oEPA
Region 9, Fiscal Year 11/12 (DRAFT)
Regional Research Priorities Summary
USING SCIENCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN U.S. EPA REGION 9, THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION
The Region 9 Science Council (RSC) has developed the following research priorities to help determine the major
areas w here support is needed from the Office of Research and Development for fiscal years 2011/2012. The
RSC worked with management and staff from each Division within the Region to determine their top Science
Priorities. Within these priorities there are two overarching themes: (1) the need to incorporate the unique char-
acteristics and environments of the arid southwestern portions of the country into research goals, projects, and
outreach and (2) the need to consider climate change issues and impacts when addressing science priorities.
These priorities represent the most pressing issues but are not inclusive of all research needs in the region. The
issues covered in these priorities are aligned with the Agency 's strategic goals as described in the "20011-2015
EPA Strategic Plan " (http'J/www .epct. wv/ocfo/plan/plan. htm). More details for each of the priorities can be
found in the individual divisional fact sheets. This Document is currently draft and are for internal Region 9 use
and discission only. For more in formation contact Matt Small Regional Science Liaison (415) 972-3366.
Air Division
Region 9 experiences some of the most severe air
quality problems in the nation, which are
compounded by our unique geography and
climate, rapid population growth, and distinct
mixes of agricultural, rural, and urban sources.
The science
prioirties and
activities below
are a reflection
of these unquie
and significant
air pollution
challenges.
Industrial emissions (U.S. EPA Photo Archive ]
Improving air quality and public health in the
San Joaquin Valley and South Coast Air
Basin through research on control
technologies and control strategies
Addressing infrastaicture and
public health challenges
associated with climate change
adaptation in the Western U.S.
and Pacific Islands through
research on climate change and
energy.
Water Division
The water quality challenges associated with both
the arid southwest ecosystems and pacific island
ecosystems are especially challenging and unique
relative to the rest of the nation . Much of the
Agency-level science developed for water quality
has a bias toward the environments of the eastern
U.S. These science priorities and activities
address issues that reflect the unique character of
the environments in Region 9 and which address
some significant public health concerns.
•	Remote wetlands delineation
•	Numeric nutrient criteria development and
stressor identification
•	Demonstrating water quality impacts of low
impact development/green infrastructure
•	Assessing the cause of the decline of Delta
fisheries and Central valley salmonids
•	Assessing sources and
loads of selenium
discharges to the San
Joaquin River
•	Coral reef ecosystem
assessment tools
•	Wildlife criteria
development
Waterway, wetlands, and Agriculture, Sacramento/San
Joaquin Delta, CA ( Nancy Dubbs, R9 Photo Archive )
http://www.epa.gov/reqion09/science/index.html DRAFT, Reg Sci Priority Summary Legal.pub 9/13/10 ms

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Waste Management Division
Region 9 has been on the forefront of identifying
several emerging environmental contaminants
over the past several years and has been an active
voice for pollution prevention. Identified below
are science concerns associated with better
identifying emerging pollutant concerns and
development of safe, non-toxic alternatives to
hazardous chemicals.
•	Cross-Media Impacts of Organic Materials
Recycling and Biogas Use
•	Materials Management: Reducing the
Lifecycle Impacts from Goods through
Preferred Strategies
•	Green Building: Health Effects and Lifecycle
Environmental Impacts from Buildings
Super fund Division
Hazardous waste cleanups in Region 9 have often
taken on environmental problems over large
geographic regions with unique technical
challenges. The science needs and priorities
identified below represent important science issues
associated with several of our largest and most
significant cleanup challenges as well as recurring
technical issues impacting both large and small
sites. These issues involve large scale concerns in
Region 9, such as naturally occurring asbestos
widespread perchlorate contamination, as well as
recurring challenges associated with our many
groundwater
remediation sites and
an increasing
concern associated
with vapor intrusion
of contaminants into
buildings.
•	Contaminated Vapor Intrusion into Buildings:
Improving site investigation methods
•	Asbestos Human Health Risk Assessment
•	Green Remediation
•	Groundwater Remediation
•	Perchlorate: Human Exposure Routes
•	Nanoparticles
Communities and Ecosystems Division
The populations of Region 9 are among the most
diverse in the nation and include large segments of
population that are uniquely impacted by
enivironmental
pollution or
which are
underserved
by basic
environmental
infrastructure.
Our
ecosystems are
also uniquely
diverse and
varied from the rest of the nations. The science
priorities and activities below reflect these unique
charactersitics and challenges facing Region 9
•	Life Cycle Analysis of Environmental Effects
of Agriculture, especially Dairy System
•	Sustainability Indicators for Policy-making
•	Better Methods to Identify and Evaluate the
Most Vulnerable Communities and the
Cumulative Impacts and/or Risks These
Communities May Face
•	Influx of Large-Scale Solar Energy Projects in
the Desert Southwest
•	Development of Tribal Environmental
Indicators in the U.S./Mexico Border Region
•	Impact of climate change on tribal lands,
traditions, and ways of living
•	Targeting Lead-based Paint Inspections Under
TSCA
•	Integrated approach
to understanding
fate and effects of
pesticides in water
and sediment
More detailed information on Region 9 Research
Priorities, is available in divisional fact sheets
Indoor air sampling (Kathy Baylor, Alana
Lee, R9 RARE Project).
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