Air and Energy National Research Program
Strategic Research Action Plan, 2019 - 2022
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Table of Contents
List of Acronyms	iii
Executive Summary	ES-1
Introduction	1
Statutory and Policy Context	3
Engagement with Partners and Stakeholders	4
Environmental Problems and Research Program Objectives	5
Problem Statement	5
Program Vision	6
Research Program Objectives	6
Research Topics	6
Topic 1: Science for Air Quality Decisions (AQD)	8
Topic 2: Extreme Events and Emerging Risks (E3R)	15
Topic 3: Next-Generation Methods to Improve Public Health and the Environment (NGM)	19
Integrated Science Focus: Wildland Fires	23
Program Design	25
Program Components	25
Solutions-Driven Research	26
Integration Among Research Programs	27
Conclusion	29
Appendix	32
Summary Table of Proposed Outputs for the Air and Energy Research Program (FY2019-2022)	32
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List of Acronyms
ACE
A-E
AFO
AQD
AQMEII
ASTHO
BMP
CAA
CBP
CDC
CERCLA
CMAQ
CO
CRADA
CSS
CWA
DOE
DOI
E3R
EA
ECOS
EEM
EIS
EISA
EPA
ERIS
EtO
FEM
FRM
FWPCA
FY
GCRA
HABs
HAPs
Air, Climate, and Energy
Air and Energy
Animal feeding operation
Air Quality Decisions
Air Quality Model Evaluation
International Initiative
Association of State and Territorial
Health Officials
Best management practice
Clean Air Act
Chesapeake Bay Program
Centers for Disease Control
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act
Community-Multiscale Air Quality
Model
Carbon monoxide
Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement
Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Clean Water Act
Department of Energy
Department of Interior
Extreme Events and Emerging Risks
Environmental Assessments
Environmental Council of States
Emission estimating methodology
Environmental Impact Statements
Energy Independence and Security Act
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Research Institute of the
States
Ethylene oxide
Federal Equivalent Method
Federal Reference Method
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Fiscal year
Global Change Research Act
Harmful algal blooms
Hazardous air pollutants
HEI Health Effects Institute
HERA Health and Environmental Risk
Assessment
HSRP Homeland Security Research Program
HTAP Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution
LRTAP Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
MACT Maximum achievable control
technology
MESA Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
MJO Multijurisdictional Organization
NAAQS National ambient air quality standards
NADP National Atmospheric Deposition
Program
NASA National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
NEHA National Environmental Health
Association
NEI National Emissions Inventory
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NGM Next-Generation Methods
NGO Non-governmental organization
NHLBI National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute
N02 Nitrogen dioxide
NOx Oxides of nitrogen
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
NSR New Source Review
NTAA National Tribal Air Association
03 Ozone
OAR Office of Air and Radiation
OECA Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance
OLEM Office of Land and Emergency
Management
ORD Office of Research and Development
OTAQ Office of Transportation and Air Quality
OW Office of Water
Pb Lead
PFAS Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
PM Particulate matter

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PO Program Office
PSD Prevention of Significant Deterioration
R2P2 Regional Research Partnership Program
RARE Regional Applied Research Effort
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act
RO Regional Office
SBIR Small Business Innovative Research
SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act
SGCR Subcommittee on Global Change
Research
SHC Sustainable and Healthy Communities
SIP State Implementation Plan
S02 Sulfur dioxide
SOA Secondary organic aerosols
SSWR Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
STAR Science to Achieve Results
StRAP Strategic Research Action Plan
TDEP Total Deposition
TSC Tribal Science Council
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change
USFS United States Forest Service
USGCRP U.S. Global Change Research Program
VOCs Volatile organic compounds

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Executive Summary
This Air and Energy (A-E) Strategic Research Action Plan, 2019-2022 (A-E StRAP) outlines research to
address the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) strategic objectives and mandates to
improve air quality and protect public health and the environment.
Approximately 120 million people in the United States live in counties that do not meet the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for at least one of the six criteria air pollutants, even as
emissions of these pollutants have been reduced by more than 70 percent over the past 45 years. Other
emerging air pollutants, growing impacts from sources such as wildfires, increasing diversity in the
nation's energy portfolio, and broader changes in land use, transportation, and climate, further
complicate our understanding of the measures needed to improve air quality now and into the future.
These increasingly complex problems require innovative thinking and sustainable solutions to ensure
that EPA can protect human health and the environment. EPA's Office of Research and Development
(ORD) plans and implements the A-E Research Program to provide partners in EPA program and regional
offices, states, and tribes and other stakeholders with the knowledge base and the tools to make more
informed decisions and to better understand the potential benefits and consequences of those
decisions.
The objectives of the A-E Research Program are:
Assess Impacts — Improve understanding of the processes regulating human and ecosystem
exposures and of the effects associated with air pollutants at individual, community, regional,
national, and global scales.
Expand Approaches to Prevent and Reduce Emissions — Develop and evaluate new approaches to
prevent and reduce air pollution now and in the future, particularly sustainable, cost-effective, and
innovative multi-pollutant and sector-based approaches.
Advance Measurement and Modeling — Improve the human exposure and environmental
modeling, monitoring, metrics, and information needed to address emerging and future risks and
inform air quality decision making at the national, state, tribal, and local levels.
Inform Decisions — Deliver state-of-the-art science and tools to inform implementation of the
NAAQS and other air quality regulations and policies at the national, state, tribal, and local levels.
To achieve these objectives, the A-E research activities will be structured under three inter-related topic
areas: (1) Science for Air Quality Decisions; (2) Extreme Events and Emerging Risks; and (3) Next-
Generation Methods to Improve Public Health and the Environment. Many scientific issues cut across
the entire A-E portfolio. One issue in particular, wildland fires, draws from all three programmatic
research topics and will be an integrated science focus of the program.
This A-E StRAP describes the overall structure and purpose of the A-E Research Program and outlines a
strategic research framework. The A-E Research Program will continue to engage with EPA and external
partners as ORD works to identify specific deliverables and implement the research program. Through
this collaborative approach, the A-E Program will ensure that the products and innovative tools
delivered by A-E scientists will inform our partners' and stakeholders' work to improve and protect air
quality, reduce the number of areas across the United States that do not meet the national standards,
improve public health and the environment, and meet broader EPA legal and statutory mandates.
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Introduction
Ambient air pollution has significant adverse consequences on human health and the environment,
including asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular effects that can lead to disease and death in
humans, as well as visibility impairment and deposition of air pollutants that can harm surface waters.
Despite decades of improvement in United States air quality, protecting human health and the
environment from the impacts of air pollution remains a challenge for the 21st Century. Approximately
120 million people in the United States live in counties that do not meet the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) for at least one of the six criteria air pollutants1, even as precursor emissions
for these pollutants have been reduced by more than 70 percent over the past 45 years. This challenge
is complicated by interactions between air quality, global trends, and existing and emerging energy
options.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development's (ORD) Air and
Energy (A-E) Research Program provides the science and engineering needed to inform actions that will
improve air quality and public health, as well as address the environmental impacts of energy
development and use. The A-E Strategic Research Action Plan (StRAP) is one of six research plans, one
for each of EPA's national research programs in ORD. The six research programs are:
•	Air and Energy (A-E)
•	Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS)
•	Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP)
•	Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA)
•	Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR)
•	Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC)
Research to Support the EPA and ORD Strategic Plans
EPA's six StRAPs lay the foundation for EPA's research programs to provide focused research that meets
the Agency's legislative mandates and the goals outlined in the EPA and ORD Strategic Plans (U.S. EPA,
2018, 2019). The StRAPs are designed to guide an ambitious research portfolio that delivers the science
and engineering solutions the Agency needs to meet its goals now and into the future, by cultivating an
efficient, innovative, and responsive research enterprise.
As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA is dedicated to improving air
quality in the United States, and therefore several goals in EPA's Strategic Plan are directly relevant to
the A-E program as summarized in Table 1 and discussed below.
1 Criteria pollutants are those pollutants for which NAAQS have been established, which include particulate matter
(PM), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and lead (Pb).
(httpi//www. epa.gov/air/airpollutants. html).
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Table 1. Highlights of EPA Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives Relevant to the A-E Research Program
EPA Goal
EPA Objective
Goal 1 — A Cleaner, Healthier Environment:
Deliver a cleaner, safer, and healthier
environment for all Americans and future
generations by carrying out the Agency's core
mission
Objective 1.1 — Improve Air Quality: Work with states and
tribes to accurately measure air quality and ensure that more
Americans are living and working in areas that meet high air
quality standards
Goal 2 — More Effective Partnerships:
Provide certainty to states, localities, tribal
nations, and the regulated community in
carrying out shared responsibilities and
communicating results to all Americans
Objective 2.1 — Enhance Shared Accountability: Improve
environmental protection through shared governance and
enhanced collaboration with state, tribal, local, and federal
partners using the full range of compliance assurance tools
Objective 2.2 — Increase Transparency and Public
Participation: Listen to and collaborate with impacted
stakeholders and provide effective platforms for public
participation and meaningful engagement
Goal 3 — Greater Certainty, Compliance, and
Effectiveness: Increase certainty, compliance,
and effectiveness by applying the rule of law
to achieve more efficient and effective
agency operations, service delivery, and
regulatory relief
Objective 3.3 — Prioritize Robust Science: Refocus the EPA's
robust research and scientific analysis to inform policy making
Objective 3.5 - Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness: Provide
proper leadership and internal operations management to
ensure that the Agency is fulfilling its mission
EPA Goal 1, Objective 1.1, "Improve Air Quality/' prioritizes key activities to support attainment of the
NAAQS2 and implementation of stationary and mobile source regulations, as well as national and multi-
state programs. The A-E Research Program directly supports this core mission by continuing to develop,
evaluate, and apply methods and models to support air quality management programs and by providing
foundational science to inform decision making.
EPA Goal 2, "More Effective Partnerships," focuses on close communication with Agency regional and
program office partners, state and local agencies, and external stakeholders. ORD is strengthening its
direct relationship with states and engaging decision makers through the Environmental Council of the
States (ECOS) and the Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS), and with tribes through the
Tribal Science Council (TSC) other tribal organizations such as the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA),
and with several public health organizations such as the National Environmental Health Association
(NEHA) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).
2 Section 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) identifies two types of national ambient air quality standards - primary
standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of "sensitive" populations such as
children, older adults, and persons with pre-existing disease such as asthma or cardiovascular disease, and
secondary standards provide public welfare protection, including protection against decreased visibility and
damage to animals, wildlife, soils, water, crops, vegetation, and buildings. Unless otherwise stated, in this
document the term NAAQS will refer to both primary and secondary standards.
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EPA Goal 3, Objective 3.3, "Prioritize Robust Science/' emphasizes research and scientific analyses to
inform policymaking. This objective helped shape the research priorities articulated throughout the A-E
StRAP. For air quality, the EPA Strategic Plan states that the Agency will do the following over the next
five years:
•	Deliver state-of-the-art tools for states and tribes to use in identifying effective emission
reduction strategies to meet national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and enhance air
quality measurement methods used to ascertain compliance with the NAAQS.
•	Assess human and ecosystem exposures and effects associated with air pollutants on individual,
community, regional, national, and global scales.3
•	Develop and evaluate approaches to prevent and reduce pollution, particularly sustainable, cost-
effective, and innovative multi-pollutant and sector-based approaches.
•	Provide human exposure and environmental modeling, monitoring, metrics, and information
needed to inform air quality decision making at the federal, state, tribal, and local level.
EPA Goal 3, Objective 3.5, "Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness," strives to streamline and modernize
business processes including financial, facility, human resource, contract, grant, and information
technology management - all of which are necessary elements for a successful scientific enterprise to
effectively address 21st century environmental problems. EPA is identifying specific processes where
efficiencies are needed and applying Lean Management principles to achieve these improvements.
Statutory and Policy Context
The A-E Research Program primarily responds to issues addressed in the Clean Air Act (CAA), as revised,
with additional responsibilities under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the
Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), and the
National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA).
The CAA states that EPA shall conduct research "related to the causes, effects (including health and
welfare effects), extent, prevention, and control of air pollution." It specifies inclusion of "research,
testing, and development of methods for sampling, measurement, monitoring, analysis, and modeling of
air pollutants" and research on "the short-term and long-term effects of air pollutants ... on human
health." Further research requirements specified in the CAA include efforts to "improve understanding
of the short-term and long-term causes, effects, and trends of ecosystems damage from air pollutants
on ecosystems." These research requirements set the scope of the A-E Research Program.
Under Section 204 of the EISA, EPA is responsible for reporting to Congress, on a triennial basis, on the
impacts to date and the likely future impacts on environmental and resource conservation issues from
the Renewable Fuel Standard requirements. The A-E Research Program is responsible, in partnership
with EPA's Office of Transportation Air Quality (OTAQ) within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), for
preparation of these reports.
Under requirements of the GCRA, EPA is one of thirteen federal agencies listed as members of the
Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR; originally called the Committee on Earth and
Environmental Sciences in the GCRA). EPA contributes to the SGCR's responsibilities to develop a
3 Beyond effects associated with ambient air exposures, consideration of potential human and ecosystem
exposures and effects associated with deposition of air pollutants to water and land are also evaluated.
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national global change research plan, annual reports to Congress, and a mandated quadrennial
assessment of the causes and impacts of global change (the National Climate Assessment). Along with
the CAA mandate to conduct research on the impacts of air pollution on human health and ecosystems,
the A-E Research Program conducts research that contributes to meeting the requirements of the GCRA,
specifically related to the effects of global change on air quality, water quality, and ecosystems.
Because the long-term potential impacts of air pollutants in the context of global change rely upon tools
developed and used by A-E, the program also responds to the requirements of Section 302(g) of the
FWPCA to address threats to ecological and economic well-being of coastal areas associated with those
pollutants, including flooding that is affected by sea level rise.
NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to
making decisions. Using the NEPA process, agencies evaluate the environmental and related social and
economic effects of their proposed actions. Agencies also provide opportunities for public review and
comment on those evaluations.
The policy context for the A-E Research Program closely follows the legislative context of the statutes
summarized above. The program provides scientific and technical information to support efforts by EPA
program and regional partners, state and local agencies, and tribes to develop and implement policies
required under these statutes. These policies include review and implementation of the NAAQS,
development and review of ambient and source emission measurement methods, evaluations of
emission control technologies, assessment of hazardous air pollutant health risks after application of
maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards, and development of Environmental Impact
Statements (EIS) and Environmental Assessments (EA).
Engagement with Partners and Stakeholders
ORD, including the A-E Research Program, is renewing and expanding our commitment to producing
research that addresses real-world problems and helps EPA program and regional office partners, state
and local agencies, as well as tribal organizations, to make timely decisions informed by scientific
evidence. The research portfolio outlined in this draft St RAP has been developed with considerable
input from EPA partners and other outside stakeholder groups. This has been done through a variety of
mechanisms including:
•	Recurring meetings (monthly or quarterly) with individual Regional and Program Office (RO/PO)
managers and staff
•	Biweekly/monthly calls with participation by ORD and RO/PO staff (A-E Connections and Climate
calls)
•	Participation in Region and State-related organization meetings (e.g., EPA Air Division Directors
and Air Program Managers, National Association of Clean Air Agencies, Association of Air
Pollution Control Agencies)
•	A-E Research News (web-based quarterly newsletter)
•	Meetings with state (e.g., Environmental Council of the States, Environmental Research Institute
of the States) and tribal organizations (e.g., Tribal Science Council, National Tribal Air
Association)
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Additionally, we also held a series of meetings to engage and solicit input from EPA RO/PO partners and
ORD to develop the StRAP (see Table 2).
Table 2. Partner Engagement Meetings


Early conversation
Individual meetings with Deputy Regional
Administrators, Office Directors, and Science Leads;
ORD participants invited to listen (February 20, 2018)
Informational webinar for A-E community (all
interested EPA staff)
Shared 2-page draft proposed A-E program structure
(March 28, 2018)
Partner Engagement Workshop
Identified key draft program outputs and deliverables
(April 11, 2018)
Updates on proposed A-E program structure
Proposed Topics/Research Areas (July 2, 2018)
Early draft list of proposed strategic Outputs (July 11;
August 20, 2018)
Intra-Agency review of draft StRAP
Shared broadly with RO/PO partners and ORD (August
22-September 21, 2018)
Regular Communication with RO/PO Science Leads
Ongoing
The A-E Research Program will continue to engage with our EPA partners and state, tribal, and local
organizations, including multijurisdictional organizations (MJOs), as we implement the research
program, support our research products after they are delivered, and in doing this, evaluate the
usefulness and effectiveness of our research in helping solve environmental and public health problems.
The A-E Research Program strategically integrates intramural and extramural research efforts to create a
robust portfolio. Scientists and EPA partners representing a wide range of disciplines work together to
improve our understanding of complex environmental problems using a variety of research approaches
that include collaborations across government agencies and with the private sector, grants and
contracts, such as EPA's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants, and the Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) program, public/private partnerships, and open-source challenges and prizes.
Environmental Problems and Research Program Objectives
To achieve and sustain healthy air quality for all Americans, EPA must continue advancing the scientific
understanding of air emissions, atmospheric processes, exposure, and effects. The challenges that span
the nexus of air, energy, and changing environmental conditions, as well as the major related research
needs identified by EPA partners and stakeholders, guide both the Problem Statement that governs
EPA's A-E strategic research, as well as its Program Vision.
Problem Statement
Air pollution adversely affects people's health and the environment and harms the economy. While the
nation has made substantial progress in improving air quality, millions of people still live in areas that do
not meet national standards, and air pollutants continue to damage our health and our environment.
The gains of past decades are challenged by changing environmental conditions. To address these
problems, we need to expand understanding, information, and tools that enable air quality managers to
(1) identify and characterize air pollution sources; (2) assess air pollutant exposures and associated
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health and environmental impacts; and (3) implement effective strategies to reduce air pollution and its
risks.
Program Vision
Advance the science needed to achieve clean air and attain the national ambient air quality standards,
which will protect human health and ecosystems throughout the United States.
The A-E Research Program builds on the foundation of past accomplishments to deliver the knowledge,
tools, and data needed for the future. A-E research efforts support policies that have had far-reaching
positive impacts across the nation, including reducing health risks from air pollution, helping state and
local governments and tribes to build resilient and sustainable communities, and protecting the natural
environment upon which life depends, even as our population and economy has grown.
Research Program Objectives
The A-E research program is strategically divided into four broad research objectives that flow from the
FY2018-22 EPA Strategic Plan. The work supported through the A-E Research Program addresses EPA's
goal of improving the nation's air quality and emphasizes efforts to focus on the highest priorities
identified by partners and stakeholders.
The following research objectives encompass the breadth and diversity of the A-E Research Program's
portfolio:
Assess Impacts — Improve understanding of the processes regulating human and ecosystem
exposures and of the effects associated with air pollutants at individual, community, regional,
national, and global scales.
Expand Approaches to Prevent and Reduce Emissions — Develop and evaluate approaches to
prevent and reduce air pollution now and in the future, particularly sustainable, cost-effective, and
innovative multi-pollutant and sector-based approaches.
Advance Measurement and Modeling — Improve the human exposure and environmental
modeling, monitoring, metrics, and information that are needed to address emerging and future
risks and inform air quality decision-making at the national, state, tribal, and local levels.
Inform Decisions - Deliver state-of-the-art science and tools to inform implementation of the
NAAQS and other air quality regulations and policies at the national, state, tribal, and local levels.
Research Topics
The four research objectives identified above serve as the framework for developing research topics to
focus the scope and nature of the A-E Research Program over the next four years. The organization of
the A-E Research Program is being updated to:
•	Improve integration across multiple scientific disciplines;
•	Better leverage resources to more efficiently and effectively address critical research needs; and
•	Enhance translation and accessibility of science to inform the decisions of Agency partners and
stakeholders.
The A-E Research Program will be centered around three inter-related research topic areas: (1) Science
for Air Quality Decisions; (2) Extreme Events and Emerging Risks; and (3) Next-Generation Methods to
Improve Public Health and the Environment. Many scientific issues cut across these three topics. Figure
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1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the intersection of the topics, using wildland fires as an example of
an integrated science focus that draws from each topic.
Figure 1. Air arid Energy Research Topics.
The research topics are further divided into research areas as summarized in Table 3 and described in
more detail below. The research areas and specific deliverables ("Outputs")4 focus on meeting the
research needs of EPA's partners and stakeholders, filling knowledge gaps, and leveraging and
complementing related efforts supported by ORD's other national research programs, other federal
agencies, and the broader scientific community. Proposed high-level, strategic A~E outputs that are
responsive to partners' needs are summarized by topic and research area in the Appendix. Research
Area plans will be developed subsequent to the StRAP that describe the specific research undertaken to
achieve the goals of the Research Area and Topic. These plans will include a more detailed description of
deliverables (outputs and products), timeline and mechanism for delivery, and partner engagement plan
that describes how partners will access data, reports, etc.
4 Outputs are deliverables with the research results synthesized and/or translated into the format needed by the
end user(s).
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Table 3. Overview of Air and Energy Research Program Structure
Topic
Research Areas

1. Science for Air
Quality Decisions
#1: Approaches to support air quality management for multiple
pollutants at multiple scales
#9:
Wildland Fires
(Integrated
Science Focus)
#2: Approaches for characterizing source emissions, air quality,
exposure, and mitigation strategies
#3: Public Health and Environmental responses to air pollution
2. Extreme Events
and Emerging Risks
#4: Public health and environmental exposures and responses to
emerging air pollutants and sources
#5: Methods to evaluate environmental benefits and
consequences of a changing energy system
#6: Methods to enable resilience to future environmental stressors
3. Next-Generation
Methods to Improve
Public Health and
the Environment
#7: Emerging approaches to improve air quality and exposure
characterization
#8: Novel approaches to assess human health and ecosystem
impacts and risks
Topic 1: Science for Air Quality Decisions fAQD)
Research under this topic will continue to provide science to inform decisions made by partners and
stakeholders to improve the nation's air quality, reduce the number of nonattainment areas, implement
and enforce stationary and mobile source regulations, and expand public health and welfare
protections. Work conducted under this research topic is related to achieving all four of the A-E
Research Program objectives identified above.
The effects of a changing environment on air and water quality are characterized by complex synergies
between human and natural systems. Social and economic factors also impact the nature and degree of
exposures and the resulting health and ecological effects that may occur. For example, many states have
experienced an increase in intensity and duration of wildfires with serious impacts on human health,
ecosystems, and air quality. People living near and downwind from fires may be affected by smoke
exposures, with impacts that vary by what and how materials are burning, their individual susceptibility
and vulnerability, the duration and level of exposure, and other factors.
One of EPA's primary responsibilities is to set, periodically review, and, if appropriate, revise the NAAQS
for pollutants commonly found in outdoor air that are emitted from numerous diverse sources and are
considered harmful to public health and the environment. The establishment and review of the NAAQS
is a complex undertaking, involving synthesis of the extensive science on the impacts of air pollution on
humans and ecosystems. Factors that put people or ecosystems at risk from exposure to air pollution
(e.g., lifestage, pre-existing disease, genetics/epigenetics, and socioeconomics) must be considered to
fully assess impacts, inform air quality management decisions, and target risk communication strategies
aimed at reducing exposures to and risks from air pollution. These factors are also important as
communities assess how best to adapt to extreme weather events that are expected to increase over
time. The A-E Research Program works closely with the Health and Environmental Risk Assessment
(HERA) Research Program in carrying out the research needed to inform the NAAQS reviews.
The Science for AQD topic includes three Research Areas that will include research to:
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•	Address key uncertainties and data gaps to inform future reviews of the NAAQS
•	Expand our understanding of the biological, environmentalsocialbehavioraland economic
characteristics that put populations and ecosystems at increased risk of effects from exposure to
air pollutants and the associated impacts of a changing climate
•	Improve characterization of the multipollutant exposures, effects, and integrated impacts of
dynamic environmental conditions on health, air and water quality, and ecosystems
•	Advance the science of air pollution dynamics and chemistry to improve the assessment of
related health and ecological effects and to support the management of air pollution problems
across different scales of time and space
•	Evaluate control technologies and identify best practices for more efficient integrated and
sustainable pollution reduction and prevention solutions, while considering relevant social,
behavioraland economic factors
•	Provide EPA partners, states, tribes, and others with scientifically-robust, user-friendly
information based on state-of-the-science measurement technologies and modeling methods to
support implementation of air quality regulations and policies
•	Deliver information and methods to inform decisions by states, tribes, communities, and
individuals to prepare for, and adapt to, emerging and future risks of air pollution
Research Area 1: Approaches to Support Air Quality Management Programs for Multiple
Pollutants at Multiple Scales
Research Area 1 Priority: Development, evaluation, and application of air quality and multimedia
models for regulatory and research applications including deposition of nutrients to sensitive
ecosystems
EPA partners and state, local, and tribal air quality managers need reliable information to inform
decisions on effective and efficient ways for improving air quality. The A-E Research Program will
continue to develop, evaluate, and apply methods and models to support air quality management
programs. This work includes enhancing capabilities to conduct multipollutant air quality assessments at
local, regional, national, and global scales and further developing multimedia and multi-stressor models
to address complex environmental issues.5
Collectively, the results of the research in this area will provide robust and comprehensive datasets and
modeling tools that can be applied across different spatial scales to: (1) characterize the role of
background air pollution on NAAQS attainment and implementation; (2) support the development of
major energy and transportation sector rules; (3) inform permitting decisions; (4) assess risks posed by
criteria and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs); and (5) develop local and regional-scale air quality and
related climate data products.
The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system6, a core component of the A-E Research
Program, combines meteorological, emissions, and air chemistry transport and deposition models to
explore the estimated short- and long-term impacts of different policy and regulatory options, including
5	Multipollutant air quality assessments may include consideration of simple and complex mixtures of particles,
criteria pollutant gases, and selected HAPs.
6	Learn more about CMAQ: The Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System at https://www.epa.gov/cmaq.
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actions to attain the NAAQS, and long-term impacts of the changing environment. For two decades,
CMAQ has served as a powerful and trustworthy computational tool for EPA's programs and regions,
states, and tribes to evaluate different air pollution scenarios.
Developed and maintained by EPA scientists based on more than three decades of air pollution
research, the CMAQ modeling system continues to evolve scientifically to better represent how complex
mixtures of air pollutants are formed, transported, and eventually removed from the atmosphere. A-E
researchers lead efforts to conduct and apply fundamental physical science research that improves
CMAQ's representation of complex atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. Also, as a result of CMAQ
being publicly available, a vibrant global user community has fostered collaborations with state, federal,
industrial, and academic institutions in the United States and around the world to assess and improve
the model's functionality.
Currently, CMAQ developers are broadening its scope to enhance its ability to consider atmospheric
phenomena from the global scale to the neighborhood scale. These efforts are important for
understanding the impacts of human activities and intervention strategies at all levels. Examples of
specific areas of ongoing research include the following: improving the quantification of the
contributions of local and regional sources versus background source contributions (such as trans-Pacific
transport of air pollution) to non-attainment areas, which will inform efficient and effective NAAQS
attainment strategies; improving representation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA); enhancing our
understanding of the removal processes of atmospheric pollutants; improving knowledge of boundary
layer meteorology; and expanding our understanding of wildland fire impacts on local- to continental-
scale pollution.
Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, sulfur, and other pollutants is an important exposure pathway to
consider as we improve our understanding of air pollutant impacts on ecosystems and water quality,
including the impacts of agricultural sources such as animal feeding operations (AFOs). Furthermore,
through the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Total Deposition (TDEP) Science
Committee7, A-E researchers and colleagues advance the science of measuring and modeling
atmospheric wet, dry, and total deposition of nitrogen, sulfur, and mercury. The CMAQ model is used to
predict the exposure of plants, animals, soil, and water to air pollutants. For example, atmospheric
deposition is the second largest source of nitrogen to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Researchers used
CMAQ to model nitrogen deposition and the results were used by the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) to
understand the reduction of atmospheric nitrogen loading over the past few decades.8
Another important aspect of air quality management is that emissions of air pollution in one location
can have impacts in other locations - at local, regional, national, and international scales. Expanding our
understanding of long-range transport of air pollutants from international sources is an important
consideration to inform U.S.-based policies to improve domestic air quality. For example, A-E
researchers are working with an international task force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution
(HTAP) to improve methods to quantify global influences on regional air quality. A-E researchers are also
working with HTAP to evaluate and better understand air pollution control options and their impacts at
7	Learn more about the NADP and the TDEP Science Committee at: littp://nadp,slli,wisc,edy/NADP/.
8	CBP is a unique regional partnership focused on restoration and protection of this important estuary. CBP
partners include federal and state agencies, local governments, non-profit-organizations, and academic
institutions. Learn more at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover.
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the intercontinental to global scales. This includes collaborative regional-scale air quality modeling
efforts between North America and Europe through the Air Quality Model Evaluation International
Initiative (AQMEII). These efforts will inform the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
(LRTAP) and other international efforts to reduce air pollutants and related impacts.
EPA regions, as well as state and local agencies and tribes, often use models in the permit review
process to estimate air pollutant concentrations at ground-level receptors surrounding particular
sources. A-E researchers will continue to work closely with EPA's OAR to develop and refine air
dispersion models to assess local-scale impacts from a variety of sources. For example, ORD collaborates
with OAR on the AERMOD modeling system9 which informs State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions
and analyses required for the New Source Review (NSR) and Prevention of Significant Deterioration
(PSD) permitting programs. AERMOD also informs risk and technology reviews for sources of hazardous
air pollutants (HAPs) as required under section 112(d)(6) of the CAA. A-E scientists conduct
meteorological wind tunnel studies to develop data sets and improve algorithms that enhance
AERMOD's fine-scale modeling simulation of building downwash, accounting for the influence that
buildings and other structures have on the flow and dispersion of air pollutant plumes.
EPA program and regional office partners, as well as states, local agencies, and tribes, have also
expressed a strong interest in better understanding air pollutant exposures in near-road environments.
The R-LINE model10 is currently under development by ORD to improve our understanding of temporal
and spatial variability of mobile source-related pollutants near major roadways. In addition, A-E
researchers are exploring opportunities to improve characterization using measurements and modeling
of mobile source emissions (both tailpipe and brake/tire wear) as well as complex roadway
configurations, including the effects of noise and vegetative roadside barriers, elevated roadways and
bridges, and depressed roadways.
Source and ambient measurements provide empirical observations of complex phenomena and basic
ground-truthing to evaluate models. A-E researchers will continue to explore opportunities to use a
combination of ground-based, satellite, and aircraft/ship-based measurements to assess and improve
the accuracy of modeling systems and enhance our understanding of factors that influence the
distribution and fate of air pollutants.
Complex nonattainment areas provide unique challenges for air quality managers. The A-E Research
Program will continue to support efforts that improve the characterization of criteria pollutants in such
areas (e.g., ground-level ozone photochemical formation in near-shore environments). More broadly,
the program will also conduct research to enhance assessments of long-range transport of air pollutants,
particularly related to wildland fire plumes, and to advance methods that estimate background
contributions to PM and ozone.
9	Information on preferred and recommended air quality dispersion models including the AERMOD modeling
system is available at: httpsi//www,epa,gov/scram/air-quality-dispersion-modeling-preferred~and~recommended~
models.
10	The R-Line model is a research grade dispersion model that is currently being developed by ORD, and will allow
partners and stakeholders to evaluate air quality impacts in the near-road environment
(httpsi//www.epa.gov/scram/air-quality-dispersion-modeling-preferred-and-recommended-models).
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EPA partners and stakeholders are often asked to evaluate multimedia exposures and are interested in
improved assessment methods to better understand the multitude of linkages across air, water, and
land boundaries to estimate potential public health and environmental impacts that would not
otherwise be understood using single-media models. Beyond using CMAQ and other focused air quality
tools to understand synergies and tradeoffs associated with various mitigation and pollution prevention
strategies, A-E researchers are developing a multimedia and multi-stressor modeling system to inform
actions that protect human health and welfare. This work includes connecting and improving a variety of
models to characterize the cumulative effects of pollutants across media. The work also includes
advancing air-surface exchange characterization in regional air quality models and the existing "one-
environment" modeling paradigm to address air quality impacts from changes in drivers, such as land
use and climate changes.
Building on the successes of the modeling systems discussed above, A-E researchers will develop and
evaluate a new paradigm for air quality modeling using an updated architecture to increase
computational efficiency and applicability as discussed in Research Topic 3 below.
Research Area 2: Approaches for Characterizing Source Emissions, Air Quality, Exposure, and
Mitigation Strategies
Research Area 2 Priority: Federal Reference and Equivalent Methods research for criteria pollutants,
methods development for hazardous air pollutants, and methods to measure area source emissions
Expanding our knowledge of the sources of air pollutants, how pollutants are transported through the
environment, and how people and ecosystems are exposed will lead to more effective and targeted air
quality management solutions. As environmental conditions change over time, air pollution transport
and exposures will be affected. To better inform decision makers, A-E researchers are developing,
evaluating, and applying methods to improve characterization of source emissions, air quality, and
human and environmental exposures for individual and mixtures of air pollutants. Research and data
collection efforts will be directed at improving our understanding of factors that influence the
magnitude and duration of air pollutant exposures and expanding the knowledge base of factors that
contribute to regional differences.
Federal Reference Methods (FRMs) and Federal Equivalent Methods (FEMs) are used to inform NAAQS
attainment/nonattainment decisions and are used for a wide range of analyses. Designating FRMs and
FEMs is a core element of A-E's ambient air measurements program, where accuracy, durability, ease of
use, and cost-drivers are major factors.11 A-E researchers will continue to collaborate with OAR to
update and, where possible, develop improved methods to measure hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in
ambient air. This work will include consideration of updates to methods for toxic organic pollutants in
ambient air.
Beyond considering impacts of ambient air quality, the health impacts of indoor air pollutants are also of
interest. A-E researchers are developing an indoor air chemistry model that will provide guidance on
how to reduce exposures, improve our understanding of how ambient air pollutants infiltrate indoors,
11A list of designated FRMs and FEMs and documents supporting EPA's program to approve these methods are
available at: httpsi//www.epa.gov/amtic/air-monitoring-methods-criteria-pollutants.
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and provide solutions for reducing air pollutant exposures within buildings. Additionally, residential
wood combustion (used to provide energy for cooking, heat, and/or light) impacts both indoor and
outdoor air quality, human health, and the environment. Characterizing emissions from woodstoves and
cookstoves continues to be a research priority expressed by partners. A-E research under the 2016-2019
StRAP made considerable progress in understanding health effects associated with exposure to
cookstove emissions and, as a result, this aspect of cookstove research is anticipated to be less of a
focus under this current StRAP. Overall, the cookstove research will look to evaluate best practices and
alternative technologies for cleaner energy systems that reduce emissions and impacts to public health
and the environment.
A-E researchers are continuing to advance methods and air measurement technologies to better
characterize source emissions. EPA partners, state and local agencies, and tribes have expressed interest
in this research, especially for high-priority sectors and broad source categories (e.g., industrial
operations; oil and gas facilities; refineries; mobile sources, including on- and off-road vehicles for both
tailpipe and brake/tire wear emissions; wildland fires; agricultural sources; residential wood
combustion) and pollutants (e.g., condensable PM, 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, ethylene oxide,
chloroprene). Improved source emissions data are critical for reducing uncertainties in national
emissions inventories and informing the development, implementation, and enforcement of
regulations. For example, the A-E Research Program is furthering the development of fenceline and
mobile technologies to improve characterization of previously undetected leaks from industrial and oil
and gas facilities.
A-E researchers will continue improving the characterization of emissions from animal and crop
agricultural operations. This work includes improving our understanding of ammonia (NH3), PM, and
volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from AFOs related to manure application, as well as NH3 and
oxides of nitrogen (NOx) soil emissions from fertilizer applications. A-E researchers are also working
collaboratively with EPA regional and program office partners and colleagues in the USDA to evaluate
best management practices (BMPs) for mitigation.
To reduce uncertainty in national emission inventories, OAR needs data on emissions of methane from
U.S. reservoirs. A-E researchers will apply the tools and methods developed for measuring open (non-
stack) sources of organic compounds to increase our understanding of previously under-reported
biogenic methane emissions from reservoirs and how water level changes, nutrient content, and
ambient conditions can affect the timing and rate of emissions.
EPA partners are also interested in better data to inform effective mitigation strategies. A-E researchers
will continue to assess innovative control technologies to support implementation of the most efficient
management strategies that prevent and reduce air pollutant emissions. The success of a strategy to
prevent or reduce pollution depends not only on the effectiveness of the technical approach, but also on
social, behavioral, and economic factors that affect the willingness of people or institutions to adopt the
strategy. This work supports critical Agency programs, including applications for implementation and
compliance with relevant air pollution standards.
Collectively, the efforts in this research area will strengthen emissions inventories, advance model
development, and inform NAAQS reviews and development of standardized implementation plans for
use by state, tribal, and local air agencies.
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Source, ambient, and personal measurement technologies are evolving rapidly. These advances are
shaping a new paradigm for monitoring, as discussed in Research Topic 3 below.
Research Area 3: Public Health and Environmental Responses to Air Pollution
Research Area 3 Priority: Factors affecting vulnerability of people and ecosystems including
biological, exposure/deposition characteristics, and environmental justice
This research area emphasizes science to assess single and multi-pollutant exposures and resulting
human and ecological effects to inform policy and public health practices. This work will inform future
NAAQS reviews and advance assessments of multi-pollutant exposures. The results of A-E research will
contribute directly to the Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs)12 developed in the HERA program to
inform the NAAQS reviews conducted by EPA's OAR.
A-E researchers will continue to evaluate the health and ecological impacts of exposures to individual
pollutants within complex, multi-pollutant mixtures. This improves our understanding of how impacts
can be modified by co-exposures to other pollutants or by non-pollutant stressors (e.g., extreme
temperatures, demographics, social stressors). Furthermore, the identification of factors that put people
or ecosystems at risk from exposure to air pollution (e.g., life-stage, pre-existing disease, and
genetics/epigenetics; environmental justice factors such as social, economic, cultural, and race;
behavioral, and other factors that may confer vulnerability) must be considered to fully assess impacts
and inform air quality and public health management decisions. A subset of these factors may be
identified as key modifiable factors and may be important to consider in policy decisions or as effective
targets for behavioral and intervention strategies. In addition, A-E researchers are improving the
understanding of potential confounding and exposure measurement error in air pollution
epidemiological studies to clarify the effects of various pollutants within a mixture of air pollutants. A-E
researchers will continue to develop integrated approaches, incorporating evidence from
epidemiological, human clinical, and toxicological studies, to improve our understanding of the
biological mechanisms that impact susceptibility and key exposure factors. Researchers will use this
understanding to devise solutions that can address the problem of air quality-related health burden.
Emissions of criteria air pollutants have declined significantly over recent decades as a result of
implementation of the CAA by EPA, state and local agencies, and tribes.13 To inform future NAAQS
reviews, the A-E Research Program will improve our understanding of whether adverse effects continue
to be observed at concentrations below current standard levels, what the shape of the concentration-
response and exposure-response functions are at these lower concentrations, and how uncertainties in
health impacts may vary with pollutant concentration.
An additional area of active research is in enhancing our understanding of exposure durations of
concern; the possible cumulative effects of multiple short-term, intermittent exposures; and the
relationship of these exposures to longer-term exposures and risks. A-E research efforts will focus on
expanding our understanding of health effects associated with short-term peak exposures, such as those
related to wildfires, traffic-related sources, or other episodic events, as well as improving our
12	ISAs are reports that represent a comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science to
inform the reviews of the NAAQS. Learn more at: httpsi//www.epa.gov/isa.
13	See Our Nation's Air, summarizing the United States air quality status and trends through 2017.
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understanding of health effects associated with seasonal-length exposures, such as those related to
wintertime wood-burning emissions.
A-E researchers are expanding measurements and modeling for atmospheric nitrogen and sulfur to
reduce uncertainty in the relationship between air quality, deposition, and ecosystem services. The
science conducted under the A-E Research Program will expand our understanding of the linkages
between atmospheric pollutants and ecological endpoints by developing deposition budgets of nutrients
and acidity for critical loads assessments.14 This research has and will continue to directly inform reviews
of the NAAQS and the risk and exposure assessment activities performed by OAR as they consider
options for the secondary NAAQS. This A-E research will be coordinated with complementary research
being conducted by the SSWR research program.
The changing environment has modified weather patterns, which in turn have influenced the
concentrations and spatial patterns of ambient air pollutants. A-E researchers will continue to improve
our understanding of the relationships between climate change, air quality, and human and ecological
impacts. This work will include advancing the understanding of: (1) the impact of temperature changes
on ozone and PM concentrations; (2) changes in pollen and allergic disease patterns; and (3) the impacts
of wildland fires and precipitation changes.
The work in this research area will include the translation of results to inform public health and well-
being practices. Studies will examine the interaction between behavior and social and economic factors
to more thoroughly understand how these factors may influence health and well-being outcomes.
Scientific information produced by A-E researchers in this area will inform improved strategies through
which governmental agencies, communities, and individuals can take actions to increase public
awareness of air pollution-related exposures and risks and support public health decisions to reduce
adverse public health and environmental effects.
Translating the science for use in public health communication and community empowerment is an area
that will involve collaborations between EPA and other federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), as well as state and local
agencies and tribes. This broadened focus will address ways to lower exposure or mitigate the biological
responses at individual, community, or ecosystem levels, and ultimately evaluate whether such
interventions have benefits as measured by indicators of health, well-being, or economics.
Topic 2: Extreme Events and Emerging Risks (E3R)
Actions to ensure the nation meets the environmental goals mandated by Congress often require near-
term decisions that have long-term consequences. Air quality management strategies, such as those
that require installation of large-scale air pollution control systems or adoption of emission reduction
technologies in vehicles, can take years, if not decades, to implement and achieve the anticipated
benefits. As an example, changes in atmospheric conditions are altering the frequency and magnitude of
extreme precipitation events; understanding these changes is crucial to the long-term effectiveness of
water treatment systems and waste management sites, which are designed to last for 50 or more years.
14 A critical loads analysis is an assessment used to provide a quantitative estimate of whether acid deposition
levels resulting from S02 and NOx emissions are sufficient to protect aquatic biological resources.
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Determining the effectiveness of these decisions over the long term requires an awareness of how the
future may unfold and how those changes will affect atmospheric conditions, including air quality and
weather patterns. The Extreme Events and Emerging Risks research topic is designed to inform decisions
about the potential changes over the long term, which will allow EPA and its stakeholders to prepare for
future conditions and enable the long-term effectiveness of near-term decisions. Work conducted under
E3R is related to achieving all four of the A-E Research Program objectives discussed above.
It is clear from recent experience that future conditions are not likely to mirror those observed in the
past. Environmental conditions are changing, as we have seen with increases in drought, extreme
precipitation events (as experienced in Houston in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey), and more frequent
and extreme high-temperature events. These events are outside the range experienced in the past,
whether in frequency, magnitude, or both, and such conditions are increasingly likely to become the
norm. The United States' dynamic economy and past successes in reducing emissions mean that future
air pollutant types and sources of concern will change as technologies are developed and deployed.
Changes in atmospheric emissions and concentrations affect air quality, water quality (through
deposition and changes in precipitation patterns), flood and fire frequency and magnitude, and coastal
and forest ecosystems. These changes can affect air quality management effectiveness, vulnerabilities of
water treatment and waste management infrastructure, and ultimately public health and ecosystems.
The focus of the A-E Research Program on these issues is to improve and expand our understanding of
the potential long-term connections between changes in atmospheric emissions and composition on
these and other outcomes of importance to environmental protection, as required under the CAA.
Recognizing that future conditions will change, we do not know with precision when, where, and how
they will change. As we look further into the future, the inherent uncertainties about conditions will
increase. The A-E Research Program is developing and expanding approaches that can enhance insights
into what future conditions might be, based on trends in technological development, advances in
understanding how the Earth's climate is changing, and methods for supporting decision making in the
face of uncertainty and surprises.
The A-E Research Program will build upon its past successes in developing information needed by EPA
partners and stakeholders, including scenarios (and associated data) of changes in energy production
and use, land use, population, and other environmental stressors. The products of this work are also of
value to researchers in other ORD programs, other federal agencies, the academic community, industry,
and local, state, regional, and tribal organizations. The A-E Research Program's experience with
developing tools and approaches to inform decisions will continue in collaboration with EPA partners
and community users of these tools.
The E3R topic includes three Research Areas that will include research to:
•	Advance understanding of the potential impacts of emerging and future risks to human health,
air quality, water quality, ecosystems, and built infrastructure
•	Identify the social, behavioral, and economic factors that may hinder the ability of communities
and individuals to prepare and implement adaptation strategies for changes in climate
•	Develop methods and obtain data to conduct life-cycle analyses of alternative pollution
reduction and energy sources. This will inform decisions made by EPA and other local, regional,
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national, and international organizations to ensure more sustainable and cost-effective
environmental protection
• Evaluate preparedness and adaptation strategies to mitigate air pollutant and climate impacts
to protect at-risk populations, communities, and ecosystems
Research Area 4: Public Health and Ecosystem Exposures and Responses to Emerging Air
Pollutants and Sources
Research Area 4 Priority: Development and laboratory and field evaluation of methods to measure
pollutants of emerging interest including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and ethylene
oxide
To maintain and improve air quality, EPA's OAR needs to keep abreast of emerging pollutants and
sources. This information can evolve as new technologies come into the market and as we increase our
understanding about previously overlooked natural and industrial processes that emit known pollutants.
For example, the potential for exposure-related effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can
only be effectively evaluated if we have a solid understanding of their sources and emission levels.
OAR and multiple EPA regional offices have expressed growing concerns about the potential for
atmospheric exposures to PFAS and the need to understand the sources, fate, and effects of airborne
PFAS. In response, A-E researchers will develop methods to measure atmospheric concentrations,
potential chemical transformations and transport, and health and environmental impacts of exposure to
PFAS in the atmosphere. A-E researchers will coordinate efforts with those of other ORD research
programs to develop a cross-media understanding of this emerging pollutant group and the potential
impacts on health and the environment, with a focus on vulnerable populations. This research is part of
a larger PFAS research effort involving the CSS, HERA, SSWR, and SHC Research Programs that
collectively is aimed at developing effective risk assessment, management, and mitigation strategies.
OAR and EPA regional offices have also requested information about, and methods to measure,
emissions and ambient concentrations of ethylene oxide (EtO) at very low concentrations. Recent
evaluations of EtO toxicity have led to concerns regarding public exposure to EtO, and possible public
health risks, at levels below the capability of current measurement methods. A-E researchers will work
with OAR and other partners to advance techniques to accurately measure emissions and ambient
concentrations of EtO to inform development of EPA and state management strategies to protect public
health.
Research Area 5: Methods to Evaluate Environmental Benefits and Consequences of a
Changing Energy System
Research Area 5 Priority: Development of scenarios of energy-system evolution of power
generation, transportation, industry, and building sectors
OAR, states, and tribes need detailed projections of potential future air pollutant emissions to analyze
NAAQS attainment strategies. To address this need, A-E researchers will develop scenarios of energy-
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system evolution to gain insights into the potential effects of fundamental changes, such as vehicle
electrification, increased use of natural gas, and growth of renewable energy. STAR researchers are also
analyzing future energy, transportation, and agricultural scenarios to evaluate impacts on emissions, air
quality, and the economy. These insights will inform decisions on issues such as air quality management
strategies that will account for multiple possible future situations, thereby increasing the long-term
effectiveness of those plans. By using commonly-used energy system modeling frameworks, A-E's
researchers will more effectively collaborate with others and develop results that have broad
applicability. Researchers will work with experts at the Department of Energy (DOE), in the energy
industry, and in the academic community to develop tools, models, and scenarios that can inform
environmental program decision makers at local, state, regional, and national scales, in both
government and the private sector.
As required by the EISA, A-E researchers will develop the triennial Report to Congress on the
environmental impacts of biofuel production and use.15 The biofuels report is a specific example of
research to understand the life-cycle environmental impacts of different mixes of energy technologies.
The A-E Research Program has the lead for conducting such evaluations, which include impacts to air
quality, water quality and quantity, ecosystem health, biodiversity, invasive species, and soil quality. A-E
researchers work with experts from other ORD research programs and EPA partner offices, as well as
local, state, and tribal stakeholders to develop life-cycle evaluations of energy system scenarios.
To develop effective air quality management strategies, state and local agencies, tribes, and EPA need
information about the key uncertainties and data gaps that affect future air quality. One of the more
important of these issues is understanding how the nation produces and uses energy. Although the
production and use of energy provides the nation and the world with enormous benefits, it also has
considerable environmental consequences. The "energy system" - the mix of technologies that produce
energy and convert it to desired end uses (e.g., transportation, heat, light, manufacturing) - is in the
midst of fundamental change. That change has significant implications for air pollutant emissions, water
consumption, and other environmental endpoints.
Research Area 6: Methods to Enable Resilience to Future Environmental Stressors
Research Area 6 Priority: Resilience and adaptation to extreme events and climate change
Included in EPA's FY19 Performance Measures16 is a commitment to provide integrated data, models,
information, and other decision-support tools for state, tribal, and community partner resiliency, for
incorporation into their planning processes. The A-E Research Program will build on recent successes,
such as the Adaptation Design Tool, developed in partnership with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the multi-sector approach to evaluating urban resilience to
future environmental stressors. Working with researchers from across ORD's research programs and
with experts in other federal and state agencies, A-E researchers will continue developing approaches to
understand potential future land use change, the effect of heat and other extremes on public health and
15	Biofuels and the Environment: The Second Triennial Report to Congress was completed in June 2018
(https://cfpub.epa,gov/si/si public record Report,cfm?dirEntryld=341491).
16	https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-03/documents/fyl9-ci-13-performance-measures.pdf
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ecosystems, and the potential for flooding of water treatment infrastructure and Superfund and waste
management sites.
A core component of this work continues to include working with potential users to co-develop methods
and tools. Workshops, webinars, and other means of engagement with community representatives have
generated ideas about how information can be most effectively developed and communicated and
increased the understanding of the science at the community level.
Underlying these tools are foundational efforts to develop scenarios and associated data that can be
used by partners, stakeholders, and other ORD research programs. For example, the land use and
population scenarios developed by A-E researchers include data on how population and land use
distributions may change. These data can be used to evaluate potential changes in magnitude of urban
heat island effects or changes in water runoff associated with new streets and other impervious
surfaces, among other impacts. In addition, an understanding of potential future changes in air
temperature and precipitation patterns is needed to estimate the potential for future environmental
impacts. These estimates are needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of air quality management
strategies by taking into account estimates of future susceptibility to wildfires and their associated
environmental consequences, air quality exceedances, and changes in health impacts of air pollutant
exposures during extreme temperature events.
Topic 3: Next-Generation Methods to Improve Public Health and the Environment fNGM)
Next-generation methods to improve public health and the environment are directly related to
achieving all four of the A-E Research Program objectives discussed in the previous section. Innovative
methods and approaches are under development specifically to meet the A-E objective of advancing
measurement and modeling. This work will also address the remaining A-E objectives to improve
assessment of impacts, develop approaches to prevent and reduce emissions, and inform decisions at
national, state, tribal, and local levels.
The current state of environmental monitoring for regulatory compliance with the NAAQS is quite
expensive and labor and time intensive to produce quality data. New, lower-cost sensor technologies on
the market show promise for widespread collection of real-time data, but their performance is still in
question. EPA partners and stakeholders have continuously expressed the need for ORD support in
understanding the performance of lower-cost sensor technologies and assessing the quality of the data
they produce. A-E research is vital to understanding how this growing technology revolution can be
guided to produce reliable data to ensure that the information and technologies are of sufficient quality
for the uses and decisions of interest.
Similarly, in the era of "big data," the issues of data management and interpretation are at the forefront,
including efforts to help users visualize and make sense of air quality information through maps,
interactive apps, or other approaches. Advancing data fusion methods to combine data from monitors,
sensors, satellites, and model output will improve estimates of air pollution exposure. Opportunities for
public/private partnerships will be important to the A-E Research Program, as they combine private
sector expertise in data science with EPA experience in air quality measurement and translation and
communication of scientific information.
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While technological advances and national air pollution policies have reduced emissions from motor
vehicles, electricity generation units, and industrial sources, many regions remain in non-compliance
with the NAAQS for PM and ozone. These non-attainment regions present modeling challenges due to
the combination of emission sources, complex meteorological conditions, wildland fires, and long-range
transport of air pollution from rising emissions in developing economies of the world. States responsible
for producing new NAAQS attainment demonstrations and updated regional haze plans need robust
tools that enable consistent examination of the air pollution phenomena on local to global scales. A-E
research to develop, evaluate, and apply this advanced air quality modeling system will also advance the
science of air quality modeling and understanding of critical processes across local to global scales.
In the area of human health, changes in medical care through technological advances, as well as changes
in health data management, have created opportunities for environmental health research not possible
previously. Also, the move toward individualized medicine creates opportunities to merge research on
air sensor technologies with public health research. The A-E Research Program will capitalize on these
changes to develop innovative methods for understanding the impacts of local air quality on health and
for evaluating approaches to reduce public health risks associated with exposures to air pollutants.
Innovative research approaches will be used to make progress in improving air quality and public health.
The A-E Research Program has had success and will continue to explore opportunities to use open-
source challenges and prizes, citizen science, social science, and other non-traditional avenues to
investigate and address environmental science problems. For example, the A-E Research Program used
an open-source challenge to promote the development of wildland fire smoke monitoring systems,
followed by a SBIR solicitation to further advance this technology. A-E research scientists have also
worked extensively with community groups and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the
use of sensors involving citizen scientists and exposure/health effects studies involving volunteer
participants. These efforts have enabled research studies to be much more successful than they would
have been otherwise. The A-E Research Program, together with its partners, will continue to capitalize
on open-source challenges and prizes, the SBIR program and establishing working relationships with
NGOs and community groups, whenever appropriate, to advance next-generation methods.
The NGM topic includes two Research Areas that will include research to:
•	Develop innovative approaches for assessing human and environmental exposures and effects of
pollutants in the atmosphere
•	Pursue and evaluate innovations in monitoring and modeling to:
(1)	better characterize air pollution interactions across global, regional, local, and neighborhood
scales as well as various time scales;
(2)	inform strategies to address emerging environmental problems caused by changing
atmospheric conditions; and
(3)	enhance exposure assessments and science to inform decisions that reduce air pollution-
related risks associated with various sources
Research Area 7: Emerging Approaches to Improve Air Quality and Exposure Characterization
Research Area 7 Priority: Development of innovative and advanced approaches to measure and
model air pollutants
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Looking to the near future, the A-E Research Program anticipates that portable sensors, integrated
sensor networks, and other advanced next-generations systems will more routinely provide near real-
time, continuous data to evaluate emissions and to detect and measure pollutants in ambient air.
Smaller, lower-cost air sensor monitoring devices may be broadly deployed to capture a much more
spatially-detailed picture of relative ambient air quality in a neighborhood, city, or larger area. Similarly,
innovations in source monitoring can significantly reduce monitoring costs, provide more timely
information, and provide opportunities for industry to address leaks and emissions before they become
serious problems. With appropriate data management and analysis, this new world of monitoring data
will provide a more complete understanding of air quality, leading to more timely identification and
understanding of air pollution problems. Advances in sensor technologies will support assessments of air
pollution emissions, with the opportunity to improve overall implementation of CAA regulations.
State, local, and tribal agencies are responsible for air quality monitoring in their jurisdictions, and they
are pursuing the use of lower-cost air sensor monitoring technologies. Air pollution monitoring is costly
and technically challenging, leaving many gaps in spatial and temporal coverage. Air agencies are
starting to use new, real-time advanced monitoring approaches and lower-cost devices to identify
pollution hotspots, to determine locations for siting regulatory monitors, for community awareness
about air quality, and for other purposes. However, air quality managers and other stakeholders are
frequently turning to EPA to address questions about the reliability of the technologies, the ability to
measure challenging pollutants such as speciated VOCs, the quality of the data produced, how to
manage and analyze the data, and how to interpret what the data mean for health. OAR places a very
high priority on A-E research and support for understanding sensor technology performance for source
emissions and in ambient and indoor air.
Many new air sensor technologies are entering the market, but the quality and reliability of the data
they produce are unknown. A-E researchers will continue to develop and test new technologies for
measuring air pollutants (PM, ozone, VOCs, others) in a variety of ambient and indoor environments and
from a range of industrial and other sources. Communities across the country are working with STAR
researchers to better understand how air sensor technologies perform in real world conditions and how
the general public interacts with the devices and interprets the data. In addition, multiple projects
underway with state, local, and regional partners and the private sector are demonstrating technology
performance in ambient and source monitoring and are providing opportunities to evaluate and manage
large quantities of data. The A-E Research Program will develop analytical and data management tools
to enable local, state, regional, and national managers to evaluate the effectiveness of air pollution
reduction strategies using sensor data on an ongoing basis.
In partnership with EPA programs, regions, states, tribes, and local governments, the A-E Research
Program will consult with academic experts, federal colleagues, and technology manufacturers to
consider performance standards and testing protocols for non-regulatory applications of ambient air
sensor devices. The information developed will help air quality managers and the public understand
which sensors are appropriate for their monitoring purpose and will encourage innovation in the
marketplace.
Advanced methods are needed to better measure source or near-source emissions in challenging
situations. This research will include expanding knowledge of near-source impacts and control
strategies, including near-road environments, complex multi-source environments, rail yards, ports, and
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other transportation facilities. The development and evaluation of advanced next-generation fenceline
monitoring methods combined with facility-specific, real-time, and lower-cost sensors networks will
improve measurements and reduce the costs of compliance monitoring.
Advances in computer science, new sources of air pollution measurement data, and the means to
interface with other models and data are opening the way for a new generation of air quality models.
Modeling challenges are broad and range from incorporating the influence of long-range transport of air
pollutants and climatic trends, to understanding fine-scale variations in pollution due to local
meteorology, terrain, and emission sources. A next generation of models will draw on multiple sources
of data - from sensors, more sophisticated air monitoring instruments, and satellites - enabling greater
accuracy of model predictions. Also, advanced modeling approaches will be able to assess air quality
over multiple geographic scales - from local to global.
A-E researchers are developing a next-generation air quality model that integrates multi-scale and multi-
pollutant capabilities in an updated architecture to increase computational efficiency and applicability.
Expanded capabilities include addressing ecosystem impacts and linking to new global meteorology
models. Research and data collection efforts will also be directed at (1) improving our understanding of
factors that influence the magnitude and duration of air pollutant exposures, (2) developing methods to
advance the data fusion techniques to integrate ground-level measurements, personal measurement
data, and satellite data, and (3) modeling results to reduce uncertainties in exposure assessments.
States, tribes, and local governments also rely on EPA for air quality models they can use to understand
changes in air quality, predict future air quality, and evaluate strategies for air pollution management.
OAR underscored the need for an updated air quality modeling platform that could potentially lead to
faster assessments of air quality impacts across multiple scales and then be used to inform air quality
planning. EPA regions emphasized the need for next-generation models that represent transport from
the global to local scale. These modeling tools are essential to demonstrate compliance with the NAAQS
and to inform decision makers at the state and tribal levels as to whether their policy choices will be
effective, as discussed in Research Topic 1 above.
Research Area 8: Novel Approaches to Assess Human Health and Ecosystem Impacts and
Risks
Research Area 8 Priority: Development of advanced capabilities to characterize public health and
ecosystem risks
New and innovative methods and models are needed to assess the multiple chemical and non-chemical
interactions that ultimately impact public health and welfare. Quantitative assessments of exposures
and potential human and ecosystem effects associated with air pollutants should also describe the
impacts of changing environmental conditions on human health, air quality, and water quality.
Advances in measurement technology, coupled with state-of-the-art information systems, are enabling
the development of new methods to assess impacts and evaluate risks. For example, the move to
electronic health records affords epidemiologists in the STAR research centers and the A-E intramural
program the opportunity to examine how changes in air quality can affect populations, while protecting
the privacy of the patients. Examining trends in health conditions related to air quality provides
important information for state and local health departments across the country to more effectively
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communicate risks to the public and reduce impacts to public health. This research also will inform
colleagues in the HERA research program as they review the state-of-the-science on specific air
pollutants for decisions on NAAQS.
As a collaborative effort to promote human health, federal colleagues in the Department of Health and
Human Services lead the Million Hearts Initiative, which focuses on reducing the number of heart
attacks and strokes in the United States. Based on earlier health research from EPA and others around
the world, Million Hearts now advises those who have had a heart attack or stroke to avoid exposure to
PM2.5.17 Future research using air sensors and individual health monitors will help evaluate strategies to
reduce personal exposure and risk.
Next-generation methods for assessing health and ecosystem risks will help decision makers understand
the likely impacts of extreme events, such as the increase in frequency and intensity of wildland fires.
Current approaches are proving inadequate for addressing wildland fires in the 21st Century. EPA will
work with federal and other partners on innovative approaches to assess and mitigate the risks from
fires. Initial work is addressing air and water quality. For example, fires and subsequent soil erosion
affect water quality, including natural water treatment processes, infiltration and flow of groundwater
supplies, and overall ecosystem health. Researchers will integrate wildfire models with ecosystem
models to enable a comprehensive assessment of public health and ecosystem impacts. To improve
smoke forecasting and protect human health, A-E researchers will integrate ecosystem models (that
estimate the growth of plant biomass) with smoke models to predict the size and direction of smoke
plumes from wildland fires.
State, local, tribal, and federal organizations face complex environmental challenges as the population
grows, new technologies emerge, land-use patterns change, and extreme weather events occur more
frequently. To make sound health and environmental policy decisions, decision makers need
assessments of the extent and likelihood of potential risks to human health and ecosystems. For
example, EPA regions identified several needs related to wildland fires, including: better understanding
of the health risks of wildland fire smoke exposure over short- and longer-term time periods;
understanding the long-range transport of air pollutants from fires and the impact on air quality; and the
development of forecasting to aid state air agencies in determining approvals for prescribed burns. A-E
will work closely with partners and stakeholders to design research that produces innovative
approaches to better understand risks and support decision making.
Integrated Science Focus: Wildland Fires
The three research topics and associated research areas described above are interconnected and rely on
multiple scientific disciplines working collaboratively to provide research results that address EPA
priorities and mandates. Many scientific issues cut across the entire research portfolio of the A-E
Research Program. One of these issues is wildland fires.
Wildland fires are a persistent and pervasive multimedia issue that is increasing in prominence within
the United States. Wildland fires affect air quality in and around the locations of fires, as well as more
broadly downwind. Emissions from conventional sources of air pollution have been reduced, yet our
changing environment has increased the likelihood and severity of wildfires and has changed the
17 Learn more about the Million Hearts Initiative efforts to share information about air quality and cardiovascular
effects at httpsi//millionhearts,hhs,gov/tools-protocols/tools/particle-pollution,html.
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optimal window for the prescribed burning season. A-E research will focus on improving our
understanding of wildland fire impacts on public and environmental health and will inform approaches
to reduce associated risks. While specific deliverables addressing wildland fires may be included in the
Research Areas summarized above, Research Area 9 discussed below is intended to integrate and
synthesize wildland fire-related work that draws on the research conducted under the three A-E Topics,
as well as related and collaborative research efforts being conducted in other ORD national research
programs, specifically SSWR, SHC, HSRP, and CSS.
Research Area 9: Wildland Fires
Research Area 9 Priority: Approaches to reduce exposures and risks from wildland fires to people
and ecosystems
Research over the next several years will provide improved understanding of wildland fire impacts on
public health and the environment and will inform approaches to reduce exposures and risks associated
with wildland fires. This integrated approach will help us better understand the growing importance of
wildland fires; identify vulnerable ecosystems and human populations and the biological, geological, and
environmental justice characteristics that confer vulnerability; and develop effective risk communication
and mitigation strategies.
The United States has a long history of managing wildland fires, with responsibility for managing and
responding to these fires spread across federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as tribes.
To enhance our understanding of public health and environmental impacts of wildfires and to inform
decision making at different levels, A-E research will:
•	Improve models and measurement methodologies to assess emissions and determine impacts on air
and water quality and ecosystems
•	Determine what and how ecosystems and human populations are susceptible and vulnerable to
wildland fires
•	Develop and evaluate approaches (e.g., best practices for prescribed fires) to mitigate risks to
human health and ecosystems
•	Develop and evaluate health-risk communication strategies to promote health-protective behaviors
Across the Federal government, a range of agencies are involved in fire science. Developing effective
tools to inform air and water quality management decisions to minimize fire impacts requires a
concerted, integrated effort within EPA and across the Federal government. A-E researchers will
continue to build collaborations with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Department of the Interior (DOI),
NOAA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), CDC, and others to fill specific
science gaps. These efforts will also be coordinated with related state, local, and tribal activities.
Major focus areas for A-E researchers will include: (1) advancing capabilities to assess human health and
ecological impacts of wildland fires; (2) improving tools and technologies to quantify and predict
wildland fire impacts; (3) better characterizing source emissions; (4) improving the understanding of
wildland fire impacts on the indoor environment and human exposures; and (5) informing activities to
effectively minimize adverse public and environmental impacts and risks.
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Program Design
To plan and implement work in each of the Research Areas, the A-E program includes a complementary
set of research components and emphasizes "solutions-driven" research. Communication and
collaboration across ORD's six research programs promote integration of research efforts, where
appropriate, to meet program objectives.
Program Components
The A-E research portfolio outlined in this strategic plan closely coordinates intramural and extramural
efforts to provide a balance of fundamental and applied science to deliver outputs that are effectively
developed and translated to solve environmental problems (Figure 2). By its nature, the A-E Research
Program comprises a breadth of research activities across a wide array of scientific and programmatic
issues. As the science progresses, we must periodically evaluate the research to capitalize on
opportunities to more effectively address environmental problems and science questions using new and
innovative approaches. The A-E Research Program will review its nine Research Areas each year to
identify and adopt revisions to the science ensuring that an appropriate balance is struck between
addressing short-term needs of EPA partners and longer-term, exploratory research objectives. In this
regard, A-E will remain relevant and responsive to EPA's needs and at the forefront of environmental
science.
The intramural component of the A-E Research Program involves EPA scientists representing a wide
range of disciplines who work together to improve our understanding of complex environmental
problems. Internally, the A-E Research Program engages with scientists across multiple ORD research
centers. Innovative research collaborations with EPA regional offices (for example, through the Regional
Applied Research Effort [RARE] program and the Regional Research Partnership Program [R2P2]) allow
A-E researchers opportunities to work with Agency partners on a number of applied science projects to
address high-priority, region-specific science needs.
Figure 2. Integration of Intramural and Extramural Research Efforts.
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Extramural research funded through grants and contracts complements and expands the intramural
research program by providing invaluable engagement between the Agency and the nation's leading
scientists and engineers. Integral to ORD's efforts to address environmental research priorities,
extramural research engages the scientific community to help address important scientific knowledge
gaps and to strategically respond to current and emerging environmental and public health challenges.
The Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants program is a key extramural component of the A-E
Research Program and will continue to be relied upon to investigate new lines of research related to
emerging environmental problems. The A-E Research Program will build on the success and long history
with the STAR program that spans more than two decades to address emerging air-, climate-, and
energy-related issues. Previous awards engaged academic researchers on a broad range of issues,
advancing our understanding of atmospheric chemistry, air quality modeling and measurements,
epidemiology, toxicology, climate- and energy-related impacts. In addition, since 1999 the A-E Research
Program has funded a total of 17 multi-university collaborative research centers through larger, multi-
year grants, each of approximately five-year duration. These research centers have contributed to a
greater understanding of the health impacts of PM, determined how specific sources of air pollution
cause different health effects, and answered questions about the health impacts from exposure to
multiple air pollutants. Beginning in 2016, the A-E Research Program funded three Air, Climate, and
Energy (ACE) Centers to identify new integrated and multidisciplinary solutions for protecting air quality
and public health in the midst of a changing climate and evolving energy technologies.
Another key component of A-E extramural research is public-private partnerships, which can provide
additional high-quality, impartial science on the health effects of air pollution. By serving as a neutral
party, a public-private partnership can sponsor independent science to inform decision making. Such
partnerships are typically formed as non-profit entities that receive balanced funding from the
government and a regulated industry. For example, the Health Effects Institute (HEI) chartered in 1980 is
a well-regarded partnership that receives balanced funding from EPA (ORD/A-E and OAR) and the
worldwide motor vehicle industry. HEI has advanced scientific understanding in areas such as:
multipollutant science; impacts of policies and regulations; and, potential impacts of emerging fuels and
technologies.
To a more limited extent, the A-E Research Program has entered into research partnerships through
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). Small businesses have also been funded
to develop and commercialize novel environmental technologies that support EPA's mission through the
SBIR Program. The A-E Research Program will continue to capitalize on the SBIR program and, wherever
possible, expand the use of SBIR to develop next-generation answers to emerging environmental
problems, such as those related to PFAS and ethylene oxide.
A-E researchers are also exploring opportunities to use open-source challenges and prize competitions,
citizen science and crowd-sourcing, social science, and other emerging, innovative avenues to
investigate and address environmental science problems.
Solutions-Driven Research
ORD, including the A-E Research Program, is renewing and expanding our commitment to producing
research that addresses real-world problems and helps EPA program and regional office partners, state
and local agencies, as well as tribal organizations make timely decisions based on science. This
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commitment includes exploring ways to improve research processes through the application of a
solutions-driven research framework. Solutions-driven research emphasizes:
•	Planned partner and stakeholder engagement throughout the research process, starting with
problem formulation and informing all elements of research planning, implementation,
dissemination, and evaluation
•	A focus on solutions-oriented research outputs identified in collaboration with partners and
stakeholders
•	Coordination, communication, and collaboration both among ORD researchers and between
researchers and partners to develop integrated research that multiplies value to partners and
stakeholders
•	Application of research outputs in cooperation with partners and stakeholders to solve complex
environmental problems, and test the feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness, and
effectiveness of the research-driven solutions
ORD will also study how we engage with our stakeholders and partners and how we design and conduct
our research to inform solutions to their most pressing environmental problems. By doing this, we are
engaging in translational science, which will continually improve and increase the value of our research
to our partners and stakeholders. Translational science is a widely practiced approach developed by the
National Institutes for Health18 to "understand the scientific and operational principles underlying each
step of the translational process," which moves science along the path from lab research to practical
solutions in real world circumstances.
ORD is adopting a 3-pronged strategy for solutions-driven research:
1)	Apply principles of solutions-driven research broadly across ORD's six national research
programs
2)	Conduct pilot translational science projects that apply and evaluate methods of solutions-driven
research to planning, conducting, applying, and evaluating integrated research that addresses a
well-defined and unmet need of partners and stakeholders
3)	Conduct case studies of previous and current research activities that embody the principles of
solutions-driven research, which will help inform a list of best practices
Risk communication is a central factor in solutions-driven research, allowing people to understand their
risks and adopt protective behaviors, as well as informing risk management decisions. ORD will
emphasize advances in the science of risk communication and will apply best practices for
communicating risk to different audiences across the six national research programs.
Integration Among Research Programs
EPA's six research programs (A-E, CSS, HERA, HSRP, SHC, SSWR) work together to identify and address
science challenges. Coordination efforts can range from formal integration across the programs, to
collaboration among EPA scientists working on related issues. There are many opportunities for
integration among the programs, and the research programs will continue to work together to identify
additional opportunities. A few examples of cross-program coordination are briefly described below:
18 Learn more at: https://ncats.nih.gov/.
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Wildland Fires
Wildland fires are a persistent and pervasive multimedia issue. Wildland fires affect air and water quality
in and around the locations of fires, as well as more broadly. A changing environment also increases the
likelihood and severity of wildfires and changes the optimal window for the prescribed burning season.
Research in this area involves multiple ORD research programs, specifically A-E, SSWR, SHC, HSRP, and
CSS. A-E research will focus on improving our understanding of wildland fire impacts on public and
environmental health and informing approaches to reduce associated risks. This will include improving
models and measurement methodologies to assess emissions and determine impacts, determining what
ecosystems and human populations are susceptible and vulnerable to wildland fires, developing
approaches to mitigate risks to human health and ecosystems, and developing health risk
communication strategies. Because wildland fires can also affect drinking water quality through
increased sedimentation, mobilization of heavy metals and other pollutants, and shifts in treatment
processes and associated effects, A-E and SSWR will work together to address this cross-media issue.
This cross-cutting project will provide information needed by utilities to anticipate and respond to
wildfire impacts, with SSWR emphasizing drinking water resources and small drinking water systems.
HSRP will also contribute to ORD's work on wildland fires by researching fate and transport of
contaminants during wildland fires, for example, fire in asbestos-contaminated areas.
Nutrients
The cross-ORD Nutrient effort led by SSWR is focused on reducing the nutrient loadings that can cause
adverse environmental impacts (e.g., degradation of drinking, source, and recreational waters from
harmful algal blooms). The nutrient research effort uses an approach that spans multiple types of water
bodies and groundwater resources, and coordinates across media (water, land, and air) and various
temporal and spatial scales. This effort develops and applies scientific information and tools for partners
and stakeholders to develop cost-effective approaches to nutrient reduction. This research addresses
statutory obligations under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and CAA and is
designed to support EPA's Office of Water (OW), OAR, Office of Land and Emergency Management
(OLEM), regions, and cross-Federal Agency efforts. ORD's nutrient research priorities are: (1) assessing
and managing harmful algal blooms; (2) providing the science needed to set effective nutrient-related
water quality goals; (3) providing tools, technologies, and best practices to predict, monitor, manage,
and assess the effectiveness of efforts to reduce nutrients; and (4) synthesizing information and
developing tools that address atmospheric nutrient deposition impacts (e.g., eutrophication and
acidification) on terrestrial and aquatic resources. A-E research directly supports the last priority by
characterizing deposition of airborne nitrogen compounds to watersheds and waterbodies that may
contribute to harmful algal blooms.
PFAS
The cross-ORD PFAS research program develops and applies scientific information and tools so that
partners and stakeholders can make informed decisions to protect public health and the environment
from harm associated with PFAS. It supports cross-EPA and cross-federal agency efforts to address PFAS.
This research addresses statutory obligations under the SDWA, CWA, CAA, the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA). The four goals of ORD's PFAS action plan are: (1) understanding human health and
ecological effects of PFAS; (2) understanding PFAS occurrence, fate and transport, and exposure; (3)
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reducing, removing, and remediating PFAS in the environment; and (4) supporting stakeholders in
protecting public health and the environment. A-E research will focus on developing and applying
sampling and analytical methods as well as modeling approaches to assess the emissions, fate, and
transport of PFAS in the atmosphere.
Resilience
The cross-ORD resilience effort is focused on preparing for and recovering from disasters, including
extreme weather events. This work helps meet the safety and resilience goals of EPA regions and
programs and ORD's state, tribal, and community stakeholders. Adequate preparation for and recovery
from disasters requires a complete picture of an affected system. During a disaster, certain events can
cause cascading problems that may be missed by examination from the perspective of a single-media
program, highlighting the importance of integration on this issue across ORD's research programs. ORD's
resilience research will deliver metrics, methods, and tools that EPA partners and stakeholders can use
to assess their own vulnerability to, preparedness for, and response and recovery from environmental
releases and other conditions due to extreme weather and other disasters. ORD's research will advance
the assessment of trends in and development of future scenario products for disasters (A-E); address
resilience and preparedness with respect to immediate emergency response (HSRP); and provide long-
term planning for resilient communities (SHC), contaminated site remedies (SHC), and watersheds and
water infrastructure (SSWR).
Lead
Lead (Pb) is a priority research issue given its prevalence in the environment, harmful neurological and
other health effects, and impacts on the most vulnerable, particularly children. Lead is one of the six
criteria air pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. The CAA requires that the Agency
periodically review the NAAQS and the science upon which they are based. EPA completed its most
recent review of the Pb NAAQS in 2016.19 Priority areas of lead research for our partners OAR include
new information related to assessments and biomodelling research. This work is carried out by our
colleagues in the HERA Research Program. In addition, our colleagues in the SHC Research Program are
incorporating the air pathway into their multimedia modeling efforts on lead. While air exposures are
not a high priority as a national problem, there can be local exposures from specific sources. A-E will
work collaboratively with our colleagues in HERA and SHC to ensure impacts from lead in the air are
addressed by ORD.
Conclusion
Clean air is vital to our country - to sustaining the health of people and the ecosystems on which we
depend. There are still over 100 million people in the United States who live in counties that do not
meet current air quality standards, which impairs their health and results in economic impacts due to
lost work, school days, and productivity. Although we have seen significant improvements in air quality
over the past several decades by reducing emissions from point and mobile sources nationwide, we
cannot assume that progress will continue. Air pollution issues persist at the local level requiring
19 Learn more about the most recent review of the Lead NAAQS at: httpsi//www,epa,gov/lead~air-
pollution/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-lead-pb.
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innovative developments in tools and data. In addition, changing environmental conditions are likely to
present new challenges in meeting air quality objectives.
EPA will respond to the challenge of improving air quality throughout the United States now and into
the future. The A-E Strategic Research Action Plan provides the framework for advancing science
priorities over the next four years to support EPA, state and local government, and tribes so they may
improve air quality. This plan was developed through extensive engagement with other EPA research
programs, EPA partners in the program and regional offices, states, tribes, and other external
stakeholders. This integrative and inclusive approach will continue as we work to implement the
research envisioned in this plan. A key feature of an inclusive approach involves working together to
design research outputs that translate and effectively communicate science to solve complex
environmental public health problems.
This strategic plan is guided by overarching Agency objectives to meet air quality standards and focuses
on assessing the impacts of air pollution, preventing and reducing emissions, advancing measurement
and modeling, and delivering state-of-the-art tools to inform decision making. The research guided by
this plan will provide information needed by government agencies, the private sector, and the public to
take actions to maintain and improve air quality for all, particularly in those areas that currently do not
meet air quality standards.
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References
Melillo, J. M., Richmond, T., & Yohe, G. W. (2014). Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The
Third National Climate Assessment U.S. Global Change Research Program.
doi:10.7930/J0Z31WJ2
National Interagency Fire Center. (2016). Total Wildland Fires and Acres (1960-2015). Retrieved from
http://www.nifc.gov/firelnfo/firelnfo_stats_totalFires.html
U.S. EPA. (2014). Control of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel
Standards Final Rule - Regulatory Impact Analysis. EPA-420-R-14-005. Retrieved from
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100ISWM.PDF?Dockey=P100ISWM. PDF
U.S. EPA. (2016a). U.S. EPA National Emissions Inventory (NEI) 2014. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/2014-national-emissions-inventory-nei-data
U.S. EPA. (2016b). Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials. Retrieved from
https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/wildfire_may2016-revised.pdf
U.S. EPA. (2017). Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi-Sector Approach (Final Report).
EPA/600/R-16/365F. Retrieved from
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/global/recordisplay.cfm?deid=322482
U.S. EPA. (2018). ORD Strategic Plan 2018-2022. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-
office-research-and-development-strategic-plan-2018-2022
U.S. EPA. (2019). FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan (Updated: September 2019). Washington, DC: U.S.
EPA. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2018-2022-epa-strategic-plan
USGCRP. (2016). The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific
Assessment. Washington, DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program.
USGCRP. (2017). Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I.
Washington, DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program. doi:10.7930/J0J964J6
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Appendix
Summary Table of Proposed Outputs for the Air and Energy Research Program (FY2019-2022)
The following table lists proposed, high-level, strategic Outputs (including proposed delivery timeframes) for the Air and Energy (A-E) National
Research Program, organized by Topic and Research Areas. This list is not comprehensive but rather illustrative of the breadth of the A-E
portfolio. It should be noted that the Outputs may change as new scientific findings emerge. Outputs are also contingent on budget
appropriations. Final Outputs, including expected delivery years and sequence, will be determined during the next phase of research
implementation planning. The A-E Research Program will continue to engage with EPA partners throughout the research implementation phase
as we identify the specific products that will be developed to achieve the research area objectives and Outputs identified in the StRAP.
Topic 1: Science for Air Quality Decisions
Improved estimates of short- and long-term impacts of different policy
and regulatory options through updated air quality models to inform
actions to attain the NAAQS and to expand understanding of the long-
term impacts of the changing environment; in particular, the inclusion
of source apportionment will enable estimates of individual state
1.1 FY19-Release of CMAQv5.3 and
instrumented versions supporting
source apportionment
1.2 FY22 - Release updates to CMAQ
and instrumented versions
and/or sector contributions
supporting source apportionment
1. Approaches
to support air
quality
Enhanced ability to quantify background criteria pollutant
contributions, including those from long-range, international
transport, to non-attainment areas; to improve the quantification of
the contributions of local and regional sources versus background
contributions (such as from international transport) to inform periodic
NAAQS reviews required by the CAA and strategies to attain the
NAAQS and Regional Haze goals
1.3 FY22-Development of advanced
approaches to estimate background
contributions of particulate matter
and ozone
management
programs for
multiple
pollutants at
multiple scales
Improved capabilities to evaluate complex nonattainment areas to
better understand air quality at a very local scale to inform NAAQS 1.4 FY22- Enhanced monitoring and
attainment strategies (for example, ground-level ozone photochemical	modeling approaches to characterize
formation in near-shore environments such as near Lake Michigan and	mesoscale pollution episodes
the Long Island Sound)
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Research Area
Program, Regional, State and/or Tribal Need
Output Title

Improved understanding of near-source air pollution impacts and
exposures including expanded knowledge of how roadside solid and
vegetative barriers affect near-road impacts and how freight
movement activities influence community air quality
1.5 FY22 - Fine-scale assessment and
mitigation methods for near-source
impacts

Enhanced methods to better characterize drivers of exposures and
risks from indoor sources of air pollutants including cookstoves to
inform best practices and alternative technologies for cleaner energy
systems that reduce emissions and related public health and
environmental impacts
2.1 FY20 - Summary of research
advancements to characterize
emissions, exposures, and related
health and environmental impacts
associated with solid-fuel combustion
for household energy needs (cooking,
heating, and lighting)
2. Approaches
for
characterizing
source
Support of regulatory compliance efforts relevant to: (i) NAAQS
attainment, (ii)the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, (iii) National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants [Air Toxics]
(NESHAPs), (iv) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and (v)
State Implementation Plans (SIPs).
2.2 FY22- Progress update on the
characterization and mitigation of key
combustion sources
emissions, air
quality,
exposure, and
mitigation
strategies
Reliable ambient measurements of criteria air pollutants to inform
NAAQS attainment/nonattainment decisions and to guide NAAQS
implementation actions; developing/updating methods to measure
HAPs in ambient air to inform residual risk reviews required under
Section 112 of the CAA
2.3 FY22- Development, evaluation, and
implementation of updated ambient
air measurement methods

Methods to Identify and characterize previously undetected leaks
from sources; for example, improving detection and identification of
VOCs that contribute to ozone formation in nonattainment areas or
that are identified as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and regulated
under section 112 of the CAA including the Petroleum Refinery
Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standard
2.4 FY22 - Progress update on fugitive,
area source, fenceline, and roadway
emissions research

National-scale survey of methane emissions from reservoirs in the
United States to reduce uncertainty in inventory estimates by
improving the characterization of previously under-reported biogenic
2.5 FY22-Methods for estimating
methane emissions from surface
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Research Area
Program, Regional, State and/or Tribal Need
Output Title

methane emissions and how water level changes, nutrient content,
and ambient conditions may affect the timing and rate of emissions;
this research will address a key gap in monitoring data for the
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting requirements
water reservoirs for the U.S. GHG
Inventory Report
Improved characterization of air emissions from animal and crop
agricultural operations
2.6 FY22- Emission estimating
methodologies (EEMs) and future
research needs for emissions from
agricultural sources
3. Public health
and
environmental
responses to air
pollution
Improved characterization of the relationships between ambient
concentrations, deposition, and ecosystem impacts to inform NAAQS
reviews for secondary standards such as N02, S02, and PM and to
improve understanding of air pollution impacts on water quality
3.1 FY19- Report synthesizing progress to
improve characterization of
deposition budgets for North America
and identification of remaining critical
knowledge gaps related to nitrogen
deposition and assessments of critical
loads
Enhanced knowledge of the potential health impacts of multi-day
pollution events (such as wildfires) in relationship to single day events
and longer-term exposures to improve characterization of public
health impacts, to inform effective and consistent public health
messages, and inform actions to reduce risks
3.2 FY22-Synthesis of enhanced
understanding of
peak/intermittent/short-
term/cumulative exposures and
relationship to longer term
exposures; development of health
messages, in collaboration with
partners, to communicate risks
Expanded understanding of the health impacts of exposures to lower
concentrations of criteria air pollutants including shapes of
concentration-response and exposure-response functions and how
uncertainties in health impacts may vary with concentration to inform
future reviews of the NAAQS
3.3 FY21- Grantee report summarizing
results of multiple epidemiology
studies evaluating health impacts of
lower ambient concentrations of
criteria pollutants
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Research Area
Program, Regional, State and/or Tribal Need
Output Title

Increased capabilities to assess multiple chemical and non-chemical
interactions, including long-term temperature changes; advanced
understanding of public health and welfare benefits associated with
various air quality management options to inform NAAQS reviews and
air quality management options to attain the NAAQS and to expand
understanding of the long-term impacts of the changing environment
3.4 FY22- Summary of the effect of
changing environmental conditions
on the chemistry and health impacts
of air pollution mixtures and
subsequent responsiveness
Improved measurements and modeling capabilities to address
currently identified knowledge gaps and uncertainties in total
deposition estimates
3.5 FY22- Synthesis of the scientific
advances on deposition and critical
load-related research
Topic 2: Extreme Events and Emerging Risks
4. Public health
and ecosystem
exposures and
responses to
emerging air
pollutants and
sources
Ability to measure "new" chemicals (for example, PFAS) emitted from
sources and in ambient air to better understand the sources, fate, and
public health and environmental effects of air pollutants previously
poorly characterized or that result from new technologies or industrial
processes
4.1 FY22-Measurement methods
development of PFAS in air
Understanding pollutant transfer cycle for "new" chemicals of
emerging concern (for example, PFAS) to enhance characterization of
atmospheric concentrations, potential chemical transformations and
transport, and related exposures and health and environmental
impacts
4.2 FY22- State-of-the Science: synthesis
of research on airborne PFAS
emissions, sources, control,
dispersion, environmental fate, and
impacts and identification of
remaining critical knowledge gaps
Enhanced understanding of the role of various organic species (e.g.,
monoterpenes, volatile consumer products, SVOCs, IVOCs) to form
criteria air pollutants and modeling, experimental, and computational
chemistry methods to assess these impacts
4.3 FY22- Evaluation of organic species
impacting criteria pollutant formation
Methods to measure ethylene oxide emissions at the source, near-
source, and ambient levels
4.4 FY22- Ethylene oxide - state of the
science and methods development
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Research Area
Program, Regional, State and/or Tribal Need
Output Title
5. Methods to
evaluate
environmental
benefits and
consequences
of changing
energy systems
Improved capabilities to project future emission estimates to inform
development of NAAQS attainment strategy analyses
5.1 FY22- Report on air quality under
future energy scenarios
Required assessment under the Energy Independence and Security Act
for environmental impacts of biofuels
5.2 FY21- Biofuels and the Environment:
The Third Triennial Report to
Congress (RtC3)
Expanded understanding of future system-wide scenarios of energy
use and air pollution emission trends associated with changing
transportation technologies to gain insights into potential effects of
fundamental change, such as vehicle electrification, increased use of
natural gas, and grow of renewable energy sources to analyze NAAQS
attainment strategy options
5.3 FY22- Progress update on
environmental consequences of
emerging transportation
technologies, policies and practices
6. Methods to
enable
resilience to
future
environmental
stressors
Development of tools and information to advance understanding of
the potential impacts of emerging and future environmental risks to
human health, air quality, water quality, ecosystems, and built
infrastructure to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of air quality
management strategies, including NAAQS attainment strategies
6.1 FY22-Updated and expanded
scenario data for population, land
use, and extreme events as input to
risk communication and management
Development of tools and information to advance understanding of
the potential impacts of emerging and future environmental risks to
human health, air quality, water quality, ecosystems, and built
infrastructure to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of air quality
management strategies, including NAAQS attainment strategies
6.2 FY22 - Summary of advances in
interactions of future environmental
changes on PM, ozone, wildfires and
associated human health impacts
Development and application of risk-based models to inform decisions
that result in improved environmental protection and natural resource
management while addressing climate adaptation goals
6.3 FY22-Analysis of environmental
impacts and vulnerabilities due to
effects of changing conditions and
extreme events on water quality and
aquatic resources
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Research Area
Program, Regional, State and/or Tribal Need
Output Title

Improved understanding of environmental responses to extreme
events and identification and evaluation of mitigation options
6.4 FY22- Methods for adaptation
planning and decision analysis to
improve environmental resilience to
changing conditions and extreme
events
Topic 3: Next-Generation Methods to Improve Public Health and the Environment
7. Emerging
approaches to
improve air
quality and
exposure
characterization
Improved understanding of the spatial and temporal characterization
of human and environmental exposures
7.1 FY22- Advancement of methods in
combining different types of
observational and model data for air
pollution characterization
Enhanced understanding of how use, manage, and communicate
measurement data from air sensors
7.2 FY22- Improved capability to manage,
process, analyze, and visualize next-
generation air pollution data
Improved understanding of air sensor performance and quality of
technologies on the market
7.3 FY21-Air quality sensors-
performance evaluation, targets
development, testing protocols, and
best practices guidance
Expanded air quality modeling capabilities to better characterize finer
scales (for example, neighborhoods); enhanced ability to model at
different scales include regional and global scales for use in future air
quality management decisions
7.4 FY22- Development of advanced air
quality modeling approaches for
global to urban scales
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Research Area
Program, Regional, State and/or Tribal Need
Output Title
8. Novel
approaches to
assess human
health and
ecosystem
impacts and
risks
Improved approaches and systems to better assess health and
ecosystem impacts and risks associated with environmental stressors
to inform the periodic review of the science underlying the NAAQS
8.1 FY22-Development of new health
research approaches that take
advantage of newly available
electronic health databases,
molecular data cohorts, and
advanced cellular models
Increased understanding of wildland fire impacts on water bodies and
ecosystems, including: erosion, use of fire suppressants, surface and
ground water, and drinking water
8.2 FY22- Integration of atmospheric, fire,
ecosystem, and watershed models
and approaches to assess the impacts
of wildfires on multiple health,
ecosystem, and environmental
management endpoints, jointly
where possible to account for adverse
and beneficial impacts.
Integrated Science Focus
9. Wildland fires
Enhanced understanding of wildland fire impacts on public health and
the environment and improved approaches to reduce associated risks;
includes improving characterization of exceptional events to inform
NAAQS compliance decisions
9.1 FY20- Interim progress update on
wildland fire research summarizing
multidisciplinary research being
conducted across A-E research topics
9.2 FY22- Public Health Actions to Reduce
Risks from Exposure to Wildland Fire
Smoke
9.3 FY22- State of the Science: Synthesis
of wildland fire research findings
related to improved modeling and
measurement methodologies, public
health impacts and interventions, and
ecosystem impacts
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