science in ACTION
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
REGIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH EFFORT PROGRAM
The Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE) is an Office of Research and
Development (ORD) program administered by the Office of Science Policy (OSP) that
responds to the high-priority research needs of EPA Regions. RARE projects address a
wide array of environmental science issues critical to ORD's regional partners. The
Regional Science Liaisons (RSLs) manage the RARE process by fostering
interactions and enhancing communication between the Regions and ORD laboratories
and centers. RSLs play a vital role in delivering ORD science, including RARE project
results, to support regional environmental decision-making.
Goals of the
RARE Program
•	Provide near-term research (1-2
years) to address high-priority,
regional, applied science needs
•	Foster collaboration between EPA
Regions and ORD laboratories and
centers
•	Build a regional/ORD network for
future scientific interaction
•	Provide opportunities for ORD
scientists to apply their expertise
to regional issues and explore new
research challenges
RARE Funding
and Process
Annually, ORD allocates resources for
each of EPA's 10 regional offices to
pursue collaborative research efforts.
Each Region conducts its own
solicitation and, in collaboration with
ORD, selects projects that best address
the Region's highest priority needs.
The RSLs engage ORD scientists early
in the process, ensure the projects are
within the scope of ORD's mission, and
secure regional and ORD management
support for the selected projects. OSP
manages the funding process for the
chosen projects.
Sample RARE Projects
Regions 2 and 3 Delaware
Estuary Benthic Community
Project
In this project, researchers will
inventory and map the benthic
communities in Delaware Bay,
providing valuable insight into
the condition of the Bay's benthic
communities and areas of critical
habitat. The Regions are working
with ORD's National Health and
Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory (NHEERL) on this effort.
The results from this project will con
tribute to coastal resource environmen
tal management decisions, including
issuing dredging permits, designating
areas of essential fish habitat, identify
ing ecologically significant species
and critical habitat for protection, and
performing Natural Resource Damage
Assessments related to oil spills and
hazardous substance release.
Region 10 Ground Water
Contamination on Yakama
Reservation Project
In Washington State's Yakima River
Basin, residents are using drinking
water containing nitrate concentrations
that exceed the Federal Safe Drinking
Water Maximum Contaminant Level of
10 mg/L. Bacterial contamination has
Continued, next page
Regional Science Liaison
Contact Information
Regional Science Program Chief,
Washington, DC
Maggie LaVay, 202-564-5264
lavay.maggie@epa.gov
Program Coordinator,
Washington, DC
Valerie Blank, 202-564-1720
blank.valerie@epa.gov
Region 1-Boston, MA
Robert Hillger, 617-918-1071
hillger.robert@epa.gov
Region 2-New York, NY
Marie O'Shea, 212-637-3585
oshea.marie@epa.gov
Region 3-Philadelphia, PA
Ronald Landy, 410-305-2757
landy.ronald@epa.gov
Region 4-Atlanta, GA
TomBaugh, 404-562-8275
baugh.thomasl@epa.gov
Region 5-Chicago, IL
Carole Braverman, 312-353-7359
braverman.carole@epa.gov
Region 6-Dallas, TX
Michael Morton, 214-665-8329
morton.michael@epa.gov
Region 7-Kansas City, KS
Brenda Groskinsky, 913-551-7188
groskinsky.brenda@epa.gov
Region 8-Denver, CO
Patti Tyler, 303-312-6081
tyler.patti@epa.gov
Region 9-San Francisco, CA
Matthew Small, 415-972-3366
small.matthew@epa.gov
Region 10-Seattle, WA
Bruce Duncan, 206-553-0218
duncan.bruce@epa.gov
April 2013

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also been found, along with concentrations of pesticides
and heavy metals. In many cases, members of the Yakama
Nation (Tribe) or Spanish-speaking families involved in
local agriculture are affected. Yakima County's population
includes almost a third of the state's migrant/seasonal
farm workers, and poverty impacts greater than 20%
of the county's population. Fortius project, the Ground
Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD) of
ORD's National Risk Management Research Laboratory
(NRMRL) is collaborating with Region 10 and other
Federal agencies, including U.S. Geological Survey, United
States Department of Agriculture, and the Indian Health
Service. The approach includes ground water sampling for
several compounds that may assist in linking contamination
to specific sources (e.g., antibiotics or hormones used in
dairies that are specific to ruminants, or compounds such
as caffeine that are unique to humans). The approach uses
isotopic techniques that can help determine whether the
source of nitrate is from humans, animals, or fertilizers,
and employs microbial source tracking. Although quality
assured results will not be available until late 2010,
activities related to this RARE project have already resulted
in development of a unique GIS method to target sample
collection for purposes of determining source contributions
in agricultural settings, and have also prompted Washington
State to allocate $300,000 for residential devices that
remove nitrates and $100,000 to establish a state-
designated ground water management area (GMA) effort
to decrease nitrogen loads. The multi-agency GMA effort
will determine measures to protect public health, and
may contribute to voluntary changes in plans for nutrient
management, fertilizer application rates, or septic system
design. The results can also support EPA enforcement
actions, if needed.
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)
Oxygen Needs of Key Species
Striped Bass: 5-6
American Shad: 5
Blue Crab: 3
Spot: 2

0JJ	
Region 3 Dissolved Oxygen Criteria in
Chesapeake Bay
The goal of this RARE project was to address the issue of
fluctuation of dissolved oxygen (DO) in Chesapeake Bay,
where natural conditions indicated that in some sections of
the Bay, die standard levels of DO were not met during the
warmer months of the year.
Through the RARE program, scientists at NHEERL, in
cooperation with Region 3's Chesapeake Bay Program,
generated data that were critical to understanding the
exposure effects on a range of organisms under conditions
of cyclic DO concentrations. ORD scientists developed
an experimental system that modeled a tidal cycle by
exposing test organisms to DO levels that fluctuate to
simulate a typical tidal cycle. These data were then
used by the Chesapeake Bay DO Criteria Task Group to
recommend and promulgate the DO criteria. These criteria
were developed to protect against short-term exposures
that could impact aquatic organisms, particularly during
larval and juvenile life stages. This RARE project not
only contributed significantly to the Chesapeake Bay DO
criteria but also to the EPA Virginian Province Saltwater
DO criteria document. This effort contributed to efforts to
address the problem of low DO in the Bay.
For more information on RARE, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/osp/regions/rare.htm.

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