QNAC

Environment and Trade Working Together

SGAC

Advisors for a Sustainable Future

OFFICIAL MEETING OF THE
NATIONAL AND GOVERNMENT AL ADVISORY

COMMITTEES

(NAC/GAC)

SUMMARY

FINAL

April 26-27, 2018

William Jefferson Clinton North
EPA Conference Room 6045
1200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
and Via Adobe® Connect Teleconference

Note: The U.S. National and Governmental Advisory Committees are federal advisory
committees chartered by Congress, operating under the Federal Advisory Committee Act;
5 U.S.C., App. 2. The committees provide advice to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) on the implementation of the North American Agreement on
Environmental Cooperation. The findings and/or recommendations of the committees do not
represent the views of the Agency, and this document does not represent information approved
or disseminated by EPA.

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Table of Contents

Thursday, April 26, 2018	3

Call to Order and Introductions	3

Welcome	3

Overview of the Agenda	3

Update on U.S. Priorities and Guidance and Tribal Update	3

Federal Government Initiatives on Marine Litter	6

Public Comment Period	8

CEC Update on Operational Plan (OP) and NAPECA Grants	8

Update on SEM and Status of Submissions	9

JPAC Report	10

United Nations (UN) Update on Marine Litter Initiatives	10

Private Sector Initiatives on Marine Litter	11

Local Government Initiatives on Marine Litter	12

Plastic Alternatives: Developing the Innovative Ecosystem	13

Summary and Next Steps	13

Friday, April 27, 2018	14

Call to Order	14

Plenary: Joint Committee Meeting	14

Public Comment Period	15

GAC Separate Meeting	15

NAC Separate Meeting	16

Committees Reconvene in Plenary Session	16

Adjournment	17

Action Items	17

Summary Certification	18

Appendix A: Meeting Participants	19

Appendix B: Meeting Agenda	22

Appendix C: Charge Letter for April 26-27, 2018 NAC/GAC Meeting	26

April 26-27, 2018, NAC/GAC Meeting Summary	ii

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Thursday, April 26, 2018

Call to Order and Introductions

Oscar Carrillo, National and Governmental Advisory Committees (NAC/GAC) Designated Federal
Officer (DFO), Federal Advisory Committee Management Division (FACMD), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency)

Mr. Oscar Carrillo, NAC/GAC DFO, FACMD, EPA, called the meeting to order and welcomed
participants to the 50th meeting of the NAC and GAC committees. He thanked NAC/GAC Chairs for
assisting in planning the meeting and Ms. Jane Nishida, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office
of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA), and OITA staff for their input on the agenda. Mr. Carrillo
expressed appreciation to Ms. Monisha Harris, Director, FACMD, for making the in-person meetings
possible and to the FACMD staff for their continued support. He noted the exciting agenda topic and then
introduced Ms. Harris to update the committees on FACMD activities.

Welcome

Monisha Harris, Director, FACMD

Ms. Harris welcomed the NAC/GAC and other attendees. The Office of Administration and Resource
Management (OARM) and FACMD support all of the Agency's federal advisory committees, including
the NAC and the GAC, which provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator, Congress
and the President on environmental issues. In engaging with the Agency's partners and stakeholders, the
NAC and the GAC play an important role in helping EPA to achieve its mission to protect human health
and the environment. She welcomed Ms. Nishida, Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)
Council U.S. Alternative Representative (Alt Rep), who briefed the committees later in the meeting.
Ms. Harris expressed appreciation to the committees for the hours of dedication and work that they
perform in advising the CEC and EPA Administrator. She then invited Dr. Theresa Pardo (University of
Albany, State University of New York), Chair of the NAC, and Mr. Jeffrey Wennberg (City of Rutland,
Vermont), Chair of the GAC, to provide an overview of the agenda.

Overview of the Agenda

Jeffrey Wennberg, Chair of the GAC
Theresa Pardo, Ph.D., Chair of the NAC

Mr. Wennberg thanked the members for attending and lending their insight, expertise and guidance on
advice of the greatest use that has been given to the Agency. He explained that the committees are
charged to address issues related to policy and/or assist with brainstorming ideas on a variety of topics.
The charge for today's meeting is focused on a singular topic—marine litter—which is somewhat of an
exception. The committees are asked to provide advice on marine litter activities in the public-private
sector or elsewhere that, if brought to EPA's attention, could be evaluated as models to emulate.

Dr. Pardo welcomed the committee members and thanked FACMD and OITA staff for their efforts. She
remarked on the privilege of planning and structuring these meetings to spark enthusiasm and ideas that
would culminate into advice for EPA. Dr. Pardo asked the meeting participants to introduce themselves.

Update on U.S. Priorities and Guidance and Tribal Update

Jane Nishida, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, OITA

Ms. Nishida welcomed colleagues from Mexico and the CEC, as well as all attendees, to the meeting. She
thanked the FACMD staff for facilitating and organizing the meeting, NAC/GAC Chairs for their
leadership, and OITA staff and committee members for their participation. Ms. Nishida provided an

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update on EPA/CEC activities, the April 25, 2018, CEC Alt Reps meeting, planning for the June 26-27,
2018 CEC Council Session and the advice letter charge. On February 12, 2018, EPA released its fiscal
year (FY) 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, which outlines overarching priorities to (1) refocus the core mission,
(2) advance cooperative federalism and (3) advance the rule of law and process. Participants were referred
to the full document, which can be accessed from the Agency's website, for further details. Two priorities
that align with the EPA Strategic Plan—Superfund sites and lead (Pb) contamination—were highlighted.
Efforts focus on accelerating the pace of cleanups and promoting reuse of contaminated Superfund sites,
which affects state, local and tribal governments. EPA initially identified 21 Superfund sites targeted for
immediate and intense action and recently updated the list to include sites relevant to tribes. Monitoring
and regulating exposure to Pb always has been a priority for EPA and has become especially important
since the event in Flint, Michigan, regarding exposure to Pb in drinking water. To address Pb
contamination broadly (i.e., in water, paint and soil), EPA Administrator Mr. Scott Pruitt and U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Administrator Mr. Alex Azar are co-chairing the Senior
Staff Steering Committee of the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks
to Children (established in 1997) to implement the 2016-2018 Federal Lead Strategy. Ms. Nishida
emphasized that EPA priorities leverage ongoing and new initiatives in state, local and tribal
governments.

On April 25, 2018, the CEC Alt Reps, Secretariat, and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC)
members met in Washington, D.C., to discuss the June 26-27, 2018 Council Session being held in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The theme of the 2018 Council Session is "Innovation and Partnerships for
Green Growth" and OITA staff—Mark Kasman, Director, Office of Regional and Bilateral Affairs, and
Luis Troche, Senior Advisor, North American Program—and North American counterparts are working
to develop the agenda. The program will (1) showcase research innovation, technology and partnerships
that align with EPA priorities and CEC projects, (2) engage youth and (3) engage the private sector.
Parallel to the 2018 Council Session, the National Weather Center (NWC), located on the campus of the
University of Oklahoma, will host the environmental ministers from the three countries and delegations to
observe a demonstration of the research, technology and atmospheric monitoring capabilities that support
green growth and climate resilience. The goal is to identify or further investigate projects or initiatives
that align with EPA priorities and CEC projects, such as how climate variability and change affects
pollination, agriculture, and food and marine transport.

Also, the CEC is partnering with two University of Oklahoma centers—the Tom Love Innovation Hub
and the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth—to sponsor the second CEC Youth
Innovation Challenge (YIC) on green growth. The YIC winners will be announced at the 2018 Council
Session and present their proposals to the environmental ministers, and the centers will work with YIC
winners to further develop their projects, research proposals and product marketing for
commercialization. Ms. Nishida thanked the NAC and the GAC for their successful advice on engaging
youth and the private sector in the CEC. In addition, the program will feature a roundtable discussion on
engaging the private sector by highlighting the University of Oklahoma's NWC public-private
partnerships with the United States and Canada and efforts to partner with Mexico. The 2018 Council
Public Session will convene a roundtable discussion consisting of the three environmental ministers and
representatives from state and local governments, academia, and public and private sectors to discuss
ways to promote and advance innovation and partnerships. The 2018 Council Session provisional agenda
is soon to be published; Cesar Rafael Chavez, Executive Director, CEC Secretariat, provided further
updates later in the meeting.

Members were informed that EPA established an Expert Advisory Committee consisting of private sector
and academic representatives from each of the three North American countries—Canada, Mexico and the
United States—to assist the CEC General Standing Committee in evaluating YIC proposals. The
Committee will report to the Parties (i.e., the government of Canada, the government of the United

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Mexican States and the government of the United States of America) a list of recommended nominees to
review, which will be forwarded to the Alt Reps for final considerations. EPA hopes that the Expert
Advisory Committee engages youth local to their regions and potentially fosters mentoring relationships.

Ms. Nishida provided an update on tribal affairs on behalf of the American Indian Environmental Office
(AIEO), who were attending the National Tribal Caucus (NTC) meeting held simultaneous to this
meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The NTC, the tribal advisory committee to EPA, is composed of tribal
representatives from the 10 EPA Regions. The NTC and AIEO are meeting to discuss three topics: the
Indian General Assistance Program, the Tribal Consultation Policy and tribal authorizations. Ongoing
efforts by the CEC to engage tribes were highlighted. Ms. Nishida reported that six of the nine FY 2018
CEC-funded North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) grants focus
on advancing the sustainability of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in indigenous communities in
the three North American countries. The CEC also advances TEK via the Local Environmental Observer
(LEO) Network established under the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. To date, the LEO
Network has expanded the program beyond Alaska and the Arctic region to establish LEO centers in
Bahia, California; Mexico City, Mexico; British Columbia, Canada; and the Northwest Territories,
Canada. It also has more than 2,000 new observers, made more than 13,000 new observations in 2017 and
is developing new projects in Sami indigenous communities in Scandinavian countries. In addition, EPA
Region 10 has developed a guidance document for assisting tribes in incorporating TEK into their local
projects. EPA's efforts to address tribal issues outside of the United States involve the Canada-U.S. Saint
John River shared watershed project and the transboundary mining issues in British Columbia, Canada,
which are of concern to tribes in Montana and Alaska.

Ms. Nishida called attention to two announcements prioritizing marine litter—the United Nations (UN)
Environment Assembly resolution by Member States on preventing marine litter and plastics and the
Group of Seven (G7) countries' commitment to take deliberate action to address marine litter and
debris—and the CEC project titled "Building Community Solutions for Marine Litter," which have
formed the backdrop for today's main topic. The NAC/GAC have been charged with providing advice on
how the CEC could enhance its efforts to broadly address marine litter in the three countries.

Question and Answer Period

Mr. Wennberg sought clarity on the committees' advice regarding marine litter, which also is a global
priority, as indicated by the UN and G7. Ms. Nishida clarified that the primary role of the NAC and GAC
is to provide advice to EPA, which also can be informative internationally.

In response to a query on the status of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations,
Ms. Nishida replied that discussions are ongoing and outstanding issues remain in general. Negotiations
are focused on the environmental chapter and cooperative mechanisms; the latest round of talks occurred
earlier in April 2018. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which represents the United States in
the negotiations, has made an effort to fast-track the U.S.-Mexico negotiations to a conclusion prior to the
Mexican presidential election on July 1, 2018.

Dr. Vincent R. Nathan (City of San Antonio, Texas), GAC member, noted that the United States has no
standards for the limits of Pb in soil, so the European standard for Pb in produce often is used.
Establishing such a standard for the United States would need to consider the regulations at the state level.

Dr. Aminata Kilungo (The University of Arizona), NAC member, asked about the Superfund site
standards. Ms. Nishida explained that Superfund site cleanup is a priority for the Agency and that EPA
experts in the Waste Office could best verify the accuracy of those standards.

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Dr. Ann Marie Chischilly (Northern Arizona University), GAC member, noted the Region 10 TEK
guidelines and her work on the climate change committee to develop guidelines that were accepted by the
U.S. Department of the Interior. She wondered whether a similar guidance was being developed in EPA.
Ms. Nishida noted that the Office of Land and Emergency Management has developed standards, as has
Region 10. The Tribal Science Council has looked at the use of TEK and confidentiality issues.

Mr. Kelly C. Wright (Fort Hall Indian Reservation), GAC member, is an expert in Superfund cleanup and
serves on the Tribal Science Council, NTC and Regional Tribal Caucus. He complimented EPA on its
efforts regarding the Colorado River Gold King Mine event and its handling of the Flint, Michigan, crisis.
Mr. Wright suggested that any enforcement of standards by delegations to states should consider that each
tribe is different, the incorporation of TEK in geographical locations varies, and frequent followup is
necessary. Ms. Nishida explained that the Superfund site cleanup is a priority for EPA; standards exist,
but these could be revisited. Dr. Nathan added that the Colorado River U.S.-Mexico treaty was established
based on the Law of the River, which was a TEK concept.

Ms. Marina Brock (Massachusetts Department of Health and Environment), GAC member, asked about
the partners in the Federal Strategy on Lead. Ms. Nishida will ensure that a list of the member agencies on
the coordinated Federal Strategy on Lead is forwarded to the committees.

Mr. Wennberg commented on some of the excellent examples of cooperative federalism in EPA
regarding state and local governments, but noted that others could be improved. Ms. Sally Ann Gonzales
(Arizona House of Representatives), GAC member, commented on her work in the Arizona government
and noted that a list of the exemplary programs on cooperative federalism would be helpful. Ms. Nishida
called attention to the newly established partnership between NTC and the Environmental Council of
States and the efforts to identify good examples of cooperative federalism that could be shared with the
NAC and the GAC in the future.

Ms. Sara Hopper (DowDuPont), NAC member, elaborated on her experience with other agencies (e.g.,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture) on federal policies that provide state and local governments the
flexibility to tailor their own environmental programs, but such a decentralized approach can be
challenging to regulate on the national level. This issue also could affect the establishment of partnerships
in the three countries.

Ms. Nishida appreciates the comments and feedback on the Agency's Strategic Plan and will ensure that
the committees' questions are answered by the appropriate EPA office in a timely manner.

Federal Government Initiatives on Marine Litter

Robert S. Benson, Acting Chief, Partner Programs Branch, Office of Water (Off)

Robert S. Benson, Acting Chief, Partner Programs Branch, OW, reported on the domestic activities of
EPA's Trash-Free Waters (TFW) Program, an analytical, strategic and decentralized program supported
Agency-wide that addresses a quintessential non-point-source problem and that has an internal listserv of
200 members. Mr. Benson noted that the issue of trash in waters was traditionally referred to as marine
debris, a term that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains today per its
authorizing statues. Marine debris—large pieces of material resulting from national disasters, shipwrecks,
or fishing gear—that end up in the ocean differs from the smaller pieces of trash, which EPA refers to as
marine litter or aquatic trash. He emphasized marine litter as a global problem and priority, a pollutant
and water quality problem not a problem of aesthetics.

Mr. Benson discussed the impact of aquatic and plastic trash, the cost to the United States and the role of
federal agencies in addressing marine litter. Approximately 80 percent of aquatic trash comes from land-

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based sources, and plastics comprise 60 to 80 percent of marine litter and are ingested by marine
lifeforms. The potential marine litter-related human health is being evaluated. More than 51 billion (B)
pieces of litter end up on U.S. roads each year, costing more than $11.5 B annually in cleanup and local
governments spend millions of dollars each year on cleanup efforts. The Ocean Conservancy monitors
and reports on the types of trash being collected worldwide. Among the top 10 items collected, single use
items, including cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, bottle caps, and straws, were predominant.

Mr. Benson noted that 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, of which, microplastics are
ubiquitous. If this trend continues, it is estimated that there will be 1 pound of trash in the ocean for 3
pounds of fish by 2020. The TFW Program focuses on addressing prevention and methods to improve
human behaviors. He strongly emphasized that EPA and the TFW Program thinks that plastics do offer
societal benefits for the purpose in which they were designed, but recognizes that plastics become an
issue when they end up in the oceans and break down into microparticles. EPA is focused on preventing
plastics from entering the waterways, encouraging the American Chemical Council (ACC) and others to
consider non-toxic recyclable alternatives to plastic and conducting research to better understand the
impact of microplastics on human health that could inform decision-making and policy. Mr. Benson
reported on the international and U.S. calls for action and the federal agency roles to address marine litter,
including the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee led by NOAA.

Mr. Benson elaborated on the four focus areas of the TFW Program (1) research, (2) international efforts,
(3) public/private partnerships and (4) regional strategies. For research, TFW convened the Microplastics
Experts Workshop held June 28-29, 2017, to set priorities and develop recommendations. A final report
was published on December 4, 2017, and can be accessed from EPA's website. Other efforts include
conducting technical webinars, sponsoring fish tissue studies and advising on citizen science sampling
protocols. In addition, the Office of Research and Development at EPA has made microplastics research a
priority and an official EPA microplastics research working group has been established. Internationally,
TFW supports U.S. delegations at international marine trash conferences and engages in multi-national
and bilateral work, including pilot projects in the Caribbean and South America.

Regarding public-private partnerships, EPA is working with the private sector and corporate sponsors to
collaborate on source-reduction efforts and solutions to the marine plastics problem via technology
innovation. Mr. Benson highlighted one example of an EPA- public-private partnership, the Trash-Free
Trinity Program, that involves multiple stakeholder engagement and investments to address marine litter
in the Texas Trinity River. Regional strategies, an area of greatest interest to the CEC, includes working
with EPA Regions on strategic planning and developing tools and resources to support state/local
programs. Mr. Benson called attention to two EPA publications—Aquatic Trash Prevention National
Great Practices Compendium and the Atlas of Gulf States— and highlighted new national TFW projects.

Question and Answer Period

Mr. Donald K. Harris (Amerris Consulting, LLC), NAC member, noted that the Flint River Watershed
Coalition (Flint, Michigan) focuses on the biological and chemical aspects of the water, has a robust
youth component and would be an initiative with which to consider partnering. Mr. Benson commented
on TFW's citizen science efforts that are engaging youth.

Mr. Donald Harrris wondered about the impact of cigarette butts on marine litter and suggested including
tobacco manufactuers in EPA's TFW efforts. Mr. Benson commented that Ocean Conservancy and the
Trash Free Seas Alliance (TFSA) have taken the lead on this issue and that Altria (formerly Phillip
Morris) is a member of the TFSA. Mr. Harris also pointed out that major tourist attractions and resorts are
temporarily closing their beaches for underwater cleanups, which could affect the local economy and
jobs. Ms. Hopper had knowledge that many of the Carribbean islands and certain regions in the United

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States do not have recycling programs. Members suggested that approaches to consider include engaging
the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, as well as cities in the United States, in plastic recycling
(e.g., partnerships). Leveraging successful pilot studies and convening stakeholder meetings would be
places to start.

Ms. Nazarat Sandoval (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality), GAC member, called attention
to the Alliance for the Great Lakes and its Adopt-a-Beach Program as a successful group with programs
to leverage.

Dr. Donna L. Lybecker (Idaho State University), NAC member, suggested striking a balance between
responsibility and regulation by framing the message to the public on preventing/reducing marine litter in
a way that speaks to the spiritual side of individuals rather than focusing solely on the cost.

Dr. Chischilly pointed out that the lack of codes for dumping trash and lack of proper enforcement of
existing codes are issues in some tribal communities. Citizen-initiated efforts—such as the campaign to
clean up beaches in Mumbai, India, run by UN Environment Champions of the Earth Inspiration and
Action Award winner and Mumbai-based attorney Afroz Shaz—can be studied as models.

Public Comment Period

No public comments were offered.

CEC Update on Operational Plan (OP) and NAPECA Grants

Cesar Rafael Chavez, Executive Director, CEC Secretariat

Mr. Chavez updated members on the 2017-2018 OP cooperative projects and ongoing initiatives and the
FY 2018 NAPECA grants. He noted that the 2018 projects are being accelerated and are scheduled to be
completed by the end of the calendar year. This adjustment reflects the budget and timeline considerations
related to the CEC's transitioning to a new institutional approach.

Mr. Chavez detailed the progress to date of the 10 active 2017-2018 OP cooperative projects approved at
the 2017 Council Session.

1.	Monitoring Health Impacts From Extreme Heat Events. Collaboration agreements with health
agencies in Arizona, Chihuahua and British Columbia are currently being drafted.

2.	Reducing Pollution From Maritime Transport. The Emission Control Area designation
proposal for Mexico has been finalized, and a meeting on best practices for reducing pollution
from shipping and port operations was held March 20-22, 2018.

3.	Improving Black Carbon Emissions Inventory Data for Small-Scale Biomass Combustion.

Data collection surveys are being implemented for 21 U.S. states, and the scope and process for
data collection activities is being planned for Canada and Mexico.

4.	Measuring Mitigation of Food Loss and Food Waste (FLW). The FLW Protocol Steering
Committee and the Group of Experts will hold an in-person meeting May 15-17, 2018, to discuss
methodologies and best practices. The request for proposals for a youth engagement consultant
has been published, and proposals are due by May 3, 2018.

5.	Increasing Industrial Energy Efficiency Through ISO 500001. An International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) 50001 energy management training tailored for supply chains was

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designed and launched, and the U.S. Department of Energy's 50001 Ready Navigator Tool has
been translated into French and Spanish for training.

6.	Supporting Sustainable Trade of CITES (Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species). Priority action plans for implementation of CEC-developed trilateral
action plans were identified. A CEC-Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) website was launched, and a video was produced to disseminate trinational efforts to
support sustainable trade in sharks, tarantulas, turtles/tortoises and timber species.

7.	Conserving Shorebirds Through Community Engagement. Conservation monitoring and
outreach activities are in progress at eight sites along the Pacific and Atlantic flyways. Site
exchanges to share knowledge and best practices are planned for late April 2018. The 2018
Ecotourism Training Workshop will be held May 16-18, 2018, on the Georgia Barrier Islands,
Saint Simons Island, Georgia.

8.	Science for Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation. The Monarch Butterfly Research
and Monitoring Workshop was held February 6-8, 2018, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Monitoring of nectar resources and monarch populations is ongoing in northeastern Mexico.
Research on the natal origins of monarch butterflies at overwintering sites in Mexico is in
progress.

9.	Strengthening Adaptive Capacity of Marine Protected Areas. A scoping exercise for the
Coastal Mitigation and Adaptation Toolkit was conducted in parallel to the January 23-24, 2018,
Workshop on Resources for Coastal Mitigation and Adaptation in Marine Protected Areas held in
La Paz, Baja, California.

10.	Building Community Solutions for Marine Litter. Data on the sources, composition and areas
of trash accumulation are being collected. Training and events with citizen scientists also are
being conducted. A series of binational stakeholder meetings will take place between
representatives from the United States and Canada on May 4, 2018, in Imperial Beach, California,
and on May 7, 2018, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Mr. Chavez reported on ongoing initiatives at the CEC. A new continental land coverage map at a
30-meter resolution for the North American Land Change Monitoring System was published. The North
American Environmental Atlas continues to expand with updated map layers on blue carbon and
protected areas. The North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers Taking Stock Report Volume 15
was published on April 24, 2018. The database for the North American Portal on Climate Pollutants is
being updated with the most recent data submissions to the United Nations Framework Convention of
Climate Change.

Mr. Chavez updated the committees on the CEC's community grants program and the NAPECA grants.
The CEC funded nine NAPECA grants for FY 2018. Of the nine grants, six are focused on TEK; three
support projects in Canada; three in Mexico; and three in the United States. He noted that projects were
funded for 1-year and are scheduled to be completed in the calendar year.

Update on SEM and Status of Submissions

Robert Moyer, Director, Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM), Legal Senior Advisor, CEC

Secretariat

Lisa Goldman, Office of General Counsel, EPA

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Mr. Robert Moyer, Director, SEM, CEC Secretariat, reported on the active submissions, submissions
terminated by Council votes and outreach activities. Four submissions are currently active and are being
reviewed, including the Mexico City Metrobus and Transboundary Agricultural Burning submissions.
The Alberta Tailings Pond II submission is being considered for a factual record by the CEC Secretariat.
A draft of a factual record for the Agricultural Waste Burning in Sonora submission was submitted to the
Council, and comments are due by May 8, 2018.

Mr. Moyer reported that seven submissions were dismissed by the Council, of the seven, two were
dismissed unanimously due to a pending legal proceeding and one was dismissed on a 2:1 vote. Two
submissions were dismissed without a written explanation being provided, which preceded the Executive
Orders establishing policies for voting on factual records.

The CEC Secretariat is partnering with the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) on outreach
activities for 2018. Funds may be available to support speakers; NAC and GAC members interested in
participating are welcome to contact Mr. Moyer for further details.

JPAC Report

Gustavo Alanis-Ortega, Chair, JPAC

Mr. Gustavo Alanis Ortega, Chair, JPAC, presented an update on JPAC activities. The November 2017
JPAC meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois, and convened a public forum on the theme titled "NAFTA's
Environmental Side Agreement: Assessing the Past, Looking Towards the Future." The session brought
together a select group of environmental experts to report on the role of the CEC in the context of the
North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), to discuss the impact of the CEC,
and to discuss future directions.

The JPAC submitted an advice letter to the Council on the November 2017 session that detailed the
recommendations, which focused on the convening role of the CEC; leveraging resources; stakeholder
engagement; knowledge generation and sharing and public mechanism related to environmental laws.

The JPAC is actively planning the public forum for the June 26-27, 2018 Council Session and the fall
2018 JPAC meeting, which will focus on outreach and visibility of the CEC.

United Nations (UN) Update on Marine Litter Initiatives

Carla Fredrick, Program Officer, UN Environment, North America Office

Ms. Carla Friedrich, Program Officer, UN Environment, described the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP), the UN Environment's marine litter efforts and noted the issue. Annually, 8 million tons of
plastic end up in the oceans. Plastic constitutes 60 to 80 percent of all marine litter. Marine litter harms
more than 600 marine species, costs approximately $8 B in damage to the marine ecosystem and is
potentially harmful to human health. The UNEP was established in 1972; is the leading global
environment authority of the UN; is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and has the mission to provide
leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment across key programmatic areas. The
UNEP has a global presence, including a regional office in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Friedrich explained that the UNEP and UN Environment are responsible for implementing the
environment-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators for the UN and the 17 SDGs for
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She noted that approximately half of the 17 SDGs are
directly environmental in focus or address the sustainability of natural resources, poverty and health. The
UN Environment Assembly, the world's highest level decision-making body on the environment, has

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recognized marine litter and microplastics as a key priority in its 2014, 2016 and 2017 resolutions. The
fourth UN Assembly will convene in March 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Ms. Friedrich described the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, the relaunch of the Marine Litter
Network and the Clean Seas global campaign. She called attention to the 2018 World Environment Day
scheduled for June 5, 2018. India is the host country, and the theme is "Beat Plastic Pollution." New
Orleans, Louisiana, will be the host city for the United States.

Question and Answer Period

Dr. Nathan noted that efforts to remove marine litter deposited deep into the ocean bed also should be
considered; he sought clarity on the scope of the UN marine litter initiatives. Mr. Friedrich clarified that
the UN Environment marine litter initiatives are focusing upstream to prevent additional plastics from
ending up in the oceans.

Mr. Donald Harris pointed out that Southeast Asia is the source of a large percentage of the marine litter
from plastic waste, but fewer countries from Southeast Asia participate in the UN Environment marine
litter initiatives than from regions that contribute less marine litter.

Private Sector Initiatives on Marine Litter

Stewart Harris, Director, Marine and Environmental Stewardship, Plastics Division, American

Chemistry Council (ACC)

Jennifer Ronk, Sustainability and Advocacy Manager, North America, Dow Packaging and Specialty
Plastics, The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) (via Adobe® Connect)

Mr. Stewart Harris, Director, Marine and Environmental Stewardship, Plastics Division, ACC, presented
ACC's perspective on marine debris. Representing U.S. plastics manufacturers, the ACC recognizes that
the societal benefits of using plastics (e.g., energy and cost savings and reductions in food waste and
greenhouse gas emissions) are lost if the product harms the natural environment. Southeast Asia
contributes to approximately 60 percent of plastic marine debris, which is caused primarily by waste
mismanagement. Many countries in this region continue to have inadequate infrastructure despite rapid
economic development. He called attention to the Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for
Solutions on Marine Litter document, an outcome of the 2011 UN/NOAA International Marine Debris
Conference, which was published in 2016.

Mr. Harris next detailed ACC's efforts to address the global declaration six-point strategy, the progress to
date, domestic and international partnerships for litter prevention, marine debris projects, and recycling
and recovery initiatives. As of 2017, the ACC had 75 members from 40 countries working on 355
projects. The ACC is engaged in several domestic partnerships that include the installation of waste bins
in coastal California areas, the Rozalia project, SAVE THE BAY™ and the Beachy Clean public
campaign. The ACC supports governmental policy to enact marine litter initiatives, such as the
Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 and the Save Our Seas Act. The ACC also is involved in
international partnerships, including Net-Works™ recycling programs in the Philippines and programs in
partnership with the University of Toronto. The goal of the Trash Free Seas Alliance® is to improve
countries' infrastructure (i.e., trash collection) to reduce marine debris. Through a $150,000,000 fund—
the Closed Loop Ocean program—developing countries are provided low-interest loans to improve their
waste management infrastructure.

Mr. Harris outlined additional programs in the United States aimed at promoting recycling. The Materials
Recovery for the Future program is a sortation and recycling project for flexible film. Through a
memorandum of understanding between the ACC and EPA, the Wrap Recycling Action Program

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(WRAP) focuses on the recycling of flexible plastic film. WRAP aims to double the rate of film recycling
by 2020 to 2 billion pounds. Mr. Harris concluded his talk by mentioning the importance of stewarding
plastic pellets used in the manufacturing industry to prevent unnecessary loss and called attention to the
25-year Operation Clean Sweep® initiative design to reduce pellet loss.

Ms. Jennifer Ronk, Sustainability and Advocacy Manager, North America, Dow Packaging and Specialty
Plastics, The Dow Chemical Company, presented on plastic innovation and marine litter prevention from
a plastic pellet producer's perspective. She reported on Dow's 2025 sustainability goals and the efforts to
address those goals that include decreasing waste, increasing recycling and recovery, and eliminating
marine litter.

Ms. Ronk detailed examples of ways Dow is putting into practice its initiatives to reduce and eliminate
marine litter, such as the Produce Rescue Center and the Dow INTUNE™ compatibilization technology to
increase the recyclability of multi-material, multi-layered consumer products. This is accomplished by
reducing the complexity or number of layers of materials. The EnergyBag™ Program focuses on
converting non-recycled plastic items into usable energy.

Ms. Ronk emphasized the importance of leadership and science-driven partnerships to implement these
programs. Dow has partnered with Closed Loop Ocean to help solve infrastructure problems in Southeast
Asia. She described five approaches (advocacy, research, development, stewardship, and education and
outreach) that Dow is using to help solve the problem of marine litter.

Question and Answer Period

Mr. Donald Harris noted the common practice of oversized packaging relative to the internal contents and
asked about recyclable products. Ms. Stephanie McCoy, FACMD, ORAM, EPA, wondered whether the
plastic wrap used to package beverages was recyclable. Ms. Ronk explained that polyethylene products
are currently the only type of plastics that are recycled. Recommendations to manufacturers to produce
recyclable packaging products are ongoing, and engineering strategies are being developed.

Local Government Initiatives on Marine Litter

Julie Lawson, Director, Mayor's Office of the Clean City, District of Columbia

Ms. Julie Lawson, Director, Mayor's Office of the Clean City, District of Columbia, described work the
Mayor's Office of the Clean City in Washington, D.C., is doing to reduce/prevent marine litter. She titled
her presentation "From Streets to Streams to the Sea: Reducing Plastic Pollution in Washington, D.C."
and began with two issues that prompted the need for policy changes. In 2008, EPA declared the
Anacostia River impaired by trash under the Clean Water Act due to significant levels of debris that
prevented full use of the river. Therefore, the three local governments—Montgomery and Prince George's
Counties and Washington, D.C.—now must meet annual goals to prevent trash entering the waterway and
remove existing trash.

Ms. Lawson discussed the historical timeline of the activities to date, including policy changes and
interventions. In 2009, trash traps were installed in Nash Run tributary to prevent waste from entering the
Anacostia River. Approximately 50 percent of the trash collected from the tributary consisted of plastic
bags. A year later, the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act was enacted, imposing a 5-cent fee for
each purchased disposable paper or plastic bag. This Act reduced plastic bag use by 60 percent with
3 weeks of the law taking effect and today is being maintained at 72 percent.

Prior to joining the Mayor's Office of the Clean City, Ms. Lawson was executive director of Trash Free
Maryland (TFMD). She emphasized how the efforts of TFMD affected D.C. and the surrounding areas

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and expanded her talk to include the entire state of Maryland. She elaborated on a 2008 public opinion
survey conducted by the Alice Ferguson Foundation and the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative in
collaboration with D.C., Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions. As a direct outcome of this survey, the
Regional Litter Prevention Campaign was launched in 2011. This campaign recognizes the significance to
environmental efforts of increasing public awareness and changing community behaviors. In 2015,
Maryland passed a law banning the use of microbeads, and Maryland implemented a ban on foam-based
food packaging the following year.

Ms. Lawson noted some of the efforts of the Mayor's Office of the Clean City, including citywide
cleanups and the Adopt-A-Block and Adopt Your City Programs. D.C. also is implementing programs to
curb the rate of rodent infestation in the city. One long-term goal of the office's environmental programs
is to ensure the Anacostia River is fishable and swimmable by 2032.

Question and Answer Period

In response to a question from Dr. Pardo about the characteristics of a successful trash-free program,
Ms. Lawson responded that the key to developing a coherent multi-prong trash-free program that aims to
inform policy change is to determine the area needing the most improvement and design and develop
interventions to address that need. Programs developed should be relevant to the community being served.

Plastic Alternatives: Developing the Innovative Ecosystem

Daniella D. Russo, CEO, Think Beyond Plastic

Ms. Daniella Russo, CEO, Think Beyond Plastic, discussed alternatives to plastics and the role of
innovation. Think Beyond Plastic partnered with UN Environment to develop the 2017 Innovation
Challenge that attracted the attention of more than 1,300 innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors and other
participants from across the globe. Ms. Russo emphasized that the focus is on innovation rather than
research and development. The goal is to transition research into commercially viable solutions.

Ms. Russo detailed the six components of the Think Beyond Plastic's innovation ecosystem that include
demand creation; identify and formulate research; accelerate commercialization; develop the investment
engine; regional pilots and economic policies. She described the services provided in Think Beyond
Plastic's Innovation Center and touched on mentoring and strategic partnerships.

Ms. Russo next highlighted new materials and products that the Innovation Center is helping to accelerate
to viable alternatives to plastics. Think Beyond Plastic is partnering with California State University,
Monterey Bay to launch the Sam Farr Innovation Center, a major step in supporting the innovation
ecosystem.

Summary and Next Steps

Mr. Carrillo explained the logistics for the following day and completion of the meeting agenda.

Dr. Pardo noted that the lightning talks from NAC and GAC members on marine litter have been
rescheduled for Day 2 of the meeting. The meeting was recessed at 5:35 p.m. EDT.

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Friday, April 27, 2018

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Carrillo, who noted that the day's agenda focused on the business
meeting of the NAC/GAC. He introduced Ms. Stephanie McCoy, FACMD, ORAM, EPA, to provide
logistical information regarding travel vouchers and other matters.

Plenary: Joint Committee Meeting

Dr. Pardo explained the logistics for the business meeting. Members planned to spend time reviewing the
charge, transition to the 5-minute lightning talks on marine litter, and call for public comments.
Committees planned to meet separately to formulate recommendations for the advice letters. She invited
NAC and GAC members to present their marine litter initiatives.

Dr. Chischilly presented the tribal perspective on marine litter prevention. She noted that this report was
generated by staff at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona
University and thanked Riley Smith, ITEP, for her efforts. Tribes rely on lakes for sustenance, and
amounts of food consumed can be significant. In fact, the marine-based food consumption levels for
tribes in Seattle, Washington, are such that each individual is likely consuming mercury from seafood at
four times the limit imposed by EPA. A concern in the tribal communities is that access to clean food,
including wild-caught fish with safe mercury levels, is limited. Dr. Chischilly provided an overview of
the ongoing efforts in the tribal community to actively address marine litter, including projects to build
community solutions, opportunities for incorporating TEK into projects, and coastal tribes' involvement
in marine protection rights. She noted that a detailed report was circulated to the committees prior to the
meeting.

Mr. Donald Harris presented on how the single-use product concept is being used to reduce the generation
of plastic waste. He noted two examples that are likely to reduce marine litter: Taiwan announced its
plans to ban the use of plastic straws by 2030, and plans to ban microbeads in the United States. Although
banning products cannot be dismissed as a strategy, Mr. Harris commented that changing attitudes on
littering should be the first priority. Moving away from the single-use concept should be considered
broadly.

Dr. Nathan described the Honolulu Strategy, a framework developed in 2011 by the global marine debris
community as a product of the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference held in collaboration with
UNEP. This conference focused on marine habitats, global economy, biodiversity and public health
awareness. He noted the history of litter and the strategies to reduce litter in general. Regulations and
controls were not in place in the 1940s, and permissions were given to bury waste and/or dump contents
to the oceans. Dr. Nathan highlighted the city of Houston's Rivers, Lakes, Bays N' Bayous Trash Bash®,
a 1-day waterway cleanup event. In 2018, youth under the age of 18 accounted for 50 percent of the total
volunteers. To date, the 109,421 volunteers in the program successfully removed 2.274 tons of trash and
11,065 tires from the Galveston Bay Watershed.

Ms. Sandoval reported on the state of Michigan's efforts to prevent trash from entering the Great Lakes.
She elaborated on the Alliance for the Great Lakes and its 25-year Adopt-a-Beach Program, which aligns
with the 2014-2019 Great Lakes Land-Based Marine Debris Action Plan. Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have
organized cleanup campaigns across the Great Lakes region, developed standards and procedures for
collecting samples and generated data. Ms. Sandoval noted the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) Coastal Management Grants. Further details can be accessed from the DEQ website.

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Question and Answer Period

Ms. Sally Ann Gonzales (Arizona House of Representatives), GAC member, pointed out that need for
single use products in tribal communities that are located in remote regions and do not have access to
water and cleaning supplies.

Members called attention to the lessons learned from the River Rouge (Detroit, Michigan) cleanup efforts.
Dr. Chischilly suggested partnering with schools to engage youth in marine litter initiatives.

Dr. Kilungo noted a long-term approach to addressing marine litter, reduction from the source and a
short-term approach, changing human behaviors. Dr. Pardo added that a third focus area, efforts to
address litter downstream.

Public Comment Period

No public comments were offered.

GAC Separate Meeting

Mr. Wennberg opened the GAC discussion and reminded members of the charge. The committee was
asked to provide advice to EPA for the CEC to further advance the CEC agenda. In the broader context, if
the parties then agree on goals and objectives based on the committee's recommendations, the
opportunity exists to further the agenda in the three countries.

Dr. Nathan observed that the chemical industry is not assuming ownership of the fact that the products
they produce contribute to the marine litter issue and has shifted responsibility to the individual. He
suggested that the committee should focus on ways to message, train and commit individuals to
preventing marine litter. Youth engagement efforts usually are successful. The government can impose
regulations on industry, but consumers still would need to be educated on recyclable plastics. Ms. Patty
Acomb (City of Minnetonka), GAC member, pointed out that manufacturers are responsive to supply,
demand and market for plastics. Until that changes, the problem will persist. Recommendations should
focus on changing behaviors, not industry.

Members discussed recyclable plastics and behaviors. Consumers are not asked to choose the type of
plastic bag to use; labeling the products as recyclable or non-recyclable and giving consumers a choice
would be helpful. Educating the consumer on product labeling would be necessary but will not solve the
problem. Mr. Wright commented that plastic containers often are the only choice available to the
consumer. Focusing training on the youth educates the parents as well. Dr. Nathan commented on the use
of color-coded bags to segregate recyclable and non-recyclable plastics.

Mr. Wennberg moved the discussion to recommendations for the advice letter. Members commented that
recommendations could be structured to address multiple layers of the problem. Education would be at
the core of such a strategy. The top-down approach of government regulating industry is less likely to be
effective than strategies that focus on education. The Master Water Stewards Program focuses on water
quality and has an educational component, so it could be a good model. Use of the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act concept would be another potential approach. Participants recommended that the
groups involved consider imposing a tax on products that pose a burden on the environment, which could
then be used to establish a fund to support innovative projects to develop alternative products. The advice
letter also should emphasize the need for research on the public health implications of plastics.

Participants suggested that the three countries consider partnering on a marine litter mitigation effort.

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NAC Separate Meeting

Dr. Pardo opened the NAC discussion by restating the charge. She reiterated that the goal is to provide
advice on best practices regarding marine litter activities.

Members discussed potential best practices, incentive programs, policy development, outreach and
partnerships. Ms. Hopper recommended including in the advice letter that a more in-depth analysis and
accurate characterization is required to develop best practices. Leveraging the resources of the TFW
Program and the expertise of Mr. Benson could lead to formulation of best practices on marine litter.
Mr. Andrew P. Carey (U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership [BPP]), NAC member, called
attention to the challenge of implementing best practices in developing countries, which typically are low-
resource settings and lack the necessary infrastructure (e.g., solid waste removal services) to support litter
prevention. Mr. Carlos Perez (Galica, LLC), NAC member, pointed out that marine litter is a result of
existing problems, such as inadequate public sanitation and social infrastructure.

Members discussed potential approaches to improve community behavior and develop new governmental
policies. Members recommended building an effective public policy campaign to promote marine litter
management. Changing community behavior and enacting new policies are important strategies.
Dr. Chischilly suggested improving community solid waste management practices and incentivizing
recycling. Members noted the importance of identifying and evaluating data that describe the approaches
most effective in changing human behavior. Mr. Donald Harris noted the significance of engaging
existing organizations and youth. Partnering with the fishing industry could be considered. Another
incentivizing approach is creating programs that will employ individuals from the community to clean
litter.

Members discussed the formation of international collaborations to mitigate marine litter. Implementing
marine litter initiatives in developing countries requires engagement with the UN. Leverage existing
public-private partnerships. Members thought that creating microfinancing services for low-income areas
(e.g., tribal communities) would be an effective incentivizing approach. Identifying cost-effective
measures to promote cooperation between countries should be considered. A member suggested that each
country contribute financially to the UN-based initiative to prevent marine litter and plastics.

Concerning outreach, some members expressed interest in contacting corporations (e.g., McDonald's) to
help implement public awareness about waste. Ms. Simone Sagovac (Southwest Detroit Community
Benefits), NAC member, emphasized the importance of educating the public regarding the contribution of
land-based waste to the development of marine litter. Some members expressed concern about targeting
youth for litter mitigation initiatives because younger people may not have the tools to implement certain
practices. Other members agreed that engaging youth is important to sustain long-term approaches. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its programs could serve as a model for
implementing regional initiatives. Also, the three countries could work with CDC to implement each
nation's best practices.

Members provided closing comments and suggestions. Dr. Pardo recommended that the members review
case studies (e.g., Atmospheric Trust Litigation) that relate to marine litter.

Committees Reconvene in Plenary Session

Reports From the NAC and GAC Chairs

Committee Chairs Dr. Pardo and Mr. Wennberg explained that deliberations will be finalized and NAC
and GAC advice letters generated, which will be shared with each committee's respective members for
their comments. Final advice letters will be forwarded to EPA.

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Adjournment

Dr. Pardo and Mr. Wennberg adjourned the meeting at 12:01 p.m. EDT.

Action Items

~	Mr. Carrillo will forward to the committees a link to EPA's Strategic Plan.

~	Mr. Carrillo will forward to the committees speakers' PowerPoint presentation slides.

~	Mr. Wennberg will forward to the committees a list of EPA exemplary programs related to
cooperative federalism.

~	Members will forward to Mr. Carrillo information on state and local environmental groups
focused on coastal water cleanups that EPA could engage in the marine litter initiative and/or the
TFW Program.

~	Members wanting to participate as speakers in the CEC Secretariat SEM 2018 outreach activities
should contact Mr. Moyer.

~	Dr. Pardo will share her draft advice letter on best practices being implemented by state and local
governments, the private sector, academia and local communities to address marine litter with the
NAC members for their comments.

~	Mr. Wennberg will share his draft advice letter on best practices being implemented by state and
local governments, the private sector, academia and local communities to address marine litter
with the GAC members for their comments.

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Summary Certification

I, Jeffrey Wennberg, Chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee, and I, Theresa Pardo, Chair of the
National Advisory Committee, certify that the meeting minutes for the dates of April 26-27, 2018, as
hereby detailed, contain a record of the persons present and give an accurate description of matters
discussed and conclusions reached and copies of all reports received, issued or approved by the advisory
committees. My signature date complies with the 90-day due date after each meeting required by the GSA
Final Rule.

Jeffrey Wennberg
Chair, GAC

Theresa Pardo
Chair, NAC

July 20, 2018

July 19, 2018

Date

Date

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Appendix A: Meeting Participants

NAC Members

Theresa Pardo, Ph.D., Chair

Director

Center for Technology in Government
Associate Professor of Public Administration
and Policy

University at Albany - State University of New
York

Andrew P. Carey

Executive Director

U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership

Ann Marie Chischilly, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Northern Arizona University

Donald K. Harris

President and Founder
Amerris Consulting, LLC

Tracy Hester, J.D.

Professor of Practice
University of Houston Law Center

Sara E. Hopper

Manager

Agricultural Division
DowDuPont

Aminata P. Kilungo, Ph.D.

Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public
Health

Department of Health and Promotion Science
The University of Arizona

Donna L. Lybecker, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair
Department of Political Science
Idaho State University

Carlos Perez

Principal
Galica LLC

Simone Sagovac

Project Director

Southwest Detroit Community Benefits
Coalition

GAC Members

Jeffrey Wennberg, Chair

Commissioner of Public Works
City of Rutland, Vermont

Patty Acomb

City Council Member
Government Administration
City of Minnetonka, Minnesota

Marina M. Brock

Senior Environmental Specialist
Environmental Health Division
Department of Health and the Environment
Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Sally Ann Gonzales

State Representative

Arizona House of Representatives

Vincent R. Nathan, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Assistant Health Director
Metropolitan Health District
City of San Antonio, Texas

C. Nazaret Sandoval

Environmental Engineer

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

Kelly C. Wright

Program Manager

Environmental Waste Manager Program
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Fort Hall Indian Reservation

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Designated Federal Officer
Oscar Carrillo

Federal Advisory Committee Management
Division

Office of Administration and Resources

Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA Participants

Robert Benson

Acting Director
Partnership Programs Branch
Office of Water

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Geraldine Brown

Federal Advisory Committee Management
Division

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Lisa Goldman

Office of General Counsel

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Monisha Harris

Federal Advisory Committee Management
Division

Office of Administration and Resources

Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Andrew Horan

Office of Water

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mark Kasman

Director

Office of Regional and Bilateral Affairs
Office of International and Tribal Affairs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Emma Maschal

Office of Water

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Stephanie McCoy

Federal Advisory Committee Management
Division

Office of Administration and Resources

Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Jane Nishida

Acting Assistant Administrator
Office of International and Tribal Affairs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Luis Troche

Senior Advisor

North American Program

Office of International and Tribal Affairs

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Other Participants

Gustavo Alanis-Ortega

Chair

Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC)
Cintia Ameziia

Secretariat of Environment and Natural
Resources

Cesar Rafael Chavez

Executive Director

Commission for Environmental Cooperation
(CEC) Secretariat

Nathalie Daoust

CEC Liaison

Carla Feiedrich

Program Officer

United Nations Environment

North America Office

Stuart Harris

Director

Marine and Environmental Stewardship
Plastics Division
American Chemical Council

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Lisa Lawson

Director

Mayor's Office of the Clean City
District of Columbia

Robert Moyer

Unit Director

Submissions on Enforcement Matters
Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Marcela Orozco

JPAC Liaison Officer

Jennifer Ronk

Sustainability and Advocacy Manager, North

America
The Dow Chemical Company

Daniella Russo

CEO

Think Beyond Plastic™

Contractor Staff

Carolyn J. Fisher, Ph.D.

The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc.

April 26-27, 2018 NAC/GAC Meeting Summary

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Appendix B: Meeting Agenda

1NAC

tni/irnnmont inrl Trortn \A/nrl/inn

Environment and Trade Working Together

Advisors for a Sustainable Future

Official Meeting of the
National and Governmental Advisory Committees to the
U.S. Representative to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation

April 26-27, 2018
U.S. EPA WJC North
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, l\IW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Tel: 202-564-2294 fax: 202-564-8129
4/26/2018 ~FINAL~

AGENDA

~EPA NETI Conference Room 6045 WJC North ~

Thursday. April 26. 2018

9:00 a.m.

Registration

9:30 a.m. Call to Order and Introductions

Oscar Carrillo, Designated Federal Officer, EPA

9:35 a.m. Welcome

Monisha Harris, Director, Federal Advisory Committee Management, EPA

9:40 a.m. Overview of Agenda

Theresa Pardo, Chair of the National Advisory Committee
Jeff Wennberg, Chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee

9:55 a.m. Update on U.S. Priorities & Guidance, Tribal Update

Jane T. Nishida, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator (PDAA), OITA, EPA

10:50 a.m.

BREAK

11:00 a.m. Federal Government Initiatives on Marine Litter

Robert S. Benson, Acting Chief, Partnership Programs Branch, Office of Water, EPA

12:00 p.m. Public Comments Period

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12:30 p.m. LUNCH

Thursday. April 26. 2018 Continued...

1:30 p.m. CEC Update on Operational Plan and NAPECA Grants

Cesar Rafael Chavez, Executive Director, CEC Secretariat
Question & Answer Period

1:55 p.m. SEM Update

Robert Moyer, Director, SEM & Legal Senior Advisor, CEC Secretariat

Lisa Goldman, Office of General Counsel, EPA
Question & Answer

2:10 p.m. JPAC Report-out

Gustavo Alanfs-Ortega, Chair, Joint Public Advisory Committee
Question & Answer Period

2:30 p.m. United Nations Update on Marine Litter Initiatives

Carla Friedrich, Program Officer, UN Environment, North America Office
Question & Answer Period

3:00 p.m. BREAK

3:15 p.m. Private Sector Initiatives on Marine Litter

Stewart Harris, Director, Marine & Environmental Stewardship, Plastics Division

American Chemistry Council (ACC)

Jennifer Ronk, The Dow Chemical Co.

Question & Answer Period

4:00 p.m. Local Government Initiatives on Marine Litter

Julie Lawson, Director for D.C. Mayor's Office of the Clean City
Question & Answer Period

4:30 p.m. Plastic Alternatives: Developing the Innovation Eco-system

Daniella D. Russo, CEO, Think Beyond Plastic™

Question & Answer

5:00 p.m. Lightning Talks from NAC/GAC Members on Marine Litter Initiatives

NAC & GAC Members

Question & Answer Period

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5:15 p.m. Summary & Next Steps

Theresa Pardo, Chair of the National Advisory Committee
Jeff Wennberg, Chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee

5:30 p.m. ADJOURN

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Friday. April 27. 2018

Business Meeting;

8:30 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. Call to Order

Oscar Carrillo, Designated Federal Officer, EPA

9:05 a.m. Plenary: Joint Committee Meeting

Theresa Pardo, Chair of the National Advisory Committee
Jeff Wennberg, Chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee
• Discussion on Fall 2018 meeting

9:30 a.m. Public Comment Period

9:45 a.m. Committees Meet Separately

GAC stays in "6045" Conference Room
NAC meets in "1132" Conference Room

12:00 p.m. LUNCH

1:00 p.m. Committees Reconvene in Plenary Session

Report-outs From NAC/GAC Chairs

3:00 p.m. ADJOURN

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Appendix C: Charge Letter for April 26-27, 2018 NAC/GAC Meeting

Charge Letter: NAC/GAC Meeting
April 27-28, 2018
Washington, DC

Dear NAC and GAC Members,

Since our last meeting in September 14-15, 2017, the Council agreed on "Innovation and Partnerships
for Green Growth" as the focus for the current NAPECA grant cycle. The CEC funded nine local
projects through this initiative. In addition, the JPAC held a meeting in November 9, 2017 on NAFTA'S
Environmental Side Agreement: Assessing the Past, Looking Towards the Future."

The main topic for our April meeting is Marine Litter. This issue continues to be highlighted in
international fora with a recent resolution at United Nations Environment Assembly meeting and a
commitment of G7 countries to take deliberate action to address marine litter and debris. The CEC has
also highlighted the importance of this issue and is currently implementing a project based in border
watersheds to address marine litter with citizen science and stakeholder input to prevent/reduce land-
based sources of waste.

EPA would welcome NAC/GAC advice focused on best practices being implemented by state and
local governments, private sector, academia and local communities to:

•	Prevent/reduce sources of debris and plastics from entering into waterways to become marine
debris/litter;

•	Innovative uses of alternative materials that are able to decay or compost reducing the impact on
waterways and coastal ecosystems;

•	Mitigate marine debris and plastics that has found its way into waterways and coastal areas; and

•	Increase public awareness and action to address the problem of marine debris/plastics.

The advice could focus on land-based sources of debris, including plastics and micro-plastics, that enter
waterways and could target key/major source sectors, including tourism related sectors. Best practices
could include operations, partnerships, incentives, and product stewardship. The objective of this advice
is to identify innovative practices, leading sectors implementing these practices, and motivating
drivers/cost-benefits to share and advance with our partners in North America.

Furthermore, as is customary for our meetings, you will also be briefed by Jane Nishida, Acting Assistant
Administrator for EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs, and the CEC Secretariat Executive
Director, Cesar Rafael Chavez and the CEC Joint Public Advisory Committee Chair, Gustavo Alanis-
Ortega. Finally, the committees are welcome to provide advice on other trade and environment issues
related to the NAAEC

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