&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Climate Change Adaptation
Implementation Plan
Report Number: EPA-100-K-14-001A
May 2014
POLICE
.
'\ BIUH
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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.
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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
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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LA National Water Program 2012 Strategy:
psJ 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.
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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:
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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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.
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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
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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
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