U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mid-Atlantic Region III

DRAFT Climate Change Adaptation 

Implementation Plan

Prepared by the Region III Climate Network Climate Adaptation Working Group

9/18/2013
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Disclaimer

To the extent this document mentions or discusses statutory or regulatory authority, it does so

for informational purposes only. This document does not substitute for those statutes or

regulations, and readers should consult the statutes or regulations to learn what they require.

Neither this document, nor any part of it, is itself a rule or a regulation. Thus, it cannot change

or impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, the public, or the regulated community.

Further, any expressed intention, suggestion or recommendation does not impose any legally

binding requirements on EPA, States, tribes, the public, or the regulated community. Agency

decision makers remain free to exercise their discretion in choosing to implement the actions

described in this Plan. Such implementation is contingent upon availability of resources and is

subject to change.
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Preface

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to 

the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment.

Scientific evidence demonstrates that the climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, 

outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. These changes can pose significant 

challenges to the EPA’s ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate change if it is 

to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The Agency is 

therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it continues to fulfill 

its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes. 

In February 2013, the EPA released its draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan to the public for 

review and comment. The plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert 

judgment to identify vulnerabilities to EPA’s mission and goals from climate change. The plan 

also presents 10 priority actions that EPA will take to ensure that its programs, policies, rules, 

and operations will remain effective under future climatic conditions. The priority placed on 

mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and 

mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government.

Following completion of the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan, each EPA National 

Environmental Program Office, all 10 Regional Offices, and several National Support Offices 

developed a Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan to provide more detail on how it will 

carry out the work called for in the agency-wide plan. Each Implementation Plan articulates 

how the office will integrate climate adaptation into its planning and work in a manner 

consistent and compatible with its goals and objectives.

Taken together, the Implementation Plans demonstrate how the EPA will attain the 10 agencywide priorities presented in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A central element of all of 

EPA’s plans is to build and strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build 

capacity in states, tribes, and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by 

increasing their awareness of ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement 

effective programs, and by providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to 

integrate climate adaptation into their work.

Each Program and Regional Office’s Implementation Plan contains an initial assessment of the 

implications of climate change for the organization’s goals and objectives. These “program 

vulnerability assessments” are living documents that will be updated as needed to account for 

new knowledge, data, and scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on EPA’s 

mission. The plan then identifies specific priority actions that the office will take to begin 

addressing its vulnerabilities and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into its activities. 

Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the 
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most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the 

tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.

Because EPA’s Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they 

mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activities, it will be essential to evaluate 

their efforts in order to understand how well different approaches work and how they can be 

improved. Each Implementation Plan therefore includes a discussion of how the organization 

will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its adaptation efforts and make adjustments where 

necessary.

The set of Implementation Plans are a sign of EPA’s leadership and commitment to help build 

the nation’s adaptive capacity that is so vital to the goal of protecting human health and the 

environment. Working with its partners, the Agency will help promote a healthy and 

prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.

Bob Perciasepe

Deputy Administrator

September 2013
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US EPA Region III – Climate Adaptation 

Implementation Plan

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................... 6

Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 6

Chapter 1: Regional Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment ...................................................... 7

Background / Approach .............................................................................................................. 7

Selected Programmatic Climate Change Vulnerabilities................................................................ 9

Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality..................................... 9

Goal 2. Protecting America’s Waters ....................................................................................... 14

Goal 3. Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development........................ 16

Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution ....................................... 18

Evaluation of Potential Vulnerabilities for Region III Managed Facilities and Operations..... 18

Vulnerable Populations................................................................................................................. 20

Chapter 2: DRAFT Regional Priority Actions for Climate Adaptation ....................................... 21

Introduction............................................................................................................................... 21

Criteria for EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Priority 

Actions...................................................................................................................................... 22

Priority Actions, Cross-Cutting: ............................................................................................... 22

Priority Actions, Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality:..... 23

Priority Actions, Goal 2 Protecting America’s Waters:............................................................ 23

Priority Actions, Goal 3 Cleaning Up America’s Communities & Advancing Sustainable 

Development:............................................................................................................................ 24

Priority Actions, Goal 4 Ensuring Safety of Chemicals & Preventing Pollution:................... 25

Priority Actions; Region III Managed Facilities and Operations: ............................................ 25

Chapter 3: Measurement and Evaluation...................................................................................... 26

References..................................................................................................................................... 28
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Acknowledgements

This document was prepared by the Region III Climate Change Network Adaptation Workgroup

under the leadership of the Region III Climate Change Senior Steering Committee with

additional assistance, guidance, and input from numerous staff and management across the 

Region III organization. 

Introduction

We live in a world in which the climate is changing. Because many of the environmental 

outcomes that EPA is working to attain (e.g., clean air, safe drinking water) are sensitive to 

changes in weather and climate, these changes are posing new challenges to EPA’s ability to 

fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment. 

To address these challenges, EPA has developed a Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The 

Adaptation Plan relies on peer-reviewed scientific information and expert judgment to begin to 

identify vulnerabilities to EPA’s mission and goals from climate change. The Adaptation Plan 

also presents priority actions the Agency will take to integrate climate adaptation planning into 

its programs, policies, rules, and operations, to ensure they are effective in a changing climate. 

EPA’s focus on climate adaptation is part of a larger federal effort to promote a healthy and 

prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.

EPA’s vision is for the Agency to continue to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and 

the environment even as the climate changes. In the coming years, EPA will build and 

strengthen its adaptive capacity and work with its partners to build capacity in states, tribes, 

and local communities. EPA will empower its staff and partners by increasing their awareness of 

ways that climate change may affect their ability to implement effective programs, and by 

providing them with the necessary data, information, and tools to integrate climate adaptation 

into their work. 

EPA’s Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation1

, issued in 2011, called for EPA to plan 

for future changes in climate and to mainstream considerations of climate change into its 

activities. As part of that effort, the Policy Statement called for the Agency to develop and 

implement a Climate Change Adaptation Plan. It also called for each EPA National 

Environmental Program Office and Regional Office to develop Implementation Plans to explain 

how they will carry out the work called for in the Agency-wide Plan. To answer this call, EPA 

Region III has prepared the following Climate-Change Adaptation Implementation Plan. The 

plan will address how our Regional Office hopes to integrate climate adaptation into our 

planning and work, as well as, address the cross-EPA priorities identified in the Agency-wide 

Adaptation Plan. The information and actions listed in this plan has been based on the best 

available science and will reflect unique regional circumstances. The plan will updated as the 

Region learns by through the experience of integrating climate change adaptation planning into 

our activities.

 1 http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptation-statement.pdf
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Chapter 1: Regional Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment 

Background / Approach

This section contains an assessment of the vulnerabilities of 

selected EPA Region III programs to the impacts of climate 

change. It builds on the work presented in Part 2 of EPA’s 

Agency-wide Plan, as well as the individual assessments 

completed by various EPA National Program Offices, eg. 

Office of Air and Radiation. It summarizes vulnerabilities 

related to the goals in EPA’s FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan.

This assessment was developed by a working group within 

the Region III Climate Network. The assessment is based on 

peer-reviewed literature (climate impacts) and the 

professional judgment of regional staff (programmatic 

impacts). Vulnerability assessment is an ongoing process. This 

plan should be viewed as a living document that will be 

updated as needed to account for new knowledge, data, and 

scientific evidence about the impacts of climate change on 

EPA’s mission. 

Important climate change impacts in the region that will be covered within this assessment

include:

• Increased tropospheric ozone pollution

• Increasing extreme temperatures

• Effects on the stratospheric ozone layer

• Increasing heavy precipitation events

• Increasing intensity of hurricanes

• Sea level rise

• Ocean acidification

• Increasing water temperatures 

• Increasing risk of floods 

• Increased frequency and intensity of wildfires

Regional Description

Region 3, EPA’s Mid-Atlantic office, serves Delaware (DE), the District of Columbia (DC), 

Maryland (MD), Pennsylvania (PA), Virginia (VA), and West Virginia (WV). The Region is unique 

in that it straddles two different climate regions, as defined by the U.S. Global Change Research 

Program (USGCRP 2009) – the Northeast (DE, DC, MD, PA, WV, and northern VA) and the 

EPA’s Five Strategic Goals:

1. Taking Action on Climate 

Change and Improving Air 

Quality.

2. Protecting America’s Waters. 

3. Cleaning Up Communities and 

Advancing Sustainable 

Development

4. Ensuring the Safety of 

Chemicals and Preventing 

Pollution

5. Enforcing Environmental Laws
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Southeast (southern VA). As a result, the Region represents a diverse climate, which includes 

snowy winters, vibrant autumns, and extreme events (such as nor’easters and heat waves) 

characteristic of the Northeast, and mild temperatures and high humidity characteristic of the 

Southeast. The western portions of Region III (sections of western PA and WV) sometimes 

mimic USGCRP’s Midwest region. 

There are diverse agricultural, industrial, and residential sectors within the region that use and 

impact resources that may be affected by climate change. In addition, the region contains 

various types of geographic features and sub-regions, including barrier Islands, the Appalachian 

Mountains, the Piedmont Plateau, the Chesapeake Bay, as well as, the Delaware Bay and 

Delmarva Peninsula. Coastal areas, estuaries and river systems, including the Chesapeake and 

Delaware Bays, comprise a significant portion of the Region’s population centers. The Region 

contains a significant amount of coastline and a number of large urban areas (Philadelphia, 

Baltimore, Washington, DC), with sensitive populations that are particularly vulnerable to the 

impacts of a changing climate. Outside of the urban areas there are wetlands, uplands, and 

forested areas with both pristine and degraded ecosystems.

Figure 1. Map of Region III

Expected Changes in Climate

The following is a summary of the range of key impacts and trends that are foreseen in the

Region–from the USGCRP June 2009 report. 

The Region has 

significant geographic 

and climatic diversity 

within its relatively 

small area. The 

character and economy 

of the Northeast have 

been shaped by many 

aspects of its climate 

including its snowy 

winters, colorful 

autumns, and variety of 

extreme events such as 

nor’easters, ice storms, 

and heat waves. This 

familiar climate has 

already begun changing 

in noticeable ways. 

Since 1970, the annual 

average temperature in 

the Northeast has 
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increased by 2°F, with winter temperatures rising twice as much. Over the next several 

decades, temperatures in the Northeast are projected to rise an additional 2.5 to 4°F in winter 

and 1.5 to 3.5°F in summer. By mid-century and beyond, however, today’s emissions choices 

would generate starkly different climate futures; the lower the emissions, the smaller the 

climatic changes and resulting impacts. Warming has resulted in many other climate-related 

changes, including:

• More frequent days with temperatures above 90°F

• A longer growing season

• Increased heavy precipitation

• Less winter precipitation falling as snow and more as rain

• Reduced snowpack

• Earlier breakup of winter ice on lakes and rivers

• Earlier spring snowmelt resulting in earlier peak river flows

• Rising sea surface temperatures and sea level

Under a higher emissions scenario:

• Winters in the Northeast are projected to be much shorter with fewer cold days and 

more precipitation.

• The length of the winter snow season would be reduced by a week or two.

• Cities that today experience few days above 100°F each summer would average 20 such 

days per summer, while certain cities, such as Philadelphia, would average nearly 30 

days over 100°F.

• Sea levels in the Region are projected to rise more than the global average.

Selected Programmatic Climate Change Vulnerabilities

The following section discusses how EPA Region III environmental and human health programs 

may be vulnerable when faced with the impacts of a changing climate. This initial selection of 

programmatic vulnerabilities will be described in context of the major goals in EPA’s Strategic 

Plan. The issues described here should not be seen as a complete listing of vulnerabilities to 

EPA programs. Region III, working with other EPA offices and other regional stakeholders, will 

periodically update the information and scope of the programmatic vulnerability assessment.

Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality

EPA’s Air Protection Programs are a part of protecting the Region’s citizens from air pollution 

through implementation of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Air Protection programs are

responsible for ensuring implementation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards which 

includes reviewing and enforcing State Implementation Plans and CAA permits. To compliment 

the regulatory work, the Air Protection Programs include energy efficiency, renewable energy, 

clean diesel, indoor air quality and radon outreach programs to reduce emissions of criteria 
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pollutants, greenhouse gases and air toxics. Extreme temperatures and increased average 

temperatures, as well as, extreme flooding events in urban areas are the climate change 

impacts of most concern for the Air Protection programs. As the air quality in the Region 

worsens due to climate change impacts; the workload of the Air Protection Programs will

increase.

A. Tropospheric ozone is likely to increase in the Mid-Atlantic due to the effects of climate 

change. 

The Mid-Atlantic Region currently has eight nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone standard, 

as well as 4 nonattainment areas and twenty-five maintenance areas for the 1997 8-hour ozone 

standard. With climate change, higher temperatures and weaker air circulation in the United 

States will lead to more ozone formation even with the same level of emissions of ozone 

forming chemicals.2

 Various studies project daily ozone levels to increase between two and five

parts per billion across the eastern U.S. between 2020 and 2080 due to climate change if no 

additional emissions controls for ozone precursors are implemented.3

In addition to the direct impact of temperature change on ozone formation, an increase in 

energy demand due to increased temperatures may also lead to a worsening of air quality. 

Sources in or upwind of the Region may be required to implement additional control measures. 

In terms of Regional resources, greater collaboration with our states will be necessary on 

planning and rule development to address any additional challenges in achieving or maintaining 

attainment. A majority of the current nonattainment areas in the Mid-Atlantic Region are urban 

areas with sensitive populations, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and 

Baltimore. Exacerbating the health impacts from ozone pollution on urban populations will 

likely be higher nighttime temperatures expected in urban areas, both as a consequence of 

climate change but also because of enhanced effects from urban heat islands. 

Climate change also has the potential to increase the length of the ozone season.4 Currently, 

the ozone season runs from April through October. During this period, daily ozone levels are 

recorded and reviewed. An increase in the length of the ozone season would require a longer 

reporting period, translating to more time spent for data reviews in the Region.

B. Particulate matter levels may be affected through changes in the frequency or intensity of 

wildfires.

In the Mid-Atlantic Region, there are currently 8 nonattainment areas for the 2006 24-hour 

PM2.5 standard and 16 nonattainment areas for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard. While the 

impact of climate change on ambient PM2.5 levels remains somewhat uncertain, there is 

 2 Denman, K.L., et al. (2007). Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate 

Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, 

M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. 3 IPCC Fourth Assessment, GCAQ-EPA 4 IPCC Fourth Assessment
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evidence indicating that climate change will impact PM levels through changes in the frequency 

or intensity of wildfires.5

In 2008, monitors in the Norfolk area of Virginia experienced 24-hour PM2.5 levels four times 

(83 ug/m3) the standard due to wildfires in North Carolina. While these fires were not caused 

by climate change, this example portrays the impact of fires on PM levels in the region, and is 

indicative of the potential health and environmental concerns. 

The adaptive capacity of Region 3 for this issue is limited, as this data is treated as an 

“exceptional event” under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Therefore, monitoring 

data during fire events may be ignored when determining attainment. 

C. Climate change may worsen and increase the exposure to indoor air problems in the MidAtlantic. 

Existing indoor environmental problems may worsen and new ones may be introduced as 

climate change alters the frequency and severity of adverse outdoor conditions in the MidAtlantic. Additionally, as the climate changes, exposure to indoor environmental problems may 

increase, particularly for sensitive populations such as the young, elderly, and those with 

chronic illness.

Extreme temperatures will very likely increase and heavy precipitation events will likely 

increase as a result of climate change6

, which, along with increased flooding that affect homes 

and occupied buildings near coastal and inland waterways, may contribute to indoor air quality 

impacts in the Mid-Atlantic.

First, the breakdown of the protective building envelope may lead to increases in indoor 

dampness and building deterioration, and, in turn, increasing exposure to mold and other 

biological contaminants and emissions from building materials, as well as outdoor 

environmental pollutants.

Second, changes in the emergence, evolution, and geographic ranges of pests, infectious 

agents, and disease vectors may lead to shifting patterns of indoor exposure to pesticides as 

occupants and building owners respond to new infestations.

Lastly, residents may weatherize buildings to increase comfort and indoor environmental 

quality in addition to saving energy. Although in general these actions should be encouraged, 

this may lead to a reduction in ventilation and an increase in indoor environmental pollutants 

 5 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, “Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the 

United States” (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology 

Council, U.S. Climate Change Science Program, 2008), http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/scientificassessment/Scientific-AssessmentFINAL.pdf. 6 IPCC, 2012: Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance 

Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea,K.J. 

Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of 

the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, 

USA, pp. 1-19.
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unless measures are taken to preserve or improve indoor air quality. 7 EPA has developed 

practical guidance for improving or maintaining indoor environmental quality during home 

energy upgrades or remodeling in single-family homes and schools. EPA’s guidance and 

protocols may need to be revised to include state and local considerations for projected 

climatic changes. In addition, these programs may need to increase partnerships with other 

agencies to address training needs and workforce development for building owners, managers, 

and others, as well as develop new tracking mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of 

weatherization and remodeling techniques as they relate to indoor environmental quality.

The Mid-Atlantic Region is comprised of several large urban areas, which are very likely to see 

increases in the risk of illness and death related to extreme heat and heat waves. For example, 

Philadelphia is projected to jump from an average of just a few days above 1000F each summer 

to nearly 30 days above 1000F each summer by late this century, under a higher emissions 

scenario. The elderly and those with existing health problems are particularly vulnerable.8

Region III may need to build its adaptive capacity to these increasing and changing health risks 

through its indoor air quality programs, resources, and public outreach and assistance. 

Partnerships between Region III and stakeholders, such as state/local governments, non-profits, 

etc., will need to be strengthened in order to inform affected populations on how to adapt to 

higher temperatures. Strengthening ties between the Region’s energy efficiency and indoor air 

quality programs will be necessary in order to address the relationship between building 

ventilation during efficiency retrofits and potential, resulting indoor air problems.

D. Climate change may alter the effects of and strategic priorities within EPA Region III

regulatory and voluntary programs to help restore the stratospheric ozone layer. 

Climate change will likely have effects on the stratospheric ozone layer; however, the 

interactions between the changing climate and ozone layer are complex. Climate change 

affects the ozone layer through changes in chemical transport, atmospheric composition and 

temperature. In turn, changes in stratospheric ozone can have implications for the weather 

and climate of the troposphere. Climate change may exacerbate the health effects of ozone 

layer damage at some latitudes and mitigate them at others.9

 

 7 Institute of Medicine, Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (Washington, DC: The National 

Academies Press, 2011). 8 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas 

C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 

USA.

8 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas 

C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 

USA.

9 World Meteorological Organization, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010, Global Ozone Research and 

Monitoring Project—Report No. 52 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2011). Note: the word “expected” is used in the report 

to characterize projected climate change impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer. For purposes of this 

assessment, the word “likely” has been used as a proxy for “expected.”
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In order to build adaptive capacity with respect to this vulnerability, Region III may need to 

heighten public awareness of the health risks of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, through 

existing EPA partnership programs such as SunWise. Climate change may also lead to an 

increase in the use of cooling devices, such as air conditioners, which contain ozone depleting 

substances (ODSs) or ODS substitutes. Region 3 may need to make changes to its current 

efforts to promote programs such as GreenChill and Responsible Appliance Disposal in the MidAtlantic, as a result.

E. Climate change may impact energy production and efficiency in the Mid-Atlantic. 

Rising temperatures, as a result of climate change, are expected to increase energy 

requirements for cooling and decrease energy requirements for heating. The former will result 

in significant increases in electricity use and higher peak demand. Rising temperatures, and the 

resulting increase in water temperatures, may decrease the efficiency of power plants that use 

water for cooling. The electricity grid is also vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as 

extreme weather events and peak demand increases resulting from rising temperatures, which 

could cause interruptions in the electric power supply.10 The Mid-Atlantic’s urban areas and 

sensitive populations, such as the elderly, are particularly vulnerable to power interruptions 

during extreme weather events like heat waves.

To address this vulnerability, Region III may need to build adaptive capacity within existing 

climate and energy partnership programs, such as ENERGY STAR, Green Power Partnership, and 

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership. For example, Region III may need to focus on 

promoting wider implementation of CHP as a means of reducing electricity demand and 

ensuring uninterrupted power. Through the ENERGY STAR program, Region 3 may want to 

strengthen partnerships with utilities and state/local governments to promote programs that 

assist residential and commercial customers with energy efficiency measures, particularly those 

that reduce peak electricity demand.

F. Extreme weather events may impact the regional monitoring systems. 

Extreme weather events, including severe winds, flooding and lightning, could cause damage to 

the PM2.5 and RADNET monitoring systems in Region III. The standard operating procedure for 

deploying monitors currently includes consideration of extreme weather. The Region will need 

to continue following the monitoring SOP to ensure that monitors can be safely accessed and 

operated.

G. Scientific understanding related to ways that climate change may affect the interactions 

of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury deposition with ecosystems is evolving.

While there is limited scientific evidence on this topic, additional research is underway to better 

understand how patterns in the atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury with 

 10 USGCRP, 2009: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and 

Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New 

York, NY, USA.
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projected changes in the climate and carbon cycle will affect ecosystem growth, species 

changes, surface water chemistry, and mercury methylation and bioaccumulation.[i] The 

potential impacts could have consequences for the effectiveness of ecosystem protection from 

Agency emissions reduction programs. 

Goal 2. Protecting America’s Waters

A. Flooding from increasingly frequent and intense storm events

In the Northeast, the annual number of days with very heavy precipitation has increased in the 

past 50 years. Flooding often occurs when heavy precipitation persists for days to weeks in 

small and large watershed. Precipitation and runoff are likely to increase in the Northeast in 

winter and spring. Increases in the impacts from precipitation and flooding may damage 

regional drinking and wastewater facilities and may exacerbate non-point source pollution 

water quality issues in reservoirs, wetlands, streams and rivers within the Region.

B. Coastal wetland loss

Coastal wetlands often migrate landward, disappear, or change in type in response to sea level 

rise through accretion. Dense coastal development is often protected by shoreline armoring, 

which prevents wetland migration and leads to loss of submerged wetlands. Coastal wetlands 

are essential for providing storm surge buffers, preserving estuarine water quality as well as 

supporting economically important fish and wildlife habitat.

C. Threats to coastal water-related infrastructure

The densely populated coasts of the Northeast face substantial increases in the extent and 

frequency of storm surge, coastal flooding, erosion, and property damage. Much of this 

coastline is exceptionally vulnerable to sea-level rise and related impacts. 

D. Water Quality impacts from climate changes

Shallow groundwater aquifers that exchange water with streams are likely to be the most 

sensitive part of the groundwater system to climate change. Small reductions in groundwater 

levels can lead to large reductions in stream flow and increases in groundwater levels can 

increase stream flow. Further, the interface between streams and groundwater is an important 

site for pollution removal by microorganisms. Their activity may change in response to 

increased temperature and increased or decreased streamflow as climate changes, This may 

affect water quality and affect Clean Water Act goals related to water bodies in non-attainment 

and affect TMDL development.

A specific mid-Atlantic water quality concerns is the Delaware River Basin, which includes 

portions of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware that drain to the 330-mile long 

Delaware River and Bay. The basin’s total area is over 13,500 square miles, and over 15 million 

people rely on its water resources for potable, industrial, and agricultural use. The main focal 

points of climate change in the basin include increased temperature, changes in precipitation 

patterns, and sea level rise. The Delaware River Basin Commission monitors the salt line 

location as it fluctuates along the tidal Delaware River as streamflows increase or decrease in 
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response to changing inflows, which either dilute or concentrate chlorides in the river. The salt 

line location plays an important role in the Delaware River Basin water quality and drought 

management programs because upstream migration of brackish water from the Delaware Bay 

during low-flow and drought conditions could increase sodium chloride concentrations in public 

water supplies, presenting a public health concern. (Courtesy Delaware River Basin Commission 

State of the Basin Report 2008) As salt-laced water moves upriver, it increases corrosion control 

costs for surface water users, particularly industry, and can raise the treatment costs for public 

water suppliers. Salinity levels also affect aquatic living resources. Normal location of the salt 

line is the mouth of the Delaware Bay, or river mile 67, but at times will move further north. 

During the summer months of 1999, the salt line moved to river mile 88 and during the 1960’s 

‘drought of record’ the salt line reached its farthest recorded upstream location at river mile 

102, just 8 miles below important drinking water intakes in PA and NJ.

E. Severe flooding from sea-level rise and extreme precipitation is likely to increase

Sea-level rise is expected to increase saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater aquifers, 

making some unusable without desalination. Increased evaporation or reduced recharge

(drought) into coastal aquifers exacerbates saltwater intrusion. Like water quality, research on 

the impacts of climate change on groundwater, ecosystems, and infrastructure has been 

minimal and remedies may be difficult. 

F. Water & Energy Infrastructure

Many water systems in the Northeast are already taxed due to aging infrastructure, population 

increases, and competition among water needs for agriculture, municipal use, recreation, and 

ecosystems. Extreme precipitation events may exacerbate existing problems in many cities in 

the Northeast, especially combined sewer systems. Drinking water and sewer infrastructure is 

expensive to build and maintain. Climate change may present a new set of challenges for 

designing upgrades to the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. 

Also, a significant fraction of the region’s energy infrastructure is located near the coasts and 

tide influenced Bays, from power plants, to oil refineries, to facilities that receive oil and gas 

deliveries. Rising sea levels are likely to lead to direct losses, such as equipment damage from 

flooding or erosion, and indirect effects, such as the costs of raising vulnerable assets to higher 

levels or building new facilities farther inland.

G. Changes in aquatic ecosystems/species composition and distribution

Various forces of climate change at the coasts pose a complex array of management challenges 

and adaptation requirements. For example, relative sea level is expected to rise at least two 

feet in Chesapeake Bay (located between Maryland and Virginia) where the land is subsiding, 

threatening portions of cities, inhabited islands, most tidal wetlands, and other low-lying 

regions. Climate change also may affect the volume of the bay, salinity distribution and 

circulation, as will changes in precipitation and freshwater runoff. These changes will affect 
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seasonal oxygen 

depletion and efforts to 

reduce the agricultural 

nitrogen runoff into 

water bodies. 

Warmer Chesapeake Bay 

waters will make survival 

difficult for northern 

species such as eelgrass 

and soft clams, while 

allowing southern species 

and invasive species 

transported in ships’ 

ballast water to move in 

and change the mix of 

species that are caught 

and must be managed. 

Additionally, more acidic 

waters resulting from 

rising carbon dioxide 

levels will make it difficult for oysters to build their shells and will complicate the recovery of 

this key species.

H. Vulnerability & Uncertainty related to impacts to Water in the Region: 

Water temperature, precipitation, and sea level are critical variables in almost everything the 

Region does in the water program, from setting water quality standards, developing TMDLs, 

and issuing NPDES permits to helping build drinking water and wastewater treatment 

infrastructure. Having better data and information on how much and how fast water 

temperature will increase, how extreme storms may be, and how high and fast sea level will 

rise will enable Region to fulfill statutory and regulatory responsibilities. Developing consistent 

scientific methods and robust datasets to support long-term policy decisions on climate change 

vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning will help inform these decisions.

Goal 3. Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development

EPA’s waste and land clean-up programs play a crucial role in protecting public health and the 

environment from exposure to hazardous materials, remediating contaminated property, and 

making these properties available for reuse. Changes in climate should be taken into 

consideration in order for the Region to continue to serve these important functions. It may be 

Impacts in Northeast (DE,DC,MD,PA,WV)

and in Southeast (VA)

DW WW DW WW

Reduced Groundwater recharge √ √ √

Lower Lake and Reservoir Levels √ √ √

Changes in seasonal runoff & loss of snowpack √ √ √ 

Low flow conditions & altered water quality √ √ √ 

Saltwater intrusion into aquifers √ √ √

Altered surface water quality √ √ √ √ √ √

High flow events and flooding √ √ √ √ √ √ 

Flooding from coastal storm surges √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Loss of coastal landforms / wetlands √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Increased fire risk & altered vegetation √ √ √ √ √ √

Volume & temperature challenges √ √ √ √ √ √ 

Changes in agricultural water demand √ √ 

Changes in energy sector needs √ √ 

Changes in energy needs of utilities √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Ecosystem 

Changes

Service 

Demand & Drought

Northeast Southeast

Water 

Quality Floods

Figure 2: Comparison of potential Climate Change impacts for the North and Southeast 

on water infrastructure, specifically, Drinking Water (DW) and Waste Water (WW).
Page | 17

necessary to design site-specific clean-up or remedy that can withstand the projected climate 

change impacts and which may impact the Region’s ability to exercise statutory authority and 

may add cost. Sea-level rise, storm and flood events, and increased ambient temperatures are 

climate change impacts of particular concern for the programmatic focus areas – Restoring and 

Preserving Land and Emergency Response.

A. Restoring and Preserving Land

Increased flooding and sea-level rise may increase the risk of contaminant releases from 

vulnerable RCRA Corrective Action sites, Superfund sites, Brownfield sites, LUST sites, other 

contaminated sites, and landfills. Flooding from more intense and frequent storms and 

extreme storm events could affect the migration and management of contaminants. Sea-level 

rise can lead to inundation and salt water intrusion which may impact the performance of the 

remedies and cause the transport of contaminants at sites in coastal areas. Contaminant 

migration could also occur after prolonged power loss at cleanup sites with pump and treat 

systems dependent on grid electricity.

Impacts may be most severe for cleanup sites that are not yet completed; however sites with 

waste in place following a cleanup and permitted facilities that manage hazardous materials 

may also be vulnerable. Sites with on-site containment or treatment remedies within the 100 

or 500 year flood plain of a surface water body and/or within the sea-level rise zone 1.5 meters 

above high tide are of particular concern in Region III. Sediment sites with in situ capping 

remedies are vulnerable to flood regime changes and re-suspension and deposition of 

contaminated sediment. Flooding from storms and inundation due to sea level rise could 

jeopardize land revitalization efforts including renewable energy generation, greener cleanups, 

and ecological revitalization projects, as well as other site reuse or redevelopment plans at 

Brownfield sites and completed Superfund Sites.

Increased ambient temperatures and extreme heat may impact the design and operation of 

remediation systems. Cleanup sites with waste in place phytoremediation, or a vegetative cap 

may be vulnerable in areas that experience drought or changing plant hardiness zones. Slowed 

growth rates during heat waves could impact the success of the remedy or revitalization effort, 

and excessive vegetation loss could lead to erosion. Coastal, stream, and mountain ridgetop 

habitats are examples of ecosystems in Region 3 that are vulnerable to increases in ambient 

temperature.

B. Emergency Response

As storm and flood events increase in frequency and severity, emergency responses to 

hazardous materials release and oil spills may also increase. Financial constraints and response 

capacity for Emergency Response staff and Response Support Corps are potential vulnerabilities 

in Region III. Existing emergency planning and chemical containment strategies at oil and 

chemical facilities may not be sufficient. Current landfill capacity may also be insufficient to 

handle surges in disposal of hazardous and municipal wastes generated from extreme storm 

events. Availability of utilities and transportation infrastructure may be limited as a result of 
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increased impacts to those systems. Power loss and blocked roads can hamper emergency 

responses.

Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution

A. Use of Toxic chemicals:

A changing climate will likely result in changes in the timing and location of planting crops, 

which in turn affects the volume and timing of agricultural chemical use. This change in 

agricultural chemical use could impact the appropriate risk management decisions made by EPA 

Pesticides and Toxic Substances Program, particularly with regard to the protection of migrant 

farm workers.

Changes in temperature and precipitation levels are expected to lead to the increase in 

mosquitoes and other pests controlled by regulated pesticides. An increase in cases of the 

West Nile Virus and other diseases carried by mosquitoes may lead to an increase in calls by the 

public for the use of pesticides to control these disease vectors. This may in turn affect the 

workload of the EPA Pesticides program.

B. Storage of Toxic Chemicals: 

Flooding from more intense and frequent storms and extreme events could compromise 

chemical containment strategies at oil facilities and toxic chemical and pesticide storage 

facilities. Facilities located in coastal areas and/or within the 100-500 year flood plain of a 

surface water body are of concern to Region III. If these facilities do not properly manage the 

storage of these chemicals and/or store them at higher elevations, the extreme weather events 

that are expected as a result of climate change may result in the release of toxic chemicals into 

the environment, including to surface waters via storm water discharges. 

C. Exposure to Toxic Chemicals from Demolition/Renovation Activities:

The extreme weather events that are likely to occur as a result of climate change (e.g., high 

winds, heavy precipitation events) may damage community infrastructure (e.g., schools and 

child care facilities) and residential homes. As a result, there may be an increased risk of 

exposure to lead, asbestos, and PCBs if buildings are renovated or demolished as part of the 

recovery efforts. 

Assessment of Potential Vulnerabilities for Region III Managed Facilities and 

Operations

Results from climate change include an increase in extreme temperatures, droughts, intensity 

of precipitation and ground level ozone pollution which will affect Region III facilities and 

employees to varying degrees depending on their location. Employee impacts such as an 

increase in heat-related illness, absenteeism, exposure to vector-borne diseases and mold 
Page | 19

could result. In addition, localized flooding of roads and infrastructure could affect the 

commute and business travel of our employees resulting in tardiness and reduced efficiency. 

Facility impacts such as an increase in electricity use and decrease in indoor air quality are also 

possible. 

As discussed in the Expected Changes in Climate section of this plan, Philadelphia could average 

more than thirty days over 100 ̊ F in the future. This could lead to an increase in heat-related 

illnesses for our employees especially, older employees and workers doing field work who do 

not or can’t reduce their exposure by limiting exertion and time outdoors due to mission

requirements. More frequent hot summer days can also worsen air pollution, especially in 

urban areas and threaten the health of vulnerable employees. This could increase absenteeism 

and/or reduce the productivity of our staff. Higher temperatures will likely cause an increase in 

electricity use and cost in our building to power air conditioning. This increased use could 

stress the power supply grid resulting in brown outs, black outs and the need to use backup 

power generators. 

As discussed in more detail in the Goal 1 section of this plan, climate change may worsen and 

increase exposure to indoor air quality problems in our buildings from dampness and mold, and 

expose occupants to different pests, infectious agents and disease vectors, as well as any

pesticides applied to address these infestations. As discussed in more detail in the Goal 2 

section of this plan, an increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events, 

that have already been experienced, is projected to be worse in the future, leading to more 

frequent flooding and impact our road and mass transit systems. Climate change impacts, 

including increased severe weather, may affect the Region’s Continuity of Operations Plan

(COOP) that describes efforts to prepare and react to issues affecting the operation of our 

facilities. Unique or site specific vulnerabilities are described below.

Philadelphia Office located at 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Over 90% of our approximately nine hundred Philadelphia based employees use mass transit to 

commute to work. Any impact to this system is a large vulnerability that on any given day will 

affect hundreds of our employee’s ability to get to work and for the Region’s ability to function 

and carry out its mission. A recent example of this vulnerability occurred when our office was 

closed on October 29 -30, 2012 as a result of a shutdown of mass transit in Philadelphia due to 

impacts from Hurricane Sandy.

Past periods of drought in the Delaware watershed have resulted in salt water intrusion causing 

concern for the Philadelphia drinking water supply intake on the tidal Delaware River north of 

the city. Expected sea level rise from climate change may exacerbate this vulnerability in the 

future.
Page | 20

Environmental Science Center (ESC) located at 701 Mapes Road, Fort Meade, Maryland

Vulnerability to flooding of the Environmental Science Building should not be an issue since 

building site has a very robust stormwater runoff system that directs rain water falling on 

approximately 70% of the site to a large capacity infiltration basin that can capture all the 

volume produced by a two year storm and almost all the volume of a ten year storm before 

there would be any discharge. However, localized flooding of area roads could still be an issue 

for the approximately one hundred sixty employees who must commute to the laboratory to do 

their work and have little if any ability to work from alternate locations. 

Wheeling Office located at 1060 Chapline Street, Wheeling, West Virginia

Despite its location which is less than a one quarter mile from the Ohio River with an upstream 

drainage area of approximately 25,030 square miles, flooding of the Wheeling office is not 

expected to be a problem. The office is over fifty feet above the river level and has never been 

impacted by historic flood events associated with hurricanes in the drainage area or other 

severe weather. As discussed above, localized flooding of area roads could still be an issue for 

the approximately 25 Wheeling office employees on their commute to work and for business 

travel. 

Chesapeake Bay Office located at 410 Severn Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland

Our Chesapeake Bay office is located in a marina office complex directly on the water in a 

watershed that contains over one hundred fifty major rivers and streams and drains 

approximately 64,000 square miles. An increase flood risk is likely at this facility but mostly 

impacting storage and parking areas that are at a lower elevation. The offices in the building 

are approximately eleven feet above the Bay water level. A predicted increase in the intensity 

of hurricanes could impact the office directly due to its proximity to the coast and through 

storm surge impacting the Chesapeake Bay. As discussed in more detail in the Goal 2 section of 

this plan, sea level rise is also a threat to this facility as it will compound the effect of heavy 

precipitation, increase in flooding and storm surge.

Vulnerable Populations

Certain parts of the population, such as children, the elderly, minorities, the poor, persons with 

underlying medical conditions and disabilities, those with limited access to information, and 

tribal and indigenous populations, can be especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate 

change. Also, certain geographic locations and communities are particularly vulnerable, such as 

those located in low-lying coastal areas. One of the principles guiding EPA’s efforts to integrate 

climate adaptation into its programs, policies and rules calls for its adaptation plans to prioritize 

helping people, places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and to be 

designed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society. 

This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions 

that will be taken to address those vulnerabilities over time. As the work called for in this Plan is 
Page | 21

conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impacts of 

climate change will be identified. The Agency will then work in partnership with these 

communities to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts. 

These efforts will be informed by experiences with previous extreme weather events (e.g., 

Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts.

An important facet of climate adaptation are potential impacts to the health of the Region’s

vulnerable populations. In areas where populations carries a heavy burden of disease or 

poverty, the populations have less resiliency and the effects of climate change may be more 

severe. The connections between our climate and human health have been known for years, 

although now the changing climate has compelled scientist to re-examine these relationships 

(Jonathan A. Patz 2000).

Populations such as children may be more vulnerable to both direct and indirect health effects 

of climate change (Shea and Health 2007). Other vulnerable populations include the elderly, 

the poor, individuals with co-morbidities, and the disabled. 

These key impacts to the environment involve most of the programs in the Region (EPA. 2010). 

Warmer temperatures will increase morbidity and mortality associated with both extreme heat 

and cold weather patterns. This changing climate is also expected to affect air quality, affecting 

those with lung disease and could lead to premature death from exposure to ground-level 

ozone. An increase in the strength and frequency of extreme events (droughts, storms, and 

floods) will likely increase the threat to overall human health and safety (EPA. 2010). These 

patterns of temperature and precipitation can affect the seasons for pollen and the range of 

specific diseases in the Region including Lyme disease and West Nile virus. The inner cities 

within Region 3 will also pose many challenges to EPA as well as our partners in local 

government due to urban heat island effect. The vulnerability of urban areas to climate change 

involves consideration of the sensitivity of urban systems and people living within them to 

climate change and other interacting stressors, their exposure to those stressors, and the ability 

of systems and people to adapt to present and future changes.

Chapter 2: DRAFT Regional Priority Actions for Climate Adaptation

Introduction

Based on the vulnerabilities described in the previous chapter, existing Regional priorities, and 

the current understanding of potential adaptation opportunities, the Region’s Climate 

Adaptation workgroup identified “Priority Actions” that may assist EPA in accomplishing its

mission and operate at multiple locations in the face of a changing climate. Priority Actions are 

listed below and categorized according to their relevance to programmatic goals in EPA’s 

current strategic plan. An additional list of cross-cutting actions are also proposed and will

support multiple strategic plan goals or build general capacity for future work on climate 

adaptation. Proposed actions or activities will be reviewed by the Office of Regional Counsel to 

assure compliance with existing statutes, regulations, and guidance.
Page | 22

The Region will continue to identify other vulnerabilities that may occur and may need to 

change the scope or focus of ongoing priority actions over time. The workgroup used a simple 

set of criteria to identify and prioritize potential actions either developed from the vulnerability 

assessment or suggested by a diverse set of stakeholders. The workgroup developed criteria to 

qualitatively rank possible actions. The following is a summary of the criteria used to determine 

the priority actions included in this plan:

Criteria for EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan 

Priority Actions

 Likelihood, timeframe, and anticipated severity of specific projected impacts to regional 

programs or objectives.

 Ability to successfully implement a proposed action.

 Alignment with any existing environmental priorities (i.e. national, regional, divisional, 

programmatic).

 Alignment with priorities of key external partners and/or stakeholders (i.e. State and 

municipal governments).

 Ability for the action to build institutional capacity within EPA to better identify 

vulnerabilities and actions that will successfully address those vulnerabilities over time. 

 Actions that may directly support one or more of the Agency-wide Strategic Measures 

for Climate Adaptation.

Priority Actions, Cross-Cutting:

• Develop an interactive Climate Knowledge Base, including GIS maps and data based on 

information from the Programmatic Vulnerability Assessment, training materials, project 

descriptions, and staff contacts for use by the region.

• Work with EPA HQ to develop general Climate Impacts and Adaptation training materials 

and make them widely available.

• Continue to develop the existing Region III Climate Change Strategy and Workplan and align

it with this Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan.

• Work with the Office of Federal Activities to determine how to address climate adaptation 

issues under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

• Develop a continuous improvement process for climate adaption implementation planning 

using the “Plan Do Check Act” framework currently used in the Region’s multi-site 

Environmental Management System (EMS).

• Build capacity internally through general education as well as targeted training to ensure 

that all employees are aware of climate change impacts on EPA programs and begin to 

integrate adaptation measures into their work.

• Participate in EPA regional and national workgroups as appropriate to assist the national 

program in revising EPA guidance and regulations and implement as appropriate. 
Page | 23

Priority Actions, Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air 

Quality:

• Strengthen and form partnerships to increase outreach on indoor air quality, ultraviolent 

radiation exposure, and energy efficiency to respond to increased risks due to climate 

change impacts. 

• Train additional staff to respond to indoor air quality calls/questions from the public due to 

the increased number of calls after extreme events and flooding.

• Build internal capacity to be able to incorporate climate change data into modeling and 

emissions analyses. Examples include 1) determining emission trends for sources associated 

with climate change impacts (frequent and more intense storms, more high temperature 

days), such as portable electric generators and peaking power plants, and 2) updating

current datasets used for dispersion modeling to take into account human activities like 

sprawl and meteorological datasets (rainfall patterns, temperatures, etc). 

• Strengthen partnerships to encourage ozone-tolerant urban tree planting, as well as, white 

and green roofs, to reduce pollution and the urban heat island. 

• Work with other Regions and HQ air program managers to develop a strategy, in context to 

other programmatic priorities, on how to incorporate climate adaptation into air quality 

programs (e.g., SIP, permits).

• After discussions with HQ and Regions, incorporate climate change impacts into comments 

on permit applications, where appropriate.

• Consider integrated modeling approaches to incorporate new research on changes in air 

deposition to water bodies and land due to climate changes.

Priority Actions, Goal 2 Protecting America’s Waters:

• Include climate change parameters in next Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated 

implementation plans.

• Work with states and source water protection partners to raise awareness of climate 

change impacts and assist states and water protection partners in incorporating climate 

adaptation actions into source water assessments and protection plans.

• Promote awareness and encourage use of the Climate Ready Water Utilities Tools with an 

aim toward incorporating climate change impacts into resiliency planning by drinking water 

and wastewater utilities.

• Messaging to decision makers to encourage utilities to make sustainable investments, 

including improvements to prepare utilities for extreme weather events.

• Continue work in the Anacostia area of DC, Patapsco area of Baltimore and greater 

Philadelphia Area/lower Delaware River watershed through the Urban Waters Federal 

Partnership (UWFP) to assist with and leverage the partners ongoing climate adaptation 

planning activities.

• Support Maryland Inland Bays and Delaware Coastal Bays as they incorporate climate 

change and adaptation into their amended Comprehensive Management Plans.
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• Incorporate adaptation and resiliency principles into ongoing “greening” discussions with 

the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Host climate change workshops for Region III water utilities to broaden the need for 

resiliency and awareness of available planning tools.

• Begin discussions with state water quality standards managers on possible climate change 

impacts on current and future water quality standards. 

• Work with the EPA’s Office of Water (OW) as a pilot region to develop a framework and 

inventory of relative wetland vulnerabilities, at multiple scales, based on integration of 

information on vulnerability assessment methods and wetlands classification systems. This

framework will use relevant information from OW’s CWA Section 404, HWI, and NWCA 

program efforts, and the results will be framed to inform on best approaches for 

development of further guidance for integrating climate change considerations into each of 

these program’s practices.

• Work with the EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD), along with regional state 

bioassessment scientists, to lay the foundation for a regional reference/climate change 

monitoring network in the Mid Atlantic, including a vulnerability analysis for streams.

• Work with the EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds to include adaptation 

actions in the future work plans for our Wetlands permitting and enforcement programs.

• Continue efforts with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary on climate change adaption 

planning by expanding upon the work of the climate change adaptation plan of 2010 

developed through Climate Ready Estuaries Funding. 

Priority Actions, Goal 3 Cleaning Up America’s Communities & Advancing 

Sustainable Development:

• Educate staff to incorporate changing climate into decision making and long term planning 

(Removal & Remedial cleanups, RE-Powering America, Brownfields grants, Response 

Support Corps, Emergency Response, RCRA, Oil and Risk Management Program).

• Work with EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response to develop a national 

strategy to ensure Oil and Risk Management Program facilities prepare for climate change

and ensure that spill prevention and response strategies at facilities are sufficient for 

extreme events. 

• Prepare to dedicate additional resources including funding and staffing for Emergency 

Response and Response Support Corps.

• Work with states to assess landfill capacity for surges in disposal of hazardous and 

municipal waste generated by extreme storm events.

• Identify RCRA Corrective Action, Superfund, Brownfields, LUST, Oil and Risk Management 

Program facilities, and other OSWER sites within 100 and 500 year FEMA flood plains; 

within the sea level rise zone 1.5 meters above high tide; and within NOAA “SLOSH” (Sea, 
Page | 25

Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model storm surge zones to assist in 

preparedness for extreme storm events.

• Identify sites within the region that have vulnerable ecosystems—coastal, stream, mountain 

ridgetop habitats.

• Perform vulnerability analyses during site investigation, cleanup design, operations and 

maintenance, five year reviews, etc. Encourage states to consider doing the same for stateled states.

• Incorporate other OSWER adaptation implementation priorities, as applicable to Region III.

• Begin work to integrate climate adaptation into pertinent financial assurance mechanisms.

Priority Actions, Goal 4 Ensuring Safety of Chemicals & Preventing Pollution:

• Consider climate change in the administration of Pollution Prevention (P2) and associated 

sustainability initiatives. Assist the Region in identifying the most sustainable approaches for 

mitigating and adapting to climate change through emphasizing the lifecycle and risk 

reduction aspects of P2.

• Participate in EPA regional and national workgroups on such issues as appropriate to assist 

the national program in revising EPA guidance and regulations. 

• Develop and deliver targeted training on Climate Adaptation to staff and managers working 

on EPA pesticide programs.

• Train staff and managers working on demolition, renovation, and disaster debris programs 

on climate adaptation and chemical risk issues.

• Incorporate other OSCPP adaptation implementation priorities, as applicable to Region III.

• Integrate climate adaptation into pertinent financial assistance mechanisms.

Priority Actions; Region III Managed Facilities and Operations:

• Determine if policy, guidance or email notification is warranted to those employees and 

contractors conducting field work during excessive heat warning or ozone action days.

• Determine the number of employees that are currently using flexiplace and can work from 

alternate locations. 

• Determine the number of employees who lack the ability to use flexiplace due to resources 

or their job function.

• Determine if a COOP is needed for the Chesapeake Bay Program Office and Wheeling Office. 

• Determine if special criteria should be developed for the Chesapeake Bay Program Office 

employees to warn them of the potential for office or localized flooding.
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Chapter 3: Measurement and Evaluation

This section will describe how Region III will update the information and analysis in this 

implementation plan, evaluate the success of any activities undertaken, and continually 

improve the process of programmatic climate adaptation over time. Since one of the goals of 

the plan is to build adaptive capacity within EPA Region III programs the initial measurement 

and evaluation plan will focus on the capacity building elements of the plan, as well as, 

developing and refining the Region’s approach to evaluation. This approach utilize along three 

pathways and use existing systems and workgroups whenever possible. 

Adaptive Management through Continuous Improvement

The central task will be to create a Continuous Improvement Process, similar to the Plan, Do, 

Check, Act process used in our regional Environmental Management System, to adaptively 

manage the execution and management of the Implementation Plan. This process will seek to 

include a schedule for updates to the climate vulnerabilities, adaptation objectives, and 

activities in the plan, a set of measurable goals, a management review, and a method for 

sharing the results of the plan with our stakeholders.

Integration with Existing Regional Climate Strategy

The second pathway will be the integration of this implementation plan within the existing 

Region III Climate Change Strategy (link). In practical terms, this means the objectives and 

activities will be the same for both and all activity tracking and measurement will occur using 

the existing the workplan process developed for the Strategy. Oversight will be the 

responsibility of the Climate Change Senior Steering Committee and Regional Climate Network

Workgroup will work to implement the plan. The current workplan includes individual project 

management tracking and metrics for each activity. Currently, these metrics focus on the 

outputs of work. For example, we will track the number of training programs offered to 

regional staff and the number of participants. The workgroup responsible for this 

implementation plan expects to greatly improve this section of the plan over the next several 

years as a result of this process. 

One objective of future work for the planning process will be to identify metrics that measure 

outcomes. For example, a questionnaire was provided to regional employees to determine

their level of understanding regarding climate change to determine appropriate training. We 

will also use the information from the questionnaire to create a qualitative baseline to 

eventually measure the outcomes of our ongoing capacity building efforts.

Develop Tools for Evaluation and Engagement

The third pathway will be the creation or use of specific tools to help with the important task of 

evaluating progress, measuring the results of activities, and making changes and improvements 

as necessary. This toolbox will need to include improvements to vulnerability analyses in 

addition to tools focused on helping individual programs implement priority actions. Tools 

under consideration include: Developing Logic Models similar to those used by EPA’s Office of 
Page | 27

Water, an Interactive Knowledge Base for mapping expected impacts and vulnerabilities, and 

the use of decision support tools developed by EPA national program offices. 

Another key aspect to be developed will be a robust engagement process with key external 

stakeholders to both understand their approaches to measurement and evaluation, but 

hopefully, to collaborate on the development of evaluation methodology and tools for our 

shared priorities. In addition, this engagement process should include targeted efforts to 

engage with representatives from vulnerable populations with the Region.
Page | 28

References:

IPCC, (2012). Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change 

Adaptation.

Jonathan A. Patz, D. E., John Last (2000). "The Effects of Changing Weather on Public Health." 

Annual Review of Public Health Vol. 21: 271-307 (Volume publication date May 2000).

NRC (2010). Advancing the Science of Climate Change . National Research Council. The National 

Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.

National Research Council, (2011). Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health. Washington, 

DC: The National Academies Press.

Shea, K. M. and a. t. C. o. E. Health (2007). "Global Climate Change and Children's Health." 

Pediatrics 120(5): e1359-e1367.

USEPA Northeast Impacts & Adaptation web page, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impactsadaptation/northeast.html

USEPA Policy Statement on Climate-Change Adaptation (2011), 

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/impacts-adaptation/adaptationstatement.pdf

USEPA Southeast Impacts & Adaptation web page, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impactsadaptation/southeast.html

USEPA., U. S. (2010). Climate change indicators in the United States. 

U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), 2009, National Climate Assessment. 

http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/regionalclimate-change-impacts/northeast