Caribbean state agencies for collaborations in the
respective coastal zone management programs to mitigate impacts during emergencies.
COMMUNITIES & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
• Increase number of communities that receive information about availability of technical assistance, such
as Complete Streets, planning for older populations in communities.
• Promote more Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Practices in the Caribbean to prevent/minimize releases
of hazardous material as a result of hurricanes, flooding, etc.
• Compile case studies that showcase implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation efforts to
describe their effectiveness.
• Coordinate with states and local governments that are piloting and demonstrating use of climate
information in research, planning and rebuilding efforts.
• Support economic development strategies for building communities with climate resiliency through job
training, education and coordination.
• Develop outreach such as workshops, webinars, etc. on resilient buildings. Feature EPA Indoor airPLUS
for building reconstruction and EPA's Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades
for building upgrades. Prepare information and recommendations regarding mold and indoor air quality
issues for distribution to the public. Disseminate factsheets on re-entry to homes, schools, daycare
centers, buildings, etc. Address energy efficiency impacts on indoor air quality for homes and schools to
avoid maladaptation.
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MOVING TOWARD A CLIMATE RESILIENT REGION
Like other regions and program offices in EPA, Region 2 faces significant constraints on funding and employee
resources. Region 2's decision to segregate our priority actions into short-term and long-term actions in the
preceding sections of this document recognizes those constraints. There are additional actions that EPA has not
included in either the short-term or long-term actions, above, because the timing of those additional actions
might not be clear or because this document is not seen as the vehicle to drive those actions. In addition to
funding and employee resource constraints, these additional actions may require difficult policy or legal
decisions before we can implement them. They might also require action by another party. For example, many
of these actions must be addressed in partnership with states, territories, tribes and municipalities, all of which
face serious budget restrictions and difficult policy choices of their own. In some cases, EPA is already
implementing portions of additional actions through work driven by factors external to this Adaptation Plan.
Below are some of the actions that fit into this additional category. EPA Region 2 will consider the appropriate
timing of these additional actions in the context of the adaptive management framework.
Region 2 sees future opportunity to work with state regulators during the planning and permitting process, for
the air and oil sector and sewage treatment plants, in accounting for climate change related issues. This could
require considering the elevation of a facility, location of facility intakes, and location of emissions control
equipment to account for project climate change impacts. In the Caribbean, we could explore the possibility of
implementing green infrastructure and green energy in consent-decrees and orders (for both Safe Drinking
Water Act and Clean Water Act).
In the area of watershed management, the regional water program supports continuing to work with state,
territory, tribal, and local partners to further integrate climate change adaptation considerations into nonpoint
source management plans and programs. For example, the New York City Drinking Water Program has a robust
watershed protection program that integrates climate change concerns which was developed with the help of
EPA Region 2 and other state partners. This collaboration with our partners could also entail enhancing the
protection and creation of buffers to rivers, lakes, wetlands and other coastal resources to build resiliency and
protect water quality. Region 2 could also work with partners to prepare for increased runoff by encouraging
development of infiltration basins, providing soil structure to soils compacted by development, adoption of
erosion and sediment controls, increases in culvert sizes and the adoption of other BMPs that mitigate runoff.
These activities could be supported in part by leveraging state and federal resources, including Clean Water Act
Section 319 grant funds. Finally, Region 2 could encourage states to incorporate climate change issues when
updating their nonpoint source management plans and guidance documents.
In the ocean and coastal arena, the water program will continue to promote a sustainable balance between the
use of soft shorelines, living shorelines and innovative shoreline development, and hardened shorelines. The
region's ability to support on-the-ground projects as it has in the past is currently limited. The dredging program
seeks to work with partners to better anticipate and plan for increased demand for dredged sediments to
counter the effects of sea level rise and increased erosion.
As Superstorm Sandy demonstrated, drinking water and wastewater treatment plants in Region 2 are extremely
vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge and erosion. The water program supports further collaboration with
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partners to support a watershed management approach to protecting source water. Activities could include
introducing vegetation for flood control, increasing recharge to aquifers, including source water protection areas
in local climate adaptation initiatives and identifying climate change threats to drinking water. The region plans
to work more closely with facility operators and municipalities, which have a range of different capabilities and
impacts of concern, to provide them with more support and better climate change information. Potential
activities include training facility operators in the use of local climate projections, GIS (Geographic Information
Systems) and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping of flood plains. The water program may be able to
provide technical support to facilities and municipalities as they consider future audits, upgrades or new
construction. Many communities in Region 2 rely on on-site systems like cesspools and septic systems instead of
wastewater treatment plants. To support these communities, the water program intends to support state and
local partners in conducting an analysis of the susceptibility of septic systems and cesspools to climate change as
resources permit. To reduce the strain on facilities and on-site systems, the region seeks to expand its existing
green infrastructure program to better support residential and community green infrastructure programs by
promoting rain gardens, green roofs, downspouts and other tools. Finally, the water program seeks to improve
climate readiness of coastal communities by supporting vulnerability assessments, hazard mitigation, pre-
disaster planning and (if applicable), recovery efforts.
These additional actions will help us move toward a climate resilient Region. While Region 2 is not prepared to
set a schedule for these additional actions, they will be implemented at the appropriate time and in the
appropriate manner in light of multiple factors such as resources, policy, law, actions of other parties, and
relationship to other non-adaptation driven work. Some of these actions might be ripe for implementation very
soon and others might not be appropriate for the foreseeable future. Region 2 will use the adaptive
management framework to assist us in determining if and when to implement these additional actions.
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TRACKING PROGRESS OVER TIME: MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION
Adapting to climate change impacts requires an approach that can adjust over time. There is uncertainty related
to the global inputs of greenhouse gas emissions that we will experience in the future and related to the
resulting local impacts from the range of emissions that could potentially be anticipated. As the region develops
strategies to address climate impacts, these actions may need to shift to address changing environmental
conditions or we may learn from initiatives and adjust them to seek greater results. EPA will continue to
strengthen coordination among programs and with partners in this shifting context. A framework for
understanding this approach is adaptive management, which calls for developing adaptation strategies based
on assessments that are monitored, revisited, redesigned and adjusted over time. This adaptive management
approach, employed by the Dept. of Interior, continually calibrates strategies to respond to shifting conditions
meanwhile refining and improving the efficacy of strategies over time.
Adaptive Management Process
Assess
problem
Monitor
Source: Department of Interior, 2010
EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. In assessing climate hazards, and developing
strategies to address them, the broad vision is to ensure that EPA persists in protecting human health and the
environment as we experience and adapt to global climate change. In order to track our progress toward
meeting the vision of a climate resilient mission for EPA, the following key summary goals have been identified
for EPA Region 2 to measure and continue to evaluate over time.
Summary Goals
• Strengthen our emergency preparedness for anticipated climate events.
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Integrate climate impacts into public health information.
Collaborate with other federal agencies on climate adaptation initiatives.
Incorporate climate change considerations into appropriate funding activities.
Conduct outreach on climate impacts and best practices to promote tools and support decision-makers.
Work with states and Indian nations to integrate climate adaptation into EPA, state and tribal
environmental programs.
Develop assessments of vulnerable infrastructure and sites to increase knowledge of potential climate
risks and inform responses.
Integrate climate adaptation as appropriate into regional programs such as permitting, enforcement and
environmental review.
Partner with communities and other stakeholders to develop and implement climate adaptation
strategies that address the climate vulnerabilities of our region.
As the region implements the adaptation plan, we will measure and evaluate progress toward achieving the
above goals as part of the adaptive management framework. The region will assess the progress of our
priority actions under each of these goals. The lessons learned in this process will inform the adjustment and
development of our future strategies as we apply adaptive management to address the risks of climate
change to our region.
CONCLUSION
Getting to resilience will require a coordinated effort by an intergovernmental partnership to leverage all the
tools we have with our limited program resources. This adaptation plan begins to assess our vulnerabilities and
define the starting point for addressing these vulnerabilities. Much of the work will be accomplished in a
sustained effort over time.
40
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EPA's "Northeast Impacts & Adaptation" web page, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-
adaptation/northeast.html
EPA's "U.S. Tropical Islands Impacts & Adaptation" web page, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-
adaptation/islands.html
EPA Region 2, 2011. Keeping Raw Sewage & Contaminated Stormwater Out of the Public's Water.
http://www.epa.gov/region2/water/sewer-report-3-2011.pdf
EPA, December 2012. "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change".
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/epa 2012 climate water strategy full report final.p
df
EPA, November 2013. "Consumer Health Effects; How Particle Pollution Can Affect Your Health" webpage,
http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/healtheffects.html
EPA, May 2014. "Particulate Matter Health Effects" web page,
http://www.epa.gov/airquality/particlepollution/health.html
Hogrefe, C, B. Lynn, K. Civerolo, J.Y. Ku, J. Rosenthal, C. Rosenzweig, et al. 2004b. "Simulating changes in
regional air pollution over the eastern United States due to changes in global and regional climate and
emissions." Journal of Geophysical Research 109:022301.
Industrial Economics, 2012. Review of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Options on Tribal Lands in
Northern and Western New York, DRAFT.
IPCC, 2007. Working Group II Report on Small Islands,
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications and data/ar4/wg2/en/chl6.html
IPCC, 2012. Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation.
National Research Council, 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), 2011. "Response to Climate Change in
New York State (ClimAID),"http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Publications/Research-and-
Development/Environmental/EMEP-Publications/Response-to-Climate-Change-in-New-York.aspx
New York City Panel on Climate Change, 2010. "Climate Observations and Projections" chapter,
http://onlinelibrarv.wilev.eom/doi/10.llll/i.1749-6632.2009.05314.x/pdf
New York City Panel on Climate Change, 2009. "Climate Risk Information" report,
http://www.nvc.gov/html/om/pdf/2009/NPCC CRI.pdf.
-------
New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, "Plan 2040 Regional Transportation Plan: A Shared Vision for a
Sustainable Region." Sept 2014.
Oswald, Michelle, University of Delaware University Transportation Center, literature review: "Transportation
Adaptation in Response to Climate Change," 2009.
http://www.ce.udel.edu/UTC/Presentation%2009/Literature%20Review%20Climate%20Change%20Adaptati
on%20_Oswald_090728.pdf
Puerto Rico Climate Change Council, May 2012. "Climate Change in Puerto Rico: Observed Trends and Future
Projections." Working Group 1 Report. In press.
Shope, R. 1991; Global Climate Change and Infectious Diseases; Env Health Perspectives Dec. 96:171-4. Erickson
et al., 2012; Potential impacts of Climate Change on the Ecology of Dengue & its Mosquito Vector, the Asian
Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus); Environmental Research Letters, 7 -034003.
United Nations Environment Program, 2010. "Vital Climate Change Graphics for Latin America and the
Caribbean", http://www.grida.no/publications/vg/lac2/
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, "Hardening and Resiliency U.S.
Energy Industry Response to Recent Hurricane Seasons- Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration."
August 2010. http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/docs/HR-Report-final-081710.pdf
U.S. Department of Transportation, "Climate Adaptation Plan: Ensuring Transportation Infrastructure and
System Resilience." May 2013.
U.S. Department of Transportation. "Flooded Bus Barns and Buckled Rails: Public Transportation and Climate
Change Adaptation." Tina Hodges. FTA Report No. 0001. 2011.U.S. Global Change Research Program
(USGCRP), 2008. Analyses of the Effects of Global Change on Human Health and Welfare and Human
Systems (SAP 4.6). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), 2009, National Climate Assessment.
http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/regional-climate-
change-impacts/northeast
U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), 2013 DRAFT, National Climate Assessment.
http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mid-Atlantic Region III
Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
Prepared by the Region III Climate Network Climate Adaptation Working Group
5/30/2014
^ t
s r^^BCo 5
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so
for informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or
regulations, and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require.
Neither this document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change
or impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community.
Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally
binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency
decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions
described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is
subject to change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is
to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and
mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will
carry out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates
how the office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner
consistent and compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the
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most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adapti
tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal gov
:ive capacity in the
tribal governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate
their efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and
prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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US EPA Region III - Climate Adaptation
Implementation Plan
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 6
Introduction 6
Chapter 1: Regional Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment 7
Background /Approach 7
Selected Programmatic Climate Change Vulnerabilities 9
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality 9
Goal 2. Protecting America's Waters 14
Goal 3. Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development 16
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 18
Evaluation of Potential Vulnerabilities for Region III Managed Facilities and Operations 18
Vulnerable Populations 20
Chapter 2: DRAFT Regional Priority Actions for Climate Adaptation 21
Introduction 21
Criteria for EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Priority
Actions 22
Priority Actions, Cross-Cutting: 22
Priority Actions, Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality: 23
Priority Actions, Goal 2 Protecting America's Waters: 23
Priority Actions, Goal 3 Cleaning Up America's Communities & Advancing Sustainable
Development: 24
Priority Actions, Goal 4 Ensuring Safety of Chemicals & Preventing Pollution: 25
Priority Actions; Region III Managed Facilities and Operations: 25
Chapter3: Measurement and Evaluation 27
References 29
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Acknowledgements
This document was prepared by the Region III Climate Change Network Adaptation Workgroup
under the leadership of the Region III Climate Change Senior Steering Committee with
additional assistance, guidance, and input from numerous staff and management across the
Region III organization.
Introduction
We live in a world in which the climate is changing. Because many of the environmental
outcomes that EPA is working to attain (e.g., clean air, safe drinking water) are sensitive to
changes in weather and climate, these changes are posing new challenges to EPA's ability to
fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment.
To address these challenges, EPA has developed a Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The
Adaptation Plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to begin to
identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The Adaptation Plan
also presents priority actions the Agency will take to integrate climate adaptation planning into
its programs, policies, rules, and operations, to ensure they are effective in a changing climate.
EPA's focus on climate adaptation is part of a larger federal effort to promote a healthy and
prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
EPA's vision is for the Agency to continue to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and
the environment even as the climate changes. In the coming years, EPA will build and
strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes,
and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of
ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by
providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation
into their work.
EPA's Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation1, issued in 2011, called for EPA to plan
for future changes in climate and to mainstream considerations of climate change into its
activities. As part of that effort, the Policy Statement called for the Agency to develop and
implement a Climate Change Adaptation Plan. It also called for each EPA National
Environmental Program Office and Regional Office to develop Implementation Plans to explain
how they will carry out the work called for in the Agency-wide Plan. To answer this call, EPA
Region III has prepared the following Climate-Change Adaptation Implementation Plan. The
plan will address how our Regional Office hopes to integrate climate adaptation into our
planning and work, as well as, address the cross-EPA priorities identified in the Agency-wide
Adaptation Plan. The information and actions listed in this plan has been based on the best
available science and will reflect unique regional circumstances. The plan will updated as the
Region learns by through the experience of integrating climate change adaptation planning into
our activities.
1 http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf
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Chapter 1: Regional Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment
Background / Approach
This section contains an assessment of the vulnerabilities of
selected EPA Region III programs to the impacts of climate
change. It builds on the work presented in Part 2 of EPA's
Agency-wide Plan, as well as the individual assessments
completed by various EPA National Program Offices, eg.
Office of Air and Radiation. It summarizes vulnerabilities
related to the goals in EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan.
This assessment was developed by a working group within
the Region III Climate Network. The assessment is based on
peer-reviewed literature (climate impacts) and the
professional judgment of regional staff (programmatic
impacts). Vulnerability assessment is an ongoing process. This
plan should be viewed as a living document that will be
updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data, and
scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on
EPA's mission.
EPA's Five Strategic Goals:
1. Taking Action on Climate
Change and Improving Air
Quality.
2. Protecting America's Waters.
3. Cleaning Up Communities and
Advancing Sustainable
Development
4. Ensuring the Safety of
Chemicals and Preventing
Pollution
5. Enforcing Environmental Laws
Important climate change impacts in the region that will be covered within this assessment
include:
• Increased tropospheric ozone pollution
• Increasing extreme temperatures
• Effects on the stratospheric ozone layer
• Increasing heavy precipitation events
• Increasing intensity of hurricanes
• Sea level rise
• Ocean acidification
• Increasing water temperatures
• Increasing risk of floods
• Increased frequency and intensity of wildfires
Regional Description
Region 3, EPA's Mid-Atlantic office, serves Delaware (DE), the District of Columbia (DC),
Maryland (MD), Pennsylvania (PA), Virginia (VA), and West Virginia (WV). The Region is unique
in that it straddles two different climate regions, as defined by the U.S. Global Change Research
Program (USGCRP 2009) - the Northeast (DE, DC, MD, PA, WV, and northern VA) and the
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Southeast (southern VA). As a result, the Region represents a diverse climate, which includes
snowy winters, vibrant autumns, and extreme events (such as nor'easters and heat waves)
characteristic of the Northeast, and mild temperatures and high humidity characteristic of the
Southeast. The western portions of Region III (sections of western PA and WV) sometimes
mimic USGCRP's Midwest region.
There are diverse agricultural, industrial, and residential sectors within the region that use and
impact resources that may be affected by climate change. In addition, the region contains
various types of geographic features and sub-regions, including barrier Islands, the Appalachian
Mountains, the Piedmont Plateau, the Chesapeake Bay, as well as, the Delaware Bay and
Delmarva Peninsula. Coastal areas, estuaries and river systems, including the Chesapeake and
Delaware Bays, comprise a significant portion of the Region's population centers. The Region
contains a significant amount of coastline and a number of large urban areas (Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Washington, DC), with sensitive populations that are particularly vulnerable to the
impacts of a changing climate. Outside of the urban areas there are wetlands, uplands, and
forested areas with both pristine and degraded ecosystems.
Figure 1. Map of Region III
Expected Changes in Climate
The following is a summary of the range of key impacts and trends that are foreseen in the
Region-from the USGCRP June 2009 report.
The Region has
significant geographic
and climatic diversity
within its relatively
small area. The
character and economy
of the Northeast have
been shaped by many
aspects of its climate
including its snowy
winters, colorful
autumns, and variety of
extreme events such as
nor'easters, ice storms,
and heat waves. This
familiar climate has
already begun changing
in noticeable ways.
Since 1970, the annual
average temperature in
the Northeast has
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increased by 2°F, with winter temperatures rising twice as much. Over the next several
decades, temperatures in the Northeast are projected to rise an additional 2.5 to 4°F in winter
and 1.5 to 3.5°F in summer. By mid-century and beyond, however, today's emissions choices
would generate starkly different climate futures; the lower the emissions, the smaller the
climatic changes and resulting impacts. Warming has resulted in many other climate-related
changes, including:
• More frequent days with temperatures above 90°F
• A longer growing season
• Increased heavy precipitation
• Less winter precipitation falling as snow and more as rain
• Reduced snowpack
• Earlier breakup of winter ice on lakes and rivers
• Earlier spring snowmelt resulting in earlier peak river flows
• Rising sea surface temperatures and sea level
Under a higher emissions scenario:
• Winters in the Northeast are projected to be much shorter with fewer cold days and
more precipitation.
• The length of the winter snow season would be reduced by a week or two.
• Cities that today experience few days above 100°F each summer would average 20 such
days per summer, while certain cities, such as Philadelphia, would average nearly 30
days over 100°F.
• Sea levels in the Region are projected to rise more than the global average.
Selected Programmatic Climate Change Vulnerabilities
The following section discusses how EPA Region III environmental and human health programs
may be vulnerable when faced with the impacts of a changing climate. This initial selection of
programmatic vulnerabilities will be described in context of the major goals in EPA's Strategic
Plan. The issues described here should not be seen as a complete listing of vulnerabilities to
EPA programs. Region III, working with other EPA offices and other regional stakeholders, will
periodically update the information and scope of the programmatic vulnerability assessment.
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
EPA's Air Protection Programs are a part of protecting the Region's citizens from air pollution
through implementation of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Air Protection programs are
responsible for ensuring implementation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards which
includes reviewing and enforcing State Implementation Plans and CAA permits. To complement
the regulatory work, the Air Protection Programs include energy efficiency, renewable energy,
clean diesel, indoor air quality and radon outreach programs to reduce emissions of criteria
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pollutants, greenhouse gases and air toxics. Extreme temperatures and increased average
temperatures, as well as, extreme flooding events in urban areas are the climate change
impacts of most concern for the Air Protection programs. As the air quality in the Region
worsens due to climate change impacts; the workload of the Air Protection Programs will
increase.
A. Tropospheric ozone is likely to increase in the Mid-Atlantic due to the effects of climate
change.
The Mid-At I antic Region currently has eight nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone standard,
as well as 4 nonattainment areas and twenty-five maintenance areas for the 1997 8-hour ozone
standard. With climate change, higher temperatures and weaker air circulation in the United
States will lead to more ozone formation even with the same level of emissions of ozone
forming chemicals.2 Various studies project daily ozone levels to increase between two and five
parts per billion across the eastern U.S. between 2020 and 2080 due to climate change if no
additional emissions controls for ozone precursors are implemented.3
In addition to the direct impact of temperature change on ozone formation, an increase in
energy demand due to increased temperatures may also lead to a worsening of air quality.
Sources in or upwind of the Region may be required to implement additional control measures.
In terms of Regional resources, greater collaboration with our states will be necessary on
planning and rule development to address any additional challenges in achieving or maintaining
attainment. A majority of the current nonattainment areas in the Mid-Atlantic Region are urban
areas with sensitive populations, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and
Baltimore. Exacerbating the health impacts from ozone pollution on urban populations will
likely be higher nighttime temperatures expected in urban areas, both as a consequence of
climate change but also because of enhanced effects from urban heat islands.4
Climate change also has the potential to increase the length of the ozone season.5 Currently,
the ozone season runs from April through October. During this period, daily ozone levels are
recorded and reviewed. An increase in the length of the ozone season would require a longer
reporting period, translating to more time spent for data reviews in the Region.
B. Particulate matter levels may be affected through changes in the frequency or intensity of
wildfires.
In the Mid-Atlantic Region, there are currently 8 nonattainment areas for the 2006 24-hour
PM2.5 standard and 16 nonattainment areas for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard. While the
2 Denman, K.L, et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate
Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt,
M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
3IPCC Fourth Assessment, GCAQ-EPA
4 IPCC Fourth Assessment
5 Ibid
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impact of climate change on ambient PM2.5 levels remains somewhat uncertain, there is
evidence indicating that climate change will impact PM levels through changes in the frequency
or intensity of wildfires.6
In 2008, monitors in the Norfolk area of Virginia experienced 24-hour PM2.5 levels four times
(83 ug/m3) the standard due to wildfires in North Carolina. While these fires were not caused
by climate change, this example portrays the impact of fires on PM levels in the region, and is
indicative of the potential health and environmental concerns.
The adaptive capacity of Region 3 for this issue is limited, as this data can be treated as an
"exceptional event" under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. If determined to be due
to an exceptional event, monitoring data during fire events may be ignored when determining
attainment.
C. Climate change may worsen and increase the exposure to indoor air problems in the Mid-
Atlantic.
Existing indoor environmental problems may worsen and new ones may be introduced as
climate change alters the frequency and severity of adverse outdoor conditions.7
Extreme temperatures will very likely increase and heavy precipitation events will likely
increase as a result of climate change8, which, along with increased dampness, moisture, and
flooding affecting homes and occupied buildings, may contribute to indoor environmental
problems in the Mid-Atlantic.9
Frequent breakdowns in a building's protective envelope, as a result of extreme weather
conditions, may lead to water infiltration into indoor space, increased dampness, and, in turn,
increased exposure to mold and other biological contaminants.10
Changes in the emergence, evolution, and geographic ranges of pests, infectious agents, and
disease vectors may lead to shifting patterns of indoor exposure to pesticides as occupants and
building owners respond to new infestations.11
6 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the
United States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology
Council, U.S. Climate Change Science Program, 2008), http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/scientific-
assessment/Scientific-AssessmentFINALpdf.
7 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2011).
8IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance
Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J.
Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY,
USA, pp. 1-19.
9 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2011).
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
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Residents may weatherize buildings to increase comfort and save energy. Although in general
these actions should be encouraged, this may lead to a reduction in ventilation and an increase
in indoor environmental pollutants unless measures are taken to preserve or improve indoor air
quality.12 EPA has developed practical guidance for improving or maintaining indoor
environmental quality during home energy upgrades or remodeling in single-family homes and
schools. EPA's guidance and protocols may need to be revised to include state and local
considerations for projected climatic changes. In addition, these programs may need to
increase partnerships with other agencies to address training needs and workforce
development for building owners, managers, and others, as well as develop new tracking
mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of weatherization and remodeling techniques as they
relate to indoor environmental quality.
The Mid-At I antic Region is comprised of several large urban areas, which are very likely to see
increases in the risk of illness and death related to extreme heat and heat waves. For example,
Philadelphia is projected to jump from an average of just a few days above 100°F each summer
to nearly 30 days above 100°F each summer by late this century, under a higher emissions
scenario. The elderly and those with existing health problems are particularly vulnerable.13
Increased frequency of extreme weather events may result in power outages, leading to
increased exposure to potentially dangerous indoor conditions.14
Region III may need to build its adaptive capacity to these increasing and changing health risks
through its indoor air quality programs, resources, and public outreach and assistance.
Partnerships between Region III and stakeholders, such as state/local governments, non-profits,
etc., will need to be strengthened in order to inform affected populations on how to adapt to
higher temperatures. Strengthening ties between the Region's energy efficiency and indoor air
quality programs will be necessary in order to address the relationship between building
ventilation during efficiency retrofits and potential, resulting indoor air problems.
D. Climate change may alter the effects of and strategic priorities within EPA Region III
regulatory and voluntary programs to help restore the stratospheric ozone layer.
Climate change will likely have effects on the stratospheric ozone layer; however, the
interactions between the changing climate and ozone layer are complex. Climate change
affects the ozone layer through changes in chemical transport, atmospheric composition and
temperature. In turn, changes in stratospheric ozone can have implications for the weather
12 Ibid.
13 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and
Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New
York, NY, USA.
14 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2011).
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and climate of the troposphere. Climate change may exacerbate the health effects of ozone
layer damage at some latitudes and mitigate them at others.15
In order to build adaptive capacity with respect to this vulnerability, Region III may need to
heighten public awareness of the health risks of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, through
existing EPA partnership programs such as SunWise. Climate change may also lead to an
increase in the use of cooling devices, such as air conditioners, which contain ozone depleting
substances (ODSs) or ODS substitutes. Region 3 may need to make changes to its current
efforts to promote programs such as GreenChill and Responsible Appliance Disposal in the Mid-
Atlantic, as a result.
E. Climate change may impact energy production and efficiency in the Mid-Atlantic.
Rising temperatures, as a result of climate change, are expected to increase energy
requirements for cooling and decrease energy requirements for heating. The former will result
in significant increases in electricity use and higher peak demand. The electricity grid is also
vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as extreme weather events and peak demand
increases resulting from rising temperatures, which could cause interruptions in the electric
power supply.16 The Mid-Atlantic's urban areas and sensitive populations, such as the elderly,
are particularly vulnerable to power interruptions during extreme weather events like heat
waves.
F. Extreme weather events may impact the regional monitoring systems.
Extreme weather events, including severe winds, flooding and lightning, could cause damage to
the PM2.5 and RADNET monitoring systems in Region III. The standard operating procedure for
deploying monitors currently includes consideration of extreme weather. The Region will need
to continue following the monitoring SOP to ensure that monitors can be safely accessed and
operated.
G. Scientific understanding related to ways that climate change may affect the interactions
of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury deposition with ecosystems is evolving.
While there is limited scientific evidence on this topic, additional research is underway to better
understand how patterns in the atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury with
projected changes in the climate and carbon cycle will affect ecosystem growth, species
15 World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and
Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011). Note: the word "expected" is used in the report
to characterize projected climate change impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer. For purposes of this
assessment, the word "likely" has been used as a proxy for "expected."
16 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and
Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New
York, NY, USA.
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changes, surface water chemistry, and mercury methylation and bioaccumulation.17 The
potential impacts could have consequences for the effectiveness of ecosystem protection from
Agency emissions reduction programs.
Goal 2. Protecting America's Waters
A. Flooding from increasingly frequent and intense storm events
In the Northeast, the annual number of days with very heavy precipitation has increased in the
past 50 years. Flooding often occurs when heavy precipitation persists for days to weeks in
small and large watershed. Precipitation and runoff are likely to increase in the Northeast in
winter and spring. Increases in the impacts from precipitation and flooding may damage
regional drinking and wastewater facilities and may exacerbate non-point source pollution
water quality issues in reservoirs, wetlands, streams and rivers within the Region.
B. Coastal wetland loss
Coastal wetlands often migrate landward, disappear, or change in type in response to sea level
rise through accretion. Dense coastal development is often protected by shoreline armoring,
which prevents wetland migration and leads to loss of submerged wetlands. Coastal wetlands
are essential for providing storm surge buffers, preserving estuarine water quality as well as
supporting economically important fish and wildlife habitat.
C. Threats to coastal water-related infrastructure
The densely populated coasts of the Northeast face substantial increases in the extent and
frequency of storm surge, coastal flooding, erosion, and property damage. Much of this
coastline is exceptionally vulnerable to sea-level rise and related impacts.
D. Water Quality impacts from climate changes
Shallow groundwater aquifers that exchange water with streams are likely to be the most
sensitive part of the groundwater system to climate change. Small reductions in groundwater
levels can lead to large reductions in stream flow and increases in groundwater levels can
increase stream flow. Further, the interface between streams and groundwater is an important
site for pollution removal by microorganisms. Their activity may change in response to
increased temperature and increased or decreased streamflow as climate changes, this may
affect water quality and affect Clean Water Act goals related to water bodies in non-attainment
and affect TMDL development.
A specific mid-Atlantic water quality concerns is the Delaware River Basin, which includes
portions of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware that drain to the 330-mile long
Delaware River and Bay. The basin's total area is over 13,500 square miles, and over 15 million
people rely on its water resources for potable, industrial, and agricultural use. The main focal
17 Burns, DA, Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011: National Acid
Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science and
Technology Council, Washington, DC, 114 p.
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points of climate change in the basin include increased temperature, changes in precipitation
patterns, and sea level rise. The Delaware River Basin Commission monitors the salt line
location as it fluctuates along the tidal Delaware River as stream flows increase or decrease in
response to changing inflows, which either dilute or concentrate chlorides in the river. The salt
line location plays an important role in the Delaware River Basin water quality and drought
management programs because upstream migration of brackish water from the Delaware Bay
during low-flow and drought conditions could increase sodium chloride concentrations in public
water supplies, presenting a public health concern. (Courtesy Delaware River Basin Commission
State of the Basin Report 2008) As salt-laced water moves upriver, it increases corrosion control
costs for surface water users, particularly industry, and can raise the treatment costs for public
water suppliers. Salinity levels also affect aquatic living resources. Normal location of the salt
line is the mouth of the Delaware Bay, or river mile 67, but at times will move further north.
During the summer months of 1999, the salt line moved to river mile 88 and during the 1960's
'drought of record' the salt line reached its farthest recorded upstream location at river mile
102, just 8 miles below important drinking water intakes in PA and NJ.
E. Severe flooding from sea-level rise and extreme precipitation is likely to increase
Sea-level rise is expected to increase saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater aquifers,
making some unusable without desalination. Increased evaporation or reduced recharge
(drought) into coastal aquifers exacerbates saltwater intrusion. Like water quality, research on
the impacts of climate change on groundwater, ecosystems, and infrastructure has been
minimal and remedies may be difficult.
F. Water & Energy Infrastructure
Many water systems in the Northeast are already taxed due to aging infrastructure, population
increases, and competition among water needs for agriculture, municipal use, recreation, and
ecosystems. Extreme precipitation events may exacerbate existing problems in many cities in
the Northeast, especially combined sewer systems. Drinking water and sewer infrastructure is
expensive to build and maintain. Climate change may present a new set of challenges for
designing upgrades to the nation's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Also, a significant fraction of the region's energy infrastructure is located near the coasts and
tide influenced Bays, from power plants, to oil refineries, to facilities that receive oil and gas
deliveries. Rising sea levels are likely to lead to direct losses, such as equipment damage from
flooding or erosion, and indirect effects, such as the costs of raising vulnerable assets to higher
levels or building new facilities farther inland.
G. Changes in aquatic ecosystems/species composition and distribution
Various forces of climate change at the coasts pose a complex array of management challenges
and adaptation requirements. For example, relative sea level is expected to rise at least two
feet in Chesapeake Bay (located between Maryland and Virginia) where the land is subsiding,
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Impacts in Northeast (DE,DC,MD,PA,WV)
and i n Southeast (VA)
£
M
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Ecosystem
Changes
Service
Demand &
\_Northeast
DW WW
Reduced Groundwater recharge V
Lower Lake and Reservoir Levels V
Changes i n seasonal runoff & loss of snowpack V V
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High flow events and flooding N
Flooding from coastal storm surges N
VV
-------
making these properties available for reuse. Changes in climate should be taken into
consideration in order for the Region to continue to serve these important functions. It may be
necessary to design site-specific clean-up or remedy that can withstand the projected climate
change impacts and which may impact the Region's ability to exercise statutory authority and
may add cost. Sea-level rise, storm and flood events, and increased ambient temperatures are
climate change impacts of particular concern for the programmatic focus areas - Restoring and
Preserving Land and Emergency Response.
A. Restoring and Preserving Land
Increased flooding and sea-level rise may increase the risk of contaminant releases from
vulnerable RCRA Corrective Action sites, Superfund sites, Brownfield sites, LUST sites, other
contaminated sites, and landfills. Flooding from more intense and frequent storms and
extreme storm events could affect the migration and management of contaminants. Sea-level
rise can lead to inundation and salt water intrusion which may impact the performance of the
remedies and cause the transport of contaminants at sites in coastal areas. Contaminant
migration could also occur after prolonged power loss at cleanup sites with pump and treat
systems dependent on grid electricity.
Impacts may be most severe for cleanup sites that are not yet completed; however sites with
waste in place following a cleanup and permitted facilities that manage hazardous materials
may also be vulnerable. Sites with on-site containment or treatment remedies within the 100
or 500 year flood plain of a surface water body and/or within the sea-level rise zone 1.5 meters
above high tide are of particular concern in Region III. Sediment sites with in situ capping
remedies are vulnerable to flood regime changes and re-suspension and deposition of
contaminated sediment. Flooding from storms and inundation due to sea level rise could
jeopardize land revitalization efforts including renewable energy generation, greener cleanups,
and ecological revitalization projects, as well as other site reuse or redevelopment plans at
Brownfield sites and completed Superfund Sites.
Increased ambient temperatures and extreme heat may impact the design and operation of
remediation systems. Cleanup sites with waste in place phytoremediation, or a vegetative cap
may be vulnerable in areas that experience drought or changing plant hardiness zones. Slowed
growth rates during heat waves could impact the success of the remedy or revitalization effort,
and excessive vegetation loss could lead to erosion. Coastal, stream, and mountain ridge top
habitats are examples of ecosystems in Region 3 that are vulnerable to increases in ambient
temperature.
B. Emergency Response
As storm and flood events increase in frequency and severity, emergency responses to
hazardous materials release and oil spills may also increase. Financial constraints and response
capacity for Emergency Response staff and Response Support Corps are potential vulnerabilities
in Region III. Existing emergency planning and chemical containment strategies at oil and
chemical facilities may not be sufficient. Current landfill capacity may also be insufficient to
handle surges in disposal of hazardous and municipal wastes generated from extreme storm
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events. Availability of utilities and transportation infrastructure may be limited as a result of
increased impacts to those systems. Power loss and blocked roads can hamper emergency
responses.
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
A. Use of Toxic chemicals:
A changing climate will likely result in changes in the timing and location of planting crops,
which in turn affects the volume and timing of agricultural chemical use. This change in
agricultural chemical use could impact the appropriate risk management decisions made by EPA
Pesticides and Toxic Substances Program, particularly with regard to the protection of migrant
farm workers.
Changes in temperature and precipitation levels are expected to lead to the increase in
mosquitoes and other pests controlled by regulated pesticides. An increase in cases of the
West Nile Virus and other diseases carried by mosquitoes may lead to an increase in calls by the
public for the use of pesticides to control these disease vectors. This may in turn affect the
workload of the EPA Pesticides program.
B. Storage of Toxic Chemicals:
Flooding from more intense and frequent storms and extreme events could compromise
chemical containment strategies at oil facilities and toxic chemical and pesticide storage
facilities. Facilities located in coastal areas and/or within the 100-500 year flood plain of a
surface water body are of concern to Region III. If these facilities do not properly manage the
storage of these chemicals and/or store them at higher elevations, the extreme weather events
that are expected as a result of climate change may result in the release of toxic chemicals into
the environment, including to surface waters via storm water discharges.
C. Exposure to Toxic Chemicals from Demolition/Renovation Activities:
The extreme weather events that are likely to occur as a result of climate change (e.g., high
winds, heavy precipitation events) may damage community infrastructure (e.g., schools and
child care facilities) and residential homes. As a result, there may be an increased risk of
exposure to lead, asbestos, and PCBs if buildings are renovated or demolished as part of the
recovery efforts.
Assessment of Potential Vulnerabilities for Region III Managed Facilities and
Operations
Results from climate change include an increase in extreme temperatures, droughts, intensity
of precipitation and ground level ozone pollution which will affect Region III facilities and
employees to varying degrees depending on their location. Employee impacts such as an
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increase in heat-related illness, absenteeism, exposure to vector-borne diseases and mold
could result. In addition, localized flooding of roads and infrastructure could affect the
commute and business travel of our employees resulting in tardiness and reduced efficiency.
Facility impacts such as an increase in electricity use and decrease in indoor air quality are also
possible.
As discussed in the Expected Changes in Climate section of this plan, Philadelphia could average
more than thirty days over 100° F in the future. This could lead to an increase in heat-related
illnesses for our employees especially, older employees and workers doing field work who do
not or can't reduce their exposure by limiting exertion and time outdoors due to mission
requirements. More frequent hot summer days can also worsen air pollution, especially in
urban areas and threaten the health of vulnerable employees. This could increase absenteeism
and/or reduce the productivity of our staff. Higher temperatures will likely cause an increase in
electricity use and cost in our building to power air conditioning. This increased use could
stress the power supply grid resulting in brown outs, black outs and the need to use backup
power generators.
As discussed in more detail in the Goal 1 section of this plan, climate change may worsen and
increase exposure to indoor air quality problems in our buildings from dampness and mold, and
expose occupants to different pests, infectious agents and disease vectors, as well as any
pesticides applied to address these infestations. As discussed in more detail in the Goal 2
section of this plan, an increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events,
that have already been experienced, is projected to be worse in the future, leading to more
frequent flooding and impact our road and mass transit systems. Climate change impacts,
including increased severe weather, may affect the Region's Continuity of Operations Plan
(COOP) that describes efforts to prepare and react to issues affecting the operation of our
facilities. Unique or site specific vulnerabilities are described below.
Philadelphia Office located at 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Over 90% of our approximately nine hundred Philadelphia based employees use mass transit to
commute to work. Any impact to this system is a large vulnerability that on any given day will
affect hundreds of our employee's ability to get to work and for the Region's ability to function
and carry out its mission. A recent example of this vulnerability occurred when our office was
closed on October 29 -30, 2012 as a result of a shutdown of mass transit in Philadelphia due to
impacts from Hurricane Sandy.
Past periods of drought in the Delaware watershed have resulted in salt water intrusion causing
concern for the Philadelphia drinking water supply intake on the tidal Delaware River north of
the city. Expected sea level rise from climate change may exacerbate this vulnerability in the
future.
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Environmental Science Center (ESC) located at 701 Mapes Road, Fort Meade, Maryland
Vulnerability to flooding of the Environmental Science Building should not be an issue since
building site has a very robust stormwater runoff system that directs rain water falling on
approximately 70% of the site to a large capacity infiltration basin that can capture all the
volume produced by a two year storm and almost all the volume of a ten year storm before
there would be any discharge. However, localized flooding of area roads could still be an issue
for the approximately one hundred sixty employees who must commute to the laboratory to do
their work and have little if any ability to work from alternate locations.
Wheeling Office located at 1060 Chapline Street, Wheeling, West Virginia
Despite its location which is less than a one quarter mile from the Ohio River with an upstream
drainage area of approximately 25,030 square miles, flooding of the Wheeling office is not
expected to be a problem. The office is over fifty feet above the river level and has never been
impacted by historic flood events associated with hurricanes in the drainage area or other
severe weather. As discussed above, localized flooding of area roads could still be an issue for
the approximately 25 Wheeling office employees on their commute to work and for business
travel.
Chesapeake Bay Office located at 410 Severn Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland
Our Chesapeake Bay office is located in a marina office complex directly on the water in a
watershed that contains over one hundred fifty major rivers and streams and drains
approximately 64,000 square miles. An increase flood risk is likely at this facility but mostly
impacting storage and parking areas that are at a lower elevation. The offices in the building
are approximately eleven feet above the Bay water level. A predicted increase in the intensity
of hurricanes could impact the office directly due to its proximity to the coast and through
storm surge impacting the Chesapeake Bay. As discussed in more detail in the Goal 2 section of
this plan, sea level rise is also a threat to this facility as it will compound the effect of heavy
precipitation, increase in flooding and storm surge.
Vulnerable Populations
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons with
underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information, and
tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as
those located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate
climate adaptation into its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize
helping people, places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be
designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions
that will be taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is
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conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change will be identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these
communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts.
These efforts will be informed by experiences with previous extreme weather events (e.g.,
Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
An important facet of climate adaptation are potential impacts to the health of the Region's
vulnerable populations. In areas where populations carries a heavy burden of disease or
poverty, the populations have less resiliency and the effects of climate change may be more
severe. The connections between our climate and human health have been known for years,
although now the changing climate has compelled scientist to re-examine these relationships
(Jonathan A. Patz 2000).
Populations such as children may be more vulnerable to both direct and indirect health effects
of climate change (Shea and Health 2007). Other vulnerable populations include the elderly,
the poor, individuals with co-morbidities, and the disabled.
These key impacts to the environment involve most of the programs in the Region (EPA. 2010).
Warmer temperatures will increase morbidity and mortality associated with both extreme heat
and cold weather patterns. This changing climate is also expected to affect air quality,
threatening the health of vulnerable populations, including the very young, the elderly, outdoor
workers, and those without access to air conditioning or adequate health care (USGCRP 2009).
An increase in the strength and frequency of extreme events (droughts, storms, and floods) will
likely increase the threat to overall human health and safety (EPA. 2010). These patterns of
temperature and precipitation can affect the seasons for pollen and the range of specific
diseases in the Region including Lyme disease and West Nile virus. The inner cities within
Region 3 will also pose many challenges to EPA as well as our partners in local government due
to urban heat island effect. The vulnerability of urban areas to climate change involves
consideration of the sensitivity of urban systems and people living within them to climate
change and other interacting stressors, their exposure to those stressors, and the ability of
systems and people to adapt to present and future changes.
Chapter 2: DRAFT Regional Priority Actions for Climate Adaptation
Introduction
Based on the vulnerabilities described in the previous chapter, existing Regional priorities, and
the current understanding of potential adaptation opportunities, the Region's Climate
Adaptation workgroup identified "Priority Actions" that may assist EPA in accomplishing its
mission and operate at multiple locations in the face of a changing climate. Priority Actions are
listed below and categorized according to their relevance to programmatic goals in EPA's
current strategic plan. An additional list of cross-cutting actions are also proposed and will
support multiple strategic plan goals or build general capacity for future work on climate
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adaptation. Proposed actions or activities will be reviewed by the Office of Regional Counsel to
assure compliance with existing statutes, regulations, and guidance.
The Region will continue to identify other vulnerabilities that may occur and may need to
change the scope or focus of ongoing priority actions over time. The workgroup used a simple
set of criteria to identify and prioritize potential actions either developed from the vulnerability
assessment or suggested by a diverse set of stakeholders. The workgroup developed criteria to
qualitatively rank possible actions. The following is a summary of the criteria used to determine
the priority actions included in this plan:
Criteria for EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Priority Actions
»«» Likelihood, timeframe, and anticipated severity of specific projected impacts to regional
programs or objectives.
»«» Ability to successfully implement a proposed action.
»«» Alignment with any existing environmental priorities (i.e. national, regional, divisional,
programmatic).
»«» Alignment with priorities of key external partners and/or stakeholders (i.e. State and
municipal governments).
»«» Ability for the action to build institutional capacity within EPA to better identify
vulnerabilities and actions that will successfully address those vulnerabilities over time.
»«» Actions that may directly support one or more of the Agency-wide Strategic Measures
for Climate Adaptation.
Priority Actions, Cross-Cutting:
• Develop an interactive Climate Knowledge Base, including CIS maps and data based on
information from the Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment, training materials, project
descriptions, and staff contacts for use by the region.
• Engage with local government stakeholders in the region to better understand the
adaptation planning needs of cities and urban areas. Develop, maintain, and promote a
simple "adaptation toolkit" with consolidated information and resources for urban areas
within the region.
• Work with EPA HQ to develop general Climate Impacts and Adaptation training materials
and make them widely available.
• Continue to develop the existing Region III Climate Change Strategy and Workplan and align
it with this Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan.
• Work with the Office of Federal Activities to determine how to address climate adaptation
issues under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
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• Develop a continuous improvement process for climate adaption implementation planning
using the "Plan Do Check Act" framework currently used in the Region's multi-site
Environmental Management System (EMS).
• Build capacity internally through general education as well as targeted training to ensure
that all employees are aware of climate change impacts on EPA programs and begin to
integrate adaptation measures into their work.
• Participate in EPA regional and national workgroups as appropriate to assist the national
program in revising EPA guidance and regulations and implement as appropriate.
Priority Actions, Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air
Quality:
• Strengthen and form partnerships to increase outreach on indoor air quality, ultraviolent
radiation exposure, and energy efficiency to respond to increased risks due to climate
change impacts.
• Train additional staff to respond to indoor air quality calls/questions from the public due to
the increased number of calls after extreme events and flooding.
• Build internal capacity to be able to incorporate climate change data into modeling and
emissions analyses. Examples include 1) determining emission trends for sources associated
with climate change impacts (frequent and more intense storms, more high temperature
days), such as portable electric generators and peaking power plants, and 2) updating
current datasets used for dispersion modeling to take into account human activities like
sprawl and meteorological datasets (rainfall patterns, temperatures, etc).
• Strengthen partnerships to encourage ozone-tolerant urban tree planting, as well as, white
and green roofs, to reduce pollution and the urban heat island.
• Work with other Regions and HQ air program managers to develop a strategy, in context to
other programmatic priorities, on how to incorporate climate adaptation into air quality
programs (e.g., SIP, permits).
• After discussions with HQ and Regions, incorporate climate change impacts into comments
on permit applications, where appropriate.
• Consider integrated modeling approaches to incorporate new research on changes in air
deposition to water bodies and land due to climate changes.
• Leverage existing climate and energy partnership programs, such as ENERGY STAR, Green
Power Partnership, and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership to build adaptive
capacity to address energy related vulnerabilities to climate impacts and extreme weather.
Priority Actions, Goal 2 Protecting America's Waters:
• Include climate change parameters in next Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated
implementation plans.
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• Work with states and source water protection partners to raise awareness of climate
change impacts and assist states and water protection partners in incorporating climate
adaptation actions into source water assessments and protection plans.
• Promote awareness and encourage use of the Climate Ready Water Utilities Tools with an
aim toward incorporating climate change impacts into resiliency planning by drinking water
and wastewater utilities.
• Messaging to decision makers to encourage utilities to make sustainable investments,
including improvements to prepare utilities for extreme weather events.
• Continue work in the Anacostia area of DC, Patapsco area of Baltimore and greater
Philadelphia Area/lower Delaware River watershed through the Urban Waters Federal
Partnership (UWFP) to assist with and leverage our partners' ongoing climate adaptation
planning activities.
• Support Maryland Inland Bays and Delaware Coastal Bays as they incorporate climate
change and adaptation into their amended Comprehensive Management Plans.
• Incorporate adaptation and resiliency principles into ongoing "greening" discussions with
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Host climate change workshops for Region III water utilities to broaden the need for
resiliency and awareness of available planning tools.
• Begin discussions with state water quality standards managers on possible climate change
impacts on current and future water quality standards.
• Work with the EPA's Office of Water (OW) as a pilot region to develop a framework and
inventory of relative wetland vulnerabilities, at multiple scales, based on integration of
information on vulnerability assessment methods and wetlands classification systems. This
framework will use relevant information from OW's CWA Section 404, HWI, and NWCA
program efforts, and the results will be framed to inform on best approaches for
development of further guidance for integrating climate change considerations into each of
these program's practices.
• Work with the EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD), along with regional state
bioassessment scientists, to lay the foundation for a regional reference/climate change
monitoring network in the Mid Atlantic, including a vulnerability analysis for streams.
• Work with the EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds to include adaptation
actions in the future work plans for our Wetlands permitting and enforcement programs.
• Continue efforts with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary on climate change adaption
planning by expanding upon the work of the climate change adaptation plan of 2010
developed through Climate Ready Estuaries Funding.
Priority Actions, Goal 3 Cleaning Up America's Communities & Advancing
Sustainable Development:
• Educate staff to incorporate changing climate into decision making and long term planning
(Removal & Remedial cleanups, RE-Powering America, Brownfields grants, Response
Support Corps, Emergency Response, RCRA, Oil and Risk Management Program).
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• Work with EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response to develop a national
strategy to ensure Oil and Risk Management Program facilities prepare for climate change
and ensure that spill prevention and response strategies at facilities are sufficient for
extreme events.
• Prepare to dedicate additional resources including funding and staffing for Emergency
Response and Response Support Corps.
• Work with states to assess landfill capacity for surges in disposal of hazardous and
municipal waste generated by extreme storm events.
• Identify RCRA Corrective Action, Superfund, Brownfields, LUST, Oil and Risk Management
Program facilities, and other OSWER sites within 100 and 500 year FEMA flood plains;
within the sea level rise zone 1.5 meters above high tide; and within NOAA "SLOSH" (Sea,
Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model storm surge zones to assist in
preparedness for extreme storm events.
• Identify sites within the region that have vulnerable ecosystems—coastal, stream, mountain
ridge top habitats.
• Perform vulnerability analyses during site investigation, cleanup design, operations and
maintenance, five year reviews, etc. Encourage states to consider doing the same for state-
led states.
• Incorporate other OSWER adaptation implementation priorities, as applicable to Region III.
• Begin work to integrate climate adaptation into pertinent financial assurance mechanisms.
Priority Actions, Goal 4 Ensuring Safety of Chemicals & Preventing Pollution:
• Consider climate change in the administration of Pollution Prevention (P2) and associated
sustainability initiatives. Assist the Region in identifying the most sustainable approaches for
mitigating and adapting to climate change through emphasizing the lifecycle and risk
reduction aspects of P2.
• Participate in EPA regional and national workgroups on such issues as appropriate to assist
the national program in revising EPA guidance and regulations.
• Develop and deliver targeted training on Climate Adaptation to staff and managers working
on EPA pesticide programs.
• Train staff and managers working on demolition, renovation, and disaster debris programs
on climate adaptation and chemical risk issues.
• Incorporate other OSCPP adaptation implementation priorities, as applicable to Region III.
• Integrate climate adaptation into pertinent financial assistance mechanisms.
Priority Actions; Region III Managed Facilities and Operations:
• Determine if policy, guidance or email notification is warranted to those employees and
contractors conducting field work during excessive heat warning or ozone action days.
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Determine the number of employees that are currently using flexiplace and can work from
alternate locations.
Determine the number of employees who lack the ability to use flexiplace due to resources
or their job function.
Determine if a COOP is needed for the Chesapeake Bay Program Office and Wheeling Office.
Determine if special criteria should be developed for the Chesapeake Bay Program Office
employees to warn them of the potential for office or localized flooding.
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Chapter 3: Measurement and Evaluation
This section will describe how Region III will update the information and analysis in this
implementation plan, evaluate the success of any activities undertaken, and continually
improve the process of programmatic climate adaptation over time. Since one of the goals of
the plan is to build adaptive capacity within EPA Region III programs the initial measurement
and evaluation plan will focus on the capacity building elements of the plan, as well as,
developing and refining the Region's approach to evaluation. This approach utilize along three
pathways and use existing systems and workgroups whenever possible.
Adaptive Management through Continuous Improvement
The central task will be to create a Continuous Improvement Process, similar to the Plan, Do,
Check, Act process used in our regional Environmental Management System, to adaptively
manage the execution and management of the Implementation Plan. This process will seek to
include a schedule for updates to the climate vulnerabilities, adaptation objectives, and
activities in the plan, a set of measurable goals, a management review, and a method for
sharing the results of the plan with our stakeholders.
Integration with Existing Regional Climate Strategy
The second pathway will be the integration of this implementation plan within the existing
(internal) Region III Climate Change Strategy. In practical terms, this means the objectives and
activities will be the same for both and all activity tracking and measurement will occur using
the existing the workplan process developed for the Strategy. Oversight will be the
responsibility of the Climate Change Senior Steering Committee and the cross-divisional
Regional Climate Network Workgroup will work to implement the plan. The current workplan
includes individual project management tracking and metrics for each activity. Currently, these
metrics focus on the outputs of work. For example, we will track the number of training
programs offered to regional staff and the number of participants. The workgroup responsible
for this actions contained in this implementation plan will revise the plan annually.
One objective of future work for the planning process will be to identify metrics that measure
outcomes. For example, a questionnaire was provided to regional employees to determine
their level of understanding regarding climate change to determine appropriate training. We
have used the information from the questionnaire to create a qualitative baseline to eventually
measure the outcomes of our ongoing capacity building efforts.
Develop Tools for Evaluation and Engagement
The third pathway will be the creation or use of specific tools to help with the important task of
evaluating progress, measuring the results of activities, and making changes and improvements
as necessary. This toolbox will need to include improvements to vulnerability analyses in
addition to tools focused on helping individual programs implement priority actions. Tools
under consideration include: Developing Logic Models similar to those used by EPA's Office of
Water, an Interactive Knowledge Base for mapping expected impacts and vulnerabilities, and
the use of decision support tools developed by EPA national program offices.
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Another key aspect of the plan will be a robust engagement process with key external
stakeholders to both understand their approaches to measurement and evaluation and
collaborate on the development of evaluation methodology and tools for our shared priorities.
In addition, this engagement process will include targeted efforts to engage with
representatives from vulnerable populations with the Region.
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References:
IPCC, (2012). Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change
Adaptation.
Jonathan A. Patz, D. E., John Last (2000). "The Effects of Changing Weather on Public Health."
Annual Review of Public Health Vol. 21: 271-307 (Volume publication date May 2000).
NRC (2010). Advancing the Science of Climate Change . National Research Council. The
National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.
National Research Council, (2011). Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Shea, K. M. and a. t. C. o. E. Health (2007). "Global Climate Change and Children's Health."
Pediatrics 120(5): el359-e!367.
USEPA Northeast Impacts & Adaptation web page,
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/northeast.html
USEPA Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation (2011),
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-
statement.pdf
USEPA Southeast Impacts & Adaptation web page,
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/southeast.html
USEPA., U. S. (2010). Climate change indicators in the United States.
U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), 2009, National Climate Assessment.
http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-
impacts/regional-climate-change-impacts/northeast
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Adaptation Implementation Plan
-------
Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations,
and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this
document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally
binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any
expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision
makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions described in
this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is subject to
change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it
is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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CONTRIBUTORS
Energy & Climate Change Coordinator Bryan Myers
Lead Writer Beth Walls
Office of Regional Administrator Kedesch Altidor (Environmental Justice), Lisa Berrios
(Tribal)
Air, Pesticides & Toxics Management Division Christine Fortuin (Pesticides), Wayne Garfinkel
(Children's Health), Rick Gillam (Air Modeler),
Joel Huey (SIPs), Ana Oquendo (Air/Tribal), Henry Slack
(Indoor Air)
Gulf of Mexico Program John Bowie
Office of Environmental Accountability Vera Kornylak, Leah Ettema
Office of Policy and Management Division Ravi Rao (Elderly), Bill Waldrop, Sharon Weeks
Resource Conservation & Recovery Act Division Jay Bassett, Thornell Cheeks, Margaret Olson
Science & Ecosystem Support Division Laura Ackerman, Pete Kalla
Superfund Division Benjamin Franco, Pam Scully, Sharon Thorns
Water Protection Division Bob Howard
ADDITIONAL WRITING AND EDITING
ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Cory Berish Jon Johnston Don Rigger
Scott Davis Gail Mitchell Linda Rimer
David Lloyd Jeff Pallas
Special Recognition is given to Dr. Ken Mitchell whose foresight and drive initiated adaptation planning
for the Region.
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PARTI
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
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Table of Contents
I. BACKGROUND AND DIRECTION 9
II. DESCRIPTION OF EPA REGION 4 9
A. CLIMATE PATTERNS 10
1. Climate Factors 10
B. EPA REGION 4's ECOSYSTEMS 11
1. Overview of Ecosystems 12
2. Determining Climate Change Impacts to Aquatic Ecosystems 13
C. EPA REGION 4's COMMUNITIES 16
1. Social Vulnerability 17
III. OBSERVED AND PROJECTED CLIMATE CHANGE IN REGION 4 17
A. TEMPERATURE 18
1. Observed 18
2. Projected 19
3. Extreme Heat Events 17
B. PRECIPITATION 20
1. Observed 20
2. Projected 21
3. Extreme Events 21
C. SEA-LEVEL RISE IN REGION 4 22
D. DROUGHT TRENDS IN REGION 4 24
1. Watersheds 24
2. Population Effects 24
3. Dams and Basins 24
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I. Background and Direction
Pursuant to Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental and Energy
Performance, all federal agencies are tasked with evaluating agency climate-change risks and
vulnerabilities to manage short- and long-term climate-change effects on each agency's mission,
programs, and operations.1 Federal agencies are required to evaluate climate risks, identify
program vulnerabilities, and prioritize activities to reduce their climate risk.2
Consistent with EO 13513, EPA issued its first Policy Statement on Climate-Change
Adaptation in June 20113 calling for EPA to develop and implement an agency-wide Climate
Change Adaptation Plan to integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies, rules and
operations. Every EPA Program and Regional Office was directed to develop their own,
independent, stand-alone Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan to identify how
priorities will be met and the agency-wide plan implemented. These Program and Regional
Office-identified priorities are to be reflected in annual budget submissions.
The Agency's draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan includes a national-level qualitative
assessment of EPA-program vulnerabilities. The Regions are tasked with using this plan to
guide their adaptation planning.4 Each Region is to capture its regional uniqueness, identify
vulnerabilities of greatest importance including its vulnerable people and places. EPA expects
the severity and importance of identified program vulnerabilities to vary reflecting projected
regional climate-change impact projections. The Regions' plans are expected to describe how
climate change adaptation is to be integrated into their planning and work in a manner consistent
and compatible with their own circumstances and objectives. The following provides Region 4's
texture called for in the Agency's Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
II. Description of EPA Region 4
The eight states comprising Region 4 make it EPA's most southeasterly region.
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North and South Carolinas, and Tennessee plus six
federally-recognized tribes comprise Region 4, see Figure 1 below. EPA Region 4's borders are
primarily large water-bodies: the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, the
South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The Region is dissected
by several major river basins. Nine of these basins drain into the South Atlantic while eight
drain into the Gulf of Mexico. Consequently, the Region is rich with aquatic ecosystems, barrier
islands, beaches, estuaries, and wetlands supporting important industries of fishing, recreation,
transportation, and tourism. The Region has numerous coastal and inland ports with associated
transportation hubs. Every state has a port. The Region has more river ports than sea ports, for
example the State of Mississippi has four Gulf ports and 12 river ports.5 Florida has 15 seaports,
the most of any Region 4 state.6
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A. Climate Patterns
Region 4's climate is predominately mild, humid, and subtropical, with southern Florida
being primarily humid subtropical to tropical savanna. The Region is characteristically hot and
humid in the summer with mild winters. The Central Appalachian, Western Allegheny, and
portions of the Blue Ridge and the Ridge and Valley ecoregions (see the next section, EPA
Region 4 's Ecoregions) can experience cold winters and have the least number of frost-free days,
ranging from 125 - 200.
For most of Region 4, the number of frost-free days ranges from 170 to 360, with the coastal
areas experiencing the most. The southern part of Florida is nearly frost free and is the only
ecoregion in the continental U.S. to have the climate, hydrology, vegetation, and terrain
characteristics of tropical wet forests.7 The annual mean temperature for Region 4 ranges from
55 to 77°F with the more mountainous ecoregions having the coolest, ranging from 55 to 63°F.
Precipitation ranges from 35 to 59 inches in the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, and Western
Allegheny ecoregions, to between 43 and 65 inches for the rest of the Region.
1. Climate Factors
a) Weather Phenomena
(1) The Bermuda High
The Bermuda High is a semi-permanent high-pressure area usually centered in the vicinity of
Bermuda during the spring and summer. Prolonged heat waves in the East are attributed to the
Bermuda High. Weather fluctuates in response to its east - west migrations. The Bermuda High
can move high-moisture tropical air masses west over land causing showers and thunderstorms.
When it is east over the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes tend to curve out to sea avoiding land. When
it is west toward land, hurricanes tend to impact the nation's East and Gulf Coasts.
[2) El Nino-Southern Oscillation
The El Nino-Southern Oscillation is a cyclic Pacific Ocean weather pattern in which the sea-
surface temperature cycles between abnormal warming (El Nino) and cooling (La Nina)
conditions, influenced by changes (oscillations) in atmospheric pressure between the tropical east
and west Pacific (the Southern Oscillation (SO)).
[3) North Atlantic Oscillation
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) describes fluctuations in atmospheric pressure
differences between permanent low- and high-pressure systems. While the NAO directly
influences Western Europe's climate, it may impact much of eastern North America's weather.
b) Large water bodies
[I] Mississippi and Ohio Rivers
The Mississippi and Ohio Rivers delineate EPA Region 4's western and most of its northern
geographic borders, respectively. Two major coastal water bodies, the Atlantic Ocean and the
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Gulf of Mexico, delineate its eastern and southern borders, respectively. These water bodies
strongly influence the Region's climate. Large water bodies take longer to heat up and cool
down than land, such that land areas in the vicinity of large water bodies remain cooler in
summer and warmer in winter.
[2) Gulf Stream
The Region's climate is strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream, which flows seven hundred
miles north from Key West, FL, to Cape Hatteras, NC. It is a strong, fast moving, warm ocean
current. The Gulf Stream's surface temperature ranges 80°F and above due to the solar heating
of tropical Atlantic and Caribbean waters. The Gulf Stream system's warm surface-temperature
causes Florida and much of the Southeast to be mild all year round. The warm sea-surface
temperature also aids the formation and strengthening of hurricanes moving through the Gulf of
Mexico.
c) Topography
Lastly, the Region's topography is highly diverse, ranging from the Mississippi River Valley
Plain to the west, the southeastern and southern coastal plains of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts,
the interior Piedmont's rolling low plateaus, the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and the
inland, elevated, and severely eroded Cumberland Plateau extending from Alabama through
Tennessee to Kentucky. Various weather patterns intersect with this diverse topography to
create numerous microclimates, facilitating the variety of ecosystems and species diversity
characteristic of EPA Region 4.
B. EPA Region 4's Ecosystems
Because of its climate, proximity to large water-bodies, and topography, EPA Region 4 has
tremendous aquatic ecosystems and associated biodiversity. It is overlain by fourteen
ecoregions.8 Half are in the Southern Appalachians where the mountains interact with local
weather patterns in complex ways, creating numerous local microclimates. Precipitation
responses are especially sensitive to the shape of mountain ranges and wind flow direction.9
Two of the Region's ecoregions are riverine in character: one is the Piedmont, and the other
coastal, including the Everglades' subtropical wetlands.
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Region 4 Ecoregions
Figure - 2. Map of Region 4's fourteen-ecoregions
1. Overview of Ecosystems
Most of EPA Region 4's land area lies within the Piedmont, Southeast Plains, and the
Southern Coastal Plain ecoregions, see Figure 2.10 Three ecoregions, the Piedmont, Mississippi
Alluvial Plain, and the Southern Florida Coastal Plain (the Everglades) have undergone
extensive land-use changes. The Piedmont has experienced several major land-cover
transformations over the past 200 years: forest to farm, back to forest, and spreading urban- and
suburbanization. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain is one of the nation's most altered ecoregions,
extensively cleared for cultivation where bottomland hardwood forests once dominated. The
Everglades, or the Southern Florida Coastal Plain, has undergone extensive hydrological and
biological alterations.11
Mountain top, surface, and underground bituminous coal mining occurs within four of the
southern Appalachians ecoregions. Mining is extensive in the Interior River Valleys and Hills
and the Western Allegheny Plateau ecoregions, common in the Central Appalachians, and occurs
in several parts the Southwestern Appalachians ecoregion. Significant habitat loss and water-
quality degradation, particularly sedimentation and acidification of many the ecoregions' water
bodies are coal mining's legacy.12 Within Region 4, the Interior River Valleys and Hills and the
Western Allegheny Plateau ecoregions only occur within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.13
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Agriculture occurs in 11 of the Region's ecoregions in the form of pulpwood and lumber
pine plantations, beef pasture, cropland (planted with wheat, blueberries, corn, cotton, soybeans,
peanuts, onions, sweet potatoes, melons, tobacco, or rice), citrus groves in the south, poultry and
hog livestock, and dairy farming. In the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, extensive agricultural land-
use occurs with most of the ecoregion planted in soybeans, cotton, corn, rice, wheat, and pasture,
and some sugarcane in the south. Pine plantations are common in the Southeast Plains and the
Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain ecoregions, and occasional in the Ridge and Valley. The Middle
Atlantic Coastal Plain has a high density of chicken, turkey, and hog production in some areas,
with North Carolina the second-largest hog producing state in the nation. The Southeast Plains
ecoregion also supports poultry and hogs.14
The 2007 Census of Agriculture counted 6,409 farmers and ranchers reporting aquaculture
sales in the United States; the three states with the largest number of operations with sales were
Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Catfish and crawfish are commercially produced in ponds in
the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.15 More than 50 percent of the total value of sales from
aquaculture come from the top five states, including Mississippi ($237.9 million).16
The Region's forests are mostly located within 5 ecoregions. The Blue Ridge ecoregion
contains one of the richest temperate broadleaf forests in the world, with a high diversity of
plants within the large areas of National Forest, National Parks and state-owned lands. The
Western Allegheny Plateau ecoregion is mostly forested, with public national forest lands, and
logging a predominant activity. Forest uses prevail within the Central Appalachians and
Southwestern Appalachians ecoregions. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain's floodplain forest
ecosystems include river and hardwood swamp forests. The ecoregion is still a major bird
migration corridor despite the widespread loss of forest and wetland habitat. The Interior River
Valleys and Hills ecoregion is partially forested.17
Between 1973 and 2000, the Southeast Climate Region had the highest rate of change due to
active forest timber harvesting and replanting.18 In this region, forests, not cropland, are
expected to be lost.19 Projected land-use and land-cover changes likely will depend upon
population rates and economic growth.20 The exurban and suburban areas generally are projected
to expand by 15 to 20 percent between 2000 and 2050.21 Climate change will cumulatively
impact the existing and projected land-use changes to the Region's ecoregions. Aquatic
ecosystems in those ecoregions where mining already provides significant stress and where
forests are converted to other uses may likely be less resilient to climate-change impacts.
2. Determining Climate Change Impacts to Aquatic Ecosystems
EPA and its state partners use aquatic bio-assessments to evaluate biological criteria to
determine whether CWA-regulated surface waters are maintaining their biological integrity
consistent with their designated use, e.g., cold-water fishery.22
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To monitor stream health, states are delineated into bioregions to organize similar
sampling sites together; i.e., those having similar stream physical, chemical, and
biological attributes. These bioregions often mirror ecoregion boundaries. Since all of the
streams within a bioregion generally have similar attributes, the differences in aquatic
organism assemblages between reference sites (which receive high biological index
scores) and stressed sites (which receive low index scores) are typically expected to reflect
human impacts, e.g., land-use changes.
Table 1. The Number of Ecoregions and Bioregions by State
State
AL
FL
GA
KY
MS
NC
SC
TN
Level III
Ecoregions1
6
O
6
7
4
4
5
8
Level IV
Ecoregions2
29
16
28
25
21
28
12
31
Macroinvertebrate
bioregions
2 (high and low
gradient streams)
3
24
4
4
3
3
15
Fish
Bioregions
NA3
NA
4
6
NA
5
NA
NA
Algae
Bioregions
NA
NA
NA
4
NA
NA
NA
3
1 : Ecoregions along the coast (Southern Florida Coastal Plain (76), Southern Coastal Plain (75), Mississippi
Alluvial Plain (73), and Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain (63)) do not have aquatic communities that currently
support index development and are not included in any bioregions.
2: Level IV Ecoregions are subunits of Level III, see:
http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iii_iv.htm#LevelIV
3 : All "Not Applicable" cells represent a state that does not use that index for making regulatory decisions (though
most states are in the process of developing new indices or may use that assemblage for other monitoring
purposes, like evaluating best management practices.) Information was gathered from Standard Operating
Procedures for biomonitoring and index development papers that states operated under in 201 1.
If climate change were to cause streams in the same bioregion to become dissimilar, it could
hinder EPA and the states' ability to determine low index-score causes, i.e., human versus
climate-change induced impacts. Biological monitoring and assessment program success will
require an understanding of what and how climate-associated changes are occurring and how
monitoring programs can account for them.23 Likely climate-change impacts to Region 4's
freshwater aquatic ecosystems are described below but further research is necessary to determine
actual impacts.
a) Climate-Change Induced Temperature Impacts
In EPA Region 4, climate change-associated warmer water temperatures are expected to
drive aquatic species to cooler waters, either north or to higher elevations. Local extinctions are
expected where migration barriers exist, e.g., dams, reservoirs, logging, mountain-top mining,
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etc., and a lack of higher elevations. In Region 4, cold-water habitat is generally associated with
its mountain and high-elevation plateau ecoregions of the Southern Appalachians, i.e., the
Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Central Appalachian, Western Allegheny and Interior
Plateau, Interior River Valley and Hills ecoregions.24 For example in North Carolina, the
mountain ecoregion and higher elevation sites generally have the highest cold-water taxa
richness, which are expected to shift either north or to higher elevation as temperatures
increase.25 While the cold-water tax either migrate to cooler water conditions or are subject to
local extinctions, those species thriving in warm temperatures or which are tolerant to warmer
temperatures, will likely increase their populations at their current location and extend their
range into formerly colder-water habitat.26
At this time, it is uncertain where the greatest climate change-induced impacts to aquatic
organisms and their ecosystems within the Region may occur: in the transitional areas aquatic
species may already be close to their temperature tolerance limits, while species may be more
sensitive in those coldwater habitats expected to experience warming. Within Region 4, the
Piedmont (the transitional area) and Mountain (coldwater habitat) ecoregions are expected to see
the greatest climate-change impacts to its aquatic ecosystems.27 Predictions are further
confounded by the probability that temperature change likely will not occur evenly across the
Region. The Region finds it difficult to predict how warm- and cold-water taxa will respond to
changing water temperatures since other environmental factors, e.g., land-use changes, also
strongly influence species' population densities and geographic distributions
b) Climate-Change Induced Water Flow Impacts
Biological integrity is strongly correlated with stream flow.28 Expected climate change-
related impacts to the Region 4's aquatic ecosystems include longer durations of low summer
stream flows, average stream flow decreases, higher flooding incidences, and increased periods
of extremely high and low flows (greater flashiness), with resultant scouring. Scouring and
sedimentation already negatively impact habitat and biota in Piedmont streams, and more
frequent severe precipitation events may exacerbate those impacts.
Insect-rich habitat-diversity tends to decrease with decreasing flow.29 Under lower flow
conditions, non-flowing (lakes and ponds) fish and insect community populations tend to
increase while those requiring flowing water to survive decrease. Additionally, drought or flood-
related stream-flow changes can change nutrient and sediment loadings and habitat availability.30
Moreover, lower flow results in less dilution facilitating higher in stream concentrations of
potentially harmful chemicals and aquatic toxicity. Overall, climate change-induced flow
changes are expected to cause significant changes to the Region's aquatic communities.31
At a reduced flow of 20-90%, the Region could lose 3 to 38% of its fish species.32 The North
Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) researched invertebrate
responses to the 1999 to 2002 drought experienced by both North and South Carolina. The study
found a decline in invertebrate communities. NCDENR found stream flow, drainage area,
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underlying geology, and the tributary stream type and size appeared to influence invertebrate
species' degree of impact and resiliency, i.e., speed of recovery to drought.33
NCDENR also studied tropical and hurricane storm-related flooding impacts to invertebrate
species and stream health. In 2004, North Carolina experienced five tropical Storms (Bonnie,
Frances, Gaston, Ivan, and Jeanne) and two hurricanes (Alex and Charley) during a two-month
period (August 3 - September 27). During its study, NCDENR documented a decline in
biological index scores associated with the invertebrate species' responses to the storm-related
flooding.34
C. EPA Region 4's Communities
Region 4's mild climate, extensive coasts, and large river basins attract people, both for
residential and recreational purposes. Within its geographic borders, the Region is home to a
population of 61,762,344.35 The State of Florida's population, 19,057,542, is greater than the
individual populations of four EPA regions (see figure 3 below). The Region's population of
children and elderly comprise approximately 6.1 and 14 percent, respectively, of the Region's
total population. The Region is home to six federally-recognized tribes, with a population of
33,500 enrolled members.
All eight states had positive growth from 2000 through 2010, with the overall regional
population growing by 8.9 million people, about 13%.36 The population grew fastest in North
Carolina (18.5%), Georgia (18.3%), Florida (17.6%), and South Carolina (15.3%). Most of this
growth has been in urban and peri-urban areas. Population growth is expected to compound
climate-related impacts. For example, increasing urban and suburban competition for finite
water resources likely will affect agriculture, aquatic ecosystems, energy production, fisheries,
and natural ecosystems.37
R8 ^^^
R 10 ^^^H
R7 [^^^^
R 1
K. J
Rf.
RQ
RS
R4 "
• Populatic
n
0 20,000,000 40,000,000 60,000,000
Figure-3. EPA Region population comparisons.
80,000,000
By 2030, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina are projected to have some of the largest
elderly American populations.38 All three states are in the top ten projected to have the largest
numbers of Americans aged 60 and older. Florida, with 9,737,256 elderly, is projected to be
second only to the State of California, with a projected elderly population of 10,595,771 by
2030.
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Most of Region 4's population lies within the Piedmont, Southern Coastal Plain,
Southeastern Plains, Interior Plateau, and Southern Florida Coastal Plain ecoregions. Within
the Southern Florida Coastal Plain (the Everglades), urban areas are extensive along the Atlantic
Coast and include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and other adjacent coastal cities.39
The Southeast Climate Region (see the following section, Observed and Projected Climate
Change in Region 4} includes 28 of the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas by population, and
is the second most urbanized region after the Northeast, having 131 persons-per-square mile.
Miami (#8), Atlanta (#9), Tampa (#18), and Orlando (#26) all rank in the top 30 of U.S. urban
centers.40 The Region has three of the ten fastest-growing areas: the Florida areas of Palm Coast
and Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, and Myrtle Beach, SC.41 All three areas are along the coast and
vulnerable to sea-level rise and storm surge.42 Since 1980, the Southeast has had more billion-
dollar weather disasters (hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes) than any other region.43
Billion Dollar WeatheiYCIimate Disasters
Figure 4.44
Billion Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters (1980-2011). This map
summarizes the number of weather and climate disasters over the past 30
years that have resulted in more than a billion dollars in damages.
III. Observed and Projected Climate Change in Region 4
This section summarizes climate change impacts anticipated for EPA Region 4. The climate
change literature defines the Southeast Climate Region differently than EPA defines its
southeastern region. The Southeast Climate Region is defined to include all of the EPA Region
4 states plus Arkansas, Louisiana, two of EPA Region 6 states, and Virginia, one of EPA
Regions's states.
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DE
_/„ ^
FI
Figure 11. - Map of EPA Region 4
Figure 12. - Map of the Southeast Climate Region
The Southeast Climate Region is exceptionally vulnerable to sea-level rise, extreme heat
events, and decreased water availability. Within this Region the spatial distribution of these
impacts and vulnerabilities is uneven, since it encompasses a wide range of ecoregions, from the
Appalachian Mountains to the coast.45 The high variability of the Region's climate makes it
difficult to assess the impacts of variability from climate change.
The Southeast Climate Region is home to more than 80 million people, drawing hundreds of
million visitors every year.46 Located in low-lying coastal areas particularly vulnerable to
flooding, extreme storms, and sea-level rise, this Region has a disproportionate number of the
country's fastest growing metropolitan areas and important economic sectors.47 Palm Coast, FL,
Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, FL, and Myrtle Beach, SC, are all vulnerable to sea-level rise and
storm surge.48
Sea-level rise and temperature and precipitation changes are expected to be the most severe
and widespread anticipated impacts to the Region, which ultimately may affect water
availability.49 The vulnerable Gulf and Atlantic coasts are major producers of seafood and home
to several ports.50 The Southeast Climate Region is a major energy producer of coal, crude oil,
and natural gas, and the highest energy user of any of the National Climate Assessment regions.51
Changes in land use and land cover, more rapid in the Southeast than most other areas of the
country, often interact with and serve to amplify the effects of climate change on southeastern
ecosystems.52
A. Temperature
1. Observed
Average annual temperature during the last century cycled between warm and cool periods
across the Southeast Climate Region.53 A warm peak occurred during the 1930s and 40s,
followed by a cool period in the 60s and 70s, and warmed again from 1970 to the present by an
average of 2°F, with more warming occurring during summer months.54 Since 1970, the number
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of days above 95°F and nights above 75°F have increased, while the number of extremely cold
days has decreased.55
Projected
Historical Climate (1971-2000)
Projection (2041-2070)
•*--
-------
Historical Climate (1971-2000)
Projection (2041-2070)
20 40 60 80 100
Figure 15. Projected annual number of days with temperatures less that
32°F for 2041-3 2070 compared to 1971-2000, assuming emissions
continue to grow (A2 scenario).60
Summer heat stress is projected to reduce crop productivity, especially when coupled with
increased drought. The 2007 drought cost the Georgia agriculture industry $339 million in crop
losses, and the 2002 drought cost North Carolina $398 million.61 A 2.2°F increase in temperature
could reduce overall productivity for corn, soybeans, rice, cotton, and peanuts across the South -
although rising CCh levels might partially offset these decreases, based on a crop yield simulation
model.62 In Georgia, climate projections indicate corn yields could decline by 15% and wheat yields
by 20% through 2020.63
3. Extreme Heat Events
Rising temperatures and the associated increases in frequency, intensity, and duration of
extreme heat events are expected to affect public health, natural and built environments, energy,
agriculture, and forestry.64 The negative effects of heat on human cardiovascular, cerebral, and
respiratory systems have been established.65 Within EPA Region 4, Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa
have already seen increases in the number of days with temperatures exceeding 95°F, during
which the number of deaths was above average.66 The expected increase in elderly population of
the Region enhances the health risks of extreme heat events. By 2100, the Southeast Climate
Region is expected to have the highest increase in heat index, the measure of comfort combining
temperature and relative humidity, of any region of the country.67 Additionally, higher
temperatures can contribute to the formation of harmful air pollutants and allergens, with
associated health impacts.68 Ground-level ozone is projected to increase in the Southeast Climate
Region's largest urban areas, potentially leading to increased deaths.69 Hospital admissions for
respiratory illnesses, emergency room visits for asthma, and lost school days may increase.70
A. Precipitation
1. Observed
The Gulf Coast regions of Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle receive over 60
inches of precipitation, while much of northern Kentucky, the central sections of the North and
South Carolinas, and Georgia receive between 40 and 50 inches of precipitation annually.71
Higher amounts of precipitation are found along the Atlantic coast and across the Florida
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Peninsula due in part to the lifting of the air associated with sea breeze circulation.72 Tropical
cyclones also contribute significantly to annual precipitation totals in the Region, especially over
the Southeast Atlantic coast.73 The Southeast Climate Region's wettest locations occur in
southwestern North Carolina.74 The Region's daily and five-day rainfall intensities have
increased while summers have been either extremely wet or increasingly dry.75 Only along the
northern Gulf Coast has precipitation increased during the last 100 years.76
Across the Southeast Climate Region's northern tier, the average annual snowfall ranges
from 5 to 25 inches, except at the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians in North
Carolina and Tennessee.77 These locations can receive up to 100 inches of snowfall annually,
comparable to annual snowfall amounts experienced in New England.78 The Region's southern
extent experiences very little snowfall (i.e., less than 1 inch per year) and several years may
elapse before any measurable snowfall occurs.79
2. Projected
Future precipitation-pattern projections are more uncertain than temperature projections.80
Under a high greenhouse-gas-emission scenario, average changes in annual precipitation range
from nearly 10% reduction in the far southern and western portions of the Region - with most of
that reduction in the summer - to about 5% increases in the northeastern part of the Region by
later this century.81 Average annual precipitation is projected to decrease by 2% to 4% over
South Florida, while increases in precipitation of up to 6% are projected across North Carolina.82
Precipitation is expected to increase across most of the Southeast Climate Region in all seasons
except summer, where a decrease of 15% is noted for South Florida.83
3. Extreme Events
a) Precipitation
The extreme-precipitation-event frequency has been increasing across the Region,
particularly pronounced over the last two decades.84 This increase is pronounced across the
lower Mississippi River Valley and along the northern Gulf Coast.85 Despite a long-term
increase in extreme precipitation events, no discernible trend exists in flood magnitude for the
Region.86 An increased risk of flooding of the Region's urban areas is expected from increases
in extreme-precipitation events and the associated increased runoff, compounded by the
magnitude of impervious surface that has resulted from increased urbanization.87
The annual number of days with extreme precipitation is expected to increase across most of
the Region by the mid-21st century, particularly along the southern Appalachians as well as parts
of Tennessee and Kentucky.88
b) Severe Thunderstorms & Tornadoes
Thunderstorms are frequent across the Southeast Climate Region, especially during the
warmer months. Severe thunderstorms, i.e., characterized by winds in excess of 58 mph, hail a
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minimum one inch in diameter, or a tornado, occur most frequently in the late winter and spring
months.
Within EPA Region 4, damaging winds and large hail occur most frequently across Alabama,
Mississippi, and western Tennessee.89 These states also experience the highest number of strong
tornadoes (F2 and greater) and experience more killer tornadoes than the notorious "Tornado
Alley" of the Great Plains.90
Cloud-to-ground lightning is a significant hazard. The greatest lightning-strike frequency
within the nation occurs across the Gulf Coast and the Florida Peninsula.91 Additionally, eight of
the eleven states comprising the Southeast Climate Region rank in the top 20 for lightning-
related fatalities from 1959 to 2006.92 Cloud-to-ground lightning has started house fires and
wildfires.
c) Tropical Storms an d Hurrican es
In the Southeastern Climate Region, tropical storms and hurricanes frequently make landfall
along North Carolina's Outer Banks and south Florida and rarely appear to land along the
concave portions of the coastline, the western bend of Florida and the Georgia coast.93 Major
hurricane (categories 3 to 5) landfalls have been most frequent in South Florida (once every 15
years) and along the northern Gulf Coast (once every 20 years).94 While these storms primarily
impact the coast, significant effects are experienced several hundred miles inland.95 Storms with
wind gusts exceeding 75 mph have occurred every five to 10 years across portions of the
Region's coastal plain and every 50 to 75 years across portions of the Carolina Piedmont, central
Alabama, and Mississippi.96
Tropical storm and hurricane-associated precipitation contribute significantly to the
Southeast Climate Region's precipitation, surface and ground water levels, water supply, and soil
moisture.97 Heavy rainfall also periodically causes deadly inland flooding, especially when a
storm is large or is stalled by a weather front.98 Hurricane landfalls appear to have declined
slightly over the past century from a decadal frequency perspective.99
B. Sea-level rise in Region 4
The National Water Level Observation Network's 150-years database consistently depicts a
rise in sea level. From this data, a 0 to 3 millimeter-per-year sea-level rise rate has been
estimated off the west Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi coasts.100 Two data sources, the
historical tide-gauge records over the past century and geologic evidence over the past several
centuries, indicate steadily rising sea level off North Carolina's coast. The NC Coastal
Resources Commission's Science Panel on coastal hazards recommended a projected sea-level
rise of one meter by 2100 be adopted for policy development and planning purposes.101
Large portions of the Region are highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, although how much sea-
level rise is experienced in any particular place depends upon whether and how much the local
land is sinking (i.e., subsidence) or rising, and offshore-current changes.102 Global sea-level rise
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over the 20th century has averaged approximately eight inches. The rise rate is expected to
accelerate through the end of this century.103
Figure 16 below depicts the relative risk, as determined by the Coastal Vulnerability Index,
that physical changes will occur as sea-level rises. The Coastal Vulnerability Index is based on
tidal range, wave height, coastal slope, shoreline change, landform and processes, and historical
rate of relative sea-level rise. The index estimates a coastal system's susceptibility to change and
its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions to formulate an estimation of a
system's natural sea-level rise vulnerability or risk.104
Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise
New Orleans
Low Moderate High Very High *r 'Miami
Figure 16.105 The Southeast Climate Region's Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise
In the Southeast Climate Region, numerous cities, roads, railways, ports, airports, oil and gas
facilities, and water supplies are in low-elevation areas, making them vulnerable to sea-level rise.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is raising U.S. Highway 64's roadbed by four
feet; 18 inches of which is to address sea-level rise projections.106 The major cities of Miami and
Tampa, FL, are among those most at risk.107
Sea-level rise impacts upon agriculture may decrease freshwater availability and increase
land loss and saltwater intrusion. Salt-water intrusion is projected to reduce the availability of
groundwater for irrigation, thereby limiting crop production in some areas.108 Agricultural areas
around Miami-Bade County with shallow groundwater tables are at risk of enhanced inundation
and associated cropland loss; an estimated 37,500 acres in Florida are projected to be lost to
production with a 27-inch sea-level rise.109
Additionally, higher sea levels are expected to accelerate saltwater intrusion into rivers,
streams, and groundwater sources of freshwater in coastal areas. In areas with porous aquifers,
groundwater is particularly vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. Salt water intrusion impacts water
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quality for agriculture, drinking water, and industrial purposes. In the City of Hallandale Beach,
FL, officials have already abandoned six of the city's eight drinking water wells due to salt-water
intrusion.110
C. Drought trends in Region 4
1. Watersheds
Several watersheds within EPA Region 4 cross multiple state boundaries with growing
populations needing water for agriculture, energy production, navigation, drinking, and other
needs. Alabama shares most of its major streams with neighboring states.111 Five rivers originate
in Alabama and flow through Florida before draining into the Gulf of Mexico. Both the Coosa
and Tallapoosa Rivers originate in Georgia and flow into Alabama where they join the Alabama
River. The Tombigbee River originates in Mississippi and flows into Alabama, becoming a
tributary to the Mobile River. The Escatawpa River originates in southwest Alabama and
becomes a tributary to the Pascagoula River, straddling the AL-MS state line before draining into
the Mississippi Sound. The Tennessee River, the largest tributary to the Ohio River, is formed at
the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers in northeast Tennessee. It flows through
Alabama forming a small section of the AL - MS border before flowing back into Tennessee via
Kentucky, then discharging into the Ohio River. Additionally, the Catawba River originates in
North Carolina eventually forming approximately 10 miles of the NC-SC border before
becoming a tributary to the Wateree River of SC. The Savannah River flows along the GA - SC
border before draining into the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Population Effects
The Region's rapid population growth and development has greatly increased water demand
and drought vulnerability. Yet, drought is a normal component of the Region's climate system.
EPA Region 4, its state, local and tribal government partners and stakeholders face
challenges in managing drought conditions in light of the Region's growing population and the
anticipated climate change impacts.
3. Dams and Basins
Within EPA Region 4 the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (US ACOE) operate a number of dams on significant waterways. According to US
ACOE's National Inventory of Dams,112 the federal government operates 404 dams within
Region 4. The TVA operates 47 dams for hydropower within a region primarily encompassing
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee (see figure 23 below).
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. le khattanoooa
1_\ •
Figure 23. MapofTVA's reservoirs and dams.113 The red boxes identify 45 of the 47 hydro dams. The yellow
boxes identify coal-power plants. The purple boxes identify nuclear-power plants.
a) Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin
The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River (ACF) Basin is an important part of the
socioeconomic structure of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida's urban population, agriculture,
power generation, recreation economy, and North Florida's commercial fishery. This Basin
overlies 19,800 square miles of southwestern Georgia and southeastern Alabama. The
Centerpiece of the Basin is the Chattahoochee River. Its headwaters are in northeast Georgia in
the Blue Ridge Mountains. It flows southwest to Columbus, GA, then south along much of the
AL-GA border, before crossing into Florida where it confluences with another Georgia river, the
Flint River, creating the Apalachicola River which discharges into the Gulf of Mexico at the
Apalachicola Bay.
Despite human alterations to most of the ACF Basin, it still supports a rich and abundant
diversity of plants and animals. The Chattahoochee's headwaters (the Blue Ridge ecoregion) are
the only cold-water fishery habitat. The Apalachicola Bay lies within the Southern Coastal
Plain ecoregion while the rest of the Basin is within the Southeastern Plains ecoregion. These
ecoregions represent areas where unique and localized natural processes have facilitated the
Basin's noteworthy aquatic biodiversity: amphibians, fish, reptiles, and invertebrate fauna
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(crayfish, insects, mussels, worms).114 Ninety-nine species of breeding birds, including
migratory water fowl and 52 species of mammals depend upon its water resources.115
The Basin has the largest fish-species diversity of all the river basins draining into the Gulf of
Mexico east of the Mississippi River.116 Seven fish species live only in the Basin (endemic).
Sixteen fish species have been listed for protection by Federal or State agencies. And the
Apalachicola River Basin has the largest freshwater-fish assemblages in Florida.117
Living in the Basin are 16 species of freshwater aquatic turtles, 21 species of salamanders, 26
species of frogs, and the American alligator. All require freshwater to complete or sustain their
lifecycles.118 Numerous snake and lizard species inhabit streams and wetlands. Fifteen species
of amphibians and reptiles are noteworthy because of their rarity or protected status: two are
designated as threatened and five are designated Endangered Species Act candidate species.119
The Apalachicola River Basin's upper reaches have the highest amphibian and reptile species
density on the continent north of Mexico, and 116 plant species are found; 17 are listed as
endangered, 28 threatened, and 30 are rare; with 9 plant endemic species.120
The source of the Apalachicola River's flow is primarily the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers
(80 percent), the Chipola River (11 percent) and the remaining from groundwater and overland
flows. Because of rainfall-distribution patterns, the Chattahoochee River's average annual
runoff exceeds the Flint and makes a greater contribution to the Apalachicola River's peak flows
than the Flint. During droughts because the Flint River's base flow is sustained by groundwater,
it contributes the greater flow into the Apalachicola River.121 However, agriculture is the primary
land use within the Flint, which depends heavily upon groundwater. Agricultural irrigation can
and has depleted the lower Flint River's base flow. Drought combined with high irrigation
demand, e.g., high crop prices, can cause the Flint River's component of the Apalachicola
River's flow to be nonexistent.
Apalachicola Bay produces 90 percent of Florida's and 13 percent of the Nation's oyster
harvest. It is a nursery for shrimp, blue crab, and a variety offish species. The largest National
Estuarine Research Reserve is located in the Bay. The State of Florida has declared both the
Apalachicola River and Bay to be an Outstanding Florida Water. The United Nations has
designated Apalachicola Bay as an International Biosphere Reserve.122
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A Southeast River Basin Under Stress
Figure II.123 - The ACF Basin in Georgia.
b) Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa Basin
The Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa (ACT) Basin has 16 reservoirs of significance. Its
series of dams are operated by the Corps of Engineers and the Alabama Power Company
primarily to meet for navigation and hydropower production. Lake Martin, managed by the
Alabama Power company, is the largest reservoir with 60.6 percent of the conservation storage.
Lake Allatoona, managed by the Corps, is the second largest reservoir in the ACT basin with
11.4 percent of the conservation storage.124
The ACT has been called a hotspot of aquatic biodiversity but it has lost some of its
diversity. The Coosa River in Georgia historically included 36 native mussel species; today the
US Forest Service knows of only four. The Etowah River once included 43 mussel species, now
none are known. The Oostanaula River once included 43 mussel species, now only 12 are
known. The Conasauga River once included 43 mussel species, now only six are known. The
Coosawattee River once included 20 mussel species, today only 11 are known.125 Changes in the
Coosa Basin are just as dramatic. The extinction rate in freshwater snails in the Coosa Basin is
second only to some of the rainforest in South America.126 Since the early 1900's, more than 40
species of freshwater snails and several mussel species are now presumed extinct. Other species
being affected by the 2007 - ongoing drought include striped bass fishery, a world-class spotted
bass fishery, and in Mobile Bay, recreational fisheries and commercial shrimp and oyster
fisheries.127 Since the ACT's 16 reservoirs and associated dams are operated primarily to meet
navigation and hydropower production needs, the ACT Basin's aquatic ecosystems may not
prove resilient to climate change.
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1 http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/adaptation
2 Chapter 28 - Adaptation (V. 11 Jan. 2013, p. 987) in the U.S. Global Change Research Program draft 2013
National Climate Assessment.
3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation (Washington, DC, June
2, 2011). Available at http://www.fedcenter.gov/programs/climate/
4 Final draft U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plan (June 29, 2012).
5 http://www.mississippi.org/assets/docs/library/ms_port.pdf
6http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/index/USA_FL.php
7 North American Terrestrial Ecoregions - Level III (April, 2011) Commission for Environmental Cooperation,
available at ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/pubs/NA TerrestrialEcoregionsLevel3Final-2junellCEC.pdf
8 These are defined in: Ecoregions of North America as Level III ecoregions, see:
http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/na eco.htm#Downloads. The focus here is on the Level 3 sub-
ecoregions. Level 3 ecoregions are a subset of Level 2 ecoregions which are in turn a subset of a broader Level 1
Ecoregion.
9 Christensen, J.H., B. Hewitson, A. Busuioc, A. Chen, X. Gao, I. Held, R. Jones, R.K. Kolli, W.-T. Kwon, R.
Laprise, V. Magana Rueda, L. Mearns, C.G. Menendez, J. Raisanen, A. Rinke, A. Sarr and P. Whetton, 2007:
Regional Climate Projections. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working
Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin,
M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA., available at http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-
report/ar4/wgl/ar4-wgl-chapterll.pdf
10 These are defined in: Ecoregions of North America as Level III ecoregions, see:
http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/na eco.htm#Downloads. The focus here is on the Level 3 sub-
ecoregions. Level 3 ecoregions are a subset of Level 2 ecoregions which are in turn a subset of a broader Level 1
Ecoregion.
11 North American Terrestrial Ecoregions - Level III (April, 2011) Commission for Environmental Cooperation,
available at ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/pubs/NA TerrestrialEcoregionsLevel3Final-2junellCEC.pdf
12 Id.
13 Id.
14 Id.
15 Id.
16http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/Practices/aquaculture.pdf
17 Id.
18 Chapter 13 - Land Use and Land Cover Change (V. 11 Jan. 2013, p. 423) in the U.S. Global Change Research
Program draft 2013 National Climate Assessment.
19 Id.
20 Id.
21
Id.
22 CWA section 101(a) states: "The objective of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and
biological integrity of the nation's waters."
23 Id., pp. 1-2.
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24 Ecoregions of North America as Level III ecoregions, see:
http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/na eco.htm#Downloads.
25 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). (2012) Implications of climate change for bioassessment
programs and approaches to account for effects. Global Change Research Program, National Center for
Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC; EPA/600/R-11/036A. Available from the National Technical
Information Service, Springfield, VA, and online at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. pp. 7-21.
26 Id., pp. 7-21.
27 Id., pp. 5-69.
28 Id., pp. 1-11.
29 Id.
30 Id.
31 Id.
32 Id.
33 Id.
34 Id., pp. 5-23.
35 April 2011 US Census estimates (http://quickfacts.census.gov).
36 P. 3.
37 Id.
38 Aging, Administration on. "projected future growth of the older Population ."
http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging Statistics/future growth/future growth.aspx#age
39 Ecoregions of North America as Level III ecoregions, see:
http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/na eco.htm#Downloads.
40 Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment, Part 2. Climate of the
Southeast U.S., NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-2. Available at
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/teclinical reports/NOAANESDIS Tech Report 142-2-
Climate of the Southeast U.S.pdf
41 U.S. Census Bureau 2010.
42 Id.
43 Chapter 17, Southeast and the Caribbean, of the Federal Advisory Committee Draft Climate Assessment Report
Released for Public Review (volume 11 Jan 2013) see: http://ncadac.globalchange.gov/
44 Id.
45 The Southeast and the Caribbean (Chapter 17) of the Federal Advisory Committee Draft Climate Assessment
Report released for public review (volume 11, January 2013), see: http://ncadac.globalchange.gov
46 Id.
47 Id.
48 Id.
49 Id.
50 Id.
51 Id.
52 Id.
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53 Id.
54 Id.
55 Id.
56 Id.
57 Id.
58 Id.
59 Id.
60 Id.
61 Id.
62 Id.
63 Id.
64 Id.
65 Id.
66 Id.
67 Id.
68 Id.
69 Id.
70 Id.
71 Southeast Region Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment (Revised July 23, 2012) available at
http://downloads.usgcrp.gov/NCA/ Activities/NCA_SE_Technical_Report_FIN AL_7-23-12.pdf
72 Id.
73 Id.
74 Id.
75 The Southeast and the Caribbean (Chapter 17) of the Federal Advisory Committee Draft Climate Assessment
Report released for public review (volume 1 1, January 2013), see: http ://ncadac. globalchange . gov
76 Southeast Region Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment (Revised July 23, 2012) available at
http://downloads.usgcrp.gov/NCA/Activities/NCA_SE_Technical_Report_FINAL_7-23-12.pdf
77 Id.
78 Id.
79 Id.
80 Id.
81 Southeast Region Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment (Revised July 23, 2012) available at
http://downloads.usgcrp.gov/NCA/Activities/NCA_SE_Technical_Report_FINAL_7-23-12.pdf
82 Id.
83 Id.
84 Id.
85 Id.
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87 Id.
88 Southeast Region Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment (Revised July 23, 2012) available at
http://downloads.usgcrp.gov/NCA/Activities/NCA_SE_Technical_Report_FINAL_7-23-12.pdf
89 Id.
90 Id.
91 Id.
92 Id.
93 Id.
94 Id.
95 Id.
96 Id.
97 Southeast Region Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment (Revised July 23, 2012) available at
http://downloads.usgcrp.gov/NCA/Activities/NCA_SE_Technical_Report_FINAL_7-23-12.pdf
98 Id.
"Id.
100 Id.
101 North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources report, North Carolina Sea-level rise
Assessment Report (2010) P. 12 and available at http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/slr/NC%20Sea-
Level%20Rise%20Assessment%20Report%202010%20-%20CRC%20Science%20Panel.pdf
102 Id.
103 Id.
104 The Southeast and the Caribbean (Chapter 17) of the Federal Advisory Committee Draft Climate Assessment
Report released for public review (volume 11, January 2013), see: http://ncadac.globalchange.gov
105 Id.
106 Id.
107 Id.
108 Id.
109 Id.
110 Id.
111 Water Management Issues In Alabama, by the AL Water Agencies Working Group (August 1, 2012) available at
http://www.adem.state.al.us/programs/water/waterforms/WaterIssueReport.pdf
112Available at http://geo.usace.army.mil/pgis/f?p=397:12:
113 http://www.tva.com/sites/sites_ie.htm
114 Couch, C.A., Hopkins, E.H., and Hardy, P.S., Influences of Environmental Settings on Aquatic Ecosystems in the
Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. (1995) USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4278.
Available at www.pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1995/4278/report.pdf
115 Id.
116 Id.
117 Id.
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118 Id.
119 Id.
120 Id.
121 Id.
122 Id.
123 The Southeast and the Caribbean (Chapter 17) of the Federal Advisory Committee Draft Climate Assessment
Report released for public review (volume 11, January 2013), see: http://ncadac.globalchange.gov
124 Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Basin, US FWS, available at
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/drought/archive/pdf/ACT-BasinQ-A.pdf
125 Id.
126 Id.
127 Id.
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PART 2
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
Page 3 3
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION 36
II. GOAL 1: TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND IMPROVING AIR QUALITY 36
A. OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS 36
1. Ozone 37
2. Paniculate Matter (PM) 38
3. Indoor Air 39
III. GOAL 2: PROTECTING AMERICA'S WATERS 39
A. OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS 39
B. PROGRAM-SPECIFIC VULNERABILITIES AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS 41
1. Watershed Management 41
2. Water Quality Standards 41
3. Monitoring, Assessing, and Reporting 42
4. Total Maximum Daily Loads 42
5. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 43
6. Nonpoint Source Management 43
7. Wetlands 43
8. Dredging/Ocean Dumping 44
9. National Estuary Program and South Florida 44
10. Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Infrastructure 45
11. Drinking Water Quality 46
IV. CLEANING UP COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 47
A. OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS 47
1. Sea Level Rise 47
2. Extreme Storm Events 48
3. Temperature Change 48
4. Wildfires 49
5. Ocean Acidification 49
6. Increased Water Temperatures 49
B. PROGRAM-SPECIFIC VULNERABILITIES AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS 49
1. Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Time-Critical Removal, SuperfundRCRA
Corrective Action, TSCA, Brownfields Cleanup Sites, an d Poly chlorinate d Cleanup) 49
2. Impacts on Longer-term Cleanups: 49
3. Emergency Response Programs 52
4. RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities 55
5. Oil Program and Underground Storage Tanks 56
6. Brownfield Program 58
V. GOAL 4: ENSURING THE SAFETY OF CHEMICALS AND PREVENTING POLLUTION 58
A. PESTICIDES 58
B. IMPACTS ON PESTICIDES PROGRAM 59
VI. GOAL 5 - ENFORCING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS WITHIN REGION 4 60
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VII. FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS 61
A. SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS 61
B. OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS 62
C. REGION 4 PROPERTY DETAILS 63
1. The SNAFC Building/Complex 63
2. SESD Laboratory 63
3. SESDFEC 63
4. ERRB Warehouse 63
5. WPD S. FL Office 63
6. Gulf of Mexico Program 64
7. EPA's Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory campus 64
VIM. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE 64
A. CHILDREN 66
1. Air Quality 66
2. Indoor Air 66
3. Infectious Diseases 67
4. Flooding 67
5. Clean Water 67
6. Safe Drinking Water 67
7. Impacts on Region 4 Children's Environmental Health (CEH) Program 67
B. ELDERLY POPULATION 68
C. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE 69
D. TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS 71
1. Resources 72
2. Education and Outreach 72
3. Communication and Collaboration 73
IX. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT TABLE (APPENDIX A) 73
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I. Introduction
The Agency's draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan has defined "vulnerability" as the
degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate
change, including climate variability and extremes.128 EPA's systems are the various programs
implementing its strategic plan goals and statutory mandates. Region 4 is an extension of these
systems into the nation's southeastern eight states and the fourteen ecoregions described earlier.
This chapter contains an assessment of the vulnerabilities of key EPA Region 4 Programs to the
impacts of climate change. It builds on the work presented in Part 2 of EPA's agency-wide Plan,
and is structured by the goals in EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan. The following begins the
discussion of Region 4's program vulnerabilities to climate change in context of the Agency's
five strategic plan goals:129
Goal 1 - Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality within Region 4
Goal 2 - Protecting EPA Region 4's Waters
Goal 3 - Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development within Region 4
Goal 4 - Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution within Region 4
Goal 5 - Enforcing Environmental Laws within Region 4
Note that EPA Region 4 has not conducted a quantitative vulnerability assessment, but
has qualitatively evaluated the nature and magnitude of risks associated with climate change
impacts.
II. Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
Communities within the Southeast face public health and environmental challenges from
ambient and indoor air pollution. Climate change will increase these challenges. EPA Region 4
partners with federal, state, tribal and local agencies to protect public health and the environment
by directly implementing programs that address air quality (indoor and outdoor), toxic pollutants,
climate change, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, industrial and mobile source pollution,
radon, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, and radiation protection. Several program areas
are vulnerable to future climate conditions that may be characterized by elevated baseline
temperatures, increased frequency and duration of heat waves, more extreme swings in weather
conditions (drought and precipitation events), and more severe hurricanes and coastal storms.
These future conditions will present challenges to EPA to achieve its core mission.
The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) for six criteria pollutants. EPA is required to review and consider revisions to these
criteria pollutant standards every five years. Once a NAAQS has been established or revised, the
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CAA requires states to develop specific plans, State Implementation Plans (SIPs), to attain the
standards for each area designated as "nonattainment" for that NAAQS. In other words, the
states must demonstrate how its areas will achieve and maintain compliance with standards.
Two criteria pollutants, ozone and particulate matter (PM), appear to be at risk for future
ambient level increases caused by a warming climate. Tropospheric (ground-level) ozone
pollution is likely to increase due to meteorological conditions that would become more
favorable to ozone formation, particularly in the southeastern U.S.130 Ambient particulate matter
levels would likely be affected in some areas by an increase in frequency or intensity of
wildfires. m Another area of vulnerability to climate change is indoor air quality.
1. Ozone
The current health-based ozone NAAQS is 0.075 parts per million (ppm) on an 8-hour
average. While most areas of Region 4 currently meet that standard, the EPA is set to
begin considering an even more protective ozone standard sometime this year (2013),
which would be followed by a new round of area attainment/ nonattainment designations.
Impacts on ozone programs
• A warming climate could induce ambient ozone level increases, which would in turn may
require more stringent pollution controls to attain and maintain the ozone NAAQS than
would be necessary under the present-day climate.
• Ground-level ozone is projected to increase in the largest urban areas of the Southeast
(Chang etal.2010).132
• Emissions of ozone precursors, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), are expected to increase
from fossil-fuel burning power plants due to increased demand that accompanies
increased ambient temperatures.
• Complying with the ozone NAAQS may become more difficult for some Region 4 states,
especially those with areas already facing existing ozone problems. Figure 8 presents the
results of a modeling study which predicts increases of ground-level ozone concentra-
tions across the southeast up to approximately 3 parts per billion in some urban areas.
Ground-level Ozone
Figure 8. Map showing projected
increases in ground level ozone pollution
in 2050 as compared to 2001, using a mid-
range emissions scenario (A1B, assuming
some decrease from current emissions
growth trends).
(Adapted from Tagaris et al. 2009)
,133
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2. Particulate Matter (PM)
The current PM NAAQS comprise standards for fine participate matter (PIVfo.s) and
coarse participate matter (PMio). The existing health-based PM2.5 NAAQS are a short-term (24-
hour average) standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter (|ig/m3) and a long-term (annual
average) standard of 15 jig/m3. In December 2012 the EPA strengthened the annual PIVfo.s
NAAQS by finalizing a new standard of 12 ug/m3.134 The health-based PMio NAAQS is a short-
term (24-hour average) standard of 150 |ig/m3. All areas of Region 4 currently meet the existing
PM2.5 and PMio NAAQS. EPA will designate areas as being in attainment or nonattainment with
the 2012 PM2.s NAAQS in December 2014.
While the impact of climate change on ambient PM levels remains somewhat uncertain,
existing evidence suggests that climate change may cause increasing frequency or intensity of
wildfires.135 This potential is particularly important in Region 4, where the Southeast leads the
nation in the rate of wildfire occurrences, averaging approximately 45,000 fires per year from
1997 through 2003.136 Wildland fires contribute an estimated 15 percent of total PM and 8
percent of carbon dioxide (CCh) emissions over the southeastern USA.137 An increase in wildfire
activity would cause more frequent elevated PM events, which would be hazardous to human
health. For example, a study conducted in the Carolinas showed that peat bog wildfires pose a
health hazard, with even brief exposure to smoke associated with these types of wildfires has
being associated with negative respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes.138
Impacts on PM program
• The potential for greater PM concentrations due to wildfire activity may need to be
considered when preparing SIPs to demonstrate attainment with the PM NAAQS. For
example, increasing background PM2.5 levels when modeling future PM2.5 concentrations
may need to be assumed.
• More information is needed with regard to the potential for increases in both short-term
exposure and long-term exposure to PM due to an increase in wildfires.
o For a short-term exposure assessment, more data is needed on the human
population in areas that are most likely to be in close proximity to wildfire
activity.
o To assess the vulnerability to long-term exposure, additional data is needed on
how many wildfires per year can be expected, the expected total PM2.5 emissions
from those wildfires, and modeling to estimate the impact of those emissions on
ambient PM2.5 levels. This data gap has been identified as a research need by the
federal land management agencies.139
o Funding has been made available by the federal Joint Fire Science Program
(JFSP) for research on the potential increases in wildfires and resulting air
pollution and human health impacts at a regional level. The results of this
research are expected to be available in 2015.140
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3. Indoor Air
The Agency's Indoor Air Program is a non-regulatory program. While Program staff share
information, there are no metrics of control and few methods of monitoring results. In Region 4,
Program staff largely focus on mold, radon, and asthma, and work with state and local agencies
with indoor air quality interest or legislation. Regional staff also tries to be aware of emerging
issues in indoor air quality.
Due to the nature of Region 4's hot and humid climate and the nature of the work place, the
Region estimates most its population spends 92 percent of its time indoors, consistent with the
national population.141 The anticipated climate change attributes of heavy rains, increased
temperatures and high humidity cycles will likely facilitate this trend to continue whereupon the
population will be exposed to poorer indoor air quality (from lower ventilation levels, carbon
monoxide from emergency power generators); dampness, moisture, and flooding; infectious
agents and pests (which may also increase pesticide use); thermal stress; and building ventilation,
weatherization, and energy use.142
Impacts on Indoor Air program
• The Region expects its population to have increased exposure with identified indoor air
agents of concern: heat and biological materials - pollen, molds and infectious agents
associated with climate change and associated health concerns.143 See also the section on
impacts to vulnerable populations.
III. Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
Region 4's waters include the Gulf Coast; Florida Keys; South Atlantic Coast; and the
Coastal Plain, Southern Appalachian Mountains, Tennessee River, lower Ohio River, and the
southeastern Mississippi River watersheds. The region includes a wealth of ecological and
economic resources, such as rivers and streams, barrier islands, extensive estuaries, coral reefs,
coastal and freshwater wetlands, busy shipping ports, major metropolitan cities, extensive
agricultural production and important commercial and recreational fishing resources. The
Southeast has over 434,000 farms on more than 80 million acres, over 138 million acres of
timberland, and is home to over one third (1,935 miles) of the lower 48-states' continental
coastline, 33 percent of U.S. coterminous estuaries, and nearly 30 percent of all U.S.
wetlands.144'145'146'147'148 Pressures from the continuing population and business growth in the
southeastern states on the coastal, piedmont and mountain zones of this region are compounded
by increased incidence of drought as well as increased flooding, sea level rise, intense tropical
storms and heat-related stress on aquatic ecosystems and human health.
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
In March 2012, EPA published the draft 2072 National Water Program Climate Change
Strategy,149 which described impacts that were documented in reports of the
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These impacts are relevant to the
Southeast and can be summarized as follows. 15°
• Increases in Water Pollution Problems: Warmer air temperatures will result in warmer
water that will hold less dissolved oxygen making instances of low oxygen levels and
hypoxia more likely, foster harmful algal blooms and change the toxicity of some
pollutants, and could cause an increased number of waters to be recognized as
"impaired".
• More Extreme Water-Related Events: Heavier precipitation in tropical and inland storms
will increase the risks of flooding, expand floodplains, increase the variability of stream
flows (i.e., higher high flows and lower low flows), increase the velocity of water during
high flow periods and increase erosion. These changes will have adverse effects on water
and wastewater management facilities as well as water quality and aquatic system health.
For example, increased intense rainfall will result in more nutrients, pathogens, and
toxins being washed into water bodies.
• Changes to the Availability of Drinking Water Supplies: In some parts of the Southeast,
droughts, changing patterns of precipitation, and increased water loss due to evaporation
as a result of warmer air temperatures will result in changes to the availability of water
for drinking and for use for agriculture and industry. In other areas, sea level rise and salt
water intrusion will have a similar effect. Warmer air temperatures may also result in
increased demands on community water supplies and the water needs for agriculture,
industry, and energy production are also likely to increase.
• Water body Boundary Movement and Displacement: Rising sea levels will move ocean
and estuarine shorelines by inundating lowlands, displacing wetlands, and altering the
tidal range in rivers and bays. Changing water flow to lakes and streams, increased
evaporation, and changed precipitation in some areas, will affect the size of wetlands and
lakes.
• Changing Aquatic Biology: As waters become warmer, the aquatic life they now support
will be replaced by other species better adapted to the warmer water (i.e., cold water fish
will be replaced by warm water fish). This process, however, will occur at an uneven
pace disrupting aquatic system health and allowing non-indigenous and/or invasive
species to become established. In the long-term (i.e., 50 years), warmer water and
changing flows may result in significant deterioration of aquatic ecosystem health in
some areas.
• Collective Impacts on Coastal Areas: Most areas of the Southeast will see several of the
water-related effects of climate change, but coastal areas are likely to see multiple
impacts of climate change. These impacts include sea level rise, increased damage from
floods and storms, changes in drinking water supplies, and increasing temperature and
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acidification of the oceans. These overlapping impacts of climate change make
protecting water resources in coastal areas especially challenging.
• Indirect Impacts: The Southeast is susceptible to impacts due to unintended
consequences of human response to climate change, such as those resulting from carbon
sequestration and other greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities and Potential Actions
1. Watershed Management
EPA Region 4, working with its state, local and tribal partners, is responsible for managing
regulatory and non-regulatory programs to protect and improve water quality in the Southeast's
watersheds and estuarine, coastal and ocean waters. As better information is developed for local
decision making, changes may be needed in how EPA Region 4 and our partners implement
water quality programs, including Water Quality Standards, monitoring and assessment, Total
Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL), Effluent Guidelines, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES), nonpoint pollution control programs, stormwater management and other
watershed management programs. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 Watershed Management
efforts include:
• Higher air and water temperatures combined with nutrient pollution may result in
increased growth of algae and microbes that threaten aquatic ecosystems.
• Higher air and water temperatures may increase pollutant concentrations and lower
dissolved oxygen levels, potentially resulting in additional water bodies not meeting
water quality standards and being listed as impaired.
• Areas experiencing periods of less precipitation, drought, lower stream flow and limited
ground water recharge may result in less water flow for dilution of permitted discharges,
alterations of aquatic environments, and increased impairments.
• Areas with increased intensity of drought or that may experience increases in events such
as wildfires may see alterations in the structure and function of watersheds potentially
affecting regional and state wetlands delineation and protection programs.
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms may cause an increase in the number of
sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, fouling streams and requiring increased water
quality enforcement.
2. Water Quality Standards
Water Quality Standards are the foundation of the Clean Water Act - they designate the
goals and uses for water bodies, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing provisions
to protect water bodies from pollutants. States, territories, and authorized tribes establish water
quality standards, and EPA reviews and approves those standards. Potential vulnerabilities to
Region 4 Water Quality Standards efforts include:
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Warmer waters and other ecological shifts will threaten aquatic habitats and aquatic
species, such as cold water fisheries and potentially requiring changes in State stream
classifications. Rising stream temperatures could significantly reduce viable habitat for
several species of cold-water fish in North Carolina, including brook trout.
Salinity changes due to seal level rise may create a need to reclassify some water bodies
from fresh to salt water. Sea-level rise may also result in a shifting from fresh water
communities to salt water communities, such as is happening in the Chassohowitzka
River System in Florida. Increased anthropogenic use of freshwater upstream may be a
significant contributor in converting fresh to salt water.
3. Monitoring, Assessing, and Reporting
Our nation's waters are monitored by state, federal, and local agencies, universities,
dischargers, and volunteers. Water quality data are used to characterize waters, identify trends
over time, identify emerging problems, determine whether pollution control programs are
working, help to direct pollution control efforts to where they are most needed, and respond to
emergencies such as floods and spills. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 Monitoring efforts
include:
• Stream ecosystems will be affected directly, indirectly, and through interactions
with other stressors. Biological responses to these changes will vary regionally
and could include altered community composition, interactions, and functions. .
• Monitoring locations may need to be re-located in order to effectively monitor and assess
changes in stream ecology or water quality.
• Timing of monitoring may need to change in order to pick up seasonal shifts and the full
range of climate vulnerability, especially for recreational and aquatic life uses.
4. Total Maximum Daily Loads
Under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are
required to develop lists of impaired waters. These are waters that are too polluted or otherwise
degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. The
law requires that these jurisdictions establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop
Total Maximum Daily Load ("TMDLs") for these waters. A TMDL is a calculation of the
maximum amount of a pollutant a waterbody can receive and still safely meet water quality
standards. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 TMDL efforts include:
• Some areas may experience periods of less precipitation, drought, lower stream flow and
limited ground water recharge resulting in less water flow for dilution of permitted
discharges, alterations of aquatic environments, and increased impairments; these
considerations will need to be taken into account in the development of new TMDLs, and
potentially result in the need for revision of existing TMDLs.
• Some areas may experience episodes of increased intense precipitation resulting in
increased runoff of pollutants; these considerations will need to be taken into account in
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the development of new TMDLs, and potentially result in the need for revision of
existing TMDLs.
5. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for existing uses, including
drinking water, fishing, swimming, and other water recreation. As authorized by the Clean Water
Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls
water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United
States. NPDES permits have a five-year permitting cycle. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4
NPDES efforts include:
• Areas experiencing periods of less precipitation, drought, lower stream flow and limited
ground water recharge will result in less water flow for dilution of permitted discharges,
alterations of aquatic environments, and increased impairments. National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits will need to take these factors into
consideration during permit renewal or new permit issuance. These precipitation changes
are compounded in certain areas by increased human uses of the water resources.
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms may cause an increase in the number of
sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, fouling streams and requiring increased water
quality enforcement.
• Increased aquatic temperatures may result in the need to modify existing discharge limits.
6. Nonpoint Source Management
Nonpoint source pollution comes from many diffuse sources and is caused by rainfall runoff
that picks up natural and human made pollutants and deposits them in lakes, rivers, wetlands,
coastal waters and ground water. State nonpoint source programs, developed under the Clean
Water Act (CWA) Section 319 Program, are working to meet this challenge. Potential
vulnerabilities to Region 4 Nonpoint Source Management efforts include:
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms will cause increased pollutant loads in
runoff, and the velocity of runoff will scour and erode creek beds.
• Accounting for greater quantities of runoff and pollutants, with more variability, from
both urban and suburban stormwater and agricultural sources will stress existing nonpoint
source best management programs.
• Decreasing frequency of precipitation days and more concentration of runoff in intense
storms, which is likely to be more damaging to aquatic habitats, and carry more erosion-
related pollutants into water bodies will stress existing nonpoint source best management
programs.
7. Wetlands
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires EPA concurrence before the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers may issue permits to allow dredging or filling of wetlands. Wetlands function to
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protect ecosystems, streams and other aquatic resources. Wetlands provide crucial climate
change functions including: 1) coastal protection in the face of sea level rise and increased
hurricane intensity, including the ability to reduce wave energy; 2) protection of water supplies
in the face of increased drought conditions by providing groundwater recharge and maintaining
minimum stream flows; 3) flood mitigation in the face of increased precipitation and storm
frequency; and 4) carbon sequestration. The capacity of wetlands and headwater streams to
reduce flood peaks, detain stormwater, and filter pollutants is critical to the protection of life,
property, and water quality. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 Wetlands Program efforts
include:
• Areas with increased intensity of drought or that may experience increases in events such
as wildfires may see alterations in the structure and function of wetlands and watersheds
potentially affecting regional and state wetlands delineation and protection programs.
• Sea-level rise combined with coastal development will challenge the ability of coastal
wetlands to migrate, potentially affecting coastal wetland protection programs. This
migration will likely result in loss of coastal wetlands where development has encroached
on natural migration pathways.
• Drying out of seasonal wetlands with increased drought could affect wetland delineations
and programs.
• Physical damage or elimination of wetlands and dune structures that protect them due to
hurricanes and other seasonal changes could affect wetland delineation and restoration
efforts.
8. Dredging/Ocean Dumping
The Ocean Dumping and Dredged Materials Management programs established by Congress
in 1972 prohibit ocean dumping of materials that would unreasonably degrade or endanger
human health or the marine environment. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 Dredging/Ocean
Dumping efforts include:
• Increased need and frequency of ocean dumping due to increased precipitation and
rainfall intensity that cause erosion and sedimentation of rivers, channels and harbors.
• Shifting sediments and forming of shoals due to higher intensity storms that impede safe
navigation in harbors and channels may require increased use of emergency dredging.
• Need for dredged materials to protect shorelines, beaches, dunes and marshes from sea
level rise may stress existing regulatory programs.
9. National Estuary Program and South Florida
The National Estuary Program (NEP) was established in 1987 to restore and protect the
physical, chemical, and biological integrity of "estuaries of national significance" by focusing
our Clean Water Act authorities in these highly productive ecosystems. There are 28 NEPs
across the country, six of which are entirely or partially within EPA Region 4. Region 4 NEPs
promote collaborative actions and best management practices to accelerate and embellish
implementation of "core" Clean Water Act programs. Lessons learned by the NEPs are shared
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across the network of 28 programs nationally, as well as with other coastal watersheds facing
similar water pollution and water quality impairments. This approach has proven to be a success
over the past 25 years and the NEP is seen as a model for other comprehensive watershed and
community-based programs.
The Florida Keys Water Quality Protection Program (FKWQPP), established in 1994, is
administered by EPA and FL DEP, and includes a working group consortium of local, state,
federal agencies and non-government representatives. The FKWQPP works to recommend and
implement management activities designed to maintain and restore the water quality needed for
healthy native plant and animal populations in the FL Keys National Marine Sanctuary waters.
Through the Water Quality Protection Program, water quality, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs
have been monitored in the sanctuary since the mid-1990s.
Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 NEP and South Florida Program efforts include:
• Successful implementation of NEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans
may be adversely affected. Efforts to restore or enhance water quality, habitat, living
resources, hydrologic alterations, and human uses may be affected.
• Increased ocean temperatures and acidification resulting from the absorption of CCh will
continue to stress coral reefs potentially affecting coral reef protection programs.
10. Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Infrastructure
Much of the Southeast has enjoyed the benefits of clean and safe water resulting from an
extensive network of drinking water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure. EPA
recognizes that this infrastructure is aging and is being further taxed by the impacts of
climate change. As state, local and tribal governments face more demands for increasingly
limited resources, the ability to respond to these growing infrastructure pressures becomes
more complicated. Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 Drinking Water, Wastewater, and
Stormwater Infrastructure Program efforts include:
• Higher air and water temperatures combined with nutrient pollution will result in
increased growth of algae and microbes that affect drinking water treatment needs.
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms could contribute to additional
infiltration/inflow in wastewater conveyance systems, which could cause an increase in
the number of sewer overflows and wastewater treatment plant overloads, requiring
expensive modifications and improvements to both wastewater conveyance and treatment
systems.
• Increased drought will place demands on both surface and ground water resources
resulting in water supply problems.
• Reduction in assimilative capacity of existing surface waters due to reduced stream flows
and/or increased temperatures could lead to more stringent discharge limits on existing
wastewater facilities, resulting in the need for expensive improvements or upgrades to
maintain permit compliance.
• Sea level rise could result in: 1) saltwater intrusion into the collection system of
wastewater treatment systems; 2) wet wells in pumping systems leading to increased
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corrosion damage to pumping equipment, and treatment plant tankage and equipment;
and 3) malfunction of gravity conveyance systems and discharges.
• Increases in flooding from extreme precipitation, storm surges, and loss of wetlands
could cause damage to infrastructure resulting in increased needs for SRF funding.
• Source water intake changes may be needed due to droughts and summertime extreme
heat. Coastal aquifers may experience salt water intrusion where withdrawals are
outstripping recharge and increased pressure head from higher sea levels may worsen this
problem resulting in the need for relocation of water and wastewater facilities.
• Drinking water and wastewater utilities emergency planning for extreme weather events
may need to be reviewed and modified to account for climate change. Vulnerable and
economically deprived communities may be particularly at risk, both for access to clean
and safe water as well as for their ability to respond to emergencies during extreme
events. Coastal and mountain communities will be particularly vulnerable.
• Changes in rainfall patterns may lead to additional water supply infrastructure, with
associated impacts on ecosystem fragmentation, aquatic life, physical stability, water
quality, disruption of sediment and nutrient dynamics, downstream users, and system
losses due to increased evaporation from impoundments. CWA Section 404 permit
applications for reservoir creation in response to drought have increased in some states.
11. Drinking Water Quality
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main federal law that ensures the quality of
Americans' drinking water. EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the state,
local, and water suppliers who implement those standards. EPA Region 4 ensures that the public
water supply systems comply with national drinking water quality standards and underground
sources of drinking water are protected from contamination.
Potential vulnerabilities to Region 4 Drinking Water Quality efforts include:
• Higher air and water temperatures will promote increased growth of algae and microbes,
which will increase the need for drinking water treatment and potentially affect the
aesthetic quality of drinking water supplies.
• Increased storm water runoff will wash sediment and other contaminants into drinking
water sources, requiring additional treatment.
• Sea-level rise could increase the salinity of both surface water and ground water through
saltwater intrusion, encroaching upon coastal drinking water supplies. Additionally,
extreme weather events such as hurricanes and extreme droughts could impact and
potentially permanently affect both the availability and quality of drinking water sources.
In southeastern areas with saltwater intrusion, Region 4 states may receive more permit
applications and issue more permits for Class V aquifer recharge injection wells under
the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program in an attempt to combat the effects of
saltwater intrusion caused by sea-level rise.
• Reduced annual precipitation or increased intensity and duration of drought in some
regions will affect water supplies, causing drinking water providers to reassess supply
plans and consider alternative pricing, allocation and water conservation options.
• In areas with less precipitation, public water supply systems water demand may rely more
heavily on underground aquifers or development of underground storage of treated water
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to supplement existing sources. Changes in the salt front of estuaries and tidal rivers due
to sea level rise and over use of fresh surface and ground water resulting in flow changes
may result in increased pressure to manage freshwater reservoirs to increase flows and
attempt to maintain salinity regimes, in order to protect estuarine productivity and
drinking water supplies.
IV. Goal 3: Cleaning up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development
Contaminated site cleanup occurs under a variety of EPA programs, most commonly
Superfund (i.e., remedial, time-critical removal, emergency response programs), the Resources
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (e.g.,
PCBs), Brownfields, Underground Storage Tanks (UST)/Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
(LUST) and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA). A high percentage of cleanups, including most
brownfields sites, are regulated through State programs.
The potential climate change impacts described in Section IV. A below broadly apply to each
of these programs; however, the implications of these climate change impacts may differ by
program. Potential program-specific focus areas and vulnerabilities are discussed in Section
III.B.
A. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
For the Southeast, the impacts that could most likely pose risks to contaminated site cleanups
and waste management facilities are sea level rise, extreme storm events (precipitation and
wind), temperature extremes, wildfires, decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought
intensity. Ocean acidification and increased water temperatures may also pose additional risks to
coastal facilities and affect the natural bio-degradation of chemicals released to the environment.
Potential environmental conditions arising from these impacts and specific examples illustrating
how they could potentially influence contaminated sites are described below. The likelihood and
severity of climate change impacts can also be expected to vary considerably from site-to-site
depending on the location, cleanup technologies and approaches, and many other factors.
1. Sea Level Rise
As discussed previously, sea level rise is expected to impact coastal areas affecting every
state in the Region 4 except for Tennessee and Kentucky. This impact on contaminated sites and
petroleum storage facilities may be partially mitigated because it is expected to occur gradually
over the course of several decades. This allows additional time to appropriately plan for and
respond to sea level rise (e.g., construction of berms, removal of wastes, and completion of
shorter-term treatment activities). Contaminated sites and petroleum storage facilities located in
vulnerable areas could experience impacts due to inundation and salt water intrusion. Examples
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include flooding of petroleum storage facilities, long-term waste management areas, and
uncontrolled (or undiscovered) contamination leading to the release and dispersal of
contaminants; corrosion of underground tanks, piping, and other equipment; and degradation of
coastal aquifers that impacts cleanup performance goals. Saltwater intrusion may impair habitat
restoration efforts of impacted surface areas (like wetlands); and may change soil and water
chemical and biological properties, thereby impacting toxicity, transport, natural degradation of
contaminants, and treatment efficacy. For example, intrusion may impact the ability of native
microorganisms to play a role in bioremediation of petroleum-impacted soils.
2. Extreme Storm Events
Existing climate studies suggest that Region 4 has been experiencing more intense storm
events. Unlike sea level rise which predominantly affects coastal areas, extreme storm events
can impact a much wider range of contaminated sites. These impacts could include:
• flooding of surface water bodies and surrounding land areas due to heavy precipitation
events (i.e., regional drainage)
• flooding of coastal areas and rivers from storm surge due to higher intensity hurricanes,
• increased local surface runoff,
• increased infiltration of storm water into soils and elevation of water tables, and
• increased wind damage and dispersion of contaminants.
Prior to the enactment of environmental laws, industrial wastes were routinely discharged to
rivers, streams and other water bodies. As a result, many contaminants may exist within the
layers of sediment that accumulated over the years. One potential impact of extreme storm
events is the spread of contaminants through erosion, exposure of formerly buried contaminants,
dissolution or suspension of contaminants, and deposition of contaminated soils or sediments.
River flooding that breaches dams may result in the spread of contaminated sediment previously
contained by the dams. Flooding of chemical facilities may mobilize contaminants through
stormwater runoff. Increased precipitation events and hurricanes can potentially impact sites
even if they are remote from coastal areas and rivers.
Extreme weather can delay or impair active removal and remedial operations, and
complicate a remedy due to such impacts as flotation of tanks or drums,, damage of engineered
sediment caps, damage to treatment systems, impacts to contaminated structures, and damage to
containment systems by the forces of wind and water - all of which can create risks to human
health and the environment.
3. Temperature Change
The direct consequence of elevated temperatures on contaminated site cleanups is not
expected to be significant. However, elevated temperatures could lead to increased
pressurization of storage containers, volatilization of hazardous materials, and other factors
which may affect design and operation of remediation systems and emergency response actions.
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Worker health and safety concerns during site operations may also be impacted by higher
temperatures (e.g., handling of pressurized drums, heat stress to responders).
4. Wildfires
The increase in wildfires may impact treatment facilities and above ground storage units. The
disruption of treatment will impact costs and restoration time frames.
5. Ocean Acidification
The acidification of sea water may adversely impact the corrosion and degradation of
pipelines and construction materials (e.g. concrete pads/berms) used to convey, store, or contain
petroleum products at coastal facilities.
6. Increased Water Temperatures
Increased water temperatures may lead to a change in native or endemic organisms available
for biotic degradation of petroleum released to the environment.
B. Program-Specific Vulnerabilities and Potential Actions
1. Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Time-
Critical Removal, RCRA Corrective Action, TSCA, Brownfields Cleanup Sites,
and Polychlorinated Cleanup)
Longer-term response cleanups such as the Superfund remedial program and the RCRA
corrective action program are intended to protect human health and the environment, maintain
protection over time, minimize the amount of untreated waste, and reduce ecological risks to
levels that will result in the recovery and maintenance of healthy local populations and
communities of biota. These cleanups are generally viewed as "permanent" solutions. Other
cleanup programs such as the Superfund time-critical removal program address more immediate
threats; however, in many cases these may also result in long-term cleanup remedies.
2. Impacts on Longer-term Cleanups:
Cleanups where waste is left in place (e.g., landfills, cap-in-place remedies) or cleanups that
involve treatment that occurs over a long period of time (e.g., ground water pump & treat
systems) could be especially vulnerable to changes in climate. For cleanup operations that are
typically of much shorter duration (e.g., soil vapor extraction, enhanced thermal treatment), the
impacts of climate change are more predictable and easier to factor into the selection and design
of a particular remedy.
a) Programmatic Vulnerabilities
• Physical impacts to Superfund actions of all durations are likely to include the following:
o Both removals and remedial actions may involve labor-intensive operations,
sometimes for an extended length of time, and are therefore vulnerable to the acute
impacts of climate change: e.g. flooding, ground water hydrology, temporary or
long-term power outages, extreme heat, wind impacts.
o Such impacts may complicate assessment phases.
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o There may be heightened risk of physical damage to buildings and other components
of the existing site and the remedy, such as storm movement of drums or other
containers, or damage to booms and other containment structures.
o Off-site disposal, waste transport, equipment capabilities and laboratory capabilities
may be overwhelmed by extreme storm events. Temporary on-site staging of
hazardous materials may be compromised.
o Extreme storm events may provide increased hazards for EPA staff and contractors
on site.
o Climate impacts to infrastructure may hamper response time and capability, including
but not limited to the ability to move equipment and to transport hazardous materials
for disposal.
Programmatic impacts to the Superfund program include an ability to adequately plan for
and execute in a changed environment:
o The preliminary assessment/site investigation (PA/SI) phase of time-critical removal
actions or an Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) are based on existing
information — typically historical information, not future predictions. Without
incorporating potential climate change impacts, an accurate risk may not be factored
into planning or prioritization. Assumptions and modeling previously relied upon in
an area may no longer be valid
o The remedy selection process must also adequately consider climate impacts.
Precipitation records and floodplain maps used for remedy selection and design may
not account for future climate change impacts, for example.
o More robust remedies such as excavation and removal of wastes may be required for
sites potentially vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding, increasing short-term costs.
o Climate change may increase the mobility of contaminants and reduce the
effectiveness of containment as a remedy.
o Designs may have to be based on conservative assumptions to reflect uncertainty over
future environmental conditions, including extreme storm events that increase surface
water runoff or infiltration.
o Future population growth will most likely result in people living in areas near
Superfund sites previously less occupied, contributing to a need for reassessment of
scoring, risks and protectiveness of existing sites and remedies. Reevaluation of sites
previously considered for the NPL may be necessary.
o Changes in exposure pathways for both human and ecological receptors will result
from sea level rise, coastline alteration and other factors. These may include such
aspects as changes to drinking water system intakes, floodplain reach to residential
areas, and rates of erosion. Remedy design and standards may need to reflect
projections.
o Climate impacts may also alter the biological communities impacted by a Site, such
as increasing risk to seafood sources.
o Health and Safety Plans should adequately anticipate extreme storm events.
o Not only will potential impacts on ecological receptors differ from past experience,
but also the ecological receptors themselves may differ due to migration of species
and habitat alteration. Remedies should anticipate additional future impacts.
o Increased sophistication of modeling and planning may raise engineering costs as
well as execution costs.
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b) State by State Assessment
Alabama: Coastal areas will be susceptible to flooding and saltwater intrusion. Out of
the 10 largest population centers in Alabama, only Mobile is located on the coast. Most
other large cities are located on or near waterways may be more susceptible to flooding;
infrastructure in cities may be overwhelmed, leading to releases. Currently 15 Superfund
or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in the State; 10 of these sites have ongoing
five-year reviews required by residual waste.
Florida: Most of the state will be susceptible to flooding and coastal areas will be
susceptible to saltwater intrusion. Seven out of 10 of the largest population centers in
Florida are located on the coast (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft.
Lauderdale, Port St. Lucie, and Coral Gables). Because of population and groundwater
impacts, there are more Superfund Remedial sites in Florida than other Region 4 states.
Currently 66 Superfund or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in the State; 39 of
these sites have ongoing five-year reviews required by residual waste.
Georgia: Coastal areas will be susceptible to flooding and saltwater intrusion. Out of the
10 largest population centers in Georgia, only Savannah is located on the coast. Most
other large cities are located on or near waterways and may be more susceptible to
flooding; infrastructure in cities may be overwhelmed, leading to releases. Currently 15
Superfund or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in the State; 9 of these sites have
ongoing five-year reviews required by residual waste.
Kentucky: There are no coastal areas, and saltwater intrusion will not be a concern.
Large cities located on or near waterways, such as the Ohio River, may be more
susceptible to flooding; infrastructure in cities may be overwhelmed, leading to releases.
Currently 14 Superfund or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in the State; 12 of
these sites have ongoing five-year reviews required by residual waste.
Mississippi: Coastal areas will be susceptible to flooding and saltwater intrusion. Out of
the 10 largest population centers in Mississippi, only two (Gulfport and Biloxi) are
located on the coast. Most other large cities are located on or near waterways and may be
more susceptible to flooding; infrastructure in cities may be overwhelmed, leading to
releases. Currently 8 Superfund or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in the State; 1
of these sites has ongoing five-year reviews required by residual waste.
North Carolina: Coastal areas will be susceptible to flooding and saltwater intrusion.
Out of the 10 largest population centers in North Carolina, only Fayetteville, Wilmington
and Greenville are located in the coastal plain. Most other large cities are located on or
near waterways and may be more susceptible to flooding; infrastructure in cities may be
overwhelmed, leading to releases. Currently 41 Superfund or Superfund Alternative
Sites are located in the State; 25 of these sites have ongoing five-year reviews required by
residual waste.
South Carolina: Coastal areas will be susceptible to flooding and saltwater intrusion.
Out of the 10 largest population centers in South Carolina, only Charleston and Mount
Pleasant are located on the coast. Other large cities are located on or near waterways and
may be more susceptible to flooding; infrastructure in cities may be overwhelmed,
leading to releases. Currently 30 Superfund or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in
the State; 22 of these sites have ongoing five-year reviews required by residual waste.
Tennessee: There are no coastal areas, so saltwater intrusion is not a concern. Large
cities located on or near waterways, e.g., the Cumberland and Mississippi Rivers may be
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more susceptible to flooding; infrastructure in cities may be overwhelmed, leading to
releases. Currently 25 Superfund or Superfund Alternative Sites are located in the State;
10 of these sites have ongoing five-year reviews required by residual waste.
Table 4. State Comparisons of Coastline and Superfund Sites
General Coastline1
(statute miles)
Tidal Coastline2
(statute miles)
Superfund and SAS
Sites
Five -Year Review
Sites
Population
Climate-Change
Impact Rank
AL
53
607
15
10
4,822,023
5
GA
100
2344
15
9
9,919,945
4
FL
1350
8426
66
39
19,317,568
1
KY
0
0
14
12
4,380,415
8
MS
44
359
8
1
2,984,926
6
NC
301
3375
41
25
9,752,073
2
sc
187
2876
30
22
4,723,723
o
J
TN
0
0
25
10
6,456,243
7
Notes:
1 Figures are lengths of general outline of seacoast. This does not include freshwater coastlines. Measurements
are made with unit measure of 30 minutes of latitude on charts as near scale of 1 : 1,200,000 as possible.
Coastline of bays and sounds is included to point where they narrow to width of unit measure, and distance
across at such point is included.
2 Figures were obtained in 1939-1940 with recording instrument on the largest-scale maps and charts then
available. Shoreline of outer coast, offshore islands, sounds, bays, rivers, and creeks is included to head of
tidewater, or to point where tidal waters narrow to width of 100 feet.
**Source: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean
Service.
3. Emergency Response Programs
EPA coordinates and implements a wide range of activities to ensure that adequate and
timely response measures are taken in communities affected by hazardous substances and oil
releases where state and local first responder capabilities have been exceeded or where additional
support is needed. EPA's emergency response program responds to chemical, oil, biological and
radiological releases and large-scale national emergencies, including homeland security
incidents. EPA conducts time-critical and non-time-critical removal actions when necessary to
protect human health and the environment by either funding response actions directly or
overseeing and enforcing actions conducted by potentially responsible parties.
EPA Region 4 has an approximate total coast line of 2,035 miles that may be impacted by
large weather events, such as hurricanes. An increase in storm severity and sea level rise may
cause large storm surge damage in communities and industrial facilities along Region 4's coast
line. In addition, inland flooding due to intense and frequent storms may cause extensive flood
damage in communities and industrial facilities that were not predicted to be affected under
current flood maps. These large events will require the need of ample resources of On Scene
Coordinators, Remedial Project Managers and Response Support Corps (RSC) members to be
deployed to respond in the following areas:
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a) Impacts on Emergency Response Programs
Smaller entities with hazardous materials may lack resources for emergency planning,
which may increase the risk of abandoned hazardous materials during a flooding or storm
event.
Local capacity to treat and dispose of hazardous and municipal waste may be
overwhelmed by surges in mixed waste from climatic events.
Releases of hazardous materials or chemicals through high winds, flooding, and storm
surge may create a need for increased frequency and intensity of emergency response for
both hazardous materials and oil. Current response resources, including laboratory
requirements, may not be adequate for responses to extreme events. Specific impacts
include:
o Increased number of brown/black outs will potentially lead to impacts on facility
processes (i.e. runaway reactions, heat reactions, failure of chemical processes)
o Coastal hazardous material and oil facilities may be impacted by extreme events and
storm surge. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has jurisdiction over hazardous
material and oil spills along the coast, but EPA has interagency agreements in place
to support the USCG during responses.
Extreme storm and flooding damage to homes will produce an increase in the amount of
household hazardous waste and white goods (i.e., refrigerators, air conditioners, etc) that
may need to be collected and placed in landfills. An increase in household hazardous and
industrial waste collected during disaster events may strain waste landfill capacity and
require the construction of additional landfill capacity.
Storm surge caused by coastal storms, hurricanes and sea-level rise may adversely impact
industrial facilities located along the coast and cause releases of chemicals, discharges of
oil and mobility of orphan containers (i.e., above-ground storage tanks, drums, and totes)
in the affected area.
o Oil facilities that are required to have Facility Response plans or Spill Prevention,
Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans may experience large impacts due to
extreme rain fall events.
o The Region will need to maintain the Response Support Corps concept to provide
for additional personnel during the Agency response to FEMA disaster declared
responses. This will require the continued recruitment of RSC members, training
and exercises.
Pest type and range may change with climate change, and there may be an increase or
change in type of pesticides stored and transported across the region, resulting in a
potential increase in releases.
Twenty-seven percent of the major roads, 9 percent of the rail lines, and 72 percent of the
ports in Region 4 area are built on land at or below 4 feet above sea level in elevation, a
level within the range of projections for relative sea-level rise in this century. Increased
storm intensity may lead to increased service disruption and infrastructure damage. More
than half of the area's major highways (64 percent of interstates, 57 percent of arterials),
almost half of the rail miles, 29 airports, and virtually all of the ports, are below 23 feet in
elevation and subject to flooding and damage due to hurricane storm surge.
Additional planning for emergency response may be needed:
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o Brown and black-outs may cause releases and the frequency and intensity of storms
may need to be incorporated into current national and area contingency plans.
o Facility Response Plans (FRP) and SPCC plans may not consider climate change
impacts.
o Current regional debris management plans rely on historical climate assumptions and
do not address the increasing uncertainty in climatic extreme events.
o Additional planning may be needed as Stafford Act declaration (federal emergency
declaration) may be more frequent with a changing climate.
o Current energy infrastructure (oil, natural gas, nuclear) in South East may not include
climate change assumptions for emergency planning.
b) State by State Assessment
Alabama: Mobile is the largest city on the State's coast and it is the 27th busiest
container port in the U.S. Areas surrounding Mobile Bay have various chemical and oil
facilities that may be impacted by the storm surge caused by a very large hurricane.
Florida: Of the 10 largest population centers in the State, seven (Jacksonville, Miami,
Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft. Lauderdale, Port St. Lucie, and Coral Gables) are located on
the coast. The Ports of Miami, Jacksonville, Everglades, Palm Beach and Tampa, are
ranked as the 13th, 14th, 15th, 23rd and 34th busiest container ports in the nation,
respectively. These cities have a significant industrial and population base that has the
potential to produce a large amount of household hazardous waste and industrial waste
resulting from storm surge impacts due to a large hurricane.
o Additionally, the State has a large phosphate mining and phosphate fertilizing
processing industry mostly concentrated in the central Florida region. One of the
byproducts of phosphate fertilizer production is phosphogypsum. There are
currently about 1 billion tons of phosphogypsum stored in 24 stacks in Florida
and about 30 million new tons are generated each year. One of the concerns is a
large weather event (hurricane) could affect the stability of one of these stacks
and may cause a release of low acidic process water to the environment.
Georgia: The City of Savannah is the nation's fourth busiest container port and the
second busiest in the East Coast. A large hurricane can be devastating to the area and
produce a large amount of hazardous materials and debris to be spread through the area.
The State has two CCR Surface Impoundments that were determined to be a High Hazard
Potential by EPA.
Kentucky: The State has experienced flooding in the past and increase in the severity of
rain fall events will continue to cause flooding in the State.
Mississippi: The State's coastline has three cities: Pascagoula, Gulfport and Biloxi.
These cities were affected heavily by Hurricane Katrina and produced large amounts of
household hazardous waste and industrial debris from the hurricane's storm surge. The
Port of Gulfport is the 21st busiest container port in the U.S. and was heavily affected by
Hurricane Katrina. A large amount of the port's cargo was dispersed by the storm surge
into the bordering community.
o The Pascagoula coast has one of the largest refineries in the U.S. and a direct hit
by a large hurricane may cause the release millions of gallons of oil and gasoline
to the Gulf of Mexico. Also, the area has a large phosphate fertilizer
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manufacturing plant that contains large stacks and may release low pH waste
water due to heavy rain events.
• North Carolina: The Port of Wilmington is the 19th busiest container port in the nation
and may be vulnerable to storm surge damage resulting from a hurricane. The State is
prone to large flooding associated with rains caused by Hurricanes passing through the
State.
o In 1999, Hurricane Floyd caused extensive flood damage in eastern North
Carolina. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused extensive flooding in the Appalachian
Mountain region of western North Carolina. These extreme events produced
large amounts of orphaned containers and household hazardous waste.
o Due to groundwater contamination, Region 4's Superfund Removal program has
had to supply an alternative water source to various communities in the State.
Because of an increase in extreme rainfall events, additional contaminated
groundwater wells may be identified by the State and may require EPA to provide
these communities an alternative water source.
• South Carolina: The coastal zone of the State is described as the Low Country and
includes City of Charleston. This city is also a major port and is ranked the 10th busiest
container port in the nation. The area is a flat and is susceptible to flooding, and could be
heavily impacted by coastal storm surge from a major hurricane.
• Tennessee: Even though the State does not have a coast line, heavy rainfall can cause
major flooding events. During May of 2010, Nashville and surrounding counties
experienced large rainfall over a two day period that caused extensive flooding in the
area. EPA Region 4 Emergency Response program responded to the area and conducted
assessments of major oil and industrial facilities and recovered orphan containers that
were dispersed by the flood waters. The increase of the severity of rain fall events due to
climate change will produce flooding in the State.
4. RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
RCRA regulates, among other things, the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous
wastes. Owners/operators of these treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities must
generally obtain a permit for those activities. Facilities that generate hazardous waste and store it
for less than 90 days are also regulated under RCRA. In Region 4, the individual states are
authorized to implement this program in lieu of EPA.
In order to operate as a TSD facility, the owner/operator must comply with numerous
technical requirements, which ensure that covered activities are conducted in a manner that is
protective of human health and the environment. These requirements apply to on-going
hazardous waste management units (e.g., drum and tank storage, surface impoundments, waste
piles), as well as to the closure (i.e., cleaning and decommissioning) of those units that are no
longer in use. TSD facilities must also conduct cleanup of past and present releases of hazardous
constituents.
a) Impacts on RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
The same climate change impacts that could affect contaminated site cleanups may also
affect the management and operation of hazardous waste facilities. Some examples are:
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Flooding may disrupt the transportation system in place to handle waste. For example,
flooding may disrupt the pick-up of waste in neighborhoods and business or the work
performed at transfer stations. Cities with transfer stations along waterways are at
particular risk.
A major storm event may increase the amount of solid waste generated and lead to the
release of fuel or hazardous materials.
Changes in precipitation may impact waste management practices such as composting
by affecting biological processes.
Vegetative cover on landfills may be compromised due to dry soil conditions.
Tanks containing hazardous waste could be damaged by high winds or flying debris
during hurricanes.
Integrity of drums and drum storage areas could be compromised by flooding, allowing
drums to be floated out of containment barriers, or cause intermingling of incompatible
wastes, etc.
The potential for failure of process equipment (e.g., pressure relief valves, emergency
vent fans and pumps) could increase with increases in winter rain and ice storms.
Over-pressurization of tanks containing volatile wastes and the emergency venting of
these wastes could occur with extreme ambient temperatures.
Buildings or other structures used for indoor storage of waste piles could be damaged or
flooded in a hurricane causing the release of this material.
Emergency evacuation routes for facility personnel and the surrounding community, as
well as facility access by fire and other emergency response vehicles, could be flooded
or otherwise restricted due to an extreme storm event.
States may need to alter selected financial assurance remedies to ensure protection.
While Region 4 states are authorized to implement the RCRA hazardous waste
management program, EPA retains oversight authority to ensure compliance with the statute and
regulations and there may be a need for increased coordination to respond to climate change
impacts. Region 4 will work with state programs and industry to modify operating facility
permits to include enhanced emergency preparedness requirements appropriate for climate
change impacts.
b) Programm atic Vuln er abilities for EPA's over sigh t role
• Uncertainties in the underlying assumptions that could affect the design, operation and
management of hazardous waste facilities, including contingency planning (e.g., RCRA
TSD facilities must meet specific requirements if waste management units are located
within a 100-year floodplain).
• Financial assurance estimates for closure/post-closure may not reflect changing climate
change impacts on those activities.
5. Oil Program and Underground Storage Tanks
OPA was signed into law in August 1990. The OPA improved the nation's ability to prevent
and respond to oil spills by establishing provisions that expand the federal government's ability,
and provide the money and resources necessary, to respond to oil spills. To reduce the likelihood
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of a spill, regulations issued under CWA Section 31 l(j) (published at 40 CFR Part 112) require
facilities that store oil in significant amounts to prepare SPCC plans and to adopt certain
measures to keep accidental releases from reaching navigable waters. Certain types of facilities
that pose a greater risk of release must also develop plans to respond promptly to clean up any
spills that do occur.151
EPA created the Office of Underground Storage Tanks to carry out a Congressional mandate
to develop and implement a regulatory program for UST systems. EPA works with its state,
territorial, and tribal partners to prevent and clean up releases from UST systems. The greatest
potential threat from a leaking UST is contamination of groundwater, the source of drinking
water for nearly half of all Americans. EPA, states, and tribes work together to protect the
environment and human health from potential UST releases.152
a) Impacts on the Oil and Underground Storage Tank Programs
• Region 4 has a universe of USTs, which may be vulnerable to flooding events. Of
particular concern is groundwater contamination from leaks from at risk tanks and
damage to the supporting piping.
• Secondary containment and flooding of coastal facilities may be compromised by sea
level rise.
• Alterations in shoreline geology and/or sea level rise may increase exposures of USTs or
underground pipeline, increase pressure differences and gradients, and/or alter the flow of
oil and hazardous substances in pipelines.
• Increase in precipitation and floods may have many impacts, as follows:
o Decrease the effectiveness of secondary containment.
o Increase flow and pressure to underground infrastructure/structures i.e. pipelines,
wastewater treatment facilities, power plants, and paper mills. Increased flow and
pressure to containment systems may result in back feed and flow of product
resulting in increased discharges of oil.
o Decrease tank headspace thereby displacing buffer space available to prevent
overflow/ overfill, potentially leading to increased oil spills.
o Increase weathering of underground and aboveground storage tanks (ASTs and
USTs).
o Increase flow and changes of navigable water depth, thereby increasing difficulty
in preparing and implementing planning distance, booming strategies, and
cleanup strategies.
Failure of infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, and secondary containment) and damage or
displacement of tanks due to increased intensity of hurricanes and resulting winds and
storm surges. Damage to storage tanks would increase the likelihood of spills to
navigable waters, coastlines and oceans.
Increased degradation and weathering of pipelines and infrastructure due to ocean
acidification resulting in oil spills.
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• As SPCC facilities are regulated solely on the probability that an oil spill from that
facility will impact navigable waters, decreasing precipitation days and increasing
drought intensity may reduce the number of facilities that fall under the jurisdiction of the
SPCC program.
• Change in native or endemic organism availability for biotic degradation of oil due to
increase in water temperatures.
6. Brownfield Program
While Brownfields Cleanup Sites will potentially be impacted much the same as
Superfund, RCRA Corrective Action, and TSCA sites will be (discussed in section i), effects of
climate change may also be felt by other aspects of the Brownfields Program.
a) Impacts on Brownfleld Program
• Brownfield Grantees may have to make changes to their Master Plans as shorelines and
flood zones change. Applicants who receive brownfield grant funds are encouraged to
follow a community-developed Master Plan for redevelopment. Developing such a plan
is an eligible grant expense but preference is generally given to communities who already
have such a plan in place. Region 4 Project Officers should be prepared to allow changes
as needed for climate adaptation.
• Development of a climate adaptation strategy for a brownfield site is an eligible grant
expense. EPA Project Officers will have to become familiar with these types of plans so
they can properly advise grantees.
• More sites may enter the brownfields inventory as natural disasters lead to release of
hazardous substances and petroleum. EPA may begin experiencing even more
competition for the already dwindling brownfields grant funding.
• Flooding could disrupt or delay work at existing Brownfield sites.
V. Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
A. Pesticides
EPA and the states (usually the State Department of Agriculture) register or license
pesticides for use in the United States. In addition, anyone planning to import pesticides for use
in the U.S. must notify EPA. EPA receives its authority to register pesticides under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
EPA's Pesticides program covers:
• Evaluating Potential New Pesticides and Uses
• Providing for Special Local Needs and Emergency Situations
• Reviewing Safety of Older Pesticides
• Registering Pesticide Producing Establishments
• Enforcing Pesticide Requirements
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• Risk assessment
• Pesticide Field Programs
Climate change may lead to an increase in pesticide use, due to an increase in pests and
diseases which favor warm and humid climates. In the southeast, pesticides are widely used
currently as the climate is hot and humid, and in most areas there is not a cold winter to kill
off pests, thus pest problems tend to be a year-round issue. Many models now show the
winter months in the southeast will become warmer as time goes on. The freeze-free seasons
are lengthening and may result in the cessation of freezing in some areas, which may only
increase the already high pest populations particularly in the northern areas of the region.153
The southeast region has 12 major marine ports,154 and thus the introduction of non-native
pest species is a constant concern.
Currently the southeast is riddled with invasive pest species and it is likely that climate
change will only continue to exacerbate this problem. The potential impacts of increasing
pesticide usage include concerns about human exposure as well as concerns about non-target
organism impacts, such as impacts to pollinators and beneficial insects, endangered species,
aquatic organisms and others. Concerns for groundwater contamination will continue to be
an issue especially in Florida, where the water table is high and soils are permeable. Karst
topography is dominant in the southern part of the region and in parts of Kentucky and
Tennessee.
B. Impacts on Pesticides Program
Region 4 will experience new pest problems, many of which will be from exotic invasive
species.
Changes in pests and pest pressures will result from increases in temperatures and
variations in rainfall patterns.
There would be a potential increase in the need for emergency exemptions (FIFRA
Section 18). These FIFRA exemptions are granted when an emergency pest problem
appears which cannot be controlled effectively by the current pesticides registered for
that pest or commodity, allowing temporary use of chemicals which are not registered for
that use. The Section 18 requests are approved by EPA Headquarters. The regional role
is to provide technical assistance to the states as needed.
Urban populations have spread out into areas which at one time were largely rural which
may increase citizen complaints from individuals living near farms. Region 4 may need
to increase enforcement and compliance monitoring efforts to protect both farmworkers
and residents living near farms.
Increasing pesticides usage to control pests could also lead to increased resistance of the
pest to the chemical being used. Resistance management will therefore become
increasingly important.
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The increase in amount and variability of precipitation projected for Region 4 can create
an expanded mosquito habitat, which could increase exposure to more diseases like
dengue fever and malaria.
The Region will need to be prepared to address needs for aggressive mosquito control as
well as support continued local monitoring of mosquito populations, which is currently
being done by most large mosquito control districts in the southeast. Emergency
exemptions for mosquito control may increase, especially after major weather events
such as floods and hurricanes, which tend to spur populations of A. aegypti and A.
albopictus.
As more Section 18 requests may be anticipated, and more pesticides may be used in
response to climate change, impacts to non-target endangered species will need to be
considered and monitored.
There will likely be an increase in fungal organisms in agricultural and non-agricultural
settings due to extreme rainfall.
Climate impacts may change chemical and non-chemical agricultural practices due to
extreme storms and farmers' inability to work in their fields (e.g. increases the likelihood
of run-off and off target movement of chemical products; limits on the potential use of
certain non-chemical methods such as cultivation because it may not be possible to bring
heavy farm equipment onto wet fields and saturated soils).
Increased use of aerial applications are likely to result in increased pesticide drift due to
extreme storm events.
Drought may lead to an increase in dry condition pests (e.g. mites that feed on a variety
of field, vegetable and fruit crops).
These changes in pesticide choices and quantities will require changes to the pesticide
applicator certification and training programs. Changes in chemical selection could result
in new and increased chemical exposures, especially for indoor applications. Types of new
pest problems could include:
• Indoor and outdoor molds and microorganisms which are controlled by disinfectant
pesticide products;
• Public health pests such as mosquitoes and ticks;
• Forest pests,
• Aquatic pests including weeds; and
• Various agricultural pests including weeds, insects and plant diseases.
VI. Goal 5 - Enforcing Environmental Laws within Region 4
Region 4 anticipates that in the future, climate change related issues may be raised in the
context of EPA's enforcement program across the media - whether it be as part of a settlement
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negotiation, compliance issue, a mitigation project, a clean-up, or in another enforcement related
context. EPA is already beginning to evaluate objectives associated with assuring compliance
with the greenhouse gas reporting rule, encouraging greenhouse gas emissions reductions
through settlements, and targeting the energy sector compliance with air, water and waste rules.
See, e.g., http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/data/goals.html. Region 4 will continue to work
closely with its EPA HQ counterparts at EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance (OECA) to evaluate and determine appropriate options for considering and
incorporating climate change adaptation principles into the Region 4 enforcement programs.
VII. Facilities and Operations
Climate change poses a range of risks to EPA Region 4's facilities and operations. The
following sections detail the general risks and then delve into the risks specific to each facility.
Note that each facility does not operate in isolation; the climate impacts experienced by each
facility will be greatly influenced by the larger systems (utilities, transportation, communities) of
which it is a part.
A. Severe Weather Preparedness
In response to severe weather conditions that may be attributed to Climate Change, EPA
Region 4 has worked with the Federal Agencies at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, the
Atlanta Federal Executive Board (FEB), the Fulton County Emergency Management Agency,
and FEMA to develop procedures to monitor severe weather and provide emergency alert
notifications to Federal Agency Heads in the metro Atlanta area.
EPA and FEMA co-chair the Emergency Preparedness Committee of the Atlanta FEB.
When potentially hazardous weather approaches the Metro Atlanta area the FEB convenes a
weather alert committee by conference call to discuss the potential impact on Federal Buildings
and employees. These calls include representatives for many Federal, State, and Local
emergency and law enforcement agencies to provide the latest projection and assessment of
weather impacts on the Atlanta areas.
The FEB Emergency Preparedness Special Weather Committee issues emergency
advisory notices via phone, email, and telephone message line on early dismissal, delayed
opening, and /or closure of Federal Offices. These alerts may be issued during the work day or
after early morning conference calls at 4:00 am.
The EPA lead Interagency Occupant Emergency Command team at the Sam Nunn
Atlanta Nunn Atlanta Federal Center (SNAFC) has incorporated weather emergencies into the
building's Occupant Emergency Plan. For the past 3 years the SNAFC has conducted Shelter in
Place exercises as part of Georgia's annual state-wide Tornado Drill. Over 5000 Federal
employees and visitors participate in these exercises at the SNAFC each year.
EPA Region 4 has established a Continuity of Operations (COOP) site at the SESD
facility in Athens Georgia. A limited number of essential personnel will report to and work out
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of this primary COOP site if the SNAFC were to be damaged by severe weather. The Region
has a secondary site established at the Emergency Response Warehouse in Norcross Georgia in
case the SESD facility in Athens is not operational. In this instance the executive leadership team
would work out of the Norcross facility. Other employees would work remotely as needed using
established Telework procedures.
EPA, FEMA, and the Atlanta FEB have joined together to plan and conduct a Multi
Agency Continuity of Operations Exercise scheduled for May 2013. The event scenario for this
exercise which will include all federal Agencies in the metro Atlanta area is severe catastrophic
Tornado damage throughout the Atlanta and East Georgia areas. Planning for this event
included a Home Security Executive Education Seminar held on March 19, 2013 attended by
Agency Heads and senior executives from 28 Federal Agencies and representatives from the US
District Courts. The continuity related incident used as the foundation for this executive seminar
was a catastrophic tornado event approaching and then striking the metro Atlanta area.
Discussion included operational roles and coordination between federal Agencies, State and local
governments, and the private sector.
The Continuity of Operations exercise in May 2013 will include all of the Region 4
program offices working in cooperation with their counterparts in EPA Regions 3 and 5.
Specific exercise injects are being developed to test each program's response to damage from the
tornados. This will also be a Devolution of Operations exercise and program managers from the
3 EPA partner regions will work to test our readiness to continue mission essential functions by
staff from another Region if Region 4 cannot functions due to the damage.
B. Overview of Potential Climate Change Impacts
From the facilities and operations perspective, the vulnerabilities associated with climate
change encompass issues of energy, security, water quality and supply, severe weather damage,
personnel safety, physical security, and communication interruptions. These facilities and
operations support the broader agency mission of protecting air, water, and human health
through the provision of functional, appropriate, and safe working spaces for personnel. Beyond
the infrastructure and utilities that serve EPA rented or owned facilities and the operations that
support the function of those facilities, broader impacts of climate change on transportation and
communication systems are also vulnerabilities that EPA Region 4's could experience while
meeting agency goals. While telework policies are in place to address these vulnerabilities, the
magnitude of these impacts may extend to those alternate work locations, causing significant
disruption to employee work and ultimately the EPA Region 4 mission.
However, while operations may be vulnerable in the areas described above, EPA Region 4
has developed a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to maintain emergency functions should
any particular facility or location be compromised. This plan provides guidance for continued
uninterrupted operations and the performance of essential functions during emergency situations.
The COOP includes provisions for physical relocation from current facilities and resource
planning for up to 30 days.
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C. Region 4 Property Details
1. The SNAFC Building/Complex
The SNAFC Building is located on four acres in downtown Atlanta on the edge of the
central business district, at the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) Five
Point Station mass transit train system. SNAFC houses 1.1 million sq. ft. of office space and
103,000 sq. ft. of joint use spaces (daycare, fitness center, health Unit, cafeteria, conference
spaces, parking garage) occupied by 23 Federal Agencies. The complex consists of four
connected structures: a twenty-four story high-rise tower, a ten story mid-rise tower, a six story,
historic department store, restored to office use, and an eight story "Bridge" that spans the street
and links the high-rise and mid-rise office buildings. EPA Region 4 is housed in the high-rise
structure, occupying 330,000 rentable sq. ft. (RSF), on floors 9 through 16 and a 3rd floor bridge
Conference Center. The building is serviced by underground utilities for domestic water and
power/electricity and the natural gas is above. All building mechanical systems are on the roof
and the Bridge building has the exhaust and fresh air exchange with two air handler units per
floor in the Tower. Chillers are located in the basement.
2. SESD Laboratory
The Regional 4 laboratory, located at 980 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia, is built
on a hill at an elevation of 714 feet above mean sea level, obviating any risks of direct
flooding. Located on approximately eleven acres of land and is a single story structure of 57,760
RSF and open parking with covered boat/trailer parking structures. The SESD Laboratory is
Region 4's COOP site, located approximately 50 miles North of the SNAFC Complex. For
COOP preparedness, this Laboratory has been equipped with an emergency generator for back-
up power that provides power to all private offices and training room, library and TS rooms. The
emergency power is estimated to last 48 hours between refueling requirements. This time can be
extended by minimizing the laboratory operations and additional fuel deliveries. Water
reclamation systems and interstitial service corridors for serve and utilities between back-to-back
laboratories located adjacent to the ORD Laboratory. The Laboratory is connected to well water.
This Laboratory houses a mail and supply room for continued support during COOP activation.
3. SESD FEC
Located approximately 15 miles from the SESD Laboratory is a single story metal
structure, occupying 13,800 RSF. This is SESD's Field Equipment and Laboratory cleaning and
sterilization Center. This metal structure building has large bay doors and open parking.
4. ERRB Warehouse
Co-located property with connected structures in single-story building with open parking
and large bay doors. The space is a combination of office and warehouse space 15,120 RSF.
The Warehouse is approximately 20 miles North of the SNAFC Complex and is Region 4's
secondary COOP location for the executive leadership team.
5. WPD S. FL Office
Region 4 occupies 3,011 RSF on the first floor of the three-story structure that was the
former Florida Power and Light Hurricane Command Center. Region 4 is in the process of
downsizing this space to approximately 500 RSF for two remaining employees. All the utilities
and power lines are external, above ground utilities and power lines and often lose electricity
with limited emergency back-up power. EPA has an emergency battery UPS to maintain server,
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LAN and router connections. There is a Water Supply Lake approximately 1000 feet away and
an Intercoastal waters about 1 mile away that do not pose high threats for flooding.
6. Gulf of Mexico Program
The Gulf of Mexico Program, an EPA geographic program, occupies office space leased
from NASA at Stennis Space Center (SSC) in Hancock County, Mississippi. The leased space
is located on the 2nd floor of NASA Building 1100 (Main Administrative Bldg). NASA operates
and maintains the office building we occupy, as well as all other facilities and operations,
inclusive of security, fire and emergency services, police, highways, parking, power, water,
sewer, and climate control. NASA has redundant power supply to the Stennis Space Center from
two separate power grids located in the region. In 2012, we participated on a NASA SSC
Stakeholder Conference focused on understanding potential climate change impacts to the SSC
and beginning the adaptation planning process for the facility.
7. EPA's Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory campus
In the wake of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, six of the EPA's Gulf Ecology Division
Laboratory campus' 40 buildings were destroyed. Located on the 16-acre Sabine Island,
off the Florida Panhandle coast, it was especially vulnerable to Ivan's devastating winds
and rain. The destroyed buildings were rebuilt incorporating sustainable technologies to
protect it from coastal hazards and minimize its environmental footprint. Aluminum was
chosen as the primary roofing material since shingles tend to come loose in high winds. Its
light color reflects sunlight to keep cooling costs down. Local building codes required
windows to be equipped with storm shutters or made of high-impact glass. EPA selected
high-impact glass to provide safety and durability and added skylights to reduce artificial
lighting use. Because the buildings are exposed to frequent rain, high humidity, and
corrosive ocean spray, EPA selected a sturdy wood pulp, sand, and cement composite made
of recycled material for the building's siding. The siding is a reflective, UV-resistant,
white color. And a large porch lines the front to lower the building temperatures.155
VIII. Climate Change Impacts on the Most Vulnerable People
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities and the poor,
persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to
information, and tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts
of climate change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly
vulnerable, such as those located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's
efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation
plans to prioritize helping people, places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate
impacts, and to be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of
society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority
actions that will be taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this
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Plan is conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change will be identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these
communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These
efforts will be informed by experiences with previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane
Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in
planning and decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and
is further expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental
Programs on Indian Reservations and the 2011 Policy on Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribes. These policies recognize and support the sovereign decision-making
authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the
EPA. Tribes are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral
nature of the environment within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong
need to develop adaptation strategies that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of
climate change on Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the
Agency's Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing
issues as erosion, temperature change, drought and various changes in access to and
quality of water. Tribes recommended a number of tools and strategies to address these
issues, including improving access to data and information; supporting baseline research to
better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level education and
awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support At the same time,
tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so
that resources are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with
tribal governments on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address
their adaptation-related priorities. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the
expertise provide by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future
impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to
adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy,
TEK is viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate
change issues, including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals and the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP}.
Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and Program Offices in
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EPA, since climate change has many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries.
Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage activities
already taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
A. Children
Children are likely to suffer disproportionally from both the direct and indirect adverse
health effects of climate change.156 Children are more vulnerable to environmental health risks
resulting because of their developing systems, immature body organs, and weaker immune
systems. Young children breathe more rapidly and inhale more air relative to their body weight
than adults. Their metabolic rate is faster and they proportionately consume more fluids and
food than that of adults. Their kidneys excrete toxicants and wastes at a slower pace compared to
adults. Children are less able to protect themselves and their behavior, such as crawling on the
ground and putting hands and foreign objects into their mouths, exposes them to different
environmental hazards.
The Region's CEH Program goals are aligned with EPA's strategic goals of improving air
and water quality, cleaning up communities, ensuring the safety of chemicals and preventing
pollution. With the support of the Region's Program Offices and partnership with other
organizations, the CEH program has conducted education and outreach and supported
interventions at schools, daycare centers and in communities throughout the Region. The
program has also provided support to address children's health hazards associated with
environmental disasters or in higher risk communities.
1. Air Quality
The climate-change aspect of rising temperatures may detrimentally impact air quality in
Region 4 by increasing ground-level or "bad" ozone formation, formed by nitrogen oxides
chemically reacting with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight.157 Ground-level
ozone is the major ingredient of smog and may lead to detrimental effects to children's health,
particularly asthmatics. When children spend time outdoors during high-level ozone days, they
may become more vulnerable to ozone health effects,158 which include wheezing and coughing,
inflammation of airways, lung function impairment, and infections in the lower respiratory
tract.159
Changes in long-term weather patterns may result in more wildfires and drier soils, and
increased emissions of smoke and dust-related particulate matter. When inhaled, fine particles
associated with wildfire smoke and dry-soil dust can cause serious respiratory health problems of
coughing and breathing difficulty, lung-function impairment, asthma attacks, and chronic
bronchitis.160 Rates of preterm births, low birth weight, and infant mortality have been found to
increase in those communities with high particulate pollution exposure.161
2. Indoor Air
In the United States, children spend an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors.162 The
anticipated climate change attributes of heavy rains, increasing temperatures, and high-humidity
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cycles will facilitate this trend. Consequently children will likely have increased exposure with
identified indoor air agents of concern: heat and biological materials - pollen, molds and
infectious agents, and air pollutants.163
3. Infectious Diseases
The expected changes in temperatures and rainfall in Region 4's climate is likely to facilitate
the growth, survival, and transmission of vector-borne infectious diseases. Vector-borne is a term
used to describe disease transmission by insects, animals, birds, and other living organism.
Emergence of new infectious diseases, and changes in the evolution and geographic ranges of
pests, infectious agents, and disease vectors, may lead to shifting patterns of indoor pesticide use
and creation of new pesticides. The Region anticipates children may be detrimentally affected by
anticipated changes in both indoor and outdoor pesticide use.
4. Flooding
The Atlantic and Gulf coasts are vulnerable to storms and hurricanes. Six of the eight states
that have the experienced highest number of hurricanes are in Region 4.164 Vulnerable
populations, such as children, the elderly, and pregnant women could experience both direct and
indirect consequences of floods. Direct exposures result in risks for drowning, injuries from
debris, chemical contamination, and hypothermia. There are also risks associated with the
damage done by the water to the natural and built environments which include infectious
diseases, carbon monoxide poisoning, respiratory problems, malnutrition, physical and mental
trauma, poverty related diseases, and diseases associated with displaced populations.
5. Clean Water
Warmer seas could contribute to the increased intensity, duration, and extent of harmful algal
blooms. Harmful algal blooms also occur in freshwaters, and as these waters warm it is expected
algal blooms will increase in frequency and intensity. Children are especially vulnerable when
they swim in surface waters, and eat contaminated shellfish because their immune systems are
developing and they consume more food and drink more water-per-pound of body weight than
adults.
6. Safe Drinking Water
Lack of safe drinking water may cause gastrointestinal diseases that may be fatal for some or
detrimentally impact other children's health.165 The climate change aspects of extreme and
severe weather may result in the breakdown of sanitation and sewer systems resulting in
exposure to unsafe flood and storm water exposure and unsafe drinking water increasing the
potential for children's exposure to disease-causing organisms, such as gastroenteritis and
infectious diarrhea.
7. Impacts on Region 4 Children's Environmental Health (CEH) Program
While the CEH program focuses on reducing environmental health threats to our most
vulnerable populations, adequate resources and regulatory authority may present impediments in
addressing the multitude of potential environmental health issues that may result from the
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impacts of climate change. Region 4's CEH Program has some tools and resources to conduct or
promote limited educational, outreach and intervention activities addressing CEH issues
associated with climate change. The CEH program will have to develop additional tools and
resources to address the unique concerns facing the most vulnerable groups in the most
vulnerable communities.
B. Elderly Population
The vulnerable population, in addition to children, includes the elderly. Elderly is usually
defined as those adults who are 65 years of age or older. Approximately 13.8 % of the population
within Region 4 is elderly according to the 2010 US Census with Florida having the largest
number of elderly. The projections for 2020 show an increasing trend in population growth for
every state.
Percent 65 Years and Over For Region 4 States:
1980 to 2020
01
o
-a
ra
in
Ul
c
01
Q.
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Source: US Bureau of the
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
• Alabama
11.3
12.9
13.2
13.8
16.7
• Florida
17.3
18.2
19.6
21.0
25.6
Georgia
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.7
15.0
• Kentucky
11.2
12.6
12.8
13.5
16.9
• Mississippi
11.5
12.4
12.7
13.4
16.6
North Carolina
10.3
12.1
13.1
14.4
18.1
South Carolina
9.2
11.3
12.3
13.3
16.8
Tennessee
11.3
12.6
12.9
14.0
17.6
United States
11.3
12.5
12.8
13.3
15.7
The elderly are very vulnerable and susceptible to the effects of climate change that cause
extreme weather conditions such as floods, storm surges, high winds, heat waves and hurricanes.
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In general, the elderly are very vulnerable due to various physiological, psychological, and
socioeconomic factors that they cope during these extreme weather conditions.
Physiologically, they are already having higher prevalence of certain chronic diseases,
medical conditions, and functional limitations that are exacerbated and impairments aggravated.
An increase in ground-level ozone that occurs with climate change can lead to respiratory
problems, such as asthma, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD),
premature mortality. In addition, an increased number of emergency room visits and hospital
admissions are experienced among the older adults. Extreme heat can induce heat-related
mortality, heat exhaustion, heat strokes, dehydration, acute renal failure, and cardiopulmonary
diseases.
Psychologically, the elderly are affected because of their functional limitations and
mobility impairments that are present due to their decline in muscle strength, coordination, and
cognitive functions that have occurred from illness, chronic diseases, or injuries in the older
adults. The elderly are very sensitive to any extreme changes and environmental exposures
resulting in decreased adaptive capacity to mentally adapt to these changes.
Socioeconomically, the older adults, especially, those living in poverty are deeply
affected by not able to pay for air conditioning or well-constructed housing which would have
helped them handle the extreme heat waves and hotter days. The elderly also have difficulties to
access adequate transportation or other social services when needed during times of crises.
Finally, they might not have sufficient financial support with lack of insurance and limited
personal finances that lead to elderly not able to cope.
C. Environmental Justice
Empirical studies have shown that certain types of communities tend to suffer a
disproportionate impact of environmental harms causing health-related concerns. Race and
income distribution are the two most important determinants of an environmental justice
community. EPA defines environmental justice as "the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the
development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and
policies."166
Climate change poses special environmental justice challenges for communities that are
already overburdened with pollution and environmentally-related illnesses. One challenge is a
population's ability to prepare, respond, and recover when a disaster does occur. Hurricane
Katrina helps illustrate the issue of environmental justice in the Southeast. When Hurricane
Katrina struck Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, it struck the three poorest states in the
country; two of the states are located in Region 4.167 The people most disproportionally impacted
by the flooding and destruction of Hurricane Katrina were disadvantaged, mainly black
communities.168
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In general, environmental justice communities tend to be located next to or near potentially
harmful areas. The charts below present the poverty status and racial demographics in Region 4
states.169
Subject
REGION IV STATES
Population (as of April 1, 2010)
Population for whom poverty
status is determined
Under 18 years
Related children under 18 years
65 years and over
White alone, not Hispanic or
Latino
Hispanics
Minority
Total
61,082,315
59,932,739
14,044,902
13,933,500
8,424,993
38,137,978
6,692,784
21,794,761
Below
Poverty Level
-
10,067,497
3,564,293
3,515,407
860,595
4,809,917
1,734,054
5,797,580
Percent
below
Poverty Level
-
17.7%
25.4%
25.2%
10.2%
12.6%
25.9%
26.6%
Considering all the individual states in Region 4, the poverty status for children, elderly
people, and minority is highest in the state of Mississippi.170 Poverty status for these same
categories, on average across the Region, is high in the states of Alabama, Kentucky, South
Carolina, and Tennessee.171
Total Population
% White
% Black
% Asian
% American Indian
% Other Race
% Multiracial
% Minority
% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
61,082,315
70.8
21.3
2.1
0.5
3.2
2.1
36.2
11.1
Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi have the highest percent minority of all the individual
states in Region 4.172 Florida also has the highest percent Hispanic or Latino of any race.173
Environmental justice communities are concerned with the air pollutants contributing to the
issue of climate change, in particular the coal-fired power plants that emit greenhouse gases and
contribute to coal ash that must be stored and disposed. Mercury, arsenic and lead are also of
major concerns. According to the American Lung Association, African-Americans are twice as
likely to die from asthma attacks and Puerto Ricans have the highest asthma prevalence.174
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Moreover, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-Pacific Islander women who were pregnant
were much likely than pregnant White women to live in areas with higher levels of air
pollution.175
Climate change will have an adverse effect on human health, especially within environmental
justice communities. Some of the human health consequences of climate change include asthma,
respiratory allergies, and airway diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke, food borne
diseases and nutrition, heat and weather-related morbidity and mortality, and waterborne
diseases.176
D. Tribal Governments
The United States has a unique legal relationship with Tribal governments based on the
Constitution, treaties, statutes, Executive Orders, and court decisions. This relationship includes
recognition of the right of Tribes as sovereign governments to self-determination, and an
acknowledgment of the federal government's trust responsibility to Tribes. EPA works with
federally-recognized Tribes on a government to government basis and, in keeping with the
federal trust responsibility, consults with and carefully considers the interest of Tribes when
making decisions and taking actions that may have Tribal impacts.177
Tribal communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts, largely
as a result of their close connection to the land, water, and natural resources. Tribes have limited
relocation options due to reservation boundaries, and often depend upon their traditional
homelands for natural resources to sustain economic, cultural, and spiritual practices. The
accumulated knowledge and understanding of a Tribe's environmental connection with their
homelands, or Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), is intrinsically linked to Tribal cultural
practices and threats to resources on which they depend.178 A combination of qualitative data,
gathered with TEK, and western science is needed to comprehensively understand and address
Tribal climate change impacts. In Region 4, shifting habitats of to traditional food sources and
medicinal plants have been observed based on TEK.
Economic impacts related to climate change are also anticipated. For example, the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians manages a successful commercial trout fishery that attracts
thousands of fishermen to the area year-round. North Carolina trout populations are predicted to
experience significant reduction as a result of climate change; the estimated welfare loss is $5.63
to $53.18 per angler per single occasion.179 A loss of this magnitude could drastically impact the
viability of the Tribe's fishery program and overall economic well-being.
There are six federally-recognized Tribes in Region 4: Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Catawba Indian Nation, Seminole Tribe of
Florida, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and Poarch Band of Creek Indians (Figure
below). Each Tribe is geographically diverse with unique government structures, priorities and
challenges. EPA is committed to strengthening its partnership with Tribes on priorities related to
climate change adaptation and to supporting the development of Tribal adaptive capacity.180 The
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vulnerabilities listed below identify potential areas in which Region 4's ability to be responsive
to Tribal climate change adaptation priorities and adaptive capacity building needs may be
impacted.
EPA Region 4 Federally-Recognized Tribes
Band 01 Cltoctflw
Scmlnolo Tflb* of Florida
r Tfitws at Indtarn- '"V* J
1. Resources
Tribal environmental programs are severely understaffed and underfunded. In some cases,
Region 4 Tribal environmental departments are staffed by as few as two environmental
professionals responsible for the development and implementation of environmental programs.
Fiscal Year 2015 EPA funding needs for Region 4 Tribes are estimated at$ 9.7M; Tribes are
currently funded at less than 25% of the projected need.181 Anticipated Region 4 resource
vulnerabilities include:
• Lack of funding to assist Tribes in climate change adaptation planning and related activities,
such as increased air quality monitoring due to the potential of more frequent wildfires.
• Increased demand for technical resources, such as access to climate change information, tools
and professionals, as well as innovative approaches to assist in developing climate change
adaptation plans or address climate change priorities due to limited staff availability at Tribal
level.
• Increased demand for training and information dissemination regarding climate change
adaptation and potential adverse effects of climate change.
2. Education and Outreach
Tribes are subject to geographical impacts and, as sovereign nations, have unique government
structures, planning processes, and capabilities for adaptation and response. Generally, there are
few resources available to EPA for ascertaining regional and individual Tribal climate change
impacts, priorities, and readiness capabilities. Anticipated Region 4 education and outreach
vulnerabilities include:
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• General lack of staff education and awareness of climate change priorities and impacts unique
to Region 4 Tribes, including those related to Tribal boundaries and economic, cultural and
spiritual practices.
• Lack of knowledge of existing Tribal climate change readiness and adaptive capacity.
• General lack of staff education, awareness and incorporation of TEK in Agency decision-
making and planning, including traditional practices that may exclude climate change
adaptation planning.
3. Communication and Collaboration
Climate change related priorities, responsibilities and activities vary by governmental agency.
Tribes work with federal, state and local governments, and are often required to be responsive to
complementary or duplicative requests for consultation and information sharing. Anticipated
Region 4 communication and collaboration vulnerabilities include:
• Need for increased federal coordination and collaboration to share climate change adaptation
efforts, as well as to inform, discuss and consult with Tribes on climate change actions,
concerns, interests and priorities. Federal coordination, collaboration and consultation have
been requested by Region 4 Tribes.
• Need for increased cross-program coordination and collaboration to inform, discuss and
consult with Tribes on EPA and Region 4 specific climate change actions, decisions, and
opportunities, such as adaptation planning process and anticipated climate change impacts to
the Region.
• Jurisdictional challenges with adjacent local and state governments may impact collaboration
opportunities and access to resources.
IX. Vulnerability Assessment Table
See Appendix A.
128 Final draft U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plan (June 29, 2012).
129 EPA's five national strategic goals are outlined in the "Fiscal Year 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan," September
30, 2010, http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.
130 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on
the United States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology.)
131 Id.
132 Chang, H.H., J. Zhou, and M. Fuentes, 2010: Impact of climate change on ambient ozone level and mortality in
southeastern United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7, 2866-2880.
133 Id.
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134 On December 14, 2012, the EPA strengthened the annual PM2 5 NAAQS from 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter
(ug/m3) to 12.0 ug/m3.
135 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on
the United States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology.
136 Gramley, M. 2005. Fire in the South: A Report by the Southern Group of State Foresters. Winder GA: Southern
Group of State Foresters, http://216.226.177.78/PDFs/fire in the south.pdf (accessed January 15, 2012). See also
the Southeast Climate Assessment (Ingram, K.T., K. Dow, L. Carter (2012): Southeast Regional Technical Report
to the National Climate Assessment.
137 Barnard, W., W.Sabo. 2003. Review of 1999 NEI (version 2, final) and recommendations for developing the 2002
VISTAS inventory for regional haze modeling (area and point sources). Prepared for VISTAS, Asheville, NC,
U.S.A. See also the Southeast Climate Assessment (Ingram, K.T., K. Dow, L. Carter (2012): Southeast Regional
Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment.
138 Rappold, A.G. Peat Bog Wildfire Smoke Exposure in Rural North Carolina Is Associated with Cardiopulmonary
Emergency Department Visits Assessed through Syndromic Surveillance., 10: Environmental Health Perspectives,
2011. See also the Southeast Climate Assessment (Ingram, K.T., K. Dow, L. Carter (2012): Southeast Regional
Technical Report to the National Climate Assessment.
139 JFSP 2013 Funding Announcement, http://www.firescience.gov/AFPs/13-l-01/13-l-
01 RFA Announcement.pdf.
140 JFSP 2013 Funding Announcement, http://www.firescience.gov/AFPs/13-l-01/13-l-
01 RFA Announcement.pdf.
141 Climate Change, Indoor Air Quality And Health Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of
Radiation and Indoor Air (August 24, 2010) By Paula Schenck, MPH A. Karim Ahmed, PhD Anne Bracker, MPH,
CIH Robert DeBernardo, MD, MBA, MPH, Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine University of
Connecticut Health Center Section for Indoor Environments and Health. Available at
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/uconn climate health.pdf
142 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2011).
143 Id.
144 The Coastline of the U.S. (NOAA/PA 71046; 1975).
145 USD A, ERS based on data from the 2002 Census of Agriculture.
146 http://fiatools.fs.fed.us/fido/ (2004/2005 estimates).
147 Estuaries of the United States, Vital Statistics of a National Resource Base, NOAA, National Ocean Service,
October 1990.
148 Wetlands Losses in the U.S., 1780's to 1980's, Report to Congress, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
149 http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/2012-National-Water-Program-Strategy.cfm
National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change (2008).
151 http://www.epa.gov/regionl/superfund/er/oilstor.html.
152 http://www.epa.gov/oust/cat/ca 11 34.pdf
153 http://scenarios.globalchange.gov/regions/southeast-and-caribbean
154 http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/USA.php
155 Sustainable Facilities at EPA: The Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory, Computational and Geospatial Sciences
(COS) building http://www.epa.gov/oaintmt/documents/gulfJ5reeze_green_report_508.pdf
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156 Pediatrics, Global Climate Change and Children's Health, Committee on Environmental Health, 2007;120; 1149,
Available at http://pediatrics.aappublications.Org/content/120/5/1149.full.pdf Pediatrics, Global Climate Change and
Children's Health, Committee on Environmental Health, 2007;120; 1149, Available at
http://pediatrics.aappublications.Org/content/120/5/1149.full.pdf
157 Climate Change A. Osborne, Climate Change and Children's Environmental Health, ENRI-506, Extension
Associate for Environmental and Natural Resource Issues, University of Kentucky (July 2008), available at
http://www.ca.uky.edu/enri/CEH/ENRI%20506.pdf
158 Id.
159 Climate Change & Children's Health (December 2009) EPA-100-K-09-008.
160 Climate Change & Children's Health (December 2009) EPA-100-K-09-008.
161 Kim JJ. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Health. Ambient Air Pollution:
Health Hazards to Children. Pediatrics. 2004; 1699-1 707
162 Climate Change, Indoor Air Quality And Health, prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of
Radiation and Indoor Air (August 24, 2010) By Paula Schenck, MPH A. Karim Ahmed, PhD Anne Bracker, MPH,
CIH Robert DeBernardo, MD, MBA, MPH, Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine University of
Connecticut Health Center Section for Indoor Environments and Health. Available at
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/uconn climate health.pdf
163 Id.
164 Blake, E., Jarrell; I; Rappaport, E., U.S. Mainland Hurricane Strikes by State, 1851-2004, NOAA Technical
Memorandum NWS TPC-4. Available at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/paststate.shtml
165 A. Osborne, Climate Change and Children's Environmental Health, ENRI-506, Extension Associate for
Environmental and Natural Resource Issues, University of Kentucky (July 2008), available at
http://www.ca.ukv.edu/enri/CEH/ENRI%20506.pdf
lee office of Environmental Justice website: http://epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/index.html
167 Congressional Research Service Report for Congress. November 5, 2005. Hurricane Katrina: Social-
Demographic Characteristics of Impacted Areas.
168 Id.
169 US Census Bureau website: http://www.census.gov/
170 Id.
171 Id.
172 Id.
173 Id.
174 Congressional Research Service Report for Congress. November 5, 2005. Hurricane Katrina: Social-
Demographic Characteristics of Impacted Areas.
175 Id.
176 National Institute of Environmental Health Services. A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change: A Report
Outlining the Research Needs on the Health Effect of Climate Change, www.niehs.nih.gov/climatereport.
177 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations, 1984;
http://www.epa.gov/indian/pdf/indian-policy-84.pdf
178 National EPA Tribal Science Council,
http://epa.gov/osp/tribes/pdf/Integration TEKEnvironmentalSciencePolicvDecisionMaking%20Tribal%20Prioritv
Final.pdf
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179 SoEun Ahn, et al., Economic Analysis of the Potential Impact of Climate Change on Recreational Trout Fishing
in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, pp 493-509, Climate Change (2000), Volume 45 Issue 3-4
180 Draft EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan, June 29, 2012.
181 Region 4 RTOC Environmental Priorities; National Tribal Caucus presentation, March 2013
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PART 3
PRIORITY ACTIONS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION 80
II. EPA REGION 4'S ADAPTATION STRATEGY 81
A. ADAPTATION: ACTIONS TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO UNAVOIDABLE CHANGES 81
B. EDUCATION: ACTIONS TO INFORM INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS 82
III. FY 2011-2015 EPA STRATEGIC PLAN MEASURES 82
A. GOAL 1- TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND IMPROVING AIR QUALITY WITHIN REGION 4 83
1. Ozone 83
2. Paniculate matter 83
B. GOAL 2-PROTECTING EPA REGION 4's WATERS 83
1. Watershed Planning 84
2. Water Quality Standards 84
3. Water Quality Monitoring, Assessing and Reporting 84
4. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) 84
5. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 84
6. Non-Point Source (NPS) 84
7. Wetlands (CWA 404) 85
8. Dredging/Ocean Dumping 85
9. National Estuary Program and South Florida 85
10. Drinking Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Infrastructure 85
11. Drinking Water Quality 85
C. GOAL 3-CLEANING UP COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 86
1. Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Time-Critical Removal, RCRA Corrective
Action, TSCA) and RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Facilities 86
2. Emergency Response Program 86
3. RCRA and Brownfields 86
4. Oil Program (e.g., Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC)/Facility Response Plans (FRP)
Facilities) 87
D. GOAL 4- ENSURING THE SAFETY OF CHEMICALS AND PREVENTING POLLUTION 87
E. GOALS- ENFORCING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS WITHIN REGION 4 87
1. The Office of NEPA 87
IV. PROTECT EPA'S FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS 88
A. CLIMATE EVENTS 88
B. SUSTAINABILITY 88
V. FACTOR LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS INTO ADAPTATION EFFORTS 89
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VI. STRENGTHEN ERA'S STAFF AND PARTNERS' ADAPTIVE CAPACITY THROUGH TRAINING 89
VII. PARTNER WITH TRIBES TO INCREASE THEIR ADAPTIVE CAPACITY 90
A) RESOURCES 90
B) EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 90
c) COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 91
VIM. FOCUS ON MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE AND PLACES 92
A) CHILDREN'S HEALTH PRIORITY ACTIONS 92
B) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE 92
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I. Introduction
The EPA's draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan identified nine agency-wide priorities for
integrating climate change adaptation into its programs, polices, rules, and operations.182 EPA's
priorities are to:
• Fulfill the FY 2011 -2015 EPA Strategic Plan measures.
• Protect EPA's facilities and operations.
• Factor legal considerations into adaptation efforts.
• Strengthen EPA's staff and partners' adaptive capacity through training.
• Develop decision-support tools to facilitate EPA staff and partners' integration of climate-
change adaptation planning into their programs and operations.
• Identify cross-EPA climate adaptation science needs.
• Partner with tribes to increase their adaptive capacity.
• Focus on most vulnerable people and places.
• Measure and evaluate performance.
The Regions have been tasked with using the Agency's draft plan as guidance for their
respective independent, stand alone plans.183 The Regions have been requested to clearly
articulate our criteria used to identify priority actions since limited and uncertain resources make
it impossible to undertake all our proposed actions. According to the Agency's draft plan,
Regional priority actions could range from addressing those vulnerabilities identified in the
Region's vulnerability assessment to building Regional staff adaptive capacity through training.
Some of the criteria Region 4 considered included, but were not limited to:
• Does the action support and align with other Region 4 priorities and actions, i.e.
Strategic Plans?
• Is the action a priority for our partners?
• Does the action have an impact on reducing risk?
• Does the action protect a critical resource/investment?
• Is EPA uniquely situated to address the action?
• When is the climate risk likely to occur?
• Can the action be accomplished within current budget?
• Will the action be sustainable/durable?
Region 4 identified priority actions it could take to ensure that we can continue to accomplish
our mission and operate at our multiple locations. The following priorities represent EPA Region
4's commitment to address the known programmatic vulnerabilities and to continue to identify
other vulnerabilities that may occur over time due to climate change. By listing an action as a
priority, the Region is not making a budgetary commitment to take or complete that action or to
take or complete it by a particular point in time. The Region's ability will depend on resource
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availability - which is uncertain. The Region has proposed actions it thinks are consistent with
its role as a Regional office and can do as resources are available or when it can accomplish the
priority concurrent with or as part of its ongoing activities.
As Regional Offices have been developing their priority actions, two categories of priority
actions have emerged: region specific and "national-level" priority actions. The "national-level"
priority actions are those that must be taken before the Regional Offices can appropriately
implement climate change adaptation within their region. Appendix B is Region 4's Priority
Action Matrix that identifies each priority action as a National and/or region specific action and
notes whether Region 4 will need more coordination, policy, and/or guidance from EPA
Headquarters.
II. EPA Region 4's Adaptation Strategy184
Region 4 is currently updating its Fiscal Year 2013-14 Draft Energy and Climate Change
Strategy (Strategy) to describe the actions it would pursue to help the Southeastern United States
address clean energy and climate change challenges. Two sections of this Strategy, Adaptation
and Education, address the Region's concentration on climate change adaptation. In performing
this work, the Region will use good science and state of the art analysis and will work to
continually improve its ability to measure positive change. The Region will also continually
evaluate and, as appropriate, adjust our base regulatory and assistance programs to account for
climate change.
A. Adaptation: Actions to Understand and Respond to Unavoidable
Changes
The Region 4 will assist its state, local, and tribal governments and Federal resource
managers to prepare for and respond to climate-related changes such as sea-level rise, weather-
related impacts on agriculture, changes in water quality and availability, and impacts on human
health and ecosystems. Specifically, as budgets allow, the Region will work with its
stakeholders to develop and implement strategies to respond to local concerns and to share these
methods with other communities through such potential actions as:
• Promote EPA's Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership that encourages states to
develop and implement cost-effective clean energy and environmental strategies.
• Promote EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities and Climate Ready Estuaries programs that
aid respective water sectors to understand climate science and adaptation options, as well as
assess climate change vulnerabilities, implement adaptation strategies, educate stakeholders,
and share lessons learned.
• Promote the Sun Wise Program to teach the public how to protect themselves from
overexposure to the sun through the use of classroom-, school-, and community-based tools.
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• Reduce the potential for wildfires and limit impacts on particulate matter air quality through
prescribed fire and smoke management efforts with the Southeast Regional Partnership for
Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS).
• Work with local/state/federal emergency preparedness and response counterparts and
businesses to develop and implement strategies to address adaptive measures needed for
climate-related changes and work with state and industry to add enhanced emergency
planning in operating permits.
• Promote the Southeastern Ecological Framework as a tool for evaluating and adapting to
climate change impacts on important ecosystems and services across eight Southeastern
states.
B. Education: Actions to Inform Internal and External Stakeholders
Region 4 will work to educate internal and external stakeholders on the science of climate
change, energy efficiency and conservation, mitigation and adaptation activities, and
revitalization through the following potential actions:
• Implementing activities that support national Climate for Action Education and Outreach
Campaign.
• Working with the Region's National Estuary Programs and other coastal communities to
assess vulnerabilities from and to adapt to climate change impacts.
• Promoting EPA's Smart Growth program to help communities grow in ways that expand
economic opportunity, protect public health and the environment, and create and enhance the
places that people want to live and work.
• Promoting the revitalization of contaminated land to productive environmental and economic
reuse, with an emphasis on green technologies.
• Implementing additional activities that educate the public on climate change.
III. FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan measures
The following is Region 4's discussion on a goal by goal basis of possible priority actions
the Region may take to integrate climate change adaptation into its programs and operations. In
general, the Region does not engage in rule making activities with the exception of TMDL
development, Offshore Dredged Material Disposal Site designations, and SIPs? For these
limited rule making opportunities, the Region can incorporate as appropriate and consistent with
Program Office guidance the best available climate change adaptation science to inform its
decision making.
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A. Goal 1- Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air
Quality within Region 4
Region 4 will pursue the following Region-specific actions to address climate change
vulnerabilities related to our goal Improving Air Quality.
1. Ozone
Tropospheric (ground level) ozone pollution is likely to increase in Region 4 due to
increased temperatures in the future. The Region will work with its partners at the state, local,
and tribal levels to help them meet the ozone NAAQS.
o Work with other Regions and HQ air program managers to develop a strategy, in
context to other programmatic priorities, on how to incorporate climate adaptation
into air quality programs (e.g., SIP, permits).
o Criteria considerations impacts are medium for timing, medium for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for physical.
2. Particulate matter
High local PM events are likely to increase due to changes in frequency or intensity of
wildfires. The Region will work with its partners at the state, local, and tribal levels to help them
reduce the potential for increased wildfires and limit the impacts on air quality.
o Mitigation actions can be implemented to reduce the potential for wildfires and
resulting PM impacts. These actions include increased use of prescribed fires or
alternative treatment options (e.g., mechanical clearing or herbicide treatments) to
reduce the build-up of fuel loads in areas prone to wildfires.
o Smoke management is one of the important issues related to both wildfire and
prescribed fire management. In the Southeast, Region 4 participates in a partnership
of federal and state agencies called the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning
and Sustainability (SERPPAS). EPA has worked with the other partner agencies to
develop a document containing Smoke Management Recommendations for
prescribed fire. These recommendations could be applied more broadly to promote
awareness of use of prescribed fire, which will reduce wildfire potential while also
minimizing impacts on PM air quality. (Region-specific action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are medium for timing, medium for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for physical.
B. Goal 2 - Protecting EPA Region 4's Waters
Region 4 has identified the following actions to begin to address climate change
vulnerabilities related to our goal of Protecting America's Waters. Many of these actions will
benefit from the development and implementation of appropriate national guidance to promote
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consistency across the states. The Region will implement these actions in coordination with any
related national guidance.
1. Watershed Planning
Encourage green infrastructure and low-impact development to protect water quality, to
make watersheds more resilient and to reduce the demand for additional water resources.
Work with USGS to become knowledgeable in the best methods to model for current and
projected low flow and high flow conditions in gauged and ungauged rivers and streams.
2. Water Quality Standards
Use the Triennial Review of state water quality standards to work with states and tribes
on changes in stream use classification or standards, where necessary, due to climate
change induced increasing temperatures or changes in stream flow.
Encourage states and tribes to develop appropriate coordination processes between
water quality and water supply decisions to ensure proper implementation of state water
quality standards.
3. Water Quality Monitoring, Assessing and Reporting
Evaluate Region 4 states' and tribes' current monitoring and assessment practices to
encourage the capturing of extreme low flow or other climate related conditions,
including: 1) appropriate biological monitoring and assessment techniques, and 2) water
monitoring system design.
Work with states, tribes, and other water monitoring partners to help establish a long term
monitoring program to track potential changes in temperature, flow, aquatic biological
communities, habitat, and chemical constituents that are occurring over time at important
sentinel reference sites in the SE Region.
4. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL)
Guidance from the Office of Water on methods and approaches is needed prior to the
Region identifying specific regional actions.
5. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Encourage States to update fact sheets at permit reissuance to include the most up-to-date
critical low flow as possible and to calculate reasonable potential based on those values.
Continue to work with states on the incorporation of green infrastructure components in
MS4 permitting.
6. Non-Point Source (NPS)
Work with states and tribes to include climate change adaptation provisions in revised
Nonpoint Source Management Plans to provide flexibility to fund programs and projects
to assess, evaluate, plan and implement climate change adaptations.
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7. Wetlands (CWA 404)
• Consider the effects of climate change as appropriate when evaluating Least
Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternatives (LEDPA) in the context of CWA
Section 404 Wetlands Permitting.
• Ensure water conservation and efficiency measures are considered, where appropriate, as
part of wetlands 404 permitting before new water resource projects are approved.
8. Dredging/Ocean Dumping
• Promote the beneficial use of suitable dredged material to support environmentally sound
projects to protect from sea level rise and storm surge.
• Develop protocols to address the likely increase in emergency dredging from hurricanes
of increased intensity and other extreme precipitation events that may cause unexpected
sedimentation and shoaling.
9. National Estuary Program and South Florida
• Promote the Climate Ready Estuary program in Region 4 National Estuary Programs
(NEPs).
• Promote the development of NEP coastal watershed management plans that consider
climate change.
• Promote the development of vulnerability assessments by Region 4 NEPs.
• Work with the NEP's to revise and update the NEP Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plans (CCMPs) to address vulnerabilities to climate change.
• Work with the Gulf of Mexico Program Office, Region 6 and the Gulf of Mexico
Alliance to address climate change in projects and programs under the BP Deepwater
Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restore Act procedures.
• Work with the Governor's South Atlantic Alliance to include climate change
considerations into South Atlantic Alliance efforts.
• Continue to work with Monroe County, Florida (Florida Keys) to implement climate
change in water quality management planning for protection of the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary.
10. Drinking Water, Wastewater and Storm water Infrastructure
• Guidance from the Office of Water on methods and approaches is needed prior to the Region
identifying specific regional actions.
11. Drinking Water Quality
• Include assistance to the utilities in developing vulnerability assessments to the
anticipated effects of climate changes through the Region's Energy Management
Initiative to reduce energy consumption at wastewater and drinking water utilities.
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C. Goal 3 - Cleaning up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development
1. Longer-term Cleanups (e.g., Superfund Remedial, Superfund Time-
Critical Removal, RCRA Corrective Action, TSCA) and RCRA Hazardous Waste
Management Facilities
• Identify and assess the potential vulnerability of NPL sites within delineated GIS-mapped
zones (i.e., sea level rise, flooding due to storm surge, and flooding due to higher
precipitation events) based on a consideration of site-specific factors (e.g., local
topography, design and duration of cleanup remedies, potential risk to the cleanup).
• Based on the findings from the evaluation of potentially vulnerable NPL sites, develop an
action plan to evaluate the vulnerability of other contaminated sites (e.g., brownfields,
Superfund Time-Critical Removal, RCRA corrective action) and RCRA Hazardous
Waste Management Facilities.
• In conjunction with tribes and state agencies, initiate an interagency dialog to plan and
coordinate efforts to consider climate change impacts at contaminated site cleanups and
RCRA hazardous waste management facilities.
• Incorporate energy efficiency and conservation into green site remediation practices
funded by EPA, and encourage efficiency and conservation in actions conducted by
responsible parties.
2. Emergency Response Program
• Utilize GIS-based mapping tools to locate potentially vulnerable critical public
infrastructure (e.g., drinking water facilities, waste water treatment facilities) and sources
of potential hazardous material releases (e.g., oil facilities) to aid in planning for and
responding to emergency events.
• Conduct an assessment of the hazardous waste disposal infrastructure to determine
whether it can manage potential disposal needs during a changing climate and whether
facility operations will be impacted (e.g. accessibility, capacity, and disposal techniques).
3. RCRA and Brownfields
• Expand green remediation practices such as those which promote waste reduction,
materials re-use and recycling, energy and water efficiency and conservation, use of
alternate and renewable energies, and promotion of cleaner or reduced emissions.
• Integrate materials recovery principles, practices and programs into the Region's
Brownfields and Revitalization program and projects.
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4. Oil Program (e.g., Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure
(SPCC)/ Facility Response Plans (FRP) Facilities)
• Create layers in GIS to enhance existing mapping tools demonstrating potential impact
areas, flood zones, storm surge areas etc.
• Identify SPCC and FRP facilities within EPA Region 4 and include in updated mapping
tools.
• Include consideration of climate change impacts in EPA Region 4 management reviews
of current and future SPCC and FRP facilities.
D. Goal 4 - Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
Promote EPA's Green Building and Sustainable Materials Management challenge
programs to encourage healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction,
renovation, operation, maintenance and demolition of buildings.
E. Goal 5 - Enforcing Environmental Laws within Region 4
1. The Office of NEPA
Section 309 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) confers upon EPA broad review responsibilities for
federal actions. It authorizes EPA to review certain proposed actions of other federal agencies in
accordance with NEPA and to make these reviews public. If the proposing agency does not
make sufficient revisions such that the project remains environmentally unsatisfactory, EPA may
refer the matter to the Council of Environmental Quality.
The EPA Administrator has delegated to the Office of Federal Activities, the national
program manager role, and the ten Regional Administrators for review of specific regional
actions. Materials Which EPA Reviews Under Section 309 Authority include, proposed
legislation and regulation, Environmental assessment (EA), Environmental impact
statement(EIS), draft and final, any proposal that the lead agency maintains does not require an
EIS but that EPA believes constitutes a major federal action significantly affecting the
environment so as to require an EIS.
Region 4's Office of NEPA will
• Work to with NEPA to appropriately incorporate climate change into their environmental
assessments and to promote consistency with respective Climate Change Adaptation
plans.
• Region will work with other federal agencies to appropriately address vulnerable people
and places as they are impacted by climate change.
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The above actions were identified because they can be incorporated into the Region's NEPA
staff routine activities. The Region NEPA Office often assists federal agencies implementing
major federal actions having significant environmental impacts to identify appropriate
alternatives and mitigation of impacts, including cumulative effects, to account for climate
change. Moreover, the NEPA Office commonly serves an internal regional coordinating role to
bring in all relevant and applicable regional program review on these projects. And as
appropriate, the NEPA office facilitates discussions between affected communities and the
federal agencies to resolve project conflicts. Additionally, EPA's unique CAA Section 309
authority gives it the opportunity to raise those projects of significance to the Council of
Environmental Quality for appropriate resolution.
IV. Protect EPA's Facilities and Operations
A. Climate Events
The Region 4 office is located in downtown Atlanta, GA, sufficiently located distant from
any major water body or coastal area. The relevant potential climate change impacts to this
office are in the form of intense storm-related flooding, particularly the tunnel connecting office
buildings and the subway system.
Additionally, tornado activity can be a problem as evidenced by the March 14-15, 2008,
tornado outbreak within Region 4. A tornado caused widespread damage across downtown
Atlanta, including to the CNN Center and to the Georgia Dome. EPA Region 4's office building
is within a block of the Georgia Dome and near several other city buildings damaged by the
storm.
The Region has Continuity of Operations (COOP) procedures in place. It is increasingly
incorporating technology to allow work to effectively occur remotely should storm damage the
Region's building making it inaccessible for routine business. In order to ensure effectiveness ad
preparedness, several priority actions have been identified
• Investigate alternative lodging availability at the Alternate COOP Site.
• As a GSA building occupant, EPA Region 4 will promote facility efficiencies.
• Continue to use EMS to promote sustainable business practices including energy
efficiency and renewable energy strategies that promote LEED certification.
• Maintain the staff s capacity to work remotely
B. Sustainability
In 2009, Executive Order 12514: "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and
Economic Performance" was signed to "establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in
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the Federal Government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) a priority for
Federal agencies." To ensure that EPA Region 4's buildings meet the requirements and reflect
our mission, the Agency implements a range of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of
its facilities and operations supporting sustainability.
• Develop interagency federal sustainability team to promote greening federal facilities in
Atlanta. Recruit Federal Green Challenge partners from federal departments to reduce
their climate change impacts.
• Support the development of sustainable recycling infrastructure and commodities markets
through partnerships with state and regional recycling coalitions, by developing and
supporting product stewardship and extended producer responsibility models, and
through efforts to encourage the recovery and recycling of organic waste streams.
• Recruit partners to implement the SMM Food Recovery Challenge to increase
economically valuable and environmentally responsible use and diversion of organic
waste away from land-filling to minimize the creation and release of methane.
V. Factor Legal Considerations into Adaptation Efforts
As policy and/or guidance from Program Offices become available, the Region will
implement climate change adaptation planning and priority actions consistent with EPA's
statutes and regulatory authorities.
No Priority Actions identified
VI. Strengthen EPA's Staff and Partners' Adaptive Capacity through
Training
The Region sponsored a Climate Change Adaptation kick-off session, on March 18, 2013, as
the first step in making its management and staff aware of the Agency's climate change
adaptation planning efforts and the National Climate Assessment efforts at providing regional
climate scenarios.
The Region recognizes climate change adaptation training is only as useful as it is relevant to
staffs daily programmatic activities. The Region believes appropriate climate change
adaptation-related training will inform staff how EPA intends to: 1) incorporate best available
climate-change science into Agency's programs consistent with EPA's statutory and regulatory
authority and the various Program Office guidance and 2) interpret existing statutory and
regulatory authority to support climate change adaptation related activities to insure nation-wide
consistency in implementing the Agency's mission.
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Encourage regional employees to take EPA Headquarters created training regarding
climate change adaptation.
Utilize Region 4's Energy and Climate Change Steering Committee and Workgroups to
monitor opportunities to educate and outreach to employees and look for areas where
climate change adaptation can be incorporated.
Look for opportunities to bring in guest speakers to lecture employees about climate
change and potentially how other agencies are tackling adaptation.
VII. Partner with Tribes to Increase their Adaptive Capacity
Region 4 has invited consultation with the six-federally recognized Tribes on climate change
adaptation planning, and will continue to coordinate and support Tribal climate change
adaptation efforts consistent with the Agency's statutory and regulatory authorities, program
office guidance, and resources.
a) Resources
• Coordinate with the Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) and individual
Tribes to identify climate change priorities, assess Tribes' climate change adaptation
readiness and determine training, technical assistance and/or resource needs.
Determination of needs will include identification of applicable audiences (i.e., Tribal
Leaders, environmental staff, community, or other stakeholders). (Region specific action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are high for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
• Request clear guidelines from National Program Managers to Project Officers and Tribes
about the management of available funds to grant awards addressing climate change
adaptation activities. As an example, revise the OAR and EPA's Tribal Air Grants
Framework: Menu of Options to include Climate Change Adaptation work as an option
as appropriate and following the Clean Air Act. (National specific action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are medium for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
b) Education and Outreach
• Facilitate a workshop or training for Tribal environmental staff on climate change
impacts and priorities. Training may be provided through existing resources, such as the
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University.
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ITEP is currently planning a training in the southeast in Fall, 2013. (Region specific
action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are high for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
• Collaborate with R4 Energy and Climate Change Coordinator and Divisions to
incorporate Tribal component(s) in energy and climate change website. (Region specific
activity)
o Criteria considerations impacts are medium for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
• Incorporate Tribal climate change priorities, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and
related information into training opportunities for Region 4 staff. (Regional and National
action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are medium for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
c) Communication and Collaboration
• Coordinate with federal partners on a regular basis to share climate change related efforts,
and to streamline education, outreach and consultation with Tribes, where appropriate.
Region 4 is hosting the first southeast federal Tribal liaisons meeting on March 19.
(Region specific action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are high for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
• Enhance interagency cross-program coordination and collaboration opportunities to
inform, discuss and consult with Tribes on EPA climate change actions and decisions.
(Region specific action)
o Criteria considerations impacts are high for timing, small for
geographic/demographic scale, medium for programmatic scale, and low for
physical.
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VIII. Focus on Most Vulnerable People and Places
a) Children's Health Priority Actions
• Conduct an inventory of tools and materials available to address issues faced by
children and pregnant women. Many of these existing tools may need to be updated
or modified to more effectively target specific populations and risks. (National-level
action)
• Promote and disseminate tools and materials to address issues targeting children and
pregnant women. The use of partners and stakeholders can be utilized to assist in
preparation and then equipped to support our information dissemination campaign.
(National-level and Region-specific action)
• Educate and conduct outreach directed to pediatric health care professionals to
enhance their understanding of the threats on children's health, and participate as
children's advocates for strong mitigation and adaptation strategies. Pediatric health
care professionals can be leaders in a move away from a traditional focus on disease
prevention to a broad, integrated focus on sustainability as synonymous with health.185
(National-level and Region-specific action)
• Conuslt with the Southeast Pediatric Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) as a resource to
address environmental health medical conditions that may be exacerbated by climate
change. The expertise available through the National PEHSU Network should be
expanded to include perinatology. The PESHU Network should also be equipped to
provide expertise though consultations and training to public health officials and
health care providers and to the general public through the media and direct
intervention. (National-level and Region-specific action)
b) Environmental Justice
• Host climate change and adaptation educational workshops for environmental justice
communities.
• Partner with other federal and state agencies and non-profit organizations to inform
environmental justice communities of various activities and programs.
• Promote and distribute climate change and adaptation tools and materials via emails,
listserv, and mailings.
• Create a train-the-trainer climate change and adaptation workshop where community
partners are able to lead climate change and environmental justice workshops.
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182 Final draft U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plan (June 29, 2012).
183 Final draft U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plan (June 29, 2012).
184 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 Energy and Climate Change Strategy Fiscal Year 2013-14
DRAFT 3-13-13.
185 Pediatrics, Global Climate Change and Children's Health, Committee on Environmental Health, 2007; 120;
1149, Available at http://pediatrics.aappublications.Org/content/120/5/1149.full.pdf
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PART 4
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
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I. Introduction
This section describes how Region 4 plans to update the information and analysis in this
implementation plan, evaluate the success of any activities, and continually improve the process
of programmatic climate adaptation over time. The Region will implement measures and
evaluate performance consistent with the Agency's statutory and regulatory authorities, Program
Office guidance, and resources. Over the coming years, Region 4 will build and strengthen its
adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes, and local
communities. We will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways that
climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them
with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
II. Phased Approach
Region 4 plans to conduct a baseline assessment of all its priority actions to determine the
status and the potential for completion of each action. Additionally, Region 4 will finalize its
Fiscal Year 2014 Energy and Climate Change Strategic Plan and ensure alignment with this
implementation plan.
The National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change found the most
amenable approach for evaluating progress is to assess institutional progress toward becoming a
resilient and adaptive program. The Region 4 plan utilizes this approach. Region 4 is adopting a
phased approach that uses indicators of progress and emphasizes peer-to-peer learning rather
than a top-down mandate. A similar approach is in use in the United Kingdom (UK DEFRA,
2010).
Region 4's Phased Approach tracks the region's institutional process and progress in
incorporating climate change considerations into EPA programs. Outputs will not be counted per
se; rather, the collectivity of actions and their products will demonstrate the weight of evidence
for determining the status of adaptation activities. The following Table presents a summary of
the seven phases of the Region 4 approach. Recognizing that it may take years or decades to
achieve adaptive preparedness and resilience, Region 4 designed phases for which progress
could be demonstrated within a relatively short time frame (1 to 3 years).
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Phases of Adaptive Management
Phases
Explanation
Examples of Evidence of Achievement
1. Initiation
Conduct a screening assessment of
potential implications of climate
change to mission, programs, and
operations.
Preliminary information is developed to evaluate
relevance of climate change to the mission or
program; a decision is made as to whether to
prepare a response to climate change; further
exploration of climate change implications has
been authorized.
Accountabilities and responsibilities are
assigned at appropriate levels within the
organization and resources are available to
develop a more in-depth assessment.
2. Assessment
Conduct a broader review to
understand how climate change affects
the resources in question.
Work with stakeholders to develop an
understanding of the implications of
climate change to the mission, pro-
grams, and operations.
Review science literature and assessments to
understand how climate change affects the
resources being protected (threat to mission);
Engage internal staff and external stakeholders
in evaluation.
Identify climate change issues and concerns and
communicate with internal and external
stakeholders and partners.
Identify which specific programs are threatened
and what specific information or tools need to be
developed.
Communicate findings to partners and
stakeholders and engage them in dialogue on
building adaptive capacity.
3. Response
Development
Identify changes necessary to continue
to reach program mission and goals.
Develop initial action plan.
Identify and seek the research, infor-
mation, and tools needed to support
actions.
Begin to build the body of tools, infor-
mation, and partnerships needed to
build capacity internally and
externally.
Develop initial program vision and goals for
responding to climate change.
Identify needed response actions or changes that
will allow the organization to begin to address
climate impacts on its mission.
Initiate strategies and actions in a few key areas
to begin to build organizational ability to use
climate information in decision processes.
Identify program partners' needs for building
adaptive capacity.
Begin working with an external "community of
practice" to engage in tool and program
development.
Rudimentary methods are put in place to track
progress.
Develop a research strategy and partnerships to
obtain additional needed research.
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4. Initial
Implementation
Initiate actions in selected priority
programs or projects.
Make it clear within the organization that
incorporating climate change into programs
is critical.
Initiate actions and plans identified in
StepS.
Initiate cooperative projects with partners.
Develop a range of needed information and
tools.
Begin to institute changes to incorporate
climate change into core programs.
Some program partners have begun to
implement response actions.
5. Robust
Implementation
Programs are underway and lessons
learned are being applied to additional
programs and projects.
Lessons learned are evaluated and strategies are
refined.
Efforts are initiated to consider climate change
in additional, or more complex, program
elements.
Continue to institute institutional changes to
incorporate climate change into core programs.
External communities of practice are in place to
support ongoing capacity development.
6.
Mainstreaming
Climate is an embedded, component
of the program.
The organization's culture and policies are
aligned with responding to climate change.
All staff have a basic understanding of
climate change causes and impacts.
All relevant programs, activities, and decision
processes intrinsically incorporate
climate change.
Methods for evaluating outcomes are in
place.
7. Monitoring
and Adaptive
Management
Continue to monitor and integrate
performance, new information, and
lessons learned into programs and
plans.
Progress is evaluated and needed changes
are implemented.
As impacts of climate change unfold,
climate change impacts and organizational
responses are reassessed.
The intention is to use this approach to follow progress related to each program as the plan is
implemented. The phase identified for each program is or will be a composite summary of the
overall implementation. At this time, no attempt has been made to identify the phase of each
individual action and Region 4 will begin its baseline assessment once there has been additional
time to consider performance measures and consult with Headquarters and other Regions on the
best practices.
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Appendix A - Region 4 Summary of Region 4 Program Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts by EPA Strategic Goal
5-28-2013 Draft
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS b
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Likelihood
Focus of Associated EPA Program
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Likelihood
01 Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased
tropospheric
ozone
pollution in
certain regions
• Increased
frequency or
intensity of
wildfires
• Increasing
extreme
temperatures
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Effects on the
stratospheric
ozone layer
• Likely
• Likely2 n
• Very Likely3
• Likely3
• Likely4
• Protecting public health and the
environment by approving state
programs to meet National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
and implementing programs in
Indian Country.
Protecting public health and the
environment by setting National
Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) and implementing
programs to help meet the standards
• Protect public health by promoting
healthy indoor environments
through voluntary programs and
guidance
• Restoring the stratospheric ozone
layer
• Preventing UV-related disease
• Providing a smooth transition to
safer alternatives
• High
• Medium
• Medium
• High
• Could become more difficult to attain NAAQS
for ozone in many areas with existing ozone
problems.
• Could complicate Agency efforts to protect
public health and the environment from risks
posed by paniculate matter (PM) and ozone
pollution in areas affected by more frequent
wildfires.
• Could increase public health risks, including
risks for the young, the elderly, the chronically
ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged
populations
• Unable to restore ozone concentrations to
benchmark levels as quickly at some latitudes
• High
• Medium
• Medium
• Medium
• There could be more ozone exceedances in current
nonattainment areas (Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis,etc) and
new non attainment areas that were previously attaining.
• An increase in wildfire activity could cause more frequent
elevated PM events, which would be hazardous to human
health.
• Could see an increase in flooding which can contribute to mol<
and increased exposure to indoor chemicals as people stay
indoors during heavy precipitation.
• Could see more power outages which can lead to increases in
PM2s emissions from backup electricity and heat sources.
• Continued decreases in ozone-depleting halocarbon emissions
are expected to reduce their relative influence on climate
change in the future; however potential for increased use of
pesticides that contains ozone-depleting halocarbon emissions
• Climate Change may exacerbate health effects of ozone layer
damage at some latitudes and mitigate them at others.
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Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
• Effects on
response of
ecosystems to
atmospheric
deposition of
sulfur,
nitrogen, and
mercury
Likelyf
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Ecosystem protections from Agency
emissions reduction programs
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• Low
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Based on evolving research, could have
consequences for the effectiveness of
ecosystem protections under those programs
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
• Low
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea-level rise
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Ocean
acidification
Increased
water
temperatures
Likely3
• Likely3
• Restoring and protecting | • High
watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
• Very likely6
• Likely7
• Certain8
• Very Likely9
• Increased number of sewer overflows and
wastewater bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff, fouling streams and
threatening public health.
• Challenges to coastal wetlands' ability to
migrate.
• Reduced streamflow, altering the aquatic
environments and increasing impairments.
• Continued stress on coral reefs.
• Shifts in aquatic habitat will threaten the
economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities.
High
Watershed Management
• Higher air and water temperatures combined with nutrient
pollution may result in increased growth of algae and microbe;
that threaten aquatic ecosystems.
• Higher air and water temperatures may increase pollutant
concentrations and lower dissolved oxygen levels, potentially
resulting in additional water bodies not meeting water quality
standards and being listed as impaired.
• Areas experiencing periods of less precipitation, drought, lowe
stream flow and limited ground water recharge may result in
less water flow for dilution of permitted discharges, alterations
of aquatic environments, and increased impairments.
• Areas with increased intensity of drought or that may
experience increases in events such as wildfires may see
alterations in the structure and function of watersheds
potentially affecting regional and state wetlands delineation
and protection programs.
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms may cause an
increase in the number of sewer overflows and wastewater
bypasses, fouling streams and requiring increased water qualit
enforcement.
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Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea-level rise
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Ocean
acidification
Increased
water
temperatures
Likely'
Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely7
• Certain8
• Very Likely9
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased number of sewer overflows and
wastewater bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff, fouling streams and
threatening public health.
• Challenges to coastal wetlands' ability to
migrate.
• Reduced streamflow, altering the aquatic
environments and increasing impairments.
• Continued stress on coral reefs.
• Shifts in aquatic habitat will threaten the
economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Water Quality Standards
• Warmer waters and other ecological shifts will threaten aquatii
habitats and aquatic species, such as cold water fisheries and
potentially requiring changes in State stream
classificationsSalinity changes due to seal level rise may creats
a need to reclassify some water bodies from fresh to salt
water. Sea-level rise may also result in a shifting from fresh
water communities to salt water communities, such as is
happening in the Chassohowitzka River System in
Florida. Increased anthropogenic use of freshwater upstream
may be a significant contributor in converting fresh to salt
water.
Monitoring, Assessing and Reporting
• Stream ecosystems will be affected directly, indirectly, and
through interactions with other stressors. Biological responses
to these changes will vary regionally and could include altered
community composition, interactions, and functions. .
• Monitoring locations may need to be re-located in order to
effectively monitor and assess changes in stream ecology or
water quality.
• Timing of monitoring may need to change in order to pick up
seasonal shifts and the full range of climate vulnerability,
especially for recreational and aquatic life uses.
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Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea-level rise
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Ocean
acidification
Increased
water
temperatures
Likely'
Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely7
• Certain8
• Very Likely9
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased number of sewer overflows and
wastewater bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff, fouling streams and
threatening public health.
• Challenges to coastal wetlands' ability to
migrate.
• Reduced streamflow, altering the aquatic
environments and increasing impairments.
• Continued stress on coral reefs.
• Shifts in aquatic habitat will threaten the
economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
TMDLs
• Some areas may experience periods of less precipitation,
drought, lower stream flow and limited ground water recharge
resulting in less water flow for dilution of permitted
discharges, alterations of aquatic environments, and increased
impairments; these considerations will need to be taken into
account in the development of new TMDLs, and potentially
result in the need for revision of existing TMDLs.
• Some areas may experience episodes of increased intense
precipitation resulting in increased runoff of pollutants; these
considerations will need to be taken into account in the
development of new TMDLs, and potentially result in the neec
for revision of existing TMDLs.
NPDES Program
• Areas experiencing periods of less precipitation, drought, lowe
stream flow and limited ground water recharge will result in
less water flow for dilution of permitted discharges, alterations
of aquatic environments, and increased impairments. National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits wil
need to take these factors into consideration during permit
renewal or new permit issuance. These precipitation changes
are compounded in certain areas by increased human uses of
the water resources.
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms may cause an
increase in the number of sewer overflows and wastewater
bypasses, fouling streams and requiring increased water qualit
enforcement.
• Increased aquatic temperatures may result in the need to
modify existing discharge limits.
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Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea-level rise
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Ocean
acidification
Increased
water
temperatures
Likely'
Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely7
• Certain8
• Very Likely9
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased number of sewer overflows and
wastewater bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff, fouling streams and
threatening public health.
• Challenges to coastal wetlands' ability to
migrate.
• Reduced streamflow, altering the aquatic
environments and increasing impairments.
• Continued stress on coral reefs.
• Shifts in aquatic habitat will threaten the
economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Wetlands
• Areas with increased intensity of drought or that may
experience increases in events such as wildfires may see
alterations in the structure and function of wetlands and
watersheds potentially affecting regional and state wetlands
delineation and protection programs.
• Sea-level rise combined with coastal development will
challenge the ability of coastal wetlands to migrate, potentially
affecting coastal wetland protection programs. This migration
will likely result in loss of coastal wetlands where developmer
has encroached on natural migration pathways.
• Drying out of seasonal wetlands with increased drought could
affect wetland delineations and programs.
• Physical damage or elimination of wetlands and dune
structures that protect them due to hurricanes and other
seasonal changes could affect wetland delineation and
restoration efforts.
Dredging/Ocean Dumping
• Increased need and frequency of ocean dumping due to
increased precipitation and rainfall intensity that cause erosion
and sedimentation of rivers, channels and harbors.
• Shifting sediments and forming of shoals due to higher
intensity storms that impede safe navigation in harbors and
channels may require increased use of emergency dredging.
• Need for dredged materials to protect shorelines, beaches,
dunes and marshes from sea level rise may stress existing
regulatory programs.
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Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Likely3
• Likely3
• Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
Sea-level rise • Very likely6
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Ocean
• Likely
• Certain8
acidification • Very Likely 9
Increased
water
temperatures
• High
• Increased number of sewer overflows and
wastewater bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff, fouling streams and
threatening public health.
• Challenges to coastal wetlands' ability to
migrate.
• Reduced streamflow, altering the aquatic
environments and increasing impairments.
• Continued stress on coral reefs.
• Shifts in aquatic habitat will threaten the
economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities.
• High
National Estuary Program/South Florida
• Successful implementation of NEP Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plans may be adversely
affected. Efforts to restore or enhance water quality, habitat,
living resources, hydrologic alterations, and human uses may
be affected.
• Increased ocean temperatures and acidification resulting from
the absorption of CO2 will continue to stress coral reefs
potentially affecting coral reef protection programs.
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea-level rise
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing
flood risk
• Likely3
• Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely3
• Likely7
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure
Likely
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Water infrastructure could be rendered
inoperable or damaged, needing substantial
repair/replacement
Drinking water intakes and wastewater outfalls
could be affected
Integrity of coastal water infrastructure systems
could be put at increased riskT
Drinking water and wastewater utilities may
need an 'all hazards' approach to planning for
emergencies and extreme weather events.
Problems of safety as well as access to clean
and safe water may be exacerbated for all
communities
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Higher air and water temperatures combined with nutrient
pollution will result in increased growth of algae and microbes
that affect drinking water treatment needs.
Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms could
contribute to additional infiltration/inflow in wastewater
conveyance systems, which could cause an increase in the
number of sewer overflows and wastewater treatment plant
overloads, requiring expensive modifications and
improvements to both wastewater conveyance and treatment
systems.
Increased drought will place demands on both surface and
ground water resources resulting in water supply problems.
Reduction in assimilative capacity of existing surface waters
due to reduced stream flows and/or increased temperatures
could lead to more stringent discharge limits on existing
wastewater facilities, resulting in the need for expensive
improvements or upgrades to maintain permit compliance.
Sea level rise could result in: 1) saltwater intrusion into the
collection system of wastewater treatment systems; 2) wet
wells in pumping systems leading to increased corrosion
damage to pumping equipment, and treatment plant tankage
and equipment; withdrawals and 3) malfunction of gravity
conveyance systems and discharges.
Increases in flooding from extreme precipitation, storm surges
and loss of wetlands could cause damage to infrastructure
resulting in increased needs for SRF funding.
Source water intake changes may be needed due to droughts
and summertime extreme heat. Coastal aquifers may
experience salt water intrusion where are outstripping recharge
and increased pressure head from higher sea levels may worse:
this problem resulting in the need for relocation of water and
wastewater facilities.
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Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea-level rise
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing
flood risk
• Likely3
• Likely3
• Very likely6
• Likely3
• Likely7
• Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Water infrastructure could be rendered
inoperable or damaged, needing substantial
repair/replacement
Drinking water intakes and wastewater outfalls
could be affected
Integrity of coastal water infrastructure systems
could be put at increased riskT
Drinking water and wastewater utilities may
need an 'all hazards' approach to planning for
emergencies and extreme weather events.
Problems of safety as well as access to clean
and safe water may be exacerbated for all
communities
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Drinking water and wastewater utilities emergency planning
for extreme weather events may need to be reviewed and
modified to account for climate change. Vulnerable and
economically deprived communities may be particularly at
risk, both for access to clean and safe water as well as for their
ability to respond to emergencies during extreme
events. Coastal and mountain communities will be particularly
vulnerable.
• Changes in rainfall patterns may lead to additional water
supply infrastructure, with associated impacts on ecosystem
fragmentation, aquatic life, physical stability, water quality,
disruption of sediment and nutrient dynamics, downstream
users, and system losses due to increased evaporation from
impoundments. CWA Section 404 permit applications for
reservoir creation in response to drought have increased in
some states.
Nonpoint Source Management
• Increased intensity of rainfall events and storms will cause
increased pollutant loads in runoff, and the velocity of runoff
will scour and erode creek beds.
• Accounting for greater quantities of runoff and pollutants,
with more variability, from both urban and suburban
stormwater and agricultural sources will stress existing
nonpoint source best management programs.
• Decreasing frequency of precipitation days and more
concentration of runoff in intense storms, which is likely to be
more damaging to aquatic habitats, and carry more erosion-
related pollutants into water bodies will stress existing
nonpoint source best management programs.
Page 105
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Increased
water
temperatures
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Sea-level rise
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Loss of
Snowpack
Very Likely • The quality and availability of safe
drinking water
Likely
• Very Likely
• Likely
• Very likely
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
High water temperatures and increased
stormwater runoff will increase the need for
drinking water treatment, raising costs.
May cause saltwater intrusion in surface water
and ground water placing increased demands on
drinking water treatment.
Water supplies may be affected, forcing
communities to seek alternative sources.
Water demand may shift to underground
aquifers or prompt development of reservoirs or
underground storage of treated water, requiring
EPA to ensure safety.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Higher air and water temperatures will promote increased
growth of algae and microbes, which will increase the need foi
drinking water treatment and potentially affect the aesthetic
quality of drinking water supplies.
Increased storm water runoff will wash sediment and other
contaminants into drinking water sources, requiring additional
treatment.
Sea-level rise could increase the salinity of both surface water
and ground water through saltwater intrusion, encroaching
upon coastal drinking water supplies. Additionally, extreme
weather events such as hurricanes and extreme droughts could
impact and potentially permanently affect both the availability
and quality of drinking water sources. In southeastern areas
with saltwater intrusion, Region 4 states may receive more
permit applications and issue more permits for Class V aquifei
recharge injection wells under the Underground Injection
Control (UIC) program in an attempt to combat the effects of
saltwater intrusion caused by sea-level rise.
Reduced annual precipitation or increased intensity and
duration of drought in some regions will affect water supplies,
causing drinking water providers to reassess supply plans and
consider alternative pricing, allocation and water conservation
options.
In areas with less precipitation, public water supply systems
water demand may rely more heavily on underground aquifers
or development of underground storage of treated water to
supplement existing sources. Changes in the salt front of
estuaries and tidal rivers due to sea level rise and over use of
fresh surface and ground water resulting in flow changes may
result in increased pressure to manage freshwater reservoirs to
increase flows and attempt to maintain salinity regimes, in
order to protect estuarine productivity and drinking water
supplies.
Page 106
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Sea Level Rise • Very likely6 • Cleaning up Contaminated Sites and
Increasing • Likely7 Waste Management
heavy
precipitation
pvpnt^i
^f \ ^/HLo
Increasing risk
• Likely7
of floods
Changes in
temperature
Increasing
O
, . y
hurricanes
Decreasing
seasonal
precipitation
days/drought
conditions
• Very likely3
• Low
• Increased risk of contaminate release from EPA
Sites
• May need to alter selected remedies to ensure
protection.
• Medium
• High
• High
• Low
• High
- TJirrl-i
• riign
Superfund
• Sea level rise may adversely impact contaminated sites in
coastal areas in 6 of 8 Southeastern states through inundation,
storm surge, and salt water intrusion
• The Southeast is very likely to experience extreme storm
events that could cause the release and affect the migration anc
management of contaminants through increased flooding,
surface water runoff, infiltration into soils, and changes to
water table levels).
• Contaminated sites could experience increased wind damage
and dispersal of contaminants through higher intensity
hurricanes, particularly at coastal and near-coastal locations, o
along major rivers.
• Increased ambient temperatures could impact the design and
operation of remediation systems due to extreme heat (e.g.,
increased pressurization of storage containers) and increased
number of rain and ice storms during winter
• Decreased precipitation days and increasing drought intensity
could increase risk of wild fires and affect the design and
operation remediation systems and restoration efforts at
contaminated sites
• Extreme storm events and other climate change impacts may
create sudden, unexpected conditions at contaminated sites tha
complicate cleanup actions, impose significant cleanup costs,
and further endanger the health and safety of responders
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Sea Level Rise
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing risk
of floods
Changes in
temperature
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Decreasing
seasonal
precipitation
days/drought
conditions
Very likely6
Likely7
Likely7
Very likely'
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Cleaning up Contaminated Sites and
Waste Management
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• Low
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased risk of contaminate release from EPA
Sites
• May need to alter selected remedies to ensure
protection.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
• Medium
• High
• High
• Low
• High
• High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
RCRA
• The same climate change impacts that could affect
contaminated site cleanups may also affect the management
and operation of hazardous waste facilities.
• Over-pressurization of tanks containing volatile wastes and the
emergency venting of these wastes could occur with extreme
ambient temperatures.
• Buildings or other structures used for indoor storage of waste
piles could be damaged or flooded in a hurricane causing the
release of this material.
• Region 4 has a universe of underground storage tanks which
may be vulnerable to flooding events. Of particular concern is
groundwater contamination from leaks from at risk tanks and
damage to the supporting piping.
• Failure of infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, and secondary
containment) and damage or displacement of tanks due to
increased intensity of hurricanes and resulting winds and storn
surges.
• Increased degradation and weathering of pipelines and
infrastructure due to ocean acidification resulting in oil spills.
• More sites may enter the brownfields inventory as natural
disasters lead to release of hazardous substances and oil. EPA
may begin experiencing even more competition for the already
dwindling brownfields grant funding.
• Flooding could disrupt or delay work at existing Brownfield
sites.
Page 108
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing risk
of floods
Sea level Rise
Changes in
temperature
Decreasing
seasonal
precipitation
days/drought
conditions
Likely
• Likely
• Very Likely
• Likely
• Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Emergency Response
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased need for emergency response.
• Possible limitations to response capability due
to staff and financial resource constraints.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Smaller entities with hazardous materials may lack
resources for emergency planning, which may increase th<
risk of abandoned hazardous materials during a flooding c
storm event.
Insufficient capacity to handle surges in treatment and
disposals of hazardous and municipal waste as well as
mixed waste from climatic events
Releases of hazardous materials or chemicals through higl
winds, flooding, and storm surge and a need for increased
frequency and intensity of emergency response for both
hazardous materials and oil. Current response resources,
including laboratory requirements, may not be adequate
for responses to extreme events. Specific impacts include
o Increased number of brown/black outs will potentially
lead to impacts with facility processes (i.e. runaway
reactions, heat reactions, failure of chemical
processes)
o Coastal hazardous material and oil facilities may be
impacted by extreme events and storm surge. The
United States Coast Guard (USCG) has jurisdiction
over hazardous material and oil spills along the coast.
but the U. S. EPA has interagency agreements in plac
to support the USCG during responses.
Storm surge caused by coastal storms, hurricanes and sea-
level rise and flooding may cause the destruction of many
homes in the impacted area. This will produce an increase
in the amount of household hazardous waste and white
goods (i.e., refrigerators, air conditioners, etc) that may
need to be collected and placed in landfills.
Storm surge caused by coastal storms, hurricanes and sea-
level rise may adversely impact industrial facilities locate<
along the coast and cause releases of chemicals, discharge
of oil and spread orphan containers (i.e., above ground
storage tanks, drums, totes) in the affected area.
Page 109
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing risk
of floods
Sea level Rise
Changes in
temperature
Decreasing
seasonal
precipitation
days/drought
conditions
Likely
• Likely
• Very Likely
• Likely
• Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Emergency Response
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Increased need for emergency response.
• Possible limitations to response capability due
to staff and financial resource constraints.
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impact
High
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Twenty-seven percent of the major roads, 9 percent of the
rail lines, and 72 percent of the ports in the Region 4 area
are built on land at or below 4 feet in elevation, a level
within the range of projections for relative sea-level rise ii
this region in this century. Increased storm intensity may
lead to increased service disruption and infrastructure
damage. More than half of the area's major highways (64
percent of interstates, 57 percent of arterials), almost half
of the rail miles, 29 airports, and virtually all of the ports,
are below 23 feet in elevation and subject to flooding and
damage due to hurricane storm surge.
Additional planning for emergency response may be
needed:
o Brown and black-outs may cause releases and the
frequency and intensity of storms may need to be
incorporated into current national and area
contingency plans.
o Facility Response Plans (FRP) and Spill Prevention
and Control Countermeasures (SPCC) plans may not
consider climate change impacts.
o Current regional debris management plans rely on
historical climate assumptions and do not address the
increasing uncertainty in climatic extreme events.
o Additional planning may be needed as Stafford Act
declaration (federal emergency declaration) may be
more frequent with a changing climate.
o Current energy infrastructure (oil, natural gas,
nuclear) in Southeast may not include climate change
assumptions for emergency planning.
Page 110
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Focus of Associated EPA Program
• Increasing
extreme
temperatures
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Very likely3
• Likely3
• Protecting human health and
ecosystems from chemical risks.
• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section
18 emergency exemptions
• FIFRA compliance monitoring
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
programs
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
• Low
• Low
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
• Assure that chemical exposure models reflect
changes in the environment
• Changing in planting timing or location may
affect the volume and timing of agricultural
chemical use which could impact the
appropriate risk management decisions.
• Low
High
Region 4 may experience new pest problems, many of which
will be from exotic invasive species.
Changes in pests and pest pressures due to increases in
temperatures and variations in rainfall patterns.
There would be a potential increase in the need for emergency
exemptions (FIFRA Section 18). These FIFRA exemptions ar
granted when an emergency pest problem appears which
cannot be controlled effectively by the current pesticides
registered for that pest or commodity, allowing temporary use
of chemicals which are not registered for that use
Increasing pesticides usage to control pests could also lead to
increased resistance of the pest to the chemical being used.
Resistance management will therefore become increasingly
important.
The increase in amount and variability of precipitation
projected for Region 4 can create an expanded mosquito
habitat, which could increase exposure to more diseases like
dengue fever and malaria.
Emergency exemptions for mosquito control may increase,
especially after major weather events such as floods and
hurricanes, which tend to spur populations of A. aegypti and A.
albopictus.
Increase in fungal organisms in agricultural and non-
agricultural settings due to extreme rainfall.
Increase in dry condition pests due to drought (e.g. mites that
feed on a variety of field, vegetable and fruit crops).
These changes in pesticide choices and quantities will require
changes to the pesticide applicator certification and training
programs. Changes in chemical selection could result in new
and increased chemical exposures especially for indoor
applications.
Page 111
-------
Goal3 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Climate Change Likelihood of
Impactd Impacte
EPA PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS
Focus of Associated EPA Program
Likelihood
EPA Program
will be
Affected by
Impactf
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Likelihood
of Regional
Program
will be
Affected by
Impa~
Region 4 Programmatic Impacts
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted
Increased
Water
• Very likely9 • Water usage at EPA facilities
• Office building inaccessible due to
Temperatures • Likely7
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Increased high
wind event
intensity, e.g.,
tornado
Increasing risk
of floods
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
Sea level rise
Increasing
extreme
temperatures
• Likely7
• Likely3
tornado damage
• Operations of Agency facilities,
personnel safety, physical security,
and emergency communications
• Very likely6 • Emergency management mission
• Very likely3 support (protective gear and
acquisition)
• High
• Medium
• Water temperatures impact research activities
or cooling requirements.
• Facilities could be located in areas with water
shortages
• Facilities in coastal or flood-prone areas
• Personnel engaged in field work and vulnerable
to extreme temperatures or events
• Security, lighting and communication systems
without backup power
• Personnel and real property supporting
emergency response and management
• High
• High
• Droughts could affect energy use - may experience periods of
"brown outs"
• Air temperatures impact cooling/energy demand, water
temperature impact cooling equipment efficiency.
• Region 4's Gulf Breeze Lab is located on Sabine Island on
Florida Panhandle
• The Region has the largest coastal population exposure.
-------
Footnotes for Summary of Climate Change Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts by
EPA Goal Table
aThis table summarizes vulnerabilities by goal for four of the five goals in EPA's Strategic
Plan. Goal 5 "Enforcing Environmental Laws" is not included in this table. Please note that
the table also summarizes vulnerabilities to EPA facilities and operations; this is not part of
the EPA Strategic Plan goal structure but is an important element of EPA's vulnerability
assessment. Please see Section 2 of this document for a fuller discussion of impacts.
bClimate Change Impacts are based upon peer-reviewed scientific literature
c Programmatic Impacts are based upon EPA best professional judgment at this time.
d Impacts can vary by season and location.
e In general, the sources cited in this section use Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology where the term 'very likely' means 90-100%
probability and the term 'likely' means 66-100% probability. For some impacts in the table,
additional discussion on the likelihood term is provided in the associated footnote.
f High assumes the program will be affected by the impact; Medium assumes the program
could be affected under some conditions by the impact; Low assumes that there is a
potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists as to the potential
nature and extent of the impact. This assessment is based on best professional judgment
within EPA at this time. Please note, this column does not reflect several important
considerations. For example it does not distinguish timeframes (current, near-term, long-
term). It does not account for regional and local variations. And it does not reflect the
priority of actions the agency may undertake now or in the future.
1) Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In:
Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qjn, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M.
Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United
Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
2) C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and
Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, ed. M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson
(Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
3) IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to
Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stacker, D. Qjn, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D.
Mastrandrea,K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of
Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-19.
4) World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone
Research and Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011). Note: the word "expected" is
used in the report to characterize projected climate change impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer. For
purposes of this table the word "likely" has been used as a proxy for "expected."
5) Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011,National
Acid Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science
and Technology Council, Washington, DC, p. 114.
6) IPCC, 2012: "It is very likely that mean sea level rise will contribute to upward trends in extreme coastal
high water levels in the future."
7) USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo,
and Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press,
New York, NY, USA.
8 ) NRC, 2010: National Research Council of the National Academies, America's Climate Choices: Panel on
Advancing the Science of Climate Change, 2010. p 41. "One of the most certain outcomes from increasing
COz concentrations in the atmosphere is the acidification of the world's oceans." For purposes of this table,
the term "certain" is used.
9) USGCRP, 2009: p. 46. [In the case of freshwater] "Increased air temperatures lead to higher water
temperatures, which have already been detected in many Streams, especially during low-flow
periods." For the purposes of this table "very likely" is used.
10) Bates, B.C., Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., 2008: Climate Change and
Water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat,
Geneva, p. 130
11) Ingram, K.T., K. Dow,L. Carter (2012): Southeast Regional Technical Report to the
National Climate Assessment.
Page 113
-------
Page 114
-------
Appendix B
Region 4 Priority Actions Matrix
§
o
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^
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g
o
1
S?
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tH
'<
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°<5
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1
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o
<
00
•I
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cd 3
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o o
Climate Change
Impact
The Region 4
will assist its
state, local, and
tribal
governments and
Federal resource
managers to
prepare for and
respond to
climate-related
changes.
Increased
tropo spheric
ozone pollution
Increased
frequency or
intensity of
wildfires
Increasing
extreme
temperatures
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Region will work
with its stakeholders
to develop and
implement strategies
to respond to local
concerns and to
share these methods
with other
communities
Protecting the public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to meet
NAAQS and
implementing
programs in Indian
Country
Protecting the public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to meet
NAAQS and
implementing
programs in Indian
Country
Protecting the public
health
Priority Actions
As budgets allow:
Promote EPA's Clean Energy-
Environment State Partnership.
Promote the Southeastern Ecological
Framework as a tool for evaluating and
adapting to climate change impacts on
important ecosystems and services
across eight Southeastern states.
Implement activities that support
national Climate for Action Education
and Outreach Campaign.
Promote EPA's Smart Growth
program to help communities grow in
ways that expand economic
opportunity, protect public health and
the environment, and create and
enhance the places that people want to
live and work.
Work with other Regions and HQ air
program managers to develop a
strategy, in context to other
programmatic priorities, on how to
incorporate climate adaptation into air
quality programs (e.g., SIP, permits).
Promote awareness of the use of
prescribed fires or alternative treatment
options to reduce build-up of fuel loads
in areas prone to wildfires
Broaden Smoke Management
Recommendations for prescribed fires
developed by SERPPAS
Promote SunWise Program to teach
public how to protect themselves from
overexposure to the sun.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
B
R
B
B
B
R
R
B
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
N
N
u
Y
Y
N
Page 115
-------
w
-§
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o
'S
4j
00
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00
.a
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^
2
o
O
Climate Change
Impact
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increased
water temp.
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increased
water temp.
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increased
water temp.
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
Watershed
Planning
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
Water Quality
Standards
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
Monitoring,
Assessing and
Reporting
Priority Actions
Encourage green infrastructure and
low-impact development to protect
water quality, to make watersheds
more resilient and to reduce the
demand for additional water resources.
Work with USGS to become
knowledgeable in the best methods to
model for current and projected low
flow and high flow conditions in
gauged and ungauged rivers and
streams.
Use the Triennial Review of state
water quality standards to work with
states and tribes on changes in stream
use classification or standards, where
necessary due to climate change
induced increasing temperatures or
changes in stream flow. .
Encourage states and tribes to develop
appropriate coordination processes
between water quality and water
supply decisions to ensure proper
implementation of state water quality
standards.
Evaluate Region 4 states' and tribes'
current monitoring and assessment
practices to encourage the capturing of
extreme low flow or other climate
related conditions, including: 1)
appropriate biological monitoring and
assessment techniques, and 1) water
monitoring system design.
Work with states, tribes, and other
water monitoring partners to help
establish a long term monitoring
program to track potential changes in
temperature, flow, aquatic biological
communities, habitat, and chemical
constituents that are occurring over
time at important sentinel reference
sites in the SE Region.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
B
B
R
R
R
B
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Page 116
-------
M
£
c3
i-~.
rotecting America's V
CM
c3
0
Climate Change
Impact
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increased
water temp.
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increased
water temp.
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
PVPTlt^
CVCllLo
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increased
water temp.
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
TMDLs
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
NPDES
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
Non-Point Source
(NFS)
Priority Actions
Guidance from the Office of Water on
methods and approaches is needed
prior to the Region identifying specific
regional actions.
Encourage States to update fact sheets
at permit reissuance to include the
most up-to-date critical low flow as
possible and to calculate reasonable
potential based on those values.
Continue to work with states on the
incorporation of green infrastructure
components in MS4 permitting.
Work with states and tribes to include
climate change adaptation provisions
in revised Nonpoint Source
Management Plans to provide
flexibility to fund programs and
projects to assess, evaluate, plan and
implement climate change adaptations.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
N
R
R
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
N
N
Y
Page 117
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Climate Change
Impact
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Ocean
acidification
• Increased
water temp.
• Increasing
heavy precip.
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Ocean
acidification
• Increased
water temp.
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
Wetlands
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
Dredging/Ocean
Dumping
Priority Actions
Consider the effects of climate change
as appropriate when evaluating Least
Environmentally Damaging
Practicable Alternatives (LEDPA) in
the context of CWA Section 404
Wetlands Permitting.
Ensure water conservation and
efficiency measures are considered,
where appropriate, as part of wetlands
404 permitting before new water
resource projects are approved.
Promote the beneficial use of suitable
dredged material to protect from sea
level rise and storm surge.
Develop protocols to address the likely
increase in emergency dredging from
hurricanes of increased intensity and
other extreme events that may cause
unexpected sedimentation and
shoaling.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
B
B
B
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
N
IN
u
Y
Page 118
-------
1
o
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*£
too
U
a
fin
^
O
O
Climate Change
Impact
• Increasing
heavy precip.
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Ocean
acidification
• Increased
water temp.
• Increasing
heavy precip.
events
• Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
• Sea-level rise
• Increase flood
risk
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
National Estuary
Program/South
Florida
Drinking water,
wastewater and
stormwater
infrastructure
Priority Actions
Promote the Climate Ready Estuary
program in Region 4 National Estuary
Programs (NEPs).
Promote the development of NEP
coastal watershed management plans
that consider climate change.
Promote the development of
vulnerability assessments by Region 4
NEPs.
Work with the NEP's to revise and
update the NEP Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plans
(CCMPs) to address vulnerabilities to
climate change.
Work with the gulf of Mexico Alliance
to include climate change
considerations in projects and
programs under the BP Deepwater
Horizon Natural Resource Damage
Assessment and Restore Act
procedures.
Work with the Governor's South
Atlantic Alliance to include climate
change into South Atlantic Alliance
efforts.
Continue to work with Monroe County
Florida, (Florida Keys) to implement
climate change in water quality
management planning for protection of
the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary.
Guidance from the Office of Water on
methods and approaches is needed
prior to the Region identifying specific
regional actions.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
R
R
R
R
B
R
R
N
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
U
Y
Page 119
-------
^
o
'§
&
1
O
"3
o
O
Climate Change
Impact
• Increasing
heavy precip.
events
• Sea-level rise
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
T J
• Increased
water temp.
Increasing heavy
precipitation
events
Changes in
temperature
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Drinking Water
Quality
Cleaning up
contaminated sites
and waste
Longer-term
Cleanups
Priority Actions
Work with tribes on efforts towards
sustainable infrastructure and
participate on national workgroups
aimed at directing tribal water systems
towards sustainable
operation/maintenance of tribal water
systems.Include assistance to the
utilities in developing vulnerability
assessments to the anticipated effects
of climate changes through the
Region's Energy Management
Initiative to reduce energy
consumption at wastewater and
drinking water utilities.
Identify and assess the potential
vulnerability of NPL sites within
delineated GIS-mapped zones based on
a consideration of site-specific factors.
Develop an action plan to evaluate the
vulnerability of other contaminated
sites (e.g., brownfields, Superfund
Time-Critical Removal, RCRA
corrective action) and RCRA
Hazardous Waste Management
Facilities.
In conjunction with tribes and state
agencies, initiate an interagency dialog
to plan and coordinate efforts to
consider climate change impacts.
Incorporate energy efficiency and
conservation into green site
remediation practices funded by EPA,
and encourage efficiency and
conservation in actions conducted by
responsible parties.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
B
B
N
R
R
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
N
Y
Y
U
N
Page 120
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1)
•fl
. . o
Climate Change
Impact
Increasing heavy
precipitation
events
Changes in
temperature
Increasing heavy
precipitation
events
Changes in
temperature
Increasing heavy
precipitation
events
Changes in
temperature
Increasing
extreme
temperatures
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Cleaning up
contaminated sites
and waste
Emergency
Response
Cleaning up
contaminated sites
and waste
RCRA/Brownflelds
Cleaning up
contaminated sites
and waste
Oil Program
Protecting human
health and
ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Utilize GIS-based tools to locate
potentially vulnerable critical public
infrastructure and sources of potential
hazardous material releases to aid in
planning for and responding to
emergency events.
Conduct an assessment of the
hazardous waste disposal infrastructure
to determine whether it can manage
potential disposal needs during a
changing climate and whether facility
operations will be impacted.
Work with local/state/federal
emergency preparedness and response
counterparts and businesses to develop
and implement strategies to address
adaptive measures needed for climate-
related changes and work with state
and industry to add enhanced
emergency planning in operating
permits.
Expand green remediation practices.
Promote revitalization of contaminated
land to productive environmental and
economic reuse, with an emphasis on
green technologies.
Integrate materials recovery principles,
practices and programs into the
Region's Brownfields and
Revitalization program and projects.
Create layers in GIS to enhance
existing mapping tools demonstrating
potential impact areas, flood zones,
storm surge areas etc.
Identify SPCC and FRP facilities
within EPA Region 4 and include in
updated mapping tools.
Include consideration of climate
change impacts in EPA Region 4
management reviews of current and
future SPCC and FRP facilities.
Promote EPA's Green Building and
Sustainable Materials Management
challenge programs to encourage
healthier and more resource-efficient
models of construction, renovation,
operation, maintenance and demolition
of buildings.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
B
R
B
R
R
R
R
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
N
U
N
N
N
U
N
N
N
Page 121
-------
M
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ities and Operatic
o
PH
Climate Change
Impact
Earlier timing of
spring events
Increasing heavy
precipitation
events and risk of
floods
Increased
frequency and
intensity of
wildfires
.Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought intensity
Increasing
extreme weather
events
Decreasing
climate change
impacts
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Water and energy
usage at EPA
facilities
Operations of
Agency facilities,
personnel safety,
physical security
and emergency
communications
Encouraging
sustainability
practices within the
region 4 offices and
surrounding area.
Priority Actions
Work with NEPA to appropriately
incorporate climate change into their
environmental assessments and that
NEPA analysis is consistent with
respective Climate Change Adaptation
plans.
Region will work with other federal
agencies to appropriately address
vulnerable people and places as they
are impacted by climate change.
Continue to use the Region's EMS to
promote sustainable business practices,
energy efficiency, renewable energy
strategies, and maintain LEED
certification
As a GSA building occupant, EPA
Region 4 will promote facility
efficiencies.
Investigate alternative lodging
availability at the Alternate COOP
Site.
Maintain the staffs capacity to work
remotely
Develop interagency federal
sustainability team to promote
greening federal facilities in Atlanta.
Recruit Federal Green Challenge
partners from federal departments to
reduce their climate change impacts
Support the development of
sustainable recycling infrastructure and
commodities markets through
partnerships with state and regional
recycling coalitions, by developing and
supporting product stewardship and
extended producer responsibility
models, and through efforts to
encourage the recovery and recycling
of organic waste streams.
Recruit partners to implement the
SMM Food Recovery Challenge to
increase economically valuable and
environmentally responsible use and
diversion of organic waste away from
land-filling to minimize the creation
and release of methane
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
R
D
JX
R
R
R
R
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
U
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Page 122
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00
.3
.3
E
Climate Change
Impact
Cumulative
Climate Change
Impacts to Tribes
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Increase employee
knowledge
regarding climate
change adaptation
and encourage
consideration while
performing job
duties
Region 4' swill
coordinate with its
six-federally
recognized Tribes
and support Tribal
climate change
adaptation efforts
consistent with the
Agency's statutory
and regulatory
authorities, program
office guidance, and
resources.
Priority Actions
Encourage regional employees to take
EPA Headquarters created training
regarding climate change adaptation.
Utilize Region 4's Energy and Climate
Change Steering Committee and
Workgroups to monitor opportunities
to educate and outreach to employees
and look for areas where climate
change adaptation can be incorporated.
Look for opportunities to bring in
guest speakers to lecture employees
about climate change and potentially
how other agencies are tackling
adaptation.
Coordinate with the Regional Tribal
Operations Committee (RTOC) and
individual Tribes to identify climate
change priorities, assess Tribes'
climate change adaptation readiness
and determine training, technical
assistance and/or resource needs.
Request clear guidelines from National
Program Managers to Project Officers
and Tribes about the management of
available funds to grant awards
addressing climate change adaptation
activities.
Facilitate a workshop or training for
Tribal environmental staff on climate
change impacts and priorities.
Collaborate with R4 Tribal
components) in energy and climate
change website.
Incorporate Tribal climate change
priorities, Traditional Ecological
Knowledge, and related information
into training opportunities for Region 4
staff.
Coordinate with federal partners on a
regular basis to share climate change
related efforts, and to streamline
education, outreach and consultation
with Tribes, where appropriate.
Enhance interagency cross-program
coordination and collaboration
opportunities to inform, discuss and
consult with Tribes on EPA climate
change actions and decisions.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
g
R
R
R
N
R
R
B
R
B
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
N
N
IN
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Page 123
-------
o
Inerable Popula
;>
o
1
1
>
Climate Change
Impact
Climate Change
Impacts to
Children's
Health
Climate Change
Impacts to
Environmental
Justice
Communities
Focus of Associated
Region 4 Program
Priority Actions
Conduct an inventory of tools and
materials available to address issues
faced by children and pregnant
women.
Promote and disseminate of tools and
materials to address issues targeting
children and pregnant women.
Educate and conducnt outreach
directed to pediatric health care
professionals to enhance their
understanding of the threats on
children's health.
Consult with the Southeast Pediatric
Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) as a
resource to address environmental
health medical conditions that may be
exacerbated by climate change.
Host climate change and adaptation
educational workshops for
environmental justice communities.
Partner with other federal and state
agencies and non-profit organizations
to inform environmental justice
communities of various activities and
programs.
Promote and distribute climate change
and adaptation tools and materials via
emails, listserv, and mailings.
Create a train-the-trainer climate
change and adaptation workshop
where community partners are able to
lead climate change and environmental
justice workshops.
National or
Regional Action
National = N
Regional = R
Both = B
N
B
B
B
R
B
B
R
Action requires National
Guidance or
HQ Coordination
Yes = Y
No = N
Unknown = U
Y
Y
N
N
N
Y
Y
N
Page 124
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Page 125
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U.S. EPA Region 5
Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
May 30, 2014
-------
Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations,
and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this
document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose
legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further,
any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision
makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions described in
this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is subject to
change.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to
the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant
challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it
is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is
therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill
its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream
adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it
will carry out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates
how the office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent
and compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most
vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes,
and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
-------
Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Table of Contents
Background 1
I. Vulnerability Assessment 2
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality 3
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters 4
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development 7
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 8
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws 9
Region 5 Facilities and Operations 9
II. Regional Priority Actions 10
Air & Radiation Division 11
Water Division 12
Great Lakes National Program Office 16
Superfund Division 17
Land & Chemicals Division 19
NEPA Program 20
III. Agency-wide Strategic Measures on Climate Change Adaptation 21
IV. Legal and Enforcement Issues 22
V. Training and Outreach 22
VI. Partnerships with Tribes 23
VII. Vulnerable Populations and Places 25
VIII. Measuring & Evaluation 25
References 26
Acknowledgments 27
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
EPA Region 5
Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
Background
Executive Order 13514 ("Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic
Performance"), issued by the President on October 5, 2009, called on the Interagency Climate
Change Adaptation Task Force to develop recommendations for adapting to climate change
impacts both domestically and internationally. On October 5, 2010, the Task Force delivered its
initial report and first set of recommendations to the President. A key recommendation in the
report called for every federal agency to develop and implement a climate change adaptation
plan addressing the challenges posed by climate change to its mission, operations, and programs.
On June 2, 2011, the EPA Administrator issued a Policy Statement on Climate Change
Adaptation with a charge to develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for EPA by June 2012.
This charge included the development of Program and Regional Office Implementation Plans. In
response to these directives, EPA established a new cross-EPA work group on climate change
adaptation planning. The work group developed the first ever Climate Change Adaptation Plan
for EPA and delivered it to The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on June
29, 2012. The draft Plan was released for public comment on February 7, 2013. EPA's Program
and Regional Offices have developed their own Climate Change Adaptation Implementation
Plans. The purpose of this Plan is to provide an overview of how EPA Region 5 will incorporate
climate change considerations across the work of the region.
To promote consistency, the Agency-wide Climate Change Adaptation Plan identified eight
"Common Areas of Focus" as required sections for all of the Implementation Plans:
1. Vulnerability assessments
2. Priority actions on climate adaptation
3. Agency-wide strategic measures on climate adaptation
4. Legal and enforcement issues
5. Training and outreach
6. Partnerships with tribes
7. Vulnerable populations and places
8. Evaluation and cross-office pilot projects
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
I. Vulnerability Assessment
Regional Climate Change Impacts
According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP, 2009), the following issues
are among key areas of concern for the Midwest:
• During the summer, public health and quality of life, especially in cities, will be
negatively affected by increasing heat waves, reduced air quality, and increasing insect
and waterborne diseases. In the winter, warming will have mixed impacts.
• The likely increase in precipitation in winter and spring, more heavy downpours, and
greater evaporation in summer would lead to more periods of both floods and water
deficits.
• Increased storm intensity will lead to an increased risk of water pollution to the Great
Lakes and Mississippi River basins from combined sewer overflows, sediments, and
other threats to water quality.
• While the longer growing season provides the potential for increased crop yields,
increases in heat waves, floods, droughts, insects, and weeds will present increasing
challenges to managing crops, livestock, and forests.
• Native species and ecosystems are very likely to face increasing threats from rapidly
changing climate conditions, including pests, diseases, and invasive species moving in
from warmer regions.
Climate change impacts may impose significant costs on communities and people in the
Midwest. For example, many communities are facing the need to update water infrastructure to
control combined sewer overflows and protect water quality. Given the increased storm
intensities anticipated in the Midwest, additional infrastructure investments may be
necessary. While this plan prioritizes actions such as green infrastructure to help make
communities more resilient to increased storm intensity, additional traditional infrastructure may
still be required, and both approaches impose costs on communities. Given the complexity and
potential magnitude of climate change and the lead time needed to adapt, preparing for these
impacts now may reduce the need for far more costly steps in the decades to come.
Without proper adaptation, climate change impacts may also bring about additional costs through
health impacts on both the general and vulnerable populations. The latter of may suffer greater
consequences due to health disparities such as asthma and lack of access to quality housing,
heating and cooling systems and drinking water.
Regional Vulnerabilities
Given the general climate change impacts in the Region, the following identifies vulnerabilities
that we believe, at this time, are most significant to Region 5 divisions and offices. Many of the
vulnerabilities identified in this Regional assessment have already been established in the High-
Level Vulnerability Assessment in the Agency-wide Plan. Much of this assessment relies on the
scientific findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Field et al, 2007 and
Denman et al, 2007) and USGCRP, 2009. In addition to the IPCC report, the vulnerabilities
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
outlined below under Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality are
attributed to the Institute of Medicine report "Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and
Health" and U.S. EPA's "Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air
Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone." Except where
otherwise noted, the environmental conditions described derive from the findings in these
reports. In some cases, the best professional judgment of Regional program staff was used in
determining further vulnerabilities. A detailed explanation of Region 5's vulnerabilities to
climate change is included in Appendix A, "Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table"
The assessment of Region 5's vulnerabilities is a dynamic process. The extent to which
vulnerabilities have been identified and are understood varies across goals. The science of
climate change will improve over time, providing greater weight of evidence to evaluate the
consequences of existing and expected impacts. Region 5 will continue work with its federal,
state, tribal and local partners to identify new vulnerabilities and improve our understanding of
known vulnerabilities.
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
a) Criteria Air Pollutants
Higher temperatures and weaker air circulation in the United States (U.S.) will lead to more
ozone formation even with the same level of emissions of ozone forming chemicals. In addition
to the six nonattainment metro areas in the Region, there are several attainment areas that are
violating the ozone standard based on recent monitoring data.
• Increases in tropospheric ozone could lengthen the ozone season and make it more
difficult to achieve or maintain attainment.
Wildfires are not a large contributor to particulate matter (PM) issues in the Great Lakes states.
However, hotter temperatures and increased drought could increase the incidence of wildfires
and increase dust in the air from dry soil. Droughts can also cause restrictions on water use and
an increase in the price of water. This would make it more expensive or difficult for industries to
control storage piles, which could also create more PM.
• Increased PM from wildfires and drought could increase PM concentrations and
associated respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts in affected areas.
• Additional PM could also increase deposition of some contaminants to the Great Lakes.
Higher temperatures would likely cause an increase in use of air conditioners and therefore an
increase in the demand for electricity.
Increased demand for electricity could increase the emissions of PM, as well as carbon monoxide
(CO), sulfur dioxide (SCh) and nitrogen dioxide (NCh) from electric generating units. However,
energy efficiency efforts and measures to promote cleaner electricity generation may counteract
the impacts of this increased demand.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
b) Indoor Air Environments
Increased temperatures and extreme weather may cause residents to spend more time indoors
with windows closed, increasing exposure to indoor air pollutants. Extreme weather conditions
may bring about other indoor air issues, including:
• Power outages or damage to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
due to extreme weather increases the potential for the misuse of generators and
combustion sources such as gas stoves. If improperly operated, these combustion sources
can cause elevated levels of CO and nitrogen oxides (NOx) if their exhaust builds up
indoors.
• Residents may weatherize buildings to increase comfort and indoor environmental quality
in addition to saving energy. Although in general these actions should be encouraged,
this may lead to a reduction in ventilation and an increase in indoor environmental
pollutants unless measures are taken to preserve or improve indoor air quality. EPA has
developed practical guidance for improving or maintaining indoor environmental quality
during home energy upgrades or remodeling in single-family homes and schools. EPA's
guidance and protocols may need to be revised to include state and local considerations
for projected climatic changes. In addition, these programs may need to increase
partnerships with other agencies to address training needs and workforce development for
building owners, managers, and others, as well as develop new tracking mechanisms to
assess the effectiveness of weatherization and remodeling techniques as they relate to
indoor environmental quality.
Flooding may increase damage to buildings, leading to poor environmental conditions such as
mold and pest infiltration. Increased temperatures, including warmer winters with fewer days of
temperatures below freezing, may also increase the type and number of pests.
• Outdoor and indoor air impacts will increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable
populations including individuals with respiratory conditions, children and the elderly, as
well as those confined to alternate/emergency shelters during extreme weather situations.
Exposure to environmental asthma triggers in homes and schools may also increase.
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
a) Water Quality
Climate change is expected to increase air temperatures, which in turn is likely to increase water
temperatures in surface water bodies. Climate change is also expected to change weather
patterns, resulting in more frequent intense storms and polluted runoff, separated by periods of
drought. Various water quality impacts are possible, including increased pollutant
concentrations and lower dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, as well as an increased threat of
invasive species in the Great Lakes. These changes are likely to have impacts on EPA water
programs and will affect our ability to achieve Clean Water Act (CWA) goals in the following
ways:
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
• Increasing numbers of water bodies may be impaired;
• Revisions to monitoring programs may be needed to assess new conditions.
• New water quality models and data may be needed.
• Requests by states to revise water quality standards (WQS), including designated uses
and water quality criteria that protect those uses may be more frequent, as water quality
impacts become increasingly serious and lasting.
• Permitting and pollution control programs may see a new workload of permit limit
revisions to reflect new environmental conditions and revised uses.
• Water quality degradation may impact the availability of water of sufficient quality
needed for uses, most notably public water supplies.
b) Pollution Control - Point Source
Climate change is expected to change weather patterns, resulting in more frequent intense storms
and polluted runoff, separated by periods of drought.
• Current wastewater collection and treatment systems may not be adequately designed for
future conditions.
• Combined sewer systems may not meet performance expectations and water quality
objectives in long term control plans EPA and the states have negotiated with
communities.
• Storm water collection systems may be inadequate to remove pollutants or prevent
flooding.
• In communities with both combined and separate sewer systems, wastewater
infrastructure may be stressed by extreme, variable flows.
• EPA and state wastewater regulatory programs will see workloads increase or evolve as
we respond to these challenges and to increased expectations from communities
regarding assistance on new resilient practices such as green infrastructure, integrated
municipal wet weather planning, and energy efficient practices.
c) Pollution Control - Nonpoint Source (NPS)
Climate change is expected to change weather patterns, resulting in more frequent intense storms
and polluted runoff, separated by periods of drought.
• Management practices funded or promoted in the CWA section 319 program may not
perform as expected, or may be washed out in extreme events.
• As resource managers adapt to changing precipitation patterns, practices may change in
ways that increase NPS pollution (e.g., increased tile drainage to more efficiently drain
heavy precipitation).
• Climate change may create new demands on EPA and states for outreach to promote
environmentally protective, climate resilient practices.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
d) Drinking Water/Other Uses
More frequent heavy downpours and floods could increase the amount of sediment and
contaminants mobilized and transported to surface waters used for drinking water. Warmer
water temperatures can create conditions suitable for pathogens and harmful algal blooms, and
the lowering of water tables can expose formations and oxidize arsenic, which makes the
contaminant more soluble in water.
• The drinking water program will need to address impacts to drinking water supplies
associated with changes in drinking water quality, quantity, and infrastructure.
• Changes in water quality may result in more Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
violations, which would increase the workload of the regional and state compliance
officers.
Climate change may adversely affect availability of surface and ground water supplies for
drinking water, irrigation, etc.
• Increased evaporation associated with warmer temperatures and increased drought
conditions could reduce the amount of water available in surface drinking water supplies,
as well as reduce the amount of ground water recharge.
• Increased demand for water, whether for drinking or other uses, may coincide with
decreasing water availability and quality. Education about water conservation and source
water protection will be increasingly important within all sectors and levels of
government.
• Where drought conditions affect the presence of surface waters, it may be difficult to
establish jurisdiction to implement federal CWA programs to protect vulnerable
resources like wetlands.
Water infrastructure decisions made under prior climate scenarios may not be resilient in future
climate conditions.
• Increased temperature fluctuations could result in increased frequency of main breaks;
flooding can damage water infrastructure; and reduced water levels could require intake
structure modifications. Infrastructure costs would increase the demand for funding
through the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
e) Great Lakes
Changes in average temperature and precipitation patterns have begun to have noticeable impacts
on the Great Lakes ecosystem. For example, extreme storm events have resulted in
unprecedented sediment inputs to the lakes, and Lake Superior had rare algal blooms in 2012.
These trends are projected to continue with higher water and air temperatures and increased
evaporation rates.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
• Ice cover on the Great Lakes is expected to decline, leading to increased evaporation in
winter. Climate change will also affect some lake levels, with some models showing a
significant decrease.
• Heightened storm intensities are projected to increase flooding, combined sewer
overflows, beach closures, waterborne diseases, wildfires and other stressors on the Great
Lakes ecosystem.
• EPA's ability to achieve the objectives of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
and fulfill the commitments of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 2012 may be
compromised by climate change impacts.
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
a) Risk of Contaminant Release
Region 5 has a significant universe of contaminated sites due to our industrial legacy. Increased
flood and drought conditions may impact the mobilization of contaminants at these sites and alter
the time, cost and effectiveness of cleanups.
• Drier conditions might cause severe erosion issues on terrain and constructed landfills.
• Corrective actions may need to be altered to ensure they are protective given the potential
for increased flooding.
• Flood events could wash away constructed remedies and increase contamination to the
environment. Standing water could bring contaminants to the surface and increase
exposure potential.
• Potential contaminant releases may pose an increased risk of adverse health impacts, with
environmental justice and other vulnerable populations most at risk as they may reside
close to these sites.
b) Emergency Response
Increased precipitation may lead to increased riverine flooding, resulting in additional hazardous
waste and domestic white goods removal and cleanup.
• Availability of emergency response teams to react quickly may be stressed as extreme
weather related events become more frequent.
• The need for emergency response and debris/waste management due to storms resulting
in large-scale releases of chemicals and generation of debris from flooded/damaged
and/or demolished buildings may also increase. Existing waste management capacity
may not be adequate to meet the demands of an increased debris stream resulting from
more frequent storms.
• Increased extreme temperatures will impact the health and safety of response workers.
If climate change leads to more intense weather events and increases EPA's involvement in
disaster response and remediation, then core program work in all media could be affected due to
a scarcity of available staff and resources.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
• The need to activate the Response Support Corps and other staff to respond to
emergency/disaster situations within the Region and in support to other Regions may
have an adverse impact on the Region's ability to consistently and effectively implement
core activities and address identified national and regional priorities.
c) Clean up and Corrective Action
The increase in heavy precipitation events that are likely to occur in the Midwest as a result of
climate change may cause an increase in flooding risk; droughts are also expected to become
more common.
• Flooding often produces significant debris that must be quickly managed by local
communities in the region.
• Landfill design and controls may become inadequate to protect the environment and
human health. The impact of flooding on non-hazardous disposal facilities and their
engineered systems is significant as municipal solid waste landfills are only required to
design for handling run-on or run-off from a 25-year storm.
• Drought conditions may affect the performance of vegetative caps on closed landfills
which may result in increased leachate generation and/or emissions from landfills.
• Contaminated sites where groundwater is involved may have to consider different
remedies that reflect the possibility of long term drought, as well as the purging effect of
flooding. Groundwater, gas, and leachate monitoring systems may all be affected. States
and local governments may need assistance in evaluating the impacts on these facilities.
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
a) Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
• Damage to homes, buildings and other community infrastructure as a result of extreme
weather events may increase risk of exposure to lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
halogenated flame retardants, asbestos and other chemical applicants. Incidents of
flooding may increase Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) chemical impacts to
surface water.
• Increased release of toxics resulting from flooding and severe weather may exacerbate
exposure and children are particularly vulnerable to this risk. Existing risk assessment
methodologies may need adjustment to assure that chemical exposure models reflect
changing climate conditions.
b) Exposure to Pesticides
Climate change may drive changes in crops and agricultural practices, including introduction of
new genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with new pesticidal traits or immunities and
change how, where, and the quantity of pesticides used due to increased pest pressure.
• Increased application amounts, as well as extreme precipitation events and flooding, may
result in increased exposure risks and surface water impacts from pesticide application.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
• Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may make weeds more difficult to
control leading to increases in herbicide use and increased risks of surface and ground
water contamination. Existing risk assessment methodologies may need adjustment to
assure that pesticide use and exposure models reflect changing climate conditions.
• Weather changes may also result in pesticide use, application or active ingredient
changes that may merit increased or more frequent EPA review or study of specific
pesticide uses, applications, or effects.
c) Pollution Prevention
Increased precipitation and extreme weather events may play a more prominent role in the
Pollution Prevention (P2) Program.
• The P2 Program could respond to these changes in a variety of ways, such as building the
adaptive capacity of industries to address the impacts of climate change, including supply
chain disruption, changing energy uses, and market demands.
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
The enforcement of environmental laws is considered within each program area.
a) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
The uncertainties associated with climate change present challenges to EPA's ability to:
• Effectively comment to other federal agencies on potential environmental impacts of
proposed projects; and
• Help to ensure that proposed projects are able to adapt to a changing climate.
Region 5 Facilities and Operations
Climate change will not only impact Region 5's program work, but may also have impacts on its
facilities and operations. Region 5's main office and regional laboratory are located in
downtown Chicago. Region 5 also has facilities in Westlake, Ohio, and Grosse He, Michigan.
In addition, the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) has two research vessels.
• Extreme heat, increased heavy precipitation events and poor air quality may increase the
health risks of EPA Region 5 employees engaged in field work or force delays in such
work.
• Increased demands on electrical grids during heat waves could impact Region 5's
facilities, causing greater need for back-up power sources and contingency planning.
• Severe storms and heat waves could impact public transportation systems, thus
preventing Region 5 employees from commuting in to work. Increased risk of floods and
extreme events in Region 5 may increase staff demands to provide Emergency Response
support. Staff away from the office for periods of time may pose a challenge to the
completion of core programmatic work.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Region 5 has the Homeland Security Work Plan (HSWP) which is a series of tasks and focus
areas for each division to help with regional preparedness and readiness. Tasks and focus areas
range from databases and mapping tools to external partnerships and regulatory activities. To
prepare for a disruption in the Region's ability to work in our facilities, the Region 5 Continuity
Plan is also covered in the HSWP and includes tasks such as increasing the ability to work from
alternate locations and preparing for the closing of our offices. The HSWP is revised annually to
reflect any changes or new areas that need to be addressed.
II. Regional Priority Actions
The vulnerabilities described in the previous section require that Region 5 adapt to the impacts of
climate change and adjust the work of its programs accordingly. The following criteria were
used to identify Priority Actions to adapt to climate change:
1. The action addresses Regional and/or national objectives; it is part of EPA's core
activities and programs.
2. Legal authority exists for the action.
3. The action is achievable in a reasonable timeframe using existing resources or a moderate
shift of resources.
4. The action has benefits: it reduces the impact on the environment, avoids maladaptation,
and increases the effectiveness of EPA's programs in light of climate change impacts.
Note: Some of these actions will also provide mitigation co-benefits in that they will also
result in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These actions are highlighted in green in
the Program-Specific Priority Actions discussion that follows.
5. The action addresses vulnerable populations, areas, and/or ecosystems.
Regional Priority Action Themes
Although the specific needs and actions vary by program area, there are several Priority Action
themes that cut across the Region. As practical, actions in these areas will be implemented at the
Regional level to avoid duplication of work. In addition, actions identified by specific program
areas, as described below, may also address these themes.
Training
Train staff on climate change adaptation (see also Section V, Training and Outreach):
a. Core training—Increase basic level of climate change understanding of all technical
staff; such training is currently being developed by Headquarters (HQ).
b. Targeted training—Increase staff understanding of potential climate change impacts
on specific program areas.
c. Incorporate climate change considerations into health and safety training.
Internal Collaboration
Inform EPA national program offices on regional climate change impacts to identify needs and
inform rulemaking and guidance development/revision; revise regulations and guidance, in
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
coordination with other Regions and HQ, to reflect climate change impacts.
Outreach
Provide outreach and technical assistance to States, tribes, federal agencies, and other partners
regarding impacts, vulnerabilities, and incorporating climate change considerations into
environmental program activities and coordinating actions, as appropriate:
a. Provide access to up-to-date data (e.g., precipitation and stream flow statistics) and
tools to factor climate change into programmatic and regulatory decisions;
b. Identify data and tool needs and seek ways to fill them (e.g., inform HQ, Office of
Research and Development (ORD);
c. Develop processes jointly with States and tribes to incorporate new data into
regulatory decisions (e.g., State Implementation Plan (SIP) development);
d. Anticipate and streamline regulatory decision-making processes affected by climate
change (e.g., water quality variance requests) to promote timely, protective decisions.
e. Incorporate climate change considerations into planning work and grant-related
processes (e.g., NEPA documentation; state program negotiations, tribal
environmental agreements).
Resources
Allocate resources to address climate change vulnerabilities to programs:
a. Reassess workload and staffing priorities, as necessary, to accommodate climate
change adaptation work, including potentially increasing emergency/disaster response
work demands.
b. Revise inspection and field work priorities as appropriate to reflect climate change
considerations (e.g., target sites that appear to be vulnerable to climate change, such
as hazardous waste landfills located in areas with increased flooding).
Program-Specific Priority Actions
The actions below are priority actions to address important climate change vulnerabilities on
Region 5 programs.
Air & Radiation Division
1. Address adverse impacts to air quality from climate change, particularly ground-level
ozone concentrations
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Higher temperatures and weaker air circulation due to
climate change will increase ozone formation. In addition, other impacts of climate change,
including wildfires and increased demand for electricity due to greater need for air conditioning,
could increase emissions of PM and other criteria pollutants.
Goal: Meet air quality standards in the Region despite the additional challenges that climate
change will present.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Actions:
a. To the extent that it becomes apparent that a changing climate is preventing attainment of
national air quality standards, Clean Air Act provisions may require identification of
additional control measures to reduce criteria pollutant emissions. Region 5 will work
with EPA HQ to determine appropriate actions if and when such control measures are
needed. Such actions may include:
• Consideration of Supplemental Environmental Project (SEPs) that would reduce
emissions of ozone precursors;
• Targeting of enforcement and permit review; and
• Promoting options for reducing criteria pollutant emissions in anticipation of
expected adverse climate change impacts, including Ozone Advance, PM Advance,
and output-based standards.
2. Address increased adverse impacts to indoor air quality (IAQ) from climate change.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Increased temperatures and extreme weather conditions
may worsen existing indoor air quality problems and exposure to indoor air pollutants may
increase if weather extremes cause residents to spend more time indoors.
Goal: Continue to improve indoor air quality in the Region and balance energy-saving measures
with ventilation and indoor air quality.
Actions:
a. Continue to promote Indoor airPLUS and Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for
Home Energy Upgrades. Indoor airPLUS builds on ENERGY STAR requirements for
new homes and provides additional construction specifications to provide indoor air
quality protections in new homes. The Protocols provide a set of best practices for
improving indoor air quality in conjunction with energy upgrade work in homes and are
intended for voluntary adoption by weatherization assistance programs, federally funded
housing programs, private sector home performance contractors, and others working on
residential energy upgrade or remodeling efforts.
b. Add information on climate change impacts as they relate to IAO to stock outreach
presentations for schools, health care professionals, etc. Incorporate these messages into
collaborative IAQ work with state and local health departments, Habitat for Humanity,
HUD, etc., so that our partners are aware of these impacts and the need to weatherize and
make other building improvements with IAQ in mind.
Water Division
1. Target highly vulnerable public water systems for source water protection.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Both the quantity and quality of drinking water sources are
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likely to be adversely affected by climate change. Source water quality degradation, increased
demands for water in the face of extreme temperatures, drought and other stresses exacerbated
by climate change will impact some public water systems, and the people served by them.
Goal: Source water protection is increasingly used at highly vulnerable systems to minimize risk
and make our drinking water sources and water systems more resilient to climate change
impacts.
Actions:
a. Develop a process to identify highly vulnerable systems. Water Division and its partners
will develop a prioritization scheme to identify the highly vulnerable public water
systems to highlight those water sources and systems most at risk to climate change
effects. This might involve analyzing compliance information or raw water quality data
trends to identify those most susceptible to particular impacts of climate change.
b. Provide targeted outreach and compliance assistance. Apply targeted outreach and
compliance assistance on measures to reduce negative effects of climate change to those
most in need of additional support. Depending on the mechanism for prioritizing highly
vulnerable public water systems, the applicable programmatic tools from across the water
program to aid groups of systems receptive to assistance will be utilized.
c. Coordinate adaptation activities with federal, state, and tribal partners. Leverage
assistance from external partners such as the Indian Health Service and technical
assistance providers, as well as the states, to provide a coordinated set of adaptation
practices. Use source water protection tools to improve resilience of highly vulnerable
water systems. Where necessary, use enforcement actions to compel adoption of
approaches other than, or in addition to, treatment (i.e., Source Water Protection (SWP)
and other Sustainable Water Infrastructure (SWI) practices) to increase resiliency and
return water systems back to compliance.
2. Increase climate-readiness at water utilities
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Wastewater, drinking water and storm water utilities will be
under increasing strain to maintain compliance and achieve performance and water quality
objectives in the face of climate change, as precipitation events are expected to become more
extreme throughout the region and may overwhelm infrastructure.
Goal: Resilience of drinking water and wastewater utilities to climate change is increased
through application of SWI practices.
Actions: Continue promoting SWI practices to make water utilities more resilient to climate
change impacts, emphasizing the following:
a. Incorporate SWI conditions into NPDES permits, where appropriate. Water Division and
state partners will identify SWI approaches that are amenable to NPDES permit
conditions, for example, green infrastructure and asset management, and develop model
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language for incorporation into NPDES permits. EPA will track and report to states,
providing case examples and best practices to promote replication.
b. Incorporate SWI considerations into compliance assistance and enforcement settlements,
where appropriate. Provide information to facility operators on SWI tools and resources
as a regular part of our municipal inspection program including the Climate Ready Water
Utilities (CRWU) initiative and the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool
(GREAT). Water Division and state partners will identify SWI approaches that are
amenable to NPDES enforcement settlements, for example, green infrastructure and asset
management, and develop model language for consideration in settlement negotiations,
orders, etc.
c. Begin tracking EPA enforcement actions for the incorporation of sustainable practices.
Incorporate new fields in the Water Enforcement Tracking database for tracking
sustainable practices and populate the fields to provide a full accounting of existing
efforts. As it becomes available, performance information will be incorporated. The
results will be used to identify best practices and lessons learned to inform future efforts
and promote replication by states.
d. Promote energy management at utilities as resources allow. Conduct energy management
outreach, as resources allow, to replicate the success of initial efforts in the Indiana
energy management pilot. Using the information acquired from these demonstrations,
promote the benefits of energy management and its potential role in utility climate-
readiness, in collaboration with states, professional organizations and others.
3. Improve information on climate change impacts on surface water quality and quantity
available and used for regulatory and assistance actions.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Climate change is expected to cause changes in surface
water characteristics such as water quality (chemical, physical, and biological), stream flow
characteristics, and lake levels. The regulatory and assistance programs EPA, states and tribes
use to protect water quality will require up-to-date information about surface water
characteristics to ensure that they remain effective. Monitoring programs may not presently be
designed and managed to acquire appropriate data.
Goal: High quality, up-to-date information on water resources is collected through state
monitoring programs; such information is factored into regulatory and standards programs (e.g.,
NPDES, WQS and TMDL) and assistance efforts (e.g., NFS management).
Actions:
a. Identify, with state and tribal partners, critical water resources information necessary to
inform program work as climate changes. Such information is likely to include chemical
and biological metrics needed to determine the health of water bodies or to demonstrate
changes/trends in water quality.
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b. Identify, with partners, potential information sources. Critical water resources
information identified will potentially be available through sources such as other federal
agencies, while other information is appropriate for state monitoring programs. The most
cost-effective approach for meeting our data needs will collectively be identified.
c. Incorporate climate change into state and tribal monitoring strategies. Where
appropriate, incorporate appropriate metrics and other climate-related adjustments into
state and tribal monitoring strategies. To the extent that the revisions necessitate trade-
offs or require additional resources, approaches to meet those needs will be jointly
developed.
d. Ensure that up-to-date climate-related information is factored into regulatory, standards
and assistance programs. Ensure existing state operating procedures and practices are
adjusted, as necessary, to access and use up-to date monitoring data, stream flow metrics,
etc. for development of water quality standards, TMDLs, permit conditions and other
regulatory decisions. Promote transparency by ensuring that documentation of regulatory
decisions clearly identifies where climate change-related information factors into a
decision, e.g., standard revision submissions, permit fact sheets.
4. Streamline and standardize water quality standards decision-making processes to
ensure timely, protective decisions.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: As the effects of climate change place more stress on our
waters, more submissions from states and tribes for WQS revisions are likely. These may come
in two forms: variances from existing criteria, and revised standards (criteria and/or use
designations).
Goal: State processes for considering WQS changes are efficient and decisions are well-
supported; EPA is able to timely act on changes submitted by States.
Actions:
a. Determine, in consultation with headquarters (Office of Waste/Office of Science and
Technology), the flexibility allowed to change designated uses in surface waters that are
adversely impacted by climate change and communicate clear guidance to states and
tribes.
b. Identify and replicate "best practices" among the states and tribes.
i. Identify and implement efficient procedures to process large numbers of similar
variance requests.
ii. Identify and implement efficient procedures to process large numbers of use
designation revisions. For example, Ohio routinely submits multiple use designation
change packages including anywhere from 30 to 150 use change proposals, which
EPA can review as a package. If other states could be encouraged to submit these
types of multiple use change rule packages, this would further enhance the efficiency
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of our reviews.
c. Ensure that any approach to streamline a WQS process is exercised transparently and that
decisions are well-supported by data.
Great Lakes National Program Office
1. Continue to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the
Great Lakes ecosystem in the face of climate change
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Climate trends are changing the Great Lakes in a variety of
ways (e.g., the Lakes themselves are getting warmer, storm frequency and intensity are
increasing, lake levels are changing, etc.). The Great Lakes are expected to be increasingly
vulnerable to toxic and nutrient loadings, invasive species and habitat loss.
Goal: Impacts of climate change to the Great Lakes ecosystem are decreased by applying the
latest climate change information to GLRI projects and other GLNPO efforts.
Actions:
a. Adjust long-term ecosystem monitoring programs to fulfill the U.S. commitments under
Annex 10 (Science) of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Current climate
change information will be taken into account when assessing the timing, frequency,
scheduling, and geographic scope of water quality and fish monitoring programs.
Adjustments may occur annually or as needed during monitoring activities. Climate
change-related indicators (ice cover, water and air temperature, lake levels, critical
ecosystem indicators, etc.) will be assessed and reported on an ongoing basis through the
State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) and other channels to advise
management actions at a regional and local scale.
b. Integrate climate change knowledge into GLRI-funded projects, as well as other GLNPO
funding mechanisms (e.g.. Legacy Act Sustain Our Great Lakes), to ensure the latest
science informs project design. Climate change impacts will be required to be considered
in all appropriate GLRI Request for Application (RFA) categories annually. For
remaining categories, credit for attention to climate change in applications will be
provided. When feasible, guidance and examples as to how to consider climate change in
applications will be provided to applicants in RFAs. A GLRI RFA category for capacity-
building of local governments and resource decision-makers in the Great Lakes to
implement climate change adaptation actions will be offered.
c. Direct necessary revisions to Great Lakes strategic implementation documents, while
working with federal state, tribal and binational partners, using the latest climate change
information. Guide development, revision and implementation of both Remedial Action
Plans for Areas of Concern and Lakewide Management and Action Plans, in
collaboration with the appropriate partners, with the latest climate change information as
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required under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In addition, the next update of
the GLRI Action Plan will factor the latest scientific information on climate change.
Superfund Division
1. Revise current Superfund processes to reflect new protocols.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Increased temperatures and flood and drought conditions
will impact mobilization of contaminants at sites and may alter the time, cost, and effectiveness
of cleanups. As a result, recommended processes and remediation techniques may need to be
changed.
Goal: Ensure that standard processes and procedures in the Region consider climate change
impacts and reflect any changes from Program Offices.
Actions:
a. Review existing Superfund processes to identify where climate change will require
process and template changes. Superfund processes include: Remedial
Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS), Record of Decision (ROD), Remedial
Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA), Five Year Reviews, and language in Brownfield
grants terms and conditions (T&C) that considers climate change in evaluating cleanup
alternatives.
b. Adjust requirements and language in Superfund processes to reflect the new protocols.
This includes reviewing and revising how to:
i. Evaluate alternative remedies for sites that may be impacted by floods and
changing water tables, such as landfills on floodplains;
ii. Choose remediation techniques that incorporate vegetation that might be more
tolerant of heat, excessive rain, or drought;
iii. Manage severe erosion issues on terrain and constructed landfills, with larger rain
events contributing to additional erosion concerns;
iv. Account for water table fluctuations that might impact changing plume direction
and increase smear zones;
v. Redesign corrective actions to manage frequent flooding that may bring
contaminants to the surface and increase exposure potential;
vi. Manage changes in construction season due to warmer or erratic weather; and
vii. Manage increases in sedimentation and scouring due to larger rain events at sites.
c. Train staff on these new protocols. Once new procedures have been accepted and
guidelines are changed, ensure that staff are trained and will follow the new protocols.
2. Enhance flexibility of Emergency Response to climate change conditions.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: There will be an increased need for emergency response due
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to frequency of events and duration of response activities. Changing climatic conditions can also
pose additional hazards for staff.
Goal: Improve the flexibility of the Emergency Response team to an anticipated increase in
events.
Actions:
a. Assess how changing climatic conditions in the Midwest will impact Emergency
Response. Evaluate how changing climatic conditions will impact the ability of staff to
respond to emergency situations, including staff readiness, equipment needs, availability
of staff, and duration of response action.
b. Evaluation of resource needs. Determine how Superfund will adjust staff flexibility and
availability, training, and equipment to ensure timely responses to events. This will also
include improvements in communication channels with state and local authorities.
Additionally, an increase in training and cross program coordination for Regional Science
Council (RSC) and Incident Management Team (EVIT) members will be necessary to
prepare for more frequent response.
c. Implementation. Create an implementation plan to acquire or train staff, and to acquire
equipment.
3. Disseminate climate change information related to risk, safety, requirements, and
alternative remedies to states and tribes.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Increased temperatures and flood and drought conditions
will impact mobilization of contaminants at sites and may alter the time, cost, and effectiveness
of cleanups. As a result, recommended processes and remediation techniques may need to be
changed.
Goal: Inform state and tribal partners of any new or revised recommendations on emergency
response, remedial cleanup, and Brownfields grants terms and conditions.
Actions:
a. Review list of state contacts and tribes that should receive new information related to
emergency response, new or modified investigation strategies, remediation techniques,
risk based cleanup factors and ranking, disposal of hazardous waste and domestic white
goods, and Brownfield cleanup alternatives.
b. Disseminate new fact sheets and information to state and tribal partners. HQ will be
developing new guidelines on risks, safety, new requirements, and alternative remedies.
c. Ensure content on Region 5 website reflects current information related to revised
processes and requirements under climate change conditions by working with IT/web
content/GIS departments.
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d. Pursue additional opportunities to share information with states and tribes, through
meetings, conferences, webinars, etc.
Land & Chemicals Division
1. Maintain and improve available information on managing disaster debris to support
planning and emergency response.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: An increase in heavy precipitation events may cause an
increase in flooding risk which often produces significant debris that must be quickly managed in
the region. State, local, and federal emergency response personnel will need up-to-date
information to help them plan for debris management and find facilities that can safely manage,
and when possible, recover or recycle various types of debris.
Goal: High quality and up-to-date information is maintained and readily available for use by
federal, state, and local emergency response personnel to support planning for and managing
large volumes of debris that may be generated by storm or heavy precipitation events.
Actions:
a. Verify, maintain, and annually update at least 1/3 of the records currently maintained in
the Disaster Debris Recovery Database in consultation with state and local officials as
well as private sector information sources.
b. Continue to provide technical assistance and support to state disaster debris planning
efforts and maintain and update the planning resources and mapping tools available on
Region 5's website:
(http://www.epa.gov/regi on5/waste/solidwaste/debris/disaster_debris_resources.html).
c. Ensure awareness of the Disaster Debris Recovery Database and mapping tool and
planning resources by conducting at least one presentation annually to local and state
emergency planners and response personnel.
2. Maintain and improve pesticide producer information and target pesticide (FIFRA)
and chemical (EPCRA-TRI/TSCA) inspections to identify and address sites that appear
to be vulnerable to climate change.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: Increased precipitation events and flooding may result in
increased exposure risks and impacts from industrial chemicals and pesticides. For example,
chemical manufacturers, processors and formulators might be located in areas of measurably
increased flooding. Improved data about these facilities will help EPA and other stakeholders to
identify and prioritize potential impacts.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Goal: Improved information within managed databases and targeted inspections under FIFRA
and EPCRA-TRI/TSCA which will be used to identify chemical facilities and pesticide
establishments that may require re-assessments or additional attention.
Actions:
a. Add geographical information on flood-prone areas to the selectivity criteria to target
pesticide producing establishments for inspection under FIFRA and chemical
manufacturing/processing facilities for inspection under EPCRA 313 / TSCA.
b. Target establishments and facilities located in flood-prone areas for inspection, with our
State partners under FIFRA, to address bulk chemical containment requirements.
c. Maintain and update location and other available information on pesticide producer
establishments on an annual basis. The Region, in collaboration with the regulated
community, will ensure that applications for new establishment registrations under
FIFRA and the cancellation of establishment registrations for those facilities no longer
engaged in pesticide production.
d. Develop a database and map of TSCA and TRI regulated chemical manufacturers,
processors and formulators for the Region using new TSCA CDR and TRI information.
This map can be used to better target sites that may be more vulnerable to climate
change.
e. Create a list of chemicals, in consultation with the Chemicals of Emerging Concern
(CEC) Network, other Divisions/Offices, OCSPP, and ORD, whose risk may need to be
re-assessed or which may have a higher potential for the need for a chemical-specific
mitigation and/or elimination strategy in different climate change scenarios.
NEPA Program
1. Address climate change impacts as a required component of a NEPA analysis.
Link to Vulnerability Assessment: New construction or upgrades that require a NEPA analysis,
(infrastructure, energy, land use, transportation, etc.) will likely be impacted by climate change.
Impacts resulting from NEPA projects may exacerbate existing environmental and health issues
both directly and indirectly. Projects may need to weigh both positive and negative impacts.
Goal: All NEPA projects (Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments)
will identify and analyze the effects of climate change on the proposed project as well as the
impact of the project on climate change.
Actions:
a. Develop a framework of expected analysis that will be conducted by the lead agency and
included in NEPA documents. EPA will determine what information is relevant for
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
inclusion for the proper analysis of the association between the proposed project and
climate change. Specific factors, data, and information that EPA will look for in a NEPA
review will be clearly listed, defined and disseminated to other federal agencies in a
programmatic manner.
b. Coordinate early with lead agencies (federal, state, local, and tribal) that submit NEPA
documents for review. Common language across federal agencies and implementation of
permitting standards will be captured in NEPA documents. The NEPA documents will
reflect both EPA guidelines (expected from CEQ) as well as adhere to the individual
agency's guidelines to analyze climate change, and climate change priorities and
adaptations. It is imperative to coordinate this analysis early in the scoping process. By
identifying concerns and working with lead agencies from the onset of a project, many of
the adverse impacts (both direct and indirect) can be adapted and/or mitigated.
III. Agency-wide Strategic Measures on Climate Change Adaptation
The FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan contains the Agency's first strategic performance
measures for integrating climate change adaptation into its activities. These strategic
performance measures commit the Agency to integrate adaptation planning into five major
rulemaking processes and five major financial assistance mechanisms by 2015. They also call
for the integration of adaptation planning into five major scientific models or decision-support
tools used in implementing Agency environmental management programs. Region 5 will
support these measures through the following:
1. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Rulemaking Processes
• Provide information on regional climate change impacts to EPA national program offices
to inform rulemaking and guidance development/revision; revise regulations and
guidance, in collaboration with other Regions and EPA HQ, to reflect climate change
impacts.
• Explore, with the states, how state rules may need to be changed as a result of climate
change.
2. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Financial Assistance Mechanisms
• Explore opportunities to incorporate climate change adaptation considerations into
competitive funding announcements in accordance with the October 18, 2011, EPA
guidance memo jointly issued by the Office of Policy and the Office of Grants and
Debarment. This may include a climate change adaptation criterion wherever it is
relevant to the program's mission and outcomes.
o GLNPO will include consideration of climate change as a grants scoring criterion
and ensure that scientific information on climate change impacts and adaptation is
incorporated into projects funded by GLRI and other mechanisms (e.g., Sustain
Our Great Lakes, Great Lakes Legacy Act). Include consideration of climate
change as a criterion in reviewing/scoring competitive grants.
o Region 5 Indian Environmental Office (IEO) and EPA Headquarters American
Indian Environmental Office will jointly determine how to appropriately and
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
effectively use Indian General Assistance Program (GAP) funds to plan or
respond to climate change impacts, and share information on lessons learned with
other Regions.
3. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Models or Decision-Support Tools
• Identify opportunities to incorporate climate change adaptation considerations into
models or decision-support tools. Provide information to EPA national program offices
to identify needs and inform the development of such tools.
IV. Legal and Enforcement Issues
The EPA derives its authority to act from the laws passed by Congress. The Agency is
committed to ensuring that its actions are constitutional, authorized by statute, consistent with
Congress's vision and intent, and otherwise legally supported. Congress has given the Agency
the broad mandates to protect human health and the environment. This mandate affords the
Agency with the broad legal authority to support climate change adaptation work. However,
specific questions may arise in the course of adaptation planning and implementation that cannot
be answered without a legal review of Agency policies and/or guidance as well as court
precedents.
Region 5 Divisions and Offices and Office of Regional Counsel will continue to work closely on
matters related to climate change adaptation. To date, the work on climate change adaptation has
not faced significant legal issues.
• The Region will address any legal and enforcement issues that may arise through the
Office of Regional Counsel, in consultation with the Office of General Counsel and the
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), as necessary.
• In addition, Region 5 will confer with OECA on the inclusion of climate change
considerations in compliance and enforcement activities.
V. Training and Outreach
A central element of the Region's efforts to adapt to a changing climate will be to increase staff
awareness of how climate change may affect their work by providing them with the necessary
data, information, and tools. Strengthening adaptive capacity of staff within the Region is
necessary to anticipate and plan for future changes in climate and incorporate considerations into
our programs, policies, and operations.
Through the development of a regional climate change adaptation training module, consistent
training will be provided to all Regional staff. A workgroup formed out of the Region's Mid-
Level Leadership Development Program is currently developing the structure and content for
training on Regional impacts of climate change, as well as program-specific training and
discussions to further outline changes that need to be made to core work processes. In addition,
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Team will continue in its efforts to educate, foster buy-
in, and plan for program resiliency.
Adaptation requires coordination across sectors and should build on the existing efforts and
knowledge of stakeholders. States, tribes, and local communities share responsibility for
protecting human health and the environment with EPA. Working with these partners will be
critical for efficient, effective and equitable implementation of climate change adaptation
strategies, which will evolve over time.
Region 5 will:
• Provide general and program-specific training opportunities to our staff and management
to increase their understanding of climate change vulnerabilities in our Region, and how
to best incorporate climate change adaptation into our work.
• Encourage our partners to integrate climate change adaptation effectively into their work.
Share existing decision-support tools and training opportunities on climate change
adaptation, especially where training is local or available on-line.
• Develop a regional climate adaptation communication strategy to engage and inform
partners.
• Build adaptive capacity and encourage climate adaptation planning depending upon state,
local, and tribal needs and conditions.
• Engage the Midwest Natural Resources Group of federal agency senior managers to
promote cooperation on climate change adaptation.
VI. Partnerships with Tribes
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and
decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further expressed
in the 1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian
Reservations and the 2011 Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These
policies recognize and support the sovereign decision-making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes
are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the
environment within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong need to develop
adaptation strategies that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on
Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's
Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion,
temperature change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes
recommended a number of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving
access to data and information; supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate
change; developing community-level education and awareness materials; and providing financial
and technical support. At the same time, tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change
activities among federal agencies so that resources are better leveraged and administrative
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal
governments on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their
adaptation-related priorities. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provided
by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a
valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate change and
has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings.
Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is viewed as a complementary
resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change
issues, including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals and GAP. Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and
Program Offices in EPA, since climate change has many impacts that transcend media and
regional boundaries. Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage
activities already taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
Tribes in Region 5 are increasingly concerned about the effects of a changing climate on their
communities, resources and traditional cultural practices. Many tribal populations are already
experiencing climate change impacts; for example, moose populations and wild rice cultivation
have already been adversely impacted on tribal lands.
Region 5 is committed to an ongoing partnership with the tribes to strengthen their capacity to
address climate change impacts and address their adaptation-related priorities. The Region will:
• Integrate climate change adaptation into existing funding mechanisms to help tribes
incorporate and consider climate change in their environmental programs. Region 5's
IEO will ensure that the GAP funds it manages are used appropriately and effectively to
plan for and respond to climate change impacts.
• Provide outreach and technical assistance on climate change impacts and adaptation that
is specific to tribal needs and assists in meeting their environmental regulatory
responsibilities. Region 5 will use existing regional forums/resources, including the
annual Tribal Environmental Program Management conference, Region 5 Tribal
Operations Committee meetings, and Tribal Caucus calls or meetings, as appropriate, for
outreach and/or training. Region 5 will leverage limited resources and avoid duplication
of efforts through coordination of training and outreach efforts with other federal
agencies (through the Region 5 Memorandum of Understanding Workgroup),
Headquarters, and other partners.
• Provide opportunities for meaningful tribal participation in regional climate change
efforts and facilitate communication with the tribes to gather updated information on
climate change impacts they are experiencing to inform programmatic work as
appropriate.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
VII. Vulnerable Populations and Places
The effects of climate change have the potential to have an adverse impact to specific vulnerable
populations, contingent upon their geographic location and demographic information. Impacts
may vary depending upon a population's susceptibility to the health effects of environmental
pollution, economic status, education level, income source and access to relevant information.
For example, children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory problems are more
vulnerable to poor indoor and outdoor air quality, both of which may worsen in a changed
climate. In general, environmental justice issues may be amplified by the impacts of climate
change. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate change adaptation into
its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places
and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be designed and
implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions
that will be taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is
conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change will be identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these communities to
increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts will be
informed by experiences with previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and
Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
Region 5 will integrate consideration of vulnerable populations and environmental justice into
our actions as this plan is implemented. Region 5 intends to build on existing partnerships with
tribal and environmental justice programs to ensure such populations are represented in climate
change impact analysis. Finally, we will explore opportunities to share information, case studies,
and experiences related to climate change adaptation among tribes and other vulnerable
populations with HQ and other regional offices, federal agencies, and non-governmental
organizations.
VIII. Measuring & Evaluation
Region 5 will evaluate its climate change adaptation activities, particularly our Priority Actions,
to assess progress toward mainstreaming climate change adaptation into programs, policies,
rulemaking processes, and operations. Region 5 will develop a work plan based on the Priority
Actions, including additional details on actions and assignment of roles and
responsibilities. Using this work plan, the Region will conduct an annual evaluation of our
progress and performance under this Implementation Plan. Based on the lessons learned through
these evaluations, Region 5 will make any necessary adjustments to its approach.
Region 5 recognizes that the integration of climate change adaptation planning will occur over
time. This will happen in stages, and measures should reflect this evolution.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
References
C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation
and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, PJ.
van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA:
Cambridge University Press, 2007).
Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and
Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of
Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and
H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York,
NY, USA.
Institute of Medicine. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC:
The National Academies Press, 2011.
U.S. EPA (2009). Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A
Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone. An Interim Report of the U.S.
EPA Global Change Research Program. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,
DC, EPA/600/R-07/094F.
USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M.
Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson,(eds.). Cambridge University Press, 2009.
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Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan May 30, 2014
Acknowledgements
EPA Region 5 Climate Change Adaptation Team
Tim Henry
Kate Balasa
Melissa Hulting
John Haugland
Elizabeth LaPlante
Erin Newman
Shanna Horvatin
Brooke Furio
Jerri-Anne Garl
Susan Mooney
Chris Choi
Cyndy Colantoni
Andrew Meindl
Eloise Mulford
Robert Peachey
Cynthia King
Carole Braverman
Matt Mankowski
27
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
ARD Increased tropospheric
ozone pollution in
certain regions
Likely1
Protecting public health and
the environment by setting
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and
implementing programs to
help meet the standards
Could become more difficult
to attain NAAQS for ozone
in many areas, including
areas with existing ozone
problems as well as those
currently in attainment.
High
Five of the six Region 5 states already
struggle with attaining the ozone standard in
large urban areas. Increases in tropospheric
ozone could result in more nonattainment
areas and lengthen the ozone season.
Important across Region, but
new non-attainment areas could
be in smaller metro areas and in
the northern part of the Region.
ARD Increased frequency or
intensity of wildfires
Likely2
Protecting public health and
the environment by setting
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and
implementing programs to
help meet the standards
Could complicate Agency
efforts to protect public
health and the environment
from risks posed by
paniculate matter (PM)
pollution in areas affected by
more frequent wildfires.
Medium
Currently wildfires are not a large
contributor to PM issues in the Great Lakes
States; however, a significant increase in
wildfires could change this profile. Could
also increase deposition of certain
contaminants to the Great Lakes.
Forest areas are mostly in the
northern part of the Region.
ARD Increasing extreme
temperatures
Very Likely3
Protecting public health and
the environment by setting
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and
implementing programs to
help meet the standards
Could complicate efforts to
attain NAAQS for various
criteria pollutants and
increase public health risks,
including risks for the young,
the elderly, the chronically
ill, and socioeconomically
disadvantaged populations.
Medium
Increased temperatures and extreme weather
events could increase demand for electricity
(for example, through increased use of air
conditioning units), which would require
more electricity creating greater pollution
from EGUs, back-up generators, and peaker
plants. This could increase difficulty of
meeting NAAQS for O3, PM2.5, SO2, NO2,
and CO.
Important across Region, but
risks higher in urban areas and
areas with more sources.
ARD Increasing extreme
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Very Likely3
Likely3
Protect public health by
promoting healthy indoor
environments through
voluntary programs and
guidance
Could increase public health
risks from indoor air
pollution, including risks for
the young, the elderly, the
chronically ill, and
socioeconomically
disadvantaged populations
Medium
Susceptible individuals across Region 5 will
be impacted by potentially greater exposure
to air pollution, both indoors and outdoors.
More time spent inside during extreme
weather, mold issues as a result of flooding
and storms, and inappropriate energy
efficiency measures (i.e., making buildings
too "tight") could all increase IAQ problems.
Important across the Region, but
particularly in EJ areas and
areas with high density of more
susceptible populations.
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
br Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
ARD | Increasing extreme
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Very Likely3
Likely3
Atmospheric deposition
initiatives
Ecosystem protection from
Agency emissions reduction
programs
Effects on ecosystems,
including the Great Lakes, to
increased atmospheric
deposition of sulfur, nitrogen,
and mercury (and potentially
increased methylation of
mercury). Also impacts
compliance with water
quality standards and
TMDLs.
High
Mercury is a high priority in Region 5 in
both the Great Lakes and inland lakes. All of
our states have water bodies impaired by
mercury. Increases in mercury deposition, as
well as sulfur and nitrogen, would further
stress our ecosystems.
Very important across the
Region.
EJ
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing flood risk
Likely3
Likelyf
Drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater infrastructure
Inadequate water supply for
human consumption
(Contaminated wells, water
systems)
Damage to water
infrastructure from intense
storms
High
EJ communities will need added assistance
and attention if these events compound
already existing concerns.
Regionwide
GLNPO Changes in temperature
Increased water
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Very Likely3
Very Likely6
Likely3
GLRI, GLQWA
Overall climate change
impacts to Great Lakes water
quality and ecosystem
characteristics
High
As a result of its working relationship with
Canada under the new GLWQA
commitments, GLNPO will be put under
increased pressure to develop and coordinate
with Canada monitoring, modeling,
downscaling and other climate efforts,
including capacity building and sharing
information needed by GL resource
managers.
States, tribes and other GLRI partners will
face increasing pressure to address various
local impacts to Great Lakes resources and
begin adaptation efforts. This will increase
Lake Superior, a "cold water"
lake, will be extremely affected
by climate change in general.
The nature of the fish species,
aquatic species, wildlife habitat
will all be tremendously
affected (more so than the other
lakes) by climate change.
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
pressure on GLRI programs and funding
sources.
GLNPO will face an increased workload to
understand the science of climate change in
the Great Lakes and monitor climate change
variables in assessments of the overall health
of the Lakes.
GLNPO will face an increased workload in
outreach/communication in helping partners,
local communities, cities, etc, adapt to a
changing climate.
GLNPO Increased frequency or
intensity of wildfires
Likely2
Protecting public health and
the environment by setting
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and
implementing programs to
help meet the standards
Could complicate Agency
efforts to protect public
health and the environment
from risks posed by
paniculate matter (PM)
pollution in areas affected by
more frequent wildfires
Medium
More forest fires will increase emissions of
mercury and other contaminants, thereby
hindering progress in reducing mercury in
the Great Lakes ecosystem under our
binational commitments in the new Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement 2012
(GLWQA), and may complicate mercury
reduction efforts under GLRI Toxics Focus
Area.
May also prevent the achievement of the
mercury reduction goals of the Lake Superior
Zero Discharge Demonstration Program.
Lakes Superior, Huron,
Michigan
GLNPO Effects on response of
ecosystems to
atmospheric deposition
of sulfur, nitrogen, and
mercury
Likely'
Ecosystem protection from
Agency emissions reduction
programs
Based on evolving research,
could have consequences for
the effectiveness of
ecosystem protections under
those programs.
Medium
Changes in atmospheric deposition patterns
of these and other toxic chemicals could
adversely affect EPA's ability to fulfill its
commitments to reduce toxic chemicals in
the Great Lakes ecosystem under the
GLWQA and the GLRI Toxics Focus Area.
Lakes Superior, Huron,
Michigan
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
Watershed, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands will
be at risk from runoff
contamination from sulfide
mining in the Upper Great
Lakes, during heavy
precipitation events.
Could potentially affect the ecosystem
response with respect to sulfide levels in
wild rice habitat.
GLNPO Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Increased water
temperatures
Likely3
Likely3
Likely5
Very Likely*
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
GLRI, GLQWA
Increased number of sewer
overflows and wastewater
bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff,
fouling streams and
threatening public health.
Challenges to coastal
wetlands' ability to migrate.
Reduced streamflow, altering
the aquatic environments and
increasing impairments.
Higher nutrient loadings will
likely lead to an increase in
toxic algae blooms.
Shifts in aquatic habitat will
threaten the economic and
cultural practices of tribal
communities.
High
GLWQA nutrient loading and concentration
targets will be harder to achieve if the Great
Lakes experience increased runoff from more
frequent and intense precipitation events.
GLWQA and GLRI commitments to address
risks to water quality from chemicals will be
harder to address if increased runoff
increases the amount of nonpoint source
pollution such as chemicals, pesticides, oil
and Pharmaceuticals to the Great Lakes.
GLRI-funded habitat restoration projects will
be at risk from destruction or decreased
performance due to increased erosion,
scouring, wave action, etc. as a result of
increased storm intensity. Additional costs
and design considerations will result.
Climate change effects on CSOs, NFS and
other water pollution loadings will put
current cleanup, remediation and restoration
activities in Great Lakes Areas of Concern
(AOCs) at risk from destruction or decreased
performance.
Especially Lake Erie, Green
Bay, Saginaw Bay
31 US Areas of Concern spread
throughout the GL Basin
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
br Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
GLNPO | Changes in temperature
Increased water
temperatures
Very Likely3
GLRI, GLQWA
Shifting habitat ranges and
migration patterns of Great
Lakes species.
High
May force changes in goals for GLRI-funded
restoration projects.
Protection efforts for GLRI-critical species
will require additional analysis and tools to
address the increasingly out of sync
migrations of some species with the
appearance of their food sources.
Regionwide
GLNPO Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Likely3
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Increased pathogens on Great
Lakes beaches
High
Fulfilling EPA's commitments to remove
"beach closings" as a beneficial use
impairment from Great Lakes AOCs will be
hindered if E. coli increasingly over-winters
and faces ideal air and water conditions for
growth.
Regionwide
GLNPO Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing flood risk
Likely3
Likely3
Likely5
Drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater infrastructure
GLQWA
Water infrastructure could be
overwhelmed or damaged.
Integrity of coastal water
infrastructure systems could
be put at increased risk.
Drinking water and
wastewater utilities will need
an 'all hazards' approach to
planning for emergencies and
extreme weather events.
Problems of safety as well as
access to clean and safe water
will be exacerbated for
vulnerable and economically
deprived communities.
High
A significant number of CSOs still exist in
the Great Lakes Basin, so increased
precipitation will continue to have a negative
impact on EPA's ability to meet its
commitments under the GLWQA.
The Upper Great Lakes basin has a
significant and increasing number of mining
operations, which will face new weather
conditions that do not match engineering
design assumptions, thereby increasing the
vulnerability of Great Lakes waters to
contamination. CWA Programs, NEPA, and
GLRI programs may have an increased
burden in dealing with these changes.
Lakes Superior, Huron and
Michigan
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
GLNPO
GLNPO
GLNPO
Climate Change
Impact3
Changes in temperature
Increased water
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Changes in temperature
Increased water
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
Increased water
temperatures
Likelihood
of Impactb
Very Likely"
Very Likely6
Likely3
Very likely3
Very likely6
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely6
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
GLRI, GLQWA
GLRI, Other non- EPA
programs including Great
lakes Compact & IJC Water
Regulation Authorities
GLWQA
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Changing Seasonality of
Great Lakes precipitation,
evaporation, tributary flows
Seasonal ice cover over the
Great Lakes has been
decreasing measurably, and
will affect
evapotranspiration, local
weather, etc.
If GL water levels decrease
significantly, costs to
pollution abatement, habitat
restoration and the economy
could be significant.
If GL levels increase, current
GLRI remediation projects
and activities (including
those at AOCs) may be in
jeopardy.
Increased potential for
aquatic invasives to enter the
Great Lakes.
Some invasives already
present in Great Lakes can be
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
High
High
High
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Depending upon changes in evaporation,
lake levels, and seasonality of tributary
flows, the concentration of some toxic
chemicals may increase in some places. This
will create negative conditions for
management of toxic chemicals of concern to
Great Lakes waters under the GLWQA and
GLRI.
These changes will complicate goal-setting,
design and implementation phases of
habitat/species restoration under GLRI and to
fulfill GLWQA commitments, including
projects associated with the AOCs.
Further modeling and monitoring of lake
levels is needed, which will require the
investment of GLNPO's federal, state and
academic partners.
The new GLWQA commits US and Canada
to undertake an assessment of climate change
impacts on AIS. EPA's contributions to AIS
monitoring, prevention, control, and
eradication programs may be affected,
requiring shifts in priorities or added costs.
Variation in importance
across the Region
Regionwide
Throughout Great Lakes Basin
Regionwide
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
GLNPO
Climate Change
Impact3
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Likelihood
of Impactb
Likely3
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Cleaning up Contaminated
Sites and Waste Management
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
triggered to become more
invasive or increase their
range.
Some species may become
less invasive in some places
with new conditions.
Longer shipping season
increases the risk that a
greater amount of ballast
delivered might include a
greater number of species not
yet established in the Great
Lakes.
More flooding, due to greater
numbers of severe
precipitation events, means
that species established (from
pathways such as pet, water
garden, bait, recreation, etc.)
in isolated inland lakes and
rivers near the Great Lakes
will be more likely to be
transported within
watersheds and into the Great
Lakes.
Increased risk of contaminate
release from EPA Sites. May
need to alter selected
remedies to ensure
protection.
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Medium
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Increased volatility of weather and loss of
predictability will complicate planning and
implementation of AOC remediation
projects.
Variation in importance
across the Region
Regionwide
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
GLNPO
GLNPO
Homeland
Security
Climate Change
Impact3
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing extreme
temperatures
Increasing risk of
floods
Likelihood
of Impactb
Likely3
Likely5
Likely3
Very likely3
Likely5
Likely5
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Emergency Response
Operations of Agency
facilities, personnel safety,
physical security, and
emergency communications
Emergency management
mission support (protective
gear and acquisition)
COOP
Occupant Emergency Plan
Activation of Homeland
Security Frameworks
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Erosion and flooding could
increase the potential for
chemical and hazardous
substances contamination
from Superfund and other
sites within Great Lakes
AOCs.
Increased need for
emergency response. Possible
limitations to response
capability due to staff and
financial resource constraints.
Facilities in coastal or flood-
prone areas
Personnel engaged in field
work and vulnerable to
extreme temperatures or
events
Security, lighting and
communication systems
without backup power
Personnel and real property
supporting emergency
response and management
Increased occurrence and
intensity of natural disasters
increase the risks to Region 5
personnel and facilities
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
High
Medium
Medium
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
The GL Basin is vulnerable to resuspension
and volatilization of toxic chemicals from
sediments due to the increased storm
intensity. May render some remedies less
effective in AOCs, may require changes in
design.
Increased storm intensity will increase the
risk of toxic spills to the Great Lakes from
shipping. ER must be coordinated with
Coast Guard and the Canadians.
Increased storm intensity will increase the
risk to EPA vessels and crews on the Great
Lakes.
Impact to EPA Personnel and facilities;
response to Natural Disasters; Emergency
Communications; Activation of FEMA
Variation in importance
across the Region
Regionwide
Regionwide
Regionwide
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Support Functions
Likely3
IEO Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Changes in temperature
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely3
General Assistance Program
(GAP) capacity building
program
Flooding, heat waves,
droughts, etc. can interrupt
essential services such as
drinking water systems and
wastewater treatment
facilities.
Subsistence resources may
also be affected.
Medium
Increased requests for assistance from tribes
that are experiencing climate-related hazards
and impacts. Tribes will likely contact IEO
to request assistance from EPA. IEO and the
media Divisions will need to identify the
types of assistance (technical, financial,
personnel, etc.) that may be available from
the Agency and if there are other federal
agencies that should coordinate activities.
May need to adjust how the Indian
Environmental General Assistance Program
(GAP) can be used by the tribes to plan for
or respond to climate change impacts.
Tribal impacts would mostly be
limited to MI, WI and MN
LCD Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Changes in temperature
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely3
Cleaning up Contaminated
Sites and Waste Management
Increased risk of contaminant
release from EPA Sites.
GW and subsurface
contamination could be
impacted by drought and
flood conditions.
Contaminants increase risk of
migration from floods.
Low
May need to consider altering selected
remedies to ensure protection; altering
(hazardous/nonhazardous) landfill criteria
and BMPs to ensure protection; conduct
more frequent targeted inspections at
hazardous waste disposal facilities; increase
oversight of authorized states and/or provide
increased technical assistance.
Climate changes may trigger the following
impacts at Corrective Action sites and the
Little variation in impact across
Midwest; potentially increased
risk in Great Lakes Basin and
Ohio River Valley
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
selected remedies will reflect these
considerations:
Increased flood and drought conditions will
impact mobilization of contaminants at sites
and may alter the time, cost, and
effectiveness of cleanups.
Vegetation considerations: Whatever plants
are used may not be tolerant to heat or
excessive water. May need to change plant
species or do additional maintenance.
Drier conditions might cause severe erosion
issues on terrain and constructed landfills.
Might have 500 year flood events. Drier
conditions combined with larger rain events
might contribute to additional erosion
concerns.
Could have water table fluctuations - wells
might need to be screened in different zones.
Contaminant plumes might change direction.
Remedies might become ineffective due to
fluctuating water tables which could increase
smear zones and additional remedy options
may need to be considered.
Frequent Flooding - may need to design
corrective action to ensure it is protective
given possible increased flooding. High
flood event might wash away constructed
remedies and increase contamination to the
environment. Standing water could bring
10
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
contaminants to the surface and increase
exposure potential.
Colder weather and erratic weather - could
change construction season. Investigations
and remedies may take longer to construct.
Increased sedimentation and scouring due to
larger rain events could impact sediment
sites.
LCD Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Increasing extreme
temperatures
Likely3
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely3
Emergency Response
Emergency Response Support
Remedial Response
Clean-Up & Corrective Action
Increased PBT chemical
impacts to surface water
Low
Programs will need to consider updates to
operating facility SPCC, contingency and
other risk management and P2 plans for
listed wastes, solid wastes and
PBTs/Chemicals of Concern.
Consideration/evaluation of appropriate work
times for remedial/removal activities, and
impacts to clean-up timelines.
Consideration of facility and siting issues, as
permitting occurs.
Regionwide, particularly for
permitting and planning
activities, where facilities may
not have previously required an
awareness for water releases, or
risk management for
water/flooding.
LCD Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Likely3
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely3
Emergency Response (debris
management and recovery
related to disaster response to
storm events, flooding, etc.)
Emergency Response Support
Increased need for
emergency response and
debris/waste management
due to storms resulting in
large-scale releases of
chemicals and/or air
emissions (e.g., asbestos,
PCBs, Hg, PBTs, SO2) from
flooded/damaged and/or
demolished buildings.
High
Possible limitations to response capability
due to staff and financial resource
constraints.
Possible increased need for emergency
disposal permits.
Regionwide
11
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
Increasing extreme
temperatures
LCD Increasing extreme
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing flood risk
Very likely3
Likely3
Likely5
Protecting human health and
ecosystems from chemical
risks.
EPCRA (TRI):
o Maintaining inventory of
chemical releases
o Maintaining lists of facilities
releasing chemicals
TSCA:
o Maintaining chemical
database (inventories, dossiers
and information) on chemicals
within U.S. commerce
(currently and previously,
including allowances and
prohibitions)
o Maintaining lists of major
chemical manufacturers,
processors and formulators
(MPFs)
FIFRA:
o Maintain Registration
Review schedules/information
o Maintaining establishment
(facility) information
Increased need for
emergency response and
debris/waste management
due to storms resulting in
large-scale releases of
chemicals from
flooded/damaged and/or
demolished buildings.
Any regional risk
assessments could be affected
as weather and climate events
could affect RCRA/TSCA
and Superfund interpretations
of risk at the facility level.
High
Risk Assessment Framework may need
adjustments in order to: Assure that chemical
exposure models reflect changes in the
environment; Perform climate change
assessments on chemicals/substances with a
climate change impact; Address risk-shifting
and new risk considerations where chemicals
impact—or are impacted by—climate change
(e.g., changes in chemical applications or
uses).
Will need to keep other media offices aware
of chemical use trends that affect their
programs.
Facility awareness of these emerging
chemical and risk issues and addressing them
within their Operation and Emergency
Management plans, as needed, but
particularly where risk shifting or new risk
considerations occur.
More relevant near sites with
large densities of chemical
Manufacturers, Processors and
Formulators (MPFs), and RCRA
and Superfund sites.
Extremely relevant, particularly
for permitting and planning
activities, where facilities may
not have previously required an
awareness for water releases, or
risk management for
water/flooding.
12
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
RMD | Increased water
temperatures
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Very likely6
Likely5
Water usage at EPA facilities
Water temperatures impact
research activities or cooling
requirements.
Facilities could be located in
areas with water shortages
Low
Use of water in facilities is of medium
importance since GSA owns the majority of
EPA buildings in the region. R5 has COOP
and extensive flexiplace availability.
All field offices except the Lake
Guardian
RMD Increasing risk of
floods
Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing extreme
temperatures
Likely5
Likely3
Very likely3
Operations of Agency
facilities, personnel safety,
physical security, and
emergency communications
Emergency management
mission support (protective
gear and acquisition)
Facilities in flood-prone
areas
Personnel engaged in field
work and vulnerable to
extreme temperatures or
events
Security, lighting and
communication systems
without backup power
Personnel and real property
supporting emergency
response and management
Medium
R5 office is located in an area with low
probability for flooding, tornadoes, and
earthquakes. There is a greater probability
for blizzards.
Severe Lake Weather is of high regional
importance (affects GLNPO operations on
Lake Guardian)
R5 has COOP and extensive flexiplace
availability. In addition, the Region has
MO As with R3 and R4 to assist in
emergencies.
Lake Guardian is a vessel that is
affected by changes in the Great
Lakes weather
SFD Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Changes in temperature
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely3
Cleaning up Contaminated
Sites and Waste Management
Increased risk of contaminant
release from EPA Sites
May need to alter selected
remedies to ensure
protection.
Medium
Increased flood and drought conditions will
impact mobilization of contaminants at sites
and may alter the time, cost, and
effectiveness of cleanups.
Vegetation considerations: Whatever plants
are used may not be tolerant to heat or
excessive water. May need to change plant
species or do additional maintenance.
Regionwide
13
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
Drier conditions might cause severe erosion
issues on terrain and constructed landfills.
Might have 500 year flood events. Drier
conditions combined with larger rain events
might contribute to additional erosion
concerns.
Could have water table fluctuations - wells
might need to be screened in different zones.
Contaminant plumes might change direction.
Remedies might become ineffective due to
fluctuating water tables which could increase
smear zones and additional remedy options
may need to be considered.
Frequent Flooding - may need to design
corrective action to ensure it is protective
given possible increased flooding. High
flood event might wash away constructed
remedies and increase contamination to the
environment. Standing water could bring
contaminants to the surface and increase
exposure potential.
Colder weather and erratic weather - could
change construction season. Investigations
and remedies may take longer to construct.
Increased sedimentation and scouring due to
larger rain events could impact sediment
sites.
14
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
SFD
SFD
Climate Change
Impact3
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing flood risk
Increasing extreme
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Likelihood
of Impactb
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely3
Likely3
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Emergency Response
Protecting human health and
ecosystems from chemical
risks
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Increased need for
emergency response.
Possible limitations to
response capability due to
staff and financial resource
constraints.
Changing in planting timing
or location may affect the
volume and timing of
agricultural chemical use
which could impact the
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
High
Low
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Due to population densities along rivers in
the Midwest, increased precipitation will
lead to increased riverine flooding and to
additional hazardous waste and domestic
white goods (refrigerators, stoves) removal
and cleanup as a result.
Additionally, the frequency of events may
stress availability of emergency response
teams to react quickly.
Hotter during days, and longer "summers" -
health and safety considerations for the
workers; Might need to take mid-day breaks
and need more breaks - could change
construction season; could take longer to
conduct investigations and construct remedy;
need to consider health and safety of
workers.
More severe weather- could take longer to
conduct investigations and construct remedy;
need to consider health and safety of workers
May have a great proliferation of pests if we
have no freeze and thaw to control them.
This could then require additional safety
concerns for workers.
Assure that chemical exposure models reflect
changes in the environment
Variation in importance
across the Region
Hurricanes are not much of a
risk in R5, but there may be an
increased risk of extreme
weather especially in the
southern part of the Region
(Illinois, Indiana, Ohio).
Unknown (Chemical
Preparedness & Prevention)
15
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
WD
WD
WD
Climate Change
Impact3
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Likelihood
of Impactb
Likely3
Likely3
Likely5
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
appropriate risk management
decisions.
Increased number of sewer
overflows and wastewater
bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff,
fouling streams and
threatening public health.
Increased number of sewer
overflows and wastewater
bypasses, as well increased
pollutant loads in runoff,
fouling streams and
threatening public health.
Reduced streamflow during
summer months, altering the
aquatic environments and
increasing impairments.
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
High
High
Medium
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Increased demand for re-evaluation of
controls and effluent limitations in NPDES
permits; re-evaluation of development of
WQBELs and TBELs to account for the
pollutant loads. There could be increased
requests for variances from water quality
standards. Pretreatment programs may need
to be assessed for local limit revisions and
other controls on industries to ensure
protection of a wastewater treatment plant
and the receiving water body.
Increased need for wet weather inspections
(CSO/SSO communities, stormwater
discharges), to assess compliance and
confirm appropriate level of control; may
lead to increased enforcement action,
requests for revisions to consent decrees.
Changes in watershed hydrology due to
climate change will need to be reflected in
changes to watershed assessment
methodologies and models as well as TMDL
development processes in order to predict the
effects of pollutant loadings on water quality.
These methodologies and models, which are
critical in state and EPA development of
TMDLs, will need to be revised to ensure
TMDLs continue to be effective in attaining
water quality standards.
Variation in importance
across the Region
Regionwide
Majority of CSO communities
are in IL, IN, OH, however SSO
communities are spread across
region.
Regionwide
16
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
WD | Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Likely-
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Challenges to coastal
wetlands' ability to migrate.
High
Watershed planning and permitting would be
impacted should waterbody boundaries move
or are displaced.
Regionwide
WD Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Increased water
temperatures
Likely3
Likely5
Very likely'
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Changes in hydrology may
alter aquatic habitat, ability
of water bodies to support
historic aquatic life
communities may be
compromised, prompting
requests for use designation
changes, revised water
quality standards. CWA
programs, such as
assessments, 303(d) lists,
TMDLs may not provide
adequate protections without
revisions. Current practices
to control nonpoint sources
and nutrient pollution may be
less effective. Economic and
cultural practices of tribal
communities may be
adversely affected.
Medium
Watershed planning efforts will need to be
modified to include projections related to
climate change. The 319 program may not
have adequate funds and the needed technical
expertise to support states/tribes/local units
of government in their efforts to continue to
meet/maintain water quality standards. The
research and models used to inform nonpoint
source controls measures may need to be
updated to reflect new runoff situations and
effectiveness of practices at reducing
pollution, particularly nutrient pollution from
agricultural sources.
Biennial listing process for TMDLs likely to
be more challenging as hydrology changes.
Hydrology strongly affects pollutant
loadings, so changes in hydrology will affect
the model and TMDL assumptions used to
determine pollutant loading capacities.
Impact on staff - more time on evaluating
listings, more sophisticated training on
models used in the program, more frequent
reviews of TMDLs to determine if loadings
are still sufficient to attain water quality
standards. Impact to states/tribes: more time
to evaluate the specific hydrodynamics of
assessed waterbodies, possible changes in
use designations, more frequent reviews of
TMDLs to determine if loadings are still
Regionwide; tribal impacts
limited to MI, WI and MN
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
sufficient to attain water quality standards
For tribes, wild rice, occurring in both lakes
and streams, conditions may be impacted by
climate change, new methods of protecting
that crop will be necessary.
WD Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Increasing risk of
floods
Likely3
Likely5
Drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater infrastructure
Water and wastewater
infrastructure could be
overwhelmed or damaged,
potentially resulting in
noncompliance and causing
human health and aquatic life
risks.
Existing emergency
contingency plans may be
insufficient for affected water
and wastewater utilities.
Problems of safety as well as
access to clean and safe water
may be exacerbated for
vulnerable and economically
deprived communities.
High
Particularly likely to affect direct
implementation (DI) tribal program
(provides oversight of and technical
assistance to tribal public water systems), for
example: tribes may need more assistance
related to infrastructure impacts associated
with climate change, putting demands on the
region to be aware of changes occurring at
the system level and educate systems about
how best to adapt, (e.g., implement an "all
hazards" approach to emergency planning);
the DI program could be called on to
prioritize an increasing number of projects
for contractors and Indian Health Service
(IHS) public health officials; we may see
demands to assist in emergency response
efforts.
State and tribal technical assistance (promote
awareness and information exchange)—the
region may face increased demands to assist
states and tribes with information sharing on
available downscaled models and tools
(climate ready water utilities (CRWU) and
climate resilience evaluation and awareness
tool (GREAT)), as well as lessons learned
associated with climate change adaptation at
DI—significant (as of 10/4/12,
there are 101 tribal water
systems in Region 5)
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
states, tribes, and systems.
State and tribal grant management and
oversight may become more complicated.
WD Increased water
temperatures
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Very likely6
Likely
Likely5
The quality and availability of
safe drinking water
High water temperatures and
increased stormwater runoff
may increase the need for
drinking water treatment,
raising costs, or compromise
quality of drinking water.
Water supplies may be
affected, forcing
communities to seek
alternative sources.
Water demand may shift to
underground aquifers or
prompt development of
reservoirs or underground
storage of treated water,
requiring EPA to ensure
safety.
Medium
DI tribal program—water quality changes
may result in more Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) violations, which would increase
the work of the regional compliance officers;
State and tribal voluntary programs—the
region could see demands to increase
technical assistance, outreach, and education
to further implementation of state and tribal:
(1) source water protection programs,
including encouraging systems to track water
quality/quantity trends (particularly static
water levels) and (2) WaterSense/water
conservation/green infrastructure/water
recycling and reuse programs.
Regionwide; tribal impacts
limited to MI, WI and MN
WD
Increased water
temperatures
Very likely6
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Pollutant limitations in
NPDES wastewater permits
may no longer be protective
of water quality standards.
Medium
Water quality standards and/or effluent
limitations may be revised to continue to be
protective of the water body. As water
temperatures increase thermal loads in
permits would need to be evaluated possibly
restricting thermal limitations to lower levels
in permits to continue to be protective of the
aquatic life in the water body. Inability of
permittees to meet revised limits may prompt
Regionwide
19
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
permit challenges or lead to noncompliance,
increasing administrative or enforcement
workloads, respectively.
WD
Increased water
temperatures
Very likely6
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Ability of water bodies to
support historic aquatic life
communities may be
compromised, prompting
requests for use designation
changes, revised water
quality standards.
Medium
Requests for more WQS revisions/reviews,
including revised uses, criteria, variances;
more pressure from states, industry for
flexibility, less stringent WQS; more stresses
on listed species will mean more ESA BE
work in conjunction with WQS changes;
staff will spend more time working with
states to develop climate change monitoring
strategies.
Variable for two reasons: 1)
climate maps appear to show
some inter-regional variability
in degree of change; and 2) cold
water systems will be
substantially affected, warm
water systems less so.
WD Increasing intensity of
hurricanes
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Likely3
Likely3
Drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater infrastructure
Damage from intense storms
may increase the demand for
public infrastructure funding
and may require re-
prioritizing of infrastructure
projects.
High
Increased demands on the clean water and
drinking water State Revolving Fund.
Investments in water infrastructure may be
needed to manage both decreases in rainfall
(e.g. reservoirs) and increased in rainfall (e.g
increases in pipe and storm water
management facilities), straining water
financing generally including the State
Revolving Funds.
Regionwide
WD Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Likely5
Likely3
The quality and availability of
safe drinking water
Restoring and protecting
watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands
Increased number of
applications, increased
evaluation of more complex
applications, and more
assistance to primacy states
Medium
Increased use of lower quality aquifers could
mean more drinking water treatment
residuals that are sometimes disposed of
down injection wells.
Increased use of aquifer recharge wells.
Some of these may be injecting water from
waste water treatment plants.
Regionwide
20
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
Office
Climate Change
Impact3
Likelihood
of Impactb
Focus of Associated
EPA Program
Example of Risks if
Program were
Impacted
Likelihood
EPA
Program will
be affected
by Impact0
Regional Importance of
Vulnerabilities
Variation in importance
across the Region
Increased water
temperatures
Very likely6
Increased use of aquifer storage and recovery
wells to extend drinking water infrastructure.
Competition for water use between
agricultural, municipal/residential and energy
uses. This may result in how the Agency
evaluates aquifer exemptions. In some cases,
aquifers could be so polluted that cleaning
them up may be too expensive and they
might then be granted exemption from
protection under SDWA. However, if the
cost of water sources rises due to droughts
and dwindling resources, then the
comparative cost of cleaning them up might
be cheaper than exempting them.
Increased number of storm water drainage
and agricultural drainage wells
Increased use of non-hazardous and
hazardous injection wells to dispose of
increased fluids that exceed the capacity of
their systems (e.g., landfill leachate).
Increased use of warm water for cooling
(e.g., power plants) may result in more
brackish water that will need to be disposed
of instead of discharged via NPDES
21
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AppendixA; Region 5 Vulnerability Assessment Table
a Climate Change impacts are based upon peer-reviewed scientific literature.
b In general, the sources cited in this section use Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology where the term 'very likely' means 90-100% probability and the term 'likely'
means 66-100% probability. For some impacts in the table, additional discussion on the likelihood term is provided in the associated footnote.
0 High assumes the program will be affected by the impact; Medium assumes the program could be affected under some conditions by the impact; Low assumes that there is a potential for the program to be impacted or
uncertainty currently exists as to the potential nature and extent of the impact. This assessment is based on best professional judgment within EPA at this time. Please note, this column does not reflect several important
considerations. For example it does not distinguish timeframes (current, near-term, long-term). It does not account for regional and local variations. And it does not reflect the priority of actions the agency may
undertake now or in the future.
1 Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
2 C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, ed. M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, IP. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
3 IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stacker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D.
Mastrandrea,K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-19.
4 Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011,National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National
Science and Technology Council, Washington, DC, p. 114
5 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press,
New York, NY, USA.
6 USGCRP, 2009: p. 46. [In the case of freshwater] "Increased air temperatures lead to higher water temperatures, which have already been detected in many streams, especially during low-flow periods." For the
purposes of this table "very likely" is used.
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U.S. Environmental Protect! on Agency • Region 6 • Dallas, Texas
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so
for informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or
regulations, and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require.
Neither this document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change
or impose legally binding requirements on EPA, states, tribes, the public, or the regulated
community. Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose
any legally binding requirements on EPA, states, tribes, the public, or the regulated
community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to
implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
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May 30, 2014
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding
to the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate,
outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose
significant challenges to the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate
change if it is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The
Agency is therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it
continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the
climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for
review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert
judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan
also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules,
and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on
mainstream ing climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and
mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National
Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices
developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry
out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the
office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and
compatible with its goals and objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-
wide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of
EPA's plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build
capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by
increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement
effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to
integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for
new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's
mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin
addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities.
Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the
most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the
tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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May 30, 2014
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they
mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their
efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be
improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization
will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where
necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build
the nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous
nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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May 30, 2014
Contributors
This document was produced by select members of the Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change
Work Group. Contributors include:
James R. Brown, National Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup Member and Co-author
Jim Yarbrough, National Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup Alternate Member and Co-author
Barbara Keeler, National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup Member, Editor, and Contributor
Rob Lawrence, EPA Region 6 Energy Advisor and Contributor
Wlliam Rhea, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Brian Graves, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Joshua Olszewski, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Verne McFarland, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Casey Luckett, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Randy Gee, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Mark Allen, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Jessica Hernandez, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Julia M. Alderete, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
Kenneth McPherson, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
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Table of Contents
Disclaimer 3
Preface 4
Contributors 6
Introduction 8
Relationship to Sustainability 9
Part 1: Vulnerability Assessment 10
Part 2: Responding to Vulnerabilities: Priority Actions 22
Part 3: Measuring and Evaluating Performance 27
Part 4: Working with Tribes and Other Sensitive Populations 32
Part 5: Conclusions 34
Figures and Tables 36
References Cited 40
Appendix 43
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Introduction
The EPA Region 6 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan stems from the National
Climate Adaptation Plan which was prepared by EPA to fulfill the requirements of Executive
Order 13514, calling for all Federal Agencies to develop a plan on how they will address
climate change adaptation. EPA's draft Adaptation Plan was submitted to the White House
Council on Environmental Quality in June of 2012, and has undergone a tribal consultation as
well as a public review and comment period that ended April 9, 2012. EPA expects to publish
the final Climate Adaptation Plan in 2014. While the Adaptation Plan was under development,
EPA Administrator Jackson issued a Policy Statement on Climate Change in June 2011. The
Policy Statement recognizes that climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA's
ability to fulfill its mission, and calls for the Agency to anticipate and plan for future changes in
climate and incorporate considerations of climate change into its activities. The Policy
Statement also directs all EPA Program and Regional Offices to develop Implementation Plans
that provide more detail on how they will meet the priorities and carry out the work called for in
the Agency's Adaptation Plan.
In response to the Policy Statement, the Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change
Workgroup produced a draft Regional Implementation Plan and submitted it to EPA's Office of
Policy on September 18, 2013. The Plan, along with the draft Implementation Plans developed
by all EPA Program Offices and Regional Offices were the subject of a Federal Register notice
of availability and request for public review and comment in late 2013. The comments were
reviewed by EPA Region 6 and, where appropriate, changes were made to this revision of the
Implementation Plan.
The Regional Implementation Plans explain how climate change considerations will be
integrated and mainstreamed into programs, policies and operations to ensure they are
effective under future climate conditions. Through the Implementation Plans, EPA will continue
to protect human health and the environment while accounting for the effects of climate
change. The EPA Region 6 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan discusses
climate change vulnerabilities the Region will face in coming years, identifies priority actions
the Region will take in response to these vulnerabilities, outlines an approach for measuring
and evaluating performance, and stresses the importance of working in partnership with
stakeholders, states, tribes, and vulnerable communities and places. The Implementation Plan
is an evolving document, and will certainly change as new information about the climate and
ways to mitigate and adapt to it become available. As a result, periodic updates and changes
to this Plan are expected.
This Regional Implementation Plan is voluntary in nature. It does not impose any legally
binding requirements or funding commitments on EPA, states, tribes, the public, or the
regulated community. Its goal is to address the challenges that a changing climate present to
the Region's internal operations, focusing on critical programs, policies and procedures, and to
develop and implement appropriate adaptive measures. State and local decision makers
remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions described in this
Plan. Flexibility is a key aspect of adaptation because it is highly localized and dependent on a
variety of site specific factors. EPA further recognizes that the implementation of adaptation
measures is contingent upon the availability of resources which could be subject to change.
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Relationship to Sustainability
Many of the adaptations described in this Implementation Plan relate to sustainability. EPA's
efforts to address sustainability are described at:
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-
being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability has
emerged as a serious concern as a result of the unintended social, environmental, and
economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth and consumption of our
natural resources. Climate change impacts can affect the natural environment and even our
survival and well-being. We will need to adapt in order to support the delicate balance among a
healthy environment, societal well-being, and a strong economy.
In the context of this Implementation Plan, sustainability also refers to the momentum and
persistence of Region 6 efforts to champion certain approaches or changes in behavior that
promote adaptation to a changing climate. Should EPA's involvement at some point become
more limited or need to be redirected, Region 6 wants to ensure that the initiative will continue
to grow without our presence.
In some cases, market forces will continue to push desired outcomes even without the
Agency's involvement. For example, in the drought stricken State of Texas, water conservation
and efficiency campaigns through the WaterSense program have been launched by EPA to
encourage changes in the way Texans use water in the industrial, agricultural, municipal and
domestic sectors. As the demand for water continues to grow and supplies diminish, water will
inevitably become more expensive and the free market economy will respond with a variety of
water saving devices and products that were previously not widely available. This economic
response would likely occur with or without government sponsored water conservation
campaigns. Moreover, local watering restrictions and state permitting procedures would
enforce water use restrictions beyond involvement by the federal government. Thus,
sustainability in water conservation and efficiency would be achieved by market forces, even
though an early catalyst to use water more efficiently was created by government. In other
cases where market forces provide less motivation to change, EPA's partnerships with
organizations aligned with our environmental and public health protection goals will be needed
to continue promoting climate adaptation initiatives.
The federal government has an important and unique role in climate change adaptation, but is
only one part of a broader effort that must include public and private partners throughout the
country and internationally. Partnerships with local communities, tribes, states, other
governments, businesses, and international organizations, many of which have already begun
to implement adaptation measures, are essential. EPA's leadership and commitment to help
build the nation's adaptive capacity are vital to the goal of protecting human health and the
environment. Working with our partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and
prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
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May 30, 2014
Part 1: Vulnerability Assessment
1.1 Geographic Setting
Region 6 straddles three different climate regions identified by the U.S. Global Change
Research Program: the Great Plains, the Southeast and the Southwest. The majority of
Region 6 (by land mass) lies in the Great Plains Climate Region.
Climate Regions
The Third National Climate Assessment (NCA3) was released in May 2014, to fulfill the
requirements of the Global Change Research Act. To complete the assessment more than 70
workshops were held, comprised of a wide range of stakeholders who identified issues and
information for inclusion in the report. Also, over 300 experts compiled and wrote the NCA3,
which draws from an extensive number of peer-reviewed scientific research efforts on climate
change and related topics. The NCA3 identifies eight different climate regions throughout the
United States. While the NCA3 delineates the climate regions by state boundaries, adjacent
areas in two climate regions may bear more similar climate characteristics than that described
in the climate region. For example, in EPA Region 6 part of coastal Texas has climate
characteristics related more to the Southeast climate region as opposed to the Great Plains.
For all U.S. regions, the NCA3 reports that warming in the future is projected to be very large
compared to historical variations. Higher temperatures also contribute to the formation of
harmful air pollutants and allergens (Portier, et al., 2010). Ground-level ozone is projected to
increase in the 19 largest urban areas of the Southeast, leading to an increase in deaths
(Chang, et al., 2010). Precipitation patterns will be altered as well, with some regions
becoming drier and some wetter. The heaviest precipitation events are projected to increase
everywhere, and by large amounts. Extended dry spells are also projected to increase in
length. Some areas could capitalize on longer growing seasons which could benefit the
agricultural sector in parts of the U.S.
Key climate change projections and related issues and impacts for the climate regions and
Region 6 states are presented in the following discussion.
Great Plains
The Great Plains Climate Region extends from the Dakotas and Montana in the north to Texas
in the south. On the west, it is bounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Basin and Range
geographic provinces, and the central lowlands and coastal plain provinces to the east and to
the south. Parts of eight states in two EPA Regions (6 and 8) are located in this vast grassland
prairie and mountainous region, which nevertheless includes several very large and rapidly
growing urban areas.
Oklahoma and Texas, in EPA Region 6, make up the southernmost extent of the Great Plains
climate region. Climate projections summarized in the NCA3 suggest more frequent and more
intense droughts, severe rainfall events, and heat waves. The NCA3 identifies key climate
change projections, issues and impacts for this region to include:
1. Rising temperatures are leading to increased demand for water and energy. In parts of the
region, this will constrain development, stress natural resources, and increase competition for
water among communities, agriculture, energy production, and ecological needs.
10
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May 30, 2014
2. Changes to crop growth cycles due to warming winters and alterations in the timing and
magnitude of rainfall events have already been observed; as these trends continue, they will
require new agriculture and livestock management practices.
3. Landscape fragmentation is increasing, for example, in the context of energy development
activities in the northern Great Plains. A highly fragmented landscape will hinder adaptation of
species when climate change alters habitat composition and timing of plant development
cycles.
4. Communities that are already the most vulnerable to weather and climate extremes will be
stressed even further by more frequent extreme events occurring within an already highly
variable climate system.
5. The magnitude of expected changes will exceed those experienced in the last century.
Existing adaptation and planning efforts are inadequate to respond to these projected impacts.
Southeast
The Southeast climate region includes Atlantic and Gulf coastal states of Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Inland states
comprising the region include Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. In EPA Region 6,
Arkansas and Louisiana belong to the Southeast climate region. The NCA3 reports that
temperatures across this region are expected to increase during the next century, with a
significant increase in the number of hot days exceeding 95°F, and decreases in freezing
events. Projections of future precipitation patterns are less certain than projections for
temperature increases, with many models projecting drier conditions in the far southwest of the
region and wetter conditions in the far northeast of the region. The coastal area of this region is
also vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal land loss, with related threats to infrastructure
through inundation, and salt water intrusion threatening agricultural practices and drinking
water sources (Parris, et al., 2012). All of these projected changes and impacts are expected
to be compounded by population growth projections for the region. Though part of the Great
Plains climate region, areas along the Texas coast may experience climate change issues and
impacts more similar to those projected for the coastal areas in Louisiana. Key climate change
projections, issues and impacts reported in the NCA3 for this area include:
1. For coastal Louisiana (and possibly parts of coastal Texas), sea level rise (and associated
coastal land loss) poses widespread and continuing threats to both natural and built
environments and to the regional economy.
2. Decreased water availability, exacerbated by population growth and land-use change, will
continue to increase competition for water and affect the region's economy and unique
ecosystems.
3. Increasing temperatures and the associated increase in frequency, intensity, and duration of
extreme heat events will affect public health, natural and built environments, energy,
agriculture, and forestry.
Southwest
The Southwest climate region extends westward from New Mexico and Colorado all the way to
the West coast and includes the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California as well. This
vast mountainous and arid region is the driest and hottest part of the United States. Although
New Mexico is the lone state in EPA Region 6 that belongs to the Southwest Climate Region,
11
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May 30, 2014
areas in West Texas and the panhandle of Oklahoma may experience similar climate change
effects. The NCA3 reports that climate changes will pose challenges for the already parched
region that is expected to get hotter and, in its southern half, significantly drier. Increased heat
and changes to rain and snowpack will impact the region's agriculture sector, and population
growth will compound the effects of climate change. Severe and sustained drought will stress
water sources, already over-utilized in many areas, forcing increasing competition among
farmers, energy producers, urban dwellers, and plant and animal life. Tourism and recreational
industries could experience economic losses due to these projected changes. The following
climate change projections, impacts and issues which apply to parts of New Mexico, are noted
in the NCA3:
1. Snowpack and streamflow amounts are projected to decline in parts of the Southwest,
decreasing surface water supply reliability for cities, agriculture, and ecosystems.
2. Increased warming, drought, and insect outbreaks, all caused by or linked to climate
change, have increased wildfires and impacts to people and ecosystems in the Southwest.
Fire models project more wildfire and increased risks to communities across extensive
areas.
3. Projected regional temperature increases, combined with the way cities amplify heat,
will pose increased threats and costs to public health in southwestern cities, which is where
more than 90% of the region's population live. Disruptions to urban electricity and water
supplies will exacerbate these health problems.
As a result of this geographic and climate diversity, Region 6 could face many different types
of climate change impacts, including increases in air and water temperatures, drought,
increased flooding, increased frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events, loss of
habitat and reduced ecosystem functions, and a general deterioration of water quality. The
southeastern part of Region 6 will face continuing problems of sea level rise and coastal land
loss, while the western section of Region 6 will likely experience reduced snowpack and
associated impacts to natural water storage and discharge in the mountains of New Mexico.
These impacts are expected to be compounded by continued drought, population growth and
competing demands for fresh water among the industrial, agricultural, energy and municipal
sectors throughout Region 6.
1.2 Adaptation Planning
The term "adaptation" relates, in this context, to changes in natural ecosystems that are
induced by climate change or to adjustments we make to expected changes in climate. Such
adjustments can be defensive in nature (e.g., infrastructure changes to anticipate climate
change impacts) or opportunistic (e.g., expanding agriculture in areas that have become more
climatically amenable). Historically, humans have adapted to environmental and climate
changes by growing different crops, modifying shelter types, and moving to new areas (Adger
et al., 2007). However, with the current pressures of climate change on expanding populations,
it will be increasingly difficult for societies to adapt. With increasing interdependence, impacts
on one population or economy can have world-wide repercussions (USGCRP, 2009; U.S.
EPA, 2012a).
In response to this challenge, an Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force has
been created and is co-chaired by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ),
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May 30, 2014
the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. There are also representatives from over 20 federal agencies on
this Task Force. The objective is to develop recommendations to the President about what
federal government can do to better prepare for climate change impacts. One of the first steps
is for each agency to integrate climate change adaptation into their planning, operations, and
policies and to develop a climate change adaptation plan (U.S. EPA, 2012b).
EPA issued a climate change adaptation policy statement in June 2011 (U.S. EPA, 2011) and
a year later completed an agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan. The policy statement requires
every program and each regional office to develop an Implementation Plan outlining the
projected impacts of climate change on its operations and programs, as we well as carrying
out the work called for in the Agency-wide Plan.
In response, Region 6 coordinated among all its Divisions and with its standing Clean Energy-
Climate Change (CECC) Workgroup. In 2008, the CECC Workgroup produced a strategic plan
for Regional climate change priorities, which served as a starting point for the Implementation
Plan. The EPA Office of Water's "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate
Change," the NCA3, and reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change proved
to be additional valuable resources to inform the development of the Implementation Plan. The
Region also gleaned insights by coordinating in 2011 and 2012 with state, tribal, and local
governments in the south-central U.S. The challenges expressed by these governments
assisted our efforts to clarify potential vulnerabilities.
Region 6 concluded that our main vulnerabilities internal to our operations involve increasing
air temperatures and worsening air quality, water quantity and quality issues, emergency
response challenges, contaminated site cleanups (CERCLA, RCRA, Brownfields, LUST), the
consequences of enhanced use of pesticides and herbicides, coastal resource protection,
increased requests for assistance from vulnerable populations and tribes, and supporting the
continuity of Region 6 internal operations by providing consistent electrical power and water to
Regional facilities.
Although this document speaks specifically to climate change adaptation, the Region has a
host of additional climate change efforts that fall under the separate category of climate
change mitigation. As a review, climate change adaptation relates to adjusting to a changing
environment while climate change mitigation refers to reducing the human influences on the
climate system. Examples of climate change mitigation would include strategies to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing the capacity of carbon sinks. By contrast, an
adaptation measure might be to move coastal infrastructure further inland in response to the
effects of relative sea level rise.
Region 6 has a strong and ongoing climate change mitigation program including a greenhouse
gas reduction initiative, technical programs to enhance geosequestration capacity, and efforts
to promote energy efficiency used for irrigation and water utilities. However, this
implementation plan speaks specifically to adaptation actions. Future revisions to this
Implementation Plan may include mitigation activities.
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1.3 Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts
Generally, climate scientists predict that mean temperatures in the five states of Region 6 will
rise significantly in the 21st century. This will result in higher mean low temperatures in the
winter. In summer months, greater frequencies of heat waves are expected, with elevated high
and low temperatures.
Projections of precipitation changes are less certain than those for temperature. In the Great
Plains, the NCA3 notes that the number of days with heavy precipitation is expected to
increase by mid-century, especially in the north. Large parts of Texas and Oklahoma are
projected to see longer dry spells (Garfin, et al., 2014). ) Under a continuation of current rising
emissions trends, reduced winter and spring precipitation is consistently projected for the
southern part of the Southwest by 2100 (Garfin, et al., 2014). Much of the southern plains and
New Mexico currently experience modest to little precipitation, but it comes with a high degree
of inter-annual variability. The NCA3 notes that "extreme precipitation events" will constitute a
larger percentage of the total, which could prompt greater flooding. Seasonal shifts are likely to
affect snow packs in the mountains of New Mexico, where runoff is expected earlier in the
spring and summer, with attendant decreases in runoff in the warmer months. Droughts are
expected to become more frequent and larger in spatial extent and thus more damaging. The
NCA3 reports that warmer air temperatures, drought conditions and related impacts such as
decreased soil moisture could lead to an increased frequency and spatial extent of wildfires.
Climate change may also play a role in the effects of hurricanes along the Gulf coast, with
some studies showing a lower frequency but slightly higher intensity of hurricanes (Knutson, et
al., 2010). Hurricanes and tropical storms will continue to impact populations, industry, land,
and wildlife in Louisiana and Texas. Coastal land loss and relative sea-level rise are ongoing
challenges in Louisiana and Texas, where some of the highest existing rates of wetland loss
occur. Climate change projections indicate that Gulf coastal ecosystems and communities will
face increasing risks. Though vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure occur
throughout the Gulf coastal zone, two of the largest population centers in the Region, the
Houston-Galveston and the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corridors, have been subject to major
hurricane and tropical storm damage in the past and are of particular concern.
Expected changes in temperature, drought and seasonality are anticipated to significantly
impact municipal water availability, agricultural practices, ecosystem functions, types and
extent of habitat coverage, occurrence of pest problems, human health, population
displacement, coastal infrastructure security, coastal land loss, and air quality in the Region.
Complicating this overall picture is a continuing, underlying variability in weather systems
which may temporarily modify these overall trends and subject the Region to greater weather
variability (Christensen et al., 2007; U.S. EPA, 2012c; Nielsen-Gammon, 2009; Deseret al.,
2012; Longergan, 1998; Hanes et al., 2000; Martens et al., 1997).
In order to evaluate fully the vulnerabilities these changing conditions pose to the Region, a full
assessment was made of the Regional responsibilities by programmatic Divisions. A Regional
organizational chart is included for reference as Figure 1, and a summary of the results is
provided in Table 1. Overall, many of the projections for climate change impacts and
environmental consequences were found to be consistent with findings from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (Field et al., 2007).
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1.4 Region 6 Program Impacts
1.4.1 Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division
1.4.1.1 Air Quality
Currently there are three metropolitan areas that fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality
Standard (NAAQS) for ozone in Region 6. However, up to 18 other areas in Region 6 have
recently monitored concentrations exceeding the new NAAQS standard of 75 parts per billion
and may ultimately become "nonattainment" areas. Exacerbating the health impacts from
ozone pollution on urban populations will likely be higher nighttime temperatures expected in
urban areas, both as a consequence of climate change but also because of enhanced effects
from urban heat islands. This is apparently particularly evident in sprawling urban centers,
which are common in Region 6 (Stone et al., 2010).
A related complication for ozone pollution is an anticipated increase in electricity demand due
to higher temperatures in the summer. A further, related complication is the availability of
water for power plant cooling purposes. Without sufficient quantities of water that is cool
enough, interruptions in service or even shutdowns could occur at these power plants, as
happened during the summer of 2011 in Texas (ERGOT, 2011).
Further, other air pollutants, such as particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, may become
problematic in Region 6, particularly if many additional fossil-fueled power plants are built to
meet an accelerating electricity demand. These may also negatively impact progress in
attaining the goals of the Regional Haze Program in Class I National Park and Wilderness
Areas. Increased frequency and spatial extent of wildfires due to enhanced droughts may
significantly increase particulate matter loadings in the atmosphere (U.S. EPA, 2009).
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants and industrial sources in Region 6
contribute to elevated atmospheric concentrations of GHG pollutants, which endanger both
public health and welfare. New major stationary sources and major modifications at existing
stationary sources are required by the Clean Air Act to obtain a GHG air quality permit before
commencing operations.
EPA Region 6 is currently the GHG Permitting authority for GHG Prevention of Significant
Deterioration (PSD) in Texas and is implementing this permitting program in Texas under a
Federal Implementation Plan. The other Region 6 states are implementing their own GHG
PSD permitting programs through their EPA approved regulations. With an expectation of
increased industrial activity in Region 6 states, EPA-Region 6 will continue to perform direct
permit development or permit development oversight in those states.
Best Available Control Technology (BACT) determinations for GHGs currently consider options
that improve the overall energy efficiency of new stationary sources or existing sources
undergoing a major modification. As the climate changes, these BACT determinations may
become more detailed and comprehensive, requiring an increased level of Region 6
involvement in order to ensure that sources are constructed and operated in a manner
consistent with achieving the energy efficiency goals established as BACT.
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1.4.1.2 Pesticides
Local, regional, and global climate changes that result in an increase and duration of mean
and extreme temperature, and a reduced average rain fall in combination with extreme
precipitation events and floods, are predicted to result in the increased use of pesticides by
volume, target site, and type.
The region is likely to experience increased incidence of existing pests, exotic invasive
species, and the rise of new endemic pests. The reduced availability of land for agricultural
use, decrease in quality and quantity of water for irrigation, decrease in favorable growing
seasons, and increased demand on commodities will have a significant impact on crops. The
risk of vector-borne diseases that affect public health and agriculture will likely increase
dramatically. This is not only due a predicted increase in abundance of endemic and invasive
pest species, but also due to predicted changes to migration patterns of vertebrate hosts,
human introduction, and temperature conditions that promote decreased development time for
pests and increased pathogen amplification.
As a consequence of the impacts that pests and pest-borne diseases will have on crops and
humans, it is expected that the quantity, formulation, or classification of pesticides will change
in order to combat these pests. It is reasonable to expect that this increase in pesticide use will
generate additional risk to workers, specifically those in agriculture. The use of new and/or
unfamiliar pesticides for new or invasive species will pose challenges in communicating risks
and implications to workers. Issues will include exposure, reentry requirements, health and
personal protective equipment requirements. With an increase in extreme rainfall events and
floods, increased pesticide run-off and contamination of both surface and ground water may
occur. Such events could reasonably be expected to have significant implications for surface
and groundwater quality throughout the Region. Any increased use of pesticides in quantity,
formulation or classification may also increase exposure risks to pollinators. New endemic and
exotic pests may require the use of pesticides on new target sites and time periods that
increase the risk of pesticide exposure to honey bees, native bees, and other beneficial
pollinators (i.e., spraying of pesticides for daytime biting mosquitoes that transmit human
disease). Introduction of novel pesticides and application techniques must consider their
impact on pollinators in a changing climate.
1.4.1.3 Waste Site Management
Flooding from more intense and/or frequent storms may lead to contaminant releases from
Corrective Action waste management sites. Inundation and flooding may lead to transport of
contaminants through surface soils, ground water, surface waters and/or coastal waters.
Saltwater intrusion and increased ground water salinity in coastal aquifers may also increase
the permeability of clay liners installed at waste sites, such as landfills, allowing contaminants
to spread to nearby properties. These contaminant releases may pose an increased risk of
adverse health and environmental impacts.
Additionally, increased incidents of flooding may disrupt existing hazardous waste
management networks. Inundation from relative sea level rise or severe storms may disrupt
the transportation system in place to handle hazardous waste or may damage treatment,
storage or disposal facility infrastructure. A major storm event may increase the amount of
hazardous waste generated, and may lead to the release of hazardous materials. Smaller
entities that use and store hazardous materials may lack resources for emergency planning,
which may increase the risk of abandoned hazardous materials during a flooding or storm
event.
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Changes in precipitation patterns and temperature may adversely affect the performance and
efficacy of remedies, and cleanup timing and duration. To the extent that climate change leads
to more prolonged droughts, water intensive remedies may become limited and the risk of
wildfires spreading to contaminated sites and chemical storage areas may increase (e.g., Los
Alamos National Lab). Changes in precipitation may affect the rate at which vegetation grows,
impacting landfill covers, phytoremediation, ecological revitalization efforts, and remedies
relying on biological processes (e.g., land farming and enhanced monitored natural
attenuation). The impacts may be positive or negative, depending on conditions at each site.
Groundwater characteristics (i.e., depth, flow, chemistry) may also be altered, resulting in
potential adverse impacts on the performance and cost of remediation. To the extent that
temperatures increase with climate change, contaminants at cleanup sites may become more
volatile, increasing risks for local populations.
1.4.2 Water Quality Protection Division
Numerous environmental complications from expected climate change in Region 6 center
around the complex and interrelated issues of drought and inundation. General population
growth and shifts in population from the Region's rural areas to urban centers will continue to
create demands for water storage to maintain sustainable water supplies and increase
competition among water users (e.g., energy, industrial, agricultural and municipal uses).
Decreased water availability due to increased temperature, increased evaporation, and longer
periods of time between rainfall events, coupled with an increase in societal demand, is very
likely to affect many sectors of the Region's economy. More frequent and more intense
droughts could adversely impact agriculture, silvaculture, energy production and a myriad of
other industries and economic sectors.
Decreases in water supply for fire protection could also hamper the capacity of local, state and
federal fire-fighting efforts, which could lead to fire loss increases including human life,
property, infrastructure, and ecosystem flora, fauna, habitat, and function. Declines in soil
moisture are expected to increase the magnitude and frequency of wildfires, which have
increased over the last 30 years, and to impact water quality in streams, creeks, rivers, lakes.
Reduced groundwater supply due to a lack of recharge will also be a concern. Declining
surface and groundwater quantity and quality, coupled with more frequent and severe
droughts, will continue to exacerbate water shortages in the Region.
Loss of snowpack in the western portion of the Region will further impact water use, storage,
and irrigation practices. Warmer temperatures will reduce mountain snow packs and peak
spring runoff from snow melt will shift to earlier in the season, increasing the shortage of water
during the summer. A longer and hotter warm season will likely result in longer periods of
extremely low flow and lower minimum flows in late summer. Water supply systems that have
no storage or limited storage (e.g., small municipal reservoirs) may suffer seasonal shortages
in summer and ecosystems and wildlife may be stressed. The resulting temporal changes in
water distribution, storage and availability could have significant consequences for water
reservoir and storage system design, operation and management to ensure municipal (e.g.,
drinking water and fire protection), agricultural and irrigation, industrial, energy production, and
other critical needs are met. Moreover, the temporal changes in water distribution, storage and
availability could impact downstream water quality and aquatic life. These changes must be
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taken into consideration as the adequacy of current water infrastructure is evaluated and as
new infrastructure is designed and brought into service.
Possible increases in the frequency and altered timing of flooding could increase risks to
people, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Increased flooding could occur as a result of an
increased percentage of winter precipitation falling as rain. Water quality impacts will be
amplified both by increases in precipitation intensity and by longer periods of low flow in
streams. Increased nonpoint source pollution (e.g., sediments, phosphorus, and nitrogen) is to
be expected as a result of increased periods of intense rainfall. This could result in changes to
natural stream morphology and could negatively impact the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.
As relative sea levels rise and rainfall patterns change, the physical and chemical structure of
estuaries, coastal wetlands, and tidal rivers are likely to become more variable and potentially
less sustainable. Some of the fastest rates of relative sea level rise in the U.S. are occurring in
areas where the land is subsiding, including parts of the Gulf coast. For example, in coastal
Louisiana, relative sea level rise was about eight inches or more during the last 50 years,
which is slightly faster than twice the global rate. Much of New Orleans sits below the mean
local sea level and the State's only inhabited barrier island, Grand Isle, is reporting one of the
highest sea level rise rates in the world. Projections are that an additional 1,750 square miles
of Louisiana's coastal zone will be inundated in the next 50 years (CPRA, 2012). As the
ecological risks grow so do the financial costs of maintaining and restoring coastal
ecosystems. The challenge will be to leverage financial and technical resources with those
from outside the agency in order to focus more on landscape scale coastal restoration
projects, rather than on small projects yielding more limited results.
Relative sea levels will vary along the Gulf coast and will contribute to changing barrier island
configurations and coastal shorelines. Wetlands will be drowned or eroded and low-lying
areas, including some populated areas, will be inundated more frequently or permanently.
Salinities will increase in the estuaries and aquifers. Hurricanes often have their greatest
impact at the coastal margin where they make landfall, intensifying beach erosion, inland
flooding, and wind-related damage to both cultural and natural resources. Increasing relative
sea level rise, combined with the damaging effects of more intense storm surges and
hurricanes, are expected to pose severe and growing risks to people, personal property, and
public infrastructure along the coast. Infrastructure at risk includes energy, transportation and
communications facilities, as well as wastewater treatment facilities and drinking water
systems.
The Water Quality Protection Division will continue to heighten its focus on sustainable
infrastructure and climate adaptation planning and implementation issues to ensure the water
programs, policies and procedures remain effective even as the climate changes. Attention will
include emergency response planning and recovery functions as well as maintaining the long-
term viability of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act programs in a changing
climate.
1.4.3 Management Division
Region 6 has its main facilities in three different Texas cities. The main Regional office is in
downtown Dallas, the Regional laboratory is in Houston, and the U.S.- Mexico Border Office is
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in El Paso. Additionally, a Training and Conference Center is located in Addison, a suburb of
Dallas.
In addition to fulfilling Executive Order commitments to reduce energy use, conserve water,
reduce waste, and expand recycling, the Region will likely face acute power and water
challenges in these locations. This is a consequence of being in an area of rapid population
growth that is expected to experience significant warming and less reliable precipitation.
Therefore, all these facilities could suffer from decreasing reliability of electrical power and
water availability. For example, load-shedding occurred in the Texas electrical grid, ERGOT, in
February 2011, with Electricity Emergency Alerts in summer 2011. In addition to employee
discomfort from such a situation, without reliable power and water, information technology
equipment may be compromised. Whether enhancing employee telework would be an
effective response to these challenges is unclear.
1.4.4 Superfund Division
1.4.4.1 Emergency Response
Region 6 Emergency Response personnel are very familiar with the challenges of responding
to emergencies and natural disasters, having worked for months in several different hurricane
response activities, including that for Katrina in 2005. With hurricanes affecting the Gulf of
Mexico coast perhaps being more powerful, coupled with an expected increase in extreme
precipitation events, Emergency Response in Region 6 will be further challenged. Although the
Region maintains a volunteer, basically trained "Regional Support Corps" to assist emergency
response activities in an extreme short-term need, it is likely there will be shortages of
specialized Emergency Response personnel to respond to these kinds of events in the future.
This is particularly true of major events that may require many weeks or months of follow-up
cleanup activities. Further, if the strength of future hurricanes and extreme precipitation events
is as predicted, Emergency Response personnel may be confronted with a whole new set of
challenges such as massive storm surges, larger and more widespread flash floods, and long-
lived breakdowns in electricity grids and water and sewer systems.
1.4.4.2 Superfund Sites
A number of Superfund sites are located in vulnerable areas of Region 6, particularly the Gulf
Coast regions of Texas and Louisiana. Rising coastal waters and massive storm surges could
potentially flood sites where waste has been capped and left in place. Although most caps and
barriers at Superfund sites are engineered to contain waste for many years, the possibility of
long term and extensive flooding, even permanent submersion, could affect the integrity of
engineered remedies at some sites where waste has been consolidated and remains in place.
Additionally, there are active Superfund cleanups expected to be ongoing for many years to
come in the vulnerable Gulf Coast areas that will likely be impacted by energy shortages,
flooding, storm surges, water shortages and other expected climate change impacts. For
example, domestic or public water supplies could be affected in areas where Gulf Coast
Superfund sites are utilizing energy intensive pump and treat methods to remedy groundwater
contamination in aquifers used to supply drinking water. Or, as discussed above, EPA's
common practice of consolidating waste and leaving it in place in landfills or under engineered
caps may no longer be protective of human health and the environment if climate changes
result in frequent, massive flooding in the Gulf Coast areas.
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In December 2013, the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Administrator issued
a memorandum to "Encourage Greener Cleanups." The memorandum encouraged all Office of
Solid Waste cleanup programs, including the Superfund program, to consider utilizing ASTM's
Standard Guide for Green Cleanups (E 2893-13), for reducing the environmental footprints of
cleanups. The Region 6 Superfund Division fully supports its project manager utilizing this
ASTM Standard Guide to "green cleanups", including efforts to consider climate change and
potential adaption when evaluating remedy selections.
1.4.4.3 Brownfields Sites
Brownfield sites in Region 6 exist in many different forms. Brownfield sites can vary from an
old abandoned gas station or movie theater to an illegal dump site or old airport. Some of
these sites are relatively small while others may cover many acres. It is the goal of the
Brownfields program in Region 6 to encourage state, tribal, or local entities that are
redeveloping old Brownfield sites to consider green technologies and sustainable practices
that reduce energy use. In urban areas, the Region encourages development that reduces
GHG effects and minimizes the urban footprint. Some of the Region 6 Brownfield sites have
been returned to parks and to new construction that utilizes practices resulting in Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. These sustainable practices will
continue to be important in the Region 6 Brownfield program and as a means of contributing to
climate change adaptation.
1.4.5 Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs
The Region 6 Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs (OEJTA) oversees affirmative
federal environmental protection programs for vulnerable communities and 66 tribal lands in
Region 6. These represent populations that may be at greatest risk as climate change occurs
in the future. Many lower-income minority areas are ones characterized by substandard
infrastructure which may be the first to fail during times of high temperatures, drought or
extreme precipitation events, for example. Older residents of urban areas may be particularly
vulnerable to synergistic health impacts due to elevated night time temperatures which are
expected as the climate changes. Tribes may be particularly affected by heat waves and
drought conditions, as many are dependent upon natural resources on their tribal lands.
OEJTA will be challenged to understand fully the differential impacts on these various
communities, to educate themselves about how EPA may be able to assist these populations
to protect human and environmental health, and to conduct effective outreach to these
vulnerable populations.
As more of the Region's tribal partners begin to develop their own climate change adaptation
plans, OEJTA will need assistance from Regional staff to help with these efforts. OEJTA
should see an increase in this effort and the current draft Indian General Assistance Program
guidance mentions this work as an eligible activity. This increase may occur as soon as 2013.
Demands for funding to address climate change can be expected to increase and, therefore,
there will be a greater need for grant funding from the Region 6 Management Division and
OEJTA's EJ Small Grant program.
1.4.6 Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Division
Regional compliance and enforcement activities may be complicated by shifting priorities
influenced by climate change. These could include a surge in violations of water-related
regulations that may occur as a result of excessive precipitation events and floods. Air-related
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regulations could be more frequently violated because of stress on regional electricity grids.
With electricity demand increasing, problematic financing for new electricity generating units,
and long-term fuel trends complicating decision-making, construction of new power plants may
not keep pace. Ensuring grid integrity may portend increasing difficulty meeting air emissions
limits. These same factors can also influence success in meeting water quality effluent limits.
Regular assessment of such trends will be necessary to ensure Regional compliance and
enforcement resources are appropriately tailored to meet future challenges.
1.4.7 Office of Regional Counsel
The Region's broad mandates to protect human health and the environment afford a reservoir
of legal authority to support adaptation work. However, specific legal questions that may arise
in the course of adaptation programming cannot be answered in the abstract. As part of a
federal agency, EPA Region 6 derives its authority to act from the U.S. Constitution and the
laws passed by Congress. Because the legality of its actions is such a high priority for EPA,
program managers and staff will consult with the appropriate attorneys in the Office of General
Counsel (OGC), Offices of Regional Counsel (ORC), and the Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance (OECA) as they conduct their adaptation work.
The variation among the statutes our Region administers, as well as the regulatory programs
EPA designs, implements, and enforces under those laws will require special attention and
legal analysis on a case by case basis. The evolving scientific understanding of climate
change impacts and the sensitivity of EPA programs to those impacts will also necessitate
case specific analysis. The relative weight climate change considerations should be given in
evaluating options for EPA action will depend on many factors including, but not limited to, the
time and geographic scale of the relevant climate impacts compared to the temporal and
spatial scale of the proposed EPA action; the scientific understanding of the climate impacts;
and the environmental and economic consequences estimated to result from the proposed
climate change adaptation measures. Considerations such as these are by definition case-
specific. As such, Regional program managers and staff will consult with this Region's ORC
branch for special analysis and legal application as discrete issues develop.
1.4.8 Cross Program Impacts
Cross-Divisional and interoffice communications and partnerships are essential methods for
Region 6 to understand better its climate change adaptation vulnerabilities and to make plans
to address these. The following is an illustrative, but certainly not exhaustive, list of these:
1.4.8.1 Communications — In light of a changing climate, Region will need to maintain
strong EPA headquarters and Regional communications, as well as with states and tribes. We
will also need to continue Regional training related to climate change (Regional Science
Council and Clean Energy-Climate Change Workgroup), as well as outreach initiatives
(WaterSense, meetings with elected officials, presentations to citizen groups) and conferences
(Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4), Low Impact Development (LID), Green
Infrastructure (Gl), Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency Conference, and the Texas Combined
Heat and Power Conference). Much of the internal communications and integration of climate
change adaptation planning and implementation in Region 6 will continue to be coordinated
through the cross-program Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup.
1.4.8.2 Partnerships — To leverage resources, involvement and cultivate a synergistic
response from vested stakeholders, Region 6 will continue and expand partnerships with
public, non-governmental organizations, and private sector organizations, such as Councils of
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Governments and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (e.g., NCTCOG), North Texas
Sustainable Materials Forum, Texas Association of Builders, Texas AgriLife, DFW International
Airport, Region 6 Tribes and vulnerable communities, sporting organizations (Greening Sports
Initiative), the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, Texas Public Utilities Commission,
Arkansas Public Service Commission, and the Southwest Power Pool. Efforts will be made to
expand informal partnerships throughout affected public and private sectors including but not
limited to the municipal, industrial, energy, agricultural, and transportation sectors. Climate
change adaptation will not be inclusive, integrated or effective unless these key relationships
are developed, fostered, and mobilized into action through active EPA leadership.
1.5 Summary of Vulnerabilities
Region 6 faces many serious vulnerabilities in successfully fulfilling its mission as the climate
changes. As an area of rapid population growth but one subject to major future temperature
and precipitation changes, increasing numbers of people will be impacted by increased
environmental pressures due to climate change. It is our goal to anticipate fully and
understand the nature of such pressures in order to achieve our mission to protect human
health and the environment in the Region. This vulnerability assessment reveals the current
state of knowledge but will necessarily change as additional information is received and new
scientific and technical knowledge is gained. Thus, the vulnerabilities outlined herein are
expected to take on new characteristics and to continue to pose challenges over time.
Part 2: Responding to Vulnerabilities—Priority Actions
2.1 Overview
The NCA3 states that climate change is happening now and that adaptation efforts need to
accelerate to address the impacts. From an Agency-wide perspective, ten separate priorities
have been identified to respond to the climate change adaptation challenge:
(1) Fulfill strategic measures in FY 2014-2018 EPA Strategic Plan by such actions as
integrating climate change trends and scenarios into five rule-making processes, five
major financial mechanisms, and five major scientific models and/or decision support
tools;
(2) Protect Agency facilities and operations;
(3) Factor legal considerations into adaptation efforts;
(4) Strengthen adaptive capacity of EPA staff and partners through training;
(5) Develop decision-support tools that enable EPA staff and partners to integrate
climate adaptation planning into their work;
(6) Identify cross-EPA science needs related to climate adaptation;
(7) Partner with tribes to increase adaptive capacity;
(8) Focus on most vulnerable people and places;
(9) Measure and evaluate performance; and
10) Develop Program and Regional Office Implementation Plans.
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From the Region 6 perspective, we believe priorities 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are the most relevant
and lend themselves to direct Regional action. The other priorities are more properly
addressed at the EPA headquarters program office level. The Region will defer to
headquarters in those areas and will respond when guidance is issued.
To further clarify the Regional roles, EPA's Office of Policy identified several common areas of
focus for the Regions:
(a) Vulnerability assessments;
(b) Priority actions on climate adaptation;
(c) Agency-wide strategic measures on climate adaptation;
(d) Legal and enforcement issues;
(e) Training and outreach;
(f) Partnerships with tribes;
(g) Vulnerable populations and places; and
(h) Evaluation and cross-office pilot projects.
As a precursor to completing this priority actions section of the Regional Implementation Plan,
Region 6 completed a vulnerability assessment which broadly covers the major climate
change-induced conditions to which the Region is expected to be susceptible.
2.2 Selection Criteria
The criteria for selecting priority actions comprised two categories. First, the major Regional
vulnerabilities identified above provided the substance from which priority actions were
derived. Second, agency priorities numbered 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 informed the process by
which the Region proposed to deal with these priority actions.
2.3 Impacts and Actions
Priority actions relating to the Regional vulnerabilities are summarized in Table 1 and the
discussion below provides more detail.
In order to most effectively adapt our ways of conducting business to the realities of climate
change, the Region proposes a process that relies on training, some infrastructure
enhancements, and constant monitoring and evaluation of indicators that signal climate
change in the Region. This approach lends itself to more quickly responding to the effects of
climate change than by prescribing many specific actions now which may be deemed
ineffective and inappropriate in short order. The discussion below reflects this philosophy.
Nonetheless, Table 2 presents specific programs the Region anticipates continuing to
emphasize in order to minimize the effects of climate change on Regional operations.
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2.4 Priority Actions for Identified Regional Vulnerabilities
Priority Climate Change Adaptation Actions for 2016
1. Deliver Regional training on climate adaptation to managers and staff;
2. Consider options for the new Regional facility lease that use renewable energy power sources,
energy efficient technologies, green infrastructure and low impact development approaches;
3. Mitigate drought impacts by setting water use efficiency goals and promotion of EPA's
WaterSense™ program;
4. Continue to strengthen emergency planning and preparedness capabilities within the Region to
enhance response capabilities for extreme weather events and natural disasters;
5. Work with Gulf Coast partners on coastal protection, restoration, and climate adaptation
planning priorities; and
6. Expand partnerships with stakeholders to enhance climate adaptation opportunities and
information sharing.
2.4.1 Higher mean temperatures, with more frequent and intense summer heat waves
The priority action in response to this anticipated impact would involve expanded training for
Regional staff in the air program, pesticides program, environmental justice program, and in
the Management Division. This training would emphasize the scientific basis and engineering
implications of climate change for human health, the efficiencies and risks in employing new
and/or alternate doses of existing pesticides, and safeguarding vulnerable urban populations.
This latter concern may influence debate and decision-making about the robustness of ozone
mitigation strategies in the Region. Also, Regional air program staff should understand the
increasing role of energy production emissions in air quality implementation strategies.
Management Division staff are likely to benefit from training that imparts better understanding
of energy vulnerabilities and needs for Regional facilities.
Together with existing Executive Orders 13514 and 13423 and the expiration of the lease on
the main Region 6 offices in Downtown Dallas in 2017, the Management Division should work
with the General Services Administration to consider options for a facility that makes broad use
of distributed energy generation such as solar, wind, and fuel cells, as well as highly energy
efficient technologies such as ground-source heat pumps. This emphasis would greatly reduce
the vulnerability of the Region to an increasingly stressed electricity grid and would significantly
reduce the Regional office's carbon emissions. Other considerations for the new facility that
would enhance energy efficiency improvement efforts include the use of WaterSense™
labeled products and the use of green infrastructure and low impact development approaches
where feasible.
2.4.2 More frequent and intense droughts in central and western areas of Region 6
The use of existing programs and tools will be expanded to accomplish priority goals in this
arena. Priority actions will include: set goals for enhancing water conservation in new Regional
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Office space; building upon the existing Region 6 web page devoted to the topic of drought;
promoting and expanding the use of tools such as Climate Ready Utilities and programs such
as WaterSense™, Sustainable Communities, Green Infrastructure, and Healthy Watersheds
leveraging and assisting states in using existing funding vehicles to support green
infrastructure, such as SRF, Green Project Reserve, and Clean Water Act Section 319 grants.
Expanded training for Water Quality Protection Division and Environmental Justice-Tribal
Affairs staff would focus on the increased pressures on agriculture, urban and rural residents,
and the power generation industry. While this would focus on water availability, increased
water quality concerns would also be part of this training, which would seek alternative ways to
conserve, reuse, and process water. Management Division staff would receive training in
implications for Regional facilities from increased droughts and water availability. In
conjunction with Executive Orders 13514 and 13423, Management Division staff should
consider enhanced water conservation measures. Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division
staff should receive training to educate them about the role of intense and more frequent
droughts and increased wildfires on regulatory programs such as the Regional Haze Program
and achieving the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
2.4.3 Increase in extreme precipitation events
Given the intensive efforts in responding to hurricanes such as Katrina in 2005, the Region is
very aware of the magnitude of labor and resources required to respond to major natural
disasters. Because a climate change-forced future is likely to encourage stronger and perhaps
more numerous hurricanes striking Louisiana and Texas, the Region's Emergency Response
Branch in the Superfund Division will probably be even more active in this arena. Training for
these staff is necessary to prepare them for this likely increase in effort, emphasizing
opportunities for even more efficient operations; this training may also reveal a need for
additional personnel or contractor capability.
Beyond training, the recent events from Hurricane Sandy in the northeast U.S. reveal a critical
need for sufficient, uninterruptible power supplies, particularly critical for emergency
responders. In the future, with electricity grids perhaps chronically weakened and stressed by
the long-term effects of climate change, the demands of natural disasters such as major
hurricanes may be significantly more challenging and long-lasting to electricity generation and
transmission infrastructure. The same kinds of pressures can result from increased non-
hurricane flooding. Therefore, Region 6 believes its Emergency Response Branch should be
equipped with distributed generation equipment to produce the electricity it will need to ensure
that power is supplied to field operations. Further analysis would be needed to determine the
optimal mix of power modes (e.g., solar, wind, fuel cell, others). This infrastructure priority
would require a dedicated budget commitment, one that would likely require negotiations
between the Region and headquarters.
The Water Quality Protection Division and the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal
Affairs staffs would benefit from supplemental training, emphasizing the special anticipated
needs for citizens increasingly impacted by flooding events, as well as temporary infrastructure
dislocations (e.g., waste water treatment plans and water distribution systems).
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2.4.4 Seasonal weather shifts
Water quality and quantity issues will drive adaptations that Region 6 staff should anticipate
and to which the Region will conform policies and procedures. Priorities will be placed on
working with state partners to explore existing infrastructure funding such as SRF to enhance
resiliency, promoting watershed planning tools to address the loss of natural storage and to
better absorb flashy runoff.
Promoting the use of EPA developed software tools among water utility groups such as
Climate Ready Utilities and GREAT 2.0 software will enhance climate adaptation planning in
this sector. Additionally, training of Regional Water Quality Protection Division and Multimedia
Planning and Permitting Division staff members is a goal. Pesticides staff in the Multimedia
Planning and Permitting Division should be trained to anticipate new and expanded pest and
weed problems that will endanger public, agricultural, and natural flora and fauna health.
2.4.5 Increasing rates of relative sea level rise and continued coastal land loss
Sea level rise and coastal land loss have long been significant problems in Region 6. The
Ecosystem Protection Branch will look for increased efficiencies in working with federal, state,
and local partners with a goal of optimizing ongoing efforts to restore, protect, and enhance
coastal habitats. The three Region 6 National Estuary Programs and the Coastal Wetland
Planning, Protection and Restoration Act program will lead the charge and efforts will be made
to improve the effectiveness of the limited resources available. Numerous other coastal
protection programs will play a role and additional ways to better integrate them into other
Regional programs will be evaluated.
Emerging priorities will involve providing technical and planning support for efforts such as the
Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Council, the Gulf of
Mexico Regional Planning Body as part of the National Ocean Council, and the Gulf of Mexico
Alliance. Climate change adaptation goals will be addressed by establishing, refining, or
expanding coastal restoration priorities.
Promoting the use of EPA developed tools, such as Climate Ready Estuaries software, among
key stakeholders involved in protecting and restoring coastal environments will enhance
climate adaptation planning. Internally, training to better familiarize Region 6 staff with long-
term implications of sea level rise on "core programs" could be accelerated. Staff of the Water
Quality Protection Division, the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, and the
Superfund Division would be the main recipients of the training.
2.4.6 Outreach, Partnerships, Communication, and Awareness
Beyond those actions described the Region plans to enhance our outreach, partnership, and
communication efforts. One of the top priorities would be to meet regularly with tribes, states,
and other government entities about anticipated climate change impacts and adaptation
challenges.
The Region has initiated this process by sponsoring specific climate change discussion
sessions at the 2011 and 2012 Annual Tribal Environmental Summits, by convening the first
Sustainable Practices Symposium for local elected officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in
August 2012 (including anticipated climate change impacts and adaptation options), and by
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hosting a climate change roundtable with agencies from Region 6 states in July 2008. The
Region has sponsored numerous other specialized workshops.
In the future, the Region proposes to continue holding climate change sessions at the Annual
Tribal Environmental Summits, sponsor climate change listening sessions at Regional Tribal
Operation Committee meetings, speak to individual tribes about climate change, support
sustainable practice/climate change workshops for local elected officials in the Region, and
schedule at least annual meetings with critical agencies of governments in each Region 6
state. The Region will also continue its actions to encourage climate change mitigation and
adaptation through approximately 30 national and regionally-initiated partnership programs.
Region 6 will also maintain close communications with state, local and tribal governments,
non-governmental organizations, colleges and universities, the private sector, other federal
agencies, and other EPA offices in order to properly sense and assess indicators of climate
change in the Region. This process will help inform the Region as to next specific steps to take
in coping with climate change.
Part 3: Measuring and Evaluating Performance
An important facet of both the priority actions relating to Regional vulnerabilities and those
involving outreach, partnerships, and communication will be performance measurement and
evaluation. To this end the Region plans to develop a methodology to assess its effectiveness
in accomplishing specific priority actions that grow from this Regional Implementation Plan.
3.1 Background
The EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan emphasizes the need for measuring and evaluating
performance so that climate change adaptation is successfully integrated into the Agency's
operations. The agency-wide FY 2014-2018 Strategic Measures address this need by
including three such metrics. These include measures to integrate climate change science into
at least five rule-making processes; to integrate climate change adaptation impacts and
measures into at least five major grants, loans, contracts or technical assistance programs;
and to integrate such science into at least five major models and/or decision-support tools.
EPA understands the transition will be a gradual one as we strive to account for projected
climate change impacts into day-to-day operations. As the national Climate Change Adaptation
Plan states:
EPA recognizes that the integration of climate adaptation planning into its
programs, policies, rules, and operations will occur over time. This change will
happen in stages and measures should reflect this evolution. The earliest
changes in many programs will be changes in knowledge and awareness (e.g.,
increase in the awareness of EPA staff and their external partners of the
relevance of adaptation planning to their programs). Building on this knowledge,
they then will begin to change their behavior (e.g., increase their use of available
decision support tools to integrate adaptation planning into their work). As
programs mature, there will be evidence of more projects implemented as a
result of increased attention to climate-related programmatic issues. Finally, in
the long-term, adaptation planning efforts will lead to changes in condition (e.g.,
percentage of flood-prone communities that have increased their resilience to
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storm events) to directly support EPA's mission to protect human health and the
environment (U.S. EPA, 2012d).
3.2 Approach to Measuring and Evaluating Performance
Region 6 employs several tracking mechanisms to measure and evaluate performance of
internal operations and programmatic activities and outcomes during the year, many of which
relate directly to climate change adaptation. Each year, the Region is active in setting
commitments, monitoring progress and reporting results under the various National Program
Managers (NPM) Guidance documents issued by EPA program offices. In addition, Region 6
develops and reports semiannually on an Annual Plan designed to track additional measures
either not covered or sufficiently emphasized in the NPM guidance. The Annual Plan
showcases regional accomplishments in important program sectors and geographic and
ecological regions that uniquely characterize the priorities and challenges faced by Region 6.
The Region also tracks a variety of progress indicators under its Environmental Management
System. As shown in Appendix A, Regional involvement in developing and reporting progress
on climate adaptation and mitigation related initiatives is part of a cross division, multimedia
reporting and tracking effort. Moreover, the Region recently began hosting what will become
an annual "Earthapalooza" event which will serve as an Internal Educational Forum for Region
6 Employees to better acquaint them on climate change and sustainability topics (also
presented in Appendix A). Another tracking mechanism for measuring and evaluating climate
adaptation related progress involves the Region's Clean Energy and Climate Change (CECC)
workgroup. Initially charged with developing a CECC strategic plan which was completed in
2008, the workgroup reports annually on progress made in furthering the goals and objectives
outlined in the strategy, many of which relate to climate adaptation efforts.
The Region will continue to evaluate our operations and the dynamic needs of our customers
in the midst of a changing climate. This will be an adaptive process in order to constantly
identify any additional Regional priority actions that might be necessary. We will engage in
ongoing communications with state, local, and tribal governments; non-governmental
organizations; colleges and universities; the private sector; other federal agencies; and other
EPA offices in order to properly sense and assess indicators of climate change in the Region.
This process will help inform the Region as to next specific steps to take in coping with climate
change.
3.3 Measures
As Table 1 indicates, Region 6 priority adaptation actions in response to climate change
constitute significant amounts of personnel training. Most Divisions will require such training
first to evaluate the climate change impacts from the perspective of the various environmental
programs and then to evaluate the means with which the Region can best address the
impacts. Aside from program specific training, the Region will commit to holding at least one
annual training event on climate adaptation such as the "Earthapalooza" event to ensure
employees are aware of the issue and opportunities on how to integrate adaptation into their
daily work.
As part of implementing this plan, Region 6 will also develop a specific list of needed
programmatic training courses and a schedule for delivery. We will establish a roster of
Regional personnel that should receive this training and develop a post-training assessment
survey to determine the effectiveness of the training. Deficiencies in knowledge acquisition will
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be addressed through training revisions and/or course repetition. This training will be subject to
the availability of sufficient resources.
Beyond the Region's training efforts, several priority actions relate to the operation of Regional
office space, as reflected in the Regional Environmental Management System. These include
evaluating alternatives for electricity, energy efficiency, water, and distributed generation
infrastructure. Currently, it is not possible to measure these parameters given the way our
leased space meters electrical and water use. Should alternatives that would allow these
metrics to be tracked become available in the future, the Region will track electricity, energy,
and water use in its office and laboratory space, comparing these totals against those totals
prior to such improvements. In the case of any future acquisition of distributed generation
equipment for use in Regional Emergency Response actions, the Region will investigate the
feasibility of tracking the specific activities that required such power use and the amount of
power produced and used in the field. It will also assess the overall value in deploying these
types of units.
Additional programmatic metrics that will be tracked and reported on under this Implementation
Plan include the following initiatives (with the Region 6 project lead given in parentheses):
1. Provide training for staff and managers on climate change and adaptive measures;
2. Expand Partnerships with stakeholders to leverage their support with climate change
implementation efforts (6PD, 6SF, 6WQ);
3. Distribute Information on Availability of Assistance Agreements (e.g., grants) to
stakeholders facilitate climate change adaptation planning and implementation (6WQ,
6MD);
4. Provide technical assistance to tribes and environmental justice communities on the
development of climate change implementation plans (6PD, 6WQ);
5. Promote the use of tools such as Climate Ready Utilities and Climate Ready Estuaries
among states, tribes and stakeholder groups (6WQ);
6. Promote energy efficiency at water utilities through a series of workshops, focusing on
the US-Mexico Border area (6WQ);
7. Continue to require that 10% Regional Drinking Water and Clean Water State revolving
fund programs support green projects (6WQ);
8. Meet with Tribal and Environmental Justice communities at least once a year to provide
training on climate science and adaptation opportunities and practices (6PD, 6WQ);
9. Recruit 30 additional WaterSense™ partners each year as part of a Regional water
efficiency and conservation campaign (6WQ);
10. Seek opportunities in permitting, compliance assistance and enforcement actions,
remediation and site redevelopment options, as well as funding programs to further
expand green infrastructure, low impact development, and other sustainable practices
(Region 6);
11. Participate in outreach and pilot projects with states, local governments, tribes, non-
governmental organizations, and the private sector focused on implementation of low-
impact development (e.g., with the Texas Land-Water Sustainability Forum) (6PD);
12. Restore coastal habitat and reduce coastal land loss. Region 6 will work with a variety
of partners and through several different programs to promote the development of
scientific models, multi-use planning efforts, and implementation projects for coastal
Louisiana and Texas. Working through the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary
Program, the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, the Galveston Bay Estuary
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Program, and the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Program
we will track and report on progress in terms of the number of acres restored, protected,
or enhanced per year, with a current goal of at least 3,000 acres per year (6WQ);
13. Work with EPA headquarters to evaluate what, if any, specific Regional actions may be
appropriate to include in the Agency's pilot rule-making processes; grants, loans,
contracts or technical assistance programs; or scientific models or decision-support
tools (Region 6);
14. Brownfields Cleanup and RLF recipients must meet the new term and condition which
requires them to consider changing climate conditions when evaluating remedial options
at a brownfields property. For Region 6, this new Term and Condition will apply to the
following grantees: FY13: three cleanup and five RLF grantees; FY14: one cleanup and
four RLF grantees (6SF);
15. The Region 6 Superfund Division has launched the "Greenovations" and "Green Bean"
Awards. Both awards recognize outstanding efforts in sustainability, including
promoting the utilization or production of renewable energy at Superfund sites. In May
2014, the Superfund Division awarded its first Greenovations Award to Waste
Management of Oklahoma for an innovative alternative energy production project, a
methane gas to liquids (diesel, paraffin wax, etc.), at a Superfund site in Oklahoma City.
The Region 6 Superfund Division will present at least one of these awards annually
(6SF).
16. Meet with State Agricultural Directors to discuss the President's Climate Change
Management Plan and Adaptation practices;
17. Revise and finalize Region 6 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan based on
public comments;
18. Revise Region 6 climate change web page to expand coverage on adaptation planning;
19. Hold two climate adaptation workshops for environmental justice and tribal
communities;
20. Pilot test a training module on climate adaptation for the Office of Policy;
21. Hold a climate adaptation and emergency planning and response workshop in New
Orleans; and
22. Work in partnership with the Department of Transportation, the Middle Rio Grande
Council of Governments, and other federal and state agencies to develop a climate
change planning scenario project that identifies the benefits of adaptive practices for
transportation and other infrastructure choices in light of a changing climate.
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These measures will be tracked and reported on annually. In addition, the measures will be
reviewed regularly and revised as needed to include new initiatives to promote climate
adaptation. Higher priority measures that will receive particular focus during the next three
years are presented in the text box below:
3.4 Greening Assistance Agreements
In addition to the performance measures and tracking noted above, EPA Region 6 will identify
opportunities to promote climate resilient investments in keeping with directives to federal
agencies such as Executive Order 13653. While the draft Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan does not mandate any funding requirements in grant programs, EPA
Region 6 will follow Executive Order 13653 relating to grants, which specifically directs federal
agencies to:
(i) identify and seek to remove or reform barriers that discourage investments or other actions
to increase the Nation's resilience to climate change while ensuring continued protection of
public health and the environment;
(ii) reform policies and Federal funding programs that may, perhaps unintentionally, increase
the vulnerability of natural or built systems, economic sectors, natural resources, or
communities to climate change related risks;
(iii) identify opportunities to support and encourage smarter, more climate resilient investments
by States, local communities, and tribes, including by providing incentives through agency
guidance, grants, technical assistance, performance measures, safety considerations, and
other programs, including in the context of infrastructure development; and
(iv) report on their progress in achieving the requirements identified above, including
accomplished and planned milestones, in the Agency Adaptation Plans, developed in
response to of Executive Order 13514, which calls for all Federal Agencies to develop a plan
on how they will address climate change adaptation.
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EPA Region 6 further notes that existing grant programs such as the CWA 319 program, and
the DW and CWSRF programs can and have been used to support climate adaptation related
activities such as green infrastructure projects, low impact development projects, green roof
projects, as well as energy and water efficiency projects to name a few.
Part 4: Working with Tribes and Other Sensitive Populations
Two fundamental priorities of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan involve working
with tribes to improve their adaptation capacity and focusing on the most vulnerable peoples
and places. Many climate change strategy documents conclude that tribal and other vulnerable
populations will be the hardest hit by changes in climate because they rely on the land for
subsistence and may be less able to readily adapt due to a lack of resources. The Region 6
Implementation Plan aims to improve and expand communications, training, and other
outreach efforts with these groups to enable them to better adapt to climate change impacts.
4.1 Partnerships with Tribes
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning
and decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further
expressed in the 7984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian
Reservations and the 2011 Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These
policies recognize and support the sovereign decision-making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes
are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the
environment within their traditional culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation
strategies that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's
Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as
erosion, temperature change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water.
Tribes recommended a number of tools and strategies to address these issues, including
improving access to data and information; supporting baseline research to better track the
effects of climate change; developing community-level education and awareness materials;
and providing financial and technical support. At the same time, tribes challenged EPA to
coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources are better
leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal
governments on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their
adaptation-related priorities. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provided
by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a
valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate change and
has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings.
Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is viewed as a complementary
resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change
issues, including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals and the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP). Additionally, efforts will be
made to coordinate with other Regional and Program Offices in EPA, since climate change has
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many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries. Transparency and information
sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage activities already taking place within EPA Offices
and tribal governments.
4.1.1 Building Tribal Adaptive Capacity
Sixty-six federally recognized tribes are located in Region 6. Consistent with tribal sovereignty,
Region 6 partners with these tribes on a government to government basis to strengthen our
relationships so we are better able to fulfill our mission of protecting human health and the
environment for all Region 6 residents. Tribal communities will potentially experience
disproportionate impacts of climate change because of their reliance on natural resources,
which support subsistence hunting, fishing, recreational and other important cultural practices.
Moreover, a general lack of resources to implement adaptation measures will further
compound climate change impacts. In response, Region 6 announced at the Spring Regional
Tribal Operations Council meeting in Tulsa (April 3, 2013) the formation of a Region 6 Tribal
Climate Change Adaptation Planning Workgroup. The purpose of the workgroup is to form a
community of practice among EPA Region 6 and its tribal communities to assist in the
development of climate adaptation plans. The objectives are:
1) Create a network of professionals to help inform the development of adaptation
plans for Tribal communities;
2) Share scientific information, TEK, grant opportunities, adaptation tools, best
practices, and success stories;
3) Provide tribes with guidance and feedback from EPA as they develop their
adaptation plans; and
4) Replicate effective adaptation planning efforts.
EPA Region 6 will also partner with the South Central Climate Center (Norman, Oklahoma)
and other federal agencies to deliver information and training and to announce the availability
of grants, tools and pertinent resources to support adaptation activities.
4.2 Focusing on the Most Vulnerable People and Places
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities and the poor, persons
with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information,
and tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such
as those located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to
integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to
prioritize helping people, places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts,
and to be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions
that will be taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan
is conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change will be identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these
communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts.
These efforts will be informed by experiences with previous extreme weather events,
especially those that have impacted the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas (e.g., Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Gustav.) and the subsequent recovery efforts.
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Direct impacts on the vulnerable groups in areas experiencing rapid climate change may
include not only changes in ecosystem function and production, but also human health impacts
such as increased illnesses, injuries and deaths from heat waves, extreme weather events,
flooding, and wildfires, as well as respiratory illnesses caused by deteriorations in air quality.
Indirect health impacts could include illnesses and deaths that may arise from climate-related
changes in ecosystems, migration of infectious agents and disease vectors, or reductions in
agricultural and livestock production. Through the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal
Affairs and other program offices, EPA Region 6 will strive to build the adaptive capacity of
populations in all areas of the region, but in particular those residing in the most vulnerable
places.
In Region 6, people living in areas along the U.S.-Mexico Border and along coastal Louisiana
are perhaps among the most vulnerable to climate change effects. Along the border, increases
in ambient air temperatures, reduced air and water quality, drought, and the threat of wildfires
represent perhaps the greatest climate change impacts. These stressors heighten the
importance of a strategic management of water resources, rangelands, and air quality, which
remain a critical part of the Region's environmental protection goals along the border.
Ecosystems in coastal Louisiana are already experiencing many stressors that threaten a way
of life for people living in this area. Some of these include the loss of habitat and alterations in
ecosystem functions due to factors such as land subsidence, eustatic sea level rise, saltwater
intrusion, coastal development, habitat fragmentation, hydrologic and landscape modifications
resulting from canals and levees, water and air pollution, and declining fishery resources. All of
these can be compounded, if not accelerated, by climate change effects. Moreover, increased
storm intensity for the area profoundly threaten human health and alter ecosystems, as
evidenced by recent hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike.
Region 6 program staff and managers will continue to work with within existing networks such
as the Region 6 U.S. Mexico Border Program Office, the Mexican Government, the Border
Environmental Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank in the
U.S. Mexico Border area, and with the Gulf of Mexico Program Office, the State of Louisiana
and related coastal conservation and protection agencies to ensure they possess the adaptive
capacity to integrate climate change considerations into existing programs, policies,
operations, and funding considerations. Adaptive capacity will be strengthened through
outreach and educational efforts, funding opportunities relating to climate adaptation, and the
delivery of climate adaptation tools such as Climate Ready Utilities and Climate Ready
Estuaries. In addition, Region 6 will continue to promote the Agency's water utility energy
efficiency and WaterSense programs to further strengthen adaptation activities while
introducing mitigation elements at the same time.
Part 5: Conclusions
Region 6 faces significant planning and implementation challenges as climate change occurs
in the 21st century and will practice an overall anticipatory philosophy regarding climate change
adaptation planning. As noted in the NCA3, climate change is happening now and the time to
adapt is now. This Regional Implementation Plan has identified internal priority actions
including infrastructure enhancement and training, which stem from five major identified
climate change vulnerabilities. Externally, the Region has identified technical assistance efforts
with a variety of partners, as well as enhanced outreach and communication to be important
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priority actions to fully address those vulnerabilities. Measuring and evaluating new priority
actions and ongoing adaptation initiatives will be important in gauging Regional effectiveness
in fulfilling our mission. This Regional Implementation Plan is certainly not an endpoint. It is
intended to be the first version of a plan that will change and mature as the Region's
knowledge of, and experience with, climate change adaptation grows. The Region's most
important goal remains to serve all its stakeholders in the most efficient and thorough means
possible, even as climate changes.
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Figures and Tables
Figure 1 - EPA-Region 6 Program Organization
Regional Administrator
Office of Environmental Justice
and Tribal Affairs
Office of
External Affairs
Management Division
Water Qualify
Protection Division
Office of the
Regional Counsel
Multimedia Planning
and Permitting Division
Superfund Division
Compliance Assurance
& Enforcement Division
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Table 1
EPA Region 6 Climate Change Vulnerabilities & Priority Actions
Anticipated
Impacts
Consequences
Involved
Programs
Priority Actions
A.
Higher mean
temperatures,
with more
frequent and
intense
summer "heat
waves" (NCA3,
2014)
Higher O3 and other
criteria air pollutants with
increased difficulty in
attaining health standards
(Chang etal., 2010);
Increased health risks
from "heat island" impacts
(Portier, et al., 2010);;
Multimedia
Planning and
Permitting
Division;
Management
Division
(facilities);
Office of
Environmental
Justice and
Tribal Affairs
Evaluate the potential for using distributed
generation electricity & energy efficiency
infrastructure enhancements in new
Regional office space and energy
infrastructure improvements to existing
office space, contingent upon budget &
GSA considerations; Training for Air,
Pesticides, Environmental Justice/Tribal
Affairs, and Management Division staff.
B.
More frequent
and intense
droughts in
central and
western part of
Region 6
Reduced agricultural
yields; decreased power
plant cooling capabilities;
consumer rationing;
decreased industrial water
availability; more wildfires;
increased blowing dust
Water Quality
Protection
Division;
Management
Division
(facilities);
Office of
Environmental
Justice and
Tribal Affairs;
Multimedia
Planning and
Permitting Div.
Evaluate the possibilities for enhancing
water conservation in new Regional Office
space; Build upon the existing Region 6
web page devoted to the topic of drought;
promote tools such as Climate Ready
Utilities and programs such as Water
Sense, Sustainable Communities, Green
Infrastructure, and Healthy Watersheds;
Leverage and assist states in using
existing funding vehicles to support green
infrastructure, such as SRF, Green Project
Reserve, and Clean Water Act Section 319
grants; Training for Water Quality
Protection Division, Environmental
Justice/Tribal Affairs, and Management
Division staff.
C.
Increase in
extreme
precipitation
events
More extensive flooding
and wind damage from
hurricanes; increased
stormwater runoff and
flashfloods from other
extreme weather events
Superfund
Division;
Water Quality
Protection
Division;
Office of
Environmental
Justice and
Tribal Affairs
Enhance emergency response capabilities
for these types of events; Enhance the
capabilities of the Center of Excellence for
quickly getting water and wastewater
facilities back on line following these
events; Provide technical assistance for
coastal habitat restoration and protection
through such venues as the Urban Waters
Initiative, three NEPs and CWPPRA;
Provide technical assistance in watershed
protection and planning through the 319
and CZARA programs in order to enhance
flood water retention; Training for staff in
Superfund and Emergency Response
Branch, Water Quality Protection Division,
and Environmental Justice/Tribal Affairs.
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D.
Seasonal
weather shifts
High-country snow melt
earlier in spring, with early
floods and summer water
deficits downstream;
increased pests and non-
native noxious weeds with
longer warm-season
periods
Multimedia
Planning and
Permitting
Division;
Water Quality
Protection
Division
Explore existing infrastructure funding such
as SRF to enhance resiliency; Promote
watershed planning tools to address the
loss of natural storage and to better absorb
flashy runoff; Training for Water Quality
Protection Division and Pesticides Section
staff
E.
Increasing
rates of relative
sea level rise
and continued
coastal land
loss
Accelerated loss and
degradation of estuarine
habitats, barrier islands,
and shorelines in
Louisiana and Texas;
Increase in inland floods
from coastal storms, local
precipitation, and
upstream flooding in major
river systems
Water Quality
Protection
Division;
Office of
Environmental
Justice and
Tribal Affairs;
Superfund
Division
Provide technical and planning support for
the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task
Force, Gulf Ecosystem Restoration
Council, National Ocean Policy, and Gulf
of Mexico Alliance to establish restoration
priorities; Develop and implement
restoration projects through three National
Estuary Programs, Climate Ready
Estuaries Program, and CWPPRA;
Training for staff in Superfund and
Emergency Response, Water Quality
Protection Division, and Environmental
Justice/Tribal Affairs.
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Table 2
Current Climate Change Partnerships
Lead Region 6 Division
Program
Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division
Water Quality Protection Division
Management Division
Superfund Division
Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division
Office of Regional Counsel
Ozone Advance, Energy Star, Federal Green
Challenge, Landfill Methane Outreach Program,
Repowering America, North Central Texas
Environmental Stewardship Forum, Blue Skyways
Collaborative, WasteWise, Urban Heat Island
Mitigation, Energy Efficiency-Renewable Energy in
SIPs, promoting ecological enhancements at RCRA
sites
WaterSense, Green Infrastructure, HUD-DOT-EPA
Partnership for Sustainable Communities, National
Estuary Program, Climate Ready Water Utilities
Program, CWPPRA, National Ocean Council, Gulf
Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and Council, Gulf
of Mexico Program, Gulf Alliance, Gulf Tribal Climate
Adaptation Advisory Workgroup
Regional Environmental Management System, E.O.
13514 and 13423 compliance
Superfund and Brownfields projects utilizing
renewable energy
Environmental Justice Showcase Communities
Partnering with Office of Regional Counsel to fulfill
regulatory responsibilities while optimizing responses
to climate change-forced water and air compliance
issues
Continuing coordination with R6 program offices to
map out appropriate climate change adaptation
support while ensuring regulatory fidelity
39
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May 30, 2014
References Cited
Adger, W.N., S. Agrawala, M.M.Q. Mirza, C. Conde, K. O'Brien, J. Pulhin, R. Pulwarty, B. Smit,
and K. Takahashi (2007). Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and
capacity. In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of
Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds.,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 717-743.
Carter, L. M., J. W. Jones, L. Berry, V. Burkett, J. F. Murley, J. Obeysekera, P. J. Schramm,
and D. Wear, 2014: Ch. 17: Southeast and the Caribbean. Climate Change Impacts in the
United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond,
and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 396-417. doi:10.7930/JON-
P22CB. On the Web: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/southeast
Chang, H. H., J. Zhou, and M. Fuentes, 2010: Impact of climate change on ambient ozone
level and mortality in southeastern United States. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, 7, 2866-2880, doi:10.3390/ijerph7072866
Christensen, J.H., B. Hewitson, A. Busuioc, A. Chen, X. Gao, I. Held, R. Jones, R.K. Kolli, W.-
T. Kwon, R. Laprise, V. Magana Rueda, L. Mearns, C.G. Menendez, J. Raisanen, A. Rinke, A.
Sarr and P. Whetton, 2007: Regional Climate Projections. In: Climate Change 2007: The
Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen,
M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 887-892.
CPRA, 2012. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Louisiana's
Comprehensive Master Plan fora Sustainable Coast, May 23, 2012.
http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisiana.gov
Deser, C., R. Knutti, S. Solomon, and A. Phillips. Communication of the role of natural variability
in future North American climate. Nature Climate Change 2: 775-779 (2012).
Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, 2011. Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Events Summary
August 2 — August 5, 2011 available at:
http://search.ercot.com/search?q=Energy+Emergencv+Alert+%28EEA%29+Events+Summarv
+Auaust+2+%E2%80%95+August+5%2C+2011+&btnG=Search+%3E&site=www All docume
nts&client=default frontend&proxvstylesheet=ercot com&output=xml no dtd&ie=utf-
8&oe=utf-8&ud=1 &sort=date%253AD%253AL%253Ad1 &entar=0
Field, C.B., L.D. Mortsch,, M. Brklacich, D.L. Forbes, P. Kovacs, J.A. Patz, S.W. Running and
M.J. Scott, 2007: North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J.
van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 617-652.
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Haines, A, A. McMichael, and P. Epstein. Environment and Health: 2. Global Climate Change
and Health, Canadian Medical Association Journal 163 (6): 729-734 (2000).
Knutson, Thomas R. Knutson, John L. McBride, Johnny Chan, Kerry Emanuel, Greg Holland,
Chris Landsea, Isaac Held, James P. Kossin, A. K. Srivastava and Masato Sugi. Tropical
Cyclones and Climate Change. Nature Geoscience 3, 157-163 (2010).
Longergan, S. The Role of Environmental Degradation in Population Displacement,
Environmental Change and Security Project Report 4: 5-15 (1998).
Martens, W., T. Jetten, and D. Focks. Sensitivity of Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Dengue to
Global Warming, Climate Change, 35 (2): 145-156 (1997).
Parris, A., P. Bromirski, V. Burkett, D. Cayan, M. Culver, J. Hall, R. Horton, K. Knuuti, R. Moss,
J. Obeysekera, A. Sallenger, and J. Weiss, 2012: Global Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the
United States National Climate Assessment. NOAA Tech Memo OAR CPO-1, 37 pp., National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD. [Available online at
http://scenarios.globalchange.gov/sites/default/files/NOAA SLR r3 0. pdfl
Portier, C. J., T. K. Thigpen, S. R. Carter, C. H. Dilworth, A. E. Grambsch, J. Gohlke, J. Hess,
S. N. Howard, G. Luber, J. T. Lutz, T. Maslak, N. Prudent, M. Radtke, J. P. Rosenthal, T.
Rowles, P. A. Sandifer, J. Scheraga, P. J. Schramm, D. Strickman, J. M. Trtanj, and P.-Y.
Whung, 2010: A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change: A Report Outlining the
Research Needs on the Human Health Effects of Climate Change, 80 pp., Environmental
Health Perspectives and the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, Research
Triangle Park, NC. [Available online at www. niehs.nih.gov/climatereport]
NCA3, 2014 Reference Citations
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, and J. G.
Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate
Assessment: Part 9. Climate of the Contiguous United States. NOAA Technical Report
NESDIS 142-9. 85 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. [Available online at
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical reports/NOAA NESDIS Tech Report 142-9-
Climate of the Contiguous United States.pdfl
Garfin, G., G. Franco, H. Blanco, A. Comrie, P. Gonzalez, T. Piechota, R. Smyth, and R.
Waskom, 2014: Ch. 20: Southwest. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third
National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds.,
U.S. Global Change Research Program, 462-486. doi:10.7930/J08G8HMN.
[Available online at
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/southwest1
Shafer, M., D. Ojima, J. M. Antle, D. Kluck, R. A. McPherson, S. Petersen, B. Scanlon, and K.
Sherman, 2014: Ch. 19: Great Plains. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third
National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds.,
U.S. Global Change Research Program, 441-461. doi:10.7930/JOD798BC.
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[Available online at
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/great-plains1Nielsen-Gammon, J.C. The
Changing Climate of Texas in: The Impact of Global Warming on Texas Second Edition
[Schmandt, J., J. Clarkson, and G. North (eds.)]. University of Texas Press, Austin, 2011.
Stone, B, J. Hess, and H. Frumkin. Urban Form and Extreme Heat Events: Are Sprawling
Cities More Vulnerable to Climate Change Than Compact Cities? Environmental Health
Perspectives. 118(10): 1425-1428(2010).
U.S. EPA, 2012a. Adaptation Overview, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-
adaptation/adapt-overview.html
U.S. EPA, 2012b. Federal and EPA Adaptation Programs.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/fed-programs.html
U.S. EPA, 2012c. Great Plains Impacts & Adaptation, http://epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-
adaptation/greatplains.html
U.S. EPA, 2012d. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plan
(Draft), June 2012. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA-climate-change-adaptation-
plan-final-for-public-comment-2-7-13.pdf
U.S. EPA, 2011. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Statement on Climate Change
Adaptation, Lisa Jackson, Administrator, June 2, 2011.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf
U.S. EPA. Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A
Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone (An Interim Report of the U.S.
EPA Global Change Research Program). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,
DC, EPA/600/R-07/094F, 2009.
USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Karl, T.R., J.M. Melillo,
and T.C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge
University Press, New York, NY, USA.
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May 30, 2014
Appendix
Copy of All Hands Memo Announcing Regional Involvement in Climate Adaptation and
Mitigation Related Initiatives and the Announcement of "Earthapalooza" which will serve as an
Internal Educational Forum for Region 6 Employees
This is being sent as R6 All Employee Memo - Please do not reply to this mass mailing
This memo and all Region 6 "All Employee Memos" may be viewed on the Region 6 Intranet
NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW
April 4, 2013
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: How EPA Region 6 is Working to Achieve Better Environmental Practices
FROM: Ronnie Crossland /s/Ronnie Grassland
Acting Assistant Regional Administrator
for Management
TO: All EPA Region 6 Employees/SEEs/Contractors
As Earth Day approaches, I want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the exciting ways EPA
Region 6 is working to achieve better environmental practices, and how we as individuals can each
contribute. EPA is leading a change in how our society protects the environment and conserves
resources for future generations by encouraging Americans to rethink the way we manage our resources.
Not only are we taking steps within our own organization to reduce our environmental footprint through
the hard work of our Environmental Management System Team, but we are also challenging other
agencies, organizations, and municipalities to do the same through EPA's Sustainable Materials
Management Program; exploring ways to "green" sports events and venues as part of EPA's Green
Sports workgroup; and engaging in a pilot climate change mitigation initiative.
Below are highlights of these programs and what you can do to help.
Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Programs:
The SMM Programs provide opportunities for businesses, universities and government entities to
increase efficiency, reduce waste, and gain recognition for protecting human health and the
environment. There are three SMM programs:
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May 30, 2014
• Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) - Grocers, universities, stadiums, and other venues commit to
a three-year goal for reducing the amount of food reaching landfills by learning to purchase
leaner and divert food away from landfills for better uses. We currently have 143 participants
signed on to the challenge and collectively diverted 71,521 tons of food from landfills in 2011.
Contact: Golam Mustafa
• Electronics Challenge (FEC) - Electronics manufacturers and retailers who become a partner
of the Electronics Challenge commit to sending all their collected electronics to only certified
electronics recyclers. Certification seeks to ensure environmental excellence in managing used
electronics. EPA Region 6 has also lead by example by achieving the Federal Electronics
Challenge Platinum award for ensuring environmental excellence in the way we purchase, use,
and dispose of federally owned electronics.
Contact: Stephen Sturdivant
• Federal Green Challenge (FGC) - Federal Agencies commit to lead by example by reducing
their facilities' environmental impact and save money in two of six areas: waste, purchasing,
electronics, energy, water and transportation. We currently have 29 facilities representing 12
different federal agencies signed up as participants, including the EPA Region 6 facilities.
Contact: Joyce Stubblefield
Environmental Management System (EMS) Team:
The EMS team is a group of representatives from each division working towards encouraging
improvement in EPA Region 6's designated Significant Environmental Aspects: Electricity Use, Vehicle
Emissions and Fuel Use, Waste Reduction and Recycling, Electronics Stewardship and Green
Purchasing. Along with a focus on the Significant Environmental Aspects, the EMS team helps Region
6 meet SMM program commitments. Through the EMS team:
• Our goal of 5% paper reduction each FY has been exceeded, FY 2012 being the best year by
far
• The next big focus in our Regional Office will be green purchasing
• Region 6 joined the FGC, reducing their environmental impact in purchasing and electronics
Climate Change:
The Region's Clean Energy-Climate Change Workgroup, formed in 2008 with Divisional
representatives, continues to track and report annually on climate change mitigation and adaptation
activities in six sectors. These sectors include Greenhouse Gas Regulatory, Internal Conservation and
Efficiency, Alternative and Renewable Energy and Green Remediation, Climate Change Adaptation,
Sea Level Rise/Coastal Land Loss, and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Partnerships. Many different
activities which either directly or indirectly benefit climate stewardship are occurring throughout the
Region and are captured within these sectors.
The Region is completing a Regional Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan, required by the
Council on Environmental Quality. It will focus on assessing challenges to Regional operations from
future climate change and taking steps to cope with these challenges. The Water Quality Protection
Division and the Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division are taking the lead in drafting the plan,
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May 30, 2014
with input from the other Divisions. Also, the Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division is engaged
in a pilot climate change mitigation initiative in 2013. This initiative focuses on encouraging voluntary
greenhouse gas emissions from stationary/area sources and on accelerating the purchase of green power
and installation of on-site renewable energy.
What can you do?
• Consider ways to reduce your food waste ( )
• Reduce paper usage by printing double sided or not printing at all
• Ensure electronic purchases are EPEAT certified and energy efficient options are enabled
(EJ )
• Recycle all paper and #1 plastics
• Turn off equipment and lights when not in use
• Commute efficiently by utilizing public transportation, carpooling, walking or riding your bike
when possible
• Participate in the EMS Team (contact Julia Alderete or David Bond for more information)
What's next?
• Come to the )E*etX*^*t****c*JocM5&6* open house on April 11 from 10 am - 2 pm in
the 12th floor conference rooms to hear more about the SMM and EMS activities in Region 6
• Enjoy Earth Day themed movies the week of April 15
ORethink
45
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u
KS
MO
Region 7 Climate
Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
Publication Number:
EPA-100-K-14-001M
June 2014
-------
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document, nor
any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed intention,
suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes,
the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion
in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the
range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the
EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue fulfilling its
statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore anticipating and planning
for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and
the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for review
and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to identify
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority
actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will remain
effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation
within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire
federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National Environmental
Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices developed a Climate
Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in
the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will integrate climate
adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and compatible with its goals and
objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide
priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to
build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes,
and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways
that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them
with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program vulnerability
assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data,
and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission. The plan then identifies
specific priority actions that the office will take to begin addressing its vulnerabilities and
mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the selection of priorities are
discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the
development of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration
with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream
climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to
understand how well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each Implementation
Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of
its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the environment.
Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is resilient
to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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Table of Contents
Program Vulnerability Assessment 6
I. Background 6
II. Discussion of Climate Change Impacts in Region 7 6
III. Region 7's Known Vulnerabilities on Climate Change Impacts 7
1. Goal 1: Taking Action Climate Change and Improving Air Quality 7
2. Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters 10
3. Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development 13
4. Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 14
5. Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws 15
6. Facilities and Operations 15
7. Vulnerable Populations 15
8. Emerging Issues 18
IV. Summary Table of Climate Change Vulnerabilities 19
Region 7 Priority Actions 24
Region 7 Monitoring and Evaluation of Priority Actions 29
Conclusion 38
References 39
Appendix A: Descriptive Priority Action Matrix
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Program Vulnerability Assessment
I. Background
This assessment contains a discussion of EPA Region 7 and the climate change impacts affecting the
four-state region, as well as an examination of the risks they pose to key Region 7 Programs. It builds
on the work presented in Part 2 of EPA's Agency-wide Plan, as well as the individual assessments
completed by various Program Offices. It is structured by the goals in EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic
Plan, and includes a table that summarizes the programmatic vulnerabilities discussed in the narrative.
These goals include:
Goal l:Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemical s and Preventing Pollution
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental laws
Region 7 intends to fulfill its mission, despite the consequence of a changing climate. It will stay on
course for meeting its goals, while building more resilient and climate-responsive programs. We will
work with our partners to meet the challenges of climate change through frequent, effective
coordination and decision-support.
II. Discussion of Climate ChanRe Impacts in ReRion 7
Region 7 is located in the climate regions identified by the U.S. Global Change Research Program
(GCRP): as the Great Plains and Midwest. The Region is bisected by the two climate regions along the
state lines separating Nebraska from Iowa and Kansas from Missouri. The GCRP designates the states
of Kansas and Nebraska as Great Plains, and the states of Iowa, and Missouri as the Midwest climate
region.
EPA Region 7 is made up of two distinctly different sets of landscapes, as well as significant differences
in population bases, and economic sectors making our response to climate change particularly
challenging in its complexity. Our lands are managed by four states, nine tribal nations, and a host of
federal agencies. These entities have diverse and often competing interests that include agriculture,
energy development and production, environmental protection and stewardship, manufacturing,
recreation, tourism, and commercial development. The roughly 13.8 million people in the region are
concentrated in eight metropolitan areas including St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines, Wichita,
Springfield, Omaha, Lincoln and Cedar Rapids. The remainder of the population is located in relatively
isolated cities and towns often separated by large distances dominated by agricultural land-use.
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment report in 2007',
concluded that global warming due to human activities since 1750 is unequivocal. The report also
indicates that climate variability and warming over the past century has already had measurable
effects in the region, including increased temperatures, earlier timing of spring events, pole-ward and
upward shifts in plant and animal ranges, drought, declining ecological health, heavy precipitation
events, and habitat loss. One of the challenges in developing a climate change vulnerability
assessment and priority actions is that the predictions (many of which are listed above) vary widely and
so do the timeframes in which these impacts are predicted to occur. In the priority actions matrix,
Region 7 briefly addresses and accounts for these variations. Nevertheless, climate change impacts are
expected to intensify as greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, and continue to threaten our
resources, agricultural, ecosystems and human health throughout the 21st century.
Because of the diversity and wide range of climate change impacts in Region 7, priority actions
included in this are tailored to meet different needs based on eco-regions, other geographic
considerations, population, economic activity, a specific impact, or a vulnerable population.
The following suite of climate change impacts and their affects on Region 7 Programs are discussed in
the sections below. They may be discussed individually, or in combinations based on the focus of the
Strategic Plan Goal under consideration.
1. Increased tropospheric ozone pollution
2. Increased concentrations of particulate matter in the air
3. Increased degradation of indoor air
4. Increasing extreme temperatures
5. Increasing heavy precipitation events
6. Increased water temperatures
7. Decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity
8. Increasing risk of floods
9. Earlier timing of spring events - define
10. Increase in and changing mix of pests*
*lncludes weeds, insects, mold, fungus, and disease
III. ReRion 7's Known Vulnerabilities to Climate ChanRe Impacts
1. Goal 1: TakinR Action on Climate ChanRe and ImprovinR Air Quality
A. Tropospheric ozone pollution is likely to increase in certain regions due to the effects of
climate change. Tropospheric, or ground-level ozone, is created by photochemical reactions of
short-lived pollutants in the atmosphere. Emissions from industrial facilities, electric utilities,
motor vehicles, chemical solvents, controlled agricultural burning, and oil and gas production
are some of the major sources of these pollutants in Region 7. High temperatures and regional
air stagnation associated with climate change may lead to more ozone formation, even with the
7
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same level of emissions. Some estimates have these changes occurring now. While
tropospheric ozone is higher in urban areas, some rural areas with oil and gas production
activities in Region 7 may also have high levels based on recent experiences in Region 8
regarding this industry. ." Additionally, Region 7 has observed increased ozone as a result of
prescribed burning of rangeland in advance of the growing season. Controlled burn events
release volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide at low altitudes.
Controlled burning of agriculture and rangeland is applied in advance of the growing season to
prepare the land for spring agriculture growth. As growing season shifts are an effect of climate
change, the shift has the potential to lengthen the ozone season by increasing the months of
the year when conditions are conducive to the formation of troposphere ozone. Vulnerable
populations may be at a higher risk for health effects from exposure to ozone.
Increases in tropospheric ozone due to climate change may require greater pollution controls
to attain or maintain the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Region 7 works
with partners at state, local, and tribal levels to meet this standard through State
Implementation Plans (SIPs) and other measures. These efforts may need to be adjusted as
climate change progresses. Although Region 7's adaptive capacity with respect to this impact is
dependent on national standard setting efforts, there are some points of leverage and
voluntary actions that can be utilized.
B. Particulate Matter (PM) levels (both fine and course) are likely to be affected through
changes in frequency and intensity of wildfires, controlled burns and high winds. There is
evidence indicating that climate change will affect PM levels through changes in the frequency
or intensity of wildfires,'" and the effects of drought on the land. The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported with very high confidence that in North America,
disturbances such as wildfires are increasing and are likely to intensify in a warmer future with
drier soils and longer growing seasons. This could complicate EPA Region 7 efforts to protect
public health and the environment from PM pollution. Vulnerable populations may be
especially at risk from increased exposure to PM.
Certain areas of Region 7 utilize controlled burning of rangeland to reduce invasive vegetation
and prepare the soil for new grass production for cattle grazing. Climate change has the
potential to affect how prescribed burning is utilized in rangeland management necessitating
changes in the timing of burning events to coincide with favorable conditions associated with
precipitation, winds, temperature, and the spring growing season. Changes in climate will
result in revised burning schedules and has the potential to impact air quality that effects
vulnerable populations. Additionally, drought conditions associated with climate change can
promote wind-borne dust or PM during high wind events. Wind-borne PM is principally
associated with dry soil conditions and lack of adequate vegetative cover. Due to extensive
agricultural activity in Region 7, the area is very susceptible to wind-borne PM in the early
spring during the period between land preparation (tilling, fertilizing, and planting). During this
period, the top soil is more susceptible to being distributed in the air during high wind events
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and the problem is exacerbated if the soil is dry as a result of low precipitation or elevated
temperatures which can be associated with climate change.
Region 7's adaptive capacity with respect to this impact may be limited. Increases in PM as a
result of wildfires, controlled burns, and high winds may be considered "exceptional events,"
which are exempt from certain regulatory actions under the Clean Air Act and the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Additionally, the challenge of fire mitigation and
firefighting falls on national, regional, and local agencies with authorities peripheral of EPA's
jurisdiction. However, there may be air monitoring or risk communication opportunities that
the Region can utilize to assist other agencies in adapting to this impact."
C. Climate change may worsen the quality of indoor air and increase exposure to contaminants.
Climate change may worsen existing indoor environmental problems, and introduce new ones
due to temperature increases and an increased frequency or severity of extreme weather
events. For example, warmer temperatures may affect the emergence, evolution and
geographic ranges of pests, infectious agents and disease vectorslv. This may lead to shifting
patterns of indoor exposure to pesticides as occupants and building owners respond to new
infestations.v Additionally, heavy precipitation events may contribute to increases in indoor
dampness and building deterioration, increasing occupants' exposure to mold and other
biological contaminants, as well as emissions from building materials.
Residents may weatherize buildings to increase comfort and indoor environmental quality in
addition to saving energy. Although in general these actions should be encouraged, this may
lead to a reduction in ventilation and an increase in indoor environmental pollutants unless
measures are taken to preserve or improve indoor air quality. EPA has developed practical
guidance for improving or maintaining indoor environmental quality during home energy
upgrades or remodeling in single-family homes and schools. EPA's guidance and protocols may
need to be revised to include state and local considerations for projected climatic changes. In
addition, these programs may need to increase partnerships with other agencies to address
training needs and workforce development for building owners, managers, and others, as well
as develop new tracking mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of weatherization and
remodeling techniques as they relate to indoor environmental quality.
Residents may also spend more time indoors, and become more prone to health risks from
indoor environmental conditions. Public health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations,
may increase^. For example, more people may be exposed to indoor air contaminants in homes
in low-income areas because they have access to fewer resources to make adjustments to their
dwellings, and because these homes tend to have greater occupant density.
Region 7 can utilize various EPA programs, tools, resources, and partnerships to adapt to this
impact. For example, Region 7's Radon Program, Healthy Homes, and Healthy Schools initiatives
are avenues through which public education could occur.
-------
D. Climate change may affect the response of ecosystems to the atmospheric deposition of
sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury. While there is limited scientific evidence on this topic, additional
research is underway to better understand how patterns in the atmospheric deposition of
sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury with projected changes in the climate and carbon cycle will affect
ecosystem growth, species changes, surface water chemistry, and mercury methylation (a
natural process which makes mercury biologically available to fish and humans) and
bioaccumulation. The potential impacts could have consequences for the effectiveness of
ecosystem protection from Region 7's emissions reduction programs.
Because of current fish consumption advisory programs™, there is already heightened
awareness of the issue of mercury contamination in lakes, rivers and streams in Region 7. This
may present an opportunity to adapt to the impact through partnerships and public education.
Region 7 may want to provide additional educational focus for populations where subsistence
fishing is pervasive.
2. Goal 2: ProtectinR America's Waters
A. Climate change may affect EPA's ability to protect and restore watersheds, aquatic
ecosystems and wetlands. Warmer air temperatures will result in warmer water, potentially
leading to low oxygen levels and hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and changes in the toxicity of
some pollutants. Aquatic life may be replaced by other species better adapted to the warmer
water, and this process may occur at an uneven pace disrupting aquatic system health and
allowing non-indigenous and/or invasive species to become established™1. Additionally,
temperature increases may lead to water losses from increased evapotranspiration rates.
Heavier precipitation may increase flood risk, expand floodplain areas, increase the variability
of stream flows, and increase erosion from high water velocity. An increase in storm event
frequency and intensity can result in more nutrients, pathogens, and toxins being washed into
water bodies, especially if they result in sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses.
Drought, changing patterns of precipitation, as well as increased evapotranspiration, may lead
to reduced stream flow later in the summer, altering aquatic environments and increasing
impairments. These impacts may also threaten certain aquatic ecosystems that are found the
region, such as prairie potholes of Iowa, and floodplains of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers,
reducing the habitat they provide for plants and animalslx.
These climate impacts may have adverse effects on Region 7's work to protect water quality,
and the health of watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and wetlands. Additional water bodies may
have trouble meeting water quality standards and may need to be listed as impaired. Nonpoint
pollution control programs may need to be adjusted to reflect changing conditions. The
scientific basis of water quality standard development and implementation could be threatened
by shifting baselines. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) considerations may need to be
10
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expanded to provide greater protections. Finally, the economic and cultural practices of tribal
communities may be impacted.
These program vulnerabilities may require greater use of biological monitoring and assessment
techniques, management techniques that build resilience into aquatic environments, and the
management of wetlands for storm water control purposes and to buffer the impacts of
drought. Region 7's adaptive capacity with respect to this impact is varied, and there may be
numerous points of leverage and opportunities that can be explored.
B. Drinking water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure may be affected. Heavier
precipitation may increase the risk of floods, expand floodplains, and cause more nutrients,
pathogens, and toxins to be washed into water bodiesx. This could damage or overwhelm water
infrastructure, and lead to releases of waterborne diseases and pathogens. In urban areas,
storm water collection and management systems may need to be redesigned to handle the
increased capacity. Low stream flows due to drought, earlier spring runoff, reduction in
snowpack (snowpack in the mountains and upstream effects summertime flows in rivers
coursing across Region 7 including the Missouri River, both Platte Rivers, the Loup River, the
Little Blue River and the Solomon River), and increased evapotranspiration may affect drinking
water intakes and wastewater outfalls. Uncontrolled and controlled burning events also scorch
soils, leading to more runoff and erosion. Drinking water and wastewater utilities will need to
consider these climate change impacts and the concept of non-stationaryxl in their planning
activities. Additionally, vulnerable populations may have problems accessing safe drinking
water due to these infrastructure challenges.
The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) may be stressed as the
need for additional investments in water infrastructure increases. Region 7 and its State
partners may need to re-prioritize project requests due to increasing and changing
needs at the local level. Tribes and other vulnerable populations may require special
considerations with respect to climate change and water infrastructure challenges.
Region 7's work to promote green infrastructure*" in urban areas may be more in
demand to serve multiple purposes: manage storm water runoff, flood mitigation, air
quality management, and urban heat island reduction. Additional resources and funding
may be required to address this significant impact in Region 7.
C. The quality and availability of safe drinking water may be affected. Drought, changing
patterns of precipitation, and increased evapotranspiration may result in changes to the
availability and demand for drinking water. Competing uses of water in the agriculture,
industry, and energy production sectors may also increase. These factors may shift demand to
underground sources of water, or prompt development of reservoirs or other water retention
strategies.
Wildfires can foul water and challenge water-treatment facilities. Heavy precipitation
events may exacerbate the problem, leading to more runoff of sediment and other
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contaminants into drinking water sources, requiring additional treatment. Drinking
water intakes and wastewater outfalls could be overwhelmed or damaged, causing an
increased incidence of waterborne diseases and pathogens. Increased water
temperatures may also lead to an increased growth of algae and microbes that may
affect drinking water quality.
Various Region 7 Programs protect drinking water quality, and are concerned with the
availability of water supplies. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
discharge permits for wastewater and storm water from municipal and other facilities may
need to be adjusted to maintain water quality. As the need for water retention grows, NEPA
reviews of water supply and storage projects may increase. There may also be a need to
enhance or construct wetlands, requiring permits.
Limited water availability and drought in some regions may require drinking water providers to
reassess the security of their water supplies, and consider alternative pricing, allocation, and
water conservation options. Region 7's work to promote voluntary actions through the
Sustainable Water Infrastructure programs, Climate Ready Water Utilities initiatives, and
WaterSense, may be more in demand. Adapting to this impact may be compromised by a lack
of resources.
D. Agricultural production demands on ground and surface water resources may increase.
Agriculture is the main economic activity and greatest sector user of water resources in Region
7 states. The agriculture industry relies heavily on precipitation, surface and ground water
resources to maintain production of food and feed products. Drought and changing patterns of
precipitation may result in farmers, ranchers, and land owners relying more heavily on water
from surface runoff and the ground to maintain agriculture-related production. This increase
demand will result in reduced stream flows and reduction in water table levels which could
adversely affect water quality and availability for human consumption and ecosystems.
Ground and surface water resources are managed and controlled under a variety of state and
federal oversight entities. These include state boards and regional cooperatives or districts that
manage ground water with drawl and surface water diversion within the state that is used for
crop irrigation and drinking water. At the federal level agencies, such as the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) and the US Army Corp of Engineers, manage land activities and navigable
waters of the United States both of which have a significant impact on water availability to the
regional agriculture sector and drinking water systems.
The eastern states of Region 7 (Iowa and Missouri) located in the climate region defined by the
GCRP as the Midwest rely predominantly on precipitation and surface water to support
agriculture production. As the quantity and timing of precipitation varies as a result of climate
change, the agriculture industry may not be able to rely on precipitation to provide the water
necessary to sustain crop production. In response, a greater reliance on surface water and
ground water may occur which will reduce the ground water levels. As the industry relies more
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on ground water, there is greater potential for contamination and degradation of the resource
due to the greater number of wells and decrease in ground water volume. Increased wells
provide opportunities for surface contaminants to enter the resource, through poor well design
or well completion. Ground water degradation also occurs as the resource is depleted and
dissolved solids make up a greater percentage of the resource volume. In Missouri, where the
majority of communities, and residents outside of municipalities, rely on ground water for
drinking water, a reduction in ground water level and quality will negatively impact the public's
access to affordable clean drinking water.
The western states of Region 7 (Kansas and Nebraska) located in the climate region defined by
the GCRP as the Great Plains rely predominantly on ground water and to a lesser extent
precipitation to support agriculture production. Nebraska ranks first nationally with over 8.5
million acres of irrigated landxl", and Kansas ranks 7th with over 2.7 million acres of irrigated
landxlv. As the Great Plains region is more arid than the Midwest region, decreased
precipitation is expected for this region under nearly all climate change modeling scenarios.
Consequently, we anticipate that the agriculture sector in these two states will rely on
groundwater resource to an even greater degree than currently to sustain current levels of
agriculture production.
The main ground water resource in western Nebraska and Kansas is the Ogallala Aquifer, one of
the largest aquifer systems in the world and the principal geologic unit of the High Plains
Aquifer System. In 2005, the USGS estimated that total water withdraw from the aquifer
amounted to approximately 9% since 1950, or 2.5 million acre feet of water from the aquifer's
total water storage capacity of 2.9 billion acre feetxv. The Ogallala Aquifer, like most
underground sources of water, depends on precipitation to recharge, and the rate of recharge
does not match the rate of withdraw. In areas of western Nebraska, natural resource
management districts have been put in place to regulate the number of wells and the amount
of water than can be withdrawn from the aquifer as these areas have measured substantial
reductions in the depth that fresh water can be accessed in the aquifer50". Like Missouri,
communities located in Kansas and Nebraska depend almost entirely on ground water for
public drinking water systems. In rural areas of both Nebraska and Kansas, we find that the
vast majority of homes utilize ground water as the predominant source of water used in the
home. As ground water resource are utilized more extensively (especially by the agriculture
sector), the resource will become less available for use as a drinking and public water resource.
The Region 7 States and federal entities servicing the agriculture sector need to consider
how greater reliance on ground and surface water resources will impact the resource as
a result of climate change, as well as the impact on communities that share the ground
water resource. We anticipate that Region 7's resources supporting public drinking
water systems will be in greater demand as public utilities spend greater resources
accessing clean water, and/or developing systems that reuse water. Additionally, the
Agency may find it necessary to develop new programs to ensure the safety of ground
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water resources from contamination due to increased pumping and an increased
number of wells.
3. Goal 3: CleaninR Up Communities and AdvancinR Sustainable Development
A. Contaminated Sites and Waste Management may be threatened. Heavy precipitation events,
floods, and wildfires may threaten contaminated sites in Region 7 and the remedies put in place
to cleanup and prevent releases of hazardous substances. Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) activities to treat, store, or dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous waste may also
be threatened. Extreme temperatures and other weather events may lead to a loss of electrical
power, affecting the operations of treatment and waste management facilities. Landfill capacity
may be insufficient to handle surges in hazardous and municipal wastes from floods and other
extreme weather events.
Region 7's Superfund, RCRA, and Brownfield programs may need to alter chemical containment
strategies to ensure protection of groundwater and adjacent sites. RCRA permitting activities
may increase or requirements may need to be updated to reflect current and future climate
impacts. Current scientific monitoring and sampling protocols on sites may no longer be
effective and may require adjustments. The adaptive capacity to this impact is largely
dependent on available funding and resources, but there may be points of leverage or
innovative technologies that could be utilized for site remediation or materials management.
B. Climate change may lead to an increased need for emergency response. Due to an increase in
heavy precipitation events, floods, and wildfires, as well as other extreme weather events like
severe winds and tornados that may be exacerbated by climate change, Region 7's emergency
response and disaster recovery efforts may increase. Subsequently, this may lead to limitations
in the Region's response capabilities due to staff and financial resource constraints. The
adaptive capacity to this impact is dependent on available funding and resources and the
occurrence frequency of natural disasters regionally and nationally.
4. Goal 4: Ensuring the safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
A. The ability to protect human health and ecosystems from chemical risks may be affected.
Climate change may affect exposures to a wide range of chemicals because of changing
environmental conditions or use patterns. For example, it may lead to increased pest pressure
and a changing mix of pests, affecting how, when, where, and what pesticides are used. The
earlier timing of spring events, like increased temperatures and the emergence of leaves,
flowers, and pollinators, may lead to a longer growing season and an increase in the quantity of
pesticides usedxv". Other climate impacts like drought, extreme temperatures, and heavy
precipitation may lead to abandoned fields, changes in crop mixes and farming methods, and
increase runoff into streams and rivers, increasing exposures. There may also be an increase in
spraying and other chemical use to control mosquitoes and rodents in response to certain
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health threats. Vulnerable populations, particularly children, may be at a higher risk for health
effects from exposure to pesticides.
Region 7's efforts to reduce exposures may be affected by these impacts. There may also be an
increase in requests for emergency exemptions for unregistered pesticides, state/local special
need registrations, as well as requests to approve additional or new end uses of registered
products. These requests are handled by EPA Headquarters, but Region 7 monitors and
supports them as appropriate to ensure a timely response. Additionally, Region 7's work to
promote Integrated Pest Management and other sustainable agriculture practices may be more
in demand. Region 7's adaptive capacity to this impact is largely dependent on available
funding and resources.
5. Goal 5: EnforcinR Environmental Laws
A. Climate change may affect environmental monitoring and sampling in various media. Heavy
precipitation events, floods, and wildfires, as well as other extreme weather events like severe
winds and tornados that may be exacerbated by climate change, could cause damage to Region
7's environmental monitoring assets and prevent access. This impact could delay our efforts to
ensure compliance with environmental requirements by regulated entities, and take effective
enforcement action in case of violations. Adapting to this impact may require a shift in
resources and funding.
6. Facilities and Operations
A. Operations of Region 7 facilities, including water and energy use, may be affected. Increased
temperatures may impact cooling requirements in the summer, but may decrease the need for
heat in the winter. The operation of Region 7 facilities could also be affected by water
shortages due to drought, electric power interruptions due to extreme weather events like
heavy precipitation, tornadoes, and wildfires that affect local air quality and the health of
personnel. Drought and extreme temperatures may also make it more difficult to maintain
green infrastructure, upon which Region 7 relies for storm water management services, among
other things, at its Regional Headquarters building in Lenexa, KS.
Region 7's adaptive capacity to this impact is reliant on resources to purchase available water
and energy, and avoid the health impacts of reduced air quality. Personnel also have the
capacity to work remotely for an extended period of time. Depending on the circumstances,
this may alleviate some of the vulnerabilities to the operation of Region 7 facilities.
7. Vulnerable Populations
Partnerships with Tribes. EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian
tribes in planning and decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is
further expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian
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Reservations and the 2011 Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These policies
recognize and support the sovereign decision-making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes are
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the environment
within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation strategies
that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes recommended a number
of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information;
supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level
education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time,
tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal governments
on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation-related priorities.
These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provide by our tribal partners and the
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing
the current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a
valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian
Policy, TEK is viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues,
including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Region 7 Office of Tribal Affairs, the Institute for
Tribal Environmental Professionals and the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP). Additionally,
efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and Program Offices in EPA, since climate
change has many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries. Transparency and
information sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage activities already taking place within EPA
Offices and tribal governments.
Vulnerable populations may be at a higher risk from climate change impacts. Certain parts of the
population, such as children, the elderly, minorities and the poor, persons with underlying medical
conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information, and tribal and indigenous
populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Also, certain geographic
locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in flood-prone areas. One
of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its programs, policies and
rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places and infrastructure that are most
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vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be designed and implemented with meaningful involvement
from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will
be taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is conducted, the
communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change will be
identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these communities to increase their adaptive
capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts will be informed by experiences with
previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent
recovery efforts.
Today, rural agriculture communities face an array of challenges. In 1950, 82 percent of the world's
population was ruralxvl". Rural communities now comprise 17 percent of the population and about 80
percent of the country's total land areaxlx. Such resource-based economies are vulnerable to the
impacts of commodity prices, technological changes, land value dynamics, and other market
influences. Many of these communities are experiencing unemployment, poverty, population loss, the
aging of their workforces, and increasing demands for social services with fewer dollars to pay for
them. In some rural areas, these are not new trends, but generations-old issues.
As a result of such economic impacts and challenges, estimates indicate a continued decline in our
rural populations through 2050. Yet we have seen strength in agricultural production supports other
parts of the economy, particularly in rural communities. Farms and ranches buy fertilizer and seed,
invest in farm machinery, contract with custom operators, and support the many local businesses that
come together to serve farms and farming families, including restaurants and health care service
providers. High levels of production also benefit other businesses like grain elevators, bio-fuel
refineries, and processed food manufacturers. According to the industry input-output accounts for
2010, every additional dollar of final output in the agriculture, fishing, and hunting industry raises gross
output across all industries by approximately $2.20XX.
Climate change has the potential to negatively influence the livelihood of our agriculture communities
to a much greater extent than other vulnerable populations. Residents of remote communities have
limited access to non-agriculture jobs and services. Alternative employment options can be limited
due to long, expensive commutes. People who don't have access to personal vehicles or who do not
drive, such as low-income residents and senior citizens, lack mobility and could have even less access
to alternate jobs, healthcare, and other services.
Region 7 populations living with asthma are also a priority. For example, St. Louis is considered a
national asthma "hot spot". Climate change, specifically with respect to air quality (i.e. ozone and
particulate matter), indoor air quality, exposure to pests, and changes in heat and humidity will
inevitably exacerbate complications associated with asthma. We will continue to monitor this
vulnerable population and others like it as we adapt and respond to the challenges associated with
climate change.
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Addressing these challenges is critical, particularly within the Midwest and Region 7, where agriculture
plays such a vital role in our state economies
There may be other vulnerable populations (which may ultimately be defined by the spatial nature of
climate change impacts) who have yet to be identified. This may include metropolitan areas in harm's
way due to an increasing risk of floods, rural towns that may be at risk of losing access to safe drinking
water due to a reduction ground water levels, or agricultural communities facing a threat to their
livelihood due to extreme drought. Over time, the most vulnerable populations in Region 7 may
change as the impacts of climate change become more pronounced or shift. Identifying who the most
vulnerable populations are at this time or may be in the future will be an ongoing challenge. They will
need to be defined in the context of climate change impacts, but also in terms of socioeconomic and
natural resource considerations.
8. EmerRiriR Issues
During Region 7's internal planning sessions on climate adaptation, a number of emerging issues were
discussed that require additional scientific research before they can be considered risks to the work of
Region 7 programs. They include the following:
• Wind and extreme wind events might be increasing, affecting air quality, and the migration and
deposition of pesticides and other pollutants population areas and ecosystems
• The emergence of cyanobacteria toxins in surface waters might be increasing due to increased
water temperature - this may affect drinking water, requiring more treatment by water utilities
• Tropospheric ozone pollution levels could increase in rural areas which could cause damage to
crops- causing lost production and result in increasing efforts to use chemicals such as fertilizers
and pesticides to compensate for such losses
• Unconventional energy production development might increase, placing greater demand on
water resources, creating additional potential for groundwater contamination, and
exacerbating climate change impacts
• Electric system reliability may decrease due to lack of cooling water availability as a result of
low river water events
• Releases from industrial activities, rail cars, and on the road commercial truck traffic accidents
associated with extreme weather events
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IV. Summary Table of Climate Change Vulnerabilities
Climate Change
Impact
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Climate Change Impact
Likelihood
Regional Program
would be
Impacted
Focus of Associated Region 7 Program
Priority Actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low= 1
1.1 Increased frequency
and intensity of wildfires
Protecting the public health and the
environment by approving state programs
to meet NAAQS and respond to natural
disasters
Continue to partner with local, state and
tribal stakeholders to optimize fire
contingency plans, including SMPs and a
new National Fire Policy, to maximize
prevention and minimize impacts
1.2 Increasing extreme
temperatures
Protect public health by promoting
healthy indoor environments through
voluntary programs and guidance
Maintain and increase knowledge of
increasing health risks in indoor
environments as a result of climate
change
Promote energy efficiency and energy
star products & renewable energy
strategies
1.3 Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Protecting the public health and the
environment by approving state programs
to meet NAAQS and implementing
programs in Indian Country
Provide education on the dangers and
stress to air quality from open burning of
flood related debris and other natural
disasters
1.4 Increased
concentrations of
tropospheric pollutants
such as ozone and fine
particulate matter
Protecting the public health and the
environment by approving state programs
to meet NAAQS
Continue to partner with local and state
stakeholders to closely monitor changes
in pollution in our most vulnerable areas
(metropolitan centers) and take action
early (Ozone/PM Advance) to mitigate
new impacts and firm action through
SIPs, when appropriate.
2.1 Increasing heavy
precipitation events
- Restoring and protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and wetlands
- Drinking water, wastewater and storm
water infrastructure
- The quality and availability of safe
drinking water
Work with USACE, Section 404
programs, to incorporate climate change
impacts in permits, compensation plans
and draft EIS documents.
Work with state agencies, water and
waste water stakeholders to identify and
plan for climate change challenges by
using Climate Ready Water Utility tools.
Work with States, USDA, and other
local partners to prioritize watersheds
with improvements to the sources of
drinking water impacted by nutrients and
other contaminants. Assessments for
improvement includes ground water and
surface water sources
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Climate Change
Impact
Climate Change Impact
2.2 Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
2.3 Increased water
temperatures
2.4 Earlier timing of
spring events
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low= 1
•3
J
3
3
Focus of Associated Region 7 Program
- Restoring and protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and wetlands
- Drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure
- The quality and availability of safe
drinking water
- Restoring and protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and wetlands
- Drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure
- The quality and availability of safe
drinkins water
- Restoring and protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and wetlands
- Drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure
- The quality and availability of safe
drinking water
Priority Actions
Increase public awareness of the role and
importance of restoring and protecting
watershed.
Support adaptation in water resource
planning efforts through collaborative
dialogues with municipal officials, land-
use planners, developers, water
managers, and other stakeholders to
protect long-term water availability and
quality for all users
Work within the region and outside
agencies to incorporate water
conservation practices, energy
conservation and green infrastructure
Work with states, stakeholders and
communities to incorporate climate
change considerations into their water
quality planning
Work with state strategies such as state
revolving loan fund intended use plans,
capacity development strategies to
promote sustainable practices such as
energy efficiency, water resilience, and
asset management.
Work with states to better assess
potential impacts from increased water
temperatures and establish appropriate
water quality standards (e.g., designated
uses, criteria to protect those
uses). Develop attainable,
implementable, and protective permit
conditions.
Work with stakeholders to protect
drinking water, manage stormwater run-
off planning, and manage consumptive
water use from water ways
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Climate Change
Impact
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Climate Change Impact
Likelihood
Regional Program
would be
Impacted
Focus of Associated Region 7 Program
Priority Actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low= 1
3.1 Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Cleaning up contaminated sites and waste
-Use of Sustainable Materials
Management and Pollution Prevention to
prevent the generation of hazardous and
solid waste
Promote the development and use of
innovative(precipitation Neutral)
technologies and practices for site
remediation & materials management
and emergency response
Promote the principles of source
reduction, reuse and recycle to make
room for unexpected volume resulting
from climate change events
4.1- Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
Protecting human health and ecosystems
from chemical risks
Continue to promote Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and other
sustainable agriculture practices as new
products and strategies become available
Promote the use of best management
practices to reduce pesticide runoff into
surface water after precipitation events
due to drought-induced soil
impermeability
4.2 - Increasing extreme
temperatures
Protecting human health and ecosystems
from chemical risks
Continue to promote Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and other
sustainable agriculture practices as new
products and strategies become available
4.3 - Increasing heavy
precipitation events
Protecting human health and ecosystems
from chemical risks
Continue to promote Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and other
sustainable agriculture practices as new
products and strategies become available
Promote the use of best management
practices to reduce pesticide runoff into
surface water.
4.4 - Earlier timing of
spring events
Protecting human health and ecosystems
from chemical risks
Continue to promote Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and other
sustainable agriculture practices as new
products and strategies become available
Coordinate with the Region's State Lead
Agencies to ensure the availability and
proper use of Section 18 Emergency
Exemption registrations, Section 24(c)
Special Local Need registrations, and
Emergency Use Permits.
Provide relevant information to
Headquarters to be used during the
pesticide registration/re-registration
process.
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Climate Change
Impact
Climate Change Impact
4.5 - Increase in and
changing mix of pests
5.1- Earlier timing of
spring events
52 — Increased
frequency and intensity
of wildfires
6.1- Decreasing
precipitation days and
increasing drought
intensity
6.2 - Increasing extreme
temperatures
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low= 1
2
2
2
1
1
Focus of Associated Region 7 Program
Protecting human health and ecosystems
from chemical risks
Conducting environmental sampling in
various media to determine exposure and
risk
Conducting environmental sampling in
various media to determine exposure and
risk
Continue to use the Region's EMS to
promote staff water use efficiencies,
monitor water availability through local
provider, and work with Landlord to
develop contingency plans for various
levels of mandatory water use reductions
if necessary
Continue to use the Region's EMS to
champion FMSD & SHEMD identified
energy use reduction projects at the STC
aimed at reducing air exchange rates in
the laboratory spaces
Priority Actions
Continue to promote Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and other sustainable
agriculture practices as new products and
strategies become available
Coordinate with the Region's State Lead
Agencies to ensure the availability and proper
use of Section 1 8 Emergency Exemption
registrations, Section 24(c) Special Local
Need registrations, and Emergency Use
Permits.
Provide relevant information to Headquarters
to be used during the pesticide registration/re-
registration process.
Provide states, Lribes and stakeholders with
technical assistance and consultation to help
them address emerging pesticide issues.
Evaluate the Region's monitoring and
sampling methods and strategies and
make changes to accommodate shifts in
seasons
Maintain a situation awareness to
identify any emerging pesticide
enforcement issues
Coordinate with the Region's state lead
agencies to address pesticide misuse
incidents
Focus on NAAQs and water standards
compliance (increased run-off in fire
areas)
Continue to use the Region's EMS to
promote sustainable business practices in
energy and water efficiency
Promote personal sustainable practices
like fuel efficient transport and energy
star product
22
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Climate Change
Impact
Climate Change Impact
6.3 - Increasing risk of
floods
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low= 1
1
Focus of Associated Region 7 Program
Through the Region's COOP process,
continue to train staff on need to prepare
for emergency remote site work and
advocate for better VPN continuity
Priority Actions
Maintain the staffs capacity to work
remotely
23
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Region 7 Priority Actions:
Region 7 is addressing climate change adaptation in a variety of its programmatic areas of
responsibility. We will continue to integrate climate change adaptation into our existing programs and
identify new opportunities to address climate change adaptation as regulations change and new
initiatives and priorities are instituted and funding opportunities (i.e. grants, lAGs, etc) are identified.
As EPA Region 7 has finite resources and cannot address all climate change adaptation needs, we have
adopted criteria to screen potential actions. We will target climate change adaptation work based on
the following criteria:
• What is the likelihood of the Regional program being impacted?
• Does the action support and align with other Region 7 priorities and actions?
• Is this a priority action for our partners (federal/state/tribal/local/NGOs) and are they
able to work with us towards a solution?
• Does the action reduce the risk?
• Does the action protect a critical resource/investment?
• Would the action leverage a larger effort outside of EPA?
• Does EPA have a unique role or capacity to address this issue?
• What is the timeframe of the problem that this action would be addressing?
• Could the action be accomplished within current budgets or would additional funds be
necessary?
• Does this action have durability/sustainability/stability?
Using these criteria, priority actions were determined for each strategic goal. At the end of the priority
action is a total number of points it scored. This value was developed through a workgroup evaluation
discussed in more detail in Appendix A. This information will help the Region as it determines how to
focus its activities on program vulnerabilities given the finite resource and time. The work group will
continue to revisit these values into the future.
Priority Actions:
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
1.1: Continue to partner with local and state stakeholders to optimize fire contingency plan, including
SMPsto maximize prevention and minimize impacts (30)
1.2: (a) Maintain and increase knowledge of increasing health risks in indoor environments as a result
of climate change (17)
(b) Work with EPA programs to target climate adaptation efforts in the most vulnerable
communities, including tribes (29)
24
-------
1.3: Provide education on the dangers and stress to air quality from open burning of flood related
debris (24)
1.4: Continue to partner with local and state stakeholders to closely monitor changes in pollution in
our most vulnerable areas (metropolitan centers) and take action early (Ozone/PM Advance) to
mitigate new impacts and firm action through SIPs, when appropriate. (27)
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
2.1: (a) Work with USAGE Section 404 programs to incorporate climate change impacts in permits,
compensation plans and draft EIS documents (30)
(b) Work with state agencies, water and waste water stakeholders to identify and plan for climate
change challenges by using Climate Ready Water Utility Tools (28)
(c) Work with States, USDA and other local partners to prioritize watersheds with improvements
to the sources of drinking water impacted by nutrients and other contaminants. Assessments for
improvement includes ground water and surface water sources (28)
2.2: (a) Increase public awareness of the role and importance of restoring and protecting watersheds
(28)
(b)Support adaptation in water resource planning efforts through collaborative dialogues with
municipal officials, land-use planners, developers, water managers, and other stakeholders to protect
long-term water availability and quality for all users (27)
(c) Work within the Region and outside agencies to incorporate water conservation practices,
energy conservation and green infrastructure (25)
2.3: (a) Work with states, stakeholders and communities to incorporate climate change considerations
into their water quality planning (25)
(b) Work with state strategies such as state revolving loan fund intended use plans, capacity
development strategies to promote sustainable practices such as energy efficiency, water resilience an
asset management (30)
(c) Work with states to better assess potential impacts from increased water temperatures and
establish appropriate water quality standards (e.g. designated use criteria to protect those uses).
Develop attainable, implementable, and protective permit conditions (29)
2.4: Work with stakeholders to protect drinking water, manage stormwater run-off planning, and
manage consumptive water use from water ways (27)
Goal 3: Cleaning Up America's Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
3.1: (a) Promote the development and use of innovative technologies and practices for site
remediation & materials management (23.5)
(b) Promote the principles of source reduction, reuse and recycle to make room for unexpected
volume resulting from climate change events (25)
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
4.1: (a) Continue to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other sustainable agriculture
practices as new products and strategies become available (19)
(b) Promote the use of best management practices to reduce pesticide runoff into surface water
after precipitation events due to drought-induced soil impermeability (22)
4.2: Continue to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other sustainable agriculture
practices as new products and strategies become available (19)
25
-------
4.3: (a) Continue to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other sustainable agriculture
practices as new products and strategies become available (19)
(b) Promote the use of best management practices to reduce pesticide runoff into surface water
(22)
4.4: (a) Continue to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other sustainable agriculture
practices as new products and strategies become available (19)
(b) Coordinate with the Region's State Lead Agencies to ensure the availability and proper use of
Section 18 Emergency Exemption registrations, Section 24(c) Special Local Need registrations and
Emergency Use permits (22)
(c) Provide relevant information to Headquarters to be used during the pesticide registration/ re-
registration process(18)
4.5: (a) Continue to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other sustainable agriculture
practices as new products and strategies become available (19)
(b) Coordinate with the Region's State Lead Agencies to ensure the availability and proper use of
Section 18 Emergency Exemption registrations, Section 24(c) Special Local Need registrations and
Emergency Use permits (22)
(c) Provide relevant information to Headquarters to be used during the pesticide registration/ re-
registration process(18)
(d) Provide States, Tribes and stakeholders with technical assistance and consultation to help
them address emerging pesticide issues (22)
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
5.1: (a) Evaluate the Region's monitoring and sampling methods and strategies and make changes to
accommodate shifts in seasons (16)
(b) Maintain a situation awareness to identify any emerging pesticide enforcement issues (18)
(c) Coordinate with the Region's state lead agencies to address pesticide misuse incidents (23)
5.2: Focus on NAAQs and water standards compliance (increased run-off in fire areas) (29)
Facilities and Operations
6.1: Continue to use the Region's EMS to promote staff water use efficiencies, monitor water
availability through local provider, and work with Landlord to develop contingency plans for various
levels of mandatory water use reductions if necessary (16)
6.2: Continue to use the Region's EMS to champion FMSD & SHEMD identified energy use reduction
projects at the STC aimed at reducing air exchange rates in the laboratory spaces (17)
6.3: Through the Region's COOP process, continue to train staff on need to prepare for emergency
remote site work and advocate for better VPN continuity (16)
Other Priority Actions
Actions Related to ARency-Wide StrateRic Measures
The FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan contains the Agency's first "strategic performance measures" for
integrating climate adaptation into its activities.xxl These strategic performance measures commit the
Agency to integrate adaptation planning into five major rulemaking processes and five major financial
assistance mechanisms by 2015. They also call for the integration of adaptation planning into five
26
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major scientific models or decision-support tools used in implementing Agency environmental
management programs.
A. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Rulemaking Processes
• Explore opportunities to incorporate climate adaptation considerations into regional
rulemaking processes such as SIPs and TMDLs, as well as related data collection and analyses,
policy statements and guidance documents
B. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Financial Assistance Mechanisms
• Explore opportunities to incorporate climate adaptation considerations into competitive
funding announcements in accordance with the October 18, 2011, EPA guidance memo jointly
issued by the Office of Policy and the Office of Grants and Debarment - this may include a
climate adaptation criterion wherever it is relevant to the program's mission and outcomes
27
-------
Region 7 Monitoring and Evaluation of Priority Actions
Region 7 will bi-annually evaluate its climate change adaptation activities to assess progress toward
mainstreaming climate change adaptation into programs, policies, rulemaking processes, and
operations. Some metrics exist that will enable the Region to measure the results of its activities -
others will need to be developed over time. Climate vulnerabilities and impacts will likely change over
time. Consequently, the priority actions and the metrics we use to measure progress on their
implementation may need to be revised or changed as the knowledge and understanding of the effects
of climate change increases.
^
ro
(D
Climate
Change
Impact
1.1 Increased
frequency and
intensity of
wildfires
1.2 Increasing
extreme
temperatures
1.3 Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Protecting the
public health and
the environment
by approving
state programs to
meet NAAQS and
implementing
programs in
Indian Country
Protect public
health by
promoting
healthy indoor
environments
through voluntary
programs and
guidance
Protecting the
public health and
the environment
by approving
state programs to
meet NAAQS and
implementing
programs in
Indian Country
Priority Actions
Continue to partner
with local, state and
tribal stakeholders to
optimize fire
contingency plans,
including SMPs and a
new National Fire
Policy, to maximize
prevention and
minimize impacts
a) Maintain and
increase knowledge of
increasing health risks
in indoor environments
as a result of climate
change
b) Work with EPA
programs to target
climate adaptation
efforts in the most
vulnerable
communities, including
tribes
Provide education on
the dangers and stress
to air quality from open
burning of flood related
debris and other
natural disasters
Evaluation
Output
Fire prevention
and contingency
plans developed
and shared.
a) outreach events
that reach public
to increase
knowledge of
health risks in
indoor
environments
b) number of
people reached
during outreach
events, increase in
energy star
products
purchased
Education of state
and local officials
and the general
public
Evaluation
Outcome
NAAQS standards
met
Improved pro-
active
management of
respiratory
diseases and
fewer emergency
room visits.
NAAQs standards
met
28
-------
(N
ro
O
Climate
Change
Impact
1.4 Increased
concentrations
of tropospheric
pollutants such
as ozone, fine
particulate
matter and
course
particulate
matter
2.1 Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Protecting the
public health and
the environment
by approving
state programs to
meet NAAQS
- Restoring and
protecting
watersheds,
aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewaterand
storm water
infrastructure
-The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Priority Actions
Continue to partner
with local and state
stakeholders to closely
monitor changes in
pollution in our most
vulnerable areas
(metropolitan centers)
and take action early
(Ozone/PM Advance) to
mitigate new impacts
and firm action through
SIPs, when appropriate.
Work with USAGE,
Section 404 programs,
to incorporate climate
change impacts in
permits, compensation
plans and draft EIS
documents.
Work with state
agencies, water and
waste water
stakeholders to identify
and plan for climate
change challenges by
using Climate Ready
Water Utility tools.
Work with States,
USDA, and other local
partners to prioritize
watersheds with
improvements to the
sources of drinking
water impacted by
nutrients and other
contaminants.
Assessments for
improvement
includes ground water
and surface water
sources
Evaluation
Output
Number of
partners educated
Number of
partners
participating in
Ozone/PM
Advance initiatives
Meets and events
with stakeholders
discussing
agricultural and
natural resource
plans, climate
ready planning
tools.
Plans developed,
watershed
prioritized with
focus on nutrients,
permits
incorporating
provisions for
climate readiness.
Evaluation
Outcome
Protecting public
health and
environment by
meeting NAAQs
standards.
Drinking water,
wastewater, and
water
infrastructure is
designed to
withstand heavy
precipitation
events
Reduced soil
erosion/improved
water
quality/protection
of agricultural
soils and natural
resources
Impaired
waterbodies
removed from
303d lists
29
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
2.2 Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
- Restoring and
protecting
watersheds,
aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewater and
stormwater
infrastructure
-The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Priority Actions
Increase public
awareness of the role
and importance of
restoring and
protecting watershed.
Support adaptation in
water resource
planning efforts
through collaborative
dialogues with
municipal officials,
land-use planners,
developers, water
managers, and other
stakeholders to protect
long-term water
availability and quality
for all users
Work within the region
and outside agencies to
incorporate water
conservation practices,
energy conservation
and green
infrastructure
Evaluation
Output
Implementation of
agriculture
funding programs
encouraging
adoption of water
conservation
practices
Conduct meetings
and participate in
events with
stakeholders on a
regular basis
focused on water
use, energy,
conservation
practices and
green
infrastructure
Evaluation
Outcome
Ecosystems,
drinking water,
wastewater, and
water
infrastructure are
designed and
operated to
withstand severe
droughts
Protection of
long-term water
availability and
quality for all uses
Stablized Ground
water reduction
trend
30
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
2.3 Increased
water
temperatures
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
- Restoring and
protecting
watersheds,
aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewaterand
stormwater
infrastructure
-The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Priority Actions
Work with states,
stakeholders and
communities to
incorporate climate
change considerations
into their water quality
planning
Work with state
strategies such as state
revolving loan fund
intended use plans,
capacity development
strategies to promote
sustainable practices
such as energy
efficiency, water
resilience, and asset
management.
Work with states to
better assess potential
impacts from increased
water temperatures
and establish
appropriate water
quality standards (e.g.,
designated uses,
criteria to protect those
uses). Develop
attainable,
implementable, and
protective permit
conditions.
Evaluation
Output
Partnerships with
water treatment
facilities,
developers and
urban planners
established or
maintained
Conduct
stakeholder
meetings on a
regular basis
Increased
conservation
program
participation
implementing
riparian buffers
State plans
incorporating
sustainable
practices
Evaluation
Outcome
Protection of
long-term water
quality for all uses
Decreased stream
water
temperatures
31
-------
on
^~
ro
O
(D
Climate
Change
Impact
2.4 Earlier
timing of spring
events
3.1 Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
- Restoring and
protecting
watersheds,
aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewaterand
stormwater
infrastructure
-The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
-Cleaning up
contaminated
sites and waste
-Use of
Sustainable
Materials
Management and
Pollution
Prevention to
prevent the
generation of
hazardous and
solid waste
Priority Actions
Work with stakeholders
to protect drinking
water, manage
stormwater run-off
planning, and manage
consumptive water use
from waterways
Promote the
development and use
of
innovative(precipitation
Neutral) technologies
and practices for site
remediation &
materials management
and emergency
response
Promote the principles
of source reduction,
reuse and recycle to
make room for
unexpected volume
resulting from climate
change events
Evaluation
Output
Partnerships with
stakeholders
established or
maintained
Conduct
stakeholder
meetings on a
regular basis
Development of
early season
varieties
Design,
communicate and
implement
innovative
technologies and
practices at
remediation sites
to minimize
precipitation
impacts
Increases in
participation in
SMMand P2
programs and
challenges
Evaluation
Outcome
Protection of
long-term water
quality for all uses
Drinking water,
wastewater, and
water
infrastructure are
designed to
accommodate
shifts in seasons
Improved or
sustained crop
production yields
Contaminated
sites cleaned up
designed and
implemented in a
way that
effectively
withstands heavy
precipitation
events
Overall increase
in national
diversion rate of
solid waste to
landfill and
increase in P2
metrics
32
-------
«*
"ro
0
Climate
Change
Impact
3.2 Changes in
temperature
4.1- Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
4.2 - Increasing
extreme
temperatures
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Cleaning up
contaminated
sites and waste
Increase in
promotion of
Green Chemistry,
Design for the
Environment and
E3 (Energy,
Economy and
Environment) and
SMM focus areas
Protecting human
health and
ecosystems from
chemical risks
Protecting human
health and
ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Identify points of
leverage or external
funding sources to
build adaptive capacity
Shift in focus of
regional P2 program to
promote SMM
participation
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Promote the use of
best management
practices to reduce
pesticide runoff into
surface water after
precipitation events
due to drought-induced
soil impermeability
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Evaluation
Output
Design,
communicate and
implement
innovative
technologies and
practices at
remediation sites
to minimize
temperature
impacts
Increase number
of successful grant
proposals
including focus
areas
Outreach
conducted on IPM
when new
agriculture
practices/products
are available
Outreach
conducted on IPM
when new
agriculture
practices/products
are available
Evaluation
Outcome
Contaminated
sites cleaned up
designed and
implemented in a
way that
effectively
withstands
temperature
changes
Emergency
response efforts
incorporate
sustainability
Flooding events
are not further
complicated by
contamination
Human health is
protected
Human health is
protected
33
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
4.3 - Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
4.4 - Earlier
timing of spring
GVGPltS
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Protecting human
health and
ecosystems from
chemical risks
Protecting human
health and
ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Promote the use of
best management
practices to reduce
pesticide runoff into
surface water.
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Coordinate with the
Region's State Lead
Agencies to ensure the
availability and proper
use of Section 18
Emergency Exemption
registrations, Section
24(c) Special Local
Need registrations, and
Emergency Use
Permits.
Provide relevant
information to
Headquarters to be
used during the
pesticide
registration/re-
registration process.
Evaluation
Output
Outreach
conducted on IPM
when new
agriculture
practices/products
are available
Outreach
conducted on IPM
when new
agriculture
practices/products
are available
Evaluation
Outcome
Human health is
protected
Human health is
protected
34
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
4.5 - Increase in
and changing
mix of pests
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Protecting human
health and
ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Coordinate with the
Region's State Lead
Agencies to ensure the
availability and proper
use of Section 18
Emergency Exemption
registrations, Section
24(c) Special Local
Need registrations, and
Emergency Use
Permits.
Provide relevant
information to
Headquarters to be
used during the
pesticide
registration/re-
registration process.
Provide states, Tribes
and stakeholders with
technical assistance
and consultation to
help them address
emerging pesticide
issues.
Evaluation
Output
Outreach
conducted on IPM
when new
agriculture
practices/products
are available
Evaluation
Outcome
Human health is
protected
35
-------
LD
ro
O
(D
5 rations
Vl/
Q.
O
10
0)
'u
ro
LL.
Climate
Change
Impact
5.1 -Earlier
timing of spring
events
5.2 - Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events and risk
of floods
6.1- Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
6.2 - Increasing
extreme
temperatures
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Conducting
environmental
sampling in
various media to
determine
exposure and risk
Conducting
environmental
sampling in
various media to
determine
exposure and risk
Water use
reductions at
Regional Office
and Science &
Technology
Center
Energy use
reductions within
the HVAC system
at the STC
Priority Actions
Evaluate the Region's
monitoring and
sampling methods and
strategies and make
changes to
accommodate shifts in
seasons
Maintain a situation
awareness to identify
any emerging pesticide
enforcement issues
Coordinate with the
Region's state lead
agencies to address
pesticide misuse
incidents
Focus on NAAQsand
water standards
compliance (increased
run-off in fire areas)
Continue to use the
Region's EMS to
promote staff water
use efficiencies,
monitor water
availability through
local provider, and
work with Landlord to
develop contingency
plans for various levels
of mandatory water use
reductions if necessary
Continue to use the
Region's EMS to
champion FMSD &
SHEMD identified
energy use reduction
projects at the STC
aimed at reducing air
exchange rates in the
laboratory spaces
Evaluation
Output
Modify
monitoring and
sampling methods
and strategies to
address areas of
weakness or
vulnerability
associated with
seasonal shifts
Increase the
number of SEPs
that support
energy efficiency/
renewable energy
and sustainable
practices
Outreach to staff,
management, and
stakeholders (i.e.
building owner,
contractors, etc)
Identification and
implementation of
STC energy
reduction projects
Evaluation
Outcome
Compliance
monitoring
remains an
effective strategy
for protecting
human health and
the environment.
Compliance
monitoring
remains an
effective strategy
for protecting
human health and
the environment.
Sustained low
water and energy
usage at EPA
facilities
Reduction in
overall energy
usage rates
36
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
6.3 - Increasing
risk of floods
Focus of
Associated
Region 7
Program
Continue to
promote telework
and improve
remote secure
access to the
Region's/Agency's
networks
Priority Actions
Through the Region's
COOP process, continue
to train staff on need to
prepare for emergency
remote site work and
advocate for better
VPN continuity
Evaluation
Output
Staff are able to
work remotely
Evaluation
Outcome
Routine Agency
functions are
sustained in a
flood emergency
situation
37
-------
Conclusion
In R7 and elsewhere across the United States, predictions regarding climate change impacts vary
widely and as a consequence so do the resulting vulnerabilities, making planning difficult. However,
priority actions identified by the programs within the Region have the following common threads.
(1) Priority actions were constructed within the legal bounds of our existing environmental
statutes.
(2) Priority actions are primarily extensions of existing or planned program actions which are
tailored to address specific climate change vulnerabilities.
(3) Priority actions rely heavily on partnerships with R7 state, local and tribal environmental
programs.
(4) Priority actions focus on communication, education and outreach intended to modify behavior
and consumption patterns.
(5) To a certain extent, priority actions could be implemented through work re-prioritization
without substantial supplemental resources.
Because of the diverse nature of the predictions and our constantly evolving environment, close
monitoring of climate trends and program readiness are essential if we are to address our
vulnerabilities in a timely, effective, and relevant way.
Region 7 will bi-annually review its segment of the plan. This review will incorporate determinations
about climate conditions, weather impacts, regional vulnerabilities and vulnerable populations that will
enable the Region to update the plan, if needed, and to give consideration to the sequence of priority
action implementation.
38
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References
1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC), http://www.ipcc.ch/index.htm
US;Atmos. Environ. 2007. 41, 5452-5463.
111 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United
States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council, U.S. Climate
Change Science Program, 2008), http://www.climatescience.gov/Librarv/scientific-assessment/Scientific-
AssessmentFINALpdf.
iv Portier CJ, Thigpen Tart K, Carter SR, Dilworth CH, Grambsch AE, Gohlke J, Hess J, Howard SN, Luber G, Lutz JT, Maslak T,
Prudent N, Radtke M, Rosenthal JP, Rowles T, Sandifer PA, Scheraga J, Schramm PJ, Strickman D, Trtanj JM, Whung P-Y.
2010. A Human Health Perspective On Climate Change: A Report Outlining the Research Needs on the Human Health Effects
of Climate Change. Research Triangle Park, NC: Environmental Health Perspectives/National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002272 Available: www.niehs.nih.gov/climatereport
v IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, [indoor air pollutants and exposure]
vl IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, [indoor air pollutants and exposure]
v" EPA website: Fish Consumption Advisories - General Information. Accessed 01-10-13.
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/fishadvisories/general.cfmtftabs-4
™ Bates, B.C., Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., 2008: Climate Change and Water. Technical paper of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat, Geneva, p. 56. [invasive species in aquatic ecosystems]
lx Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009. Great Plains, p. 126-127. [prairie potholes]
x Hatfield, J., K. Boote, P. Fay, L Hahn, C. Izaurralde, B.A. Kimball, T. Mader, J. Morgan, D. Ort, W. Polley, A. Thomson, and D.
Wolfe, 2008. Agriculture. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity.
A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Washington, DC.,
USA, pp. 58. [agricultural runoff]
xi Non-stationarity in this context refers to the concept that past hydrologic and weather patterns may not be a good
indicator of future conditions due to human-caused climate change.
xii Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls. By weaving natural processes into the
built environment, green infrastructure provides not only storm water management, but also urban heat island mitigation,
air quality management, and more.
xiii 2007 Census of Agriculture Report, US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington
DC., USA, 2009., pp 280
Xiv2007 Census of Agriculture Report, US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington
DC., USA, 2009., pp 278
xv Mcguire, V.L Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005. US Geological
Survey. May 2007
xvl University of Nebraska at Lincoln website: Agricultural Irrigation - Ground Water. Accessed 3-01-13.
http://water.unl.edu/web/cropswater/home
xvii Hatfield, J., K. Boote, P. Fay, L. Hahn, C. Izaurralde, B.A. Kimball, T. Mader, J. Morgan, D. Ort, W. Polley, A. Thomson, and
D. Wolfe, 2008: Agriculture. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and
Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC,
pp. 59-60. [Chapter 2 - Agriculture]
xviii Wolanyk, 2010
xix USDA Census of Agriculture, 2002
xx "Strengthening Rural Communities: Lessons from a Growing Farm Economy" Council of Economic Advisers, the White
House Rural Council, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 2012
39
-------
' U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, Achieving Our Vision (2011),
40
-------
Appendix A
-------
R6glOn 7 Actions MatriXI Workgroup members used their best professional judgment to determine values for different vulnerabilities. When applying the criteria, offices did not
evaluate vulnerabilities in relation to each other, but instead considered each vulnerability independently. These tables are not intended as a definitive ranking, but rather as a useful and
informative exercise for the region as it determines how to focus its activities on program vulnerabilities. The workgroup will continue to revisit these values into the future."
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Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
1.1 Increased
frequency and
intensity of
wildfires
1.2 Increasing
extreme
temperatures
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
2
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Protecting the public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to meet
NAAQS and respond to
natural disasters
Protect public health by
promoting healthy
indoor environments
through voluntary
programs and guidance
Priority Actions
Continue to partner with
local, state and tribal
stakeholders to optimize
fire contingency plans,
including SMPs and a
new National Fire Policy,
to maximize prevention
and minimize impacts
Maintain and increase
knowledge of increasing
health risks in indoor
environments as a result
of climate change
Work with EPA programs
to target climate
adaptation efforts in the
most vulnerable
communities, including
tribes
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
1
3
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
1
3
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
1
3
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
1
3
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
3
2
3
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
1
3
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
3
2
3
Composite
Score
30
17
29
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
1.3 Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
1.4 Increased
concentrations
of tropospheric
pollutants such
as ozone, fine
particulate
matter and
course
particulate
matter
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
1
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Protecting the public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to meet
NAAQS and
implementing programs
in Indian Country
Protecting the public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to meet
NAAQS
Priority Actions
Provide education on the
dangers and stress to air
quality from open
burning of flood related
debris and other natural
disasters
Continue to partner with
local and state
stakeholders to closely
monitor changes in
pollution in our most
vulnerable areas
(metropolitan centers)
and take action early
(Ozone/PM Advance) to
mitigate new impacts
and firm action through
SIPs, when appropriate.
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
3
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
2
3
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
3
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
3
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
2
3
Composite
Score
24
27
-------
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13
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
2.1 Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
- Restoring and
protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewater and storm
water infrastructure
- The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Priority Actions
Work with USACE,
Section 404 programs, to
incorporate climate
change impacts in
permits, compensation
plans and draft EIS
documents.
Work with state
agencies, water and
waste water
stakeholders to identify
and plan for climate
change challenges by
using Climate Ready
Water Utility tools.
Work with States, USDA,
and other local partners
to prioritize watersheds
with improvements to
the sources of drinking
water impacted by
nutrients and other
contaminants.
Assessments for
improvement
includes ground water
and surface water
sources
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
3
3
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
3
3
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
CD A
bPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
3
3
3
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
1
1
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
3
3
3
Composite
Score
30
28
28
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
2.2 Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
Q rougnt
intpnci'K/
1 1 1 LCI ibi uy
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
- Restoring and
protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewater and
stormwater
infrastructure
- The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Priority Actions
Increase public
awareness of the role
and importance of
restoring and protecting
watershed.
Support adaptation in
water resource planning
efforts through
collaborative dialogues
with municipal officials,
land-use planners,
developers, water
managers, and other
stakeholders to protect
long-term water
availability and quality
for all users
Work within the region
and outside agencies to
incorporate water
conservation practices,
energy conservation and
green infrastructure
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
3
2
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
1
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
3
3
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
3
3
3
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
1
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
3
2
3
Composite
Score
28
27
25
-------
2.3 Increased
water
temperatures
2.4 Earlier
timing of
spring events
3
3
- Restoring and
protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewater and
stormwater
infrastructure
-The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
- Restoring and
protecting watersheds,
aquatic ecosystems and
wetlands
- Drinking water,
wastewater and
stormwater
infrastructure
Work with states,
stakeholders and
communities to
incorporate climate
change considerations
into their water quality
planning
Work with state
strategies such as state
revolving loan fund
intended use plans,
capacity development
strategies to promote
sustainable practices
such as energy efficiency,
water resilience, and
asset management.
Work with states to
better assess potential
impacts from increased
water temperatures and
establish appropriate
water quality standards
(e.g., designated uses,
criteria to protect those
uses). Develop
attainable,
implementable, and
protective permit
conditions.
Work with stakeholders
to protect drinking
water, manage
stormwater run-off
planning, and manage
consumptive water use
from waterways
2
3
2
2
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
3
3
1
3
3
3
3
25
30
29
27
-------
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Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
3.1 Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
-The quality and
availability of safe
drinking water
Cleaning up
contaminated sites and
waste
-Use of Sustainable
Materials Management
and Pollution Prevention
to prevent the
generation of hazardous
and solid waste
Priority Actions
Promote the
development and use of
innovativefprecipitation
Neutral) technologies
and practices for site
remediation & materials
management and
emergency response
Promote the principles of
source reduction, reuse
and recycle to make
room for unexpected
volume resulting from
climate change events
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
3
3
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
1
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
2
2
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
1.5
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
3
3
Composite
Score
23.5
25
-------
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Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
4.1-
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
4.2 - Increasing
extreme
temperatures
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
2
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Protecting human health
and ecosystems from
chemical risks
Protecting human health
and ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Promote the use of best
management practices to
reduce pesticide runoff
into surface water after
precipitation events due
to drought-induced soil
impermeability
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
3
2
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
1
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
2
2
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
1
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
2
2
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
1
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
2
2
2
Composite
Score
19
22
19
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
4.3 - Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Protecting human health
and ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Promote the use of best
management practices to
reduce pesticide runoff
into surface water.
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
3
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
2
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
2
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
2
2
Composite
Score
19
22
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
4.4- Earlier
timing of
spring events
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Protecting human health
and ecosystems from
chemical risks
Priority Actions
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable
agriculture practices as
new products and
strategies become
available
Coordinate with the
Region's State Lead
Agencies to ensure the
availability and proper
use of Section 18
Emergency Exemption
registrations, Section
24(c) Special Local Need
registrations, and
Emergency Use Permits.
Provide relevant
information to
Headquarters to be used
during the pesticide
registration/ re-
registration process.
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
1
1
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
1
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
2
2
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
1
1
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
CD A
bPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
3
1
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
3
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
2
2
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
3
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
2
2
2
Composite
Score
19
22
18
10
-------
in
3
g, .3
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L/l O
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o c
CI3 1 1 1
4.5 - Increase
in and
changing mix
of pests
5.1 -Earlier
timing of
spring events
2
2
Protecting human health
and ecosystems from
chemical risks
Conducting
environmental sampling
in various media to
determine exposure and
risk
Continue to promote
Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) and
other sustainable agriculture
practices as new products
and strategies become
available
Coordinate with the
Region's State Lead
Agencies to ensure the
availability and proper use
of Section 18 Emergency
Exemption registrations,
Section 24(c) Special Local
Need registrations, and
Emergency Use Permits.
Provide relevant
information to Headquarters
to be used during the
pesticide registration/re-
registration process.
Provide states, Tribes and
stakeholders with technical
assistance and consultation
to help them address
emerging pesticide issues.
Evaluate the Region's
monitoring and sampling
methods and strategies
and make changes to
accommodate shifts in
seasons
Maintain a situation
awareness to identify any
emerging pesticide
enforcement issues
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
3
1
3
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
2
1
3
3
1
3
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
3
3
3
1
3
2
2
2
2
3
2
19
22
18
22
16
18
11
-------
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ro
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
5.2- Increased
frequency and
intensity of
wildfires
61-
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
intensity
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
1
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Conducting
environmental sampling
in various mediate
determine exposure and
risk
Water use at R7 RO and
STC
Priority Actions
Coordinate with the
Region's state lead
agencies to address
pesticide misuse
incidents
Focus on NAAQs and
water standards
compliance (increased
run-off in fire areas)
Continue to use the
Region's EMS to promote
staff water use
efficiencies, monitor
water availability
through local provider,
and work with Landlord
to develop contingency
plans for various levels of
mandatory water use
reductions if necessary
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
3
2
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No - 1
3
3
1
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
3
2
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No - 1
3
3
1
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No - 1
3
3
1
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No - 1
1
3
1
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
2
3
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No - 1
3
3
3
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
2
3
2
Composite
Score
23
29
16
12
-------
Climate
Change
Impact
Climate
Change Impact
6.2-
Increasing
extreme
temperatures
6.3-
Increasing risk
OT TlOOQS
R7 Programmatic Impacts
Likelihood
Regional
Program
would be
Impacted
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
1
1
Focus of Associated
Region 7 Program
Water and energy usage
at EPA facilities
- Operations of Agency
facilities, personnel
safety, physical security
and emergency
communications
- Emergency
management, mission
support (protective gear
acquisition)
Priority Actions
Continue to use the
Region's EMS to
champion FMSD &
SHEMD identified energy
use reduction projects at
the STC aimed at
reducing air exchange
rates in the laboratory
spaces
Through the Region's
COOP process, continue
to train staff on need to
prepare for emergency
remote site work and
advocate for better VPN
continuity
Regional Priority Actions Ranking Criteria
Support &
Align with
other R7
priorities
& actions
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
2
Action is
a priority
action for
our
partners
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
Impact
Action
would
have in
reducing
risk
High = 3
Med. = 2
Low = 1
2
2
Action
Protects a
critical
resource/
investment
Yes = 3
No = 1
3
1
Action
Leverages
a larger
effort
outside of
EPA
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
EPA has a
unique
role or
capacity
to
address
action
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
1
Timeframe when risk
likely to occur:
0-10 yrs = 3
11-30 yrs = 2
31 - 100 yrs = 1
3
2
Action can be
accomplished
within current
budgets
Yes = 3
No = 1
1
3
Action has
durability/
sustainability/
stability
Yes = 3
Somewhat = 2
No = l
2
2
Composite
Score
17
16
13
-------
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
EPA Region 8
Climate Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 30, 2014
Final
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document, nor
any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. This document does not constitute
a final agency action for purposes of judicial review. Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or
recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or
the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to
implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of
resources and is subject to change.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the
range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the
EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue fulfilling its
statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore anticipating and
planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human
health and the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for review
and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to identify
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority
actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will remain
effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation
within EPA complements efforts to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire
federal government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National Environmental
Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices developed a Climate
Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in
the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will integrate climate
adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and compatible with its goals and
objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide
priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to
build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes,
and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways
that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them
with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program
vulnerability assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for new
knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission. The
plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin addressing its
vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the
selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear
steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream
climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to
understand how well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each Implementation
Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of
its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the environment.
Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is
resilient to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Region 8 Program Vulnerability Assessment 6
I. Background 6
II. Overview of Climate Change Impacts in Region 8 7
III. Examination of Region 8 Program Vulnerabilities 9
A. Improving Air Quality 9
B. Protecting America's Waters 11
C. Cleaning Up Communities 14
D. Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals 15
E. Enforcing Environmental Laws 15
F. Facilities and Operations 16
G. Vulnerable Populations 16
H. Emerging Issues 18
IV. Summary Table of Climate Change Vulnerabilities 19
V. Conclusion 26
Priority Actions to Address Program Vulnerabilities 26
I. Introduction 26
A. Improving Air Quality 26
B. Protecting America's Waters 27
C. Cleaning Up Communities 28
D. Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals 28
E. Enforcing Environmental Laws 29
F. Facilities and Operations 29
G. Vulnerable Populations 29
Other Priority Actions 29
I. Introduction 29
A. Agency-Wide Strategic Measures 30
B. Legal and Enforcement Issues 30
C. Training and Partnerships 30
D. NEPA 31
Monitoring and Evaluating Performance 31
References 33
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment. EPA's Policy
Statement on Climate Change Adaptation, issued in June of 2011, calls for the Agency to anticipate and
plan for future changes in climate, and incorporate considerations of climate change into its activities.
In response, the EPA drafted an agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan in June 2012.' This document
recognized that climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. It
also directed every Program and Regional Office within the EPA to develop an Implementation Plan
detailing how they will integrate climate adaptation into their work, and address the priorities
identified in the agency-wide plan. To promote consistency, the Implementation Plans have common
areas of focus, as outlined below:
1. Program vulnerability assessment
2. Priority actions to address program vulnerabilities
3. Actions related to agency-wide strategic measures
4. Legal and enforcement issues
5. Training and outreach
6. Partnerships with tribes
7. Monitoring and evaluating performance
They are meant to be complimentary and work in conjunction with the Agency's Strategic Plan and
Sustainability Plan, as well as the climate change strategies of various Program Offices, such as the
Office of Water's National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change.
Region 8 Program Vulnerability Assessment
I. Background
The Region 8 Program Vulnerability Assessment discusses some of the major climate change impacts
affecting EPA Region 8, and examines the risks they pose to key Region 8 Programs. It builds on the
work presented in Part 2 of the EPA's agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan, as well as the individual
vulnerability assessments completed by various national program and Regional Offices. The
assessment is based on the goals in the EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan, which include:
Goal l:Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemical s and Preventing Pollution
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental laws
The assessment also considers "Facilities and Operations," "Vulnerable Populations," and "Emerging
Issues" that may or may not become vulnerabilities in the future. A summary table on page 15 of this
document provides an overview of the programmatic vulnerabilities in the narrative.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Vulnerable populations are mentioned throughout the document. This term may refer to children, the
elderly, minorities, the poor, the young, persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities,
those with limited access to information, indigenous populations, overburdened populations that live
in environmental justice communities, and the homeless and outdoor workers who may have more
exposure to heat and air pollution." Certain geographic locations may also contribute to vulnerability.
For example, people living in rural or urbanized areas may have unique challenges depending on the
impact under consideration.
The EPA's places a priority on helping people, places and infrastructure that are the most vulnerable to
climate impacts, and seeks meaningful involvement from all parts of society. As the work of this
Implementation Plan is conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change will be identified. Region 8 will then work in partnership with these
communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts.
Region 8 intends to fulfill its mission, even in the face of a changing climate. It will stay on course for
meeting its goals, while building more resilient and climate-responsive programs. We will also assist
our partners in meeting the challenges of climate change through effective coordination and decision-
support.
II. Overview of Climate Change Impacts in Region 8
Region 8 straddles two different climate regions identified by the U.S.
Global Change Research Program: the Great Plains and Southwest. The
Great Plains region includes the Region 8 States of North and South Dakota,
Wyoming, Montana, and the eastern half of Colorado. The Southwest
region includes the western half of Colorado, including the Rocky
Mountains, and the State of Utah.
Region 8 is made up of a diverse set of landscapes, population bases, and
economic sectors making our response to climate change particularly
challenging in its complexity. Our lands are governed by six states, 27 tribal
nations, and a host of federal agencies, with over one-third of our land area publicly-owned.1" These
entities have diverse and often competing interests that include agriculture, energy development and
production, environmental protection and stewardship, industry, recreation, tourism, and
urbanization. The roughly 10 million people in the region are concentrated in two main urban
corridors, Salt Lake City and Denver, with the remainder located in relatively isolated cities and towns
often separated by large distances.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment report in 2007,iv
concluded that global warming due to human activities since 1750 is unequivocal. The report also
indicates that climate variability and warming over the past century has already had measurable
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
effects in the Region, including increased temperatures, melting glaciers, reduced snowpack1, earlier
timing of spring events including snowmelt, latitude and elevation shifts in plant and animal ranges,
drought, an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires, declining forest health, an increase in
heavy precipitation events, and habitat loss. These effects are expected to intensify as greenhouse
gases build up in the atmosphere, and continue to threaten our water resources, agricultural
production, forests, wildlife habitats, alpine ecosystems, and human health throughout the 21st
century.
The following suite of climate change impacts and their effect on Region 8 Programs are discussed in
the sections below. They may be discussed individually, or in combination with one or more of the
other impacts based on the focus of the Strategic Plan Goal under consideration. They are also
premised on the measurable increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, most notably carbon
dioxide (C02) and methane (CH4).V
1. Increased tropospheric ozone pollution in certain areasvl
2. Increased frequency and intensity of wildfires™
3. Increasing extreme temperatures™1
4. Increasing heavy precipitation events'"
5. Effects on the stratospheric ozone layer"
6. Effects on response of ecosystems to atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury"1
7. Increased water temperatures""
8. Decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity"1"
9. Increasing risk of floods"lv
10. Reduction in snowpack"v "vi
11. Earlier timing of spring events2 "v"
12. Increased pest pressure and changing mix of pests3 "Vl"
This vulnerability assessment focuses on evaluating how climate change may affect the EPA Region 8
mission and programs, using the best available science. This is an evaluation of program vulnerabilities
rather than an assessment of all potential impacts of climate change. Therefore, it does not include a
discussion of all impacts, whether negative or potentially positive.
1 Additional factors related to reduction in snowpack that have been observed in the past century include a greater
proportion of winter precipitation falling as rain rather than snow, a decrease in the duration and extent of snow cover, and
a decrease in mountain snow water equivalent.
2 Includes earlier snowmelt, runoff, and biological life cycle events, such as the emergence of leaves, flowers, and
pollinators.
3 Pest pressure refers to an increased number of existing pests, new pests, and invasive species; as well as an increased
susceptibility of crops to pests. Pests include weeds, insects, rodents, mold, fungus and disease.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Because of the diversity and wide range of climate change impacts in Region 8, implementers of this
Plan will need to tailor their actions to meet different needs based on climate regions, other
geographic considerations, population, economic activity, a specific impact, or a vulnerable population.
III. Examination of Region 8 Program Vulnerabilities
A. Improving Air Quality
1. Tropospheric ozone pollution is likely to increase in certain areas due to the effects of climate
change. Tropospheric, or ground-level ozone, is created by photochemical reactions of short-lived
pollutants in the atmosphere. Emissions from industrial facilities, electric utilities, motor vehicles,
chemical solvents, and oil and gas production are some of the major sources of these pollutants in
Region 8. Higher temperatures and regional air stagnation associated with climate change may lead to
more ozone formation, even with the same level of emissions™. While tropospheric ozone is higher in
urban areas, some rural areas with oil and gas production activities in Region 8 may also have high
levels. Additionally, there is some evidence to suggest that background levels of tropospheric ozone
are increasing in some areas, particularly at higher elevations, due to atmospheric transport.xx Climate
change also has the potential to lengthen the ozone season by increasing the months of the year
conducive to the formation of troposphere ozone. Vulnerable populations may be at a higher risk for
health effects from exposure to ozone.
While there is consensus that tropospheric ozone levels will increase due to a changing climate, there
are varying estimates of the magnitude of those increases. To the extent that it becomes apparent that
a changing climate is preventing attainment of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard
(NAAQS), Clean Air Act (CAA) provisions will require identification of additional control measures to
reduce ozone precursor emissions. Region 8 will work with EPA Headquarters to determine
appropriate actions if and when such control measures are needed. Additionally, Region 8 will continue
to work with its partners at the state, local, and tribal level to meet the ozone NAAQS through State,
Tribal or Federal Implementation Plans and other measures.
2. Particulate matter (PM) levels are likely to be affected through changes in the frequency and
intensity of wildfires and drought. There is evidence indicating that climate change will affect PM
levels through changes in the frequency or intensity of wildfires.xxl The IPCC has reported with very
high confidence that in North America, disturbances such as wildfires are increasing and are likely to
intensify in a warmer future with drier soils and longer growing seasons. Forest fires are likely to
increase in frequency, severity, distribution and duration in the Intermountain West and the West due
to climate change. This, in addition to the recent pine beetle outbreak in the Rocky Mountains, is
changing the fire regime in the area and complicating EPA Region 8 efforts to protect public health and
the environment from PM pollution. Additionally, drought conditions may increase dust storms and
contribute to degraded air quality due to PM.XX" Vulnerable populations may be especially at risk from
increased exposure to PM.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Region 8's capacity to adapt to this impact is related to the approval of "exceptional events," which
allows states and tribes to exempt elevated levels of PM due to wildfires and drought, and avoid
regulatory actions under the CAA NAAQS. Additionally, even though the challenge of fire mitigation
and firefighting falls on national, regional, and local efforts outside of the EPA's jurisdiction, the
Region's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Program has a role to play in terms of the review of
forest vegetation management plans. There may also be air monitoring or risk communication
opportunities that can help the Region adapt to this impact.
3. Climate change may worsen the quality of indoor air and increase exposures. Climate change may
worsen existing indoor environmental problems, and introduce new ones due to temperature
increases and an increased frequency or severity of extreme weather events.™" For example, warmer
temperatures may affect the emergence, evolution and geographic ranges of pests, infectious agents
and disease vectors.xxlvThis may lead to shifting patterns of indoor exposure to pesticides as occupants
and building owners respond to new infestations. Additionally, heavy precipitation events may
contribute to increases in indoor dampness and building deterioration, increasing occupants' exposure
to mold and other biological contaminants, as well as emissions from building materials.
As homes and buildings are constructed or renovated to achieve greater energy efficiency, exposure to
indoor air pollution could increase if careful attention is not paid to factors such as ventilation rates.xxv
EPA's ENERGY STAR® program as well as the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative and
organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Building Performance Institute (BPI) and
Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) are keenly aware of this issue and prescribe adequate
ventilation rates for both new construction and renovated existing homes so that healthy indoor
quality and energy efficiency can go hand in hand.
Residents may also spend more time indoors to avoid the heat and increased levels of certain air
pollutants such as tropospheric ozone and particulate matter, and become more prone to health risks
from indoor environmental conditions. Public health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations, may
increase.xxvl For example, more people may be exposed to indoor air contaminants in homes in low-
income areas because they have access to fewer resources to make adjustments to their dwellings, and
because these homes tend to have greater occupant density.
Region 8 can utilize various EPA programs, tools, resources, and partnerships to adapt to this impact.
For example, Region 8's Radon and ENERGY STAR® Programs, and Green and Healthy Homes and
Clean, Green and Healthy Schools initiatives are avenues through which public education could occur.
4. Climate change may alter the effects of and strategic priorities
within the EPA's regulatory and voluntary programs to help restore
the stratospheric ozone layer. The interactions between climate
change and the stratospheric ozone layer are complex.xxv" Climate
change affects the stratospheric ozone layer through changes in
chemical transport, atmospheric composition, and temperature. In
turn, changes in stratospheric ozone can have implications for the
MM ^^EBI
10
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
UV Index Forecast
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
climate of the troposphere. Additionally, climate change may exacerbate the health effects of ozone
layer damage at some latitudes and mitigate them at others. The topics of ozone depletion and climate
change are also linked because the most common ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are also potent
greenhouse gases.
If climate change influences stratospheric ozone concentrations over Region 8, there may be an
increased risk to public health and the environment from changing patterns of ultraviolet (UV)
irradiation. Because Region 8 already has relatively high UV radiation levels due to its elevation, there
is already heightened public awareness of the issue. Existing tools and resources could be utilized to
communicate any increased risks. Additionally, climate change may lead to an increased use of cooling
devices in commercial, residential, and transportation applications, as well as an increased use of
insulation foams - many of which contain ODS or their substitutes. Such a shift in demand might
impact how Region 8 plans and operates its programs concerned with the production and use of ODS.
Adapting to this impact may require a shift in resources.
5. Climate change may affect the response of ecosystems to the atmospheric deposition of sulfur,
nitrogen, and mercury. While there is limited scientific evidence on this topic, additional research is
underway to better understand how patterns in the atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and
mercury with projected changes in the climate and carbon cycle will affect ecosystem growth, species
changes, surface water chemistry, and mercury methylation and bioaccumulation. The potential
impacts could have consequences for the effectiveness of ecosystem protection from Region 8's
emissions reduction programs.
Because of current fish consumption advisory programs/™" there is already heightened awareness of
the issue of mercury contamination in lakes, rivers and streams in Region 8. This may present an
opportunity to adapt to the impact through partnerships and public education.
B. Protecting America's Waters
1. Climate change may affect the EPA's ability to protect and restore watersheds, aquatic ecosystems
and wetlands. Warmer air temperatures will result in warmer water, potentially leading to low oxygen
levels and hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and changes in the toxicity of some pollutants. Aquatic life
may be replaced by other species better adapted to the warmer water, and this process may occur at
an uneven pace disrupting aquatic system health and allowing non-indigenous and/or invasive species
to become established.xxix Additionally, temperature increases may lead to water losses from increased
evapotranspiration rates.
Heavier precipitation may increase flood risk, expand floodplain areas, increase the variability of
streamflows, and increase erosion from high water velocity. An increase in storm event frequency and
intensity can result in more nutrients, pathogens, and toxins being washed into water bodies,
especially if they result in sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses.
11
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Drought, changing patterns of precipitation, reduced snowpack,
earlier spring runoff, and increased evapotranspiration, may lead
to reduced streamflow later in the summer, altering aquatic
environments and increasing impairments. Certain aquatic
ecosystems that are unique to the region may also be threatened,
such as prairie potholes, reducing their water recharge function
and the habitat they provide for plants and animals.xxx
Additionally, the recent pine beetle outbreak in the Rocky
Mountains has altered the hydrological functioning of these
ecosystems by influencing snow distribution and snowmelt in The Prairie Pothole region in North and
complex ways. Other considerations that affect the timing of South Dakota us pjsh and WMjfe Servjce
snowmelt include dust events and rain on snow.
These impacts may have adverse effects on Region 8's work to protect water quality, and the health of
watersheds, aquatic ecosystems and wetlands, and recovery of threatened fish species like bull trout in
western Montana. Additional water bodies may have trouble meeting water quality standards and may
need to be listed as impaired, requiring a total maximum daily load (TMDL). Nonpoint pollution control
programs may need to be adjusted to reflect changing conditions. Source water protection practices
may need to be enhanced. The baselines used in water quality standard development and
implementation could shift, requiring new scientific analysis. Finally, certain economic and cultural
practices of tribal communities related to water may be impacted.
These program vulnerabilities may require greater use of biological monitoring and assessment
techniques to understand trends, management techniques that build resilience into aquatic
environments, and the increased management of wetlands for stormwater control purposes and to
buffer the impacts of drought. The current trend of research may need to be refocused to address
shifts in water quality. Region 8's capacity to adapt to this impact is varied, and there may be
numerous points of leverage and opportunities that can be explored.
2. Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure may be affected. Heavier precipitation
may increase the risk of floods, expand floodplains, and cause more nutrients, pathogens, and toxins to
be washed into waterbodies.xxxi This could damage or overwhelm water infrastructure, and lead to
releases of waterborne diseases and pathogens. In urban areas, stormwater collection and
management systems may need to be redesigned to handle the increased capacity. Low stream flows
due to drought, earlier spring runoff, reduction in snowpack, and increased evapotranspiration may
affect drinking water storage and distribution systems, intakes, and wastewater outfalls. Wildfires
create ash and debris that ends up in water reservoirs, rivers, canals and pipelines, and ultimately into
municipal water-treatment facilities. Fires also scorch soils, leading to more runoff and erosion.
Drinking water and wastewater utilities will need to consider these impacts and the concept of non-
12
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
stationarity4 in their planning activities. Additionally, vulnerable populations may have problems
accessing safe drinking water due to these infrastructure challenges.
Hayman Fire Impacts on Water Infrastructure
The Hayman Fire ignited on Saturday, June 8, 2002, in the mountains southwest
of Denver, Colorado. It spread rapidly, driven by strong winds and drought
conditions. By the time it was declared to be under control on July 18, it had
burned nearly 138,000 acres-Colorado's largest wildfire in recorded history.
Since the fire, precipitation events have resulted in massive soil erosion and
dumped enormous quantities of sediment into Denver Water's reservoirs and
intake systems. The domestic water supplier to the City of Denver has expended
tens of millions of dollars in water quality treatment, sediment and debris
removal,
sloge reseeding, and infrastructure projects as a result of the fire.
Smoke plume from the Hayman fire.
Photo: USDA Forest Service
M££i£l£^v^iLw^^ ™™™v
e and
The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) may need to be increased as
the need for additional investments in water infrastructure increases. Region 8 and its state and
tribal partners may need to re-prioritize project requests due to increasing and changing needs
at the local level. Tribes and other vulnerable populations may require special considerations
with respect to climate change and water infrastructure challenges. Region 8's work to promote
green infrastructure5 in urban areas may be more in demand to serve multiple purposes:
manage storm water runoff, flood mitigation, air quality management, and urban heat island
reduction. Region 8 has particular expertise in green roofs, and has just completed a multi-year
scientific investigation into the use of this technology at its regional office in Denver, Colorado.
Additionally, Region 8 is using the science of biomimicry to assist in developing stormwater
management systems that will adapt and evolve over time. These tools, along with additional
resources and funding, may be required to address this significant Region 8 impact.
3. The quality and availability of safe drinking water may be affected. Drought, changing patterns of
precipitation and snowmelt, increased evapotranspiration, and reduced snowpack may result in
changes to the availability and demand for drinking water. Competition for water for agriculture,
industry, fire protection, and energy production may also increase, especially in areas experiencing
population growth. These factors may shift demand to underground aquifers, or prompt development
of reservoirs or other water retention strategies.
4 Non-stationarity in this context refers to the concept that past hydrologic and weather patterns may not be a good
indicator of future conditions due to human-caused climate change.
5 Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls. By weaving natural processes into the
built environment, green infrastructure provides not only stormwater management, but also urban heat island mitigation,
air quality management, and more.
13
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Soil erosion and increased runoff following wildfires can foul water and challenge water-treatment
facilities. Heavy precipitation events may exacerbate the problem, leading to more runoff of sediment
and other contaminants into drinking water sources, requiring additional treatment. Drinking water
intakes and wastewater outfalls could be overwhelmed or damaged, causing an increased incidence of
waterborne diseases and pathogens. Increased water temperatures may also lead to an increased
growth of algae and microbes that may affect drinking water quality. These impacts may have adverse
affects on the ability of public water supplies to meet drinking water standards.
Various Region 8 Programs protect drinking water quality, and are concerned with the availability of
water supplies. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) discharge permits for
wastewater and stormwater from municipal and other facilities may need to be adjusted to maintain
water quality. Enforcement flexibility may be appropriate in the face of prolonged impacts. As the need
for water retention grows, NEPA reviews of water supply and storage projects may increase. There
may also be a need to enhance or construct wetlands, requiring permits.
Limited water availability and drought in some regions may require drinking water providers to
reassess the security of their water supplies, and consider alternative pricing, allocation, and water
conservation options. Region 8's work to promote voluntary actions through the Sustainable Water
Infrastructure and Climate Ready Water Utilities initiatives, and WaterSense, may be more in demand.
Adapting to this impact may be compromised by a lack of resources.
C. Cleaning Up Communities
1. Contaminated sites and waste management may be threatened. Heavy precipitation events,
floods, drought and wildfires may threaten contaminated sites in Region 8 and the remedies put in
place to cleanup and prevent releases of hazardous substances. The treatment, storage and/or
disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste may also be threatened. Extreme temperatures and
other weather events may lead to a loss of electrical power, affecting the operations of treatment and
waste management facilities. Landfill capacity may be insufficient to handle surges in hazardous and
municipal wastes from floods and other extreme weather events.
Region 8's Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Brownfield programs may
need to alter chemical containment strategies to ensure protection of groundwater and adjacent sites.
RCRA permitting activities may increase or permit requirements may need to be updated to reflect
current and future climate impacts. Current scientific monitoring and sampling protocols on sites may
no longer be effective and may require adjustments. Adapting to this impact will be largely dependent
on available funding and resources, but there may be facility operational changes or innovative
technologies that could be utilized for site remediation or sustainable materials management.
2. Climate change may lead to an increased need for emergency response and recovery. Due to an
increase in heavy precipitation events, floods, drought, and wildfires, as well as other extreme weather
events like severe winds and tornados that may be exacerbated by climate change, Region 8's
emergency response and disaster recovery efforts may increase. The 2011 National Disaster Recovery
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Framework (NDRF)XXXM gives structure to, and expands, the nation's commitment to these activities.
EPA is listed as a possible resource agency in five of the six NDRF Resource Support Function (RSF)
areas. In recent years, Region 8 has been involved in response and recovery activities in several
communities, including Windsor, Colorado (tornado), the Spirit Lake Nation (flooding), Minot, North
Dakota (flooding), and Jamestown, Colorado (flooding).
The most common program areas involved in recovery efforts include: remediation of indoor
pollutants such as mold and asbestos, debris management, project permitting (for drinking water,
waste water, and storm water management), Brownfield assessments, sustainable community design,
and climate resiliency. Coordination and collaborative efforts with federal, state, tribal, and local
entities is a vital part of these recovery efforts.
Adapting to this impact will be dependent on effective disaster risk management, proactive actions to
incorporate climate change considerations into permitting and funding mechanisms pre-disaster, and
the availability of resources to respond to events when they happen.
D. Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals
1. The ability to protect human health and ecosystems from chemical risks may be affected. Climate
change may affect exposures to a wide range of chemicals because of changing environmental
conditions or use patterns. For example, it may lead to increased pest pressure and a changing mix of
pests, affecting how, when, where, and what pesticides are used. The earlier timing of spring events,
like increased temperatures and the emergence of leaves, flowers, and pollinators, may lead to a
longer growing season and an increase in the quantity of pesticides used.xxxl" Other climate impacts like
drought, extreme temperatures, and heavy precipitation may lead to reduced crop yields, fields taken
out of production, changes in crop mixes and farming methods, and increase runoff into streams and
rivers, increasing exposures. There may also be an increase in spraying and other chemical use to
control mosquitoes and rodents in response to certain health threats, as well as mountain pine
beetles. Vulnerable populations, particularly children, may be at a higher risk for health effects from
exposure to pesticides.
Region 8's efforts to reduce exposures may be affected by these impacts. There may also be an
increase in requests for emergency exemptions for unregistered pesticides, state/local special need
registrations, as well as requests to approve additional or new end uses of registered products. These
requests are mostly handled by EPA Headquarters, but Region 8 monitors and supports them as
appropriate to ensure a timely response. Additionally, Region 8's work to promote Integrated Pest
Management and other sustainable agriculture practices may be more in demand. Region 8's adaptive
capacity to this impact is largely dependent on available funding and resources.
E. Enforcing Environmental Laws
1. Climate change may affect environmental monitoring and sampling in various media. Heavy
precipitation events, floods, and wildfires, as well as other extreme weather events like severe winds
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
and tornados, could cause damage to Region 8's environmental monitoring equipment and prevent
access to sampling locations. Additionally, increased air and water temperatures, and the earlier timing
of spring events like snowmelt and runoff, could affect data quality and the baselines on which they
rely. Environmental sampling methods and strategies may also be compromised and require
modifications. This impact may affect the Region's ability to ensure compliance with environmental
requirements by regulated entities, and take effective enforcement action in case of violations. These
impacts may also require monitoring for a suite of chemicals not typically analyzed. Adapting to this
impact may require a shift in resources and funding.
2. Climate may lead to more claims offeree majeure. Force majeure is a common clause in an
enforcement mechanism, like a consent decree, that can free the responsible party from liability or
obligation when an extraordinary event occurs. Such events may include heavy precipitation, floods,
wildfires, severe winds, and tornados. With climate change causing more such events, we can expect
the regulated community to begin to assert this claim more frequently than before.
F. Facilities and Operations
1. Operations of Region 8 facilities, including water and energy use, may be affected. Increased
temperatures may impact cooling requirements in the summer, but may decrease the need for heat in
the winter. The operation of Region 8 facilities could also be affected by water shortages due to
drought, electric power interruptions due to extreme weather events like heavy precipitation, and
wildfires that affect local air quality and the health of personnel. Drought and extreme temperatures
may also make it more difficult to maintain the viability of green roofs, upon which Region 8 relies for
stormwater retention services, among other things, at its Headquarters building in Denver, CO.
Region 8's adaptive capacity to this impact is reliant on resources to purchase available water and
energy, and avoid the health impacts of reduced air quality. Personnel also have the capacity to work
remotely for an extended period of time. Depending on the circumstances, this may alleviate some of
the operational vulnerabilities of Region 8 facilities.
G. Vulnerable Populations
1. Vulnerable populations may be at a higher risk from climate change impacts. As stated above,
populations vulnerable to climate change impacts may include children, the elderly, minorities, the
poor, the young, persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access
to information, indigenous populations, overburdened populations that live in environmental justice
communities, and the homeless and outdoor workers who may have more exposure to heat and air
pollution.xxxiv Certain geographic locations may also contribute to vulnerability.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
EPA Region 8's Green Roof
The green roof on the EPA Region 8 Headquarters building located in Denver, CO,
has been the subject of a research study to compare its thermal and water
management characteristics against a conventional roof. Results show that the
green roof is cooler during hot weather and warmer during cold weather because
the plant materials and growth medium enable thermal storage and evaporative
cooling as moisture transitions between liquid, vapor and solid physical states. It
also has significantly higher stormwater retention.
jjUl^ DRAFT - T>. = racteristi:
extern n high elevation, semi-arid.
tempt OCX-OS. December
The solar panels provide beneficial shade
during hot weather. Photo: EPA Region 8.
There may be other vulnerable populations who have yet to be identified. These populations may
include metropolitan areas in harm's way due to an increasing risk of floods, rural towns that may be at
risk of losing access to safe drinking water due to a reduction in snowpack, or agricultural communities
facing a threat to their livelihood due to extreme drought. Over time, the most vulnerable populations
in Region 8 may change as the impacts of climate change become more pronounced or shift.
Identifying who the most vulnerable populations are at this time or may be in the future will be an
ongoing challenge. These populations will need to be defined in the context of climate change impacts,
but also in terms of socioeconomic and natural resource considerations.
Tribes are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the
environment within their traditional lifeways and culture. Region 8 places a priority on the
development of adaptation strategies that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate
change on tribes.
The EPA values its unique relationship with tribes, and recognizes and supports the sovereign decision-
making authority of tribal governments. A formal consultation process was used to engage tribes in the
development of the EPA's agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most
pressing issues as erosion, temperature change, drought, and various changes in access to and quality
of water. Tribes recommended a number of tools and strategies to address
these issues, including improving access to data and information, supporting
baseline research to better track the effects of climate change, developing
community-level education and awareness materials, and providing financial
and technical support. At the same time, tribes challenged the EPA to
coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal governments
to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation-related priorities. These collaborative
efforts will benefit from the expertise provide by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological
Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future
impacts of climate change, and has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt to
changing surroundings. It is viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and
decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues,
including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals,
and the Indian General Assistance Program. Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate across the
Agency to facilitate transparency and information sharing, since climate change has many impacts that
transcend media and regional boundaries.
H. Emerging Issues
During Region 8's internal planning sessions on climate adaptation, a number of emerging issues were
discussed that require additional scientific research before they can be considered potential risks to
Region 8 programs. They include the following:
• Wind and extreme wind events might be increasing, affecting evapotranspiration and the migration
and deposition of pesticides and other pollutants into ecosystems, and increasing public health
risks;
• The emergence of cyanobacteria toxins in surface waters might be increasing due to increased
water temperature and nutrients - this may affect the safety of drinking water, requiring more
treatment by water utilities; and
• Tropospheric ozone pollution levels might be increasing in some rural areas, and along with
increased levels of C02, may have negative effects on ecosystems (and consequences for ecosystem
protection programs), and crops (potentially causing an increase in the use of pesticides).
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
IV. Summary Table of Climate Change Vulnerabilities
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
EPA REGION 8 PR(
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
• Increased
tropospheric
ozone
pollution in
certain
regions
Associated
Region 8
Program will
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
• Protecting public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to
meet the
National
Ambient Air
Quality
Standards
(NAAQS) and
implementing
programs in
Indian Country
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
• Could become more difficult to attain
NAAQS for ozone in many areas with
existing ozone problems
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
and drought
• Protecting public
health and the
environment by
approving state
programs to
meet the
National
Ambient Air
Quality
Standards
(NAAQS) and
implementing
programs in
Indian Country
• Could complicate Agency efforts to
protect public health and the
environment from risks posed by
particulate matter (PM) pollution in
areas affected by more frequent
wildfires and drought
• Increasing • Very
extreme Likely
temperatures
• Increasing • Likely
heavy
precipitation
events
• Protect public
health by
promoting
healthy indoor
environments
through
voluntary
programs and
guidance
• Medium
• Could increase public health risks in
indoor environments, including risks for
the young, the elderly, the chronically ill,
and socioeconomically disadvantaged
populations
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
REGION 8 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
Associated
Region 8
Program will
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
• Effects on the
stratospheric
ozone layer
• Likely • Restoring the
stratospheric
ozone layer
• Preventing UV-
related disease
• Providing an
effective
transition to
safer alternatives
• Effects on • Likely
response of
ecosystems
to
atmospheric
deposition of
sulfur,
nitrogen, and
mercury
• Low
• Ecosystem • Low
protections from
Agency
emissions
reduction
programs
• Unable to restore ozone concentrations
to benchmark levels as quickly at some
latitudes
• Could have consequences for the
effectiveness of ecosystem protections
under certain programs
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
REGION 8 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
Associated
Region 8
Program will
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Increased
water
temperatures
Earlier timing
of spring
events
Reduction in
snowpack
Increasing
risk of floods
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
Likely
• Likely
• Very
Likely
• Very
Likely
• Very
likely
• Likely
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds,
aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands
High
• Increased number of sewer overflows
and wastewater bypasses, increased
erosion, as well as increased pollutant
loads in runoff, may foul streams and
threaten public health
• Could become more difficult to attain
water quality standards in many areas,
including the chemical, biological, and
physical integrity of Waters of the U.S.
• The current trend of research may need
to be refocused to address shifts in
water quality
• Could act as a threat to the institutional
process of protecting water quality
through water quality standard
development and implementation
• Runoff may shift to earlier in spring,
resulting in reduced streamflow later in
summer, altering aquatic environments
and increasing impairments
• Shifts in aquatic habitat and species may
threaten the economic and cultural
practices of tribal communities
• Certain aquatic ecosystems (e.g., prairie
potholes) may be threatened
• Additional source water protection may
be needed
• Enforcement flexibility may be needed in
the face of prolonged impacts
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
REGION 8 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
Associated
Region 8
Program will
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
• Increasing • Likely | • Drinking water, | • High
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
flood risk
wastewater and
storm water
infrastructure
• Likely
• Increased • Likely
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Earlier timing
of spring
events
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Reduction in
snowpack
• Increased
water
• Very
Likely
• Likely
• Very
likely
• Very • The quality and • High
likely availability of
temperatures safe drinking
• Increasing • Likely water
heavy
precipitation
events
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Reduction in
snowpack
• Likely
• Very
likely
• Increased • Likely
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Earlier timing • Very
of spring
events
Likely
• Water infrastructure could be
overwhelmed or damaged,
compromising the ability to treat, which
may lead to an increased incidence of
waterborne disease
• Drinking water intakes and wastewater
outfalls could be affected by both high
and low flows
• Drinking water and wastewater utilities
will need an 'all hazards' approach to
planning for emergencies and extreme
weather events
• Vulnerable and economically deprived
communities may have problems
accessing safe drinking water
• Low flows could cause a drinking water
system cross connection due to lack of
water pressure, exposing potable water
to unwanted contaminants
• High water temperatures and increased
storm-water runoff may increase the
need for drinking water treatment,
raising costs
• Water supplies may be affected, forcing
communities to seek alternative sources
• Water demand may shift to
underground aquifers or prompt
development of reservoirs or other
water retention strategies
• May need to expand monitoring to
accommodate a shift in contaminants
• The rate and number of violations of
drinking water standards may increase
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
REGION 8 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
Associated
Region 8
Program will
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
risk of floods
Increasing
extreme
temperatures
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
Likely
• Likely
• Very
likely
• Likely
Cleaning up • Medium • Increased risk of contaminant release
Contaminated from EPA CERCLA, RCRA and Brownfield
Sites and Waste Sites
Management • May need to alter selected remedies to
ensure protection
• Current scientific monitoring and
sampling protocols on sites may no
longer be effective
• Increased requests for regulatory
flexibilities due to debris from extreme
weather events
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
risk of floods
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Likely
• Likely
• Likely
• Emergency
Response and
recovery
• Medium
Increased need for emergency response
and recovery assistance
Possible limitations to response and
recovery assistance capabilities due to
staff and financial resource constraints
Need to incorporate climate change
considerations in permitting and funding
mechanisms across various media pre-
disaster
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
REGION 8 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
Associated
Region 8
Program will
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
1 • Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Likely • Protecting
• Increasing • Very
extreme likely
temperatures
• Increasing
• Likely
heavy
precipitation
events
1 • Earlier timing • Very
of spring
events
• Increased
pest pressure
and changing
mix of pests
^^^H • Earlier timing
of spring
events
• Increasing
likely
• Very
likely
• Very
likely
human health
and ecosystems
from chemical
risks
• Conducting
environmental
monitoring and
• Likely sampling in
risk of floods various media
• Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increased
water
B^| temperatures
• Likely
• Likely
• Very
likely
• Medium
• Medium
• Changes in planting timing or location
may affect the volume and timing of
agricultural chemical use, which could
impact water quality and pesticide
exposures to people and the
environment
• Weeds, diseases, and insect pests
benefit from warming, and weeds also
benefit from a higher carbon dioxide
concentration, increasing stress on crop
plants and requiring more attention to
pest and weed control
• Emergency exemptions for unregistered
pesticides, state/local special need
registrations, as well as requests to
approve additional or new end uses of
registered products, may increase
• Environmental sampling methods and
strategies may be compromised and
require modifications
• Sampling locations and equipment may
be compromised, making reliable data
collection difficult or impossible
• Claims of force majeure may increase
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
REGION 8 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Climate Change Likelihood
Impactd of Impact0
Associated
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
Increasing
extreme
temperatures
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfire
Likely
• Very
likely
• Likely
Likely
Region 8
Program will
Region 8 Program be Affected
by Impactf
Example of Risks if Region 8 Program
were Impacted
Operations of
Region 8
facilities,
including water
and energy use
Low
• Increased temperatures may impact
cooling requirements and lower heating
needs
• Facilities could be located in areas with
water shortages or electric power
interruptions
• Wildfires could affect local air quality
• Could be more difficult to maintain
green roofs for storm-water retention
services
Footnotes for Summary Table of Climate Change Vulnerabilities
aThis table summarizes vulnerabilities by the five goals in the EPA's Strategic Plan. Please note that the table also summarizes
vulnerabilities to EPA facilities and operations, which is not part of the EPA Strategic Plan goal structure but is an important
element of the EPA's vulnerability assessment. Please see Section II of this document for a fuller discussion of impacts.
bClimate Change Impacts are based upon peer-reviewed scientific literature.
c Programmatic Impacts are based upon EPA best professional judgment at this time.
d Impacts can vary by season and location.
e In general, the sources cited in this section use Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) likelihood of outcome
terminology where the term 'very likely' means 90-100% probability and the term 'likely' means 66-100% probability. For some
impacts in the table, the likelihood determination was made using EPA best professional judgment at the time.
f High assumes the program will be affected by the impact; Medium assumes the program could be affected under some
conditions by the impact; Low assumes that there is a potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists
as to the potential nature and extent of the impact. This assessment is based on best professional judgment within Region 8 at
this time. Please note, this column does not reflect several important considerations. For example, it does not distinguish
timeframes (current, near-term, long-term). It also does not account for regional and local variations, and does not reflect the
priority of actions the agency may undertake now or in the future.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
V. Conclusion
Region 8 intends to continue to fulfill its mission, despite a changing climate, by building more resilient
and climate-responsive programs through effective coordination and decision-support with our
partners. The vulnerability assessment of our programs will need to be updated as climate change
advances, and programmatic focus areas and scientific information change over time.
Priority Actions to Address Program Vulnerabilities
The Region has proposed priority actions that can be accomplished concurrent with or as a part of its
ongoing activities, or as additional resources become available. Some will require "national-level"
action before the Region can address the priority - these are noted as such in the sections below. By
listing an action as a priority, the Region is not making a budgetary commitment to take or complete
that action, or to take or complete it by a particular point in time.
I. Introduction
The following priority actions address the program vulnerabilities discussed above.
A. Improving Air Quality
1. Tropospheric ozone pollution is likely to increase in certain areas due to the effects of climate
change.
• Continue discussions related to the nexus of climate change and increased levels of tropospheric
ozone pollution with state, local, and tribal partners, and proactive steps to address the issue based
on innovation and sustainability.
• Region 8 will work with EPA HQ to determine appropriate actions if and when control measures are
needed to reduce ozone precursor emissions.
• Promote urban heat island mitigation to reduce factors that contribute to tropospheric ozone
formation.
• Continue to work with our state, tribal, local, and other federal agency partners to consider the
impact of climate change on ozone monitoring in the context of broader monitoring plans and
network design.
2. Particulate matter (PM) levels are likely to be affected through changes in the frequency or
intensity of wildfires and drought.
• Coordinate as requested with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as well
as state agencies and local health departments, to interpret data and communicate wildfire PM risks
and adaptive measures to the public.
• Utilize the Region 8 Children's Health and Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Programs to
communicate wildfire PM risks and adaptive measures to the public.
• Coordinate as requested with the Indian Health Service to communicate wildfire PM risks and
adaptive measures to the Tribes.
3. Climate change may worsen the quality of indoor air and increase exposures.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
• Continue to coordinate with Region 8's leads for Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, the Children's
Environmental Health Coordinator, and the Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative to provide
information to the public regarding occupant exposure to indoor pollutants as a result of climate
change.
4. Climate change may alter the effects of and strategic priorities within the EPA's regulatory and
voluntary programs to help restore the stratospheric ozone layer.
• Stay informed via Headquarters on trends in Region 8 levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. [National-
Level Action Required]
• Determine if the use of ODS is increasing due to climate change (e.g., through an increased use of
cooling devices and insulation foams), and if such a shift in demand might impact Region 8 programs
concerned with the proper handling of such materials. [National-Level Action Required]
B. Protecting America's Waters
1. Climate change may affect the EPA's ability to protect and restore watersheds, aquatic ecosystems
and wetlands.
• Support evaluation of hydrologic assumptions associated with TMDLs with respect to a changing
climate to see how they might be affected and if adjustments might be appropriate, as well as
biological monitoring and assessment techniques to assess trends. [National-Level Action Required]
• Promote early collaboration among federal agencies/state/tribes, as well as project sponsors, on
water supply projects and other water infrastructure to encourage the consideration of climate
change impacts and a better integrated project review process.
• Support organizations to characterize and map the type, distribution, and conditions of wetlands on
a watershed scale.
• Host a headwaters protection discussion with key stakeholders to frame a discussion on climate
change impacts, and the adaptation and resiliency measures that might be appropriate and
practicable in these areas, especially related to the most vulnerable communities.
Consider that water quality standards might not be met, especially regarding sediments and
nutrients due to wildfires and extreme weather events, and that changes to water quality standards
may be appropriate to reflectchanging conditions due to climate change.
2. Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure may be affected.
• Work with states and tribes to integrate climate considerations into their water programs.
• Support water utilities in their on-going work to incorporate climate change considerations into
their disaster management and water infrastructure planning programs.
• Work with regulated federal facilities on construction of facilities with a footprint greater than 1
acre to ensure the facilities are designed, planned and constructed to manage storm water through
low-impact procedures and vegetation to reduce pollutant loading and flow-related pollution.
• Continue education and outreach on the use of green infrastructure; actual implementation of
green infrastructure in planning, design, and construction; the use of a systems approach such as
biomimicry; and the results of Region 8's green roof pilot project.
• Work with states and tribes to consider how funding mechanisms, such as the SRF, could support
the increased need for additional investments in water infrastructure.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
3. The quality and availability of safe drinking water may be affected.
• Consider the potential public health impacts of emerging and unregulated contaminants to
determine if there is an imminent threat in the absence of any regulations.
• Continue education and outreach on the WaterSense Program, the Climate Ready Water Utilities
Program, and the Community-Based Water Resiliency (CBWR) Initiative.
4. General
• Support the Office of Water's nine common climate adaptation actions for regional Water Programs
through on-going and distinctive activities to the maximum extent practicable [with the exception of
activity #7 related to the Climate Ready Water Utilities and Climate Ready Estuaries Programs].
C. Cleaning Up Communities
1. Contaminated sites and waste management may be threatened.
• Promote the development and use of innovative technologies and practices for site remediation and
materials management.
• Continue education and outreach with state and tribal partners on the impacts of climate change,
and how these considerations might be incorporated into RCRA permitting and other activities.
• Consider how to support regulatory flexibilities to manage debris associated with extreme weather
events.
2. Climate change may lead to an increased need for emergency response and recovery.
• Work with EPA Headquarters and other relevant agencies to encourage coordination between the
National Response Framework (NRF) and the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) to take
advantage of the short policy window for incorporating sustainability and climate adaptation into
redevelopment considerations. [National-Level Action Required]
• Work with ATSDR, FEMA, and EPA Headquarters to identify where disaster exacerbated
environmental problems intersect with known human health threats to help prioritize when EPA
deploys limited recovery resources. [National-Level Action Required]
• Through EPA's working relationships with FEMA Region 8 and other EPA Regions, develop and
implement best management practices to build community resiliency that consider sustainability
and climate adaptation.
• Continue to emphasize the need to plan for and prioritize funding set asides for disaster afflicted
communities in programs like Brownfields, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the SRF,
and other grant funding programs. [National-Level Action Required]
D. Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals
1. The ability to protect human health and ecosystems from chemical risks may be affected.
• Support states in their requests to EPA Headquarters (OPP) for emergency exemptions, special need
registrations, and additional or new end uses of registered products. [National-Level Action
Required]
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
• Encourage EPA Headquarters to make agriculture-related grants a priority to facilitate agricultural
adaptation to climate change.
• Continue to promote Integrated Pest Management and other sustainable agriculture practices.
E. Enforcing Environmental Laws
1. Climate change may affect environmental monitoring and sampling in various media.
• Consider that environmental monitoring and sampling methods and strategies in Region 8 may be
compromised due to the impacts of climate change.
F. Facilities and Operations
1. Operations of Region 8 facilities, including water and energy use, may be affected.
• Maintain the staff's capacity to work remotely.
• Work to reduce the physical footprint of Region 8 facilities.
G. Vulnerable Populations
1. Vulnerable populations may be at a higher risk from climate change impacts.
• Develop a methodology to identify the populations in Region 8 who are the most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change - utilize tools such as the Social Vulnerability Index,xxxv the Water Supply
Sustainability Risk Index,XXXVI the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database for the United
States,xxxv" and relevant outputs of the global climate models.
• Explore opportunities to collaborate with tribes, other EPA regional offices, other federal agencies,
non-governmental organizations, etc., to share information and experiences related to adaptation.
• Work with tribal partners and other relevant organizations (such as ITEP - Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals) to provide climate information, tools and training, that would assist
tribes in preparing for observed and expected climate changes, and meeting their environmental
regulatory responsibilities.
• Embark on a process to include adaptation into the tribal grant making function.
• Periodically review and assess emerging scientific and TEK understanding on relevant climate
vulnerabilities and projections, and incorporate into programmatic work, as appropriate. [National-
Level Action Required]
Other Priority Actions
I. Introduction
The following priority actions aren't specifically tied to the program vulnerabilities discussed above,
but are key elements of building adaptive capacity into Region 8 Programs, and those of our state and
tribal partners. They are meant to be initiated and conducted within a 1 to 3 year period of time. Some
actions will be on going, while others will be completed by the end of this timeframe.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
A. Agency-Wide Strategic Measures
The FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan contains the Agency's first "strategic performance measures" for
integrating climate adaptation into its activities.XXXVI" These strategic performance measures commit
the Agency to integrate adaptation planning into five major rulemaking processes and five major
financial assistance mechanisms by 2015. They also call for the integration of adaptation planning into
five major scientific models or decision-support tools used in implementing Agency environmental
management programs.
1. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Rulemaking Processes
• Explore opportunities to incorporate climate adaptation considerations into regional rulemaking
processes.
2. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Financial Assistance Mechanisms
• Explore opportunities to incorporate climate adaptation considerations into competitive funding
announcements in accordance with the October 18, 2011, EPA guidance memo jointly issued by the
Office of Policy and the Office of Grants and Debarment - this may include a climate adaptation
criterion wherever it is relevant to the program's mission and outcomes.
3. Integrate Adaptation Planning into Models or Decision-Support Tools
• Explore opportunities to incorporate climate adaptation considerations into models or decision-
support tools.
B. Legal and Enforcement Issues
The EPA derives its authority to act from the U.S. Constitution and the laws passed by Congress. The
Agency is committed to ensuring that its actions are constitutional, authorized by statute, consistent
with Congress's vision and intent, and otherwise legally supported. The 2011 EPA Policy Statement on
Climate-Change Adaptation called on the Agency to "identify for the Office of General Counsel areas
where legal analysis is needed to carry out agency actions called for in this policy statement." In certain
circumstances, Region 8 may need to determine the extent of its legal authorities or responsibilities to
incorporate adaptation measures into proposed actions.
• Address any legal and enforcement issues that may arise through the Office of Regional Counsel
(ORC) and Legal Enforcement Program (LEP), in consultation with the Office of General Counsel
(OGC) and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), as necessary. [National-
Level Action Required]
C. Training and Partnerships
A central element of the Region's efforts to adapt to a changing climate will be to increase staff's
awareness of how climate change may affect their work by providing them with the necessary data,
information, and tools. Additionally, states, tribes, and local communities share responsibility for
protecting human health and the environment, and partnerships with the EPA are at the heart of this.
Additionally, it will be important to work with EPA Headquarters and other Regional Offices on pilot
projects that test climate adaptation approaches that are broadly applicable. These partnerships will
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
be critical for efficient, effective and equitable implementation of climate adaptation strategies, which
will evolve overtime.
• Ensure that technical staff and their partners have access to training on the importance of climate
adaptation, and how they can incorporate climate adaptation considerations into their work.
[National-Level Action Required]
• Ensure that technical staff and their partners have access to specific approaches, data, and tools for
integrating climate adaptation into decision-making processes.6 [National-Level Action Required]
• Develop a Region 8 climate adaptation communication strategy to enhance external climate change
communication, which may include state and tribal partners, municipalities, industry, the public,
and other relevant parties. Update the Region's website with information on climate change
impacts and risks, and the programs, tools, and resources available to stakeholders to enhance
adaptation and resiliency.
• Work with state, tribal, and local partners and their advocacy organizations (such as the Western
Urban Water Coalition), using a diversity of approaches, to build adaptive capacity and encourage
climate adaptation planning using the framework of existing programs (such as the SRF), and various
tools and resources (such as the Climate Ready Water Utilities Program). .
• Work with other federal agencies and international partners to enhance understanding of climate
change, leverage collective knowledge about climate adaptation planning, reduce duplication, and
avoid conflicting efforts.
• Work with EPA Headquarters and other Regional Offices on pilot projects that test climate
adaptation approaches that are broadly applicable to learn what works and why. [National-Level
Action Required]
D.NEPA
• Through NEPA reviews, encourage consideration of long-term climate change impacts, and discuss
how the lead agency could mitigate impacts on water supply and environmental resources. Climate
change influences on the project may translate into modified design and operational assumptions
for determining resource supplies, system demands, system performance requirements, and
operational constraints.
• Through NEPA reviews, encourage energy development projects to disclose water quantity needs
and impacts on sources (groundwater, surface water, reservoirs).
• Through NEPA reviews, encourage assessment of the risks of climate change (particularly flooding)
to transportation systems and services.
Monitoring and Evaluating Performance
Region 8 will evaluate its climate change adaptation activities on an annual basis to assess progress
toward mainstreaming climate change adaptation into programs, policies, rulemaking processes, and
operations. Based on lessons learned about the most effective climate change adaptation strategies,
Region 8 can make adjustments to its approach.
6 Tools include such things as the EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities GREAT decision-support tool, the EPA Global Change
Research Program's Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios (ICLUS), and community-based social marketing strategies.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
Some metrics exist that will enable Region 8 to measure the results of its activities - others will need to
be developed over time. In general, these metrics will reflect:
• changes in knowledge (e.g., number of staff/partners taking formal training to increase their
awareness of the importance of adaptation planning)
• changes in behavior (e.g., increases in the use of decision support tools to integrate climate
adaptation planning into activities such as infrastructure planning decisions)
• changes in state/condition (e.g., changes in the ability of communities to withstand more frequent
and intense storm events and avoid, for example, combined sewer overflows)
Region 8 recognizes that the integration of climate adaptation planning will occur over time. This will
happen in stages, and measures should reflect this evolution. The earliest changes in many programs
may be changes in knowledge and awareness, followed by changes in behavior and the use of
adaptation tools, and then implementation of projects that build adaptive capacity and lead to changes
in state and condition.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
References
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Health." Advancing the Science of Climate Change. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010, pp. 318-319.
'" 1993 USGS State Layer Map of Land Ownership in EPA Region 8.
iv IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K and Reisinger, A. (eds.)]. IPCC,
Geneva, Switzerland, 104 pp.
v EPA's Climate Change Indicators in the United States, Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/ghg/ghg-concentrations.html
vi Denman, K.L, et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change
2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
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and H.L Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
vii C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed.
M.L Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY,
USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
™ IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate
Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea,K.J. Mach, G.-K.
Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. ASpecial Report of Working Groups I and II of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-19.
lx IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate
Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea,K.J. Mach, G.-K.
Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. ASpecial Report of Working Groups I and II of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-19.
x World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and
Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011). Note: the word "expected" is used in the report to
characterize projected climate change impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer. For purposes of this table the word
"likely" has been used as a proxy for "expected."
xi Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011, National Acid
Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science and Technology
Council, Washington, DC.
x" Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009. Water Resources, pp. 41-52.
xl" Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009. Water Resources, pp. 41-52.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
XIV Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009. Water Resources, pp. 41-52.
xv Christensen, J.H., B. Hewitson, A. Busuioc, A. Chen, X. Gao, I. Held, R. Jones, R.K. Kolli, W.-T. Kwon, R. Laprise, V. Magafia
Rueda, L Mearns, C.G. Menendez, J. Raisanen, A. Rinke, A. Sarr and P. Whetton, 2007: Regional Climate Projections. In:
Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor
and H.L Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, p. 891.
xvi Bates, B.C., Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., 2008: Climate Change and Water. Technical paper of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat, Geneva, pp. 22, 58,102.
xv" Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009, Water Resources and Agriculture, pp. 41-52 and pp. 71-78.
xvl" Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009. Agriculture and Ecosystems, pp. 71-78 and 79-88.
xx Lin, M., et al. (2012), Transport of Asian ozone pollution into surface air over the western United States in spring, J.
Geophys. Res., 117, DOOV07, doi:10,1029/2QliJDQ1696i.
xxl Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, "Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United
States" (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council, U.S. Climate
Change Science Program, 2008).
xxii Luber, G., K. Knowlton, J. Balbus, H. Frumkin, M. HaydenJ. Hess, M. McGeehin, N. Sheats, L Backer, C. B. Beard, K.fflL
Ebi, E. Maibach, R. S. Ostfeld, C. Wiedinmyer, E. Zielinski-Gutierrez, and L Ziska, 2014: Ch. 9: Human Health. Climate Change
Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe,
Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, pg. 225. doi:10.7930/JOPN93H5.
xxiii IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, p. S-3.
xxiv Portier CJ, Thigpen Tart K, Carter SR, Dilworth CH, Grambsch AE, Gohlke J, Hess J, Howard SN, Luber G, Lutz JT, Maslak T,
Prudent N, Radtke M, Rosenthal JP, Rowles T, Sandifer PA, Scheraga J, Schramm PJ, Strickman D, Trtanj JM, Whung P-Y.
2010. A Human Health Perspective On Climate Change: A Report Outlining the Research Needs on the Human Health Effects
of Climate Change. Research Triangle Park, NC: Environmental Health Perspectives/National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences. doi:10.1289/ehp.!002272.
xxv IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, p. 8-13.
xxvl IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, p. 2-10.
xxvii WMO (World Meteorological Organization), Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and
Monitoring Project—Report No. 52, 516 pp., Geneva, Switzerland, 2011.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan
xxviii EPA website: Fish Consumption Advisories - General Information. Accessed 01-10-13.
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/fishadvisories/general.cfmtftabs-4
xxix Bates, B.C., Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., 2008: Climate Change and Water. Technical paper of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat, Geneva, p. 56.
xxx Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.).
Cambridge University Press, 2009. Great Plains, pp. 126-127.
xxxi Hatfield, J., K. Boote, P. Fay, L Hahn, C. Izaurralde, B.A. Kimball, T. Mader, J. Morgan, D. Ort, W. Polley, A. Thomson, and
D. Wolfe, 2008. Agriculture. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and
biodiversity. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research.
Washington, DC., USA, pp. 58.
xxxii Federal Emergency Management Agency- National Disaster Recovery Framework. Accessed 04-10-13.
http://www.fema.gov/national-disaster-recovery-framework
xxxiii Hatfjeid, J., K. Boote, P. Fay, L Hahn, C. Izaurralde, B.A. Kimball, T. Mader, J. Morgan, D. Ort, W. Polley, A. Thomson, and
D. Wolfe, 2008: Agriculture. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and
Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC,
pp. 59-60.
xxxiv America's Climate Choices: Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change, National Research Council. "11 Public
Health." Advancing the Science of Climate Change. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010, pp. 318-319.
xxxv Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute, University of South Carolina. Social Vulnerability Index for the U.S. - 2006-
10. Accessed 04-15-13. http://webra.cas.sc.edu/hvri/products/sovi.aspx
xxxvi Sujoy B. Roy, Limin Chen, Evan H. Girvetz, Edwin P. Maurer, William B. Mills, and Thomas M. Grieb, 2012. Projecting
Water Withdrawal and Supply for Future Decades in the U.S. Under Climate Change Scenarios.
dx.doi.org/10.1021/es2030774 | Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012, 46, 2545-2556.
xxxvii Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute, University of South Carolina. SHELDUS-Spatial Hazard Events and Losses
Database for the United States. Accessed 04-23-13. http://webra.cas.sc.edu/hvri/products/sheldus.aspx
xxxviii U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, Achieving Our Vision (2011). Accessed 04-15-
13. http://epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html
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EPA Region 9
Climate Change
Adaptation
Implementation Plan
Publication Number: EPA-100-K-14-001P
May 2014
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document,
nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed intention,
suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes,
the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion
in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
Page 2 of 46
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the
range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the
EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue fulfilling its
statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore anticipating and planning
for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and
the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for review and
comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to identify
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority actions
that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will remain effective under
future climatic conditions. The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA
complements efforts to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal
government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National Environmental
Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices developed a Climate
Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in
the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will integrate climate
adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and compatible with its goals and
objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide
priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to
build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes,
and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways
that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them
with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program vulnerability
assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data,
and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission. The plan then identifies
specific priority actions that the office will take to begin addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming
climate change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An
emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the
development of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration
with tribal governments.
Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream
climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to
understand how well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each Implementation
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Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of
its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the environment.
Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is resilient
to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
September 2013
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EPA Region 9
Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan
I. Purpose
This Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan (Plan) outlines actions the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 will take to become more resilient to our changing
climate.
EPA issued a Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation in June, 20111. The Policy Statement
recognizes that climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission and
calls for the Agency to anticipate changes in climate and incorporate considerations of climate change
into its activities. In accordance with the Policy Statement, EPA issued an Agency-wide Draft Climate
Change Adaptation Implementation Plan2 on February 8, 2013, describing how the agency intends to
adapt to climate change and assist its partners in doing the same. Subsequently, each of the EPA's
national program offices, and its ten regional offices, developed Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plans, specific to their programs and regions. Many programs throughout EPA have
already begun to address the implications of climate change.
Region 9 intends to fulfill its mission by building a more resilient and climate-responsive program. We
will assist our partners in meeting the challenges of climate change through financial and technical
assistance, effective coordination and decision-support to increase their resilience.
Vision of the Future EPA (from U.S. EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan, 2013)
We live in a world in which the climate is changing. Changes in climate have occurred since the
formation of the planet. But humans are now influencing Earth's climate and causing it to change in
unprecedented ways.
It is in this rapidly changing world that EPA is working to fulfill its mission to protect human health and
the environment. Many of the outcomes EPA is working to attain (e.g., clean air, safe drinking water)
are sensitive to changes in weather and climate. Until now, EPA has been able to assume that climate
is relatively stable and future climate will mirror past climate. However, with climate changing more
rapidly than society has experienced in the past, the past is no longer a good predictor of the future.
Climate change is posing new challenges to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission.
It is essential that EPA adapt to anticipate and plan for future changes in climate. It must integrate, or
mainstream, considerations of climate change into its programs, policies, rules and operations to
ensure they are effective under future climatic conditions. Through climate adaptation planning, EPA
will continue to protect human health and the environment, but in a way that accounts for the effects
of climate change.
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II. Impacts from Climate Change in EPA Region 9
Around the world, a cascade of effects is expected to result from climate change. Most of these changes
will be felt somewhere in Region 9. Those changes will vary from the arid southwest deserts to the
Pacific Islands to the Northern California coastal forests. Some changes are more certain than others.
Changes may be local, or cover the whole region. Below are some examples of climate change impacts
that are likely to occur in Region 9.
Air temperatures will increase;
Precipitation may decrease in some areas;
Storm events may be more severe;
Oceans will become more acidic and warm; and
Sea level will rise.
Figure 1 illustrates the impacts that are likely to result from each of these climatic changes.
Figure 1:
Adverse Impacts of Climate Change
Climate
Change could
lead to...
Air
Temperature
Increase
Storm
Intensity
Increase
Ocean
Acidification
and Warming
Precipitation
Decrease
Sea Level Rise
Tropospheric
ozone
increase
Heat event
increase
Snowfall and
pack decrease
Runoff season
change
Wildfire
increase
Water
temperature
increase
Species
changes
Water supply
change
Freshwater
flow decrease
Wildfire
increase
Soil moisture
decrease
Species
changes
Flooding
Damage to
communities
and
infrastructure
(inland and
on coast)
Damage to
habitats
(inland and
on coast)
Erosion
increase
(inland and
on coast)
Coral reef
decline
Aquaculture
decline
Species
changes
Salt water
intrusion to
groundwater
Coastal
erosion
Damage to
communities
and
infrastructure
Damage to
habitat
Page 6 of 46
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III. Vulnerabilities for EPA Region 9 Communities.
Populations. Habitats, and Programs
The term "vulnerability" refers to the degree to which a community or habitat is susceptible to, or
unable to cope with, the adverse effects of climate change. This section discusses the communities,
populations, and habitats in Region 9 that are most vulnerable to climate change, and where EPA's
mission intersects with the challenges that these vulnerable communities and habitats face. This section
also identifies where EPA's ability to meet its own mission and goals is at risk from climate change.
Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons with
underlying medical conditions or disabilities, those with limited access to information, and tribal and
indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Also, certain
geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in low-lying
coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into its
programs, policies, and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places and
infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be designed and implemented with
meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will be taken to
address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is conducted, the communities
and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change will be identified. The
Agency will then work in partnership with these communities to increase their adaptive capacity and
resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts will be informed by experiences with previous
extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery
efforts.
The EPA has not conducted a quantitative assessment of vulnerabilities within Region 9. Rather, we
have drawn on the best available science, the detailed assessments of others, and our own best
professional judgment. Summaries of selected writings are provided in Appendix B.
A. Definitions
Vulnerable communities include those which are in the path of potentially large climate-related impacts
and have limited ability or interest in re-locating. For example, traditional communities may have
important customs tied to specific locations. This includes some Native American Tribal communities on
the main land and Pacific Island communities on islands or atolls. A community's traditions may also
include specific vulnerable plant or animal species only found in certain areas. Major climate change
impacts (i.e., sea level rise, coastal erosion, fire, or flood) could physically destroy an entire community
or the most vulnerable segments. Some communities (indigenous or not) that are in the path of climate
change impacts may not have financial resources to adequately prepare or to relocate.
Vulnerable populations include individuals who are at risk because of existing health issues. The
populations most vulnerable to climate change often include, but are not limited to, the communities
that are the focus of EPA's environmental justice program. Children, the elderly, the poor, the infirm,
and tribal and indigenous populations are among the most vulnerable. For example, the elderly tend to
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be more susceptible to heat stroke due to their bodies' decreased ability to cool down and
complications with existing chronic ailments (e.g., diabetes).3. In addition, people on fixed incomes have
limited financial resources to protect their health (e.g., incurring electric bill charges for running an air
conditioner during an extreme heat event). Individuals with asthma are more susceptible to the impacts
of increased ozone and particulate matter in the air4.
Vulnerable habitats are at risk when the resources and conditions they depend on change or are
eliminated. For example, a wet montane meadow dependent on snowmelt runoff all summer may not
survive if mountain snows dry up before summer's end. A coral reef may not survive if storms wash
sediment from the land and the coral is smothered. A protective mangrove forest may be flooded and
destroyed by storm wave over wash and sea level rise5, allowing storms to erode a newly exposed
coastline and formerly protected communities.
The effectiveness of EPA programs will be at risk if they cannot meet the EPA mission and goals in the
face of climate change. EPA must consider climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in the regular
course of work (e.g., reviewing grant applications, permit applications and NEPA documents; planning
for emergency response; considering air pollution impacts to communities). Public health could be put
at risk if drinking water supply pipes are washed away in a storm. The biological integrity of a restored
coastal wetland system could be lost due to sea level rise. Wildfires and dust storms could put more
particulate matter into the atmosphere which could reduce air quality and negatively impact human
health. EPA's emergency response capabilities may be called on more frequently as extreme weather
events increase. EPA owned or rented facilities may be directly impacted (e.g., due to sea level rise) or
indirectly impacted (e.g., power line failures) by climate change. During and following extreme weather
events, the ability of EPA personnel to access communication systems, or respond in person, may be
impeded by storm damage and flooding.
B. Vulnerabilities in Region 9
Climate change exacerbates our existing environmental problems, and makes it more challenging for
EPA to fulfill its mission to protect public health and the environment Anticipated climate change
impacts, their likelihood of occurrence, and their effects on EPA programs are described in Appendix A,
"Challenges that Climate Change Poses to EPA Region 9 Program Effectiveness".
In order to understand the challenges that EPA programs will face, it is important to understand the
vulnerabilities that the Region 9 communities, populations and habitats will face. Climate change
vulnerability varies from one geographic area to another within Region 9, due to the variation in
interactions of the ocean, the landscape and the atmosphere. The climate change challenges that
Federally-recognized Tribes within Region 9 face are of particular concern to EPA. This section provides
background on vulnerabilities within Region 9 geographic zones, and in Indian Country.
B. 1. Vulnerabilities in Geographic Regions of Region 9
Region 9 lies within 3 of the 8 geographic regions defined by the National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
Response to Climate Change6-the Southwest, the Montane, and the U.S. Pacific Islands and Territories.
Unless otherwise referenced, the following descriptions of vulnerabilities in these three geographical
regions (sections B.I.a., B.l.b., and B.l.c.) are from this same 2012 EPA document. These regional
designations are based largely on those defined by the US Global Change Research Program.3
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B.I.a. The Southwest Region: Much of the southwest is arid with relatively high air temperatures.
Several mountain ranges, as well as the Pacific Ocean, influence climate and water resources in certain
parts of the Region. Water is stored as snowpack during the winter and released to streams in the
spring and early summer, helping to meet increasing water demands. There are three major river
systems: the Sacramento-San Joaquin, the Colorado, and the Rio Grande. Several huge water storage
and conveyance projects divert water from rivers for more widespread use by agriculture and growing
cities. The lack of rainfall and the prospect of future droughts becoming more severe is a significant
concern, especially because the Southwest continues to lead the nation in population growth.
• Warmer temperatures will reduce mountain snow packs, and peak spring runoff from snow melt
will shift to earlier in the season, leading to and increasing the shortage of fresh water during the
summer. A longer and hotter warm season will likely result in longer periods of extremely low
flow and lower minimum flows in late summer. Water supply systems that have no storage or
limited storage (e.g., small municipal reservoirs) may suffer seasonal shortages in summer;
• The magnitude of projected temperature increases for the Southwest, particularly when combined
with urban heat island effects for major cities such as Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and many
California cities, represents significant stresses to health, energy, and water supply in a region that
already experiences very high summer temperatures;
• Reduced ground water supply due to a lack of recharge will be of concern;
• Warmer ocean temperatures may decrease productivity by stopping entrainment of deep supplies
of nutrients. The resulting reductions in commercial species will need to be addressed to support
continued production of fisheries and aquatic life;
• Increased frequency and altered timing of flooding will increase risks to people, ecosystems, and
infrastructure. Increased flood risk is likely to result from a combination of decreased snow cover
on the lower slopes of high mountains, and an increased percentage of winter precipitation falling
as rain and therefore running off more rapidly;
• Sea levels are rising and contributing to the loss of wetlands and infrastructure located along
coastal corridors; and
• The magnitude and frequency of wildfires have increased over the last 30 years which severely
impacts water quality in streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, and estuaries.
B.l.b. The Montane Region: The Montane region within EPA Region 9 includes the glaciated mountain
tops and down-slope watersheds of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades. These areas are unique in that
they rely on winter snow accumulation for their water supply. Sensitive ecological communities include
bogs and fens. Montane glaciers and snowfields are reservoirs of water for the human populations and
ecological communities at lower elevations.
Most ecosystems in the North American Montane Region are predicted to slowly migrate and shift their
distribution towards the north in response to warming temperatures. However, the alpine areas are
often distributed as small, isolated regions surrounded by other habitats. These areas can be
disconnected from each other by wide stretches of land used for timber production, ranching, or other
uses. Instead of shifts in latitude, alpine vegetation and animals will be limited to shifts in altitude,
unless connections between suitable habitats can be made.7
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• A warmer climate will cause lower-elevation habitats to move into higher zones, encroaching on
alpine and sub-alpine habitats;
• High-elevation plants and animals will lose habitat area as they move higher with some
"disappearing off the tops of mountains;"
• Rising temperatures will increase the importance of connections between mountain areas;
• Rising temperatures may cause mountain snow to melt earlier and faster in spring, shifting the
timing and distribution of runoff. This in turn affects the availability of freshwater for natural
systems and for human uses. Earlier melting leads to drier conditions for the balance of the water
year, with increased fire frequency and intensity;
• Water supplies will become increasingly scarce, calling for trade-offs among competing uses, and
leading to conflict;
• Increased frequency and altered timing of flooding will increase risks to people, ecosystems, and
infrastructure;
• Projected increases in temperature, evaporation, and drought frequency add to concerns about
the region's declining water resources; and
• Climate change is likely to affect native plant and animal species by altering key habitats such as
the wetland ecosystems known as montane fens or playa lakes.
B.l.c. The Pacific Islands Region: The Pacific Islands region in EPA Region 9 encompasses the Hawaiian
Islands, as well as the United States affiliated Pacific islands, including the territories of American Samoa,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Guam. The Pacific Islands are more
vulnerable to climate change than nearly any other region in the United States. Key vulnerabilities
include availability of freshwater, adverse impacts to coastal and marine ecosystems, and exposure to
hazards including sea level rise and inundation.
• Rising sea levels, higher sea temperatures, and ocean acidification associated with climate change
are further degrading coral reefs already stressed by overfishing and pollution. Their loss
diminishes ecological heritage, shoreline protection, food supply from the sea, and results in a
decline in income from ecotourism in the Pacific Island communities where tourism is one of the
largest industries;
• Potential for extended drought, due to a change in rain-delivering weather systems. Due to the
geographic isolation of the Pacific Islands and the challenges of delivering freshwater from other
regions, a drought could have major impacts on freshwater supply. A severe drought would
impact water supplies for drinking water, agriculture irrigation, and industry. Key freshwater and
brackish habitats would likely be impacted 8. The western Pacific already experiences the highest
rate of Category 4 and 5 storms. Climate change may bring more frequent and higher energy
storms resulting in potentially catastrophic damage to island infrastructure. This degree of
damage could cripple the economies of Pacific Island communities for significant periods of time,
not only impairing economic development but also the ability of local governments to ensure
delivery of basic water and sewer and other public health services; and
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• Sea level rise has multiple implications for Pacific Island communities:
o For the low-lying atolls, entire islands may be submerged within a generation and may result
in environmental refugees seeking new homes;
o For some low-lying islands, sea level rise can result in "wash over/' in which islands, or
portions of islands, are submerged by waves during large storm events. This results in salt
water contamination of agricultural lands, significantly decreasing the productivity of those
lands. This loss of agricultural productivity has an acute impact on the largely subsistence-
based economies of these communities;
o For many of the islands, sea level rise has an immediate, and accelerated impact on coastal
erosion, which affects water quality, coral reef health, coastal infrastructure, available land,
and culturally significant sites; and
o Sea level rise increases the potential for salt water intrusion into the sole source aquifers
upon which many Pacific Islands rely for drinking water. There are few or no readily
accessible alternative drinking water options when a community is confronted with the loss
of productivity of a sole source aquifer.
Appendix B provides summaries of selected studies conducted on climate change vulnerabilities in the
geographic areas of Region 9.
B.2. Vulnerabilities on Tribal lands in Region 9
The US EPA Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan2, issued on February 8, 2013, includes
a discussion of the importance of EPA working with the Tribes to assist them in successfully adapting to
climate change:
"Indigenous people are among the most vulnerable communities in North America.9 Tribes are more
vulnerable to climate change impacts because of their dependence upon a specific geographic area for
their livelihoods, the degree to which those geographic areas embody climate-sensitive environments,
and their unique cultural, economic, or political characteristics and contexts. Also, tribes generally have
fewer resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural hazards, including those related to
climate change.10 The disproportionate vulnerability of tribes to climate change affects EPA's mission to
protect human health and the environment in Indian country."
"Drought is perhaps the most pervasive climate-induced weather impact on tribes. Water is at the heart
of many tribal cultures and the foundation of their livelihoods, economies, subsistence, and treaty
rights. Water is essential to the sustainability of the fish, wildlife, and plants on which tribes rely. The
recent trend toward more severe and frequent droughts, especially in the American Southwest,
threatens the very underpinnings of tribal communities. The Southwest is already in the midst of a 10-15
year drought, and climate projections suggest the Southwest may transition to a more arid climate on a
permanent basis over the next century and beyond.11 In fact, climate observations indicate that this
transition may have already begun.12"
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IV. Priority Actions
EPA Region 9 is already addressing climate change adaptation in several program areas. We will
continue to pursue the best opportunities for integrating climate change into our existing programs, and
identify new climate change adaptation needs where EPA's involvement is critical.
As EPA Region 9 cannot immediately address all climate change adaptation needs, we have adopted
criteria to screen potential actions. EPA Region 9 will target its climate change adaptation work, based
on the following criteria:
• Does the action target one of the most severe and immediate vulnerabilities?
• Does the action focus on one of the most vulnerable populations and/or geographic areas?
• Does EPA Region 9 have the capacity (personnel and funding resources) and ability (knowledge,
skills, and authority) to take the action and contribute to a solution?
• Is this a priority action for our partners (federal/state/territory/tribal/local government and non-
government) and are they able to work with us towards a solution?
• Does the action support and align with other EPA Region 9 priorities and actions?
In Sections A and B below, we describe a substantial number of priority actions that EPA Region 9 plans
to implement as climate change adaptation measures. We include both region-wide adaptation actions
and program-specific actions. In addition, below are five specific adaptation actions that reflect EPA
Region 9's strong commitment to climate change adaptation. The region intends to provide particular
emphasis and focus on these adaptation actions over the next year.
* Implement the Region 9 Coral Reef Strategy and provide leadership to reduce local pollution and
increase coral reef climate change resiliency.
* Hold at least one roundtable discussion session with federal and state agencies, and other key climate
change adaptation stakeholders, to discuss climate change vulnerabilities and coordinate efforts to build
climate change resiliency.
* Provide a key venue at R9 RTOC Meetings to identify key tribal climate change adaptation issues and
success stories, as well as technical and financial resources to build resiliency, and provide a forum for
information sharing, training, and capacity building. Support elevation of appropriate issues to the
Tribal Science Council, promoting Region 9 tribes' participation with ORD on climate change issues and in
climate change discussions.
* Support EPA's state counterparts in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada in climate adaptation
efforts, potentially including developing an annual summary of their climate change adaptation
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successes, summarizing regional highlights for building climate change resiliency, or promoting success
stories on climate change adaptation.
* Provide training to the EPA Region 9 workforce on climate change impacts and adaptation
opportunities. Provide training on incorporating climate change into the Region's programmatic
operations.
A. Region-Wide Themes for Climate Change Adaptation
1. Mainstream Climate Change into EPA's Work.
Critical to carrying out the EPA mission is our ability to integrate climate change considerations into our
everyday work. EPA Region 9 has been active in this area since developing our Energy and Climate
Change Strategy in 2007. This Strategy led to the formation of our Clean Energy & Climate Change
Office, which serves the entire Region, and the establishment of a cross-divisional Clean Energy and
Climate Change Team (ETeam). Drawing upon the foundation laid in the EPA Office of Water Climate
Change Strategy and the CCA Plans which other EPA regions and Headquarters offices are preparing,
EPA Region 9 will continue to integrate climate adaptation into existing programs and activities to
maximize their effectiveness. This will include the following steps and activities:
a. Strengthen adaptive capacity for EPA Region 9 and our partners. EPA Region 9's ETeam and
Regional Science Council have worked together to offer a series of climate change training sessions to all
Region 9 staff. In order to continue to integrate climate change into EPA Region 9's existing programs
effectively, EPA Region 9 will continue to train our staff, and build our capacity for adaptation actions.
We anticipate that future training sessions will focus within the EPA Region 9 office, but will also likely
extend to our federal, state, tribal and local partners.
To assist our partners in taking actions most relevant to their particular climate change vulnerabilities,
EPA is invested in supporting the partners' own decision-making. The term "decision-support tools" is
used to describe documents or programs that help organizations understand what questions to ask, or
what data to gather, so they can decide what actions to take to increase their climate change resilience.
• Provide training opportunities to our staff to increase their understanding of climate change
vulnerabilities in our Region, and how to best incorporate climate change adaptation into our
work. As needs and expertise vary between EPA Region 9 programs and between individuals,
ask staff what their specific priority climate change adaptation training needs and preferences
are. Provide training that is the most urgent or will fill the biggest information gaps.
• Work with EPA Region 9 Science Council, EPA national Program Offices, the EPA-wide training
program in the Office of Human Resources, and outside partners, to provide access to on-line
and in-person training opportunities. This includes access to a library of webinars and
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recordings of classes that make the best use of current technology. [Work with EPA
Headquarters]
• Encourage our partners to integrate climate change adaptation effectively into their work.
Share existing decision-support tools and training opportunities on climate change adaptation,
especially where training is local or available on-line.
• Where resources allow, and our expertise exists, provide decision-support tool information
directly to partners (e.g., targeted training sessions). Look for opportunities to coordinate with
partners (federal, state, territory, and tribal agencies, and non-government organizations) on
climate change adaptation training sessions.
• On a regular basis, update climate change content on EPA Region 9 websites -for both climate-
related and programmatic web pages. Encourage other organizations to link to our climate
change web pages. Include links to EPA climate change web pages in communications to
partners about related issues.
b. Integrate Climate Change Adaptation into Funding Mechanisms. Incorporating climate change
consideration into funding actions will help build the climate change adaptation capacity of our
partners, and make it less likely that funds will be spent on projects that will be damaged or destroyed
by sea level rise or extreme storm events, or other climate change impacts.
• Continue to incorporate the consideration of climate change impacts and adaptation measures
into financial mechanisms, such as grants and contracts. The number of EPA Region 9 funding
mechanisms that are now considering climate change adaptation continues to grow. Existing
funds include General Assistance Program grants to tribes, San Francisco Bay Water Quality
Improvement Fund (SFBWOJF) grants and Wetland Program Development Grants. Other grant
funds that could include climate change adaptation consideration are the Clean Water Act
Section 319 (nonpoint source control) and Section 106 (water quality monitoring), Brownfields,
and the Strong Cities-Strong Communities (SC2).
• Encourage States to require climate change adaptation consideration in their State Revolving
Fund loan programs. [Work with other Regions and EPA Headquarters]
• Implement EPA Region 9's Greening Grants Policy, encouraging grantees to not only reduce
their carbon footprint, but also implement sustainable measures which are important to
successful climate change adaptation (e.g., water and energy conservation).
2. Focus on severe vulnerabilities.
Three severe potential impacts in EPA Region 9, relative to EPA's mission, are:
1) decreased water availability due to drought and loss of snow pack;
2) flooding due to more extreme weather events and sea level rise; and
3) degradation of coral reefs due to ocean acidification and bleaching.
In focusing on these particular vulnerabilities, EPA will consider where it can best contribute to the work
of federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, and non-governmental organizations. While many of the
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specific actions targeting these vulnerabilities are described in the EPA Region 9 program-specific
section, below, some of the general areas of adaptation we will pursue are described here.
a. Decreased water availability due to drought and loss of snow pack. EPA Region 9 water resources
are already limited on the mainland and on the Pacific islands.
• Promote water use efficiency, conservation, and recycling.
• Promote the protection and restoration of wetlands and riparian areas in order to protect the
quality and quantity of surface and groundwater supplies.
• Promote the use of Green Infrastructure for more sustainable stormwater management (e.g.,
reducing polluted runoff to surface waters, providing flood mitigation, enhancing drinking water
supplies).
• Work with our states, tribes, and local partners to prepare for potential water shortages.
Provide water resource managers and utilities with access and training for existing decision-
support tools; collaborate on new tool development and training; and use EPA funds and
resources to leverage other water resource and infrastructure funds for climate change
adaptation.
b. Flooding as a result of more extreme weather events and sea level rise. The areas of EPA Region 9
most susceptible to sea level rise are Hawaii, the Pacific Island territories, and coastal California -
including the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay Delta Estuary).
With particular focus on these coastal areas, EPA Region 9 will use its Geographic Information System
(GIS) mapping capabilities, and available tools from government and non-government partners, to
better target adaptation actions. Region 9 will consider improved mapping of hazardous waste sites to
illustrate climate change vulnerabilities of these locations (e.g., sea level rise, storm event flooding),
especially around vulnerable communities and ecosystems. This information can be used to help
prioritize EPA Region 9's adaptation actions and help our partners prioritize their own work.
c. Degradation of coral reefs due to ocean acidification and bleaching. Climate change and related
increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are triggering ocean warming, acidification, sea level rise,
and increased storm intensity, all of which pose major threats to the future of coral reefs.
• EPA Region 9 will implement our coral reef strategy to protect and help increase the resilience
of these fragile ecosystems in the face of climate change.
• EPA Region 9 will use the Clean Water Act and other authorities to improve protection of coral
reefs in Hawaii, the U.S. territories, and other U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands, especially by
controlling land-based sources of pollution which impact coral reefs.
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3. Focus on the most vulnerable populations and geographic areas.
a. Tribes. Tribes in EPA Region 9 are increasingly concerned about the effects of a changing climate on
their communities, resources and traditional cultural practices. Tribes in EPA Region 9 already
experience temperature extremes and droughts, which have negatively affected their lands. Some
Tribes are drawing on their oral histories and their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to document
past and current conditions, assess changes, and plan for adaptation.
EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and
decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further expressed in the
1984 EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations and the 2011
Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These policies recognize and support the
sovereign decision-making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes are
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the environment
within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation strategies that
promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Indian tribes.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes recommended a number
of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information;
supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level
education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time,
tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
This Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal governments, on an ongoing
basis, to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation-related priorities. These
collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provided by our tribal partners and the TEK they
possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate
change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings.
Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is viewed as a complementary resource that
can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues,
including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
and the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP). Additionally, Region 9 will pursue effective
coordination among EPA Regional and Program Offices, since climate change has many impacts that
transcend program and regional boundaries. Transparency and information sharing will continue, in
order to leverage activities already taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
• Support and encourage the use of General Assistance Program (GAP) grants, and other available
funds for climate change adaptation, as particular funds allow (e.g., education of staff and
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members, assessing their community and environment, developing climate change adaptation
plans).
Continue to provide funding for sustainable water infrastructure on tribal lands, in coordination
with the Indian Health Service.
Use the Regional Tribal Operations Committee as a forum for climate change adaptation
information sharing, training, and capacity building.
Exchange information with the National Tribal Science Council on national tribal climate change
adaptation needs and directions, as appropriate. [Work with EPA Headquarters]
Coordinate with other federal agencies who work directly with tribes to determine the best way
to collaborate on climate change adaptation support.
Consult with tribes on major proposed EPA climate change actions, in accordance with our
established tribal consultation policies.
b. Islands. Hawaii and the United States Pacific Island territories of American Samoa, Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Guam are among the most vulnerable areas on the planet
for climate change impacts. Within decades, it may not be viable to live on some currently-populated
Pacific islands. Sea level rise, coastal erosion, extreme drought, an increase of severe storms, and a
reduction of food supply, all threaten sustainable human habitat on some islands. The EPA Region 9
Pacific Islands Office and the EPA Region 9 program offices will work with island governments, and other
partners, to address critical climate change adaptation vulnerabilities (e.g., shortage of freshwater
supplies, impacts to coastal and marine ecosystems including coral reefs, and hazards associated with
rising sea levels and storm events including damage to wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, crop
damage, saltwater intrusion into aquifers, and inundation of low-lying islands).
• Support and encourage the use of grants to local environmental agencies and other entities for
climate change adaptation.
• Continue the use of water and wastewater construction funds to support sustainable water
infrastructure in the Pacific islands in light of anticipated climate change impacts.
• Use the tools at EPA's disposal, including funding, technical assistance, and enforcement to
protect coral reefs from land-based sources of pollution.
• Factor climate change impacts and climate change adaptation into emergency preparedness and
emergency response in the Pacific islands.
• Coordinate with, and participate in, local Pacific island climate change and renewable energy
working groups and task forces.
• Coordinate with other federal agencies who work with the Pacific islands on climate change
adaptation.
c. California Coast (including the Bay Delta Estuary). The California coast and the Bay Delta Estuary
are at risk from climate change. Storm events and sea level rise are expected to impact coastal
watersheds, tidal wetlands, and low-elevation infrastructure. California state and local agencies, federal
agencies, and non-government organizations are already working together to begin to address climate
change impacts. EPA Region 9 will continue work with these partners to determine where our abilities
and resources can be best applied to facilitate climate change adaptation.
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B. Program-Specific Climate Change Adaptation Actions
Each EPA Region 9 program office will continue to work with its counterpart office at EPA Headquarters,
and with other partners, to determine how to best integrate key climate change actions into current
work. EPA Region 9 will continue to identify new priority actions that are critical to building climate
change resilience. Existing and potential EPA Region 9 priority actions for climate change adaptation are
identified below. EPA Region 9 intends to continue to pursue current actions and take on new priorities,
as resources allow.
1. Air Program
EPA Region 9's Air Division is pursuing work that has benefits for climate change adaptation. It is
anticipated that increased temperatures due to climate change have the potential to increase the
formation of photochemical smog. Thus, Air Division will need to adapt to this reality and will focus on
reducing air quality impacts of climate change through efforts to reduce NOx and other smog and
PM2.5-forming pollutants. The EPA Region 9 Air Division anticipates the following actions in 2014.
• Focus on reduction of tropospheric photo-chemical smog, or ozone, as climate change
is anticipated to increase the potential for ozone formation.
o Work with other Regions and HQ air program managers, as appropriate, to develop
a strategy, in context to other programmatic priorities, on how to incorporate
climate adaptation into air quality programs (e.g., SIP, permits).
o Work with California's Air Resources Board (ARB) as they further "Vision 2050" to
address increases in ozone formation as temperatures increase.
o Provide leadership and administer Clean Air Technology Initiative grants in South Coast
and San Joaquin Valley Air Districts.
o Leverage additional public and private resources for zero and low-emission technology
deployment.
o Work with local air pollution control agencies that are preparing multi-pollutant clean
air plans that anticipate increased temperatures due to climate change (e.g., Bay Area
Air Quality Management District).
o In anticipation of additional air quality challenges, evaluate additional staff needs to
handle the larger workload.
• Use ORIA-generated messages and local resources to educate the public regarding mold and
other indoor air quality issues. Work with local air pollution control agencies to assure
consistent messaging.
o Public inquiries may increase due to extreme weather events. Additional regional staff
time may be needed to answer calls from the public.
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2. Water Program
Much of the work of the EPA Region 9 Water Program - to protect and improve water quality and
enhance aquatic resources - also contributes to the resilience of watersheds. In fact, many of the tools
and approaches used today (e.g., wetlands and floodplain restoration, watershed management, green
infrastructure implementation, and water conservation) will be even more critical under changing
climatic conditions. Hence, the Water Program's priority for climate change adaptation is to accelerate
these existing efforts. We will focus not only on restoring impaired watersheds, but also protecting
higher quality watersheds to increase their resilience to climate change impacts.
The near-term EPA Region 9 Water Program priority actions are described below, arranged under the 4
main water programmatic elements identified in the "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response
to Climate Change" - Infrastructure, Watersheds and Wetlands, Coastal and Ocean Waters, and Water
Quality.
a. Infrastructure
• Reach out to utilities and provide webinars to inform them about and encourage use of Climate
Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) tools, including the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness
Tool (GREAT), vulnerability assessments, training workshops, and other tools.
• Work with the states to support use of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) monies to
train water utilities on American Water Works Association (AWWA's) Water Audit Software (if
appropriate permission is obtained) to identify customized and cost-effective water savings
opportunities, and continue to promote use of SRF for leak detection or repair. EPA will consider
conducting a webinar(s) on the AWWA software as well.
• Encourage water utilities (and others, including schools) to become EPA WaterSense partners.
• Work through the interagency partnerships coordinated by our Sustainable Infrastructure
program to leverage funding to support sustainable water infrastructure and water use
efficiency projects.
• Encourage the reuse of water through collaboration with state and tribal governments, utilities
and non-government partners.
• Communicate the advantages and successes of green infrastructure through the EPA Region 9
website and outreach opportunities; assemble case studies of utilities that have successfully
implemented adaptation planning. Encourage implementation of green infrastructure through
numerous EPA funding programs, including SRF, SFBWOJF, National Estuary Program, Clean
Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source, and US-Mexico Border Infrastructure.
• Develop model language for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits to
require asset management planning that accounts for existing facility replacement and
maintenance, as well as potential upgrades needed to deal with sea level rise, increased flood
risk, and drought conditions where appropriate. [Work with EPA Headquarters]
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• Promote climate change adaptation planning through enforcement orders and consent decrees,
as appropriate.
b. Watersheds and Wetlands
• Enhance EPA Region 9's efforts to restore impaired waters and improve aquatic ecosystems, in
order to increase watershed resilience to climate change. Actions include targeted project
implementation in priority watersheds, based on Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
determinations and watershed plans, and collaboration in these watersheds with federal, state,
territory, tribal and local agency partners to leverage additional resources and expertise to
achieve meaningful results.
• Work with the State of California and the California Water Quality Monitoring Council to identify
healthy watersheds through an integrated assessment, and to support the implementation of
California's Healthy Streams Partnership (report expected in December, 2013).
• Continue to deliver outreach on the Climate Change Handbook (EPA's effort with CDWR and
COE for Integrated Regional Water Management Planning) to assist water planners in
integrating climate change considerations into their water resource plans, particularly outside
California.
• Develop model language for commenting on Clean Water Act Section 404 permits (impacts to
wetlands) to request that project alternatives consider sea level rise and flood risk, as well as
decreasing stressors on wetlands (and other waters of the US) sensitive to climate change (e.g.,
coral reefs, alpine fens). Develop model climate change adaptation language for Section 404
permit-related wetland mitigation banks. Incorporate green infrastructure provisions, for
management and use of runoff, into appropriate wetland permits and CWA Section 401
certifications for water quality. [Work with EPA Headquarters]
• Incorporate the consideration of climate change adaptation into watershed-related EPA grant
requests for proposal (RFPs) and other funding mechanisms. Encourage, or require, applicants
to protect and restore aquatic landscapes to make existing communities more climate-ready
(e.g., more robust riparian habitat and wetlands, more groundwater recharge areas, less runoff
of pollution directly into water ways).
• Encourage states and tribes to conduct water quality monitoring under Clean Water Act section
106, to gather water quality information that can also be used to track potential changes to
water quality from climate change.
• For the San Francisco Bay, seek opportunities to support and work with climate change
adaptation efforts underway, through our participation on the Bay Conservation and
Development Commission, the Habitat Goals Project, and other San Francisco Bay Forums.
• Collaborate with nongovernment partners and key agencies [i.e., California Department of
Water Resources (CDWR), US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the US Army Corps of Engineers
(ACOE), and the US Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)] to implement the Central
Valley Flood Protection Plan, by:
- setting back levees to reconnect creeks and rivers with floodplains (thereby increasing capacity
for flood retention and groundwater recharge);
Page 20 of 46
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- restoring riparian forest to the floodplains to recover fish and wildlife populations and improve
water quality; and
- providing landowners with incentives for levee setbacks and revenue for resulting ecosystem
services, in collaboration with the agricultural community.
c. Coastal and Ocean Waters
• Work with the three EPA Region 9 National Estuary Programs (San Francisco Estuary
Partnership, Morro Bay Estuary Program and Santa Monica Bay Partnership) to facilitate sharing
of climate change information and tools, including those developed under the Climate Ready
Estuaries Program (e.g., technical guidance, toolkits, reports, and studies).
• Continue appropriate involvement in the West Coast Governor's Alliance on Ocean Health.
• Continue participation in updating the San Francisco Bay Wetlands Goals Report, which will
incorporate an improved understanding of the impact of climate change on bay habitats.
Engage in other climate change adaptation efforts with partners in the Bay Delta Estuary, as
appropriate.
• Implement key elements of the EPA Region 9 Coral Reef Strategy to reduce local stress on coral
reefs systems (i.e., land-based pollution from point and non-point sources) which compounds
the vulnerability of coral reefs to ocean acidification and rising sea-surface temperatures. Use
available EPA resources to identify effective adaptation methods and reduce local stress on coral
reefs, and facilitate information exchange with our partners.
• Pacific Islands Office and Water Division will coordinate with the Pacific islands, state, territory
and local agencies, other federal agency offices, and other partners to identify the most critical
vulnerabilities. EPA Region 9 will continue to take into consideration the differences among
individual islands. Encourage the use of EPA funds to leverage capital funds for infrastructure
improvements, and conduct outreach and training for Pacific Island staff and other stakeholders
about taking climate change into consideration and building resilience. Current priorities
include long-term protection of drinking water supplies and improving wastewater
management.
d. Water Quality
• Ensure that NPDES stormwater permits consider climate change impacts and require the use of
stormwater retention and infiltration approaches (and other appropriate green infrastructure
provisions) for new development and redevelopment.
• Share information with other states, tribes, and EPA regions about California's laws and policies
which encourage and set goals for water recycling. This could include indirect potable water
reuse, gray water reuse, and rainwater harvesting.
• Consistent with the Bay Delta Action Plan:
- Collaborate with the California State Water Resources Control Board to set water quality
standards that factor in expected changes in precipitation and snowpack.
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3. National Environmental Policy Act Review Program.
In its review of NEPA documents prepared by other federal agencies, EPA Region 9 will seek to have
climate change-related environmental effects, and climate change adaptation measures appropriately
disclosed and considered in accordance with emerging guidance from the Council on Environmental
Quality.
4. Pesticides Program.
The EPA Region 9 Pesticides Office will evaluate how to incorporate climate change adaptation into its
existing activities, and examine where it may be most important to consider climate change adaptation.
The program will provide information specific to EPA Region 9 to the national program office for
pesticide registration reviews, and will help to ensure that climate change impacts in EPA Region 9 are
taken into account. The regional program will also determine how to best work with partners and
stakeholders (e.g., state, tribe and Pacific island regulatory partners, pesticide applicators, growers,
farmworkers, etc.) to help them better prepare to adapt to climate change and to incorporate
sustainable pest control practices as conditions and species shift. The Program will also assist state, tribe
and Pacific island partners with responding to potential increased need for compliance monitoring to
ensure that climate change impacts do not result in pesticide misuse.
5. Waste Program:
The EPA Region 9 Waste Program will evaluate how to incorporate climate change adaptation into its
existing activities, and examine where it may be most important to consider climate change
adaptation. The program will consider improved mapping of hazardous waste sites that accounts for
climate change vulnerabilities (e.g., sea level rise, storm event flooding, increased wildfire risk, high heat
events, and droughts), especially around vulnerable communities and ecosystems. Any effective
decision-support tools identified will be shared with states, territories, tribes, and other EPA regions and
Headquarters Program Offices.
6. Superfund Program:
The Region 9 Superfund Program will continue to identify opportunities to consider climate change
adaptation in our remedial decision-making, and in the design, operation and effectiveness evaluation of
our remedies. An important part of this effort will be continuing staff education on the effects of a
changing climate on the environment and on effective means of accounting for this change in our
decision-making and long term planning (removal and remedial cleanups, RE-Powering America,
Brownfields grants, Regional Support Corps emergency response).
Page 22 of 46
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The Region 9 Superfund Program will include climate change vulnerabilities (e.g. sea level rise, storm
event flooding, increased wildfire risk, high heat events and droughts), especially around vulnerable
communities and ecosystems, in Five Year Reviews of Superfund sites with remedies in place. The
program will also consider opportunities to share effective decision-support tools with other EPA
regions and Headquarters Program Offices. Climate change may lead to climate-related events that
result in an increased need for emergency response support. Consequently, the EPA Region 9
Superfund Program will continue to focus on providing sufficient staffing for emergency response,
including support from the EPA R9 Response Support Corps.
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V. Measuring and Evaluating Performance
A critical element of our climate change adaptation strategy is the measurement and evaluation of our
regional efforts. We will evaluate our climate change adaptation actions on an ongoing basis to assess
our progress toward mainstreaming climate change adaptation into the Region's programs, policies,
rules, and operations. Evaluating progress of our adaptation actions is particularly important because so
much of what we are doing with climate change adaptation is new and there will be a lot of "learning by
doing." Based on the lessons we learn, and lessons drawn from the efforts of our national programs,
regional counterparts, and other key partners and stakeholders, we can make adjustments to the way
adaptation is integrated into our activities.
The Region will conduct an annual evaluation of our progress and performance under this
implementation plan, with a particular focus on the priority actions in Section IV. The initial focus of our
evaluation will be a narrative assessment of our successes and accomplishments, what efforts and
strategies are working well - and why - as well as an identification of those activities that are not
proving successful, the reasons, and any recommendations for new or different approaches that would
yield better results and outcomes. This type of evaluation will best allow the Region to highlight our
progress, and learn from our efforts in order to continually improve the effectiveness of our climate
change adaptation mainstreaming efforts.
Although the Region is not identifying any specific "performance measures" for our climate change
adaptation work at this time, we anticipate that such measures could be developed in future years as
we more fully integrate climate change efforts into our regional programs. In addition, the Region will
continue to coordinate with our Headquarters counterparts to provide input for the existing Agency-
wide strategic performance measures from the FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, as well as any annual
performance measures being established by the national program managers. These national measures,
which focus on integrating climate change adaptation into the Agency's rulemaking processes,
distribution of financial and technical resources, and development of information tools, represent a
framework within which we anticipate developing future performance measures for our regional climate
change adaptation mainstreaming efforts.
Footnotes
1 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Statement. (June 2, 2011). Policy Statement on
Climate Change Adaptation. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-
adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf
2 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (February 8, 2013). Draft Climate Change Adaptation
Plan. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA-climate-change-adaptation-plan-final-for-public-
comment-2-7-13.pdf
Page 24 of 46
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3 United States Global Change Research Program (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United
States . Karl, T.R., J.M. Melillo, and T.C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program.
Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA. http://globalchange.gov/what-we-
do/assessment/previous-assessments/global-climate-change-impacts-in-the-us-2009
4 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate
Matter: Final Report. http://www.epa.gOV/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s pm 2007 isa.html
5 Keener, V. W., Marra, J.J., Finucane, M. L, Spooner, D., & Smith, M. H. (Eds.). (2012). Climate
Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts. Report for the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate
Assessment (PIRCA). Washington, DC: Island Press, http://www.pacificrisa.org/projects/pirca/
6 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
Response to Climate Change, http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange
7 Jackson, S. (2006). Vegetation, environment, and time: the origination and termination of ecosystems.
Journal of Vegetation Science 17:549-557. Available at http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1658/1100-
9233(2006)17%5B549:VEATTO%5D2.0.CO%3B2
8 Fletcher, C. (2010). Hawai'i's Changing Climate. Briefing Sheet.
http://icap.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/sites/seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/files/publications/ClimateBriefin
g web.pdf
9 Parry, M.L, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (eds.). (2007). Contribution
of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, 2007. "Climate Change 2007: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability."
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2007.
10 Cutter, S.L and C. Finch. (2008). "Temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability to natural
hazards." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(7): 2301-2306.
11 Solomon, S., G-K Plattner, R. Knutti, and P. Friedlingstein. (2009). Irreversible climate change due to
carbon dioxide emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(6): 1,704-1,709. DOI:
10.1073/pnas.0812721106; Johanson, CM., and Q. Fu, 2009: Hadley Cell Widening: Model Simulations
versus Observations. Journal of Climate, 22:2,713-2,725.
12 Seager, R., et al. (2007). Model Projections of an Imminent Transition to a More Arid Climate in
Southwestern North America. Science, 316: 1,181-1,184.
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Appendix A: Challenges that Climate Change Poses to
EPA Region 9 Program Effectiveness
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
EPA REGION 9 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Focus of
Associated
Region 9 Program
Example of Risks to Public Health
and Environment if
Region 9 Program were Impacted
• Increased • Likely1 • Protecting public • High | • Could become more difficult to
tropospheric health and the
ozone
pollution in
certain
regions
environment by
•
approving
state
programs
to meet
the
National
Ambient
Air
Quality
Standards
(NAAQS),
and
• implemen
ting
programs
in Indian
attain NAAQS for ozone in many
areas with existing ozone
problems.
Country.
Page 26 of 46
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• Increased • Likely2 • Protecting public
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Increasing
extreme
temperature
s
health and the
environment by
•
approving
state
programs
to meet
the
National
Ambient
Air
Quality
Standards
(NAAQS),
and
• implemen
ting
programs
in Indian
Country.
• Very • Protect public
Likely3 health by
• Increasing • Likely3-6
heavy
precipitation
events
promoting
healthy indoor
environments
through
voluntary
programs and
guidance.
• High
• Med.
• Could complicate Agency efforts
to protect public health and the
environment from risks posed by
particulate matter (PM) pollution
in areas affected by more
frequent wildfires.
• Could increase public health risks
in indoor environments; including
risks for the young, the elderly,
the chronically ill, and
socioeconomically disadvantaged
populations.
Page 27 of 46
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• Effects on
the
stratospheric
ozone layer
• Effects on
response of
ecosystems
to
atmospheric
deposition of
sulfur,
nitrogen, and
mercury.
• Likely4 • Restoring the
• Likely5
stratospheric
ozone layer,
• Preventing UV-
related disease,
and
• Providing a
smooth
transition to
safer energy
alternatives.
• Agency
emissions
reduction
programs
provide some
ecosystem
protection.
^^^^=^^^^=
* Low
• Unable to restore ozone
concentrations to benchmark
levels as quickly, at some
latitudes.
• Low • Could have consequences for the
effectiveness of ecosystem
protections under certain
programs.
Page 28 of 46
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
EPA REGION 9 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Focus of
Associated
Region 9 Program
Example of Risks to Public Health
and Environment if
Region 9 Program were Impacted
Increasing • Likely3-6 * Restoring and
heavy
precipitation
protecting
watersheds,
events aquatic
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
and typhoons
Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Likely3 ecosystems and
• Likely6
Sea-level rise • Very
wetlands.
(continued
below)
Ocean likely7
acidification • Certain8 |
(continued
below)
• High
• Increased heavy precipitation
and storm events increase
number of sewer overflows and
wastewater bypasses, increased
coastal and inland erosion, as
well as increased pollutant loads
in runoff, and may combine to
damage waterway channels,
coastlines and infrastructure,
decrease water quality, and
threaten public health.
• Sea level rise would flood coastal
wetlands and eliminate them if
they cannot migrate up slope and
inland.
• Ocean acidification will increase
stress on shellfisheries and
continued stress on coral reefs.
(continued below)
Page 29 of 46
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
EPA REGION 9 PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS '
Focus of
Associated
Region 9 Program
Example of Risks to Public Health
and Environment if
Region 9 Program were Impacted
Increased
water
temperatures
Earlier timing
of spring
snowmelt
events
Reduction in
snowpack
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Very
Likely9
• Very
Likely10
• Very
likely11
• Likely2
(Continued)
Restoring and
protecting
watersheds,
aquatic
ecosystems and
wetlands.
• High
• Increased stresses to water
bodies and water quality would
make it more challenging to
protect and restore the chemical,
biological, and physical integrity
of Waters of the U.S, and water
quality standards.
• Snowmelt runoff shift to earlier
in the spring, could result in
increased floods in spring and
reduced stream flow later in
summer, altering aquatic
environments and increasing
impairments.
• Geographic shifts in aquatic
habitat and species may threaten
water quality and the economic
and cultural practices of tribal,
and other indigenous,
communities.
* Increased temperatures, drought,
wildfires, and invasive species
may accelerate landscape change
and make certain aquatic
ecosystems (e.g., mountain wet
meadows, vernal pools, desert
springs, and playa lakes) more
vulnerable to loss.
Page 30 of 46
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• Increasing • Likely3-6 | • Drinking water,
heavy
precipitation
events
• Increasing
• Likely3
intensity of
hurricanes
and
typhoons • Very
• Sea-level rise likely7
• Increasing
• Likely6
wastewater and
stormwater
infrastructure
flood risk • Likely2
• Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires • Very
• Earlier timing Likely10
of spring
snowmelt
events
• Likely6
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• High
* Increase in inland precipitation ,
storm intensity and snowmelt
flooding could overwhelm or
damage water infrastructure (i.e.,
intakes, outfalls, treatment
plants, and associated pipes and
pumps) resulting in an increase in
pathogens and an increased
incidence of waterborne diseases
* Sea level rise in combination with
Intensifying coastal storms and
flooding would impact coastal
and tide-water infrastructure;
which could result in an increase
in pathogens, an increased
incidence of waterborne
diseases, and reduced access to
freshwater
• In addition to earthquake
response plans and other hazard
response plans, drinking water
and wastewater utilities will need
to consider extreme weather,
wildfire, and sea level events in
their emergency response plans,
as appropriate (an "all hazards"
approach)
• Problems of safety as well as
access to clean and safe drinking
water will be exacerbated for
vulnerable and economically
deprived communities.
Page 31 of 46
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• Increased
• Very • The quality and
water likely8 availability of
temperature safe drinking
s • Likely3 water
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Likely6
• Very
* Reduction in likely10
snowpack • Likely2
• Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
* Earlier timing
• Very
Likely10
of spring
snowmelt
events • Very
* Sea Level Likely7
Rise
• High
• High water temperatures and
increased storm-water runoff
may increase the need for
drinking water treatment, raising
drinking water system costs and
costs for customers.
• Decrease in precipitation or
changes in precipitation seasons
could impact water availability,
forcing communities to seek
alternative sources.
* Changes in precipitation or an
increased need for water
supplies may increase pressure to
use other water supplies (e.g.,
surface reservoirs, or naturally
occurring or injected
groundwater requiring EPA to
ensure safety.
» Problems of access to clean and
safe drinking water will be
exacerbated for vulnerable and
economically deprived
communities.
» Sea Level Rise could lead to salt
water inundation or intrusion
into coastal freshwater
groundwater sources.
Page 32 of 46
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• Likely3-6 • Cleaning up
Contaminated
Sites and Waste
Management
• Likely6
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
risk of floods
• Sea level rise
• Increasingly frequent or intense
inland and coastal flooding, as
well as increasingly frequent or
intense wildfires, could increase
the risk of contaminant releases
from EPA hazardous waste sites
• EPA may need to alter selected
remedies to ensure protection.
• Very
likely7
• Very
likely3
• Likely2
Changes in
temperature
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Likely3-6 • Emergency
Response
Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
Increasing
intensity of
hurricanes
and
typhoons
Increasing
risk of floods
Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Likely6
• Likely2
• Increase in frequency and/or
intensity of coastal and inland
flood events, storm events and
wildfires could increase the risk
of contaminant releases from
regulated sites and non-
regulated sites, which would
increase the need for emergency
response.
• A rapid increase in level and
frequency of emergency events
could overwhelm EPA's
emergency response resources
and limit our ability to respond
quickly and effectively, which
could result in more risk to
communities and the
environment.
Page 33 of 46
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• Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
• Increasing
extreme
temperature
s
• Increasing
heavy
precipitation
events
• Earlier timing
of spring
events
• Increase in,
and a
changing mix
of, pests*
(* includes
weeds, insects,
molds, fungi,
and diseases)
Likely6
Very
likely3
Likely3-'
• Very
likely10
• Very
likely12
• Protecting
human health
and ecosystems
from chemical
risks
• Med.
• Changes in planting timing or
location may affect the volume
and timing of agricultural
chemical use, which could impact
water quality and pesticide
exposures to people and the
environment.
• Many weeds, diseases, and insect
pests would benefit from
warming, and many weeds would
also benefit from a higher carbon
dioxide concentration, increasing
stress on crop plants and
requiring more attention to pest
and weed control.
• Emergency exemptions for
unregistered pesticides,
state/local special need
registrations, as well as requests
to approve additional or new end
uses of registered products, may
increase.
Page 34 of 46
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• Earlier timing • Very • Conducting
of spring
events
Likely10
environmental
sampling of
1 • Increasing • Likely6 water, air and
risk of floods soils and of
1 • Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfires
• Likely2
1 • Increasing • Likely3-6
heavy
precipitation
events
1 • Increased
water
• Very
likely7
temperature
S
1 • Decreasing
precipitation
days and
increasing
drought
intensity
1 • Increasing
extreme
temperature
s
• Likely6
• Very
likely3
materials to
determine
exposure and
risk
• Water and
energy usage at
EPA facilities
^^^^=^^^^=
• Med.
• Low
• Increase in frequency and/or
intensity of coastal and inland
flood events, storm events and
wildfires, as well as sea level rise,
may require a change in
sampling methods and strategies
for EPA and its partners.
• Increase in frequency or
intensity of flood events, storm
events and wildfires, as well as
sea level rise may impact EPA's
and partners' long-term
sampling locations, which may
require EPA and partners to set
up new sampling sites and
analyze data from different sites
over the long term.
• Region 9 facilities are in areas
that could experience water
shortages, requiring even more
water conservation.
• Region 9 facilities are in locations
that could experience extreme
heat events, requiring even more
energy conservation; and in cases
of resulting region-wide power
failure, could require additional
accommodations.
Page 35 of 46
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• Increasing
risk of floods
• Likely6 • Operations of
Agency facilities,
• Increasing • Likely3 personnel
intensity of
hurricanes
and
typhoons
• Sea level rise
• Very
likely7
• Very
safety, physical
security, and
emergency
communications
• Emergency
management
• Increasing likely3 mission support
extreme (protective gear
temperature • Likely2 and acquisition)
s
• Increased
frequency
and intensity
of wildfire
^^^^=^^^^=
• Med.
• Facilities in coastal or inland
flood-prone areas may be
flooded or their access cut off.
• Personnel engaged in field work
may be vulnerable to extreme
temperatures or weather events.
• During an emergency extreme
weather, flooding, or wildfire
event; power may be cut off,
which could impact security,
lighting, temperature control,
and communication systems.
• Personnel and real property that
support emergency response and
management may be impacted
directly or indirectly by flood
events, storm events and
wildfires; and EPA's ability to
respond in an emergency could
be compromised.
Page 36 of 46
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Footnotes for Summary Table of Potential Challenges that Climate Change Poses to the Functioning of
EPA Region 9 Programs
Appendix A Table - Heading Footnotes:
a This table summarizes vulnerabilities by the five goals in EPA's Strategic Plan http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.
Please note that the table also summarizes vulnerabilities to EPA facilities and operations; this is not part of the EPA Strategic Plan goal
structure but is an important element of EPA's vulnerability assessment. Please see Section 2 of this document for a fuller discussion of
impacts.
b Climate Change Impacts are based upon peer-reviewed scientific literature.
c Programmatic Impacts are based upon EPA best professional judgment at this time.
d Impacts can vary by season and location.
e In general, the sources cited in this section use Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology
where the term Very likely' means 90-100% probability and the term 'likely' means 66-100% probability. For some impacts in the table,
additional discussion on the likelihood term is provided in the associated footnote.
f High assumes the program will be affected by the impact; Medium assumes the program could be affected under some conditions by
the impact; Low assumes that there is a potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists as to the potential nature
and extent of the impact. This assessment is based on best professional judgment within EPA at this time. Please note, this column
does not reflect several important considerations. For example it does not distinguish timeframes (current, near-term, long-term). It does
not account for regional and local variations. And it does not reflect the priority of actions the agency may undertake now or in the future.
Appendix A Table Text Footnotes:
1 Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The
Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignorand H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
2 C.B. Field et al., "North America," Chapter 14 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working
Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P.
Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press,
2007).
3 IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change
Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen,
M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-19.
4 World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project—
Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011). Note: the word "expected" is used in the report to characterize projected climate change
impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer. For purposes of this table the word "likely" has been used as a proxy for "expected."
5 Burns, D.A., Lynch, J.A., Cosby, B.J., Fenn, M.E., Baron, J.S., US EPA Clean Air Markets Div., 2011 .National Acid Precipitation
Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment, National Science and Technology Council, Washington, DC,
p. 114.
6 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C.
Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.
7 IPCC, 2012: "it is very likely that mean sea level rise will contribute to upward trends in extreme coastal high water levels in the future."
8 NRC, 2010: National Research Council of the National Academies, America's Climate Choices: Panel on Advancing the Science of
Climate Change, 2010. p 41. "One of the most certain outcomes from increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is the
acidification of the world's oceans." For purposes of this table, the term "certain" is used.
9 USGCRP, 2009: p. 46. [In the case of freshwater] "Increased air temperatures lead to higher water temperatures, which have already
been detected in many streams, especially during low-flow periods." For the purposes of this table "very likely" is used.
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10 USGCRP, 2009: p. 45. [In the case of timing of snow melt] "In areas where snowpack dominates, the timing of runoff will continue to
shift to earlier in the spring and flows will be lower in late summer." Based upon EPA best professional judgment at the time, the
likelihood of this impact was determined to be "very likely."
Lettenmaier, D., D. Major, L. Poff, and S. Running, 2008: Water Resources. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture,
Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, DC, p.130. Based upon EPA best professional judgment at the time, the likelihood of this impact was
determined to be "very likely."
USGCRP, 2009: p. 80. [In the case of onset of spring and length of the growing season] "In the United States,
spring now arrives an average of 10 days to two weeks earlier than it did 20 years ago. The growing season is lengthening over much of
the continental United States." Based upon EPA best professional judgment at the time, the likelihood of this impact was determined to
be "very likely."
11 Bates, B.C., Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., 2008: Climate Change and Water. Technical Paper of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat, Geneva, p. 130
12 USGCRP, 2009. Agriculture: p. 75. [In the case of weeds, diseases, and pests] "Weeds, diseases, and insect pests benefit
from warming, and weeds also benefit from a higher carbon dioxide concentration, increasing stress on crop plants and requiring more
attention to pest and weed control." Based upon EPA best professional judgment at the time, the likelihood of this impact was determined
to be "very likely."
Hatfield, J., K. Boote, P. Fay, L. Hahn, C. Izaurralde, B.A. Kimball, T. Mader, J. Morgan, D. Ort, W. Polley, A. Thomson,
and D. Wolfe, 2008: Agriculture. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and
Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp. 59-
60. Based upon EPA best professional judgment at the time, the likelihood of this impact was determined to be "very likely."
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Appendix B. Summaries of Selected Documents on
Climate Change Vulnerabilities in EPA Region 9
Climate Change Vulnerabilities - Generally in EPA Region 9
A report by the U.S. Global Change Research program entitled, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the
United States"1 pointed to upcoming likely vulnerabilities in the Southwest.
o Water supplies will be subject to more competition (between communities, ecosystems, agriculture
and power generation) as precipitation decreases and temperatures increase.
o The southwest ecosystem will be more vulnerable to large-scale change given reduced precipitation,
increased temperatures and the resulting increase in wildfires.
In a National Park Service 2010 report entitled, "Understanding the Science for Climate Change: Talking
Points - Impacts to Arid Lands"2, vulnerabilities are identified:
o Under current conditions and if no changes in Colorado River allocations are made, there is a 50%
chance that live storage reservoir levels will be zero by 2021 and a 50% chance that minimum power
pool levels will be reached in 2017.
o River and riparian habitats will suffer from decreased flows and increased water removal.
o Decreased late dry season runoff will likely reduce water quality through concentration of pollutants
in shrinking water bodies and decrease in dissolved oxygen.
o Increases in wildfires, due to increased temperatures and changes in precipitation, will set up a self-
reinforcing increase in fire frequencies, due to proliferation of exotic fire-prone grasses. The Great
Basin fire season could increase by 2 or more weeks.
o Increased water demands and a decreased water supply will result in over-allocation of water
resources that are already oversubscribed in many areas.
Climate Change Vulnerabilities in the Southwest
Climate change issues for the Southwest are described in the 2013 document entitled, "Assessment of
Climate Change in the Southwest United States. A Report Prepared for the National Climate
Assessment"3. The report covers Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, as well
as Southwest Native Nations lands and the United States-Mexico border region.
The report includes a discussion of vulnerabilities for communities and habitats, for example:
o Stationarity (assumption that future climate variations will be the same as past climate variations)
no longer holds in the Southwest. It is likely that temperatures will increase substantially in some
parts of the Southwest, leading to even more arid conditions.
o Tribal communities are likely to be affected more than non-tribal communities, due to limited water
supplies and water rights, and impacts on livelihood and traditional lifeways.
o Disadvantaged populations are likely to be most at risk for health issues from heat and particulate
matter increases and other climate change effects.
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o An increase in temperatures will increase health effects due to heat-related illness; and are likely to
cause an increase in air-borne particulates (from wildfires and dust storms), and associated
illnesses.
o Changes in species life cycles and distribution may impact public health (e.g., timing of vegetation
blooms and associated allergic reactions, presence of mosquitoes and rodents carrying pathogens).
o Changes in land cover will be significant, and is related to an increase in wildfires and pest
outbreaks.
o Coastal erosion, flooding and storm surges are likely to increase. The intensity of coastal storms may
increase. Sea-level rise is occurring. These combine to put coastal communities and habitats at
more risk.
o Streamflow reduction is expected across the region, which would limit water availability for
communities and habitats.
o Surface water quality is expected to be reduced in some parts of the Southwest due to reduced
streamflows, increased evaporation, and increased nonpoint source pollution from more intense
storm events and wildfire events.
o Energy supplies may become less reliable as demand for cooling and water pumping increases and
transmission lines are impacted by high temperatures or wildfires.
Climate Change Vulnerabilities in California
The State of California issued, "Our Changing Climate 2012: Vulnerability & Adaptation to the
Increasing Risks from Climate Change in California. A Summary Report on the Third Assessment form
the California Climate Change Center"4. The report discussed California climate change vulnerabilities.
o Rising temperatures will be more noticeable in spring than in other seasons.
o Heat events will increase in intensity, length and frequency; which will lead to increased impacts to
public health (especially for low income populations) and ecosystems.
o Precipitation may decrease and temperatures are likely to grow warmer which will make conditions
dryer, especially in Southern California. This would also make the spring snowpack melt sooner in
the year.
o Increased temperatures will lead to an increased demand for water supplies.
o Soil moisture levels are likely to decline during longer dryer summer conditions.
o Dryer and hotter conditions will lead to a higher risk of wildfire.
o Increased wildfires will increase particulate matter and ozone levels, leading to decreased public
health.
o Sea level rise, combined with high waves and strong winds will impact coastal communities (and
their infrastructure), habitats and coastlines.
o Sea level rise and more intense storm events will put added pressure on aging Bay Delta levees
The July 2012 report, "Climate Change and Water Supply Security: Reconfiguring Groundwater
Management to Reduce Drought Vulnerability"5 was prepared by the University of California at Santa
Cruz for the California Energy Commission. This report identified key community vulnerabilities:
o Communities in California that already experience water shortages during droughts are likely to
have more water supply vulnerability.
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o Coastal communities that do not have an inter-tie to larger water projects and that rely on local
groundwater supplies and storage systems are at significant risk for water supply shortages.
o Communities that subject their groundwater basins to overdraft can permanently lose groundwater
storage capacity and put their community at greater risk for water shortages.
o Increasing recharge of groundwater basins with treated water requires more care to not introduce
pollutants into the basin and maintain groundwater quality.
o Increase in large storm events will put communities and their infrastructure at greater risk.
o Communities in the southwest at the urban-forest border will be more vulnerable to damage by
wildfire as temperatures increase and precipitation decreases.
The report, "The Future is Now: An Update on Climate Change Science Impacts and Response Options
for California"6, prepared for the California Energy Commission in May 2009, found that:
o The American West is heating faster than the United States as a whole.
o Warming and precipitation changes are not occurring uniformly throughout the state. Two examples
relating to temperature are the effect of intensive crop irrigation in the Central Valley, which has
historically decreased the amount of warming in this region, and the increased warming effect
observed in urban areas. Changes in snowpack and the timing of spring runoff have already been
observed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains over the past century.
o Agricultural productivity, forest composition, timing of ecological events (for example, migration),
and wildfire frequency have all experienced measurable changes resulting from a changing climate.
o Factors that can aggravate problems caused by climate change include population growth, the
presence of poor or vulnerable social groups, and seismic risks in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
In addition, some climate change impacts will overlap and combine in challenging ways.
"Preparing for Climate Change: A Perspective from Local Public Health Officers in California"7, by
Louise Bedsworth of the Public Policy Institute of California (Published in Environmental Health
Perspectives, April 2009) summarized climate change impacts on air pollution:
o Climate change is likely to lead to an increase in the severity and duration of air pollution
episodes.8'9
o Air pollution levels can be affected by a number of direct and indirect effects of climate change. These
include increased temperature, changes in biogenic emissions (e.g., emissions from vegetation),
changes in chemical reaction rates, changes in atmospheric conditions that affect pollutant mixing,
and changes in the atmospheric flows that affect pollutant transport.10
o Behavioral responses to climate change could result in an increase in emissions, such as through the
increased energy demand with higher temperatures.11'12
o There is feedback between local air pollution and climate change, because some local air pollutants
also have an effect on the climate.
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Climate Change Vulnerabilities in Nevada
The Nevada Climate Change Advisory Committee, under then-Governor Jim Gibbons, issued the
"Nevada Climate Change Advisory Committee Final Report" in 200817. Note that this is not a peer-
reviewed document. The report highlighted the following potential climate change impacts:
o Increases in ozone pollution, air-borne particulate matter and air temperatures could impact public
health.
o If more of the Sierra Nevada precipitation falls as rain, rather than as snow, then
• Flooding may increase in the Truckee, Walker and Carson River watersheds in the winter
and spring, and
• Less water may be available in the summer for water supplies, habitat and recreation.
o If Colorado River Basin precipitation decreases, then the Las Vegas Valley may see more pressure on
its water supplies.
o Decreased precipitation could reduce summer water supplies, increase wild land fires (and
developed land fire risk), reduce native plant species cover and increase in invasive plant species
cover.
Climate Change Vulnerabilities in Hawaii and other Pacific Island
Communities
Climate change issues for the Hawaii and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands are described in the document
entitled, "Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts. Report for the 2012 Pacific
Islands Regional Climate Assessment"14. The report covers the State of Hawai'i, the territories of
American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as other US-
Affiliated Pacific Islands. The report includes discussions on island community and habitat
vulnerabilities:
o Freshwater supplies, particularly on low-elevation islands, may decrease if temperatures increase
and precipitation decreases. Air temperatures on Hawaiian islands have increased over 100 years
with a more marked increase over the most recent 30 years. Future trends in precipitation are
difficult to predict for the Pacific islands. Low-elevation freshwater aquifers are vulnerable to
inundation from sea level rise combined with storms or other big wave events. A reduction in
freshwater supplies could raise concerns for island food security.
o Sea level rise will make islands' coastal infrastructure more vulnerable to the flooding and erosion
from storm events. Low-elevation islands are especially vulnerable as their entire infrastructure,
communities and habitats are close to the present-day sea level, and are more subject to wave over
wash.
o Coral reefs are vulnerable to sea-surface temperature rise (which can cause coral bleaching) and
ocean water acidification (which can impact the coral-forming process). An increase in storm events
could cause more sediment deposition on coral reefs which harms the coral.
o Coastal wetlands (e.g., mangrove forests, sea grass beds) are vulnerable to direct impact from
increased wave events and tropical cyclone strength, as well as increased sediment pollution from
eroding watersheds.
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Appendix B Footnotes:
1 USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Karl, T.R., J.M. Melillo, and T.C.
Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York,
NY, USA. http://globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/previous-assessments/global-climate-
change-impacts-in-the-us-2009
2 Loehman, R. 2010. Understanding the science of climate change: talking points - impacts to Arid Lands.
Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/NRR—2010/209. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs other/rmrs 2010 loehman r002.pdf
3 Garfin, G., A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, eds. 2013. Assessment of Climate Change in
the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment. A report by the
Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press. http://swccar.org/sites/all/themes/files/SW-
NCA-color-FINALweb.pdf
4 Moser, S., Ekstrom, J., and Franco, G. "Our Changing Climate 2012: Vulnerability & Adaptation to the
Increasing Risks from Climate Change in California. A Summary Report on the Third Assessment form the
California Climate Change Center". (2012). California Energy Commission (CEC-500-2012-007).
http://www.energv.ca.gov/2012publications/CEC-500-2012-007/CEC-500-2012-007.pdf
5 Langridge, Ruth, Andrew Fisher, Andrew Racz, Bruce Daniels, Kirsten Rudestam, and Blake Hihara.
2012. Climate Change and Water Supply Security: Reconfiguring Groundwater Management to Reduce
Drought Vulnerability. California Energy Commission. Publication Number: CEC-500-2012-017.
http://www.energv.ca.gov/2012publications/CEC-500-2012-017/CEC-500-2012-017.pdf
6 Moser, Susie, Guido Franco, Sarah Pittiglio, Wendy Chou, Dan Cayan. 2009. The Future Is Now: An
Update on Climate Change Science Impacts and Response Options for California. California Energy
Commission, PIER Energy-Related Environmental Research Program. CEC-500-2008-071.
http://www.energv.ca.gov/2008publications/CEC-500-2008-071/CEC-500-2008-071.PDF
7 Bedsworth L. Preparing for climate change: a perspective form local public health officers in California.
Environ Health Perspectives. 2009 Apr; 117(4):617-23. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0800114. Epub 2008 Dec 8.
8 Mickley U. A future short of breath? Possible effects of climate change on smog. Environment. 2007;
49(6):34-43.
9 Mickley U, Jacob DJ, Field BD, Rind D. Effects of future climate change on regional air pollution episodes
in the United States. Geophys Res Lett. 2004; 31(24):L24103. doi: 10.1029/2004GL02126.
10 Hogrefe C, Lynn B, Civerolo K, Ku JY, Rosenthal J, Rosenzweig C, et al. J Geophys Res Atmos. Vol. 109.
2004. Simulating changes in regional air pollution over the eastern United States due to changes in
global and regional climate and emissions; p. D22301.
11 Franco G, Sanstad AH. Climate change and electricity demand in California. Clim Change. 2008;
87:S139-S151
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12 Miller ML, Hayhoe K, Jin J, Auffhammer M. Climate, extreme heat, and electricity demand in California.
J Appl Meteorol Climatol. 2008; 47(June):1834-1844.
13 Gibbons, J. "Governor Jim Gibbons' Nevada Climate Change Advisory Committee Final Report". (2008).
www.epa.statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/nevada final report.pdf
14 Keener, V. W., Marra, J.J., Finucane, M. L, Spooner, D., & Smith, M. H. (Eds.). (2012). Climate
Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts. Report for the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate
Assessment (PIRCA). Washington, DC: Island Press, http://www.pacificrisa.org/projects/pirca/
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Appendix C: Acknowledgements
This Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan was prepared by the EPA Pacific Southwest
Climate Change Workgroup. We wish to gratefully acknowledge the following individuals for their
assistance in developing and reviewing the Plan.
Air Division
Ben Machol, Clean Energy & Climate Change Office
Ray Saracino, Clean Energy & Climate Change Office
Amy Zimpfer, Office of the Director
Communities and Ecosystems Division
Willard Chin, Tribal Program Office
Megan Fleming, Pacific Islands Office
Kathleen Goforth, Environmental Review Office
Nate Lau, Immediate Office
John McCarroll, Pacific Islands Office
Patti TenBrook, Pesticides Office
Enforcement Division
Kathleen Johnson, Office of the Director
Management and Technical Services Division
Carolyn Truong, Office of the Director
Office of the Regional Administrator
Zoe Heller, Immediate Office
Office of Regional Counsel
Brooke-Sydney Jackson, Air, Toxics, Water, and General Law Branch
Superfund Division
Harold Ball, CA/NV Private Sites Section
Waste Management Division
Tom Huetteman, Office of the Director
Water Division
David Albright, Immediate Office Dave Guiliano, Standards and TMDL Office
Dave Basinger, Ground Water Office Robert Hall, Standards and TMDL Office
Eric Byous, Infrastructure Office Bruce Macler, Drinking Water Office
Christopher Chen, Tribal Office Suzanne Marr, Watersheds Office
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Cheryl McGovern, Infrastructure Office Hudson Slay, Watersheds Office
Pascal Mues, NPDES Permits Office Tim Vendlinski, Immediate Office
Allan Ota, Wetlands Office Wendy Wiltse, Wetlands Office
Karen Schwinn, Immediate Office Sam Ziegler, Watersheds Office
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EPA Region 10 Climate
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Disclaimer
To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so for
informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or regulations, and
readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require. Neither this document,
nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change or impose legally binding
requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community. Further, any expressed intention,
suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes,
the public, or the regulated community. Agency decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion
in choosing to implement the actions described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon
availability of resources and is subject to change.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the
challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the
range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant challenges to the
EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is to continue fulfilling its
statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is therefore anticipating and planning
for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and
the environment even as the climate changes.
In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for review and
comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to identify
vulnerabilities to EPA's mission and goals from climate change. The plan also presents 10 priority actions
that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, and operations will remain effective under
future climatic conditions. The priority placed on mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA
complements efforts to encourage and mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal
government.
Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National Environmental
Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices developed a Climate
Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will carry out the work called for in
the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates how the office will integrate climate
adaptation into its planning and work in a manner consistent and compatible with its goals and
objectives.
Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agency-wide
priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of EPA's plans is to
build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes,
and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of ways
that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by providing them
with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation into their work.
Each Program and Regional Office's Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the
implications of climate change for the organization's goals and objectives. These "program vulnerability
assessments" are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data,
and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA's mission. The plan then identifies
specific priority actions that the office will take to begin addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming
climate change adaptation into its activities. Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An
emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the
development of adaptive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration
with tribal governments.
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Because EPA's Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream
climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate their efforts in order to
understand how well different approaches work and how they can be improved. Each Implementation
Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of
its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where necessary.
The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA's leadership and commitment to help build the
nation's adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the environment.
Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and prosperous nation that is resilient
to a changing climate.
Bob Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
June 2014
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 serves Alaska,
Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and 271 federally-recognized tribes.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Of
Acknowledgements 7
Section 1: Introduction 8
I. Regional Overview 8
II. Overview of Climate Change Impacts in Region 10 9
Section 2: Region 10 Vulnerability Assessment 10
I. Region 10 General Vulnerabilities 11
1. Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality 14
2. Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters 16
3. Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development 20
4. Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution 22
5. Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws 23
6. EPA Facilities and Operations 25
7. Tribal and other Vulnerable Populations 26
Section 3: Region 10 Priority Existing Actions 28
1. Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (OAWT) 29
2. Office of Water and Watersheds (OWW) 30
3. Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs (ETPA) 31
4. Office of Environmental Clean-Up (ECL) 32
5. Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) 33
6. Office of Regional Counsel (ORC) 33
7. Office of Environmental Assessment (OEA) 33
Section 4: Developing Measures, Monitoring and Evaluating Performance 34
Section 5: Legal and Enforcement Issues 34
Section 6: Training and Outreach 34
Section 7: Partnerships with Tribes 35
Section 8: Vulnerable Population and Places 36
Section 9: Cross-Office Pilot Projects 36
Appendix A: Vulnerabilities Identified by Region 10 States and Tribes 38
Appendix B: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Program Vulnerabilities 43
Appendix C: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Existing Actions 62
Appendix D: Comparison of Vulnerabilities and EPA Region 10 Existing Actions 82
Appendix E: EPA Region 10 Approach for Measuring Success 88
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Overall Direction
Dennis McLerran, Regional Administrator, Region 10
Michelle Pirzadeh, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 10
Joyce Kelly, Director, Office of Environmental Assessment, Region 10
Joel Scheraga, Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation, Office of Administrator
Overall Development
Bruce Duncan, Office of Environmental Assessment
Michael Cox, Office of Environmental Assessment
Key Input
Region 10 Executive Team
Office Points of Contact
Brook Madrone - Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Teresa Kubo and Michelle Davis - Office of Ecosystems, Tribes, and Public Affairs
Paula Vanhaagen - Office of Water and Watersheds:
Ken Marcy - Environmental Cleanup
Sandra Brozusky - Office of Compliance and Enforcement
Allyn Stern - Office of Regional Counsel
Tribal Partnership
Jim Woods - Region 10 Regional Tribal Policy Advisor
Additional Input
Keith Rose - Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Dave Bray - Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Ashley Zanolli - Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Viccy Salazar - Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Erin Mader - Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Margo Young - Office of Ecosystems, Tribes, and Public Affairs
Linda Storm - Office of Ecosystems, Tribes, and Public Affairs
Rob Elleman - Office of Environmental Assessment
Claire Schary - Office of Water and Watersheds
Brooks Stanfield and Andrea Westenberger - Office of Management Programs
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Section 1; Introduction
Executive Order EO13514 directed the U.S. Government to
address the impacts of climate change, and form an Interagency
Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. This task force is co-
chaired by the White House Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy,
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There
are over 20 federal agencies represented on the task force,
including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The task
force developed recommendations to the President regarding the
integration of climate adaptation into planning, operations, policies,
was required to develop a climate change adaptation plan.
June 2014
"Adaptation" refers to efforts by
society or ecosystems to prepare for or
adjust to future climate change. These
adjustments can be protective (i.e.,
guarding against negative impacts of
climate change), or opportunistic (i.e.,
taking advantage of any beneficial
effects of climate change).
and programs, and each agency
In response, EPA issued a climate change adaptation policy statement in June 2011, and completed an
agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan in June 2012. These documents directed every Program and
Regional office within EPA to develop an Implementation Plan detailing how they will integrate climate
adaptation into their work, and address the priorities identified in the agency-wide plan.
To promote consistency, these Implementation Plans have common areas of focus, as outlined below.
Common Areas of Focus for Implementation Plans
1. Vulnerability assessments
2. Priority actions on climate adaptation
3. Agency-wide strategic measures on climate adaptation
4. Legal and enforcement issues
5. Training and outreach
6. Partnerships with tribes
7. Evaluation and cross-office pilot projects
The Implementation Plans are complementary and are meant to work in conjunction with the Agency's
Strategic Plan and Sustainability Plan, and the climate change plans developed by the individual EPA
Program Offices. The Implementation Plan for Region 10 will be a living document to be updated over
time.
I. Regional Overview
Region 10 serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and 271 Federally Recognized Tribes. In this
report, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are often referred to as the Pacific Northwest. EPA Region 10
represents a diverse geographic region with varying climate, geographic features, social, and ecological
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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conditions. Region 10 is composed of eight landscape conservation cooperative1 areas (five in Alaska
and 3 in the Pacific Northwest) out of twenty-two Nationwide. This attests to the wide diversity of
geographic regions within Region 10. The Pacific Northwest is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the
west and Canada to the north. The region includes the cities of Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Boise, and
Tacoma with susceptible populations that are particularly vulnerable to a changing climate.
The Cascade Mountain Range runs north-south through Washington and Oregon, splitting the region.
The climate on each side of the mountain range is very different. West of the mountains, temperatures
are mild year-round (days below freezing or above 90°F are relatively rare), winters are wet, and
summers are dry. East of the mountains, it is typically sunnier and drier over the course of the year,
winters are colder, and summers can be significantly hotter. The Pacific Northwest contains many miles
of coast line, contains high sage deserts, is composed of large tracks of forest, and consists of several
mountain ranges that are critical to maintaining the water resources in the Region.
Alaska presents unique challenges given its geographic location, and that it is the only arctic region in
United States. Issues related to permafrost thawing and sea ice melting are unique to Alaska and
climate change impacts are being seen in many areas of Alaska and threatening coastal communities,
habitats, and infrastructure. Alaska contains more coastline than the other 49 states combined. Alaska
contains almost 40% (229 tribes) of the federally recognized tribes in the United States that are
particularly vulnerable to climate change given their proximity to coastal areas.
II. Overview of Climate Change Impacts in Region 10
The climate of the Northwest is changing. According to the United States Global Change Research
Program (USGCRP) the following changes have or are anticipated to occur in the region.2 Over the last
century, the average annual temperature rose by 1.5°F, with increases in some areas up to 4°F.
Changes in snowpack, streamflows, and forest cover are already occurring. Future climate change will
likely continue to influence these changes. Average annual temperature in the region is projected to
increase by 3-10°F by the end of the century. Winter precipitation is projected to increase while
summer precipitation is projected to decrease, though precipitation projections are less certain than
those related to temperature. Future climate change impacts would be compounded by pressures
related to the region's rapidly growing population.
1 Landscape Conservation Cooperatives are public-private partnerships composed of states, tribes, federal
agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities and others.
2 U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States .
Karl, T.R., J. M. Melillo, and T. C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge
University Press, New York, NY, USA.
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Impacts from climate change are being observed in Alaska. According to the Alaska Climate Change
Strategy3 recent decades of warmer temperature have produced extensive thawing of permafrost,
which has resulted in increased coastal erosion, landslides, and sinking of the ground surface, as well as
consequent disruption and damage to forests, buildings, infrastructure, and coastal communities. Sea
ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning, with widespread effects on marine ecosystems,
coastal climate, human settlements, and subsistence activities. The Arctic Region, particularly Alaska, is
already experiencing major ecological impacts such as the northward expansion of boreal forest in some
areas, significant increases in fire frequency and intensity, and unprecedented insect outbreaks.
Section 2: Region 10 Vulnerability Assessment
This section contains an assessment of the vulnerabilities of Region 10 programs to the impacts of
climate change. It builds on the work presented in Part 2 of EPA's Agency-Wide Implementation Plan,
as well as the individual assessments completed by various Program Offices in Region 10. It also draws
heavily from existing efforts from the four states in Region 10, as well as the work from the Landscape
Conservation Cooperatives in Region 10 and from Tribal
assessments. A summary of those efforts is provided below
and a more detailed discussion can be found in Appendix A. a sYstem is susceptible to, or unable
-ru i u-i- • 4. 4. _i u 4.u i • to cope with, adverse effects of
The vulnerability assessment is structured by the goals in , ,
climate change, including climate
EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan and includes a variability and extremes.
vulnerability assessment of EPA Region 10 facilities and
Vulnerability is the degree to which
Tribes. A more detailed discussion of the vulnerabilities and impacts is included in Appendix B.
Appendix D provides a comparison of the vulnerabilities identified below with existing Region 10
actions. This information could be used to help focus future actions.
It is important to note that EPA Region 10 did not conduct a quantitative vulnerability assessment, but
has qualitatively evaluated the nature and magnitude of risks associated with climate change impacts.
The vulnerability assessment is based on the best available information, state and tribal vulnerability
assessments, and our own best professional judgment. The assessment does not specifically distinguish
timeframes (current, near-term, long-term) for impacts, although it mentions where impacts are already
occurring, and it does provide judgments on the likelihood of the impact occurring in the Region. The
assessment will need to be updated as our understanding of climate science evolves, and the Region will
need to identify the important gaps in our scientific knowledge and technical analyses that are needed
to assist in decision-making.
3 Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.
http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf.
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The overall goal of the Region 10 vulnerability assessment and the detailed discussion of specific
vulnerabilities contained in Appendix B and the comparison with vulnerabilities and existing actions in
Appendix D are to:
1. Inform staff and managers in Region 10 about the most critical impacts from climate change
for their programs;
2. Motivate staff and managers to continue with existing climate change and sustainability
work and integrate climate change adaptation into their program work;
3. Serve as a starting point to engage in conversations with EPA partners, especially Tribes, on
future actions that are needed to adapt to climate change; and
4. Serve as a qualitative assessment of the baseline set of vulnerabilities, which can be refined
as new regional information on climate science and adaptation alternatives become
available.
Vulnerable populations are mentioned throughout the document. Certain parts of the population, such
as children, the elderly, minorities and the poor, persons with underlying medical conditions and
disabilities, those with limited access to information, and tribal and indigenous populations, can be
especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Tribes may be more vulnerable to climate
change impacts because of dependence upon a specific geographical area for their livelihood; and their
unique cultural, economic, or political characteristics and contexts.4
Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those located in
low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate adaptation into
its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people, places and
infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be designed and implemented with
meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
I, 10
All four States in Region 10 have identified vulnerabilities specific to their State. A summary of what is
included in each State assessment is included below with a more detailed discussion in Appendix A.
4 Cutter, S.L. and C. Finch. 2008. Temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 105(7): 2301-2306.
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• The State of Oregon has developed a framework that condenses specific vulnerabilities and risks
from climate change into 11 overarching categories. They then ranked these into three groups:
very likely, likely, and more likely than not.5
• The Washington State Department of Ecology has summarized climate impacts in their response
strategy.6 Washington examined projected impacts for sector groupings - e.g., built
infrastructure, wildlife & habitat, etc.
• Climate change planning in Idaho is conducted by the Idaho Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research (EPSCoR).7 The EPSCoR work addresses concerns about how the
hydrology in Idaho will change as climate changes in the western U.S.
• The State of Alaska Adaptation Advisory Group describes vulnerabilities including effects that
are already occurring in their document Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts
in Alaska.8
• In an effort to understand Tribal cultural resource vulnerabilities, Region 10 reviewed the
Swinomish Climate Change Initiative Impact Assessment Technical Report.9
• The Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Plan Template provides a summary of the Arctic
vulnerabilities and those related to Alaskan Tribes.10
The following suite of climate change vulnerabilities and impacts, and their effects on Region 10
Programs is discussed in the sections below. They are discussed individually, or in combinations based
on the focus of the Strategic Plan Goal under consideration. A more detailed discussion of the
vulnerabilities is in Appendix B.
Based on the assessments described above we developed the following list of the most significant
regional vulnerabilities.
1. Increase in average annual air temperature.
2. Decreased/loss of snowpack.
3. Sea level rise.
4. Permafrost thawing.
5 http://www.Oregon.gov/LCD/docs/ClimateChange/Framework_Final.pdf
6 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_responsestrategy.htm
7 http://www.idahoclimatechange.org/DrawOnePage.aspx?PagelD=135
8 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf
9 http://www.swinomish.org/departments/planning/climate_change/climate_main.html
10 http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
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5. Sea ice melting.
6. Increase in wildfire frequency and intensity.
7. Increase in ocean temperatures.
8. Increase in ocean acidification.
9. Increase frequency of extreme precipitation events and flooding.
10. Increase in and changing mix of pests.
11. More frequent and severe drought.
12. Increase health impacts.
In addition to the vulnerabilities above, several cultural vulnerabilities were identified in the Swinomish
Impact Assessment that may be relevant to other Tribes including:
Shrinking land base (sea level rise).
Inundation of coastal sites/artifacts.
Exposure of burial sites and human remains from strong storm events.
Loss of cultural use plants.
Impacts within traditional use areas.
Historic subsistent natural resources used by indigenous tribes such as fishery resources,
wildlife, traditional foods, native plants, and holistic medicines are vulnerable.
These vulnerabilities are discussed when evaluating potential impacts on Regional Office programmatic
areas of responsibility. The five goals discussed below are taken from the National Goals to facilitate
comparisons across regions. The relationships to Region 10 Goals11 are also given. Two additional areas
of responsibility beyond the five National Goals that are addressed under vulnerabilities are facilities
and operations and Tribes and vulnerable populations.
Cross Walk between National and Region 10 Goals
National Goal
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change
and Improving Air Quality
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and
Advancing Sustainable Development
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals
and Preventing Pollution
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
Facilities and Operations
Regional Goal
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change
and Goal 2: Improving Air Quality
Goal 5: Protecting America's Waters
Goal 4: Cleaning Up Our Communities
Goal 3: Assuring the Safety of Chemicals
Goal 3: Assuring the Safety of Chemicals
No specific goal.
http://www.epa.gov/regionlO/pdf/regional_priorities_2011-2015.pdf
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Vulnerable populations
Goals 6: Expanding the Conversation on
Environmentalism and Working for
Environmental Justice
Goal 7: Building Strong State and Tribal
Partnerships.
1. Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
Many of the impacts from climate change including increased summer temperatures, increased
wildfires, changes in precipitation, and severe weather events are likely to impact both ambient and
indoor air quality in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. These impacts will present new challenges to
EPA Region 10 and its partners to ensure the continued protection of public health and the
environment.
A. Increase in tropospheric ozone pollution may occur in certain areas due to increased average
summertime temperature
There is the possibility that higher summertime temperatures would increase ozone productivity as well
as emissions of volatile organic contaminant (VOC) precursors and, there is scientific consensus that
climate change will decrease the background ozone in the lower troposphere where the water vapor
effect is dominant.12 However, from the available academic literature that includes results for the
Pacific Northwest, there is no consistent finding about whether climate change will increase, decrease,
or have no change on ozone in this region.13'14 Potential ozone increases are more likely to occur in the
larger metropolitan areas including Spokane, Tacoma, Portland, and Boise. Whether or not these
increases will result in violations of the NAAQS health standards however is unknown.
B. Increase in air toxics from anthropogenic sources is uncertain due to variability in effects of
temperature increase on individual air toxics.
Many hazardous air pollutants volatilize at higher temperatures, creating the potential for higher
emission rates and higher concentrations in ambient air.15 The higher concentrations could increase
"Jacob, DJ., and D.A. Winner. 2009. Effect of climate change on air quality. Atmos. Environ., 43 (56).
13 Ibid Jacob and Winner 43 (51-63).
14 USGCRP. 2009. Assessment of the impacts of global change on regional U.S. Air quality: a synthesis of climate
change impacts on ground-level ozone, EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development, Washington,
D.C.
15IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance
Climate Change Adaptation (Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D.OJn, D.J. Dokken, K.L Ebi, M.D., Mastrandrea,
K.J. Mach, G.K. Plattner, SIK. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.). A Special Report of Working Groups I & II
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York,
NY, USA pp. 1-19.
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public health risks, including risks for the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically
disadvantaged populations. There is uncertainty however as to actual impacts on hazardous air
pollutants (HAPs) concentrations since the boundary layer height will also likely be higher, adding more
volume of air for the HAPs to mix into. It is also possible for pollutant removal mechanisms to increase
as a result of climate change.
C. Particulate matter levels are likely to increase due to increased frequency or intensity of
wildfires due to increased summertime temperatures, prolonged droughts, and decreased soil
moisture.
Larger and more frequent wildfires are predicted throughout the region as a result of warmer
summertime temperatures, decreased soil and fuel moisture, and increased pest infestations.16 For
example, in the Columbia Basin, the acres of forest burned are projected to double by the 2020s, and
triple by the 2040s compared to average burned from 1916 to 2006." This could complicate Agency
efforts to protect public health and the environment from risks posed by particulate matter pollution in
areas affected by more frequent wildfires. All four Region 10 States have a high percent of forested
areas (about 50% for Washington and Oregon) and would all be adversely affected by an increase in
wildfires.
D. Indoor air quality is very likely to be impacted, especially in Alaska, due to changes in
precipitation, extreme temperatures, more frequent wildfires, and severe weather events.
Deterioration in indoor air quality will increase public health risks including those from respiratory
illnesses such as asthma.18 Public health risks from poor indoor air quality may also increase for
susceptible populations - the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged
populations across the region. Alaska's native and rural populations are very vulnerable to worsening
indoor air quality with more insulated housing reducing air circulation - thereby increasing levels of both
indoor and ambient pollution. 19 Increased flooding and melting permafrost also worsen indoor air
16 Mote, P. K. Snover, S. Capalbo, S.D. Eigenbrode, P. Glick, J. Littell, R. Raymondi, and S. Reader, 2014: Ch. 21:
Northwest. Climate Change Impacts on the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J.M. Melilo,
Terese (T.C.) Richmond and G.W Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 487-513.
doi:10.7930/J04Q7RWX. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/northwestftstatement-1700.
17 Littell, J.S. et. al. 2010. Forest ecosystems, disturbance, and climatic change in Washington State, USA. Climatic
Change 102(1-2): 129-158.
18 Reid, Colleen and Gamble, Janet. 2009. Aeroallergens, Allergic Disease, and Climate Change: Impacts and
Adaptation, Ecohealth Vol 6(3):458-470, September, 2009.
19 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2011).
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quality by supporting mold growth.20 This is an issue across the Region, but particularly important in
environmental justice (EJ) areas and areas with a high density of more susceptible populations such as in
Alaska's native villages21 and on tribal reservations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
E. Stratospheric ozone layer is likely to be impacted in Alaska due to climate change effects.
This issue is important in the Arctic (Alaska) where severe depletion of stratospheric ozone has been
observed during winter and spring months.22 While there currently are no EPA Region 10 programs that
directly deal with monitoring or restoring the stratospheric ozone layer, there is enforcement activity
against violators related to use and disposal of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and their substitutes.
F. Increased rate and deposition of sulfates, nitrates, and mercury is uncertain due to changes in
precipitation patterns.
Increased concentrations of sulfates, nitrates, and mercury could cause adverse effects on ecosystems
throughout the region, particularly mountain ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems, and could
contribute to accumulation of mercury in fish tissue.23 However, overall effects are uncertain because
higher temperatures drive increased chemical reactions and possibly more secondary organic carbon. 24
At the same time, there might be changes to the boundary layer height, airmass ventilation rate, and
precipitation. We do not know the relative importance of these effects in Region 10 states.
2, 2;
There are many impacts that climate change may have on our water resources including drinking water
and wastewater infrastructure, freshwater fisheries, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, water quality
and water quantity, and agricultural and forestry production. These impacts will present challenges as
there will be competing demands in some areas for water resources for agriculture, energy production,
drinking water, and maintaining streamflows for fish. The section below highlights the main
vulnerabilities and impacts identified in Region 10.
20 Kovesi, Thomas MD et al. 2007. Indoor Air Quality and the Risk of lower respiratory tract infections in young
Canadian Inuit children, Canadian Medical Association, 2007
21 Bulkow, Lisa, et al. 2010. Risk Factors for Severe Respiratory Synctial Virus Infection Among Alaska Native
Children, Pediatrics. 109 (2) 2010.
22 Manney, G.L, et al., Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss in 2011. 2011. Nature 478,469-475, October 27, 2011.
23 Dawson, J.P., B.J. Bloomer, D.A. Winner, C.P. Weaver, 2013. Understanding the meteorological drivers of U.S.
particulate matter concentrations in a changing climate, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00181.1, in press.
24 Ibid. Dawson 2013.
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A. Drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and agricultural infrastructure is likely to be
impacted by increased heavy precipitation, more frequent flood events, storm surge, coastal
erosion, and drought.
Impacts on water infrastructure may result in flooded facilities, an increased number of sewer overflows
and wastewater bypasses, as well as increased pollutant loads in runoff, increased pollution of streams
and threats to public health.25 Climate change impacts drinking water by heightening risk of
contamination of surface water sources due to higher temperatures, lower flows, and increased
erosion/sedimentation.26 Problems of safety as well as access to clean and safe water will be
exacerbated for Tribal communities, and other vulnerable and economically depressed communities
who have limited access to clean water supplies.27 Agricultural productivity may be impacted in areas
with inadequate water storage capacity and limited agricultural irrigation systems. Adequate
summertime water supply for irrigation of crops is essential to agricultural communities east of the
Cascades in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. For tribes, who lack irrigation infrastructure and rely
primarily on lakes and streams as water sources, availability of water for agriculture may be more
severely impacted by climate change.
B. Impacts to freshwater fisheries is occurring now and is likely to increase due to earlier stream
runoff and scouring of streambeds due to earlier snow melt, decreased summer stream flows
and increased steam temperatures, and longer periods of low stream flow.
Impacts include loss of salmon habitat and increased stress on salmon reproduction throughout their
entire lifecycle.28 Salmon and other cold water fish constitute a large part of the marine fishery business
in the Pacific Northwest, and loss of these fish would have a substantial impact on the Pacific Northwest
economy. Coastal Native Americans depend on salmon as an essential part of their diets. There will be
secondary impacts on other species in the ecosystem that benefit from salmon - e.g., forests that rely
on decaying salmon for nutrients, and bears, eagles, others that feed on salmon. This also applies to
other fresh cold water fish. Water resource decision-makers will need to modify watershed planning
efforts to include projected impacts of altered stream flows and increased temperatures due to climate
change.29-30
25 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Northwest. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Washington, D.C.
26 Ibid. USGCRP.
27 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf
28 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Northwest. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Washington, D.C.
29 Wenger, S.J., et al. 2011. Role of climate and invasive species in structuring trout distributions in the Interior
Columbia Basin 2011, USA: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, v. 68, p. 988-1008. Catalog No:
2508.
30 Wenger, S.J., et al. 2011. Flow regime, temperature and biotic interactions drive differential declines of trout
species under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online. Catalog No: 2652.
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C. Estuarine watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands are likely to be impacted by sea-level
rise, sea surface temperature and increasing heavy precipitation events during the winter
months, and decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity during the
summer months.
Changes in precipitation patterns, and increased drought intensity will cause stress on wetlands, and
forest and mountain ecosystems, and pose challenges to migration of species in these ecosystems to
more suitable habitats. Warmer sea surface temperature contributes to sea level rise, increased storm
intensity, and greater stratification of the water column.31 For the Washington, Oregon, and California
coasts north of Cape Mendocino, sea level is projected to change between -4 cm (sea-level fall) and +23
cm by 2030, -3 cm and +48 cm by 2050, and 10-143 cm by 2100.32
D. Forest ecosystems will likely be impacted by warming temperatures and more frequent and
intense drought conditions.
Forest tree species are expected to shift their ranges northward and upslope in response to climate
change and existing ecosystems will breakup as different species shift at different rates, resulting in the
formation of new ecosystems, with unknown consequences.33 Breakup of existing ecosystems and loss
of biodiversity, in combination with increased drought conditions, can make forests more susceptible to
destruction by wildfires and insect infestation. In the western United States, both the frequency of large
wildfires, and the length of the fire season have increased substantially in recent decades, due primarily
to earlier spring snowmelt and higher spring and summer temperatures.34 Adverse effects are likely in
forests across the region, but more immediately in low elevation forests, and forests in drier parts of the
region, such as in Idaho eastern Washington and Oregon, and the interior of Alaska.35
E. Loss of sea ice is occurring now and will very likely increase in Alaska due to warming air and
water temperatures.
31 Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove and Bruno, John F. 2010. The impact of climate change on the world's ecosystems.
Science 328(1523-1528.
32 National Research Council. 2012. Sea-level rise for the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California: Past,
Present, and Future. Division on Earth and Life Studies Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and
Ocean Studies Board. Committee on Sea Level Rise in California, Oregon, and Washington.
33ACIA. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.
34 Westerling A.L, et. al. 2006. Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. forest wildfire activity.
Science, 313(5789), 940-943.
35 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Pacific Northwest and Alaska. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and
Development, Washington, D.C.
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Loss of arctic ice in the Bering Sea is adversely affecting Arctic sea ice ecosystems. The Bering Sea
fishery is a very important source of seafood and an important factor to Alaska's economy. The earlier
ice melt resulting from warming, however, leads to later phytoplankton blooms that are largely
consumed by microscopic animals near the sea surface, vastly decreasing the amount of food reaching
the living organisms on the ocean floor.36 This will radically change the species composition of the fish
and other creatures, with significant repercussions for both subsistence and commercial fishing.37 Sea
ice is forming later in the fall in Alaska, making the coastal communities more vulnerable to extreme
storms causing coastal erosion in villages.38
F. Ocean acidification is occurring now and is very likely to increase due to increasing
concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Ocean acidification can lead to substantial decline of marine organisms that form their shells and
skeletons from calcium carbonate in ocean waters.39 Adverse effects of ocean acidification on marine
organisms have already been documented.40 Specifically, adverse effects of ocean acidification have
been documented in pteropods (sea snails),41 a primary food source for salmon in the Pacific Ocean, and
in oyster larvae in estuaries on the coast of OR.42 This is an important issue in coastal areas of the Pacific
Northwest and Alaska.
G. Change in vegetation is likely in eastern Washington and Oregon and Idaho due to pest
outbreaks, invasive species, increased fire, shifts in species ranges and increased erosion, drier
soils, and depletion of water.
Climate warming is likely to increase the severity of West Nile Virus (WNv) outbreaks and to expand the
area susceptible to outbreaks into areas that are now too cold for the WNv vector.43 Observed and
projected decreases in the frequency of freezing temperatures, lengthening of the frost-free season, and
36 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Alaska. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Washington, D.C.
37 Janetos, A., et. al. 2008. Biodiversity. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water
Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp. 151-181.
38 http://www.stormsurge.noaa.gov/event_history.html
39 Orr, J.C., et. al. 2005. Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and its impact on
calcifying organisms. Nature, 437(7059), 681-686. 2005
40 Feely, R.A., et. al. 2008. Evidence for upwelling of corrosive "acidified" water onto the continental shelf.
Science, 320(5882), 1490-1492.
41 Bednarsek, N., et. al. 2012. Extensive dissolution of live pteropods in the Southern Ocean, Nature Geoscience, 5
(881-885).
42 Barton, Alan, et. al. 2012. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, shows negative correlation to naturally
elevated carbon dioxide levels: Implications for near-term ocean acidification effects. Limnology and
Oceanography. 57(3).
43 Ibid Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2011.
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increased minimum temperatures can alter plant species ranges and shift the geographic and
elevational boundaries of many arid lands. These changes are particularly relevant to the intermountain
regions in western North America, the Palouse grassland bioregion, southeastern Washington, and
northeastern Oregon.
3. Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development
Contaminated site cleanup and waste/petroleum management occur under a variety of EPA programs,
most commonly Superfund (i.e., remedial, time-critical and non-time critical removals, and emergency
response), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) (e.g.,
polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs), Clean Air Act (CAA) (e.g., asbestos), and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA).
There are over 100 hazardous waste sites listed on the National Priority List, and many RCRA permitted
and corrective action sites in Region 10. Many of these sites are especially vulnerable to impacts from
climate change and the potential impacts to infrastructure and in place remedies at corrective action,
remedial, removal, and brownfield sites. Also, there may be an increased need for Emergency Response
as part of FEMA response.
Region 10 recognizes the importance of sustainable development, and the overlap and intersection with
climate change issues. The Region is focusing on coordinating its sustainability efforts internally as well
as with our external partners with a specific consideration of climate change.
A. Remedial, removal, brownfield, corrective action or permitted sites may be impacted due to
flooding, sea level risk, storm surges, extreme events, and landslides.
There could be an increased risk of contaminant release from hazardous waste sites. Remedial project
managers and corrective action project managers may need to alter selected remedies to ensure
hazardous substances are not released. In situ remedies (e.g., stabilization, reactive barriers) and on-
site above ground treatment systems (e.g., pump & treat, air sparging) could be compromised or
overwhelmed if they are not designed to withstand the climate-related events. The net result could be
release of contaminants.
Groundwater and subsurface contamination could be impacted by drought and flood conditions. There
may be an increased risk of migration of contaminants from flooded containment facilities. Remedies
such as caps in contaminated industrial waterways in Washington and Oregon could be subject to (and
not designed to withstand) unanticipated scour events.
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Possible issues of nuclear waste disposal related to climate change (e.g., locations of storage facilities,
appropriate containment, and risk management issues) would also be important at the DOE Hanford
facility in Washington State, and the DOE Idaho National Lab facility in Idaho.
B. Increase in work for Alaska's Tribal and emergency response programs is occurring now and
likely to increase due to thawing permafrost and changes in sea ice that leads to damage of
roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure.
Melting sea ice and late formation in the fall is causing storms to move in close to shore as the natural
buffering system disappears. That is causing rapid coastal erosion, with houses and infrastructure
falling into the ocean in several communities. That, along with higher storm, tidal surges flood
communities, is requiring more immediate evacuation needs. Open dumps are also impacted by storm
surges, and flooding, which increases contamination risk. Permafrost temperatures have increased
throughout Alaska since the late 1970s.44 Land subsidence (sinking) associated with the thawing of
permafrost presents substantial challenges to engineers attempting to preserve infrastructure in
Alaska.45
C. EPA Region 10, Tribal and state partners will have increasing workloads in many aspects of
site and waste management as well as work related to the formation and implementation of
sustainable development and materials management programs, partnerships and initiatives.
Existing trends will exacerbate the challenges of climate adaptation. For example, accelerating
development (sustainable or otherwise) and the expected migration of people to Region 10 are issues of
concern. It is projected that the population of the States in Region 10 will increase from 11.2 million in
2010 to 13.1 million in 2025.46 Communities are struggling with how to manage the new people while
protecting the environment and providing basic services like energy, water and waste management. In
support of the increased sustainability of our communities, our investments in partnerships related to
more sustainable materials management play an increasing role in preventing waste, conserving energy
and reducing emissions of toxics as well as greenhouse gases. Waste management can be especially
challenging in remote tribal communities in Alaska.47
44 Lettenmaier, D., et. al. 2008. The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources,
and Biodiversity in the United States, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington,DC, pp. 121-150.
45 Instanes, A., et. al. 2005. Infrastructure: buildings, support systems, and industrial facilities. In: Arctic Climate
Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, pp. 907-944
46 U.S. Census Bureau. 2013. Current Population Report: Population Projections: States 1995-2025. Economics
Statistical Administration. Department of Commerce. Website:http://www.census.gov/prod/2/pop/p25/p25-
1131.pdf. Accessed May 23, 2013.
47 U.S. EPA. 2011. National Priorities with a Local Focus - Region 10's Approach for Implementing Administrator
Jackson's Seven Priorities-FY 2011-2015 November 2011. www.epa.gov.
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D. Availability of raw materials may decrease and the cost of mining and refining raw materials,
producing products, transporting products, and disposing products may increase due to
impacts of climate change.
EPA Region 10 will need to put more effort into advocating for sustainable materials management and
pollution prevention with States, industry, communities and tribes as climate change affects the
availability and cost of raw materials and products. This issue will impact the entire region but may
have a greater impact on remote cities and villages in Alaska where transportation and disposal of
products is more difficult and costly. For example, increasing pest infestations and forest fires can result
in millions of acres of dead, dying, and burned trees in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. This decreases
the availability and drives up the costs of wood products. Thawing permafrost in Alaska results in
infrastructure damage in the form of compromised or impassible haul roads for timber and ore,
reducing the availability of these natural resources and driving up transportation costs.
4. Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
EPA and the states (usually the State Department of Agriculture) register or license pesticides for use in
the United States. In addition, EPA must be notified of the importation of pesticides for use in the U.S.
EPA receives its authority to register pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA). Climate change may lead to an increase in pesticide use, due to an increase in pests and
diseases which favor warm and humid climates. Also, a changing climate can affect exposures to a wide
range of chemicals not just pesticide. Exposures may change because of changing environmental
conditions or changing use patterns.
A. Increased exposure and risk to hazardous chemicals may occur due to increasing extreme
temperatures and heavy precipitation events, changes in storm intensities, and increasing
frequency of floods.
The increased exposures and risk may require adjustments to the relevant risk assessment framework to
determine public risk due to modified exposure scenarios and modified toxicity of chemicals due to
climate change. Altered weather and severe climate events could also affect the interpretations of risk
at RCRA/TSCA and Superfund sites. This is very relevant for permitting and planning activities, where
facilities may not have previously required an awareness of risk management for water/flooding, or
other climate change impacts. In particular, Puget Sound is vulnerable to these potential impacts of
chemical pollution; restoration of Puget Sound is a key ecosystem-level activity in EPA Region 10.48 This
48 http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/AA2011/083012_final/
Action0/o20Agenda0/o20Book0/o202_Aug°/o20290/o202012.pdf
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is more relevant near sites with large densities of chemical manufacturers, processors and formulators,
and RCRA and Superfund sites.
5. 5:
EPA Region 10's Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) is charged with ensuring compliance with
environmental requirements and enforcing against violations to those requirements in the Pacific
Northwest and Alaska. In that capacity, OCE's vulnerabilities are uniquely tied to interactions with the
regulated community. Some types of vulnerabilities (e.g., difficulties with maintaining staff functionality
due to power outages and physical damage to facilities due to extreme weather) would be similar to
those experienced by all EPA programs and regions.
Other vulnerabilities are more specific to OCE, such as those which impact the ability of regulated
entities to comply with environmental requirements and with our ability to determine such compliance
and take appropriate action. The vulnerabilities of greatest importance for OCE are conditions/events
which would compromise our ability to ensure compliance with environmental requirements by
regulated entities and, where necessary, to take effective enforcement action in case of violations. The
activities impacted would include: compliance assistance; compliance monitoring and civil enforcement.
A. Non-compliance at regulated entities may increase due to extreme weather events and
changing weather patterns.
Compliance and enforcement programs under the Clean Water Act (CWA) have the potential to see an
increase in violations from many situations including sanitary sewer and combined sewer overflows,
violations of percent removal at wastewater treatment plants (due to limited water flow as a result of
drought), violations in bypasses due to the inability of wastewater treatment plants to treat a flow in
excess of the design capacity, and increased violations in numerous programs due to failure of existing
infrastructure protecting against extreme weather events. In addition, CWA section 311 (Spill
Prevention Control Countermeasures) may see an increase in non-compliance along Alaskan coastal
areas that have oil storage containers, as a result of sea ice melting (thereby increasing storm surges
along those coastal areas) and increased flooding.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) compliance and enforcement programs
may see violations at Pesticides Producing Establishments as there is a shift toward increasing pesticide
usage, productions and imports. As weather patterns change in the Region, the habitats of insects and
pests may also change, bringing different pests and diseases to areas.
The RCRA program may see increased non-compliance at landfills due to changes in precipitation
patterns (including more precipitation in some cases and more extreme precipitation events in other
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cases). Landfills may generate excessive hazardous leachate, see unexpected mobilization of
contaminants in the waste column, and/or experience failure of the liner or leachate collection systems.
B. Shift in regional enforcement priorities due to changes in compliance (both increased
compliance and non-compliance in different sectors) and increased number of inquiries from
industry about maintaining compliance due to extreme weather events and changing weather
patterns.
If an increase in violations in various programs and industry are identified, OCE may shift the
enforcement focus to address those violations. Conversely, OCE may use discretion to refocus
enforcement priorities when localized extreme weather events (e.g., flooding) greatly impact the
regulated community or when a change in weather patterns decreases the potential for non-compliance
(e.g., less precipitation could decrease surface runoff). This will be most important in states where EPA
has direct implementation of an enforcement program (e.g., Idaho for NPDES program), on Tribal lands,
and non-delegable programs (e.g., Chlorofluorocarbons, CWA 311 (SPCC), and PCBs). In states with
authorized program implementation, OCE's work share could change as a result of climate change
shifting states' priorities.
OCE may need to make adjustments to normal workload to address an increase in industry's compliance
inquiries. There may need to be reassignment or delay of normal work duties as staff provides
response support to those inquiries in a timely manner. Requests may also be received from Regional
state counterparts regarding guidance to address unique enforcement issues as a result of extreme
weather events or changing weather patterns.
C. Increased permitting of Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells for Carbon Dioxide
sequestration and Class V UIC wells for stormwater management.
EPA has developed criteria for Class VI wells, used specifically for the injection of carbon dioxide into
underground subsurface rock formations for long-term storage. As the need to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions into the atmosphere increases, various technologies including Class VI wells will be deployed.
OCE may need to reassign or delay other UIC permitting and enforcement work, as permit requests for
Class VI wells increase. This will be seen across the Region, until permitting and enforcement of the
Class VI well program is delegated to the states.
As the amount of stormwater increases with increased precipitation levels, industries regulated to
manage stormwater and associated discharges may be faced with challenges surrounding the volume of
stormwater to manage. Class V wells are designed to receive stormwater, as a substitution for or in
addition to discharging stormwater through more traditional means. OCE may see an increase in
permitting Class V wells, as challenges managing high volumes of stormwater increase. Permitting will
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be focused on Class V wells in Alaska and Tribal lands, as the Region implements this program in these
areas.
D. An increase in regulated industrial activities in Alaska may result as the melting of sea ice
opens new areas for activities.
Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning. This reduction of sea ice is very likely to increase
the navigation season and create a seasonal opening of the Northern Sea Route to likely make trans-
arctic shipping and transport feasible during summer months. As areas and routes become more
accessible, there is a potential for industrial activity (e.g., oil and gas extraction) to become more active
in these areas. As a result, OCE may see an increase in regulated entities.
The main EPA Region 10 building is in Seattle with field offices in Olympia, Portland, Boise, Anchorage,
and Juneau. The Region also maintains an environmental laboratory in Manchester, Washington. The
Region has a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that describes efforts to prepare and react to issues
affecting the operation of our facilities and a Regional Incident Command Team (RICT) who is
responsible for responding to any emergency situation. In general, the EPA Region 10 facilities are not
uniquely vulnerable to climate change impacts. The Manchester Lab is located on the shoreline and
could be more susceptible. They have an emergency operation plans in the event of extreme weather
events or other possible impacts from climatic change.
A. Drinking water may be limited and an increase in demand for air conditioning is possible due
to increasing drought frequency and intensity.
Facilities could be located in areas with water shortages, requiring water rationing. There is likely to be
a greater demand for electricity for air conditioning during the summer months. Increased extreme
temperature at any Region 10 office would put higher demand on drinking water and electricity for
cooling. This could impact the regional office and all the operations office.
B. Operations of Region 10 facilities may be impacted by increasing risk of floods and increasing
intensity of storms.
Facilities in flood-prone areas may have to temporarily close. Personnel engaged in field work may be
more vulnerable to extreme temperatures or storm events. Personnel and real property supporting
emergency response and management may be at risk during flooding or extreme weather events.
Ongoing work at the Manchester Environmental Laboratory may be disrupted with effects on many
different programs. Closure of regional offices due to climate change related damage could prevent
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staff from carrying out important functions. The Regional Office in Seattle is located in an area with low
probability for flooding or sea level rise. Region 10 has flexiplace options available to staff and a COOP
in place in case any Region 10 office is damaged by flooding or storms or transportation to/from offices
are affected (e.g., flooded roadways; landslides on commuter train tracks).
7.
As part of the EPA's direct federal implementation and oversight responsibilities, EPA Region 10 has a
trust responsibility to each of the 271 federally recognized Indian tribes within the Region. Many Tribes
are especially vulnerable to climate change impacts due to their reliance on traditional hunting and
fishing and their connections to the land and sea. Climate change is threatening access to traditional
foods such as salmon, marine mammals, shellfish, and terrestrial and aquatic plants which are used for
cultural, medicinal, and economic purposes as well as a primary food source. Tribes have already
experienced many climate-related changes including changes in salmon habitat, drought, declining
water tables, increased wildfires that impact crops, wildlife, traditional foods and medicines, earlier
spring snow melt, a decrease in sea ice, and permafrost thawing. EPA Region 10 is committed to work
with the Tribes to adapt to these changing conditions.
The impacts of climate change can have unique effects on the health of children. Children are different
from adults in how they interact with their environment and how their health may be affected.
Because of their unique physical, biological, and social characteristics they are likely to suffer
disproportionally from both the direct and indirect adverse health effects of climate change.49
The impacts of climate change raise environmental justice issues. Climate change is likely to exacerbate
existing and introduce new environmental burdens and associated health impacts in communities
dealing with environmental justice challenges across the nation.50
A. Food security for native Alaskans and Tribal people in the Pacific Northwest who live a
subsistence lifestyle may be at risk due to warming associated with climate change.
Warming due to climate change reduces the availability and accessibility of many traditional food
sources for Native Americans. People face losing their healthiest foods, their communities, and in some
cases, their culture, since each of these depends on traditional ways of collecting and sharing food.51
49 Pediatrics, Global Climate Change and Children's Health, Committee on Environmental Health. 2007. Available
at http://pediatrics.aappublications.Org/content/120/5/1149.full.pdf
50USGCRP. 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Karl, T.R., J. M. Melillo, and T. C.
Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.
89-106.
51ACIA. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.
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Climate change will continue to impact and put stress on salmon in the Pacific Northwest along with
other traditional foods such as wildlife, berries, and roots. In Alaska, climate change will reduce the
availability and access to ice seals, walrus and caribou and access to shellfish and plants used for
medicinal and cultural ceremonies.52
B. Increased erosion of shorelines is likely to increase risk to coastal native communities due to
increased intensity of coastal storms and rising sea levels.
Coastlines and shorelines throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are increasingly threatened by a
combination of increasing storm activity, loss of its protective sea ice buffer, declining habitat, and
thawing coastal permafrost.53 In Alaska, over 100 villages on the coast and in low-lying areas along
rivers are subject to increased flooding and erosion due to warming. Federal, state, and tribal officials
have identified 31 villages that face imminent threats.54 At least 12 of the 31 threatened villages have
decided to relocate-in part or entirely-or to explore relocation options. Federal programs to assist
threatened villages prepare for and recover from disasters and to protect and relocate them are limited
and unavailable to the majority of villages. At least one Pacific Northwest Tribe, the Hoh Tribe is
planning to relocate due to erosion and storm security.
C. Decreased access to clean drinking water is very likely due to loss of permafrost and reduced
snowpack.
In many rural Alaskan tribal communities, the loss of permafrost can cause many problems including the
loss of drinking water sources because tundra lakes, from which drinking water is drawn, are
disappearing with the permafrost.55 Also, melting permafrost destabilizes foundations, endangering the
sewer and water infrastructure in these communities and without permafrost, the untreated leachate
from open dumps may be a contamination risk for their water supply. Pacific Northwest Tribes may
also experience water scarcity, due to failing aquifers and less rainfall. With the reduced snow pack and
increased seasonal drought, many traditional drinking water sources are not being replenished.
D. Reduced availability of fish and shellfish resources is occurring now and is likely to increase
due to changing water conditions.
52IbidACIA. 2004.
53 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Pacific Northwest and Alaska. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and
Development, Washington, D.C.
54 Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.
http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf.
55 Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.
http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf.
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Climate change is bringing rapid and adverse habitat challenges, from changing stream flows to warming
waters that are having an impact on the viability of juvenile salmon to the impacts of ocean acidification
on salmon, crustacean, and shellfish food sources. Seafood is central to diet, physical, and cultural well-
being of Tribal lifeways. Increasing ocean acidification threatens shellfish beds that Tribes have
harvested for millennia. Ocean acidification may reduce rates of shellfish larval survival and weaken the
shells of the adults, thus making them more vulnerable as well.56
E. Vulnerable population such as children, the elderly, poor, and the infirm may be at increased
health risk due to increased temperatures, failing infrastructure, and extreme weather events.
Children playing in areas with higher ozone levels resulting from increased temperature will be at higher
risk for experiencing asthma symptoms, although in Region 10 the impacts from higher ozone levels are
not anticipated to be significant. The elderly are more vulnerable to heat stress because they are often
in poorer health and are less able to regulate their body temperature during periods of extreme heat.
Economic constraints can also place low-income households at disproportionate risk to extreme heat
events due to lack of air condition or failure to use air-conditioning to cut down on associated energy
costs.
Section 3: Region 10 Priority Existing Actions
The sections below present the existing actions EPA Region 10 is taking to address the identified
vulnerabilities and their associated impacts. These existing actions are from commitments in the EPA
Region 10 Strategic Alignment Plan and existing actions identified by the program offices in EPA Region
10. The actions are summarized below for each EPA Region 10 office. A more complete description of
the actions can be found in Appendix C. Also, Appendix D compares the vulnerabilities identified in
Section 2 with the existing Regional actions by National or Regional goals.
Appendix D indicates that there are Regional vulnerabilities where there are no existing actions. Since
this documents focus is existing actions, EPA Region 10 will evaluate how to address critical
vulnerabilities in the future. In addition, Region 10 will evaluate how to better integrate climate change
into its existing core programs along with engaging states, Tribes and other partners to adapt to
changing environmental conditions.
EPA Region 10 has developed the following criteria that can be used for evaluating priority actions in the
future.
• Actions that address an identified vulnerability in Region 10.
56 Orr, J.C., et. al. 2005. Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and its impact on
calcifying organisms. Nature, 437(7059), 681-686.
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• Actions that align with EPA national or regional priorities for climate change.
• Actions that will assist tribes in adapting to climate change.
• Actions that are linked to sustainability and environmental justice.
• Actions that increase awareness of climate change for EPA Region 10 staff.
• Actions that promote integration of climate change into EPA Region 10 program operations.
• Actions that increase awareness and collaboration with outside partners including tribes.
• Actions where EPA has a unique role or capacity to address the issue.
1. and
EPA Region 10's Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (OAWT) carries out air, waste and chemicals
management programs under statutory authorities such as the Clean Air Act (CAA), Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Pollution
Prevention (P2) Act, and the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA), and carries out TSCA enforcement
actions dealing with lead-based paint and asbestos. Many of OAWT activities reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. OAWT is currently also involved in the following Region-specific actions that address the
climate change vulnerabilities identified in the previous section for Goals 1, 3 and 4.
Indoor Air (Goal 1)
• Develop and host training for professionals (housing, medical, schools) on making indoor
environments healthier for the most vulnerable.
Materials Management and Pollution Prevention (Goals 3 and 4)
• Work with our partners through the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum and our
pollution prevention technical assistance providers and grants to assist in the transition to
sustainable materials management processes and source reduction.
• Recruiting and retaining participants for the Federal Green Challenge and for the Food Recovery
Challenge in support of the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Program.
Tribal Waste Management (Goal 3)
• Work with federally recognized tribes in Region 10 to address landfills and unconfined open dumps
which are impacted by climate change and help develop appropriate responses to these threats.
RCRA Corrective Action and Permitting (Goal 4)
• Ensuring that Climate Change guidance and policy capture RCRA issues.
• Incorporating green remediation in corrective action decision-making.
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2. and
EPA Region 10's Office of Water and Watersheds (OWW) implements programs under the CWA, Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and parts of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Also, OWW
provides funds for Puget Sound via the National Estuary Program to support climate change adaptation
projects. OWW's current focus is on increasing awareness for Regional staff and partners on the science
of climate change and strategies for adaptation to meet this goal. Many of these actions will benefit
from the development and implementation of appropriate national guidance to promote consistency
across the states. The Region will implement these actions in coordination with any related national
guidance. The actions mainly focus on addressing the vulnerabilities for Goal 2.
Drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure (Goal 2)
• Work with the State of Alaska to identify alternative technologies for providing first time service to
unserved homes in a more sustainable way compared to a traditional piped system.
• Work with the Water Sense program to encourage water efficiency in homes, landscaping and
commercial buildings with a focus on new homes.
• Continue implementing the Sustainable Energy Management Program with a Western Washington
cohort of drinking water and wastewater utilities.
Freshwater fisheries (Goal 2)
• Continue with pilot program examining how to integrate climate change in an ongoing total
maximum daily load (TMDL) by examining how temperature can be improved in the Nooksack
watershed in order to support salmon restoration.
PugetSound(Goal 2)
• Continue to support projects in Puget Sound related to climate change. There are several on-going
projects that are highlighted in Appendix C.
• Work with the University of Washington to develop a system for visualizing and analyzing a variety
of climate change-related features that are shifting with time and probability across the Region.
Training and Outreach (Goal 2)
• Inform and educate water program managers in the public and private sectors on climate change
and water issues and EPA related activities such as the National and Regional climate change
adaptation strategies.
• Work with States, Tribal governments, municipalities, non-profit organizations and businesses to
promote the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) and Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) Programs and
new Climate Ready Resilience and Awareness (GREAT) Version 2.0.
• Support Development of a Climate Change Section in the "Green" Paper for the State Revolving
Loan Funds and Annual Review Checklists.
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3. Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs (ETPA)
EPA Region 10's Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs (ETPA) implements cross-program efforts
to protect the environment and engage communities and leads Regional efforts related to Freedom of
Information Act requests, environmental justice, and sustainable agriculture. ETPA's focus is to ensure
consideration of climate change on projects via NEPA review process, incorporating climate change
science in wetlands management, providing assistance to Region 10 Tribes for climate change activities,
and supporting activities that address children's health and other vulnerable populations.
NEPA Review (Goal 2)
• Through the NEPA review process ensure consideration of climate change in review of all federal
projects and incorporate climate change adaptation into land management planning and other
projects as appropriate.
• Include ocean acidification language in NEPA review comment letters as appropriate and develop
template language in letters and example NEPA analyses that include ocean acidification
information.
Wetlands (Goal 2)
• Coordinate a Wetlands and Climate Change Research Meeting focused on new approaches and tools
to better understand, manage, and conserve wetlands in a changing climate.
• Incorporate climate change considerations into the CWA 404 regulatory program as they relate to
permit reviews and compensatory mitigation.
• As resources allow, improve baseline information on wetland extent, condition and performance to
inform effective adaptation to climate change.
• Integrate climate adaptation in the FFY14/15 Region 10 Wetland Program Development Grants RFP
by considering how the design and installation of demonstration projects would take relevant
potential impacts from climate change into account when considering long-term viability.57
Ocean Programs (Goal 2)
• Participate in interagency development and implementation of federal strategies through the
National Ocean Council (NOC) and the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan
Tribes (Multiple Goals)
• Support Tribes to develop adaptation actions (plans), to document impacts from climate change and
to engage in the collaboration with local, state and federal agencies working on broad based
adaptation plans.
57http://www.epa.gov/regionlO/pdf/wetlands/FY13_Wetland_Program_Development_Grants_Request_for_Proposals.pdf
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• Provide Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP) funding as appropriate to Tribes with climate
change in their IGAP workplans to do baseline environmental assessments and support adaptation
planning.
• Raise awareness by providing educational outreach, training, and webinars to Tribes and work with
the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals on tribal climate change adaptation models and
resources.
• Support Tribal projects on climate change in Puget Sound through the National Estuary Program. A
listing of those projects is included in Appendix C.
• Assist Tribes to build capacity and knowledge and assess and address air quality concerns including
those related to climate change through the Regional Clean Air Act Grants.
• Support the Rural Alaska Children's Health Initiative which works to protect children from harmful
environmental exposures in rural Alaska, including factors related to climate change.
Community Health (Regional Goal 7)
• Through work on children's health, develop and host training for professionals in the housing, health
and educational fields on making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable
populations.
• Provide technical assistance and training to affected communities on risks associated with poor
outdoor air quality (e.g., work with Tribal Air Program and convene Rural Alaska Children's
Environmental Initiative).
• Outreach/risk communication to vulnerable and economically deprived communities.
• Work with Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, and
Urban Sustainability Directors Network on promoting sustainable communities via housing,
transportation, and transit.
4. of (ECL)
EPA Region 10's Office of Environmental Clean-Up (ECL) is responsible for investigating contaminated
properties; cleaning up contaminated land, sediment, and water for appropriate uses; emergency
response; emergency planning and spill prevention; and Homeland Security and counter terrorism
preparedness. ECL works closely with communities and interested stakeholders, providing funding in
some cases to facilitate meaningful engagement in the Superfund process. ECL has focused on green
remediation strategies for specific sites, and the reduction of carbon and toxic emissions and reducing
overall environmental footprint of clean-up activities. There are no specific adaptation activities
currently underway in ECL.
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5. Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE)
EPA Region 10's Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) provides enforcement, compliance
monitoring, and compliance assistance for ground water, pesticides and toxics, wastewater (NPDES), air,
and solid and hazardous waste (RCRA) programs. Regional and national enforcement priorities change.
OCE is positioned to be flexible and use discretion when deciding those enforcement priorities, even as
those priorities are influenced by climate change. OCE has several ongoing activities all of which fall
under Goal 5.
• Continue to use an Environmental Justice Screening tool to identify regulated facilities located in
overburdened communities.
• The UIC program will continue to permit several Class I wells for underground injection of
wastes to reduce the need to establish waste retention ponds on the increasingly vulnerable
permafrost.
• Continuing to support the Regional Support Corps by deploying staff for varying emergency
response efforts.
• Continue to look for opportunities to encompass green infrastructure as part of settlement
agreements.
6. Office of Regional Counsel (ORC)
The Region has broad legal mandates to protect human health and the environment and therefore,
broad legal authority to support adaptation work. In the course of adaptation planning, specific
questions will likely arise that will need legal review. As there is variation among the statutes EPA
administers, as well as the regulatory programs EPA designs, implements, and enforces under those
laws, the best way for ORC to support adaptation efforts is to provide legal analysis on a case by case
basis. ORC will also support each of the regional program offices by coordinating with the Office of
General Counsel, offices of Regional Counsel in other regions, and the Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance, as necessary to provide legal advice to the regional program offices.
7. Office of Environmental Assessment (OEA)
EPA Region 10's Office of Environmental Assessment (OEA) provides scientific and technical expertise in
assessing the condition of the environment to support program decision-making and scientific
initiatives. OEA collects and analyze data to characterize the environment, investigate environmental
problems, and evaluate proposed solutions. A major emphasis of the OEA's activities are related to
raising awareness on the science of climate change to staff in the Regional office, to integrate climate
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change into the core program work, and to work with external partners to better coordinate the work
and increase collaboration. OEA has several ongoing activities that address of the goals.
• Provide outreach/trainings to increase awareness of climate science to regional staff and
partners.
• Work with individual programs and cross-office projects to integrate climate science into core
program work.
• Communicate with the public about hazards posed by climate change and actions being taken
by the EPA to address climate change.
• Coordinate with other federal agencies by participating on the Climate Change Cooperative and
supporting the Regional Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.
• Participate on the National Tribal Science Council, and support actions related to climate change
and tribes.
Section 4: Developing Measures, Monitoring and Evaluating Performance
Evaluating progress is important because there will be "learning by doing" over time as we mainstream
climate adaptation planning into our programs. We will monitor the outputs and outcomes of our
actions so we can learn what works - and why, and what doesn't work - and why not. This will allow us
to continually improve the effectiveness of our mainstreaming efforts and share our lessons learned
with other regions and our national programs. An evaluation process will be developed during the first
year of implementation to learn how to best capture desired outcomes, some of which will come as staff
integrates climate science into programmatic work. Appendix C provides more details on the Region 10
approach to develop and measure specific metrics.
Section 5: Legal and Enforcement Issues
The legal and enforcement issues were discussed in Sections 2 under Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental
Laws and in Section 3 under the Office of Compliance and Enforcement and Office of Regional Counsel.
Section 6: Training and Outreach
The specific actions related to training and outreach is discussed in Section 3. Training and outreach is a
critical part of Region 10's Implementation Plan. One of the primary tasks of the Regional Climate
Change Advisor is to provide training and outreach for both Regional staff and partners. The goal of the
training and outreach is to provide the foundation for programs to integrate climate science into their
core program work.
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7:
As part of the EPA's direct federal implementation and oversight responsibilities, EPA Region 10 has a
trust responsibility to each of the 271 federally recognized Indian tribes within the Region. EPA values
its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and decision making.
This trust responsibility has developed over time and is further expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for the
Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations and the 2011 Policy on Consultation
and Coordination with Indian Tribes. These policies recognize and support the sovereign decision-
making authority of tribal governments.
Supporting the development of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Indigenous
peoples are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the
environment within their traditional lifeways and culture. There is a strong need to develop adaptation
strategies that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Tribes and tribal
members.
EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency's Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature
change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. Tribes recommended a number
of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving access to data and information;
supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community-level
education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support. At the same time,
tribes challenged EPA to coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources
are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced.
EPA Region 10 plans to partner with tribal governments, in collaboration with other Federal agencies, on
an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation-related priorities.
These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provide by our tribal partners and the
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing
the current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable
tool to adapt to changing surroundings. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is
viewed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision-making.
Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues,
including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
and IGAP. Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and Program Offices in
EPA and other partners such as other federal agencies, since climate change has many impacts that
transcend media and regional boundaries. Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in
order to leverage activities already taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments.
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Section 8: Vulnerable Population and Places
As mentioned in Sections 1, 2 and 3, certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly,
minorities, the poor, persons with underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited
access to information, and tribal communities, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as those
located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA's efforts to integrate climate
adaptation into its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize helping people,
places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be designed and
implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society.
This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions that will be
taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is conducted, the
communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change will be
identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these communities to increase their adaptive
capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. These efforts will be informed by experiences with
previous extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent
recovery efforts.
Section 9: Cross-Office Pilot Projects
Developing cross-office pilot projects is a vital role for the Region 10 Climate Change Advisor. Region 10
has a TMDL pilot project described in Appendix C on the Southfork of the Nooksack River. We
anticipate building on that success using the same approach of outreach at the unit or office/program
level to increase awareness of vulnerabilities and available science. At the same time, we will collect
input on climate science needs and ideas on how the science might be incorporated into day-to-day
decisions. To keep the process sustainable, OEA provides some initial assistance and looks for partners
to provide some further assistance.
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APPENDICES
Appendix A: Vulnerabilities Identified by Region 10 States and Tribes
Appendix B: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Program Vulnerabilities
Appendix C: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Existing Actions
Appendix D: Comparison of Vulnerabilities and EPA Region 10 Existing Actions
Appendix E: EPA Region 10 Approach for Measuring Success
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Appendix A: Vulnerabilities Identified by Region 10 States and Tribes
Oregon
The State of Oregon has developed a framework58 that condenses specific vulnerabilities and risks from climate
change into 11 overarching categories. They then ranked these into three groups: very likely, likely, and more
likely than not. While the framework does not indicate a formal peer review was conducted, the Oregon Climate
Change Research Institute (OCCRI) assisted in the development of the framework and the risks are fully
documented with extensive citations. The categories and ranked risks are:
Very Likely Risks:
• Increase in average annual air temperatures and likelihood of extreme heat events that also increase
water temperatures
• Changes in hydrology and water supply; reduced snowpack and water availability in some basins; changes
in water quality and timing of water availability
Likely Risks:
• Increase in wildfire frequency and intensity
• Increase ocean temperatures, with potential for changes in ocean chemistry and increased ocean
acidification
• Increased incidence of drought
• Increased coastal erosion and risk of inundation from increasing sea levels and increasing wave heights
and storm surges
• Changes in abundance and geographical distributions of plant species and habitats for aquatic and
terrestrial wildlife
• Increase in diseases, invasive species, and insect, animal, and plant pests
• Loss of wetland ecosystems and services
More likely than not Risks:
• Increased frequency of extreme precipitation events and incidence and magnitude of damaging floods
• Increased incidence of landslides
Washington
Similarly, Washington State Department of Ecology has summarized climate impacts in Preparing for a Changing
Climate: Washington States' Integrated Climate Response Strategy.59 The information below is a summary of the
Ecology document and the references are included in their document and they are not repeated here. Washington
examined projected impacts for sector groupings - e.g., Built Infrastructure, Wildlife & Habitat, etc. They also
worked with University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group to understand how the impacts might affect the
different sector groups, with the goal of prioritizing actions within those groups and developing coordinated
strategies. The impacts include the scientific evidence and are summarized into the following groups:
Warmer temperatures and more severe heat waves: In the Pacific Northwest, average annual temperature rose
1.5 °F between 1920 and 2003. Climate scientists' project average annual temperatures in the Pacific
Northwest will rise 2°F by the 2020s and 3.2°F by the 2040s, compared with 1970-1999 averages. Heat
waves are projected to occur more often and last longer.
Larger and more intense wildfires: Researchers project that the area burned by fire each year in the Columbia
Basin will double or triple by the 2080s, compared to the 1916-2006 average. Costs of fighting wildfires
are expected to rise and risks to communities, the environment, and wildlife are expected to increase.
58 http://www.Oregon.gov/LCD/docs/ClimateChange/Framework_Final.pdf
59 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_responsestrategy.htm
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Drier summers and wetter autumns and winters: Downscaled climate models project that summer precipitation
will decrease and autumn and winter precipitation will increase. Washington could experience more
intense rainfall events more often.
Decreased snowpack and loss of natural water storage: In Washington's Cascades, average snowpack declined
about 25 percent between 1950 and 2006. Spring snowpack across Washington State is projected to
decrease 28 percent by the 2020s and 40 percent by the 2040s relative to the 1916-2006 average, and
snowmelt is expected to occur earlier in the spring.
More frequent and severe drought: Increasing temperature, declining snowpack and earlier snowmelt will increase
the risk of summer water shortages and increase the demand for water. The amount of water available
for communities, irrigation, fish, hydropower generation, recreation, and other uses will be affected and
competition for water will increase.
More severe winter flooding: Although the risks vary by location, Washington is expected to experience more
severe winter flooding during the winter due to more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow in the
mountains. More severe winter flooding poses challenges for managing reservoirs for flood control, fish,
and hydropower production. Damages and repair costs for vulnerable homes, roads, and other
infrastructure could increase. Extreme rainfall may place more stress on our stormwater infrastructure.
Sea level rise: Global sea level has risen about 7 inches during the 20th century and is projected to rise at a higher
rate in the future. For the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts north of Cape Mendocino, sea level
is projected to rise 24 inches over the next century. In addition, an earthquake magnitude of 8 or greater
along the Cascadia Subduction Zone would suddenly raise sea level along the coast of Washington and
Oregon by an additional 3-7 feet, exacerbating the effects of sea level rise due to climate change.
Idaho
Climate change planning in Idaho is mainly led by the Idaho Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive
Research (EPSCoR). Two major river basins of national significance are in Idaho, the Snake River Plain (Snake) and
the Salmon River Basin (Salmon). The EPSCoR work addresses concerns about how the hydrology in Idaho will
change as climate changes in the western U.S. Of particular interest to EPSCoR is how the connection between
surface water and groundwater in the Snake River Plain may change.60
According to EPSCoR, the National Ground Water Association has stressed that groundwater supplies might be
used in the future to balance large swings in water supplies caused by drought and climate change. Despite this,
the connections between climate change and groundwater is largely unexplored and poorly understood. The
projected changes in the timing and magnitude of stream flows will affect ecosystems in sensitive areas. In
addition, because Idaho's economy is strongly coupled to water and snowmelt, the proposed research has direct
application to Idaho's citizens and implications for decision makers.
Concerns in Idaho center on:
Hydroclimatology and the connections between surface water and groundwater; understand how projected
climate change might affect the timing and magnitude of mountain snow packs and snowmelt.
Hydro-economics/policy and changes in the timing and variability of water supply on land use, economic
production, urban growth, and water management, and water rights.
Hydroecology and effects of climate change on natural ecosystems such as species shifts, and integrated
relationships between climate, hydrology, fire, insects, ecology, and changing landscapes.
Alaska
The State of Alaska Adaptation Advisory Group describes vulnerabilities including impacts that are already
occurring in their document, Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.61 The information
60 http://www.idahoclimatechange.org/DrawOnePage.aspx?PagelD=135
61 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf
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below is from the executive summary of the document. The references are included in the document and are not
repeated in this document.
Permafrost Thawing and Sea Ice Melting
Permafrost underlies most of Alaska. Air temperature, snow cover, and vegetation affect the temperature of the
frozen ground and the depth of seasonal thawing. Recent decades of warmer temperatures have produced
extensive thawing, which has resulted in increased coastal erosion, landslides, and sinking of the ground surface,
as well as consequent disruption and damage to forests, buildings, infrastructure, and coastal communities. In
addition, many industrial activities depend on frozen ground surfaces, and many northern communities rely on ice
roads for transport of groceries and other materials. Continued warming will further impair transport by
shortening the seasonal use of ice roads. Thawing is projected to accelerate under future warming, with as much
as the top 10 to 30 feet of discontinuous permafrost thawing by 2100.
Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning, with widespread effects on marine ecosystems, coastal
climate, human settlements, and subsistence activities. Recent studies estimate arctic-wide reductions in annual
average sea-ice extent of about 5-10% and a reduction in average thickness of about 10-15% over the past few
decades. Retreat of sea ice allows larger storm surges to develop, increasing the risk of inundation and increasing
erosion on coasts already made vulnerable by permafrost thawing. Loss of sea ice also causes large scale changes
in marine ecosystems, and threatens populations of marine mammals and polar bears that depend on ice. At the
same time, the continued reduction of sea ice is very likely to increase the navigation season, and within several
decades a seasonal opening of the Northern Sea Route is likely to make trans-arctic shipping feasible during
summer months, although increasing ice movement will initially make shipping more difficult in some channels of
the Northwest Passage.
Threats to Coastal Communities, Habitats, and Infrastructure
Alaska has more coastline than the other 49 states combined. Increases in the frequency and intensity of storm
surges have triggered increased coastal erosion that is threatening a number of coastal villages. A recent report
from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicated that 31 villages face imminent threats. Storm surges
have also reduced the protection that barrier islands and spits provide to coastal habitats. Both coastal and inland
infrastructure face threats due to the climate change. Thawing permafrost threatens water and sanitation
infrastructure, and roads, buildings, pipelines, power lines and other infrastructure are threatened by coastal
erosion and degrading permafrost.
Forest and Vegetation Changes
The Arctic region, particularly Alaska, is already experiencing major ecological impacts as a consequence of
warming. Rising temperatures have caused northward expansion of boreal forest in some areas, significant
increases in fire frequency and intensity, and unprecedented insect outbreaks. Current projections suggest that,
due to increases in burn area per decade, the tundra-dominated landscape on Seward Peninsula will eventually be
replaced by deciduous forest. In other areas, forested areas are likely to convert to bogs as permafrost thaws.
Growing-degree days have increased by 20%, with benefits for agriculture and forest productivity on some sites,
and reduced growth on others.
Sensitivity of Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries
The Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea support marine ecosystems of great diversity and productivity as well as the
nation's largest commercial fishery. Perhaps one of the most daunting threats lies in increasing acidification of the
cold Alaskan waters. This would affect all organisms that possess calcifying shells, and these organisms play an
integral role in the food web. Recent climate-related impacts observed in the Bering Sea include significant
reductions in seabird and marine mammal populations, unusual algal blooms, abnormally high water
temperatures, and low harvests of salmon on their return to spawning areas. Future projections for the Bering Sea
suggest productivity increases at the base of the food chain, poleward shifts of some cold-water species, and
negative effects on ice-dwelling species. Warmer temperatures will also affect commercial fisheries by inducing
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large northward shifts of fish and shellfish species. This would result in decreased harvesting of cold-water species
such as salmon and pollock, and increased harvesting of other species.
Changes in the Diversity, Ranges, and Distributions of Species
The Arctic sub-region that includes Alaska, Chukotka, and the Western Canadian Arctic is home to over 70 percent
of the rare plant species that occur only in the Arctic and a number of plant and animal species already classified as
"threatened." Species concentrated in small areas, such as Wrangell Island, are particularly vulnerable to the direct
effects of climate change combined with competition from migrating non-native species.
Increased Stress on Subsistence Livelihoods and Lifestyles
Subsistence makes an important contribution to livelihood in many isolated rural communities, especially but not
exclusively for native peoples. Livelihoods that sustain indigenous communities include hunting, trapping,
gathering, and fishing. These activities not only make significant contributions to the diet and health of many
indigenous populations, but also play large and important social and cultural roles. Reduced or displaced
populations of marine mammals, seabirds, and other wildlife, together with continuing thinning of sea-ice, have
affected the safety and the dietary and economic well-being of subsistence communities.
Tribes
Among other effects of climate change, Tribes are concerned about declining stocks, changes in migration
patterns, and other impacts on natural resources including endangered species.62 In an effort to begin an
understanding of Tribal cultural resource vulnerabilities, Region 10 reviewed the Swinomish Climate Change
Initiative Impact Assessment Technical Report as a very useful resource.63 Although peer review was not
described, this report represents the work of a multidisciplinary team led by staff of the Swinomish Office of
Planning & Community Development, in partnership with the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
(CIG), and with further scientific assistance from Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC). CIG staff played a crucial
role in reviewing scientific data, reports, and project documents, advising on the use of scientific data and
information in the project, and in identifying probable local impacts and climate change scenarios. Scientific
expertise was also provided by Skagit River System Cooperative, which partnered with Western Washington
University and Battelle Northwest to model hydrologic impacts at the local level.
The cultural vulnerabilities identified in the Swinomish Impact Assessment included:
Shrinking land base (sea level rise);
Inundation of coastal sites/artifacts;
Exposure of burial sites and human remains from strong storm events;
Loss of cultural use plants; and
Ecological Impacts on resources within the Swinomish traditional use areas.
In addition, Region 10 has funded two Indian General Assistant Program (IGAP) grants for the Jamestown and Port
Gamble S'Klallam Tribes to develop a climate change vulnerability assessment template that other tribes could
use. The work began in January 2012. The Jamestown Tribe Tribal Advisory committee was formed and identified
four areas of concern for which they developed subcommittees: facilities/roads; economics; natural resources; and
human health. The Tribe's process will be reported in a short stand-alone document that may be used by other
Tribal Governments.
62 James Woods, Region 10 Senior Tribal Policy Advisor
63 http://www.swinomish.org/departments/planning/climate_change/climate_main.html
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Another useful description of vulnerabilities related to Alaskan Tribes, in particular, is the Tribal Climate Change
Adaptation Plan Template64 which references three sources.65-66'67 A summary of the findings from the Template
are included below. The specific references are included in the Template and are not repeated here.
Alaska has already experienced many climate-related changes including earlier spring snow melt, a decrease in sea
ice, thawing permafrost, glacier retreat, changes in precipitation levels, and an increase in drought and wild fires.
The annual average temperature has increased by 3.4°F, while winter temperatures have increased by 6.3°F during
the last half century. The snow-free season lengthened by an average of 10 days throughout the state between
1970 and 2000; this continues to impact Alaska's soil moisture and consequently vegetation that is not
accustomed to drought-like conditions.
Rising temperatures are creating a more hospitable habitat for spruce beetles resulting in a severe infestation in
spruce forests in the south-central portion of Alaska; there has also been an increase in catastrophic wildfires
throughout the state due to the warmer and drier conditions. Additionally Alaska is beginning to witness a thaw in
permafrost which is affecting not only human-made infrastructure, but also forest health and lake area in wetland
ecosystems.
Continued future warming in this region is inevitable, even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted today.
Temperatures are projected to increase anywhere between 5°F and 13°F by the end of the 21st century, depending
on different emission scenarios. These increasing temperatures are expected to have major consequences on the
different ecosystems in Alaska. This includes the warming of sea surface temperatures, further reductions in sea
ice (impacting not only marine mammals but also eliminating a natural buffer to coastal storms), increased coastal
erosion and flooding, an increase in catastrophic wildfires (models suggest that the yearly average area that burns
may double by the middle of the century), and the warming and thawing of permafrost (Karl eta/., 2009).
The changes that are already occurring in Alaska, and that will continue to occur, have the potential to alter the
landscape considerably and may have immeasurable implications for Alaska's plants, animals and people.
Alaska has already experienced many climate-related changes including: earlier spring snow melt; decrease in sea
ice (important to marine mammals and a natural buffer to coastal storms); thawing permafrost, which makes tribal
infrastructure (water, sewer, and foundations) designed for permafrost conditions extremely vulnerable to failure;
glacier retreat; changes in precipitation levels; increase in drought, vegetation stress, and wild fires; severe
infestation of spruce beetles in the south-central portion of Alaska; and increased coastal erosion and flooding.
64 http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
65USGCRP. 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Karl, T.R., J. M. Melillo, and T. C.
Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY,
USA.Karl, T. R., Melillo, J. M., & Peterson, T. (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. New
York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
66 U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs website accessed on January 20, 2011 at:
www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/RegionalOffices/Alaska/index.htm
67 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website accessed on January 20, 2011 at:
http://alaska.fws.gov/climate/index.htm.
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Appendix B: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Program
Vulnerabilities
In general, where possible, the sources cited by Region 10 use the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology where 'very likely' means 90-100% probability, and the term 'likely'
means 66-100% probability. Some likelihoods are noted as "Occurring now" where appropriate.
In addition, the use of terms are as follows: "High" assumes the program will be affected by the impact; "Medium"
assumes the program could be affected under some conditions by the impact; "Low" assumes that there is a
potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists as to the potential nature and extent of
the impact.
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
l.A. Increased tropospheric ozone pollution in certain areas due to increased average summertime
temperatures
Likelihood of Impact: Likely. Projections of future tropospheric ozone levels in the literature for the Pacific
Northwest and Alaska are inconclusive at this time but the level of impact could change as new information
becomes available. See further discussion below.
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting public health and the environment by attaining the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by implementing programs in States and Indian Country to help meet the
standards
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High in large urban areas in the Pacific Northwest - Washington, Oregon,
and Idaho, and Low in remaining rural areas and in Alaska.
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could become more difficult to attain NAAQS for ozone in
metropolitan areas where ozone design values are close to the NAAQS.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Washington, Idaho, and Oregon each have at least 1 metropolitan area
that has ozone design values close to the ozone NAAQS. There is the possibility that higher summertime
temperatures would increase ozone productivity as well as emissions of VOC precursors and, there is scientific
consensus that climate change will decrease the background ozone in the lower troposphere where the water
vapor effect is dominant.68 Ozone in NOx-limited areas is projected to decrease as well as a result of climate
change. From the available academic literature that included results for the Pacific Northwest, there is no
consistent finding about whether climate change will increase, decrease, or have no change on ozone in this
region.69-70 Of potential greater concern for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska over the next several decades is the
increase in transported ozone precursors from Asia. Asian transport of ozone will decrease with an increase in
water vapor over the Pacific, but hydroxyl radicals will increase, potentially increasing ozone formation in PNW
urban areas.71
Variation in importance across the Region: Ozone is more likely to increase with climate change in inland Idaho
rather than Washington and Oregon due to coastal airflow. It is not an issue for Alaska since ozone formation is
68 Jacob, DJ., and D.A. Winner. 2009. Effect of climate change on air quality, Atmos. Environ., 43, 56.
69 Ibid Jacob and Winter 51-63. Jacob, D.J., and D. A. Winner. 2009. Effect of climate change on air quality,
Atmos. Environ., 43, 51-63.
70 U.S. Global Change Research Program. 2009., Assessment of the impacts of global change on regional U.S. air
quality: a synthesis of climate change impacts on ground-level ozone, EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and
Development, Washington, D.C.
71 Task Force on the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution. 2010. Hemispheric transport of air pollution 2010,
Part A: ozone and particulate matter, Air Pollution Studies No. 17, United Nations, New York, USA and Geneva,
Switzerland.
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limited by relatively low summertime temperatures. Potential ozone increases are more likely to occur in the
larger metropolitan areas including Spokane, Tacoma, Portland, and Boise. Whether or not these increases will
result in violations of the NAAQS health standards however is unknown.
l.B. Increase in summertime temperatures and extreme temperature events can potentially affect
concentrations of air toxics from anthropogenic sources.
Likelihood of Impact: Impact uncertain due to variability in effects of temperature increase on individual air toxics
in Region 10.
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Reducing risk from emissions of air toxics through Maximum Achievable
Control Technology (MACT), National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) and residual risk
programs
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: There is insufficient literature available on air toxics and climate change to
project this likelihood for Region 10.
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could increase public health risks, including risks for the young, the
elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Many HAP chemicals volatilize at higher temperatures, creating the
potential for higher emission rates and higher concentrations in ambient air.72 There is uncertainty however as to
actual impacts on HAP concentrations since the boundary layer height will also likely be higher, adding more
volume of air for the HAPs to mix into. It is also possible for pollutant removal mechanisms to increase as a result
of climate change. There is still considerable uncertainty about the effect of climate change on air toxics in Region
10. Variation in importance across the Region: Although we would expect air toxics to be most important in
urban areas near large sources or a high density of sources, we cannot say that this will be the norm in Region 10.
Potential variations by individual air toxic, location, and season were indicated in a continuous monitoring of
atmospheric mercury study comparing high arctic, sub-Arctic, and temperate sites. While background mercury
levels were shown to be decreasing at sub-Arctic and temperate sites, the levels at Alert (Nunavut, Canada -
locationally and climatically comparable to arctic Alaska) indicated increases in both RGM (reactive gaseous
mercury) and TPM (total particulate mercury) from 2002 - 2009 in the spring when concentrations are the highest.
Background mercury had decreased at all other locations.73
l.C. Increased frequency or intensity of wildfires due to increased summertime temperatures, prolonged
droughts, and decreased soil moisture may impact Particulate Matter levels.74
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting public health and the environment by assuring that the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are attained and assisting States and Tribes in the implementation of
programs to help meet these standards.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High.
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could complicate Agency efforts to protect public health and the
environment from risks posed by particulate matter (PM) pollution in areas affected by more frequent wildfires.
72IPCC. 2012. Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance
Climate Change Adaptation (Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D.Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L Ebi, M.D., Mastrandrea,
K.J. Mach, G.K. Plattner, SIK. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.). A Special Report of Working Groups I & II
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York,
NY, USA pp. 1-19.
73 Cole, A.S., et. al. 2013. Ten year trends of atmospheric mercury in the high Arctic compared to Canadian sub-
Arctic and mid-latitude sites, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13, 3,1535-45.
74 Mote, P. K. Snover, S. Capalbo, S.D. Eigenbrode, P. Glick, J. Littell, R. Raymondi, and S. Reeder, 2014: Ch. 21:
Northwest. Climate Change Impacts on the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J.M. Melilo,
Terese (T.C.) Richmond and G.W Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 487-513.
doi:10.7930/J04Q7RWX. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/northwestftstatement-1700.
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Implications: increased concentrations of PM resulting in public health impacts and increasing responsibility of
public agencies to protect public health.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Larger and more frequent wildfires are predicted throughout the region as
a result of warmer summertime temperatures, decreased soil and fuel moisture, and increased pest infestations.
For example, in the Columbia Basin, the acres of forest burned are projected to double by the 2020s, and triple by
the 2040s compared to average burned from 1916 to 2006.75 These large increases in annual acres burned will
increase the number of airsheds and communities impacted by high summertime concentrations of Pm 10 and
PM2.5 from wildfires, impacting the health of more individuals who have preexisting respiratory conditions such as
asthma, and preexisting heart conditions. State, local, and Tribal air agencies will also be impacted by these events
and Region 10 will be obligated to assist them. More frequent and larger wildfires could result in agricultural and
forestry slash burning permits not being issued at all, or issued later into the winter, where permitted burning
would more likely overlap with home heating season and add to emissions from woodburning stoves. Although
increased wildfire will have little impact on the attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
or the SIP State Implementation Plan (SIP) program, the Region 10 impact would be in workload to process
Exceptional Event documentation and potentially in assisting States, local communities, and land managers in
minimizing the impact of increased wildfire smoke on human health.
Variation in importance across the Region: All four RIO States have a high percent of forested areas (about 50%
for States of WA and OR) and would all be adversely affected by an increase in wildfires
l.D. Changes in precipitation, extreme temperatures, more frequent wildfires, and severe weather events will
impact indoor air quality.
Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protection of public health from exposure to indoor air pollutants which are
concentrated in indoor environments many times above ambient air levels. Potential for increased mold growth,
particularly among buildings without access to air conditioning. Indoor Air Quality, Children's Health and outreach
programs will be impacted due to increased need for public education and guidance on reducing exposures to both
indoor and ambient air pollutants.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High.
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Will increase public health risks including those from respiratory
illnesses including asthma76, and risks for susceptible populations - the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and
socioeconomically disadvantaged populations across the region. Alaska's native and rural populations are very
vulnerable to worsening indoor air quality with more insulated housing reducing air circulation- thereby increasing
levels of both indoor and ambient pollution - and increasing flood risk and melting permafrost that will support
more mold growth77. Also, though not directly related to climate change, increasing use of wood combustion as
an indoor heat source (due to rising cost of home heating oil) further impairs indoor air quality.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Important across the Region. Susceptible individuals will be impacted by
elevated temperatures, increasing pollutant levels, and therefore increasing exposures to both indoor and ambient
air pollution.
Variation in importance across the Region: Particularly important in environmental justice (EJ) areas and areas
with a high density of more susceptible populations such as in Alaska's native villages78 and on tribal reservations
in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
75J.S. Littell, et. al. 2010. Forest ecosystems, disturbance, and climatic change in Washington State, USA.
Climatic Change 102(1-2): 129-158.
76 Reid, Colleen and Gamble, Janet. 2009. Aeroallergens, Allergic Disease, and Climate Change: Impacts and
Adaptation, Ecohealth Vol 6(3):458-470.
77 Kovesi, Thomas MD et al. 2007. Indoor Air Quality and the Risk of lower respiratory tract infections in young
Canadian Inuit children, Canadian Medical Association.
78 Lisa Bulkow et al., 2010. Risk Factors for Severe Respiratory Synctial Virus Infection Among Alaska Native
Children, Pediatrics. 109 (2).
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I.E. Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer due to climate change effects on the atmosphere
Likelihood of Impact: Likely - changes continue over the Arctic.
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Restoring the stratospheric ozone layer, preventing UV-related disease, and
providing a smooth transition to safer alternatives to CFCs and HCFCs
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Low - there is no stratospheric ozone monitoring or restoration program in
RIO.
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: May be unable to restore ozone concentrations to benchmark levels
as quickly at some latitudes.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Not uniformly important across the region. Important in the Arctic
(Alaska) where severe depletion of stratospheric ozone has been observed during winter and spring months.79
While there currently are no EPA Region 10 programs that directly deal with monitoring or restoring the
stratospheric ozone layer, there is enforcement activity against violators related to use and disposal of CFCs and
HCFCs and their substitutes.
Variation in importance across the Region: Most important in Alaska, particularly in Arctic regions.
l.F. Changes in the rate and distribution of deposition of sulfates. nitrates, and mercury as a result of changes in
precipitation patterns.80
Likelihood of Impact: Impact potentially ranges from Unlikely to Likely. Much uncertainty exists re: the overall
impacts of changes in precipitation on sulfates, nitrates and mercury deposition in Region 10. We assume that
there would be increased deposition of available sulfates, nitrates, and mercury with increased precipitation, but
the availability of these pollutants in the atmosphere may be decreasing due to control measures.
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Agency programs to protect ecosystems from atmospheric deposition of
pollutants such as sulfates, nitrates, and mercury. Deposition of pollutants may also impact compliance with water
quality standards and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: There is insufficient research on sulfate, nitrate, and mercury deposition and
climate change to project this likelihood for Region 10, particularly in light of increasing wildfires and transport
from Asia.
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could cause adverse effects on ecosystems throughout the region,
particularly mountain ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems, and could contribute to accumulation of mercury in
fish tissue. This would disproportionally effect populations of people whose diet consists of a high percent of fish.
Water quality impacted during summer due to lower stream flows. TMDLs may be more difficult to attain. An
accurate assessment of impacts is difficult to determine at this time.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Accumulation of sulfates and nitrates may kill sensitive plant species and
alter richness of species in sensitive ecosystems through the region. Mercury deposition in freshwater habitats
could contribute to bioaccumulation of mercury in fish tissue, posing risks to humans who consume these
freshwater fish. Lower stream flows during the summer months could make attainment of TMDLs associated with
release of pollutants from point sources more difficult to attain, negatively impacting ecosystem health.
Atmospheric deposition of sulfates, nitrates and mercury from Region 10 sources are expected to decrease over
time due to compliance with the new air toxics rules (i.e. the Mercury Air Toxics Standard - MATS), the attainment
of additional reductions through the residual risk and technology review program, and mobile source controls.
Additional compliance activities resulting in decreases over time include sources meeting permit requirements or
closing down. There is some uncertainty in this expected downward trend however due to potential increased
mercury releases due to wildfires and transport from Asia. Global emissions of mercury continue to change at the
same time as the Arctic is experiencing ongoing climatic changes. Multi-year trends analysis in reactive gaseous
79G.L Manneyet. al., 2011. Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss in 2011, Nature 478,469-475. October 27, 2011.
80 Dawson, J.P., B.J. Bloomer, D.A. Winner, C.P. Weaver, 2013. Understanding the meteorological drivers of U.S.
particulate matter concentrations in a changing climate, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00181.1, in press.
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mercury (RGM) and total particulate mercury (TPM) at a Canadian Arctic site indicated increases from 2002 to
2009 in both RGM and TPM in the spring when concentrations are highest.81
Variation in importance across the Region: Sulfate and nitrate deposition is important across the region. Mercury
deposition is highest close to mercury sources, such as mining operations. The issue is more important for parts of
the Region containing mountain ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems and for parts of the Region where
people's diets consist of a high percent of fish. While studies have shown that on the East Coast, sulfate
concentrations increase with temperature due to faster SO2 oxidation (higher rate constants and higher oxidant
concentrations)82-83 no studies are available to indicate that the same is true for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
In contrast, nitrate and organic semi-volatile components shift from the particle phase to the gas phase with
increasing temperature.84 Overall effects are uncertain however because higher temperatures drive increased
chemical reactions and possibly more secondary organic carbon. At the same time there might be changes to the
boundary layer height, airmass ventilation rate, and precipitation. We do not know the relative importance of
these effects in RIO states.
81 Cole, A.S., et. al. 2013. Ten-year trends of atmospheric mercury in the high Arctic compared to Canadian sub-
Arctic and mid-latitude sites, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 13, Issue 3, pp. 1535-45.
82 Aw, J., and Kleeman, M.J. 2003. Evaluating the first-order effect of intra-annual temperature variability on
urban air pollution. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 4365.
83 Dawson, J.P., et. al. 2007. Sensitivity of PM2.5 to climate in the Eastern US: a modeling case study. Atmos.
Chem. Phys. 74,295-4,309
84 Tsigaridis, K., and Kanakidou, M. 2007. Secondary organic aerosol importance in the future atmosphere.
Atmos. Environ. 41,4682-4692.
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Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
2.A. Regional focus: Increasing heavy precipitation events and more frequent flood events may impact water
systems and infrastructure.
Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Water infrastructure: drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and
agricultural irrigation systems and infrastructure.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Water infrastructure could be overwhelmed or damaged. Impacts
on water infrastructure may result in an increased number of sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, as well as
increased pollutant loads in runoff, increased pollution of streams and threats to public health.85 Drinking water
and wastewater utilities will need an integrated approach to planning for emergencies and extreme weather
events.86 Problems of safety as well as access to clean and safe water will be exacerbated for Tribal communities,
and other vulnerable and economically depressed communities who have limited access to clean water supplies.87
Agricultural productivity may be impacted in areas with inadequate water storage capacity and limited agricultural
irrigation systems.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: The Region will work with the Tribes and States to assist in water planning
by sharing information on available downscaled models and tools and provide technical assistance, outreach, and
education to further assist in the implement of state and tribal voluntary programs. Climate change impacts
drinking water by heightening risk of contamination of surface water sources due to higher temperatures, lower
flows, and increased erosion/sedimentation. For example, in Alaska, melting permafrost is causing sources of
drinking water for rural communities to disappear altogether, plus increased erosion is causing more sediment.88
Also road and bridge failures from more storms, erosion, etc. will result in more accidents and spills that threaten
drinking water supplies. Groundwater sources could be impacted by changes in hydrology, also impacting changes
in transport of potential contaminants.
Variation in importance across the Region: Important across the region, but especially in areas with ageing or
inadequate water infrastructure. Adequate summertime water supply for irrigation of crops is essential to
agricultural communities east of the Cascades in OR, WA, and ID. For tribes, who lack irrigation infrastructure and
rely primarily on lakes and streams as water sources, availability of water for agriculture may be more severely
impacted by climate change.
2.B. Regional focus: Earlier stream runoff and scouring of streambeds due to earlier snow melt, and decrease
summer stream flows and increased steam temperatures will adversely impact fresh water fisheries
Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now and very likely to increase
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protection of Fresh water Fisheries: Loss and extinction of salmon species and
other cold water fisheries due to seasonal changes in stream flows and increasing surface water temperatures.
Important to the TMDL program, and salmon recovery programs
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Loss of salmon habitat and increased stress on salmon reproduction
throughout their entire lifecycle. This also applies to other fresh cold water fish. Watershed planning efforts will
85 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Northwest. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Washington, D.C.
86 Ibid. UGCRP. 2009.
87 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf.
88 Lettenmaier, D. et. al. 2008. Water resources. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land
Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp. 121-150.
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need to be modified to include projected impacts of altered stream flows and increased temperatures due to
climate change.89-90
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Salmon and other cold water fish are a large part of the marine fishery
business in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), and loss of these fish would have a substantial impact on the economy of
the (PNW). Coastal Native Americans depend on salmon as an essential part of their diets. There will be
secondary impacts on other species in the ecosystem that benefit from salmon - e.g., forests that rely on decaying
salmon for nutrients, and bears, eagles, others that feed on salmon.
Variation in importance across the Region: Important across the region.
2.C. Regional focus: Sea-level rise, sea surface temperature and increasing heavy precipitation events during the
winter months, and decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity during the summer months,
may have adverse impacts on estuarine watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands.
Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Restoring and protecting watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Changes in precipitation patterns, and increased drought intensity
will cause stress on wetlands, and forest and mountain ecosystems, and pose challenges to migration of species in
these ecosystems to more suitable habitats. Sedimentation rates and organic matter (vegetative) accumulation
rates also need to be taken into account for inland marine influenced ecosystems such as estuaries. Nyman et al91
found that the vegetative component is the most significant of the two factors for the coasts of Oregon and
Washington—i.e., accretion varied with organic accumulation rather than mineral sedimentation. Warmer sea
surface temperature contributes to sea level rise, increased storm intensity, and greater stratification of the water
column.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: EPA may need to examine the use of more sophisticated models, and
training to use the models, so that impacts to ecosystems due to Climate Change are addressed. Impact to
states/tribes. Climate change impacts would make it more difficult for EPA to protect these ecosystems.
Variation in importance across the Region: Especially important in coastal areas of WA, OR, and Alaska due to
increased extreme storm events and rising ocean levels and their impacts on coastal ecosystems. For the
Washington, Oregon, and California coasts north of Cape Mendocino, sea level is projected to change between -4
cm (sea-level fall) and +23 cm by 2030, -3 cm and +48 cm by 2050, and 10-143 cm by 2100.92 The effects will also
be important to all non-coastal watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands across the region.
2.D. Regional focus: Warming temperatures and more frequent and intense drought conditions will have
adverse impacts on Forest Ecosystems
Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Forest Ecosystems
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Forest tree species are expected to shift their ranges northward and
upslope in response to climate change and existing ecosystems will break up as different species shift at different
89 Wenger, S.J. et al. 2011. Role of climate and invasive species in structuring trout distributions in the Interior
Columbia Basin 2011, USA: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, v. 68, p. 988-1008. Catalog No:
2508.
90 Wenger, S.J., et. al.. 2011. Flow regime, temperature and biotic interactions drive differential declines of trout
species under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online. Catalog No: 2652.
91 Nyman, J.A et. al. 2006. Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science
69:370-380. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.041.
92 National Research Council. 2012. Sea-level rise for the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California: Past,
Present, and Future. Division on Earth and Life Studies Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and
Ocean Studies Board. Committee on Sea Level Rise in California, Oregon, and Washington. .
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rates, resulting in the formation of new ecosystems, with unknown consequences.93 Interactions among impacts
of climate change and other stressors can increase the risk of species extinction.94 Breakup of existing ecosystems
and loss of biodiversity, in combination to increased drought conditions, can make forests more susceptible to
destruction by wildfires and insect infestation.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: In the western United States, both the frequency of large wildfires and the
length of the fire season have increased substantially in recent decades, due primarily to earlier spring snowmelt
and higher spring and summer temperatures.95 Simulations of the impact of Climate Change on forest production
in North America indicate that North American producers of lumber may suffer losses averaging $1 billion to $2
billion/yr over the 21st century96.
Variation in importance across the Region: Adverse effects are likely in forests across the region, but more
immediately in low elevation forests, and forests in drier parts of the region, such as in ID, eastern WAand OR, and
the interior of AK
2.E. Regional focus: Loss of sea ice in Alaska due to warming air and water temperatures associated with
Climate Change
Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now and very likely to increase
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Marine Ecosystems and shorelines
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Loss of arctic ice in the Bering Sea is adversely affecting Arctic sea ice
ecosystems. Algae that bloom on the underside of the sea ice form the base of a food web linking microscopic
animals and fish to seals, whales, polar bears, and people. The earlier ice melt resulting from warming, however,
leads to later phytoplankton blooms that are largely consumed by microscopic animals near the sea surface, vastly
decreasing the amount of food reaching the living organisms on the ocean floor.97 This will radically change the
species composition of the fish and other creatures, with significant repercussions for both subsistence and
commercial fishing.98 Sea ice is forming later in the fall in Alaska, making the coastal communities more vulnerable
to extreme storms (e.g., the storm in 2011 that was a record low atmospheric pressure and caused winds up to 90
mph )."
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Adverse impacts to the Bering Sea marine ecosystem would have
profound effects on mammals and birds that migrate to feed in this area during the summer months. The Bering
Sea fishery is a very important source of seafood and an important factor to Alaska's economy. Species
composition in the Bering Sea ecosystem could be radically changed.
Variation in importance across the Region: This impact is specific to Alaskan ecosystems and shorelines, but could
also have adverse effects on associated terrestrial ecosystems in Alaska.
2.F. Regional focus: Acidification of ocean water due to increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere
93 ACIA. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.
94 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005: Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis. World
Resources Institute, Washington, DC, 86 pp.
95 Westerling A.L, et. al. 2006. Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. forest wildfire activity.
Science, 313(5789), 940-943.
96IPCC, 2007, chapter 14
97 USGCRB. 2009. Regional Impacts: Alaska. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Washington, D.C.
98 Janetos, A., et. al. 2008. Biodiversity. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water
Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp. 151-181)
99 http://www.stormsurge.noaa.gov/event_history.html
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Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now and very likely to increase
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Marine Ecosystems
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Substantial decline of marine organisms that form their shells and
skeletons from calcium carbonate in ocean waters.100 Adverse effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms
have already been documented.101
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Specifically, adverse effects of ocean acidification have been documented
in pteropods (sea snails)102, a primary food source for salmon in the Pacific Ocean, and in oyster larvae in estuaries
in Washington State and on the coast of OR.103
Variation in importance across the Region: Important in coastal areas of WA, OR and AK.
2.G. Regional focus: Pest outbreaks, invasive species, increased fire, shifts in species ranges and increased
erosion, depletion of water and changes in riparian vegetation in Columbia basin Shrubsteppe/grassland eastern
WA, OR, and ID.
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting watershed ecosystems.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Under projected future temperature conditions, the cover of
sagebrush within the distribution of sage-grouse is anticipated to be reduced due to non-native grass invasions
making the areas prone to destructive fires. Observed and projected decreases in the frequency of freezing
temperatures, lengthening of the frost-free season, and increased minimum temperatures can alter plant species
ranges and shift the geographic and elevational boundaries of many arid lands. The extent of these changes will
also depend on changes in precipitation and fire. Increased drought frequency could also cause major changes in
vegetation cover. Losses of vegetative cover coupled with increases in precipitation intensity and climate-induced
reductions in soil aggregate stability will dramatically increase potential erosion rates. Transport of eroded
sediment to streams coupled with changes in the timing and magnitude of minimum and maximum flows can
affect water quality, riparian vegetation, and aquatic fauna. In particular, the climate-driven dynamic of the fire
cycle is likely to remain the single most important feature controlling future plant distribution in U.S. arid lands.
Riparian vegetation in arid lands can occur at scales from isolated springs to ephemeral and intermittent
watercourses and perennial rivers.104 This habitat is tightly associated with stream dynamics and hydrology.105 The
net result of climate warming is greater depletion of water along the riverine corridor.106
100 Orr, J. C. et. al., 2005. Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and its impact on
calcifying organisms. Nature, 437(7059), 681-686.
101 Feely, R.A., et. al. 2008. Evidence for upwelling of corrosive "acidified" water onto the continental shelf.
Science, 320(5882), 1490-1492.
102 Bednarsek, N. et. al. 2012. Extensive dissolution of live pteropods in the Southern Ocean, Nature Geoscience,
Volume:5, Pages:881-885.
103 Barton, A. et al. 2012. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, shows negative correlation to naturally elevated
carbon dioxide levels: Implications for near-term ocean acidification effects. Limnology and Oceanography, 2012;
57 (3).
104 Ryan, M. etal. 2008. Land Resources. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water
resources, and biodiversity. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on
Global Change Research. Washington, DC., USA, 362 pp.
105 Chappell et al. 2001. Wildlife Habitats: Description, Status, Trends, and System Dynamics. Chapter 2 in:
Wildlife-Habitat Relationships in Oregon and Washington.
106 Ryan, M. et al. 2008. Land Resources. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water
resources, and biodiversity. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on
Global Change Research. Washington, DC., USA, 362 pp.
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Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Note that the direct climate change effects of CO2 fertilization and
increasing average temperatures may have contrasting influences on dominant functional types. Trees and C3
grasses may benefit from rising CO2 but not from warming, whereas C4 grasses may benefit from warming but not
from CO2 fertilization. This may mean that uncertain, non-linear, and rapid changes in ecosystem structure and
carbon stocks could occur.107 The changes in the cycling of Nitrogen and to some extent Carbon due to climate
change could alter the microbial and plant community structure and function of this ecosystem and cause it to
move in the direction of desertification.108 Large-scale conversion of grasslands to shrublands, coupled with
anticipated changes in climate in the coming decades, and increases in wind speed, temperature, drought
frequency, and precipitation intensity, contribute to greater wind erosion and dust emission from arid lands. In
arid regions, erosion has been shown to increase sediment delivery to large rivers (e.g., the Rio Grande), and can
change the flow conditions of those rivers. Transport of eroded sediment to streams can change conditions in
waterways, impacting water quality, riparian vegetation, and water fauna.109
Variation in importance across the Region: specific to the shrubsteppe and grassland ecosystems which include
(1) intermountain regions in western North America (well-vegetated semi desert scrub in lower elevations in
basins, valleys, and lower plateaus foothills and lower mountain slopes and (2) the Palouse grassland bioregion
covers approximately 6,200 mi2 in west central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon
between the western edge of the Rocky Mountains and the Columbia River basin. It encompasses the hills of the
Palouse Prairie, the southerly Camas Prairie, and the forested hills and canyonlands of the area's rivers.110
107 Parry et al. 2007, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, section 4.4.3.
108Smith et al. 2002. Soil properties and microbial activity across a 500m elevation gradient in a semi-arid
environment. Soil, Biology, and Biochemistry. 34(1749-1757).
109 Ryan, M. etal. 2008. Land Resources. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water
resources, and biodiversity. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on
Global Change Research. Washington, DC., USA, 362 pp.
110 McWethy et al. 2010. Climate and Terrestrial Ecosystem Change in the U.S. Rocky Mountains and Upper
Columbia Basin: Historical and Future Perspectives for Natural Resource Management. (NPS report).
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Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
3.A. Regional focus: Flooding, sea-level rise, storm surges, extreme events and landslides could mean site
characterizations, risk assessments and selection of remedies are not protective or that existing remedies may
be vulnerable
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Removal program, corrective action or permitted sites, cleanup of hazardous
waste sites (Superfund), and management of waste containment facilities (RCRA).
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Increased risk of contaminate release from hazardous waste Sites.
RPMs and corrective action RPMs may need to alter selected remedies to ensure containment of hazardous
substances. In situ remedies (e.g., stabilization, reactive barriers) and on-site above ground treatment systems
(e.g., pump & treat, air sparging) could be compromised or overwhelmed if they are not designed to withstand the
climate-related events. The net result could be release of contaminants.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Groundwater and subsurface contamination could be impacted by
drought and flood conditions. There may be an increased risk of migration of contaminants from flooded
containment facilities. Remedies such as caps in contaminated industrial waterways in WA and OR could be
subject to (and not designed to withstand) unanticipated scour events. Any infrastructure whether for treatment
or, say, green stormwater management such as pump and treat systems protecting drinking water wells have a
potential to be at risk. Areas where permafrost has been assumed to work as a containment barrier would also be
at risk.
Variation in importance across the Region: A high potential for impact could occur in the industrial waterways of
WA and OR where industrial wastes have been capped in place, however could be a potential concern anywhere
contaminants have been left in place. Possible issues of nuclear waste disposal related to climate change (e.g.,
locations of storage facilities, appropriate containment, and risk management issues) would also be important at
the DOE Hanford facility in WA, and the DOE Idaho National Lab facility in ID.
3.B. Regional focus: Thawing permafrost and changes in sea ice leads to damage of roads, runways, water and
sewer systems, and other infrastructure in Alaska affecting Tribal and Emergency Response
Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Emergency Response and Tribal Programs, Village Safe Water Program
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Melting sea ice and late formation in the fall is causing storms to
move in close to shore as the natural buffering system disappears. That is causing rapid coastal erosion, with
houses and infrastructure falling into the ocean in several communities. That, along with higher storm, tidal surges
flood communities, is requiring more immediate evacuation needs. Open dumps are also impacted by storm
surges, flooding, which increases contamination risk. Permafrost temperatures have increased throughout Alaska
since the late 1970s.111 Land subsidence (sinking) associated with the thawing of permafrost presents substantial
challenges to engineers attempting to preserve infrastructure in Alaska.112
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Substantial infrastructure damage in areas of Alaska built on permafrost.
Release of methane contained in permafrost into the atmosphere would accelerate global warming since methane
isaGHG.
Variation in importance across the Region: Important only in Alaska.
111 Lettenmaier, D., et. al. 2008. Water resources. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land
Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Washington,DC, pp. 121-150.
112 Instanes, A., et. al. 2005. Infrastructure: buildings, support systems, and industrial facilities. In: Arctic Climate
Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, pp. 907-944
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3C. Regional focus: Region 10, Tribal and state partners will have increasing workloads in many aspects of site
and waste management as well as work related to the formation and implementation of sustainable
development and materials management programs, partnerships and initiatives.
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Sustainability and Materials Management
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Accelerating development (sustainable or otherwise) and the
expected migration of people to Region 10 are issues of concern. It is projected that the population of the States
in Region 10 will increase from 11.2 million in 2010 to 13.1 million in 2025.113 Communities are struggling with how
to manage the new people while protecting the environment and providing basic services like energy, water and
waste management.
Variation in importance across the Region: In support of the increased sustainability of our communities, our
investments in partnerships related to more sustainable materials management play an increasing role in
preventing waste, conserving energy and reducing emissions of toxics as well as greenhouse gases. Waste
management can be especially challenging in remote tribal communities in Alaska.114
3D. Regional focus: Climate change impacts on the availability of raw materials and the cost of mining and
refining raw materials, producing products, transporting products, and disposing products.
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Sustainability and Materials Management
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: EPA Region 10 will need to put more effort into advocating for
sustainable materials management and pollution prevention with States, industry, communities and tribes as
climate change affects the availability and cost of raw materials and products. Climate Change increasing
temperature-related pest infestations and forest fires result in millions of acres of dead, dying, and burned trees in
the Pacific NW and Alaska which decreases the availability and drives up the costs of wood products. Thawing
permafrost in Alaska results in infrastructure damage in the form of compromised or impassible haul roads for
timber and ore, reducing the availability of these natural resources and driving up transportation costs.
Transportation of raw materials and products also becomes more costly and risky as thawing permafrost damages
remote Alaskan airfields, and coastal erosion from storm surges and increased springtime flooding of river valleys
damages coastal and inland river valley rail transport lines. Finally, damage to landfill infrastructure from thawing
permafrost in Alaska makes disposal more costly due to the need for clean-up and fortification.
Variation in importance across the Region: This issue will impact the entire region but may have a greater impact
on remote cities and villages in Alaska where transportation and disposal of products is more difficult and costly.
113 U.S. Census Bureau. 2013. Current Population Report: Population Projections: States 1995-2025. Economics
Statistical Administration. Department of Commerce. Website:http://www.census.gov/prod/2/pop/p25/p25-
1131.pdf. Accessed May 23, 2013.
114 U.S. EPA. 2011. National Priorities with a Local Focus - Region 10's Approach for Implementing Administrator
Jackson's Seven Priorities-FY 2011-2015 November 2011. www.epa.gov.
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Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
There are concerns for which we do not have sufficient scientific or programmatic information at this time to
evaluate in our vulnerability analysis, some examples are:
(1) increased use of pesticides in response to increase in pests and vector borne diseases (see 2.G. which mentions
invasive species, West Nile virus) and requests for emergency waivers.
(2) movement of volatile contaminants (pesticides, PCBs, mercury, etc.) into Alaska via global distillation.
4.A. Regional focus: Increasing extreme temperatures, increasing heavy precipitation events, changes in storm
intensities, and increasing frequency of floods may increase the exposure to and risk associated with hazardous
chemicals regulated by certain EPA programs
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting human health and ecosystems from chemical releases regulated by
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) programs
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Adjustments to the relevant risk assessment framework to
determine public risk due to modified exposure scenarios and modified toxicity of chemicals due to climate
change.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Altered weather and severe climate events could also affect the
interpretations of risk at RCRA/TSCA and Superfund sites. Very relevant for permitting and planning activities,
where facilities may not have previously required an awareness of risk management for water/flooding, or other
climate change impacts. In particular, Puget Sound is vulnerable to these potential impacts of chemical pollution;
restoration of Puget Sound is a key ecosystem-level activity in RIO.115
Variation in importance across the Region: More relevant near sites with large densities of chemical
Manufacturers, Processors and Formulators (MPFs), and RCRA and Superfund sites
115 (see the 2012/2013 Action Agenda for Puget Sound)
http://www.psp. wa.gov/downloads/AA2011/083012_final/Action%20Agenda%20Book%202_Aug%2029%202012.
pdf
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Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
EPA Region 10's Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) is charged with ensuring compliance with
environmental requirements and enforcing against violations to those requirements. In that capacity, OCE's
vulnerabilities are uniquely tied to interactions with the regulated community. Some types of vulnerabilities (e.g.,
difficulties with maintaining staff functionality due to power outages, physical damage to facilities due to extreme
weather) would be similar to those experienced by all EPA programs and regions. Other vulnerabilities are more
specific to OCE such as those which impact the ability of sources to comply with environmental requirements and
with our ability to determine such compliance and take appropriate action.
The vulnerabilities of greatest importance for OCE are conditions/events which would compromise our ability to
ensure compliance with environmental requirements by regulated entities and, where necessary, to take effective
enforcement action in case of violations. The programs impacted would include: compliance assistance;
compliance monitoring and civil enforcement.
5.A. Regional focus: Increased non-compliance at regulated entities as a result of extreme weather events and
changing weather patterns
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: All regulatory programs
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Compliance and enforcement programs under the Clean Water Act
(CWA) have the potential to see an increase in violations from many situations including sanitary sewer and
combined sewer overflows, violations of percent removal at wastewater treatment plants (due to limited water
flow as a result of drought), violations in bypasses due to the inability of wastewater treatment plants to treat a
flow in excess of the design capacity, and increased violations in numerous programs due to failure of existing
infrastructure protecting against extreme weather events. In addition, CWA section 311 (Spill Prevention Control
Countermeasures) may see an increase in non-compliance along Alaskan coastal areas that have oil storage
containers, as a result of sea ice melting (thereby increasing storm surges along those coastal areas) and increased
flooding.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) compliance and enforcement programs may see
violations at Pesticides Producing Establishments if there is a shift toward increasing pesticide usage, productions
and imports. As weather patterns change in the Region, the habitats of insects and pests may also change,
bringing different pests and diseases to areas.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) programs may see increased non-compliance at landfills due
to changes in precipitation patterns (including more precipitation in some cases and more extreme precipitation
events in other cases). Where more precipitation is seen in traditionally arid climates and little rainfall is assumed
during landfill design, landfills may generate excessive hazardous leachate, see unexpected mobilization of
contaminants in the waste column and/or experience failure of the liner or leachate collection systems.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: May be most important in states where EPA has direct implementation of
an enforcement program, on Tribal lands, and non-delegable programs.
Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant across the Region.
5.B. Regional focus: Shift in regional enforcement priorities due to changes in compliance (both increased
compliance and non-compliance in different sectors) and increased number of inquiries from industry about
maintaining compliance
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: All regulatory programs.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: If an increase in violations in various programs and industry are
identified, OCE may shift the enforcement focus to address those violations. Conversely, OCE may use discretion
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to refocus enforcement priorities when localized extreme weather events (e.g., flooding) greatly impact the
regulated community or when a change in weather patterns decrease the potential for non-compliance (e.g., less
precipitation could decrease surface runoff). This will be most important in states where EPA has direct
implementation of an enforcement program (e.g., Idaho for NPDES program), on Tribal lands, and non-delegable
programs (e.g., Chlorofluorocarbons, CWA 311 (SPCC), PCBs). OCE may need to make adjustments to normal
workload to address an increase in industry's compliance inquiries. There may need to be reassignment or delay
of normal work duties as staff provides response support to those inquiries in a timely manner. Requests may also
be received from Regional state counterparts regarding guidance to unique enforcement issues as a result of
extreme weather events or changing weather patterns.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: May be most important in states where EPA has direct implementation of
an enforcement program, on Tribal lands and non-delegable programs.
Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant across the Region
5.C. Regional focus: Increased permitting of Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells for Carbon
Dioxide sequestration and Class V UIC wells for stormwater management.
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: UIC permitting and enforcement programs
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: EPA has developed criteria for Class VI wells, used specifically for the
injection of carbon dioxide into underground subsurface rock formations for long-term storage. As the need to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere increases, various technologies including Class VI wells will
be deployed. OCE may need to reassign or delay other UIC permitting and enforcement work, as permit requests
for Class VI wells increase. This will be seen across the Region, until permitting and enforcement of the Class VI
well program is delegated to the states. As the amount of stormwater increases with increased precipitation
levels, industries regulated to manage stormwater and associated discharges may be faced with challenges
surrounding the volume of stormwater to manage. Class V wells are designed to receive stormwater, as a
substitution for or in addition to discharging stormwater. OCE may see an increase in permitting Class V wells, as
challenges managing high volumes of stormwater increase. Permitting will be focused on Class V wells in Alaska
and Tribal lands, as the Region implements this program in these areas.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Across the Region, until permitting and enforcement of the Class VI well
program is delegated to the states.
Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant across the Region.
5.D. Regional focus: Increase in regulated industrial activities in Alaska may result as the melting of sea ice
opens new areas for activities.
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Oil and gas extraction.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning. This
reduction of sea ice is very likely to increase the navigation season and create a seasonal opening of the Northern
Sea Route to likely make trans-arctic shipping and transport feasible during summer months. As areas and routes
become more accessible, there is a potential for industrial activity (e.g., oil and gas extraction) to become more
active in these areas. As a result, OCE may see an increase in regulated entities.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Relevant in Alaska.
Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant in Alaska.
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EPA Facilities and Operations
6.A. Regional focus: Increasing drought frequency and intensity may limit drinking water at EPA facilities.
Increased demand for air conditioning.
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Personnel Safety and security. Operations of Agency facilities, and ability to
carry out emergency response actions
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Low
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Facilities could be located in areas with water shortages, requiring
water rationing. There is likely to be a greater demand for electricity for air conditioning during the summer
months. Increased extreme temperature at any RIO office would put higher demand on drinking water and
electricity for cooling.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Could affect the regional office and all the operations offices
Variation in importance across the Region: Operation offices may not be as vulnerable as the regional office due
to a smaller staff and less demand for cooling water, drinking water, and water for other personal uses.
6.B. Regional focus: Increasing risk of floods and increasing intensity of storms may adversely affect operations
of agency facilities
Likelihood of Impact: Unlikely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Operations of Agency facilities, personnel safety, physical security, and ability
to carry out emergency response actions. In particular, Region 10 operates the Manchester Environmental
Laboratory in Port Orchard. The lab is adjacent to Puget Sound.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Low
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Facilities in flood-prone areas may have to temporarily close.
Personnel engaged in field work may be more vulnerable to extreme temperatures or storm events. Personnel
and real property supporting emergency response and management may be at risk during flooding or extreme
weather events. Ongoing work at the Manchester Environmental Laboratory may be disrupted with effects on
many different programs.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Closure of regional offices due to climate change related damage could
prevent staff from carrying out important functions. The Regional Office in Seattle is located in an area with low
probability for flooding or sea level rise.
Variation in importance across the Region: RIO has flexiplace options available to staff and a Continuity of
Operations Plan in place in case any RIO office is damaged by flooding or storms or transportation to/from offices
are affected (e.g., flooded roadways; landslides on commuter train tracks).
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Tribal and other vulnerable populations
7.A. Regional focus: Food security for Tribal communities that live a subsistence lifestyle may beat risk due to
warming associated with climate change
Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus of Associated EPA Program: All RIO Programs working on issues that affect Tribal populations, potential link
to permitting programs and actions
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Warming due to climate change reduces the availability and
accessibility of many traditional food sources such as ice seals, walrus and caribou.116 For example, climate change
decreases the amount and quality of food that grows in the summer months, preventing caribou from storing
enough fat to survive the winter. People face losing their healthiest foods, their communities, and in some cases,
their culture, since each of these depends on traditional ways of collecting and sharing food.117
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: The most vulnerable population would be the native Alaskan people.
They face losing their current livelihoods, their communities, and in some cases, their culture.
Variation in importance across the Region: To some degree, this is also relevant to all the tribes in the rest of
Region 10 (WA, OR, and ID).
7.B. Regional focus: An increase in intensity of coastal storms and rising sea levels would increase erosion of
shorelines and pose risks to coastal native villages.
Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, emergency response
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Alaska's coastline, much of which is close to sea level, is increasingly
threatened by a combination of the loss of its protective sea ice buffer, increasing storm activity, and thawing
coastal permafrost.118 In Alaska, over 100 villages on the coast and in low-lying areas along rivers are subject to
increased flooding and erosion due to warming. Federal, state, and tribal officials have identified 31 villages that
face imminent threats.119 At least 12 of the 31 threatened villages have decided to relocate-in part or entirely-or
to explore relocation options. Federal programs to assist threatened villages prepare for and recover from
disasters and to protect and relocate them are limited and unavailable to the majority of villages. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency has several disaster preparedness and recovery programs, but villages often fail
to qualify for them, generally because they may lack approved disaster mitigation plans or have not been declared
federal disaster areas.120
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Erosion of shorelines may require relocation of native villages. Loss of
water infrastructure would require emergency water supplies. Flooding and storm events will require emergency
management plans
Variation in importance across the Region: Greatest risks are to the shorelines in Alaska, but shorelines in WA and
OR are also at a moderate risk
7.C. Regional focus: Loss of permafrost and reduced snowpack threatens access to clean water
116 ACIA. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.
117 Ibid ACIA. 2004.
118USGCRB. 2009. Regional Impacts: Alaska. EPA/600/R-07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Washington, D.C.
119 Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.
http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan!0.pdf.
120 U.S. General Accounting Office. 2003. Alaska Native Villages: Most Are Affected by Flooding and Erosion, but
Few Qualify for Federal Assistance. GAO-04-142. U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, DC, 82 pp.
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Likelihood of Impact: High
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, Clean Water Indian set-aside program
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: In many Alaskan rural tribal communities, their water is drawn from
tundra lakes and these are disappearing with the permafrost.121 Another impact of melting permafrost is the loss
of a stable foundation, endangering the sewer and water infrastructure that EPA, and the American taxpayer, has
invested billions of dollars in.122 Tribes in other parts of Region 10 may experience water scarcity, due to failing
aquifers. With reduced snow pack and increased seasonal drought, traditional drinking water sources are not
being replenished. This can affect individuals: a small well fails, or communities: a large aquifer does not recharge.
In general, without access to clean water, tribal communities across Region 10 have greatly increased respiratory
and gastrointestinal infections and skin diseases including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
These risks are increased by the open dumps that exist in close proximity to most rural communities. There is
often human waste and solid waste comingled and when there are floods or storm surges from the loss of
protective ice, viable bacteria and contaminants are carried through the community and into people's homes.
Often times running water is not available for sanitation so these contaminants are making significant and
dangerous impacts to both the environment and human health of rural Alaska communities. Most dumps are
unlined, but permafrost has partially contained their toxic materials. Without permafrost, the untreated leachate
may be a contamination risk for their water supply.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: High. Costs to repair or replace water/sewer infrastructure damaged by
thawing permafrost has been estimated at well over 6 billion dollars.123
Variation in importance across the Region: Permafrost thawing affects Alaskan tribes, some of whom already do
not have access to clean water.
7.D. Regional focus: Changing water conditions reduce availability of fish & shellfish resources.
Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, Ecosystems and public affairs.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Salmon of the PNW are central to the lives of all native peoples, they
bring spiritual, physical and cultural well-being. Climate change is bringing rapid habitat challenges, from rapidly
changing stream flows to warming waters that can no longer protect salmon fry. Agricultural runoff and clear-cut
forests further degrade water quality. It is a mystery what is happening to the salmon in the ocean and scientists
are concerned about the threat of ocean acidification to salmon food sources. Addressing these issues will require
large scale cooperative restoration and enhancement projects between many partners.
The RIO Tribes' traditional shellfish use areas are on reserves, in ceded customary and traditional use areas.
Increasing ocean acidification threatens shellfish beds that Tribes have harvested for millennia. Ocean acidification
may reduce rates of shellfish larval survival and weaken the shells of the adults, thus making them more vulnerable
as well.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: High (Ocean acidification was a high priority in discussion groups at the
2012 Tribal Leaders Summit and was presented by both Makah and Tulalip tribes)
Variation in importance across the Region: high priority to all coastal tribes.
7.E. Regional focus: Vulnerable population such as children, the elderly, poor, and the infirm may be at
increased health risk due to increased temperatures, failing infrastructure, and extreme weather events.
121 Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.
http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf.
122 Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska.
http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Janl0.pdf.
123 Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska. 2008.
http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/webnote/Web_Note4a.pdf
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Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now
Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, Ecosystems and public affairs.
Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High
Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Children playing in areas with higher ozone levels resulting from
increased temperature will be at higher risk for experiencing asthma symptoms and exacerbations. The elderly
are more vulnerable to heat stress because they are often in poorer health and are less able to regulate their body
temperature during periods or extreme health. Economic constraints can also place low-income households at
disproportionate risk to extreme heat events due to lack of air condition or failure to use air-conditioning to cut
down on associated energy costs.
Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Across the region.
Variation in importance across the Region: Across the region.
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Appendix C: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Existing Actions
The tables below include detailed information on existing actions in Region 10. It is organized by Office and includes the following columns
• Vulnerability: This identifies the vulnerability associated with each action. Many actions have multiple vulnerabilities.
• Relevant Agency Direction: This includes the EPA strategy from which the action is derived. For example, many of the actions come from the Region 10
Strategic Alignment Plan while other actions come from the Puget Sound Action Agenda or EPA National Water Program Strategy.
• Relevant EPA Goal: This identifies the EPA National or Regional Goal associated with the action. These goals were included in the vulnerability assessment.
• RIO Lead/Partners: This column includes the EPA person responsible for the action and the partners EPA is working with to accomplish the actions.
• Linked to Tribes, Sustainability, and EJ: This column indicates whether the action can be linked to EPA Region 10 tribes, related to sustainability, or
environmental justice. These areas are very important to EPA Region 10 and we wanted to evaluate which actions could be identified with these three areas.
Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO Lead/
Partners
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
Indoor Air Training
Develop and host training for professionals (housing, medical, schools) on
making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable. This is a
particularly important Climate Change Adaptation activity because of
increasing mold problems following floods as well as increasing indoor
levels of ambient pollutants due to wildfires, inversions with peak
pollutant levels, and increased use of back-up power generators due to
extreme weather events.
Changes in
precipitation,
extreme
temperatures,
more frequent
wildfires, and
severe weather
events impact
indoor air
quality as
ambient air is
entrained
indoors
RIO
Strategic
Alignment
Plan
Support At-
Risk
Communiti
es (for Air
Quality)
RIO Lead:
Davis Zhen:
Indoor
Air/Radon
Partners:
State, local
air & Tribal
agencies;
At-Risk
Communities:
EPAHQ
•
•
•
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Tribal Waste Management Programs
Work with federally recognized tribes in Washington, Alaska, Oregon and
Idaho to address landfills and unconfined open dumps which are impacted
by climate change and help develop appropriate responses to these
threats.
RCRA Tribal Team - 2013 ongoing work and beyond
Continue to update 2011 Indian Health Service Indian Lands Open Dumps
Inventory. In 2011 the EPA RCRA Tribal Team, RCRA Program Unit, Office
of Air Waste and Toxics, completed an inventory of all open dumps in
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and posted this information on the
national Indian Health Service Operations and Maintenance Database
(OMDS). This database includes information on all open dumps on Tribal
lands, including Alaska.
Partner with Tribal communities, Tribal Consortia such as the Tribal Solid
Waste Advisory Network, the EPA Tribal Trust and Assistance Unit and the
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) to develop
appropriate responses to address the needs of tribal communities which
are threatened by climate change impacts to their landfills and unconfined
open dumps. Actions include:
- Convening teleconferences with partners to ascertain the state of
knowledge about climate impacts to tribal landfills and unconfined open
dumps in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and strategies to address
these impacts.
- Providing on-site technical assistance to interested tribal communities to
help them to address climate change impacts to landfills and open dumps
on their lands.
Vulnerability
Increased
precipitation
and floods
Increasing
extreme
temperatures,
increasing
heavy
precipitation
events, changes
in storm
intensities, and
increasing
frequency of
floods may
increase the
exposure to
and risk
associated with
hazardous
chemicals (i.e.
contained at
RCRA sites.
Thawing
permafrost and
sea ice changes
lead to
damaged roads,
runways, water
and sewer
Relevant
Agency
Direction
RIO
Strategic
Alignment
Plan
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO
Strategic
Alignment
Plan Goal
4.4 -See
Existing
Actions
column to
left
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Leads:
Lisa
McArthurUM
Fran Stefan-
Tribal SW
Program Mgr
Partners:
Alaska Native
Villages; rural
communities
Linked to
Tribes
•
Sustain-
ability
•
EJ
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Materials Management and Pollution Prevention Program
Climate change is expected to continue to adversely impact the cost of
raw materials. Materials management enables the use of the highest and
best substitutes for materials that may become scarce or too costly.
Facilitate Climate Change Adaptation by:
-Helping the public and regulated community adapt to the production and
use of new materials, processes, and products that support the transition
to sustainable materials management processes and away from: a) the
use of more costly and limited natural resource based materials, and b)
disposal- based systems with high uncontrolled emission and waste
product management impacts. Materials Management Adaptation work
includes:
- Promoting More Sustainable Practices in Materials Management (SMM)
and in Our Own Cleanup Work through: a) the recruitment and retaining
participants for the Federal Green Challenge (helping our federal partners
to reduce their GHG emissions through work on energy, transportation,
waste and water), and b) recruiting for the Food Recovery Challenge in
support of the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Program
which seeks to reduce the environmental impact of a material throughout
its entire life cycle - including how it is extracted, manufactured,
distributed, used, recycled, and disposed (See Appendix E - Supporting
Documentation).
Vulnerability
systems, and
other
infrastructure
including solid
waste landfills
and RCRA
containment
sites.
Increased
impacts from
GHG emissions
released from
non-sustainable
materials
mgmt.
practices.
Relevant
Agency
Direction
RIO
Strategic
Alignment
Plan
WCMMF
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 4.6-
Sustainable
Materials
Mgmt
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Leads:
Kris Colt DM
Federal
Green
Challenge:
Melissa
Winters
Food
Recovery
Challenge &
WCMMF:
Ashley Zanolli
Partners:
R9; state and
local
governments
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
•
EJ
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- Continuing to work with state and local governments through the West
Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum (WCMMF) in their
transition to materials management.
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO Lead/
Partners
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
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Office of Water and Watersheds
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO Lead/
Partners
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
Water infrastructure
Work with the State of Alaska in the R&D of alternative technologies with
providing first time service to unserved homes in a more sustainable way
compared to a traditional piped system. The State has provided $1M for this
effort.. The most promising proposals for pilot system development will be
identified in 2013. Systems approved for field installation and testing will be
identified in 2014. Field testing is expected to begin in 2015 and be concluded by
2016.
Work with the WaterSense program to reach out to potential partners to
encourage water efficiency in homes, landscaping and commercial buildings. A
focus is new homes.
Continue implementing the Sustainable Energy Management Program with a
Western Washington cohort of drinking water and wastewater utilities. This
project is led by Washington State University-Energy Extension, with support
from several partners.
Freshwater fisheries
Continue with pilot program for including Climate Change in an ongoing TMDL
EPA Region 10 and ORD Corvallis are working with the Washington Department
of Ecology, the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe to identify the best way to
integrate available climate change data into Ecology's TMDL for temperature
stress on salmon in the South Fork Nooksack River, Washington. This will provide
a case study of both process and climate change science as a basis to support
Melting
permafrost
2A: Drought,
floods,
2A: drought,
floods,
erosion, heavy
precipitation
Increased
temperatures.
RIO strategic
alignment plan;
sustainability
RIO strategic
alignment plan;
National Water
Program
Strategy
National Water
Program
Strategy; RIO
strategic
alignment plan;
RIO strategic
alignment plan;
Building
Strong
State &
Tribal
Partnershi
ps, EJ,
Protecting
America's
Waters
Goals 1, 2,
and 3
Goals 1, 2,
and 3
Goals 1
and 2 and
Regional
Goal?
RIO Lead:
OWW-
Dennis
Wagner
Partner:
State of
Alaska
RIO Lead:
Bevin Horn
RIO Lead:
Cyndi Grafe
RIO Leads:
OEA-Bruce
Duncan;
OWW-
Laurie Mann
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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future Tribal Consultation, Co-Management, Policy and Regulation Development
as needed. Examining the way temperature can be improved in the Nooksack
watershed in order to support salmon restoration is a high priority for the
Nooksack and Lummi Tribes. The climate change pilot will identify available
science for the watershed, and document technical issues in a parallel effort to
the ongoing TMDL
Training and Outreach
Maintain current participation in the National Water Program Climate Change
Workgroup, including identifying a single point of contact for the Regional water
program.
Help to develop and implement the Office of Water Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan (due to the Council on Environmental Quality in Fall 2013)
and to coordinate between the National Water Program 2012 Strategy and the
EPA Regional Adaptation Implementation Plans
After the Fall completion of the Office of Water Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan, provide training for water program staff on the challenges
that climate change poses for water programs, and familiarize them with the
National Water Program Climate Strategy and Regional Climate Adaptation Plans
through a variety of means such as "all hands" meetings, webinars, seminars,
and dissemination of the plans
Support national program efforts to inform and educate water program
managers in the public and private sectors on climate change and water issues
through a variety of means such as identifying key stakeholders and expanding
professional networks, improving educational outreach efforts on National and
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
OW Climate
Strategy
OW Climate
Strategy; RIO
strategic
alignment plan;
OW Climate
Strategy; RIO
strategic
alignment plan;
OW Climate
Strategy; RIO
strategic
alignment plan;
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goals 1
and 2.
Goals 1
and 2.
Goals 1
and 2.
Goals 1
and 2.
RIO Lead/
Partners
ORD-WED-
Steve Klein
Partners:
WA Dept
Ecology
Nooksack
Tribe
Lummi
Nation
RIO Lead:
Paula
VanHaagen
RIO Lead:
Paula
VanHaagen
RIO Lead:
Mike Cox
RIO Lead:
Mike Cox
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
•
EJ
67 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Regional climate change websites and in other media, and disseminating clear
and credible messaging on climate change science and impacts
In program meetings with States and Tribes in 2013, include discussion of
ongoing Agency and Region climate change adaptation planning, the new
National Water Program climate change strategy, and climate change activities
related to State water programs as appropriate
Coordinate with the regional offices of other Federal agencies on climate change
adaptation matters and participate, where appropriate, with related interagency
cooperative and collaborative efforts to address climate change challenges on a
regional scale
Work with municipal and private water utilities to promote their use of the new
Climate Ready Resilience and Awareness (GREAT) Version 2.0 to recognize and
respond to climate change risks, and with National Estuary Program partners to
promote the use of the new Climate Ready Estuaries Vulnerability Assessment
Handbook to develop local climate resilience plans
Work with States, Tribes, municipalities, non-profit organizations and businesses
to promote the Water Sense Program in the region
Support the national Water Program in revising the State Revolving Loan Funds
"Green" paper and the Annual Review Guidance for on-site reviews to
incorporate climate change, including a new "Climate Change" checklist. The
Green paper will provide information on best practices and tools to help state
SRF programs support climate change activities. The guidance and checklist
would identify opportunities for States to develop priorities and make
investments that respond to the climate change risks in that State
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
OW Climate
Strategy
OW Climate
Strategy
OW Climate
Strategy;
National Water
Program
Strategy
OW Climate
Strategy;
National Water
Program
Strategy
OW Climate
Strategy
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goals 1
and 2 and
Regional
Goal?
Goals 1
and 2.
Goals 1
and 2 and
sustainabi
lity.
Goals 1
and 2 and
sustainabi
lity.
Goals 1
and 2 and
sustainabi
lity.
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Lead:
Mike Cox
RIO Lead:
Mike Cox
RIO Lead:
Paula
vanHaagen
RIO Lead:
Bevin Horn
RIO Lead:
Paula
vanHaagen
Linked to
Tribes
•
•
Sustain-
ability
•
•
•
EJ
•
68 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO Lead/
Partners
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
NEPA
Through NEPA review comments, seek to protect waters of the
United States and promote management of sustainable surface
water resources.
Encourage green infrastructure and low-impact development to
protect water quality and make watersheds more resilient
Through NEPA review, ensure consideration of climate change on
federal projects that may be at risk due to inundation, flooding, or
salt water intrusion
• Retention ponds at mine sites
• Transportation/road infrastructure (road/rail/culvert
failure)
• Dam sites
• Flood risk management (levies)
Work with federal partners through the NEPA process to identify,
protect, and maintain a network of healthy watersheds and
supportive habitat corridor networks
• Collaborate with partners on terrestrial ecosystems and
hydrology so that effects on water quality and aquatic
ecosystems are considered.
Decreasing
precipitation days
and increasing
drought intensity
Increasing risk of
floods
Changes in
abundance and
geographical
distributions of plant
species and habitats
for aquatic and
terrestrial wildlife
National
Water
Program
Strategy124
National
Water
Program
Strategy125
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
RIO Lead:
NEPA Review staff
Partners: Lead
federal agency
(HUD, DOT, STB)
RIO Lead:
NEPA Review staff
Partners: Lead
federal agency
(BLM,USFS
FERC,USBR, DOT,
STB)
RIO Lead: NEPA
Review Staff
Partners:
Lead federal
agency (USFS,
BLM, NPS, USFWS)
124 Goal 12 SA 33. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-2012.pdf
125 Goal 3 SA 9. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-2012.pdf
69 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Work with federal partners through the NEPA process to
incorporate climate resilience into watershed restoration and
floodplain management
• Work with partners to protect and enhance buffers to
rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal resources as
a means of building resiliency
Work with federal partners through the NEPA process to
incorporate climate change adaptation into forest restoration
plans
• Encourage appropriate use of prescribed
burning/thinning to reduce risk of uncharacteristic
wildfire. Where appropriate, encourage managing for
species best adapted to future climate
ETPA will include ocean acidification language in NEPA review
comment letters as appropriate.
• Refine template language in letters and example NEPA
analyses that include ocean acidification information
Wetlands
Wetlands and Climate Change Research Meeting focused on new
approaches and tools to better understand, manage, and conserve
wetlands in a changing climate.
Vulnerability
Changes in
abundance and
geographical
distributions of plant
species and habitats
for aquatic and
terrestrial wildlife
Increased frequency
or intensity of
wildfires
Increase in ocean
temperatures, with
potential for changes
in ocean chemistry
and increased ocean
acidification
Loss of wetland
ecosystems and
services
Relevant
Agency
Direction
National
Water
Program
Strategy126
RIO Strategic
Alignment.
RIO Strategic
Alignment.
U.S.EPA
Climate
Adaptation
Plan127
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 2.
Goal 1.
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Lead: NEPA
Review Staff
Partners:
Lead federal
agency (Forest
Service, BLM, Park
Service, USFWS)
RIO Lead: NEPA
Review Staff
Partners:
Lead federal
agency (Forest
Service, BLM, Park
Service, USFWS)
RIO Lead: NEPA
Review Staff
Partners:
R10ARU Lead:
Linda Storm
Partners:
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
126 Goal 4 SA 13. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-2012.pdf
127 3.3.4 Priority: Strengthen Adaptive Capacity of EPA Staff and Partners Through Training. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA-climate-change-adaptation-
plan-final-for-public-comment-2-7-13.pdf
70 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Incorporate climate change considerations into the CWA 404
regulatory program as they relate to permit reviews and
compensatory mitigation
• Consider the effects of climate change, as appropriate,
when making significant degradation determinations in
the CWA Section 404 wetlands permitting and
enforcement program
• Evaluate, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, how wetland and stream compensation
projects could be selected, designed, and sited to aid in
reducing the effects of climate change
As resources allow, improve baseline information on wetland
extent, condition and performance to inform effective adaptation
to climate change
• Expand wetland mapping by supporting wetland mapping
coalitions and training on use of the new federal Wetland
Mapping Standard.
• Produce a statistically valid ecological condition
assessment of the nation's wetlands
FY13 and FY14 Region 10 Wetland Program Development Grants
RFP integrates climate adaptation by considering how the design
Vulnerability
Loss of wetland
ecosystems and
services
Loss of wetland
ecosystems and
services
Relevant
Agency
Direction
National
Water
Program
Strategy128
National
Water
Program
Strategy129
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
RIO Lead/
Partners
OEA and the RIO
Science Advisory
Council
RIO Lead:
Linda Storm
Partners:
USAGE
RIO Lead:
Maryann Thiesing
Partners:
ORD, USFWS, UW
Wetlands
Adaptation Group
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
128National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change. Available at http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-
2012.pdf
129National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change. Available at http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-
2012.pdf
71 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
and installation of demonstration projects would take relevant
potential impacts from climate change into account when
considering long-term viability 13°
Ocean Programs
Participate in interagency development and implementation of
federal strategies through the National Ocean Council (NOC) and
the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan
Tribes
Build the capacity of Tribes to develop adaptation actions (plans)
and to engage in the collaboration with local, state and federal
agencies.
EPA RIO Tribal Trust and Assistance Program will provide GAP
funding as appropriate to support Tribes who have climate change
in their GAP workplans to learn how to research climate change
impacts upon their environment, natural resources, infrastructure
to be used for development of a planning mechanism for
adaptation and mitigation.
Through the GAP program, Tribes may be able to do baseline
environmental assessments that will add to documentation of the
impact on climate change on Tribal communities and their
ecosystems and support their adaptation planning.
Vulnerability
Increase in ocean
temperatures, with
potential for changes
in ocean chemistry
and increased ocean
acidification
All (mitigation)
All
All
Relevant
Agency
Direction
National
Water
Program
Strategy131
Regional
Tribal
Operations
Committee
RTOC
National
Tribal Science
Council
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 2.
Goal 1.
Goal 1.
Goal 1.
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Lead:
Sediment
Management Staff
Partners:
NOC
RIO Lead: Michelle
Davis-TTAU;
RIO Lead :TTAU;
AIEO/OITA
Partners: RIO
Tribal
Governments
Linked to
Tribes
•
•
Sustain-
ability
•
EJ
130 http://www.epa.gov/regionlO/pdf/wetlands/FY13_Wetland_Program_Development_Grants_Request_for_Proposals.pdf
131 Goal 11SA 28 and SA 31. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-2012.pdf
72 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Share information to support climate change educational outreach
and adaptation activities within Tribal communities
Tribal Program staff will regularly submit articles on climate
change to Tribal newsletters.
Coordinate with other programs and their Tribal specialists on
climate change info and resources to include in the EPA Tribal
newsletter.
Continue to offer quarterly calls to Alaskan Tribes with Institute for
Tribal Environmental Professionals on tribal climate change
adaptation models and resources.
Puget Sound Program
Address Climate change in Puget Sound Grants, consistent with
the Puget Sound Action Agenda. Grant activities include: Conduct
an erosion survey to evaluate sea level rise threat in San Juan
County; b) Map habitat and infrastructure vulnerability in Puget
Sound and restoration potential for reducing vulnerability; c)
Several Tribes and counties will incorporate climate change in their
plans and/or analyses. Puget Sound Grant partners include:
Puget Sound Partnership, Friends of the San Juan's, The Nature
Conservancy, Snohomish County, Washington Dept. of Ecology,
Samish Indian Nation, Swinomish Tribe, Nooksack Tribe,
Suquamish Tribe, Port Gamble Indian Commission.
Puget Sound Partnership is working to control source pollution.
• No Discharge Zone Evaluation and Petition. Draft petition
to EPA by September 2013
Vulnerability
All
All
All
Sea Level
Rise/erosion
Increasing heavy
precipitation events.
Increased pollutant
Relevant
Agency
Direction
National
Tribal Science
Council
2010 Tribal
Leader's
Summit
Action Plan
2010 Tribal
Leader's
Summit
Action Plan
Puget Sound
Action
Agenda
Puget Sound
Action
Agenda132
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 1.
Goal 1.
Goal 1.
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Lead: Michelle
Davis
Partners: ITEP
RIO Lead:
ETPA/Puget Sound:
Angela Bonifaci;
See partner list
under description
RIO Lead: EPA
Team
Linked to
Tribes
•
•
•
•
Sustain-
ability
•
EJ
1 http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/AA2011/083012Jinal/Action%20Agenda%20Book%201JUjg%2029%202012.pdf
73 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
• Pollution Control Action Team to respond quickly when
areas are identified where water quality problems
threaten shellfish areas. The first effort will be in Drayton
Harbor and Portage Bay.
• Pollution Identification and Correction Programs to
identify and correct nonpoint source pollution sources.
The Puget Sound Partnership has developed climate change
indicators which will allow them to track climate-driven changes
and identify vulnerabilities or ecological thresholds
Puget Sound Grants process integrates climate adaptation
concepts by considering how the design and installation of
projects would take relevant potential impacts from climate
change into account
A four part effort, comprising climate statistics, GIS visualization
and analysis, data delivery platform development, and
engagement with policy and management entities, will underlie
the proposed development and delivery of information about the
Vulnerability
loads in runoff and
the velocity of runoff
will scour and erode
creek beds.
Increase in ocean
temperatures, with
potential for changes
in ocean chemistry
and increased ocean
acidification
All
All
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Climate
Ready
Estuaries133
National
Water
Program
Strategy134
U.S. EPA
Climate
Adaptation
Plan/ FY
2011-2015
EPA Strategic
Plan135
Puget Sound
NEP.
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
RIO Lead/
Partners
Partner: Puget
Sound Partnership,
Washington
Department of
Ecology,
DOH,WSDA, Tribes
RIO Lead: Michael
Rylko
Partners:
OCPD, National
Estuary Programs,
EPA Climate
Change Division
RIO Lead:
Puget Sound
Grants Team
RIO Lead: Jon
Schweiss.
Partners: UW
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
133Climate Ready Estuaries 2012 Progress Report. Available at http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/cre/upload/CRE_2012Report_122612a.pdf
134 Goal 9, SA 23. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03-27-2012.pdf
135 3.3.1 Priority: Fulfill Strategic Measures in FY2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan. Strategic Measure 2: Integrate climate adaptation into financial mechanisms.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA-climate-change-adaptation-plan-final-for-public-comment-2-7-13.pdf
74 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
projected time of emergence of various elements of a changing
climate in the Puget Sound Basin.
Children's health and vulnerable populations
Through work on children's health, develop and host training for
professionals in the housing, health and educational fields on
making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable
populations
Provide technical assistance and training to affected communities
on risks associated with poor outdoor air quality
• Work with Tribal Air Program
• Convene Rural Alaska Children's Environmental Initiative
Outreach/risk communication to vulnerable and economically
deprived communities.
Vulnerability
Changes in
precipitation,
extreme
temperatures, more
frequent wildfires,
and severe weather
events will impact
outdoor air quality
and indoor air quality
since ambient air is
entrained indoors
Decreasing
precipitation days
and increasing
drought intensity
Relevant
Agency
Direction
U.S.EPA
Climate
Adaptation
Plan
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal land
Regional
Goal 7
Goal land
Regional
Goals 6 and
7.
Regional
Goals 6 and
7.
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Lead:
Margo Young
RIO Lead:
Margo Young, Erin
Mader
Partners:
EPA Tribal Air
Program, ANCH
RIO Lead:
Sheryl Stohs
Partners:
Linked to
Tribes
*
Sustain-
ability
EJ
•
*
•
75 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Regional Clean Air Act Grants are provided to Tribes to build
capacity and knowledge and assess and address air quality
concerns. Many grant-funded programs aim to prevent the
presence of and exposure to indoor air pollution, for example,
through supporting clean burning practices for wood stoves and
adequate and effective ventilation in homes and public buildings.
Ambient pollutants are also targeted, for example, from idling
vehicles, diesel generators, outdoor burning, agricultural burning,
wood stoves, and wildfires. Many of these factors will worsen
with climate change, making tribal capacity building in these areas
critical.
Region 10's Children's Environmental Health and Tribal Air
Program co-lead the Rural Alaska Children's Environmental Health
Initiative and its two active workgroups, the Alaska Healthy Homes
and the Alaska Healthy Schools Workgroups. These groups were
established in December 2010 and work together regularly to
protect children from harmful environmental exposures in rural
Alaska, including factors related to climate change.
The Tribal Air Program has an IPA position in the Anchorage office
serving as the Alaska Tribal Air Liaison. She provides direct
assistance to Alaska Tribes and GAP grantees to do air quality
work, including climate change related topics.
Other actions
As appropriate, communicate with the public about hazards posed
by climate change and EPA response/ remedies to events
exacerbated by climate change (storm events, flood, drought)
Vulnerability
Increasing risk of
floods
Indoor air quality
All.
Air quality
All
Relevant
Agency
Direction
RIO Strategic
Alignment
Plan.
RIO Strategic
Alignment
Plan.
RIO Strategic
Alignment
Plan.
U.S.EPA
Climate
Relevant
EPA Goal
Regional
Goals 6 and
7.
Goals 6 and
7.
Goals 6 and
7.
GoalS.
RIO Lead/
Partners
Beyond Toxics,
Eugene; Verde of
Portland; DRCC of
Seattle
RIO Lead: Erin
Mader
Partners: Tribes
RIO Lead: Erin
Mader
Partners: Tribes
RIO Lead: Michelle
Davis
Partners: Tribes
RIO Lead: Public
Affairs Unit
Linked to
Tribes
•
•
•
Sustain-
ability
EJ
•
•
76 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
As appropriate, raise public awareness about climate change and
actions being taken by the EPA to address climate change
Puget Sound Projects
Vulnerability and Resilience of Puget Sound Estuaries to Climate
Change. Vulnerability assessments will allow decision makers to
understand known risks, key uncertainties and the level of
vulnerability their habitats and communities face from future
storms and elevated sea levels (Cooper et al. 2008).
The Puget Sound Partnership plans to launch a tree
planting/canopy cover campaign in FY13
In FY13, Snohomish County's Department of Public Works will
address the threats of climate change and increased population
growth with a focus on addressing altered basin hydrology.
Vulnerability
All
In the Puget Sound
basin these include
increased winter
precipitation, higher
river flooding, lower
summer low flows
(Hamlet and
Lettenmaier 2007),
sea level rise (Mote
etal. 2008), and
uncertain effects on
wind storms,
sediment
recruitment, and
larger scale wind and
ocean currents.
Increased stream
temperatures
Change in basin
hydrology
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Adaptation
Plan
U.S.EPA
Climate
Adaptation
Plan
Puget Sound
Action Plan.
Objective 3.
Vulnerability
analysis
Puget Sound
Partnership
Stewardship
grant
Puget Sound
NEP.
Relevant
EPA Goal
GoalS.
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
Goal 2
RIO Lead/
Partners
RIO Lead: Public
Affairs Unit
RIO Lead: Michael
Rylko
Partners: The
Nature
Conservancy in
collaboration with
USGS and UWCIG
RIO Lead:
Partner: Puget
Sound Partnership
RIO Lead:
Linked to
Tribes
Sustain-
ability
EJ
77 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
The Washington State Department of Ecology will continue to
work on a Puget Sound Circulation and Dissolved Oxygen Model
(v2.0) in order to determine climate change effects on Puget
Sound water quality.
King County will produce modeled flow and water quality
conditions in the rivers and streams of WRIA 9 for idealized fully
forested conditions, and anticipated 2040 conditions considering
population growth and climate change
Tribal Related projects in Puget Sound
The Samish Indian Nation will continue its climate change
monitoring of Fidalgo Bay waters in FY13 providing continuous
temperature data for trend analysis
The Swinomish Tribe will hold its annual workshop on climate
change issues in the Skagit, with a written report to follow
The Nooksack Tribe will attend climate change conferences,
meeting, and presentations, and review technical reports to
evaluate the magnitude of expected local changes. This
Vulnerability
Increase in ocean
temperature.
Sea level rise.
Increasing ocean
temperature.
All.
All.
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Puget Sound
NEP.
Puget Sound
NEP.
Puget Sound
NEP.
Puget Sound
NEP.
Puget Sound
NEP.
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 2.
Goal 2.
Goal 2 and
Regional
Goal 7.
Goal 2 and
Regional
Goal 7.
Goal 2 and
Regional
Goal 7.
RIO Lead/
Partners
Partner:
Snohomish
County's
Department of
Public Works
RIO Lead: Ben
Cope
Partner: WA
Ecology
RIO Lead: Michael
Rylko
Partner: King
County.
RIO Lead: Lisa
Chang
Partner: Samish
Indian Nation
RIO lead: Lisa
Chang
Partner:
Swinomish Tribe
RIO lead: Lisa
Chang
Linked to
Tribes
•
•
•
Sustain-
ability
EJ
78 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
information will be considered in the salmon recovery plan
implementation for WRIA 1
The Suquamish Tribe will continue to monitor the work of the
Climate Change Study Group, review climate change related
studies and documents, and attend related meetings in order to
build tribal capacity with respect to climate change
The Port Gamble Indian Commission of the Port Gamble Reserve
plans to participate in climate change and ocean acidification
programs in order to inform the development of a climate change
program in FY13
Vulnerability
All.
Ocean acidification.
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Puget Sound
NEP.
Puget Sound
NEP.
Relevant
EPA Goal
Goal 2 and
Regional
Goal 7.
Goal 2 and
Regional
Goal 7.
RIO Lead/
Partners
Partner: Nooksack
Tribe
RIO lead: Lisa
Chang
Partner:
Suquamish Tribe
RIO lead: Lisa
Change
Partner: Port
Gamble Indian
Commission
Linked to
Tribes
•
•
Sustain-
ability
EJ
79 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Office of Environmental Assessment
Vulnerability
Relevant
Agency
Direction
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO Lead/
Partners
Linked to
Tribes
Su stain-
ability
EJ
Inreach Project - Meet with each unit within OEA (including our
Manchester Environmental Laboratory Director) and determine where
climate science can be used in our work for programs:
e.g., EJ related apps and heat stress/vegetation; riparian setbacks and
hyporheic flow models; TMDL models; Any modeling involving
temperature or flow terms.
Regional Outreach/Training - Continue to brief offices on vulnerabilities
and tee up discussions where climate science can be used in decisions.
Coordination with other federal agencies by participating on Climate
Change Cooperative
Support Pacific NW Landscape Conservation Cooperative - Steering
Committee - OEA Director, Sci TEK subcommittee - CC Science Advisor
Participate on the National Tribal Science Council, and support actions
related to climate change and tribes
All
All
All
All coastal &
marine-related
All
RIO Strategic
Alignment
plan
RIO Strategic
Alignment
plan
RIO Strategic
Alignment
plan
RIO Strategic
Alignment
plan
National
Tribal Science
Council
Goal 1.
RIO Lead: Mike
Cox
Partners: POCs in
Offices
RIO Lead: Mike
Cox
Partners: POC in
offices
RIO Lead: Mike
Cox;
Partners: Other
federal agencies
RIO Leads: Joyce
Kelly an; Mike
Cox;
Partners: NPLCC
participants.
RIO Lead: Lon
Kissinger
Partners: RTOC
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
80 Page
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Office of Compliance and Enforcement
Vulnerability
Relevant Agency
Direction
Relevant
EPA Goal
RIO Lead/
Partners
Linked to
Tribes
Su stain-
ability
EJ
Climate change may have more impact on overburdened communities as
these communities, due to various concerns, adapt less well than other
communities. OCE is using an Environmental Justice Screening tool to
identify regulated facilities located in these overburdened communities.
This tool was nationally developed to screen for communities with
environmental justice concerns for implementation in various EPA
programs.
Permitting Class 1 Underground Injection Control (UIC) Wells in the North
Slope of Alaska. The permafrost in the North Slope of Alaska has been
identified as a vulnerable resource. In substitution for retention ponds
used to store oil and gas industry's drilling wastes, the UIC program
continues to permit several Class 1 wells for underground injection of
those wastes. This reduces the need to establish waste retention ponds
on the increasingly vulnerable permafrost.
Continuing to support the Regional Support Corps by deploying staff for
varying emergency response efforts (e.g. Hurricane Katrina).
Continuing to look for opportunities to encompass green infrastructure
as part of settlement agreements. An example of this is the City of
Seattle, Washington and King County, Washington CSO settlement
agreements. These settlements allow for the City of Seattle and King
County to substitute green infrastructure projects for gray infrastructure
projects (e.g. green roofs, permeable pavements, urban gardens).
All
Permafrost
thawing.
All
All
RIO Strategic
Alignment plan
RIO Strategic
Alignment plan
RIO Strategic
Alignment plan
RIO Strategic
Alignment plan
GoalS
GoalS
GoalS
and
Operation
s and
Facilities.
GoalS
RIO Lead:
Anne
Dalrymple
Partners:
Running
Grass
RIO Lead: UIC
Compliance
Team
Partners:
RIO Lead:
Wendy
Adams
Partners: Ann
Williamson
RIO Lead:
Depends on
the case.
Partners:
•
•
•
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Appendix D: Comparison of Vulnerabilities and EPA Region 10
Existing Actions
Appendix D compares the vulnerabilities identified in Section 2 and Appendix B with the existing actions
identified in Section 3 and Appendix C. This comparison provides valuable information as EPA Region 10
evaluates how to best proceed to integrate climate change into the programs.
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
Vulnerability
Increase in tropospheric ozone pollution may
occur in certain areas due to increased average
summertime temperature
Increase in air toxics from anthropogenic sources
is uncertain due to variability in effects of
temperature increase on individual air toxics.
Increase in particulate matter levels is occurring
now and is very likely to increase due to increased
frequency or intensity of wildfires due to
increased summertime temperatures, prolonged
droughts, and decreased soil moisture.
Indoor air quality is very likely to be impacted,
especially in Alaska, due to changes in
precipitation, extreme temperatures, more
frequent wildfires, and severe weather events.
Stratospheric ozone layer is likely to be impacted
in Alaska due to climate change effects
Increased rate and deposition of sulfates, nitrates,
and mercury is uncertain due to changes in
precipitation patterns.
Action(s)
No specific existing actions.
No specific existing actions.
No specific existing actions.
Develop and host training for professionals
(housing, medical, schools) on making indoor
environments healthier for the most vulnerable.
Assist Tribes to build capacity and knowledge and
assess and address air quality concerns including
those related to climate change through the
Regional Clean Air Act Grants.
No specific existing actions.
No specific existing actions.
Goal 2: Protecting America's Water
Vulnerability
Action(s)
Drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and
agricultural infrastructure is likely to be impacted
by increased heavy precipitation, more frequent
flood events, storm surge, coastal erosion, and
drought.
Work with the State of Alaska to identify
alternative technologies for providing first time
service to unserved homes in a more sustainable
way compared to a traditional piped system.
Work with the Water Sense program to
encourage water efficiency in homes, landscaping
and commercial buildings with a focus on new
homes.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Vulnerability
Action(s)
Continue implementing the Sustainable Energy
Management Program with a Western
Washington cohort of drinking water and
wastewater utilities.
Impacts to freshwater fisheries is occurring now
and likely to increase due to earlier stream runoff
and scouring of streambeds due to earlier snow
melt, decreased summer stream flows and
increased steam temperatures, and longer
periods of low stream flow.
Continue with pilot program examining how to
integrate climate change in an ongoing TMDL by
examining how temperature can be improved in
the Nooksack watershed in order to support
salmon restoration.
Estuarine watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and
wetlands are very likely to be impacted by sea-
level rise, sea surface temperature and increasing
heavy precipitation events during the winter
months, and decreasing precipitation days and
increasing drought intensity during the summer
months.
Coordinate a Wetlands and Climate Change
Research Meeting focused on new approaches
and tools to better understand, manage, and
conserve wetlands in a changing climate.
Incorporate climate change considerations into
the CWA 404 regulatory program as they relate to
permit reviews and compensatory mitigation.
As resources allow, improve baseline information
on wetland extent, condition and performance to
inform effective adaptation to climate change.
Integrate climate adaptation in the FFY13/14
Region 10 Wetland Program Development Grants
RFP.
Forest ecosystems will likely be impacted by
warming temperatures and more frequent and
intense drought conditions.
Through the NEPA review process ensure
consideration of climate change in review of all
federal projects and incorporate climate change
adaptation into land management planning and
other projects as appropriate.
Loss of sea ice is occurring now and will very likely
increase in Alaska due to warming air and water
temperatures.
No specific existing actions.
Ocean acidification is occurring now and is very
likely to increase due to increasing concentrations
of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Include ocean acidification language in NEPA
review comment letters as appropriate and
develop template language in letters and example
NEPA analyses that include ocean acidification
information.
Participate in interagency development and
implementation of federal strategies through the
National Ocean Council (NOC) and the National
Ocean Policy Implementation Plan
Change in vegetation is likely in eastern
Washington and Oregon and Idaho due to pest
outbreaks, invasive species, increased fire, shifts
in species ranges and increased erosion, drier
soils, and depletion of water.
Through the NEPA review process ensure
consideration of climate change in review of all
federal projects and incorporate climate change
adaptation into land management planning and
other projects as appropriate.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Vulnerability
Action(s)
Puget Sound: Many of these projects address
multiple vulnerabilities.
Support Tribal projects on climate change in Puget
Sound through the National Estuary Program. A
listing of those projects is included in Appendix C.
Continue to support projects in Puget Sound
related to climate change. There are several on-
going projects that are highlighted in Appendix C.
Work with the University of Washington to
develop a system for visualizing and analyzing a
variety of climate change-related features that are
shifting with time and probability across the
Region.
Training and Outreach
Inform and educate water program managers in
the public and private sectors on climate change
and water issues and EPA related activities such as
the National and Regional climate change
adaptation strategies.
Work with States, Tribes, municipalities, non-
profit organizations and businesses to promote
the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) and
Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) Programs and new
Climate Ready Resilience and Awareness (GREAT)
Version 2.0.
Support Development of a Climate Change
Section in the "Green" Paper for the State
Revolving Loan Funds and Annual Review
Checklists.
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
Vulnerability
Remedial, removal, brownfield, corrective action
or permitted sites may be impacted due to
flooding, sea level risk, storm surges, extreme
events, and landslides.
Increase in work for Alaska's Tribal and
emergency response programs is occurring now
and likely to increase due to thawing permafrost
and changes in sea ice that leads to damage of
roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and
other infrastructure.
EPA Region 10, Tribal and state partners will have
increasing workloads in many aspects of site and
waste management as well as work related to the
formation and implementation of sustainable
Action(s)
No specific existing actions.
Work with federally recognized tribes in Region
10 to address landfills and unconfined open
dumps which are impacted by climate change and
help develop appropriate responses to these
threats.
Work with our partners through the West Coast
Climate and Materials Management Forum and
our pollution prevention technical assistance
providers and grants to assist in the transition to
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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development and materials management
programs, partnerships and initiatives.
sustainable materials management processes and
source reduction.
Availability of raw materials and the cost of
mining and refining raw materials, producing
products, transporting products, and disposing
products may increase due to impacts of climate
change.
Recruiting and retaining participants for the
Federal Green Challenge and for the Food
Recovery Challenge in support of the EPA's
Sustainable Materials Management (SMM)
Program.
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
Vulnerability
Action(s)
Increased exposure and risk to hazardous
chemicals is likely due to increasing extreme
temperatures and heavy precipitation events,
changes in storm intensities, and increasing
frequency of floods.
Incorporating green remediation in corrective
action decision-making and raising issues
nationally regarding the potential impacts of
climate change on alternative landfill covers.
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
Vulnerability
Action(s)
Non-compliance at regulated entities may
increase due to extreme weather events and
changing weather patterns.
Continue to use an Environmental Justice
Screening tool to identify regulated facilities
located in overburdened communities.
Continue to look for opportunities to encompass
green infrastructure as part of settlement
agreements.
Shift in regional enforcement priorities due to
changes in compliance (both increased
compliance and non-compliance in different
sectors) and increased number of inquiries from
industry about maintaining compliance due to
extreme weather events and changing weather
patterns.
No specific existing actions.
Increased permitting of Class VI Underground
Injection Control (UIC) wells for Carbon Dioxide
sequestration and Class V UIC wells for
stormwater management.
No specific existing actions.
An increase in regulated industrial activities in
Alaska may result as the melting of sea ice opens
new areas for activities.
No specific existing actions.
Facilities and Operations
Vulnerability
Action(s)
Drinking water may be limited and an increase in
demand for air conditioning is possible due to
increasing drought frequency and intensity.
No specific existing actions.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
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Operations of Region 10 facilities may be
impacted by increasing risk of floods and
increasing intensity of storms.
Continuing to support the Regional Support Corps
by deploying staff for varying emergency
response efforts
Tribal and Vulnerable Populations
Vulnerability
Action(s)
Vulnerable population such as children, the
elderly, poor, and the infirm may be at increased
health risk due to increased temperatures, failing
infrastructure, and extreme weather events.
Support the Rural Alaska Children's Health
Initiative which works to protect children from
harmful environmental exposures in rural Alaska,
including factors related to climate change.
Through work on children's health, develop and
host training for professionals in the housing,
health and educational fields on making indoor
environments healthier for the most vulnerable
populations.
Provide technical assistance and training to
affected communities on risks associated with
poor outdoor air quality (e.g., work with Tribal Air
Program and convene Rural Alaska Children's
Environmental Initiative).
Outreach/risk communication to vulnerable and
economically deprived communities.
Food security for native Alaskans and Tribal
people in the Pacific Northwest who live a
subsistence lifestyle may be at risk due to
warming associated with climate change.
Support Tribes to develop adaptation actions
(plans), to document that impact from climate
change and to engage in the collaboration with
local, state and federal agencies working on broad
based adaptation plans.
Provide GAP funding as appropriate to Tribes with
climate change in their GAP workplans to do
baseline environmental assessments and support
adaptation planning.
Increased erosion of shorelines is likely to
increase risk to coastal native villages due to
increased intensity of coastal storms and rising
sea levels.
No specific existing actions.
Decreased access to clean drinking water is very
likely due to loss of permafrost.
No specific existing actions.
Reduced availability offish and shellfish resources
is occurring now and is likely to increase due to
changing water conditions.
No specific existing actions.
Training and Outreach which will address all
vulnerabilities.
Raise awareness by providing educational
outreach, training, and webinars to Tribes and
work with the Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals on tribal climate change adaptation
models and resources.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Training and Outreach (supports all the goals)
Vulnerability
Action(s)
General training and outreach that supports all
the goals and programs
Provide outreach/trainings to increase awareness
of climate science to regional staff, and work with
staff to incorporate climate science into their
work programs.
Communicate with the public about hazards
posed by climate change and actions being taken
by the EPA to address climate change.
Coordinate with other federal agencies by
participating on Climate Change Cooperative and
supporting the Regional Landscape Conservation
Cooperatives.
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan June 2014
Appendix E: EPA Region 10 Approach for Measuring Success
Several key steps to developing the Region 10 approach to meeting our Strategic Alignment Plan,
measuring our progress, and adapting as we go are discussed below. In Region 10 we have identified a
point of contact (POCs) for each of our offices to assist with developing the Implementation Plan and they
will have a critical role in collecting measures from their offices.
Collate the measures and reporting requirements for the existing actions.
Section 3 identifies existing actions that Region 10 has underway. Many actions are part of the Region 10
Strategic Alignment Plan and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-sensitive) and
some may have measures associated with them. These available measures will be collated. For all other
actions, we will seek clarification through our POC network on the status of development of SMART
measures and how to prioritize completion of the SMART process.
Consider developing Logic Model as the underlying framework for Measures.
Under a Logic Model, the ultimate goal is to measure changes, commonly called outcomes, which often
are changes in behavior. In the figure below shared nationally by the Office of Water, goals of awareness
are followed by the desired behavior that climate science is incorporated into federal policies and
programs. Measures of outcomes also benefit from determining a baseline condition as well as
benchmarks for success. Both of these will be considered in implementing the Region 10 approach.
The Logic Model example below is based on the following considerations:
Diagram/Text illustrating the relationships among program elements
• Identifies key activities, "players", and expected results
Identifies program span of control and external influences
Span of control: Region 10 only has direct influence over key activities & outputs
The model is developed keeping in mind that:
• To meet ultimate goals, Region 10 will seek to change the attitudes, knowledge, and behavior of
others (outcomes).
• The challenge of the measurement approach is to balance output vs outcome measurement.
In order to obtain Buy-In we will clearly define the purpose of the measurement effort to staff
(how will the information be used) and minimize staff time needed to report the measures.
• We will need to address Measurement "apprehension": Programs recognize progress toward
outcomes is important, but hesitate to be held "accountable" for things outside their direct
control.
Consider existing climate vulnerabilities in refining/selecting Measures.
For climate change adaptation, successful adaptation would be measured against conditions we do not
expect to face for several decades. However, some conditions are occurring now and actions in response
to these conditions are ones where meaningful measures of outcomes could be generated. In Region 10,
particularly Alaska, we are seeing accelerated changes that are documented in our vulnerability analysis.
And, in Puget Sound, ocean acidification is already affecting larval cultures of oyster growers.
Include other considerations in refining/selecting Metrics:
How many measures are too many?
How "measureable" are the metrics (precision of language, access & availability of data)?
Output (short term) vs. Outcome (longer term) Focus
Challenges to Analysis:
How will reporting and analysis take place (process)
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan June 2014
How information can/will be presented to meet the needs of key stakeholders (utility)
Retaining the flexibility to modify the measurement framework as the program "learns" vs. need
to retain core metrics for comparability.
Learn from other regions and the national program.
The key areas Region 10 will look for concerning measures are specific benchmarks/ commitments, ease
of reporting, matching with national and regional reporting requirements, ability to adapt/adjust
measures in the future, how closely measures relate to outcomes, and how other efforts have developed
measures based on immediacy of vulnerabilities (for example, how hurricane Sandy and other recent
extreme events have shaped measures developed for the east coast).
How to track and report progress
• Consider an annual Highlights of Progress document that is excerpted from the existing Region
10 reporting requirements and provided in a useful format common to other regions and
national programs
• Consider how our strategic action contacts would report internally on adaptive management
phase, with guidance provided from the Climate Change Science Advisor
• Region 10 Strategic Alignment could include an adaptive management phase at the Goal level in
Highlights of Progress.
• The Climate Change Science Advisor will use the Evaluation and state of management phase to:
o Inform any needed changes to the Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
o Identify appropriate performance measures for measuring the effectiveness of the
Strategy.
Document regional program awareness and use of climate science even as we develop measures.
Even without a logic model structure in place for climate change adaptation actions, in Region 10 we are
seeing awareness of the availability and use of climate science increasing, and can begin to document this
trend. An example is awareness and use of climate science and tools in our Office of Water and
Watersheds TMDL program. For approximately the past two years, we have been conducting an ongoing
pilot project where we have been incorporating climate science into an ongoing temperature TMDL. As
follow-on to this process, the TMDL unit in March 2013, held an internal demonstration of where to find
downscaled 7Q10 flow data projections under climate change scenario models on an interactive website.
Similarly, our regional wetlands program led (co-sponsored with our Region 10 Science Steering Council) a
workshop on new tools to assess the impact of climate change on wetlands.
Office of Water, Logic model example:
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EPA Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
June 2014
Primary
Audiences
Audience
Awareness
Audience
Behavior
Conditions
Area 3
Coastal and
Ocean: Ocean
and coastal
environment
protected
against climate
change and
against
unintended
adverse
consequences
of responses to
climate
change.
Support
collaborations
creating and
sharing of
information and
best practices
Develop
partnerships that
assist effective
adaptation action
for coastal and
ocean
environments
Ensure that
mitigation and
adaptation
measures are
environmentally
sound
Adjust EPA
programs to
incorporate
shifting
environmental
conditions and
other emerging
threats
EPA Sphere of
Direct Influence
[_
Foster
partnerships,
collaborations,
and
information
sharing
Provide
technical
assistance
Promote best
practices for
climate-
readiness
planning
Develop
climate-
readiness
guidance for
federal
programs,
agencies, and
authorities
Develop
environmental
safety criteria
for offshore
renewables
and CCS
r
EPA's NWP and
NEP programs
U.S. National
Ocean Council
Regional ocean
organizations
State and local
watershed
organizations
Coastal
communities
and planners
Coastal
infrastructure
owners and
operators
F
Examples of a
primary auc
• Shoreline de
trends
Weather, tic
Techno togicc
CCS, renewa
Offshore na\
Renewab te p
Competing p
Emerging cli
1d
ie
ve
at
la
bit
iS
or
lar
na
Understand
strategies for
incorporating
adaptation into
federal policies ft
programs
Aware of
adaptation
options
Aware of
relevant partners
a opportunities
to collaborate/
share
information
Mindful of the
potential hazards
that offshore
renewables and
CCS may pose to
coastal and
ocean resources
tional Influences on
nces:
opment and real estate
and climate conditions
dvances (particularly
s, and IT)
itional dred$in$
folio standards
nin§ considerations
te threats
Integrate
adaptation
considerations
into policies ft
programs at
the federal
level
Incorporate
climate change
a adaptation
considerations
into regional,
state a local
programs a
Engage in
collaborative
partnerships
that ensure
information-
sharing and
prevent
duplication of
efforts
Adjust offshore
renewables
and CCS
permitting
criteria to
consider
adverse effects
to ocean a
coastal
resources
Climate-change-
induced risks to
coastal and
ocean
ecosystems and
infrastructure
are minimized
Coastal and
ocean
environments
continue to
provide current
levels of
ecosystem
services and
socioeconomic
benefits
Coastal and
ocean
infrastructure
and ecosystems
are protected
against adverse
effects of climate
change
adaptation and
mitigation efforts
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