# EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan

September 2013

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

2 | Page 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.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

3 | Page Preface

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to identifying and responding to the challenges that a changing climate pose s 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 abil ity 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 scienti fic 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 Chang e 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 a gency

- 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 agency

- wide 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 integra te 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 l iving 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 addressin g 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 most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adapt ive capacity in the tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

4 | Page Because EPA’s Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they mainstream climate adaptation planning into their activiti es, 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 effectiv eness 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 th e 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

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

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### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

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## Table of Contents Acknowledgements

................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 7
Section 1: Introduction

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 8 I. Regional Overview

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 8
II. Overvi ew of Climate Change Impacts in Region 10

................................ ................................ .. 9 Section 2: Region 10 Vulnerability Assessment

................................ ................................ .......... 10 I. Region 10 General Vulnerabilities

................................ ................................ .......................... 11
1. Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality

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

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

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

................................ ...... 22 5. Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws

................................ ................................ .................. 22 6. EPA Facilities and Operations

................................ ................................ ................................ . 25 7. Tribal and other Vulnerable Populations

................................ ................................ ................. 26 Section 3: Region 10 Priority Existing Actions

................................ ................................ ............ 28 1. Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (OAWT)

................................ ................................ ............. 29 2. Office of Water and Watersheds (OWW)

................................ ................................ ................ 29 3. Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs (ETPA)

................................ ...................... 30
4. Office of Environmental Clean

- Up (ECL)

................................ ................................ .............. 32 5. Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE)

................................ ................................ ....... 32 6. Office of Regional Counsel (ORC)

................................ ................................ .......................... 33 7. Office of Environmental Assessment (OEA)

................................ ................................ ......... 33 Section 4: Developing Measures, Monitoring and Evaluating Performance

................................ 34 Section 5: Legal and Enforcement Issues

................................ ................................ .................... 34 Section 6: Training and Outreach

................................ ................................ ................................ 34 Section 7: Partnerships with Tribes

................................ ................................ .............................. 34 Section 8: Vulnerable Population and Places

................................ ................................ ............... 35
Section 9: Cross

- Office Pilot Projects

................................ ................................ .......................... 36 Appendix A: Vulnerabilities Identified by Region 10 States and Tribes

................................ ..... 38 Appendix B: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Program Vulnerabilities

.......................... 43 Appendix C: Deta iled Description of EPA Region 10 Existing Actions

................................ ...... 63 Appendix D: Comparison of Vulnerabilities and EPA Region 10 Existing Actions

................... 84 Appendix E: EPA Region 10 Approach for Measuring Success

................................ .................. 90

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

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## Acknowledgements

Overall Direction
Dennis Mc L erran, Regional Administrator , Region 10 Michelle Pirzadeh, Deputy Regional Administrator , Region 10 Joyce Kelly, Director, Office of Environmental Assessment , Region 10
Joel S c heraga, Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation
, Office of Administrator

Overall Development Bruce Duncan, Office of Environmental Assessment Michael Cox, Office of Environmental Assessment

Key Input Region 10 Executive Team

Office Points of Contact
Broo k Madrone

- Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Teresa Kubo and Michelle Davis

- Office of Ecosystems, Tribes, and Public Affairs Paula Vanhaagen

- Office of Water and Watersheds: Ken Marcy

- Environmental Cleanup Sandra Brozusky

- Office of Compliance and Enforcement Allyn Stern

- Office of Regional Counsel

Tribal Partnership
Jim Woods

– Region 10 Regional Tribal Policy Advisor

Additional Input
Keith Rose

– Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics Dave Bray

- Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics Ashley Zanolli

- Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics Viccy Salazar

- Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics
Erin Mader

- Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics Margo Young

- Office of Ecosystems, Tribes, and Public Affairs
Linda Storm

- Office of Ecosystems, Tribes, and Public Affairs
R ob Elleman

- Office of Environmental Assessment Claire Schary

- Office of Water and Watersheds
Brooks Stanfield and Andrea Westenberger

- Office of Management Programs

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

8 | Page “Adaptation” refers to efforts by society or ecosystems to prepare for or adjust to future climate change

. These adjustments can be protective (i.e., guarding against negative impacts of climate change), or opportunistic (i.e., taking advantage of any beneficial effects of climate change). 

## S **ection 1**  **: I**  **ntroduction**

Executive Order EO135 14 directed the U.S

. Government to address the impacts of climate change, and form an Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force

. This task force is co

chaired by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) , the White House Office of Scie nce and Technology Policy
, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

. There are over 20 federal agencies represented on the task force, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

. The task force developed recommendations to the Pre sident regarding the integration of climate adaptation into planning, operations, policies, and programs, and each agency was required to develop a climate change adaptation plan.

In response, EPA issued a climate change adaptation policy statement in Jun e 2011, and completed an

agency

- wide Climate Adaptation Plan in June 2012

. These documents directed every Program and Regional office within EPA to develop an Implementation Plan detailing how they will integrate climate adaptation into their work, and ad dress the priorities identified in the agency

- wide plan

.
To promote consistency, these Implementation Plans have common areas of focus, as outlined below

.

The Implementation Plans are complementary and are meant to w ork in conjunction with the Agency’s Strategic Plan and Sustainability Plan, and the climate change plans developed by the individual EPA Program Offices

. The Implementation Plan for Region 10 will be a living document to be updated over
time

.



## I

**. Regi**  **onal Overview**

Region 10 serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and 271 Federally Recognized Tribes

. In this report, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are often referred to as the Pacific Northwest

. EPA Region 10 represents a diverse geographic region with varying climate, geographic features, social, and ecological Common Areas of Focus for Implementation Plans
1. Vulnerability assessments 2. Priority actions on climate adaptation 3. Agency

- wide s trategic m easures on climate adaptation 4. Legal and enforcement issues
5. Training and outreach 6. Partnerships with tribes
7. Evaluation and cross

- office pilot projects

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

9 | Page conditions

. Region 10 is composed of eight landscape conservation cooperative 1 

### areas (five in Alaska and 3 in the Pacific Northwest) o ut of twenty

- two Nationwide

. This attest s to the wide diversity of geographic regions within Region 10

. The Pacific Northwest is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the
west and Canada to the north

. The region includes the cities of Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Boise, and Tacoma with susceptible populations that are particularly vulnerable to a changing climate

.

The Cascade Mountain Range runs north

- south through Washington and Oregon, splitting the region

. The climate on each side of the mountain range is very different

. West of the mountains, temperatures are mild year

- round (days below freezing or above 90°F are relatively rare), winters are wet, and summers are dry

. East of the mountains, it is typically sunnier and drier over the course of t he year, winters are colder, and summers can be significantly hotter

. The Pacific Northwest contains many miles of coast line, contains high sage deserts, is composed of large tracks of forest, and consists of several mountain ranges that are critical to maintaining the water resources in the Region

.

Alaska presents unique challenges given its geographic location
, and that it is the only arctic region in
United States

. Issues related to permafrost thawing and sea ice melting are unique to Alaska and climate change impacts are being seen in many areas of Alaska and threatening coastal communities, habitats, and infrastructure

. Alaska contains more coastline tha n the other 49 states combined

. Alaska contains almost 40% (229 tribes) of the federally recognized tribes in the United States that are particularly vulnerable to climate change given their proximity to coastal areas

.



## II **. Overview of**  **Climate Change Impacts in Region 10**

The climate of the Northwest is changing

. According to the United S tates Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) the following changes have or are anticipate d to occur in the region

. 2 

### O ver the last century, the average annual temperature rose by 1.5°F, with increases in some areas up to 4°F

. Changes in snowpack, streamflows, and forest cover are already occurring

. Future climate change will likely continue to influence these changes

. Average annual temperature in the region is projected to increase by 3

- 10°F by the end of the century

. Winter precipitation is projected to increase while summer precipitation is projected to decrease, though precipitation projections are less certain than those related to temperature

. Future climate change impacts would be compounded by pressures related to the region's rapidl y growing population.

1 Landscape Conservation Cooperatives are public

- private partnerships composed of states, tribes, federal agencies, non

- governmental organizations, universities and others.

2 U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States

. Karl, T.R., J. M. Melillo, and T. C. Peterson (eds.). United States G lobal Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

10 | Page Impacts from c limate c hange are being observed in Alaska

. According to the Alaska Climate Change Strategy 3 

### r ecent decades of warmer temperature have produced extensive thawing of permafrost,
which has resulted in increased coastal erosion, landslides, and sinking of the ground surface, as well as consequent disruption and damage to forests, buildings, infrast r u ctu re, and coastal communities

. Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning, with widespread effects on marin e ecosystems, coastal climate, human settlements, and subsistence activities

. The Arctic Region, particularly Alaska, is already experiencing major ecological impacts such as the northward expansion of boreal forest in some areas, significant increases i n fire frequency and intensity, and unprecedented insect outbreaks.



## S **ection 2: R**  **egion 10 Vulnerability Assessment**

This section contains an assessment of the vulnerabilities of Region 10 programs to the impacts of climate change

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

- Wide Implementation Plan, as well as the individual assessments completed by various Program Offices in Region 10. It also draws heavily from existing efforts from the four states in Region 10
, a s well as the work from the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in Region 10 and from Tribal assessments . A summary of those efforts is provided below and a more detailed discussion can be found in Appendix A. The vulnerability assessment is structured by the goals in EPA’s FY 2011

- 2015 Strategic Plan and includes a vulnerability assessment of EPA Region 10
facilities and Tribes. A more detailed discussion of the vulnerabilities and impacts is included in Appendix B. Appendix D provides a comparison of the vulnerabilities identified below with existing Region 10 actions. This information could be used to help focus future
actions.

It is important to note that EPA Region 10 did not conduct a quantitative vulnerability assessment, but has qualitative ly evaluated the nature and magnitude of risks associated with climate change impacts.
Th e vulnerability assessment is based on the best available information
, state and tribal vulnerability

assessment s , and our own best professional judgment. The assess ment does not specifically distinguish timeframes (current, near

- term, long

- term) for impacts, although it mentions where impacts are already occurring
, and it does provide judgments on the likelihood of the impact occurring in the Region. The

assessment will need to be updated as our understanding of climate science evolves, and the Region will need to identify the important gaps in our scientific knowledge and technical analyses that are needed
to assist in decision

- making.

3 Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska. http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf. 

### Vulnerability is the degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including cli mate variability and extremes.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

11 | Page The overall goal of the Re gion 10 v ulnerability a ssessment and the detailed discussion of specific vulnerabilities contained in Appendix B and the comparison with vulnerabilities and existing actions in Appendix D are to:

1. Inform staff and managers in Region 10 about the most criti cal impacts from climate change for their programs;

2. Motivate staff and managers to continue with existing climate change and sustainability
work and integrate climate change adaptation into their program work;

3. Serve as a starting point to engage in conversations with EPA partners, especially Tribes, on future actions that are needed to adapt to climate change; and



### 4. Serve as a qualitative assessment of the baseline set of vulnerabilities, which can be refined as new regional information on climate sci ence and adaptation alternatives become
available.

Vulnerable populations are mentioned throughout the document

. Certain parts of the population, such

as children, the elderly, minorities and 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

. Tribes may be more vulnerable to climate change impacts because of dependence upon a specific geo graphical area for their livelihood; and their unique cultural, economic, or political characteristics and contexts. 4



### 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 design ed and implemented with meaningful involvement from all parts of society

.



## I

**. Region 10**  **General V ulnerabilities** 

All four States in Region 10 have identified vulnerabilities specific to their State

. A summary of what is
included in each State assessment is included below with a more detailed discussion in Appendix A.

4 Cutter, S.L

. and C

. Finch

. 2008

. Temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 105(7): 2301

- 2306.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

12 | Page • The State of Oregon has developed a framework that condenses specific vulnerabilities and risks from climate change into 11 overarchin g categories . They then ranked these into three groups: very likely, likely, and more likely than not

. 5



### • The W ashington State Department of Ecology has summarized climate impacts in their response strategy

. 6 

### Washington examined p rojected impacts for sector groupings

– e.g., b uilt
i nfrastructure, w ildlife & h abitat, etc

.

• Clim ate change planning in Idaho is conducted by the Idaho Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

. 7 

### The EPSCo R w ork address es concerns about how the hydrology in Idaho will change as climate changes in the western U.S.

• The State of Alaska Adaptation Advisory Group describes vulnerabilities including effects that are already occurring in their document Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts
in Alaska

. 8



### • In an effort to understand Tribal cultural resource vulnerabilities, Region 10 reviewed the Swinomish Climate Change Initiative Impact Assessment Technical Report

. 9



### • T he Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Plan Template provides a summary of the Ar c tic
vulnerabilities and those related to Alaskan Tribes

. 10



### The following suite of climate change vulnerabilities and impacts
, and their e ffects on Region 10 Programs is discussed in the sections below

. They are discussed individually, or in combinations based on the focus of the Strategic Plan Goal under consideration

. A more detailed discussion of the vulnerabilities is in Appendix B.

Based on the assessments described above we developed the following list of the most significant regional vulnerabilities

.

1

. Increase in average annual air temperature.
2

. Decreased/loss of snowpack

. 3

. Sea level rise

. 4

. Permafrost thawing

.

5 http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/docs/ClimateChange/Framework_Final.pdf

6 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_response strategy.htm

7 http://www.idahoclimatechange.org/DrawOnePage.aspx?PageID=135

8 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf

9 http://www.swinomish.org/departments/planning/climate_change/climate_main.html

10 http://www.globalchange.gov/pu blications/reports/scientific

- assessments/us

- impacts

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

13 | Page 5

. S ea ice melting

. 6

. Increase in wildfire frequency and intensity.
7

. Increase in ocean temperatures

. 8

. Increase in o cean acidification.
9

. Increase frequency of extreme precipitation events and flooding.
10

. Increase in and changing mix of pests.
11

. More frequent and severe drought.
12

. Increase health impacts.

In addition to the vulnerabilities above, several cultural vulnerabilities were identified in the Swinomish Impact Assessment that may be relevant to other Tribes including:

• S h rinking land base (sea level rise)

.

• I nundation of coa stal sites/artifacts

.

• E xposure of burial sites and human remains from strong storm events

.

• L oss of cultural use plants

.

• I mpacts within traditional use areas

.

• Historic subsistent natural resources used by indigenous tribes such as fishery resources, wildlife, traditional foods, native plants, and holistic medicines are vulnerable.

These vulnerabilities are discussed when evaluating potential impacts on Regional Office programmatic areas of responsibility

. The five goals discussed below are taken fro m the National Goals to facilitate comparisons across regions

. The relationships to Region 10 Goals 11 

### are also given

. Two additional areas of responsibility beyond the five National Goals that are addressed under vulnerabilities are
f acilities and o perations and Tribes and v ulnerable populations

.

Cross W alk between National and Region 10 Goals National Goal Regional Goal Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality Goal 1: .Taking Action on Climate Change and Goal 2 : Improving Air Quality Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters Goal 5 : Protecting America’s Waters Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Dev elopment Goal 4 : Cleaning Up Our Communities

Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution Goal 3 : Assuring the Safety of Chemicals

Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws Goal 3 : Assuring the Safety of Chemicals Facilities and Operations No specific goal. Vulnerable population s Goals 6 : Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice

11 http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/regional_priorities_2011

- 2015.pdf

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

14 | Page Goal 7: Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships

.



## 1

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

Many of the impacts from climate change inc luding increased summer temperatures, increased wildfires, changes in precipitation, and severe weather events are likely to impact both ambient and
indoor air quality in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska

. These impacts will present new challenges to
EPA Region 10 and its partners to ensure the continued protection of public health and the
environment

.

A. Increase in t ropospheric o zone pollution may occur in certain areas due to i ncreased average summertime temperature

There is the possibility that higher summertime temperatures would increase ozone productivity as well
as emissions of volatile organic contaminant ( VOC ) precursors and, there is scientific consensus that climate change will decrease the background ozone i n the lower troposphere where the water vapor
effect is dominant. 12 

### However, from the available academic literature that include s results for the Pacific Northwest, there is no consistent finding about whether climate change will increase, decrease, or have no change on ozone in this region. 13
, 14 

### Potential ozone increases are more likely to occur in the larger metropolitan areas incl uding Spokane, Tacoma, Portland, and Boise

. Whether or not these increases will result in violations of the NAAQS health standards however is unknown.

B. Increase in a ir t oxics from anthropogenic sources is uncertain due to variability in effects of temperature increase on individual air toxics.

Many hazardous air pollutants volatilize at higher temperatures, creating the potential for higher emission rates and higher concentrations in ambient air. 15 

### The higher concentrations could increase public he alth risks, including risks for the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations

. There is uncertainty h owever as to actual impacts on hazardous air pollutants ( HAP s) concentrations since the boundary layer hei ght will also likely be higher, adding more

12 Jacob, DJ., and D.A

. Winner

. 2009

. Effect of climate change on air quality

. Atmos

. Environ ., 43 (56)

. 13 Ibid Jacob and Win n er 43 ( 51

- 63 ).

14 U SGCRP. 2009

. Assessment of the impacts of global change on regional U.S

. air quality: a synthesis of climate change impacts on ground

- level ozone, EPA/600/R

- 07/094F , Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.
15 IPCC, 2012: Summ ary 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, SlK

. Allen, M

. Tignor, and P.M

. Midgley (eds.)

. A Special Report of Working Groups I & II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA pp

. 1

- 19.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

15 | Page volume of air for the HAPs to mix into

. It is also possible for pollutant removal mechanisms to increase as a result of climate change.

C. Increase in p articulate m atter levels is occurring now and is very likely to increase d ue to
i ncreased frequency or intensity of wildfires due to increased summertime temperatures, prolonged droughts, and decreased soil moisture

.

Larger and more frequent wildfires are predicted throughout the region as a result of warmer summertime temperatures, decreased soil and fuel moisture, and increased pest infestations

. For example, in the Columbia Basin, the acres of forest burned are projected to double by the 2020s, and triple by the 2040s compared to average burned from 1916 to 2006. 16 

### This could complicate Agency efforts to protect public health and the environment from risks posed by particulate matter pollution in areas affected by more frequent wildfires

. All four R egion 10 States have a high percent of forested

areas (ab out 50% for Washington and Oregon ) and would all be adversely affected by an increase in
wildfires.

D. Indoor a ir q uality is very likely to be impacted, especially in Alaska, due to c hanges in precipitation, extreme temperatures, more frequent wildfires, and severe weather events

.

Deterioration in indoor air quality will increase public health risks including those from respiratory
illnesses such as asthma

. 17 

### Public health risks from poor indoor air quality may also increase for susceptible populations

- the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations across the region

. Alaska’s native and rural populations are very vulnerable to worsening indoor air quality with more insulated housing reducing air circulation

- thereby increasing levels of both indoor and ambient pollution

. Increased flooding and melting permafrost also worsen indoor air quality by support ing mold growth. 18 

### This is an issue across the Region, but p articularly important in environmental justice (EJ) areas and areas with a high density of more susceptible populations such as in Alaska’s native villages 19 

### and on tribal reservations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

E. Stratospheric o zone l ayer is likely to be impacted in Alaska due to c limate change ef fects

.

16 Littell, J.S

. et

. al

. 2010

. Forest ecosystems, disturbance, and climatic change in Washington State, USA

. Climatic Change 102(1

- 2): 129

- 158.
17 Reid, Colleen and Gamble, Janet . 2009. Aeroallergens, Allergic Disease, and Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation, Ecohealth Vol 6(3):458

- 470, September, 2 009.
18 Kovesi, Thomas MD et al . 2007. Indoor Air Quality and the Risk of lower respiratory tract infections in young Canadian Inuit children, Canadian Medical Association, 2007

19 Bulkow, Lisa
, et al. 2010. Risk Factors for Severe Respiratory Synctial Virus Infection Among Alaska Native Children, Pediatrics

. 109 (2) 2 0 10.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

16 | Page This issue is important in the Arctic (Alaska) where severe depletion of stratospheric ozone has been observed during winter months. 20 

### While there currently are no EPA Region 10 programs that directly deal with monitoring or restoring the stratospheric ozone layer, there is enforcement activity against violators related to use and disposal of chlorofluorocarbons ( CFC’s ) and hydrochloroflu orocarbons ( HCFC’s ).

F. Increased rate and deposition of sulfates, nitrates, and mercury is uncertain due to c hanges in precipitation patterns

.

Increase d concentrations of sulfates, nitrates, and mercury could cause adverse effects on ecosystems throughout the region, particularly mountain ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems, and could contribute to accumulation of mercury in fish tissue

. However, overall effects are uncertain because higher temperatures drive increased chemical reactions and p ossibly more secondary organic carbon

. At the same time
, there might be changes to the boundary layer height, airmass ventilation rate, and precipitation

. We do not know the relative importance of these effects in R egion 10 states

.



## 2

**. Goal 2: Prote**  **cting America’s Waters**

There are many impacts that climate change may have on our water resources including drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, freshwater fisheries, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, water quality and water quantity, and agricu ltural and forestry production

. These impacts will present challenges as there will be competing demands in some areas for water resources for agriculture, energy production, drinking water, and maintaining streamflows for fish

. The section below highl ights the main vulnerabilities and impacts identified in Region 10.

A. Drinking water, wastewater, stormwater , and agricultural infrastructure is likely to be impacted by i ncreas ed heavy precipitation , more frequent flood events , storm surge, coastal erosion, and drought

.

Impacts on water infrastructure may result in flooded facilities, an increased number of sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, as well as increased pollutant loads in runoff, increased pollution of streams and threats to public health. 21 

### Climate change impacts drinking water by heightening risk of contamination of surface water sources due to higher temperatures, lower flows, and increased erosion/sedimentation. 22 

### P roblems of safety as well as access to clean and safe water will b e exacerbated for Tribal communities, and other vulnerable and economically depressed communities

20 Manney, G.L
., et al., Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss in 2011 . 2011. Nature 478, 469

- 475, October 27, 2011.
21 US GCRP. 2009

. Regional Impacts: Northwest

. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F

, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

22 Ibid. USGCRP.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

17 | Page who have limited access to clean water supplies. 23 

### Agricultural productivity may be impacted in areas with inadequate water storage capacity and limited agric ultural irrigation systems

. Adequate summertime water supply for irrigation of crops is essential to agricultural communities east of the
Cascades in O regon, Washington, and Idaho

. For tribes, who lack irrigation infrastructure and rely primarily on lake s and streams as water sources, availability of water for agriculture may be more severely impacted by climate change

.

B. Impacts to f reshwater fisheries is occurring now and is likely to increase due to e arlier stream runoff and scouring of streambeds due to earlier snow melt, decrease d summer stream flows and increased steam temperatures , and longer periods of low stream flow

.

Impacts include loss of salmon habitat and increased stress on salmon reproduction throughout their entire lifecycle. 24 

### Salmon and other cold water fish constitute a large part of the marine fishery business in the Pacific Northwest, and loss of these fish would have a substantial impact on the Pacific Northwest

economy

. Coastal Native Americans depend on salmon as an e ssential part of their diets

. There will be secondary impacts on other species in the ecosystem that benefit from salmon

– e.g., forests that rely on decaying salmon for nutrients, and bears, eagles, others that feed on salmon

. This also applies to
othe r fresh cold water fish

. Water resource decision

- makers will need to modify watershed planning
efforts to include projected impacts of altered stream flows and increased temperatures due to climate change

. 25
, 26



### C. Estuarine watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands are likely to be impacted by s ea - level rise, sea surface temperature and increasing heavy precipitation events during the winter months, and decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity during the
summer months

.

Changes in p recipitation patterns, and increased drought intensity will cause stress on wetlands, and forest and mountain ecosystems, and pose challenges to migration of species in these ecosystems to
more suitable habitats

. Warmer sea surface temperature contributes to sea level rise, increased storm intensity, and greater stratification of the water column

. 27 

### For the Washington, Oregon, and California

23 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf

24 USGCRP

. 2009

. Regional Impacts: Northwest

. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F , Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.
25 Wenger, S.J.
, et al. 2011. Role of climate and invasive species in structuring trout distributions in the Interior Columbia Basin 2011, USA: Canadian Journal of F isheries and Aquatic Sciences, v. 68, p. 988

- 1008. Catalog No: 2508.
26 Wenger, S.J., et al. 2011. Flow regime, temperature and biotic interactions drive differential declines of trout species under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online. Catalog No: 2652.

27 Hoegh

- Guldberg, Ove and Bruno, John F. 2010. The impact of climate change on the world’s ecosystems. Science 328(1523

- 1528.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

18 | Page coasts north of Cape Mendocino, sea level is projected to change between

- 4 cm (sea

- level fall) and +23

c m by 2030,

- 3 cm and +48 cm by 2050, and 10

– 143 cm by 2100

. 28



### D. Forest ecosystems will likely be impacted by w arming temperatures and more frequent and intense drought conditions

.

Forest tree species are expected to shift their ranges northward and upslope in response to climate change and e xisting ecosystems will breakup as different species shift at different rates, resulting in the
formation of new ecosystems , with unknown consequences

. 29 

### Breakup of existing ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, in combination with increased drought conditions, can make forests more susceptible to destruction by wildfires and insect infestation

. In the western United States, both the frequency of large
wildfires
, and the length of the fire season have increased substantially in recent decades, due primarily to earlier spring snowmelt and higher spring and summer temperatures

. 30 

### Adverse effects are likely in forests across the region, but more immediately in low el evation forests, and forests in drier parts of the region, such as in I daho eastern W ashington and Oregon , and the interior of A laska. 31



### E. Loss of sea ice is occurring now and will very likely increase in Alaska due to warming air and water temperatures

.

Loss of arctic ice in the Bering Sea is adversely affecting Arctic sea ice ecosystems

. The Bering Sea fishery is a very important source of seafood and an important factor to Alaska's economy

. The earlier ice melt resulting from warming, however, leads t o later phytoplankton blooms that are largely consumed by microscopic animals near the sea surface, vastly decreasing the amount of food reaching the living organisms on the ocean floor. 32 

### This will radically change the species composition of the fish and other creatures, with significant repercussions for both subsistence and commercial fishing. 33 

### Sea ice is forming later in the fall in Alaska, making the coastal communities more vulnerab le to extreme

storms causing coastal erosion in villages

. 34

28 National Research Council. 2012. Sea

- level rise for the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California: Past, Present, and Future. Division on Earth and Life Studies Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and Ocean Studies Board. Committee on Sea Level Rise in California, Oregon, and Washington.

29 ACIA

. 2004

. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.

30 Westerling A.L., et. al. 2006. Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. forest wildfire activity. Science, 313 (5789), 940

- 943.
31 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Pacific Northwest and Alaska. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

32 USGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Alaska. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F, Office of Research and Developme nt, Washington, D.C.
33 Janetos, A., et. al. 2008. Biodiversity. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of Agricul ture, Washington, DC, pp. 151

- 181.
34 http://www.stormsurge.noaa.gov/event_history.html

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

19 | Page F. Ocean acidification is occurring now and is very likely to increase due to increasing concentrations of CO 2 

### in the atmosphere

.

Ocean acidification can lead to s ubstantial decline of marine organisms that form their shells and
skeletons from calcium carbonate in ocean waters

. 35 

### Adverse effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms have already been documented

. 36 

### Specifically, adverse effects of ocean acidification have
been documented in pteropods (sea snails)

, 37 

### a primary food source for salmon in the Pacific Ocean, and in oyster larvae in estuaries on the coast of OR. 38 

### This is an important issue in coastal areas of the Pacific
Northwest and Alaska.

G. Change in vegetation is likely in eastern Washington and Oregon and Idaho due to p est outbreaks, invasive species, increased fire, shifts in species ranges and increased erosion, drier soils, and depletion of water

.

Climate warming is likely to increase the severity of West Nile Virus (WNv) outbreaks and to expand the area susceptible to outbreaks into areas that are now too cold for the WNv vector

. 39 

### O bserved and projected decreases in the frequency of freezing temperatures, lengthening of t he frost

- free season, and increased minimum temperatures can alter plant species ranges and shift the geographic and elevational boundaries of many arid lands

. These changes are particularly relevant to the intermountain regions in western North America, the Palouse grassland bioregion, southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon

.



## 3

**. Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable** 
**Dev elopment** 

Contaminated site cleanup and waste/petroleum management occur under a variety of EPA programs, most commonly Superfund (i.e., remedial, time

- critical and non

- time critical removals, and emergency response), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls

– PCBs), Clean Air Act (CAA) (e.g., asbestos), and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA)

.

35 Orr, J.C., et. al. 2005. Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty

- first century and its impact on calcifying organisms. Nature, 437(7059), 681

- 686. 200 5
36 Feely, R.A., et. al. 2008

. Evidence for upwelling of corrosive “acidified” water onto the continental shelf. Science, 320(5882), 1490

- 1492

. 37 Bednaršek, N., et. al. 2012. Extensive dissolution of live pteropods in the Southern Ocean, Nature Geoscience, 5 (881

– 885)

. 38 Barton, Alan , et. al. 2012. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, shows negative correlation to naturally elevated carbon dioxide levels: Implications for near

- term ocean acidification effects

. Limnology and Oceanography

. 5 7(3)

. 39 Ibid Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2011.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

20 | Page There are over 100 hazardous waste sites listed on the National Priority List , and many RCRA permitted
and corrective action sites in Region 10

. Many of these sites are especially vulnerable to impact s from climate change and the potential impacts to infrastructure and in place remedies at corrective action, remedial, removal, and brownfield sites

. Also, there may be an increased need for Emergency Response as part of FEMA response

.

Region 10 recognizes the importance of sustainable development
, and the overlap and intersection with climate change issues

. The Region is focusing on coordinating its sustainability efforts internally as well as with our external partners with a specific consideration of climate change.

A. Remedial, removal, brownfield , corrective action or permitted sites may be impacted due to flooding, sea level risk, storm surges, extreme events, and landslides

.

There could be an increased risk of contaminant release from hazardous waste sites

. Remedial project

managers and corrective action project managers may need to alter selected remedies to ensure
hazardous substances are not released

. In situ remedies (e.g., stabilization, reactive barriers) and on

site above ground treatment systems (e.g., pump & treat, air sparging) could be compromised or overwhelmed if they are not designed to withstand the climate

- related events

. The net result could be
release of contaminants.

Groundwater and subsurface contamination c ould be impacted by drought and flood conditions

. There may be an increased risk of migration of contaminants from flooded containment facilities

. Remedies such as caps in contaminated industrial waterways in Washington and Oregon could be subject to (an d not designed to withstand) unanticipated scour events

.

Possible issues of nuclear waste disposal related to climate change (e.g., locations of storage facilities, appropriate containment, and risk management issues) would also be important at the DOE Hanford facility in Washington State, and the DOE Idaho National Lab facility in Idaho

.

B. Increase in work for Alaska’s Tribal and emergency response programs is occurring now and likely to increase due to t hawing permafrost and changes in sea ice that leads to damage of roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure

.

Melting sea ice and late formation in the fall is causing storms to move in close to shore as the natural buffering system disappears

. That is causing rapid coastal er osion, with houses and infrastructure falling into the ocean in several communities

. That, along with higher storm, tidal surges flood communities, is requiring more immediate evacuation needs

. Open dumps are also impacted by storm

surges, and flooding, which increases contamination risk

. Permafrost temperatures have increased

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

21 | Page throughout Alaska since the late 1970s. 40 

### Land subsidence (sinking) associated with the thawing of permafrost presents substantial challenges to engineers attempting to preserve infrastructure in
Alaska. 41



### C. EPA R egion 10, Tribal and state partners will have increasing workloads in many aspects o f site and waste management as well as work related to the formation and implementation of sustainable development and materials management programs, partnerships and initiatives.

Existing trends will exacerbate the challenges of climate adaptation. For example, a ccelerating development (sustainable or otherwise) and the expected migration of people to Region 10 are issues of

concern

. It is projected that the population of the States in Region 10 will increase from 11.2 million in
2010 to 13.1 million in 2025

. 42 

### Communities are struggling with how to manage the new people while protecting the environment and providing basic services li ke energy, water and waste management

. In support of the increased sustainability of our communities, our investments in partnerships related to more sustainable materials management play an increasing role in preventing waste, conserving energy
and redu cing emissions of toxics as well as greenhouse gases

. Waste management can be especially challenging in remote tribal communities in Alaska

. 43



### D. Availability of raw materials may decrease and the cost of mining and refining raw materials, producing products, transporting products, and disposing products may increase due to impacts of climate change

.

EPA Region 10 will need to put more effort into advocating for sustainable material s management and pollution prevention with States, industry, commun ities and tribes as climate change affects the availability and cost of raw materials and products

. This issue will impact the entire region but may have a greater impact on remote cities and villages in Alaska where transportation and disposal of produc ts is more difficult and costly

. For example, increasing pest infestations and forest fires can result in millions of acres of dead, dying, and burned trees in the Pacific N orthwest and Alaska . This decreases the availability and drives up the costs of w ood products. Thawing permafrost in Alaska results in infrastructure damage in the form of compromised or impassible haul roads for timber and ore, reducing the availability of these natural resources and driving up transportation costs.

40 Lettenmaier, D., et

. al

. 2008

. The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3

. U.S

. Department of Agriculture, Washington,DC, pp

. 121

- 150.
41 Instanes, A., et

. al

. 2005

. Infrastructure: buildings, support systems, and industrial facilities

. In: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridg e, UK, and New York, pp

. 907

- 944
42 U.S

. Census Bureau

. 2013

. Current Population Report: Population Projections: States 1995

- 2025

. Economics Statistical Administration

. Department of Commerce

. Website:http ://www.census.gov/prod/2/pop/p25/p25

- 1131.pdf

. Accessed May 23, 2013.
43 U.S

. EPA

. 2011

. National Priorities with a Local Focus

– Region 10’s Approach for Implementing Administrator Jackson’s Seven Priorities

– FY 2011

- 2015 November 2011

. www.epa.go v.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

22 | Page 

## 4

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

EPA and the states (usually the State Department of Agriculture) register or license pesticides for use in
the United States

. In addition, EPA must be notified of the importation of pesticides fo r use in the U.S

. EPA receives its authority to register pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

. Climate change may lead to an increase in pesticide use, due to an increase in pests and
diseases which favor wa rm and humid climates

. Also, a changing climate can affect exposures to a wide range of chemicals not just pesticide

. Exposures may change because of changing environmental conditions or changing use patterns

.

A. Increased exposure and risk to hazardo us chemicals may occur due to i ncreasing extreme temperatures and heavy precipitation events, changes in storm intensities, and increasing frequency of floods

.

The increased exposures and risk may require adjustments to the relevant risk assessment framework to determine public risk due to modified exposure scenarios and modified toxicity of chemicals due to climate change

. Altered weather and severe climate events could also affect the interpretations of risk at RCRA/TSCA and Superfund sites

. Thi s is very relevant for permitting and planning activities, where facilities may not have previously required an awareness of risk management for water/flooding, or other climate change impacts

. In particular, Puget Sound is vulnerable to these potential impacts of chemical pollution; restoration of Puget Sound is a key ecosystem

- level activity in EPA Region 10. 44 

### This is more relevant near sites with large densities of chemical m anufacturers, p rocessors and f ormulators, and RCRA and Superfund sites

.



## 5

**. Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws** 

EPA Region 10’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) is charged with ensuring compliance with environmental requirements and enforcing against violations to those requirements in the Pacific
Northwest and Alaska

. In that capacity, OCE’s vulnerabilities are uniquely tied to interactions with the regulated community

. Some types of vulnerabilities (e.g., difficulties with maintaining staff functionality due to power outages and physical damage to facilities due to extreme weather) would be similar to those experienced by all EPA programs and regions

.

Other vulnerabilities are more specific to OCE
, such as those which impact the ability of regulated
entities to comply with environmental requirements and with our ability to determine such compliance

44 http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/AA2011/083012_final/ Action%20Agenda%20Book%202_Aug%2029%202012.pdf

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

23 | Page and take appropriate action

. The vulnerabilities of greatest importance for OCE are conditions/events which would compromise our ability to ensure compliance with environmental requirements by regulated entities and, where necessary, to take effective enforcement action in case of violations

. The
activities impacted would include: c ompliance a ssistance; c ompliance m onitoring and c ivil e nforcement.

A. Non

- compliance at regulated entities may increase due to extreme weather events and changing weather patterns.

Compliance and enforcement p rograms under the Clean Water Act (CWA) have the potential to see an increase in violations from many situations including sanitary sewer and combined sewer overflows, violations of percent removal at wastewater treatment plants (due to limited water flow as a result of drought), violations in bypasses due to the inability of wastewater treatment plants to treat a flow in
excess of t he design capacity, and increased violations in numerous programs due to failure of existing infrastructure protecting against extreme weather events

. In addition, CWA section 311 (Spill Prevention Control Countermeasures) may see an increase in non

- comp liance along Alaskan coastal areas that have oil storage containers, as a result of sea ice melting (thereby increasing storm surges along those coastal areas) and increased flooding

.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) compl iance and enforcement programs may see violations at Pesticides Producing Establishments as there is a shift toward increasing pesticide usage, productions and imports

. As weather patterns change in the Region, the habitats of insects and pests may also change, bringing different pests and diseases to areas

.

The RCRA program may see increased non

- compliance at landfills due to changes in precipitation patterns (including more precipitation in some cases and more extreme precipitation events in other cases)

. L andfills may generate excessive hazardous leachate
, see unexpected mobilization of
contaminants in the waste column
, and/or experience failure of the liner or leachate collection systems

.

B. Shift in regional enforcement priorities due to changes i n compliance (both increased compliance and non

- compliance in different sectors) and increased number of inquiries from industry about maintaining compliance due to extreme weather events and changing weather patterns

.

If an increase in violations in various programs and industry are identified, OCE may shift the
enforcement focus to address those violations

. Conversely, OCE may use discretion to refocus enforcement priorities when localized extreme weather events (e.g.

, flooding) greatly impact the regulated community or when a change in weather patterns decrease s the potential for non

- compliance (e.g.

, less precipitation could decrease surface runoff)

. This will be most important in states where EPA has direct implemen tation of an enforcement program (e.g., Idaho for NPDES program), on Tribal lands,
and non

- delegable programs (e.g., Chlorofluorocarbons , CWA 311 (SPCC), and PCBs )

. In states with

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

24 | Page authorized program implementation, OCE’s work share could change as a result of climate change shifting states’ priorities.

OCE may need to make adjustments to normal workload to address an increase in industry’s complia nce inquiries

. T here may need to be reassignment or delay of normal work duties as staff provides response support to those inquiries in a timely manner

. Requests may also be received from Regional state counterparts regarding guidance to address unique enforcement issues as a result o f extreme weather events or changing weather patterns.

C. Increased permitting of Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells for Carbon Dioxide sequestration and Class V UIC wells for stormwater management.

EPA has developed criteria for Class VI we lls, used specifically for the injection of carbon dioxide into underground subsurface rock formations for long

- term storage

. As the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere increases, various technologies including Class VI wells will be deployed

. OCE may need to reassign or delay other UIC permitting and enforcement work, as permit requests for
Class VI wells increase

. This will be seen across the Region, until permitting and enforcement of the Class VI well program is delegated to the states

.

As the amount of stormwater increases with increased precipitation levels, industries regulated to manage stormwater and ass ociated discharges may be faced with challenges surrounding the volume of stormwater to manage

. Class V wells are designed to receive stormwater, as a substitution for or in addition to discharging stormwater through more traditional means

. OCE may see a n increase in permitting Class V wells, as challenges managing high volumes of stormwater increase

. Permitting will be focused on Class V wells in Alaska and Tribal lands, as the Region implements this program in these

areas

.

D. An increase in regulated i ndustrial activities in Alaska may result as the melting of sea ice opens new areas for activities.

Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning

. This reduction of sea ice is very likely to increase the navigation season and create a seasonal opening of the Northern Sea Route to likely make trans

arctic shipping and transport feasible during summer months

. As areas and routes become more accessible, there is a potential for industrial activity (e.g.

, oil and gas extraction) to become more act ive
in these areas

. As a result, OCE may see an increase in regulated entities.

E. An increase in non

- compliance at facilities with Underground Storage Tanks (UST) holding
ethanol

- blended fuels

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

25 | Page Storage of ethanol

- blended fuels in USTs requires compatibility with the materials and equipment of the tank system

. The ethanol fuel blends may be more aggressive to certain UST tank systems, compared to petroleum, due to their chemical and physical properties

. As the need increases to use and store fu els that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, the UST enforcement program may see an increase with incompatibility

.



## 6

**. EPA**  **Facilities and Operations**

The main EPA Region 10 building is in Seattle with field offices in Olympia, Portland, Boise, Ancho rage, and Juneau

. The Region also maintains an environmental laboratory in Manchester, Washington

. The Region has a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that describes efforts to prepare and react to issues affecting the operation of our facilities and a Regional Incident Command Team (RICT) who is responsible for responding to any emergency situation

. In general, the EPA Region 10 facilities are not uniquely vulnerable to climate change impacts

. The Manchester Lab is located on the shoreline an d could be more susceptible

. They have an emergency operation plan s in the event of extreme weather events or other possible impacts from climatic change.

A. Drinking water may be limited and an increase in demand for air conditioning is possible due
to i ncreasing drought frequency and intensity

.

Facilities could be located in areas with water shortages, requiring water rationing

. There is likely to be a greater demand for electricity for air conditioning during the summer months

. Increased extreme temp erature at any R egion 10 office would put higher demand on drinking water and electricity for cooling

. This c ould impact the regional office and all the operations office

.

B. Operations of Region 10 facilities may be impacted by i ncreasing risk of floods and increasing intensity of storms

.

Facilities in flood

- prone areas may have to temporarily close

. Personnel engaged in field work may be more vulnerable to extreme temperatures or storm events

. Personnel and real property supporting

emergency response and management may be at risk during flooding or extreme weather events

. Ongoing work at the Manchester Environmental Laboratory may be disrupted with effects on many different programs

. Closure of regional offices due to climate change related damage could prevent staff from carrying out important functions

. The Regional Office in Seattle is located in an area with low probability for flooding or sea level rise

. R egion 10 has flexiplace options available to staff and a C OOP in place in case any R egion 10 office is damaged by flooding or storms or transportation to/from offices are affected (e.g., flooded roadways; landslides on commuter train tracks)

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

26 | Page 

## 7

**. Tribal and other**  **V ulnerable**  **P opulations** 

As part of the EPA’s direct federal implement ation and oversight responsibilities, EPA Region 10 has a trust responsibility to each of the 271 federally recognized Indian tribes within the Region

. Many Tribes are especially vulnerable to climate change impacts due to their reliance on traditional h unting and fishing and their connections to the land and sea

. Climate change is threatening access to traditional foods such as salmon, marine mammals, shellfish, and terrestrial and aquatic plants which are used for cultural, medicinal, and econo m ic purposes as well as a primary food source. Tribes ha ve already experienced many climate

- related changes including changes in salmon habitat, drought, declining water tables, increased wildfires that impact crops, wildlife, traditional foods and medicines
, earlier spring snow melt, a decrease in sea ice, and permafrost thawing

. EPA Region 10 is committed to work with the Tribes to adapt to these changing conditions

.

T he impacts of climate change can have unique effects on the health of children

. Children are different from adults in how they interact with their environment and how their health may be affected

. Because of their unique physical, biological, and social characteristics t hey are likely to suffer disproportionally from both the direct and indirect adverse health effects of climate change. 45 

### The impacts of climate change raise environmental justice issues

. Climate change is likely to exacerbate existing and introduce new environmental burdens and associated health impacts in communities dealing with environmental justice challenges across the nation. 46



### A. Food security for native Alaskan s and Tribal people i n the Pacific Northwest who live a subsistence lifestyle may be at risk due to warming associated with climate change

.

Warming due to climate change reduces the availability and accessibility of many traditional food
sources for Native Americans. People face losing their healthiest foods, their communities, and in some cases, their culture, since each of these depends on traditional ways of collecting and sharing food. 47 

### Climate change will continue to impact and put stress on salmon in the Pacific Northwe st along with other traditional foods such as wildlife, berries, and roots. In Alaska, climate change will reduce the availability and access to ice seals, walrus and caribou and access to shellfish and plants used for
medicinal and cultural ceremonies

. 48

45 Pediatrics, Global Climate Change and Children’s Health, Committee on Environmental Health

. 2007

. Available
at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/120/5/1149.full.pdf

46 USGCRP

. 2009

. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States

. Karl, T.R., J

. M

. Melillo, and T

. C

. Peterson (eds.)

. United States Global Change Research Program

. Cambridg e University Press, New York, NY, USA. 89

– 106

. 47 ACIA

. 2004

. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.
48 Ibid ACIA

. 2004

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

27 | Page B. Increased erosion of shorelines is likely to increase risk to coastal native communities due to
increase d intensity of coastal storms and rising sea levels

.

C oastline s and shorelines throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are increasingly threatened by a
combination of increasing storm activity, loss of its protective sea ice buffer, declining habitat, and thawing coastal permafrost. 49 

### In Alaska, over 100 villages on the coast and in low

- lying areas along rivers are subject to increased flooding and erosion due to warming

. Federal, state, and tribal officials have identified 31 villages that face imminent threats

. 50 

### At least 12 of the 31 threatened villages have
decided to relocate

-- in part or entirely

-- or to explore relocation options

. Federal programs to assist threatened villages prepare for and recover from disasters and to protect and relocate them are limited and unavailable to the majority of villages

. At least one Pacific Northwest Tribe, the Hoh Tribe is pla nning to relocate due to erosion and storm security.

C. Decreased access to clean drinking water is very likely due to l oss of permafrost and reduced snowpack

.

In many rural Alaskan tribal communities, the loss of permafrost can cause many problems including the
loss of drinking water sources because tundra lakes , from which drinking water is drawn, are disappearing with the permafrost

. 51 

### Also, melting permafrost destabilizes foundations , endangering the
sewer and water infrastructure in these communities and without permafrost, the untreated leachate from open dumps may be a contamination risk for their water supply

. Pacific Northwest Tribes may also experience water scarcity, due to failing aquifers a nd less rainfall

. With the reduced snow pack and increased seasonal drought, many traditional drinking water sources are not being replenished

.

D. Reduced availability of fish and shellfish resources is occurring now and is likely to increase
due to changing water conditions

.

Climate change is bringing rapid and adverse habitat challenges, from changing stream flows to warming waters that are having an impact on the viability of juvenile salmon to the impacts of ocean acidification
on salmon , crus tacean, and shellfish food sources

. Seafood is central to diet , physical, and cultural well

being of Tribal lifeways. Increasing ocean acidification threatens shellfish beds that Tribes have
harvested for millennia

. Ocean acidification may reduce rates of shellfish larval survival and weaken the shells of the adults, thus making them more vulnerable as well

. 52

49 U SGCRP. 2009

. Regional Impacts: Pacific Northwest and Alaska

. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F , Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.
50 Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska

. http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf.
51 Alaska’s Climate Chan ge Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska

. http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf.

52 Orr, J.C., et

. al. 2005

. Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty

- first century and its impact on calcifying organisms

. Nature, 437(7059), 681

- 686

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

28 | Page E. Vulnerable population such as children, the elderly, poor, and the infirm may be at increased health risk due to increased temperatures, failing infrastructure, and extreme weather events.

Children playing in areas with higher ozone levels resulting from increased temperature will be at higher risk for experiencing asthma symptoms

. The elderly are more vulnerable to heat stress because they are often in poorer health and are less able to regulate their body temperature during periods o f
extreme hea t

. Economic constraints can also place low

- income households at disproportionate ris k to
extreme heat events due to lack of air condition or failure to use air

- conditioning to cut down on associated energy costs.



## S **ection 3: R**  **egion 10 Priority Existing**  **Actions**

The sections below present the existing actions EPA Region 10 is taking to addr ess the identified vulnerabilities and their associated impacts

. These existing actions are from commitments in the EPA Region 10 Strategic Alignment Plan and existing actions identified by the program offices in EPA Region
10

. The actions are summarize d below for each EPA Region 10 office. A more complete description of the actions can be found in Appendix C. Also, Appendix D compares the vulnerabilities identified in Section 2 with the existing Regional actions by National or Regional goals.

Appendix D indicates that there are Regional vulnerabilities where there are no existing actions. Since this documents focus is existing actions, EPA Region 10 will evaluate how to address critical vulnerabilities in the future. In addition, Region 10 wi ll evaluate how to better integrate climate change into its existing core programs along with engag ing states, Tribes and other partners to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

EPA Region 10 has developed the following criteria that can be used f or evaluating priority actions in the
future.

• Actions that address an identified vulnerability in Region 10.

• Actions that align with EPA national or regional priorities for climate change.

• Actions that will assist tribes in adapting to climate change.

• A ctions that are linked to sustainability and environmental justice.

• Actions that increase awareness of climate change for EPA Region 10 staff.

• Actions that promote integration of climate change into EPA Region 10 program operations.

• Actions that increase a wareness and collaboration with outside partners including tribes

.

• Actions where EPA has a unique role or capacity to address the issue.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

29 | Page 

## 1

**. Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (OAWT)** 

EPA Region 10’s Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (OAWT) carries out air, waste and chemicals management programs under statutory authorities such as the Clean Air Act (CAA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (T SCA), the Pollution Prevention (P2) Act , and the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA), and carries out TSCA enforcement actions dealing with lead

- based paint and asbestos. Many of OAWT activities reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. OAWT is currently also in volved in the following Region

- specific actions t hat address the climate change vulnerabilities identified in the previous section for Goals 1
, 3 and 4

.

Air Toxics (Goal 1)

• Work with the West Coast Collaborative to reduce evaporative losses of air toxics from fossil fuels

.

Indoor Air (Goal 1)

• Develop and host training for professionals (housing, medical, schools) on making indoor
environments healthier for the most vulnerable

.

Materials Management and Pollution Prevention (Goal s 3 and 4 )

• Work with our partners through the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum and our pollution prevention technical assistance providers and grants to assist in the transition to sustainable materials management processes and source reduction

.

• Recruit ing and retaining participants for the Federal Green Challenge and for the Food Recovery Challenge in support of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Program

.

Tribal Waste Management (Goal 3)

• Work with federally recognized tribes in R egion 10 to address landfills and unconfined open dumps which are impacted by climate change and help develop appropriate responses to these threats

.

RCRA Corrective Action and Permitting (Goal 4)

• Incorporating green remediation in corrective action decision

- making.

• Raising issues nationally regarding the potential impacts of climate change on alternative landfill

covers.



## 2

**. Office of Water and Watersheds**  **(OWW)**

EPA Region 10’s Office of Water and Watersheds ( OWW ) implements programs under the CWA, Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and parts of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

. Also, OWW provides funds for Puget Sound via the National Estuary Program to support climate change adaptation projects. OWW’s current focus is on increasing awareness for Regional staff and partners on the science

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

30 | Page of climate change and strategies for adaptation to meet this goal

. Many of these actions will benefit from the development and implementation of appropriate national guidance to promote consistency
across the states

. The Region will implement these actions in coordination with any related national guidance

. The actions mainly focus on addressing the vulnerabilities for Goal 2

.

D rinking water, wastewater, and stor mwater infrastructure (Goal 2)

• Work with the State of Alaska to identify alternative technologies for providing first time service to unserved homes in a more sustainable way compared to a traditional piped system

.

• Work with the Water Sense program to encourage water efficiency in homes, landscaping and commercial buildings with a focus on new homes.

• C ontinue implementing the Sustainable Energy Management Program with a Western W ashington cohort of drinking water and wastewater utilities

.

Freshwater fisheries (Goal 2)

• Continue with pilot program examining how to integrat e climate change in an ongoing total maximum daily load (T MDL ) by examining how temperature can be improved in the Nooksack watershed in order to support salmon restoration

.

Puget Sound (Goal 2 )

• Continue to support projects in Puget Sound related to climate change. There are several on

- going projects that are highlighted in Appendix C.

• Work with the University of Washington to develop a system for visualizing and analyzing a variety of climate change

- related features that are shifting with time and probability across the Region.

Training and Outreach (Goal 2)

• Inform and educate water program managers in the public and private sectors on climate change
and water is sues and EPA related activities such as the National and Regional climate change adaptation strategies.

• Work with States, Trib al governments , municipalities, non

- profit organizations and businesses to promote the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) and Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) Programs and new Climate Ready Resilience and Awareness (CREAT) Version 2.0

.

• Support Development of a Climate Change Section in the “Green” Paper for the State Revolving
Loan Funds a nd Annual Review Checklists

.



## 3

**. Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs (ETPA)** 

EPA Region 10’s Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs (ETPA) implements cross

- program efforts to protect the environment and engage communities and leads Regional efforts related to Freedom of Information Act requests
, e nvironmental j ustice, and sustainable agriculture

. ETPA’s focus is to ensure

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

31 | Page consideration of climate change on projects via N EPA review process, incorporating climate change
science in wetlands management, providing assistance to Region 10 Tribes for climate change activities, and supporting activities that address children’s health and other vulnerable populations

.

NEPA Review (Goal 2)

• Through the NEPA review process ensure consideration of climate change in review of all federal projects and incorporate climate change adaptation into land management planning and other projects as appropriate

.

• Include ocean acidification language in NEPA review comment letters as appropriat e and develop template language in letters and example NEPA analyses that include ocean acidification
information.

Wetlands (Goal 2)

• Coordinate a Wetlands and Climate Change Research Meeting focused on new approaches and tools to better understand, manage, and conserve wetlands in a changing climate.

• I ncorporate climate change considerations into the CWA 404 regulatory program as they relate to permit reviews and compensatory mitigation.

• As r esources allow, improve baseline information on wetland extent, condition and performance to inform effective adaptation to climate change

.

• Integrate climate adaptation in the FFY13/14 Region 10 Wetland Program Development Grants RFP by considering how t he design and installation of demonstration projects would take relevant potential impacts from climate change into account when considering long

- term viability

. 53



### Ocean Programs (Goal 2)

• Participate in interagency development and implementation of federal strategies through the National Ocean Council (NOC) and the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan

Tribes (Multiple Goals)

• Support Tribes to develop adaptation actions (plans), to document impact s from climate change and to engage in the collaboration with local, state and federal agencies working on broad based adaptation plans.

• Provide Indian General Assistance Program (I GAP ) funding as appropriate to Tribes with climate change in their I GAP work plans to do baseline environmental assessments and support adaptation planning.

• Raise awareness by providing educational outreach, training, and webinars to Tribes and work with
the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals on tribal climate change adaptation models and

resources

.

• Support Tribal projects on climate change in Puget Sound through the National Estuary Program

. A listing of those projects is included in Appendix C.

53 http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/wetlands/FY13_Wetland_Program_Development_Grants_Request_for_Proposals.pdf

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

32 | Page • Assist Tribes to build capacity and knowledge and assess and address air quality concerns including those related to climate change through the Regional Clean Air Act Grants

.

• Support the Rural Alaska Children’s Health Initiative which works to protect children from harmful environmental exposures in rural Alaska, including factors related to climate change.

Community Health (Regional Goal 7)

• Through work on children’s health, develop and host training for professionals in the housing, health and educational fields on making indoor environments healthier for the mos t vulnerable populations.

• Provide technical assistance and training to affected communities on risks associated with poor outdoor air quality (e.g., work with Tribal Air Program and convene Rural Alaska Children’s Environmental Initiative)

.

• Outreach/risk c ommunication to vulnerable and economically deprived communities

.

• Work with Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, and Urban Sustainability Directors Network on promoting sustainable communities via housing, transportation, and transit

.



## 4

**. Office of Environmental Clean** 

**- Up (ECL)** 

EPA Region 10’s Office of Environmental Clean

- U p ( ECL ) is responsible for investigating contaminated properties; cleaning up contaminated land, sediment, and water for appropriate uses; emergency response; emergency planning and spill prevention; and Homeland Security and counter terrorism preparedness

. ECL works closely with communities and interested stakeholders, providing funding in some cases to facilitate meaningful engagement in the Superfund process. ECL has focused on green remediation strategies for specific sites, and the reduction of carbon and toxic emissions and reducing overall environmental footprint of clean

- up activities

. There are no specific adaptati on activities currently underway in ECL

.



## 5

**. Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE)** 

EPA Region 10’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) provides enforcement, compliance monitoring, and compliance assistance for ground water, pesticides and toxics, wastewater (NPDES), air, and solid and hazardous waste (RCRA) programs

. Regional and national enforcement priorities change

. OCE is positioned to be flexible and use discretion when deciding those enforcement priorities, even as those priorities are influenced by climate change

. OCE has several ongoing activities all of which fall
under Goal 5.

• Continue to us e an Environmental Justice Screening tool to identify regulated facilities located in
overburdened communities

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

33 | Page • Continu e enforcement in small programs that have climate change influence such as the Clean Air Act Mobile Source Enforcement Program

.

• T he UIC program will continue to permit several Class I wells for underground injection of

wastes to re duce the need to establish waste retention ponds on the increasingly vulnerable permafrost

.

• Continuing to support the Regional Support Corps by deploying staff for varying emergency response efforts

.

• RCRA enforcement is evaluating land

- based units which have received hazardous waste and determining the extent to which changes in precipitation amounts and evaporation levels must be considered in protective management standards and closure requirements

.



### • Continu e to look for opportunit ies to encompass green infrastructure as part of settlement agreements

.



## 6

**. Office of Regional Counsel (ORC)** 

The Region has broad legal mandates to protect human health and the environment and therefore, broad legal authority to support adaptation work

. In the course of adaptation planning, specific questions will likely arise that will need legal review

. As there is variation among the statutes EPA administers, as well as the regulatory programs EPA designs, implements, and enforces under those
law s, the best way for ORC to support adaptation efforts is to provide legal analysis on a case by case
basis

. ORC will also support each of the regional program offices by coordinating with the Office of General Counsel, offices of Regional Counsel in othe r regions, and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, as necessary to provide legal advice to the regional program offices

.



## 7

**. Office of Environmental Assessment (OEA)** 

EPA Region 10’s Office of Environmental Assessment ( OEA ) provides scientific and technical expertise in assessing the condition of the environment to support program decision

- making and scientific
initiatives

. OEA collect s and analyze data to characterize the environment, investigate environmental problems, a nd evaluate proposed solutions. A major emphasis of the OEA’s activities are related to raising awareness on the science of climate change to staff in the Regional office, to in tegrate climate change into the core program work , and to work with external p artners to better coordinate the work
and increase collaboration

. O EA has several ongoing activities that address of the goals.

• Pr ovide outreach/trainings to increase awareness of climate science to regional staff and partners.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

34 | Page • Work with individual programs and cross

- office projects to in tegrate climate science into core program work

.

• C ommunicate with the public about hazards posed by climate change and actions being taken by the EPA to address climate change

.

• Coordinate with other federal agencies by participating on the Climate Change Cooperative and supporting the Regional Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

.

• P art icipate on the National Tribal Science Council, and support actions related to climate change
and tribes

.



## Section 4: Deve **loping Measures, Monitoring and Evaluating Performance**

Evaluating progress is important because there will be “learning by doing” over time as we mainstream climate adaptation planning into our programs

. We will monitor the outputs and outcomes of our
actions so we can learn what works

– and why, and what doesn’t work

– and why not

. This will allow us to continually improve the effectiveness of our mainstreaming efforts and share our lessons learned with other regions and ou r national programs

. An e valuation process will be developed during the first year of implementation to learn how to best capture desired outcomes, some of which will come as staff
in tegrates climate science into programmatic work

. Appendix C provides more details on the Region 10 approach to develop and measure specific metrics.



## S **ection 5: L**  **egal and Enforcement Issues**

The legal and enforcement issues were discussed in Sections 2 under Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental
Laws and in Section 3 under the Office of Compliance and Enforcement and Office o f Regional Counsel

.



## S **ection 6: T**  **raining and Outreach**

The specific actions related to training and outreach is discussed in Section 3

. Training and outreach is a
critical part of Region 10’s Implementation Plan

. One of the primary tasks of the Regional Climate Change Advisor is to provide training and outreach for both Regional staff and partners

. The goal of the training and outreach is to provide the foundation for programs to integrate cl imate science into their core program work

.



## S **ection 7: Partnerships with Tribes**

As part of the EPA’s direct federal implementation and oversight responsibilities, EPA Region 10 has a trust responsibility to each of the 271 federally recognized Indian tr ibes within the Region

. EPA values

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

35 | Page its unique government

- to

- government relationship with Indian tribes in planning and decision making

. This trust responsibility has developed over time and is further expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for the
Administrat ion of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations and the 2011 Policy on Consultation
and Coordination with Indian Tribes

. These policies recognize and support the sovereign decision

making authority of tribal governments.

Supporting the development o f adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA

. Indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the integral nature of the environment within their traditional lifeways and culture

. There is a strong need to develop adaptation strategies that promote sustainability and reduce the impact of climate change on Tribes and tribal
members

.

EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency’s Climate Change Adaptatio n Plan

. Tribes identified some of the most pressing issues as erosion, temperature change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water

. Tribes recommended a number of tools and strategies to address these issues, including improving acc ess to data and information; supporting baseline research to better track the effects of climate change; developing community

- level education and awareness materials; and providing financial and technical support

. At the same time, tribes challenged EPA t o coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources are better leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced

.

EPA Region 10 plans to partner with tribal governments , in collaboration with other Federal agencies, on
an ongo ing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their adaptation

- related priorities

. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provide by our tribal partners and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) they possess

. TEK is a valuable body of knowledge in assessing the current and future impacts of climate change and has been used by tribes for millennia as a valuable tool to adapt to changing surroundings

. Consistent with the principles in the 1984 Indian Policy, TEK is
vie wed as a complementary resource that can inform planning and decision

- making.

Networks and partnerships already in place will be used to assist tribes with climate change issues, including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, the Institute for Tribal En vironmental Professionals
and IGAP

. Additionally, efforts will be made to coordinate with other Regional and Program Offices in
EPA and other partners such as other federal agencies , since climate change has many impacts that transcend media and regional boundaries

. Transparency and information sharing will be a focus, in order to leverage activities already taking place within EPA Offices and tribal governments

.



## S **ection 8: Vulnerable Population and Places**

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

36 | Page As mentioned in Section s 1, 2 and 3 , c ertain 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 communities , 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 a nd 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 conducted, the communities and demographic groups most vulnerable to the impac ts 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 wea ther events ( e.g., Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy) and the subsequent recovery efforts

.



## S **ection 9: C**  **ross -**  **Office Pilot Projects**

D eveloping cross

- office pilot projects is a vital role for the Region 10 Climate Change Advisor

. Region 10
has a TMDL pilot project described in Appendix C on the Southfork of the Nooksack River

. We anticipate building on that success using the same approach of o utreach at the unit or office/program
level to increase awareness of vulnerabilities and available sci ence

. At the same time, we will collect input on climate science needs and ideas on how the science might be incorporated into day

- to

- day
decisions

. To keep the process sustainable, OEA provides some initial assistance and looks for partners to provide some further assistance.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

37 | Page 

# APPENDI CIES

Appendix A: Vulnerabilities Identified by Region 10 States and Tribes

Appendix B: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Program Vulnerabi lities

Appendix C: Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Existing Actions

Appendix D: Comparison of Vulnerabilities and EPA Region 10 Existing Actions

Appendix E : EPA Region 10 Approach for Measuring Success

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

38 | Page 

## Appendix A: **Vulnerabilities Identified by Region 10 States and Tribes** 

Oregon The State of Oregon has developed a framework 54 that condenses specific vulnerabilities and risks from climate change into 11 overarching categories . They then ranked these into three groups: very likely, likely, and mor e likely than not

. While the framework does not indicate a formal peer review was conducted, the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) assisted in the development of the framework and the risks are fully documented with extensive citations

. T he categories and ranked risks are:

Very Likely Risks :

• Increase in average annual air temperatures and likelihood of extreme heat events that also increase water temperatures

• Changes in hydrology and water supply; reduced snowpack and water availability in some basins; changes in water quality and timing of water availability Likely Risks :

• Increase in wildfire frequency and intensity

• Increase ocean temperatures, with potential for changes in ocean chemistry and increased ocean acidification

• Increased incide nce of drought

• Increased coastal erosion and risk of inundation from increasing sea levels and increasing wave heights and storm surges

• Changes in abundance and geographical distributions of plant species and habitats for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife

• I ncrease in diseases, invasive species, and insect, animal, and plant pests

• Loss of wetland ecosystems and services More likely than not Risks :

• Increased frequency of extreme precipitation events and incidence and magnitude of damaging floods

• Increased inci dence of landslides

Washington Similarly, Washington State Department of Ecology has summarized climate impacts in Preparing for a Changing Climate: Washington States’ Integrated Climate Response Strategy

. 55 The information below is a summary of the Ecology document and the references are included in their document and they are not repeated here

. Washington examined projected impacts for sector groupings

– e.g., Built Infrastructure, Wildlife & Habitat, etc

. They also worked with University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group to understand how the impacts might affect the different sector groups, with the goal of prioritizing actions within those groups and developing coordinated strategies

. The impacts include the scientific evidence and are summarized into the following groups:

Warmer temperatures and more severe heat waves : In the Pacific Northwest, average annual temperature rose 1.5 °F between 1920 and 2003

. Climate scientists’ project average annual temperatures in the Pacific Northwest will rise 2°F by the 2020s and 3.2°F by the 2040s, compared with 1970

- 1999 averages

. Heat waves are projected to occur more often and last longer

. Larger and more intense wildfires : Researche rs project that the area burned by fire each year in the Columbia Basin will double or triple by the 2080s, compared to the 1916

- 2006 average

. Costs of fighting wildfires are expected to rise and risks to communities, the environment, and wildlife are exp ected to increase

.

54 http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/docs/ClimateChange/Framework_Final.pdf

55 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_responsestrategy.htm

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

39 | Page Drier summers and wetter autumns and winters : Downscaled climate models project that summer precipitation will decrease and autumn and winter precipitation will increase

. Washington could experience more intense rainfall events more o ften

. Decreased snowpack and loss of natural water storage : In Washington’s Cascades, average snowpack declined about 25 percent between 1950 and 2006

. Spring snowpack across Washington State is projected to decrease 28 percent by the 2020s and 40 perce nt by the 2040s relative to the 1916

- 2006 average, and snowmelt is expected to occur earlier in the spring

. More frequent and severe drought : Increasing temperature, declining snowpack and earlier snowmelt will increase the risk of summer water shortages and increase the demand for water

. The amount of water available for communities, irrigation, fish, hydropower generation, recreation, and other uses will be affected and competition for water will increase

. More severe winter flooding : Although the ri sks vary by location, Washington is expected to experience more severe winter flooding during the winter due to more precipitation f alling as rain instead of snow in the mountains

. More severe winter flooding poses challenges for managing reservoirs for f lood control, fish, and hydropower production

. Damages and repair costs for vulnerable homes, roads, and other infrastructure could increase

. Extreme rainfall may place more stress on our stormwater infrastructure

. Sea level rise : Global sea level has risen about 7 inches during the 20th century and is projected to rise at a higher rate in the future

. For the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts north of Cape Mendocino, sea level is projected to rise 24 inches over the next century

. In addition, an earthquake magnitude of 8 or greater along the Cascadia Subduction Zone would suddenly raise sea level along the coast of Washington and Oregon by an additional 3

- 7 feet, exacerbating the effects of sea level rise due to climate change

.

Idaho Climate change planning in Idaho is mainly led by the Idaho Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

. Two major river basins of national significance are in Idaho, the Snake River Plain (Snake) and the Salmon River Basin (Salm on)

. The EPSCoR w ork address es concerns about how the hydrology in Idaho will change as climate changes in the western U.S

. Of particular interest to EPSCoR is how the connection between surface water and groundwater in the Snake River Plain may change

. 56

According to EPSCoR, the National Ground Water Association has stressed that groundwater supplies might be used in the future to balance large swings in water supplies caused by drought and climate change

. Despite this, the connections between climate change and groundwater is largely unexplored and poorly understood

. The projected changes in the timing and magnitude of stream flows will affect ecosystems in sensitive areas

. In addition, because Idaho's economy is strongly coupled to water and snowme lt, the proposed research has direct application to Idaho's citizens and implications for decision makers.

Concerns in Idaho center on: Hydroclimatology and the connections between surface water and groundwater; understand how projected climate change mig ht affect the timing and magnitude of mountain snow packs and snowmelt

. Hydro

- economics/policy and changes in the timing and variability of water supply on land use, economic production, urban growth, and water management, and water rights

. Hydroecology an d effects of climate change on natural ecosystems such as species shifts, and integrated relationships between climate, hydrology, fire, insects, ecology, and changing landscapes.

Alaska The State of Alaska Adaptation Advisory Group describes vulnerabilities including impacts that are already occurring in their document, Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska

. 57 The information

56 http://www.idahoclimatechange.org/DrawOnePage.aspx?PageID=135

57 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

40 | Page below is from the executive summary of the document

. The references are included in the doc ument and are not repeated in this document

.
Permafrost Thawing and Sea Ice Melting Permafrost underlies most of Alaska

. Air temperature, snow cover, and vegetation affect the temperature of the frozen ground and the depth of seasonal thawing

. Recent decades of warmer temperatures have produced extensive thawing, which has resulted in increased coastal erosion, landslides, and sinking of the ground surface, as well as consequent disruption and damage to forests, buildings, infrastructure, and coastal communities

. In addition, many industrial activities depend on frozen ground surfaces, and many northern communities rely on ice roads for transport of groceries and other materials

. Continued warming will further impair transport by shortening the seaso nal use of ice roads

. Thawing is projected to accelerate under future warming, with as much as the top 10 to 30 feet of discontinuous permafrost thawing by 2100.

Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning, with widespread effects on marine ecosystems, coastal climate, human settlements, and subsistence activities

. Recent studies estimate arctic

- wide reductions in annual
average sea

- ice extent of about 5

- 10% and a reduction in average thickness of about 10

- 15% over the past few decades

. Ret reat of sea ice allows larger storm surges to develop, increasing the risk of inundation and increasing erosion on coasts already made vulnerable by permafrost thawing

. Loss of sea ice also causes large scale changes in marine ecosystems, and threatens po pulations of marine mammals and polar bears that depend on ice

. At the same time, the continued reduction of sea ice is very likely to increase the navigation season, and within several decades a seasonal opening of the Northern Sea Route is likely to mak e trans

- arctic shipping feasible during summer months, although increasing ice movement will initially make shipping more difficult in some channels of the Northwest Passage.

Threats to Coastal Communities, Habitats, and Infrastructure Alaska has more coa stline than the other 49 states combined

. Increases in the frequency and intensity of storm surges have triggered increased coastal erosion that is threatening a number of coastal villages

. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicated that 31 villages face imminent threats

. Storm surges have also reduced the protection that barrier islands and spits provide to coastal habitats

. Both coastal and inland infrastructure face threats due to the climate change

. Thawing permafrost threatens water and sanitation infrastructure, and roads, buildings, pipelines, power lines and other infrastructure are threatened by coastal erosion and degrading permafrost.

Forest and Vegetation Changes The Arctic region, particularly Alaska, is alre ady experiencing major ecological impacts as a consequence of warming

. Rising temperatures have caused northward expansion of boreal forest in some areas, significant increases in fire frequency and intensity, and unprecedented insect outbreaks

. Current projections suggest that, due to increases in burn area per decade, the tundra

- dominated landscape on Seward Peninsula will eventually be replaced by deciduous forest

. In other areas, forested areas are likely to convert to bogs as permafrost thaws

. Grow ing

- degree days have increased by 20%, with benefits for agriculture and forest productivity on some sites, and reduced growth on others.

Sensitivity of Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries The Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea support marine ecosystems of great d iversity and productivity as well as the nation’s largest commercial fishery

. Perhaps one of the most daunting threats lies in increasing acidification of the cold Alaskan waters

. This would affect all organisms that possess calcifying shells, and these organisms play an integral role in the food web

. Recent climate

- related impacts observed in the Bering Sea include significant reductions in seabird and marine mammal populations, unusual algal blooms, abnormally high water temperatures, and low harvests of salmon on their return to spawning areas

. Future projections for the Bering Sea suggest productivity increases at the base of the food chain, poleward shifts of some cold

- water species, and negative effects on ice

- dwelling species

. Warmer temperatures will also affect commercial fisheries by inducing

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

41 | Page large northward shifts of fish and shellfish species

. This would result in decreased harvesting of cold

- water species such as salmon and pollock, and increased harvesting of other species.

Changes in the Diversity, Ranges, and Distributions of Species The Arctic sub

- region that includes Alaska, Chukotka, and the Western Canadian Arctic is home to over 70 percent of the rare plant species that occur only in the Arctic and a number of plant and animal speci es already classified as “threatened.” Species concentrated in small areas, such as Wrangell Island, are particularly vulnerable to the direct effects of climate change combined with competition from migrating non

- native species.

Increased Stress on Subsi stence Livelihoods and Lifestyles Subsistence makes an important contribution to livelihood in many isolated rural communities, especially but not exclusively for native peoples

. Livelihoods that sustain indigenous communities include hunting, trapping,
g athering, and fishing

. These activities not only make significant contributions to the diet and health of many indigenous populations, but also play large and important social and cultural roles

. Reduced or displaced populations of marine mammals, seabir ds, and other wildlife, together with continuing thinning of sea

- ice, have affected the safety and the dietary and economic well

- being of subsistence communities

.

Tribes Among other effects of climate change, Tribes are concerned about declining stocks, changes in migration patterns, and other impacts on natural resources including endangered species. 58 In an effort to begin an understanding of Tribal cultural resource vulnerabilities, Region 10 reviewed the Swinomish Climate Change Initiative Impact Ass essment Technical Repor t as a very useful resource. 59 Although peer review was not described, this report represents the work of a multidisciplinary team led by staff of the Swinomish Office of Planning & Community Development, in partnership with the Uni versity of Washington Climate Impacts Group (CIG), and with further scientific assistance from Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC)

. CIG staff played a crucial role in reviewing scientific data, reports, and project documents, advising on the use of sc ientific data and information in the project, and in identifying probable local impacts and climate change scenarios

. Scientific expertise was also provided by Skagit River System Cooperative, which partnered with Western Washington University and Battell e Northwest to model hydrologic impacts at the local level

.
The cultural vulnerabilities identified in the Swinomish Impact Assessment included: Shrinking land base (sea level rise); Inundation of coastal sites/artifacts; Exposure of burial sites a nd human remains from strong storm events; Loss of cultural use plants; and Ecological Impacts on resources within the Swinomish traditional use areas.

In addition, Region 10 has funded two Indian General Assistant Program (IGAP) grants for the Jamestown and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribes to develop a climate change vulnerability assessment template that other tribes could

use

. The work began in January 2012

. The Jamestown Tribe Tribal Advisory committee was formed and identified four areas of c oncern for which they developed subcommittees: f acilities/ r oads; e conomics; n atural r esources; and h uman h ealth

. The Tribe’s process will be reported in a short stand

- alone document that may be used by other Tribal Governments.

Another useful description of vulnerabilities related to Alaskan Tribes, in particular, is the Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Plan Template 60 which references three sources. 61
, 62
, 63 A summary of the findings from the Template are included below

. The specific references are included in the Template and are not repeated here.

58 James Woods, Region 10 Senior Tribal Policy Advisor

59 http://w ww.swinomish.org/departments/planning/climate_change/climate_main.html

60 http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific

- assessments/us

- impacts

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

42 | Page Alaska has already experienced many climate

- related changes including earlier spring snow melt, a decrease in sea ice, thawing permafrost, glacier retreat, changes in precip itation levels, and an increase in drought and wild fires

. The annual average temperature has increased by 3.4°F, while winter temperatures have increased by 6.3°F during the last half century

. The snow

- free season lengthened by an average of 10 days thr oughout the state between 1970 and 2000; this continues to impact Alaska’s soil moisture and consequently vegetation that is not accustomed to drought

- like conditions

.
Rising temperatures are creating a more hospitable habitat for spruce beetles resulti ng in a severe infestation in spruce forests in the south

- central portion of Alaska; there has also been an increase in catastrophic wildfires throughout the state due to the warmer and drier conditions

. Additionally Alaska is beginning to witness a thaw in permafrost which is affecting not only human

- made infrastructure, but also forest health and lake area in wetland ecosystems

.
Continued future warming in this region is inevitable, even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted today

. T emperatures are projected to increase anywhere between 5°F and 13°F by the end of the 21 st century, depending on different emission scenarios

. These increasing temperatures are expected to have major consequences on the different ecosystems in Alaska

. This includes the warming of sea surface temperatures, further reductions in sea ice (impacting not only marine mammals but also eliminating a natural buffer to coastal storms), increased coastal erosion and flooding, an increase in catastrophic wildfires (models sugge st that the yearly average area that burns may double by the middle of the century), and the warming and thawing of permafrost (Karl et al. , 2009)

.
The changes that are already occurring in Alaska, and that will continue to occur, have the potential to alter the landscape considerably and may have immeasurable implications for Alaska’s plants, animals and people

.
Alaska has already experienced many climate

- related changes including: earlier spring snow melt; decrease in sea ice (important to marine mammals and a natural buffer to coastal storms); thawing permafrost, which makes tribal infrastructure (water, sewer, and foundations) designed for permafrost conditions extremely vulnerable to failure; glacier retreat; changes in precipitation levels; inc rease in drought, vegetation stress, and wild fires; severe infestation of spruce beetles in the south

- central portion of Alaska; and increased coastal erosion and flooding

.

61 USGCRP

. 2009

. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States

. Karl, T.R., J

. M

. Melillo , and T

. C

. Peterson (eds.)

. United States Global Change Research Program

. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA. Karl, T

. R., Melillo, J

. M., & Peterson, T

. (2009)

. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States

. New York, NY: Cambridg e University Press

. 62 U.S

. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs website accessed on January 20, 2011 at: www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/RegionalOffices/Alaska/index.htm

63 U.S

. Fish and Wildlife Service website accessed on January 20, 2011 at: http://alaska.fws.gov/climate/index.htm

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

43 | Page 

## Appendix B: **Detailed Description of EPA Region 10 Program**  **Vulnerabilities**

In general, where possible, the sources cited by Region 10 use the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) likelihood of outcome terminology where ‘very likely’ means 90

- 100% probability, and the term ‘likely’ means 66

- 100% probability

. Some likeli hoods are noted as “Occurring now” where appropriate

.
In addition, the use of terms are as follows: "High" assumes the program will be affected by the impact; "Medium" assumes the program could be affected under some conditions by the impact; "Low" ass umes that there is a potential for the program to be impacted or uncertainty currently exists as to the potential nature and extent of the impact

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

1.A

. Increased tropospheric ozone pollution in certain areas due to increased average summertime temperatures Likelihood of Impact: Likely. Projections of future tro po spheric ozone levels in the literature for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are inconclusive at this time but the level of impact could change as new information becomes available. See further discussion below. Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting public health and the environment by attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by implementing program s in States and Indian Country to help meet the standards Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High in large urban areas in the Pacific Northwest

– Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and Low in remaining rural areas and in Alaska

. Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could become more difficult to attain NAAQS for ozone in metropolitan areas where ozone design values are close to the NAAQS

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Washington, Idaho, and Oregon each have at least 1 metropolitan area that has ozone design values close to the ozone NAAQS

. There is the possibility that higher summertime temperatures would increase ozone productivity as well as emissions of VOC precursors and, there is scientific consensus that climate change will decrease the background ozone in the lower troposphere where the water vapor effect is dominant. 64 Ozone in NOx

- limited areas is projected to decrease as well as a result of climate change

. From the available academic literature that included results for the Pacific Northwest, there is no consistent finding about whether climate change will increase, decrease, or have no change on ozone in this region. 65
, 66 Of potential greater concern for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska over the next several decades is the increase in transported ozone precursors from Asia

. Asian transport of ozone will decrease with an increase in water vapor over the Pacific, but hydroxyl radicals will increase, potentially increasing ozone formation in PNW urban a reas

. 67

64 Jacob, DJ., and D.A

. Winner

. 2009

. Effect of climate change on air quality, Atmos

. Environ., 43, 56.
65 Ibid Jacob and Winter 51

- 63

. Jacob, D.J., and D

. A

. Winner

. 2009

. Effect of climate change on air quality,
Atmos

. Environ., 43 , 51

- 63.
66 U.S . G lobal Change Research Program . 2009. , Assessment of the impacts of global change on regi onal U.S

. air quality: a synthesis of climate change impacts on ground

- level ozone, EPA/600/R

- 07/094F , Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

67 Task Force on the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution . 2010. Hemispheric transport of air po llution 2010, Part A: ozone and particulate matter, Air Pollution Studies No

. 17 , United Nat ions, New York, USA and Geneva, Switzerland. 68 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, SlK

. Allen, M

. Tignor, and P.M

. Midgley ( eds.)

. A Special Report of

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

44 | Page Variation in importance across the Region: Ozone is more likely to increase with climate change in inland Idaho rather than Washington and Oregon due to coastal airflow

. It is not an issue for Alaska since ozone formation is limited by relativel y low summertime temperatures

. Potential ozone increases are more likely to occur in the larger metropolitan areas including Spokane, Tacoma, Portland, and Boise

. Whether or not these increases will result in violations of the NAAQS health standards how ever is unknown.

1.B

. Increase in average summertime temperatures and extreme temperature events resulting in increased concentrations of air toxics from anthropogenic sources

. Likelihood of Impact: Impact uncertain due to variability in effects of temperature increase on individual air toxics in Region 10

. Focus of Associated EPA Program: Reducing risk from emissions of air toxics through Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT), National Emi ssion Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) and residual risk
programs Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: There is insufficient literature available on air toxics and climate change to project this likelihood for Region 10. Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could increase public health risks, including risks for the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Many HAP chemicals volatilize at higher t emperatures, creating the potential for higher emission rates and higher concentrations in ambient air. 68 There is uncertainty however as to actual impacts on HAP concentrations since the boundary layer height will also likely be higher, adding more volume of air for the HAPs to mix into

. It is also possible for pollutant removal mechanisms to increase as a result of climate change

. There is still considerable uncertainty about the effect of climate change on air toxics in Region 10

. Variation in import ance across the Region: Although we would expect air toxics to be most important in urban areas near large sources or a high density of sources, we cannot say that this will be the norm in Region 10

. Potential variations by individual air toxic, location, and season were indicated in a continuous monitoring of atmospheric mercury study comparing high arctic, sub

- Arctic, and temperate sites

. While background mercury levels were shown to be decreasing at sub

- Arctic and temperate sites, the levels at Alert ( Nunavut, Canada

– locationally and climatically comparable to arctic Alaska) indicated increases in both RGM (reactive gaseous mercury) and TPM (total particulate mercury) from 2002

– 2009 in the spring when concentrations are the highest

. Background me rcury had decreased at all other locations. 69

1.C

. Increased frequency or intensity of wildfires due to increased summertime temperatures, prolonged droughts, and decreased soil moisture impact Particulate Matter levels

. Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely

– Already Occurring Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting public health and the environment by assuring that the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are attained and assisting States and Tribes in the implementation of
progr ams to help meet these standards. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High

. Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could complicate Agency efforts to protect public health and the environment from risks posed by particulate matter (PM) pollution in a reas affected by more frequent wildfires

.

Working Groups I & II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA pp

. 1

- 19.
68 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, SlK

. Allen, M

. Tignor, and P.M

. Midgley ( eds.)

. A Special Report of Working Groups I & II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA pp

. 1

- 19.
69 Cole, A.S., et. al. 2013. Ten year trends of atmospheric mercury in the high Arctic compared to Canadian sub

Arctic and mid

- latitude sites, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13, 3, 1535

- 45

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

45 | Page Implications: increased concentrations of PM resulting in public health impacts and increasing responsibility of public agencies to protect public health

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Larger and more frequent wildfires are predicted throughout the region as a result of warmer summertime temperatures, decreased soil and fuel moisture, and increased pest infestations

. For example, in the Columbia Basin, the acres of forest burned are projected to d ouble by the 2020s, and triple by the 2040s compared to average burned from 1916 to 2006. 70 These large increases in annual acres burned will increase the number of airsheds and communities impacted by high summertime concentrations of Pm10 and PM2.5 from w ildfires, impacting the health of more individuals who have preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma, and preexisting heart conditions

. State, local, and Tribal air agencies will also be impacted by these events and Region 10 will be obligated to assist them

. M ore frequent and larger wildfires could result in agricultural and forestry slash burning permits not being issued at all, or issued later into the winter, where permitted burning would more likely overlap with home heating season and add t o emissions from woodburning stoves

. Although i ncreased wildfire will have little impact on the attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or the SIP State Implementation Plan (SIP) program, the Region 10 impact would be in workload to process Exceptional Event documentation and potentially in assisting States, local communities, and land managers in minimizing the impact of increased wildfire smoke on human health. Variation in importance across the Region: All four R10 States have a high percent of forested areas (about 50% for States of WA and OR) and would all be adversely affected by an increase in wildfires

1.D

. Changes in precipitation, extreme temperatures, more frequent wildfires, and severe weather events will impact indoor air quality

. Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protection of public health from exposure to indoor air pollutants which are concentrated in indoor environments many times above ambient air levels

. Potential for i ncreased mold growth, particularly among buildings without access to air conditioning

. Indoor Air Quality, Children's Health and outreach programs will be impacted due to increased need for public education and guidance on reducing exposures to both indoo r and ambient air pollutants. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High

. Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Will increase public health risks including those from respiratory illnesses including asthma 71 , and risks for susceptible populations

- the young, the elderly, the chronically ill, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations across the region

. Alaska’s native and rural populations are very vulnerable to worsening indoor air quality with more insulated housing reducing air circulatio n

- thereby increasing levels of both indoor and ambient pollution

- and increasing flood risk and melting permafrost that will support more mold growth 72

. Also, though not directly related to climate change, increasing use of wood combustion as an indoor heat source (due to rising cost of home heating oil) further impairs indoor air quality. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Important across the Region

. Susceptible individuals will be impacted by elevated temperatures, increasing pollutant levels, and therefore increasing exposures to both indoor and ambient air pollution

. Variation in importance across the Region: Particularly important in environmental justice (EJ) areas and areas with a high density of more susceptible populations such as in Alaska’s native villages 73 and on tribal reservations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

70 J.S. Littell, et. al. 2010. Forest ecosystems, disturbance, and climatic change in Washington State, USA. Climatic Change 102(1

- 2): 1 29

- 158.
71 Reid, Colleen and Gamble, Janet. 2009. Aeroallergens, Allergic Disease, and Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation, Ecohealth Vol 6(3):458

- 470

. 72 Kovesi, Thomas MD et al . 2007. Indoor Air Quality and the Risk of lower respiratory tract infecti ons in young Canadian Inuit children, Canadian Medical Association

. 73 Lisa Bulkow et al., 2010. Risk Factors for Severe Respiratory Synctial Virus Infection Among Alaska Native Children, Pediatrics. 109 (2).

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

46 | Page 1.E

. Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer due to climate change effects on the atmosphere Likelihood of Impact: Likely

– changes continue over the arctic. Focu s of Associated EPA Program: Restoring the stratospheric ozone layer, preventing UV

- related disease, and providing a smooth transition to safer refrigerants than CFCs and HCFCs Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Low

– there is no stratospheric ozone mo nitoring or restoration program in R10. Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: May be unable to restore ozone concentrations to benchmark levels as quickly at some latitudes

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Not uniformly important across the region

. Important in the Arctic (Alaska) where severe depletion of stratospheric ozone has been observed during winter months. 74 While there currently are no EPA Region 10 programs that directly deal with monitoring or restoring the stratospheric oz one layer, there is enforcement activity against violators related to use and disposal of CFC’s and HCFC’s

. Variation in importance across the Region: Most important in Alaska, particularly in Arctic regions.

1.F

. Changes in the rate and distribution of deposition of sulfates, nitrates, and mercury as a result of changes in precipitation patterns. Likelihood of Impact: Impact potentially ranges from Unlikely to Likely

. Much uncertainty exists re: the overall impa cts of changes in precipitation on sulfates, nitrates and mercury deposition in Region 10

. W e assume that there would be increased deposition of available sulfates, nitrates, and mercury with increased precipitation, but the availability of these pollutan ts in the atmosphere may be decreasing due to control measures. Focus of Associated EPA Program: Agency programs to protect ecosystems from atmospheric deposition of pollutants such as sulfates, nitrates, and mercury

. Deposition of pollutants may also im pact compliance with water quality standards and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: There is i nsufficient research on sulfate, nitrate, and mercury deposition and climate change to project this likelihood for Region 1 0, particularly in light of increasing wildfires and transport from Asia

. Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Could cause adverse effects on ecosystems throughout the region, particularly mountain ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems, and could contribute to accumulation of mercury in fish tissue

. This would disproportionally effect populations of people whose diet consists of a high percent of fish

. Water quality impacted during summer due to lower stream flows

. TMDLs may be more difficult t o attain

. An accurate assessment of impacts is difficult to determine at this time

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Accumulation of sulfates and nitrates may kill sensitive plant species and alter richness of species in sensitive ecosystems through the region

. Mercury deposition in freshwater habitats could contribute to bioaccumulation of mercury in fish tissue, posing risks to humans who consume these freshwater fish

. Lower stream flows during the summer months could make attainment of T MDLs associated with release of pollutants from point sources more difficult to attain, negatively impacting ecosystem health

. Atmospheric deposition of sulfates, nitrates and mercury from Region 10 sources are expected to decrease over time due to compli ance with the new air toxics rules (i.e

. the Mercury Air Toxics Standard

– MATS), the attainment of additional reductions through the residual risk and technology review program, and mobile source controls

. Additional compliance activities resulting in decreases over time include sources meeting permit requirements or closing down

. There is some uncertainty in this expected downward trend however due to potential increased mercury releases due to wildfires and transport from Asia

. Global emissions of mercury continue to change at the same time as the Arctic is experiencing ongoing climatic changes

. Multi

- year trends analysis in reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and total particulate mercury (TPM) at a Canadian Arctic site indicated increases from 2002 t o 2009 in both RGM and TPM in the spring when concentrations are highest

. 75 Variation in importance across the Region: Sulfate and nitrate deposition is important across the region

. Mercury deposition is highest close to mercury sources, such as mining ope rations

. The issue is more important for parts of

74 G.L. Manney et. al., 2011. Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss in 2011, Nature 478, 469

- 475

. October 27, 2011.
75 Cole, A.S., et. al. 2013. Ten

- year trends of atmospheric mercury in the high Arctic compared to Canadian sub

Arctic and mid

- latitude sites, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 13, Is sue 3, pp. 1535

- 45.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

47 | Page the Region containing mountain ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems and for parts of the Region where people’s diets consist of a high percent of fish

. While studies have shown that on the East Coast, su lfate concentrations increase with temperature due to faster SO2 oxidation (higher rate constants and higher oxidant concentrations) 76
, 77 no studies are available to indicate that the same is true for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska

. In contrast, nitrate and organic semi

- volatile components shift from the particle phase to the gas phase with increasing temperature. 78 Overall effects are uncertain however because higher temperatures drive increased chemical reactions and possibly more s econdary organic carbon

. At the same time there might be changes to the boundary layer height, airmass ventilation rate, and precipitation

. We do not know the relative importance of these effects in R10 states

.

76 Aw, J., and Kleeman, M.J. 2003. Evaluating the first

- order effect of intra

- annual temperature variability on urban air pollution. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 4365

. 77 Dawson, J.P., et. al. 2007. Sensitivity of PM2.5 to climate in the Eastern US: a modeling case study. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 74,295

– 4,309
78 Tsigaridis, K., and Kanakidou, M. 2007. Secondary organic aerosol importance in the future atmosphere. Atmos. Environ. 41, 4682

– 469 2.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

48 | Page Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters

2.A

. Regional focus : Increasing heavy precipitation events and more frequent flood events may impact water systems and infrastructure

. Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Water infrastructure: drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and agricultural irrigation systems and infrastructure. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Water infrastructure could be overwhelm ed or damaged

. Impacts on water infrastructure may result in an increased number of sewer overflows and wastewater bypasses, as well as increased pollutant loads in runoff, increased pollution of streams and threats to public health

. 79 Drinking water and wastewater utilities will need an integrated approach to planning for emergencies and extreme weather
events. 80 Problems of safety as well as access to clean and safe water will be exacerbated for Tribal communities, and other vulnerable and economically de pressed communities who have limited access to clean water supplies. 81 Agricultural productivity may be impacted in areas with inadequate water storage capacity and limited agricultural irrigation systems

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: The Region will work with the Tribes and States to assist i n water planning by sharing information on available downscaled models and tools and provide technical assistance, outreach, and education to further assist in the implement of state and tribal vol untary programs

. Climate change impacts drinking water by heightening risk of contamination of surface water sources due to higher temperatures, lower flows, and increased erosion/sedimentation

. For example, in Alaska, melting permafrost is causing sour ces of d rinking water for rural communities to disappear altogether, plus increased erosion is causing more sediment. 82 Also road and bridge failures from more storms, erosion, etc

. will result in more accidents and spills that threaten drinking water su pplies

. Groundwater sources could be impacted by changes in hydrology, also impacting changes in transport of potential contaminants

. Variation in importance across the Region: Important across the region, but especially in areas with ageing or inadequ ate water infrastructure

. Adequate summertime water supply for irrigation of crops is essential to agricultural communities east of the Cascades in OR, WA, and ID

. For tribes, who lack irrigation infrastructure and rely primarily on lakes and streams as water sources, availability of water for agriculture may be more severely impacted by climate change.

2.B

. Regional focus : Earlier stream runoff and scouring of streambeds due to earlier snow melt, and decrease summer stream flows and increased steam temperatures will adversely impact fresh water fisheries Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now and very likely to increase Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protec tion of Fresh water Fisheries: Loss and extinction of salmon species and other cold water fisheries due to seasonal changes in stream flows and increasing surface water temperatures

. Important to the TMDL program, and salmon recovery programs Likeliho od of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Loss of salmon habitat and increased stress on salmon reproduction throughout their entire lifecycle

. This also applies to other fresh cold water fish

. Watershed planning efforts will

79 U SGCRP. 2009. Regional Impacts: Northwest. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

80 Ibid. UGCRP. 2009.
81 http://www.climatechange.alaska.gov/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf.

82 Lettenmaier, D. et. al. 2008

. Water resources. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp. 121

- 150.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

49 | Page need to be modified to include projected impacts of altered stream flows and increased temperatures due to climate change

. 83
, 84 Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Salmon and other cold water fish are a large part of the m arine fishery business in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), and loss of these fish would have a substantial impact on the economy of the (PNW)

. Coastal Native Americans depend on salmon as an essential part of their diets

. There will be secondary impacts on other species in the ecosystem that benefit from salmon

– e.g., forests that rely on decaying salmon for nutrients, and bears, eagles, others that feed on salmon. Variation in importance across the Region: Important across the region.

2.C

. Regional focus : Sea

- level rise, sea surface temperature and increasing heavy precipitation events during the winter months, and decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity during the summer months, may have adverse impacts on estuarine watersheds , aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands

. Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Restoring and protecting watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impact ed: Changes in precipitation patterns, and increased drought intensity will cause stress on wetlands, and forest and mountain ecosystems, and pose challenges to migration of species in these ecosystems to more suitable habitats

. Sedimentation rates and organic matter (vegetative) accumulation rates also need to be taken into account for inland marine influenced ecosystems such as estuaries

. Nyman et al 85 found that the vegetative component is the most significant of the two factors for the coasts of Ore gon and Washington

— i.e., accretion varied with organic accumulation rather than mineral sedimentation

. Warmer sea surface temperature contributes to sea level rise, increased storm intensity, and greater stratification of the water column

. Regional Import ance of Vulnerabilities: EPA may need to examine the use of more sophisticated models, and training to use the models, so that impacts to ecosystems due to Climate Change are addressed

. Impact to states/tribes

. Climate change impacts would make it more difficult for EPA to protect these ecosystems

. Variation in importance across the Region: Especially important in coastal areas of WA, OR, and Alaska due to increased extreme storm events and rising ocean levels and their impacts on coastal ecosystems

. For the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts north of Cape Mendocino, sea level is projected to change between

- 4 cm (sea

- level fall) and +23 cm by 2030,

- 3 cm and +48 cm by 2050, and 10

– 143 cm by 2100

. 86 The effects will also be important to all non

- coastal watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands across the region

.

2.D

. Regional focus : Warming temperatures and more frequent and intense drought conditions will have adverse impacts on Forest Ecosystems Likelihood of Impact: Very Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Forest Ecosystems Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Forest tree species are expected to shift their ranges northward and upslope in response to climate change and e xisting ecosystems will break up as different species shift at different

83 Wenger, S.J . et al. 2011. Role of climate and invasive species in structuring trout distributions in the Interior Columbia Basin 2011, USA: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquati c Sciences, v. 68, p. 988

- 1008. Catalog No: 2508.
84 Wenger, S.J., et. al.. 2011. Flow regime, temperature and biotic interactions drive differential declines of trout species under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, onli ne. Catalog No: 2652.

85 Nyman, J.A et. al. 2006. Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 69:370

- 380 . DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.041.

86 National Research Council

. 2012

. Sea

- level rise for the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California: Past, Present, and Future

. Division on Earth and Life Studies Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and Ocean Studies Board. Committee on Sea Level Ri se in California, Oregon, and Washington.

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

50 | Page rates, resulting in the formation of new ecosystems, with unknown consequences

. 87 Interactions among impacts of climate change and other stressors can increase the risk of species extinction. 88 Breakup of existing ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, in combination to increased drought conditions, can make forests more susceptible to de struction by wildfires and insect infestation. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: In the western United States, both the frequency of large wildfires and the length of the fire season have increased substantially in recent decades, due primarily to ea rlier spring snowmelt and higher spring and summer temperatures. 89 Simulations of the impact of Climate Change on forest production in North America indicate that North American producers of lumber may suffer losses averaging $1 billion to $2 billion/yr ov er the 21st century 90

. Variation in importance across the Region: Adverse effects are likely in forests across the region, but more immediately in low elevation forests, and forests in drier parts of the region, such as in ID, eastern WA and OR, and the int erior of AK

2.E

. Regional focus : Loss of sea ice in Alaska due to warming air and water temperatures associated with Climate Change Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now and very likely to increase Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Marine Ecosystems a nd shorelines Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Loss of arctic ice in the Bering Sea is adversely affecting Arctic sea ice ecosystems

. Algae that bloom on the underside of the sea ice form the base of a food web linking microscopic animals and fish to seals, whales, polar bears, and people

. The earlier ice melt resulting from warming, however, leads to later phytoplankton blooms that are largely consumed by microscopic anim als near the sea surface, vastly decreasing the amount of food reaching the living organisms on the ocean floor. 91 This will radically change the species composition of the fish and other creatures, with significant repercussions for both subsistence and

co mmercial fishing

. 92 Sea ice is forming later in the fall in Alaska, making the coastal communities more vulnerable to extreme storms (e.g., the storm in 2011 that was a record low atmospheric pressure and caused winds up to 90 mph ). 93 Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Adverse impacts to the Bering Sea marine ecosystem would have profound effects on mammals and birds that migrate to feed in this area during the summer months

. The Bering Sea fishery is a very important source of seafood and an important factor to Alaska's economy

. Species composition in the Bering Sea ecosystem could be radically changed

. Variation in importance across the Region: This impact is specific to Alaskan ecosystems and shorelines, but could also have adverse ef fects on associated terrestrial ecosystems in Alaska

.

2.F

. Regional focus : Acidification of ocean water due to increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now and very likely to increase

87 ACIA

. 2004

. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.

88 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005: Ecosystems and Human Well

- being: Biodiversity Synthesis

. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, 86 pp.

89 Westerling A.L., et. al. 2006

. Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S

. forest wildfire activity

. Science, 313(5789), 940

- 943.
90 IPCC, 2007, chapter 14

91 U SGCRB. 2009

. Regional Impacts: Alaska

. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

92 Janetos, A., et. al. 2008. Biodiversity. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodi versity in the United States

. Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3

. U.S

. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp

. 151

- 181)

93 http://www.stormsurge.noaa.gov/event_history.html

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

51 | Page Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting Marine Ecosystems Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Substantial decline of marine organisms that form their shells and skeletons from calcium carbonate in oce an waters. 94 Adverse effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms have already been documented. 95 Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Specifically, adverse effects of ocean acidification have been documented in pteropods (sea snails) 96

, a primary f ood source for salmon in the Pacific Ocean, and in oyster larvae in estuaries in Washington State and on the coast of OR. 97 Variation in importance across the Region: Important in coastal areas of WA, OR and AK.

2.G

. Regional focus : Pest outbreaks, invasive species, increased fire, shifts in species ranges and increased erosion, depletion of water and changes in riparian vegetation in Columbia basin Shrubsteppe/grassland eastern WA, OR, and ID

. Likelihood of Impact: Likely
Focus o f Associated EPA Program: Protecting watershed ecosystems

. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Under projected future temperature conditions, the cover of sagebrush within the distribution of sage

- grous e is anticipated to be reduced due to non

- native grass invasions making the areas prone to destructive fires

. Observed and projected decreases in the frequency of freezing temperatures, lengthening of the frost

- free season, and increased minimum temperatures can alter plant species ranges and shift the geographic and elevational boundaries of many arid lands

. The extent of these changes will also depend on changes in precipitation and fire

. Increased drought frequency could also cause major changes in vegetation cover

. Losses of vegetative cover coupled with increases in precipitation intensity and climate

- induc ed reductions in soil aggregate stability will dramatically increase potential erosion rates

. Transport of eroded sediment to streams coupled with changes in the timing and magnitude of minimum and maximum flows can affect water quality, riparian vegetat ion, and aquatic fauna

. In particular, the climate

- driven dynamic of the fire cycle is likely to remain the single most important feature controlling future plant distribution in U.S

. arid lands

. Riparian vegetation in arid lands can occur at scales from isolated springs to ephemeral and intermittent watercourses and perennial rivers. 98 This habitat is tightly associated with stream dynamics and hydrology. 99 The net result of climate warming is greater depletion of water along the riverine corridor. 100 Region al Importance of Vulnerabilities: Note that the direct climate change effects of CO2 fertilization and increasing average temperatures may have contrasting influences on dominant functional types

. Trees and C3 grasses may benefit from rising CO 2 but not f rom warming, whereas C4 grasses may benefit from warming but not

94 Orr, J. C. et. al., 2005. Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty

- first century and its impact on calcifying organisms

. Nature, 437(7059), 681

- 686.
95 Feely, R.A., et. al. 2008

. Evidence for upwelling of corrosive “acidified” water onto the continental shelf

. Science, 320(5882), 1490

- 1492

. 96 Bednaršek, N. et

. al. 2012. Extensive dissolution of live pteropods in the Southern Ocean, Nature Geoscience, Volume:5, Pages:881

– 885

. 97 Barton , A. et al. 2012. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, shows negative correlation to naturally elevated carbon dioxid e levels: Implications for near

- term ocean acidification effects

. Limnology and Oceanography, 2012; 57 (3)

. 98 Ryan, M

. et al

. 2008

. Land Resources

. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity

. A Report by the U.S

. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research

. Washington, DC., USA, 362 pp

. 99 Chappell et al

. 2001. Wildlife Habitats: Description, Status, Trends, and System Dynamics

. Chapter 2 in: Wildlife

- Habit at Relationships in Oregon and Washington

. 100 Ryan, M

. et al

. 2008

. Land Resources

. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity

. A Report by the U.S

. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research

. Washington, DC., USA, 362 pp

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

52 | Page from CO 2 fertilization

. This may mean that uncertain, non

- linear, and rapid changes in ecosystem structure and carbon stocks could occur. 101 The changes in the cycling of Nitrogen and to some extent Carbon due to climate change could alter the microbial and plant community structure and function of this ecosystem and cause it to move in the direction of desertification. 102 Large

- scale conversion of grasslands to shrublands, coupled with anticipat ed changes in climate in the coming decades, and increases in wind speed, temperature, drought frequency, and precipitation intensity, contribute to greater wind erosion and dust emission from arid lands

. In arid regions, erosion has been shown to increas e sediment delivery to large rivers (e.g., the Rio Grande), and can change the flow conditions of those rivers

. Transport of eroded sediment to streams can change conditions in waterways, impacting water quality, riparian vegetation, and water fauna. 103

Var iation in importance across the Region: specific to the shrubsteppe and grassland ecosystems which include (1) intermountain regions in western North America (well

- vegetated semi desert scrub in lower elevations in basins, valleys, and lower plateaus footh ills and lower mountain slopes and (2) the Palouse grassland bioregion covers approximately 6,200 mi 2 in west central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon between the western edge of the Rocky Mountains and the Columbia River basin

. It encompasses the hills of the Palouse Prairie, the southerly Camas Prairie, and the forested hills and canyonlands of the area's rivers. 104

101 Parry et al

. 2007, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, section 4.4.3

. 102 Smith et al

. 2002

. Soil properties and microbial activity across a 500m elevation gradient in a semi

- arid environment. Soil, Biology, and Biochemistry. 34(1749

- 1757).

103 Ryan, M

. et al

. 2008

. Land Resources

. In: The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity

. A Report by the U.S

. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research

. Washington, DC., USA, 362 pp

. 104 McWethy et al

. 2010

. Climate and Terrestrial Ecosystem Change in the U.S

. Rocky Mountains and Upper Columbia Basin: Historical and Future Perspectives for Natural Resource Management

. (NPS report).

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

53 | Page Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development

3.A

. Regional focus : Flooding, sea

- level rise, storm surges, extreme events and landslides could mean site characterizations, risk assessments and selection of remedies are not protective or that existing remedies may be vulnerable Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Ass ociated EPA Program: Removal program, corrective action or permitted sites, c leanup of hazardous waste sites (Superfund), and management of waste containment facilities (RCRA)

. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Increased risk of contaminate release from hazardous waste Sites

. RPMs and corrective action RPMs may need to alter selected remedies to ensure containment of hazardous substances

. In situ remedies (e.g., stabi lization, reactive barriers) and on

- site above ground treatment systems (e.g., pump & treat, air sparging) could be compromised or overwhelmed if they are not designed to withstand the climate

- related events

. The net result could be release of contaminant s. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Groundwater and subsurface contamination could be impacted by drought and flood conditions

. There may be an increased risk of migration of contaminants from flooded containment facilities

. Remedies such as caps in contaminated industrial waterways in WA and OR could be subject to (and not designed to withstand) unanticipated scour events

. Any infrastructure whether for treatment or, say, green stormwater management such as pump and treat systems protecting drink ing water wells have a potential to be at risk

. Areas where permafrost has been assumed to work as a containment barrier would also be at risk. Variation in importance across the Region: A high potential for impact could occur in the industrial waterways of WA and OR where industrial wastes have been capped in place, however could be a potential concern anywhere contaminants have been left in place

. Possible issues of nuclear waste disposal related to climate change (e.g., locations of storage facilities, appropriate containment, and risk management issues) would also be important at the DOE Hanford facility in WA, and the DOE Idaho National Lab facility in ID

.

3.B

. Regional focus : Thawing permafrost and changes in sea ice leads to damage of roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure in Alaska affecting Tribal and Emergency Response Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now Focus of Associated EPA Program: Emergenc y Response and Tribal Programs, Village Safe Water Program Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Melting sea ice and late formation in the fall is causing storms to move in close to shore as the natural buff ering system disappears

. That is causing rapid coastal erosion, with houses and infrastructure falling into the ocean in several communities

. That, along with higher storm, tidal surges flood communities, is requiring more immediate evacuation needs

. Op en dumps are also impacted by storm surges, flooding, which increases contamination risk

. Permafrost temperatures have increased throughout Alaska since the late 1970s. 105 Land subsidence (sinking) associated with the thawing of permafrost presents substan tial challenges to engineers attempting to preserve infrastructure in Alaska. 106 Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Substantial infrastructure damage in areas of Alaska built on permafrost

. Release of methane contained in permafrost into the atmosphere would accelerate global warming since methane is a GHG. Variation in importance across the Region: Important only in Alaska.

105 Lettenmaier, D., et. al. 2008

. Water resources

. In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3

. U.S

. Department of Agriculture, Washington,DC, pp

. 121

- 150.
106 Instanes, A., et. al. 2005

. Infrastructure: buildings, support systems, and indu strial facilities

. In: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment

. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, pp

. 907

- 944

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

54 | Page 3C

. Regional focus : Region 10, Tribal and state partners will have increasing workloads in many aspects of site and waste management as well as work related to the formation and implementation of sustainable development and materials management programs, partnerships and initiatives. Likelihood of Impact : Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program : Sustainability and Materials M anagement Likelihood of EPA Program Affected : Medium Example of Risks if Program were Impacted : Accelerating development (sustainable or otherwise) and the expected migration of people to Region 10 are issues of concern

. It is projected that the populati on of the States in Region 10 will increase from 11.2 million in 2010 to 13.1 million in 2025. 107 Communities are struggling with how to manage the new people while protecting the environment and providing basic services like energy, water and
waste management. Variation in importance across the Region : In support of the increased sustainability of our communities, our investments in partnerships related to more sustainable materials management play an increasing role in preventing waste, conserving e nergy and reducing emissions of toxics as well as greenhouse gases

. Waste management can be especially challenging in remote tribal communities in Alaska

. 108

3 D

. Regional focus : Climate change impacts on the availability of raw materials and the cost of mining and refining raw materials, producing products, transporting products, and disposing products

. Likelihood of Impact : Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program : Sustainability and Materials Management Likelihood of EPA Program Affected : Medium
Ex ample of Risks if Program were Impacted : EPA Region 10 will need to put more effort into advocating for sustainable materials management and pollution prevention with States, industry, communities and tribes as climate change affects the availability and c ost of raw materials and products. C limate Change increasing temperature

- related pest infestations and forest fires result in millions of acres of dead, dying, and burned trees in the Pacific NW and Alaska which decreases the availability and drives up t he costs of wood products. Thawing permafrost in Alaska results in infrastructure damage in the form of compromised or impassible haul roads for timber and ore, reducing the availability of these natural resources and driving up transportation costs.
Trans portation of raw materials and products also becomes more costly and risky as thawing permafrost damages remote Alaskan airfields, and coastal erosion from storm surges and increased springtime flooding of river valleys damages coastal and inland river val ley rail transport lines. Finally, damage to landfill infrastructure from thawing permafrost in Alaska makes disposal more costly due to the need for clean

- up and fortification. Variation in importance across the Region : This issue will impact the entir e region but may have a greater impact on remote cities and villages in Alaska where transportation and disposal of products is more difficult and costly

.

107 U.S

. Census Bureau

. 2013

. Current Population Report: Population Projections: States 1995

- 2025

. Economics Statistical Administration

. Department of Commerce

. Website:http://www.census.gov/prod/2/pop/p25/p25

- 1131.pdf

. Accessed May 23, 2013.

108 U.S

. EPA

. 2011

. National Priorities with a Local Focus

– Region 10’s Approach for Implementing Administrator Jackson’s Seve n Priorities

– FY 2011

- 2015 November 2011

. www.epa.gov.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

55 | Page Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution There are concerns for which we do not have sufficient scientific or programmatic information at this time to evaluate in our vulnerability analysis, some examples are: (1) increased use of pesticides in response to increase in pests and vector borne diseases (see 2.G

. which mentions invasive species, West Nile virus) and requests for emergency waivers. (2) movement of volatile contaminants (pesticides, PCBs, mercury, etc.) into Alaska via global distillation.

4.A

. Regional focus : Increasing extreme temperatures, increasing heavy precipitation events, changes in storm intensities, and increasing frequency of floods may increase the exposure to and risk associated with hazardous chemicals regulated by certain EPA programs Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Protecting human health and ecosystems from chemical releases regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) programs Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Adjustments to the relevant risk assessment framework to determine public risk due to modified exposure scenarios and modified toxicity of chemicals due to climate change. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Altered weather and severe climate events could also affect the interpretations of risk at RCRA/TSCA and Superfund sites

. Very relevant for permitting and planning activities, where facilities may not have previously required an awareness of risk management for water/flooding, or other climate change impacts

. In particular, Puget Sound is vulnerable to these potential impacts of chemical pollution; restoration of Puget Sound is a key ecosystem

- level activity in R10. 109 Variation in importance across the Region: More relevant near sites with large densities of chemical Manufacturers, Processors and Formulators (MPFs), and RCRA and Superfund sites

109 (see the 2012/2013 Action Agenda for Puget Sound) http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/AA2011/083012_final/Action%20Agenda%20Book%202_Aug%2029%202012. pdf

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

56 | Page Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws EPA Region 10’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) is charged with ensuring compliance with environmental requirements and enforcing against violations to those requirements

. In that capacity, OCE’s vulnerabilities are uniquely tied to interaction s with the regulated community

. Some types of vulnerabilities (e.g., difficulties with maintaining staff functionality due to power outages, physical damage to facilities due to extreme weather) would be similar to those experienced by all EPA programs an d regions

. Other vulnerabilities are more specific to OCE such as those which impact the ability of sources to comply with environmental requirements and with our ability to determine such compliance and take appropriate action.

The vulnerabilities of g reatest importance for OCE are conditions/events which would compromise our ability to ensure compliance with environmental requirements by regulated entities and, where necessary, to take effective enforcement action in case of violations

. The programs i mpacted would include: c ompliance a ssistance;

c ompliance m onitoring and c ivil e nforcement.

5.A

. Regional focus : Increased non

- compliance at regulated entities as a result of extreme weather events and changing weather patterns Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: All regulatory programs Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Compliance and enforcement programs under the Clean Water Act (CWA) have the potential to see an increase i n violations from many situations including sanitary sewer and combined sewer overflows, violations of percent removal at wastewater treatment plants (due to limited water flow as a result of drought), violations in bypasses due to the inability of wastew ater treatment plants to treat a flow in excess of the design capacity, and increased violations in numerous programs due to failure of existing infrastructure protecting against extreme weather events

. In addition, CWA section 311 (Spill Prevention Cont rol Countermeasures) may see an increase in non

- compliance along Alaskan coastal areas that have oil storage containers, as a result of sea ice melting (thereby increasing storm surges along those coastal areas) and increased flooding

.

The Federal Insec ticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) compliance and enforcement programs may see violations at Pesticides Producing Establishments if there is a shift toward increasing pesticide usage, productions and imports

. As weather patterns change in the Region, the habitats of insects and pests may also change, bringing different pests and diseases to areas

.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) programs may see increased non

- compliance at landfills due
to changes in precipitation patterns (including more precipitation in some cases and more extreme precipitation events in other cases)

. Where more precipitation is seen in traditionally arid climates and little rainfall is assumed during landfill design, la ndfills may generate excessive hazardous leachate, see unexpected mobilization of contaminants in the waste column and/or experience failure of the liner or leachate collection systems. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: May be most important in states where EPA has direct implementation of an enforcement program, on Tribal lands, and non

- delegable programs. Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant across the Region.

5.B

. Regional focus : Shift in regional enforcement priorities due to changes in compliance (both increased compliance and non

- compliance in different sectors) and i ncreased number of inquiries from industry about maintaining compliance Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of As sociated EPA Program: All regulatory programs

. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: If an increase in violations in various programs and industry are identified, OCE may shift the enforcement focus to address those violations

. Conversely, OCE may use discretion

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

57 | Page to refocus enforcement priorities when localized extreme weather events (e.g.

, flooding) greatly impact the regulated community or when a change in weather patterns decrease the potential for no n

- compliance (e.g.

, less precipitation could decrease surface runoff)

. This will be most important in states where EPA has direct implementation of an enforcement program (e.g., Idaho for NPDES program), on Tribal lands, and non

- delegable programs (e.g., Chlorofluorocarbons , CWA 311 (SPCC), PCBs)

. OCE may need to make adjustments to normal workload to address an increase in industry’s compliance inquiries

. There may need to be reassignment or delay of normal work duties as staff provides response supp ort to those inquiries in a timely manner

. Requests may also be received from Regional state counterparts regarding guidance to unique enforcement issues as a result of extreme weather events or changing weather patterns. Regional Importance of Vulnerabi lities: May be most important in states where EPA has direct implementation of an enforcement program, on Tribal lands and non

- delegable programs. Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant across the Region

5.C

. Regional focus : Increased permitting of Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells for Carbon Dioxide sequestration and Class V UIC wells for stormwater management. Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: UIC permitting and enforcement prog rams Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: EPA has developed criteria for Class VI wells, used specifically for the injection of carbon dioxide into underground subsurface rock formations for long

- term storage

. As the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere increases, various technologies including Class VI wells will be deployed

. OCE may need to reassign or delay other UIC permitting and enforcement work, as permit requests for Class VI w ells increase

. This will be seen across the Region, until permitting and enforcement of the Class VI well program is delegated to the states

. As the amount of stormwater increases with increased precipitation levels, industries regulated to manage stormwater and associated discharges may be faced with challenges surrounding the volume of stormwater to manage

. Class V wells are designed to rece ive stormwater, as a substitution for or in addition to discharging stormwater

. OCE may see an increase in permitting Class V wells, as challenges managing high volumes of stormwater increase

. Permitting will be focused on Class V wells in Alaska and Tri bal lands, as the Region implements this program in these areas

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Across the Region, until permitting and enforcement of the Class VI well program is delegated to the states

. Variation in importance across the Re gion: Relevant across the Region

.

5.D

. Regional focus : Increase in regulated industrial activities in Alaska may result as the melting of sea ice opens new areas for activities

. Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Oil and gas extraction

. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Sea ice off the Alaskan Coast is retreating and thinning

. This reduction of sea ice is very likely to increase the navigation season and create a seasonal o pening of the Northern Sea Route to likely make trans

- arctic shipping and transport feasible during summer months

. As areas and routes become more accessible, there is a potential for industrial activity (e.g.

, oil and gas extraction) to become more activ e in these areas

. As a result, OCE may see an increase in regulated entities. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Relevant in Alaska. Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant in Alaska.

5.E

. Regional focus : Increase in non

- compliance at facilities with Underground Storage Tanks (UST) holding ethanol

- blended fuels.

. Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Underground Storage Tank program. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

58 | Page Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Storage of ethanol

- blended fuels in USTs requires compatibility with the materials and equipment of the tank system

. The chemical and physical properties of ethanol fuel blends may make these fuels more aggressiv e to certain UST tank systems, compared to petroleum

. As the need increases to use and store fuels that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, the UST enforcement program may see an increase with incompatibility

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities : Relevant across the region

. Variation in importance across the Region: Relevant across the region.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

59 | Page EPA Facilities and Operations

6.A

. Regional focus : Increasing drought frequency and intensity may limit drinking water at EPA facilities

. Increased demand for air conditioning

. Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Personnel Safety and security

. Operations of Agency facilities, and ability to carry out emergency response actions Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Low Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Facilities could be located in areas with water shortages, requiring water rationing

. There is likely to be a greater demand for electricity for air conditioning during the summer months

. Increased extreme temp erature at any R10 office would put higher demand on drinking water and electricity for cooling. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Could affect the regional office and all the operations offices Variation in importance across the Region: Operation o ffices may not be as vulnerable as the regional office due to a smaller staff and less demand for cooling water, drinking water, and water for other personal uses.

6.B

. Regional focus : Increasing risk of floods and increasing intensity of storms may ad versely affect operations of agency facilities Likelihood of Impact: Unlikely Focus of Associated EPA Program: Operations of Agency facilities, personnel safety, physical security, and ability to carry out emergency response actions

. In particular, Region 10 operates the Manchester Environmental Laboratory in Port Orchard

. The lab is adjacent to Puget Sound. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Low Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Facilities in flood

- prone areas may have to temporarily cl ose

. Personnel engaged in field work may be more vulnerable to extreme temperatures or storm events

. Personnel and real property supporting emergency response and management may be at risk during flooding or extreme weather events

. Ongoing work at the M anchester Environmental Laboratory may be disrupted with effects on many different programs

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Closure of regional offices due to climate change related damage could prevent staff from carrying out important function s

. The Regional Office in Seattle is located in an area with low probability for flooding or sea level rise. Variation in importance across the Region: R10 has flexiplace options available to staff and a Continuity of Operations Plan in place in case any R10 office is damaged by flooding or storms or transportation to/from offices are affected (e.g., flooded roadways; landslides on commuter train tracks)

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

60 | Page Tribal and other vulnerable populations

7.A

. Regional focus : Food security for Tribal communities that live a subsistence lifestyle may be at risk due to warming associated with climate change Likelihood of Impact: Likely Focus of Associated EPA Program: All R10 Programs working on issues that affect Tribal populations, potential link to permitting programs and actions Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: Medium Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Warming due to climate change reduces the availab ility and accessibility of many traditional food sources such as ice seals, walrus and caribou

. 110 For example, climate change decreases the amount and quality of food that grows in the summer months, preventing caribou from storing enough fat to survive th e winter

. People face losing their healthiest foods, their communities, and in some cases, their culture, since each of these depends on traditional ways of collecting and sharing food. 111 Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: The most vulnerable population would be the native Alaskan people

. They face losing their current livelihoods, their communities, and in some cases, their culture

. Variation in importance across the Region: To some degree, this is also r elevant to al l the tribes in the rest of Region 10 (WA, OR, and ID).

7.B

. Regional focus : An increase in intensity of coastal storms and rising sea levels would increase erosion of shorelines and pose risks to coastal native villages. Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, emergency response Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Alaska’s coastline, much of which is close to sea level, is increasingly threatened by a combination of the loss of its protective sea ice buffer, increasing storm activity, and thawing coastal permafrost. 112 In Alaska, over 100 villages on the coast and in low

- lying areas along rivers are subject to increased flooding and erosion due to w arming

. Federal, state, and tribal officials have identified 31 villages that face imminent threats

. 113 At least 12 of the 31 threatened villages have decided to relocate

-- in part or entirely

-- or to explore relocation options

. Federal programs to assist threatened villages prepare for and recover from disasters and to protect and relocate them are limited and unavailable to the majority of villages

. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has several disaster preparedness and r ecovery programs, but villages often fail to qualify for them, generally because they may lack approved disaster mitigation plans or have not been declared federal disaster areas. 114 Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Erosion of shorelines may require r elocation of native villages

. Loss of water infrastructure would require emergency water supplies

. Flooding and storm events will require emergency management plans Variation in importance across the Region: Greatest risks are to the shorelines in Alas ka, but shorelines in WA and OR are also at a moderate risk

7.C

. Regional focus : Loss of permafrost and reduced snowpack threatens access to clean water Likelihood of Impact: High

110 ACIA

. 2004

. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, 139 pp.

111 Ibid ACIA

. 2004

. 112 USGCRB. 2009. Regional Impacts: Alaska. EPA/600/R

- 07/094F, Office of Research and Development,
Was hington, D.C.
113 Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska. http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf.

114 U.S. General Accounting Office

. 2003

. Alaska Native Villages: Most Are Affected by Flooding and Erosion, bu t Few Qualify for Federal Assistance. GAO

- 04

- 142. U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, DC, 82 pp

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

61 | Page Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, Clean Water Indian set

- aside program Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: In many Alaskan rural tribal communities, their water is drawn from tundra lakes and these are disappearing with t he permafrost

. 115 Another impact of melting permafrost is the loss of a stable foundation, endangering the sewer and water infrastructure that EPA, and the American taxpayer, has invested billions of dollars in

. 116 Tribes in other parts of Region 10 may experience water scarcity, due to failing aquifers

. With reduced snow pack and increased seasonal drought, traditional drinking water sources are not being replenished

. This can affect individuals: a small well fai ls, or communities: a large aquifer does not recharge

. In general, without access to clean water, tribal communities across Region 10 have greatly increased respiratory and gastrointestinal infections and skin diseases including methicillin

- resistant St aphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

. These risks are increased by the open dumps that exist in close proximity to most rural communities

. There is often human waste and solid waste comingled and when there are floods or storm surges from the loss of protective ice, viable bacteria and contaminants are carried through the community and into people’s homes

. Often times running water is not available for sanitation so these contaminants are making significant and dangerous impacts to both the environment and huma n health of rural Alaska communities

. Most dumps are unlined, but permafrost has partially contained their toxic materials

. Without permafrost, the untreated leachate may be a contamination risk for their water supply

. Regional Importance of Vulne rabilities: High

. Costs to repair or replace water/sewer infrastructure damaged by thawing permafrost has been estimated at well over 6 billion dollars. 117 Variation in importance across the Region: Permafrost thawing affects Alaskan tribes, some of whom already do not have access to clean water

.

7.D

. Regional focus : Changing water conditions reduce availability of fish & shellfish resources

. Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, Ecosystems and public affairs

. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Salmon of the PNW are central to the lives of all native peoples, they bring spiritual, physical and cultural well

- be ing

. Climate change is bringing rapid habitat challenges, from rapidly changing stream flows to warming waters that can no longer protect salmon fry

. Agricultural runoff and clear

- cut forests further degrade water quality

. It is a mystery what is hap pening to the salmon in the ocean and scientists are concerned about the threat of ocean acidification to salmon food sources

. Addressing these issues will require large scale cooperative restoration and enhancement projects between many partners

.

Th e R10 Tribes’ traditional shellfish use areas are on reserves, in ceded customary and traditional use areas

. Increasing ocean acidification threatens shellfish beds that Tribes have harvested for millennia

. Ocean acidification may reduce rates of shellf ish larval survival and weaken the shells of the adults, thus making them more vulnerable as well

. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: High (Ocean acidification was a high priority in discussion groups at the 2012 Tribal Leaders Summit and was presented by both Makah and Tulalip tribes) Variation in importance across the Region: high priority to all coastal tribes

.

7.E. Regional focus : Vulnerable population such as children, the elderly, poor, and the infirm may be at increased health risk due to increased temperatures, failing infrastructure, and extreme weather events. Likelihood of Impact: Occurring Now

115 Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska. http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf.

116 Alaska’s Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska. http://www.climatechange.alaska/aag/docs/aag_ES_27Jan10.pdf.

117 Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska. 2008. http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/webnote/Web_Note4a.pdf

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

62 | Page Focus of Associated EPA Program: Tribal Programs, Ecosystems and public affairs. Likelihood of EPA Program Affected: High Example of Risks if Program were Impacted: Children playing in areas with higher ozone levels resulting from increased temperature will be at higher risk for experiencing asthma symptoms and exacerbations. The elderly are more vulnerable to heat stress because they are often in poorer health and are less able to regulate their body temperature during periods or extreme health. Economic constraints can also place low

- income households at disproportionate risk to extreme heat events due to lack of air condition or failure to use air

- conditioning to cut down on associated energy costs. Regional Importance of Vulnerabilities: Across the region. Variation in importance across the Region: Ac ross the region.

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## Appendix C: Detailed **Description of EPA Region 10 Existing Actions** 

The tables below include detailed information on existing actions in Region 10

. It is organized by Office and includes the following columns

• Vulnerability: This identifies the vulnerability associated with each action

. Many actions have multiple vulnerabilities

.

• Relevant Agency Direction: This includes the EPA strategy from which the action is derived

. For example, many of the actions come from the Region 10 Strategic Alig nment Plan while other actions come from the Puget Sound Action Agenda or EPA National Water Program Strategy.

• Relevant EPA Goal: This identifies the EPA National or Regional Goal associated with the action

. These goals were included in the vulnerability assessment

.

• R10 Lead/Partners: This column includes the EPA person responsible for the action and the partners EPA is working with to acc omplish the actions

.

• Linked to Tribes, Sustainability, and EJ: This column indicates whether the action can be li nked to EPA Region 10 tribes, related to sustainability, or environmental justice

. These areas are very important to EPA Region 10 and we wanted to evaluate which actions could be identified with these three areas.



## Office of Air, Waste, and Toxic s

Lin ked to Vulnerability Relevant Agency Direction Relevant EPA Goal R10 Lead/
Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

Air Toxics Promoting methods to reduce evaporative loss (due to increasing temperatures) of volatile toxics released thereby reducing toxic emissions from fuel storage, transfer, and handling facilities including tankfarms and transfer terminals:

Further reducing evaporative losses of air toxics from fossil fuels by supporting the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy through Sustainable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Alternative Energy, and Energy Infrastructure including the following W est Coast Collaborative projects:

- Working with public and private partners to achieve more efficient/sustainable goods movement by updating the current Northwest Ports Clean Air Action Plan to include new emissions reductions goals for Increase in
average summertime temperatures and extreme temperature events resulting in increased
concentra tion of air toxics from anthropogenic

sources; R10 Strategic Alignment Plan Goal (1.2)
Promote Sustainable Energy R10 Leads:
Don Dossett UM

Dan Brown DERA grants/
WCC

Partners: U.S

. Dept

. of Energy/ States/ Tribes • DERA grants for Tribal fishing boats • • DERA grants

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2020 and 2025 an d the actions that will be pursued to meet these goals

.

- Continue to work to promote the use of alternative fuels and support the TOTE liquefied natural gas demonstration projects under the North American Emission Control Area

.

- Continue to promote the SmartWay Transportation project and award Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants to yield emission reductions and fuel savings in FY14

. Indoor Air Training Develop and host training for professionals (housing, medical, schools) on making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable

. This is a particularly important Climate Change Adaptation activity because of increasing mold problems following floods as well as increasing indoor levels of ambient pollutants due to wildfires, inversions with peak pollutant levels, and increased use of back

- up power generators due to extreme weather events

. Changes in
pre cipitation,
extreme temperatures, more frequent wildfires, and severe weather events impact indoor air quality as ambient air is entrained indoors R10 Strategic Alignment Plan Support At

Risk Communiti es (for Air Quality) R10 Lead: Davis Zhen: Indoor Air/ Radon

Partners: State, local air & Tribal agencies;

At

- Risk Communities : EPA HQ • • •

Tribal Waste Management Programs Work with federally recognized tribes in Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Idaho to address landfills and unconfined open dumps which are impacted by climate change and help develop appropriate responses to these threats.

RCRA Tribal Team

– 2013 ongoing work and beyond Continue to update 2011 Indian Health Service Indian Lands Open Dumps Inventory

. In 2011 the EPA RCRA Tribal Team, RCRA Program Unit, Office of Air Waste and Toxics, completed an inventory of all open dumps in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and posted this information on the Increased precipitation and floods Increasing
extreme temperatures, increasing heavy precipitation events, changes in storm R10 Strategic Alignment Plan R10 Strategic Alignment Plan Goal
4.4

– See Existing Actions column to left R10 Leads: Lisa McArthur UM

Fran Stefan

Tribal SW Program Mgr

Partners: Alaska Native Villages; rural • •

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national Indian Health Service Operations and Maintena nce Database (OMDS)

. This database includes information on all open dumps on Tribal lands, including Alaska

.
Partner with Tribal communities, Tribal Consortia such as the Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network, the EPA Tribal Trust and Assistance Unit an d the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) to develop appropriate responses to address the needs of tribal communities which are threatened by climate change impacts to their landfills and unconfined open dumps

. Actions include:

- Conv ening teleconferences with partners to ascertain the state of knowledge about climate impacts to tribal landfills and unconfined open dumps in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and strategies to address these impacts

.

- Providing on

- site technical as sistance to interested tribal communities to help them to address climate change impacts to landfills and open dumps on their lands. intensities, and increasing frequency of floods may increase the exposure to and risk associated with hazardous chemicals (i.e

. contained at RCRA sites.

Thawing permafrost and sea ice changes lead to damaged roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure including solid waste landfills and RCRA containment sites. communities

Materials Management and Pollution Prevention Program Climate change is expected to continue to adversely impact the cost of raw materials

. Materials management enables the use of the highest and Increased impacts from GHG emissions R10 Strategic Alignment Goal 4.6

– Sustainable Materials R10 Leads: Kris Colt UM •

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best substitutes for materials that may become scarce or too costly. Facilitate Climate Change Adaptation by:

- Helping the public and regulated community adapt to the production and use of new materials, processes, and products that support the transition to sustainable materials management processes and away from: a) the use of more costly and limited natural resource based materials, and b) disposal

- based systems with high uncontrolled emission and waste product management impacts

. Materials Managemen t Adaptation work includes:

- Promoting More Sustainable Practices in Materials Management (SMM) and in Our Own Cleanup Work through: a) the recruitment and retaining participants for the Federal Green Challenge (helping our federal partners to reduce t heir GHG emissions through work on energy, transportation, waste and water), and b) recruiting for the Food Recovery Challenge in support of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Program which seeks to reduce the environmental impact of a materi al throughout its entire life cycle

- including how it is extracted, manufactured, distributed, used, recycled, and disposed (See Appendix E

– Supporting Documentation)

.

- Continuing to work with state and local governments through the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum (WCMMF) in their transition to materials management

. released from

non

- sustainable materials mgmt

. practices

. Plan

WCMMF Mgmt Federal Green Challenge: Melissa Winters

Food Recovery Challenge & WCMMF: Ashley Zanolli

Partners: R9; state and local governments

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## Office of Water and Watersheds

Linked to Vulnerability Relevant Agency Direction Relevant EPA Goal R10 Lead/
Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

Water infrastructure Work with the State of Alaska in the R&D of alternative technologies with providing first time service to unserved homes in a more sustainable way compared to a traditional piped system

. The State has provided $1M for this effort

.. The most promising proposals for pilot system development will be identified in 2013

. Systems approved for field installation and testing wi ll be identified in 2014

. Field testing is expected to begin in 2015 and be concluded by 2016

. Melting permafrost R10 strategic alignment plan; sustainability Building Strong State & Tribal Partnershi ps, EJ, Protecting America’s Waters R10 Lead: OWW

D ennis Wagner

Partner: State of Alaska • • •

Work with the WaterSense program to reach out to potential partners to encourage water efficiency in homes, landscaping and commercial buildings

. A focus is new homes. 2A: Drought, floods, R10 strategic alignment plan; National Water Program Strategy Goals 1, 2, and 3 R10 Lead: Bevin Horn •

Continue implementing the Sustainable Energy Management Program with a Western Washington cohort of drinking water and wastewater utilities

. This project is led by Washington State University

- Energy Extension, with support from several partners. 2A: drought, floods, erosion, heavy precipitation National Water Program Strategy; R10 strategic alignment plan; Goals 1, 2, and 3 R10 Lead: Cyndi Grafe •

Freshwater fisheries Continue with pilot program for including Climate Change in an ongoing TMDL

. EPA Region 10 and ORD Corvallis are working with the Washington Department of Ecology, the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe to identify the best way to integrate available climate change data into Ecology's TMDL for temperature stress on salmon in the South Fork Nooksack River, Washington

. This will provide a case study of both process and climate change science as a basis to support Increased temperatures. R10 strategic alignment plan; Goals 1 and 2 and Regional Goal 7 R10 Leads: OEA

- Bruce Duncan; OWW

Laurie Mann ORD

- WED

– • •

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future Tribal Consultation, Co

- Management, Policy and Regulation Development as needed

. Examining the way temperature c an be improved in the Nooksack watershed in order to support salmon restoration is a high priority for the Nooksack and Lummi Tribes

. The climate change pilot will identify available science for the watershed, and document technical issues in a parallel e ffort to the ongoing TMDL. Steve Klein

Partners: WA Dept Ecology Nooksack Tribe Lummi Nation Training and Outreach Maintain current participation in the National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup, including identifying a single point of contact for the Regional water
program

. OW Climate Strategy Goals 1 and 2. R10 Lead: Paula VanHaagen

Help to develop and implement the Office of Water Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan (due to the Council on Environmental Quality in Fall 2013) and to coordinate between the National Water Program 2012 Strategy and the EPA Regional Adaptation Implementation Plans OW Climate Strategy; R10 strategic alignment plan; Goals 1 and 2. R10 Lead: Paula VanHaagen

After the Fall completion of the Office of Water Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan, provide training for water program staff on the challenges that climate change poses for water programs, and familiarize them with the National Water Program Climate Strategy and Regional Climate Adaptation Plans through a variety of means such as “all hands” meetings, webinars, seminars, and dissemination of the plans OW Climate Strategy; R10 strategic alignment plan; Goals 1 and 2. R10 Lead: Mike Cox

Support national program efforts to inform and educate water program managers in the public and private sectors on climate change and water issues through a variety of means such as identifying key stakeholders and expanding professional networks, improvin g educational outreach efforts on National and Regional climate change websites and in other media, and disseminating clear OW Climate Strategy; R10 strategic alignment plan; Goals 1 and 2. R10 Lead: Mike Cox •

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and credible messaging on climate change science and impacts In program meetings with States and Tribes in 2013, include discussion of ongoing Agency and Region climate change adaptation planning, the new National Water Program climate change strategy, and climate change activities related to St ate water programs as appropriate OW Climate Strategy Goals 1 and 2 and Regional Goal 7 R10 Lead: Mike Cox •

Coordinate with the regional offices of other Federal agencies on climate change adaptation matters and participate, where appropriate, with related interagency cooperative and collaborative efforts to address climate change challenges on a regional scale OW Climate Strategy Goals 1 and 2. R10 Lead: Mike Cox

Work with municipal and private water utilities to promote their use of the new Climate Ready Resilience and Awareness (CREAT) Version 2.0 to recognize and respond to climate change risks, and with National Estuary Program partners to promote the use of the new Climate Ready Estuaries Vulnerability Assessment Handbook to develop local climate resilience plans OW Climate Strategy; National Water Program Strategy Goals 1 and 2 and sustainabi lity. R10 Lead: Paula vanHaagen •

Work with States, Tribes, municipalities, non

- profit organizations and businesses to promote the Water Sense Program in the region OW Climate Strategy; National Water Program Strategy Goals 1 and 2 and sustainabi lity. R10 Lead: Bevin Horn • •

Support the national Water Program in revising the State Revolving Loan Funds “Green” paper and the Annual Review Guidance for on

- site reviews to incorporate climate change, including a new “Climate Change” checklist

. The Green paper will provide information on best practices and tools to help state SRF programs support climate change activities

. The guidance and checklist would identify opportunities for States to develop priorities and make investments that respond to the climate change risks in that State OW Climate Strategy Goals 1 and 2 and sustainabi lity. R10 Lead: Paula vanHaagen • •

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## Office of Ecosystems, Tribal, and Public Affairs

Linked to Vulnerability Relevant Agency Direction Relevant EPA Goal R10 Lead/
Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

NEPA Through NEPA review comments, seek to protect waters of the United States and promote management of sustainable surface
water resources.

Encourage green infrastructure and low

- impact development to protect water quality and make watersheds more resilient Decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity National
W ater Program Strategy 118 Goal 2. R10 Lead: NEPA Review staff

Partners: Lead federal agency (HUD, DOT, STB) Through NEPA review, ensure consideration of climate change on federal projects that may be at risk due to inundation, flooding, or salt water intrusion

• Retention ponds at mine sites

• Transportation/road infrastructure (road/rail/culvert failure)

• Dam sites

• Flood risk management (levies) Increasing risk of floods Goal 2. R10 Lead: NEPA Review staff

Partners: Lead federal agency (BLM,USFS FERC,USBR, DOT, STB) Work with federal partners through the NEPA process to identify, protect, and maintain a network of healthy watersheds and supportive habitat corridor networks

• Collaborate with partners on terrestrial ecosystems and hydrology so that effects on water quality and aquatic ecosystems are considered. Changes in abundance and geographical distributions of plant species and habitats for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife National
Water Program Strategy 119 Goal 2. R10 Lead : NEPA Review Staff

Partners: Lead federal agency (USFS, BLM, NPS, USFWS) Work with federal partners through the NEPA process to incorporate climate resilience into watershed restoration and Changes in abundance and National
Water Goal 2. R10 Lead : NEPA Review Staff

118 Goal 12 SA 33

. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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119 Goal 3 SA 9

. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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floodplain management

• Work with partners to protect and enhance buffers to rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal resources as a means of building resiliency geographical distributions of plant species and habitats for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife Program Strategy 120 Partners: Lead federal agency (Forest Service, BLM, Park Service, USFWS) Work with federal partners through the NEPA process to incorporate climate change adaptation into forest restoration plans

• Encourage appropriate use of prescribed burning/thinning to reduce risk of uncharacteristic wildfire

. Where appropriate, encourage managing for species best adapted to future climate Increased frequency or intensity of wildfires R10 Strategic Alignment. Goal 1. R10 Lead: NEPA Review Staff

Partners: Lead federal agency (Forest Service, BLM, Park Service, USFWS) ETPA will include ocean acidification language in NEPA review comment letters as appropriate.

• Refine template language in letters and example NEPA analyses that include ocean acidification information Increase in ocean temperatures, with potential for changes in ocean chemistry and increased ocean acidification R10 Strategic Alignment. Goal 2. R10 Lead: NEPA Review Staff

Partners:

Wetlands Wetlands and Climate Change Research Meeting focused on new approaches and tools to better understand, manage, and conserve wetlands in a changing climate. Loss of wetland ecosystems and services U.S.EPA Climate Adaptation Plan 121 Goal 2. R10 ARU Lead: Linda Storm

Partners: OEA and the R10 Science Advisory

120 Goal 4 SA 13

. See http://water.epa.gov/scitec h/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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121 3.3.4 Priority: Strengthen Adaptive Capacity of EPA Staff and Partners Through Training

. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA

- climate

- change

- adaptation

plan

- final

- for

- public

- comment

- 2

- 7

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Council Incorporate climate change considerations into the CWA 404 regulatory program as they relate to permit reviews and compensatory mitigation

• Consider the effects of climate change, as appropriate, when making significant degradation determinations in the CWA Section 404 wetlands permitting and enforcement program

• Evaluate, in conjunction with the U.S

. Army Corps of Engineers, how wetland and stream compensation projects coul d be selected, designed, and sited to aid in reducing the effects of climate change Loss of wetland ecosystems and services National
Water Program Strategy 122 Goal 2. R10 Lead: Linda Storm

Partners: USACE

As resources allow, improve baseline information on wetland extent, condition and performance to inform effective adaptation to climate change

• Expand wetland mapping by supporting wetland mapping coalitions and training on use of the new federal Wetland Mapping Standard

.

• Produce a statistically valid ecological condition assessment of the nation’s wetlands Loss of wetland ecosystems and services National
Water Program Strategy 123 Goal 2. R10 Lead: Maryann Thiesing

Partners: ORD, USFWS, UW Wetlands Adap tation Group

FY13 and FY14 Region 10 Wetland Program Development Grants RFP integrates climate adaptation by considering how the design and installation of demonstration projects would take relevant

122 National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

. Available at http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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123 National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

. Available at http://w ater.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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potential impacts from climate change into account when considering long

- term viability 124

Ocean Programs Participate in interagency development and implementation of federal strategies through the National Ocean Council (NOC) and the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan Increase in ocean temperatures, with potential for changes in ocean chemistry and i ncreased ocean acidification National
Water Program Strategy 125 Goal 2. R10 Lead: Sediment Management Staff

Partners: NOC Tribes
B uild the capacity of Tribes to develop adaptation actions (plans) and to engage in the collaboration with local, state and federal agencies

. All (mitigation) Regional Tribal Operations Committee Goal 1. R10 Lead: Michelle Davis

- TTAU; • •

EPA R10 Tribal Trust and Assistance Program will provide GAP funding as appropriate to support Tribes who have climate change in their GAP workplans to learn how to research climate change impacts upon their environment, natural resources, infrastructure to be used for development of a planning mechanism for adaptation and mitigation

. All RTOC Goal 1. R10 Lead: TTAU; AIE O/OITA

Partners: R 10 Tribal Governments Through the GAP program, Tribes may be able to do baseline environmental assessments that will add to documentation of the impact on climate change on Tribal communities and their ecosystems and support their adaptation planning. All National Tribal Science Council Goal 1. •

Share information to support climate change educational outreach and adaptation activities within Tribal communities All National Tribal Science Council Goal 1. •

124 http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/wetlands/FY13_Wetland_Program_Development_Grants_Request_for_Proposals.pdf

125 Goal 11 SA 28 and SA 31

. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatecha nge/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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Tribal Program staff will regularly submit articles on climate change to Tribal newsletters.

Coordinate with other programs and their Tribal specialists on climate change info and resources to include in the EPA Tribal newsletter

. All 2010 Tribal Leader’s Summit Action Plan Goal 1. •

Continue to offer quarterly calls to Alaskan T ribes with Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals on tribal climate change adaptation models and resources

. All 2010 Tribal Leader’s Summit Action Plan Goal 1. R10 Lead: Michelle Davis

Partners: ITEP •

Puget Sound Program Address Climate change in Puget Sound Grants, consistent with the Puget Sound Action Agenda

. Grant activities include: Conduct an erosion survey to evaluate sea level rise threat in San Juan County; b) Map habitat and infrastructure vulnerability in Puget Sound and restoration potential for reducing vulnerability; c) S everal Tribes and counties will incorporate climate change in their plans and/or analyses

. Puget Sound Grant partners include: Puget Sound Partnership, Friends of the San Juan’s, The Nature Conservancy, Snohomish County, Washington Dept

. of Ecology, Samish Indian Nation, Swinomi sh Tribe, Nooksack Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Port Gamble Indian Commission

. Sea Level Rise/erosion Puget Sound Action Agenda Goal 2. R10 Lead: ETPA/Puget Sound: Angela Bonifaci; See partner list under description • •

Puget Sound Partnership is working to control source pollution

.

• No Discharge Zone Evaluation and Petition

. Draft petition to EPA by September 2013

• Pollution Control Action Team to respond quickly when areas are identified where water quality problems threaten shellfish areas

. The first effort will be in Drayton Increasing heavy precipitation events

. Increased pollutant loads in runoff and the velo city of runoff will scour and erode Puget Sound Action Agenda 126 Goal 2. R10 Lead: EPA
Team

Partner: Puget Sound Partnership, Washington

126 http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/AA2011/083012_final/Action%20Agenda%20Book%201_Aug%2029%202012.pdf

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Harbor and Portage Bay.

• Pollution Identification and Correction Programs to identify and correct nonpoint source pollution sources. creek beds. Department of Ecology, DOH,WSDA, Tribes The Puget Sound Partnership has developed climate change indicators which will allow them to track climate

- driven changes and identify vulnerabilities or ecological thresholds Increase in ocean temperatures, with potential for changes in ocean chemistry and increased ocean acidification Climate Ready Estuaries 127

National
Water Program Strategy 128 Goal 2. R10 Lead: Michael Rylko

Partners: OCPD, National Estuary Programs, EPA Climate Change Division Puget Sound Grants process integrates climate adaptation concepts by considering how the design and installation of projects would take relevant potential impacts from climate change into account All U.S

. EPA Climate Adaptation Plan/ FY 2011

- 2015 EPA Strategic Plan 129 Goal 2. R10 Lead: Puget Sound Grants Team

A four part effort, comprising climate statistics, GIS visualization and analysis, data delivery platform development, and engagement with policy and management entities, will underlie the proposed development and delivery of information about the projected time of emergence of various elements of a changing climate in the Puget Sound Basin. All Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2. R10 Lead: Jon Schweiss.

Partners: UW

127 Climate Ready Estuaries 2012 Progress Report

. Available at http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/cre/upload/CRE_2012Report_122612a.pdf

128 Goal 9, SA 23

. See http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/upload/NWP_Draft_Strategy_03

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129 3.3.1 Priority: Fulfill Strategic Measures in FY 2011

- 2015 EPA Strategic Plan

. Strategic Measure 2: Integrate climate adaptation into financial mechanisms

. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA

- climate

- change

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Children’s health and vulnerable populations Through work on children’s health, develop and host training for professionals in the housing, health and educational fields on making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable populations Changes in precipitation,
extreme temperatures, more frequent wildfires, and severe weather events will impact outdoor air quality and indoor air quality since ambient air is entrained indoors Goal 1 and Regional Goal 7 R10 Lead: Margo Young •

Provide technical assistance and training to affected communities on risks associated with poor outdoor air quality

• Work with Tribal Air Program

• Convene Rural Alaska Children’s Environmental Initiative Goal 1 and Regional Goals 6 and
7. R10 Lead: Margo Young, Erin Mader

Partners: EPA Tribal Air Program, ANCH • •

Outreach/risk communication to vulnerable and economically deprived communities

. Decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity Increasing risk of floods U.S.EPA Climate Adaptation Plan Regional Goals 6 and
7. R10 Lead: Sheryl Stohs

Partners: Beyond Toxics, Eugene; Verde of Portland; DRCC of Seattle •

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Regional Clean Air Act Grants are provided to Tribes to build capacity and knowledge and assess and address air quality

concerns

. Many grant

- funded programs aim to prevent the presence of and exposure to indoor air pollution, for example, through supporting clean burning practices for wood stoves and adequate and effective ventilation in homes and public buildings

. Ambient pollutants are also targeted, for example, from idling vehicles, diesel generators, outdoor burning, agr icultural burning, wood stoves, and wildfires

. Many of these factors will worsen with climate change, making tribal capacity building in these areas critical. Indoor air quality R10 Strategic Alignment Plan. Regional Goals 6 and
7. R10 Lead: Erin Mader

Partners: Tribes •

Region 10’s Children’s Environmental Health and Tribal Air Program co

- lead the Rural Alaska Children’s Environmental Health Initiative and its two active workgroups, the Alaska Healthy Homes and the Alaska Healthy Schools Workgroups

. These groups were established in December 2010 and work together regularly to protect children from harmful environmental exposures in rural Alaska, including factors related to climate change. All. R10 Strategic Alignment Plan. Goals 6 and
7. R10 Lead: Erin Mader

Partners: Tribes • •

The Tribal Air Program has an IPA position in the Anchorage office serving as the Alaska Tribal Air Liaison

. She provides direct assistance to Alaska Tribes and GAP grantees to do air quality work, including climate change related topics. Air quality R10 Strategic Alignment Plan. Goals 6 and
7. R10 Lead: Michelle Davis Partners: Tribes • •

Other actions As appropriate, communicate with the public about hazards posed by climate change and EPA response/ remedies to events exacerbated by climate change (storm events, flood, drought) All U.S.EPA Climate Adaptation Plan Goal 3. R10 Lead: Public Affairs Unit

As appropriate, raise public awareness about climate change and actions being taken by the EPA to address climate change All U.S.EPA Climate Adaptation Goal 3. R10 Lead: Public Affairs Unit

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Plan Puget Sound Projects Vulnerability and Resilience of Puget Sound Estuaries to Climate Change

. Vulnerability assessments will allow decision makers to understand known risks, key uncertainties and the level of vulnerability their habitats and communities face from future storms and elevated sea levels (Cooper et al

. 2008)

. In the Puget Sound basin these include increased winter precipitation, higher river flooding, lower summer low flows (Hamlet and Lettenmaier 2007), sea level rise (Mote et al

. 2008), and uncertain effects on wind storms, sediment recruitment, and larger s cale wind and
ocean currents. Puget Sound Action Plan

. Objective 3

. Vulnerability analysis Goal 2. R10 Lead : Michael Rylko

Partners: The
Nature Conservancy in collaboration with USGS and UW CIG

The Puget Sound Partnership plans to launch a tree planting/canopy cover campaign in FY13 Increased stream temperatures Puget Sound Partnership Stewardship grant Goal 2. R10 Lead:

Partner: Puget Sound Partnership In FY13, Snohomish County’s Department of Public Works will address the threats of climate change and increased population growth with a focus on addressing altered basin hydrology

. Change in basin hydrology Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2 R10 Lead:

Partner: Snohomish County’s Department of Public Works The Washington State Department of Ecology will continue to Increase in ocean Puget Sound Goal 2. R10 Lead: Ben

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

79 | Page Linked to Vulnerability Relevant Agency Direction Relevant EPA Goal R10 Lead/
Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

work on a Puget Sound Circulation and Dissolved Oxygen Model (v2.0) in order to determine climate change effects on Puget Sound water quality. temperature. NEP. Cope

Partner: W A Ecology King County will produce modeled flow and water quality conditions in the rivers and streams of WRIA 9 for idealized fully forested conditions, and anticipated 2040 conditions considering population growth and climate change Sea level rise. Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2. R10 Lead: Michael Rylko

Partner: King County. Tribal Related projects in Puget Sound The Samish Indian Nation will continue its climate change monitoring of Fidalgo Bay waters in FY13 providing continuous temperature data for trend analysis Increasing ocean temperature. Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2 and Regional Goal 7. R10 Lead: Lisa Chang

Partner: Samish Indian Nation •

The Swinomish Tribe will hold its annual workshop on climate change issues in the Skagit, with a written report to follow All. Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2 and Regional Goal 7. R10 lead: Lisa Chang

Partner: Swinomish Tribe •

The Nooksack Tribe will attend climate change conferences, meeting, and presentations, and review technical reports to evaluate the magnitude of expected local changes

. This information will be considered in the salmon recovery plan implementation for WRIA 1 All. Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2 and Regional Goal 7. R10 lead: Lisa Ch ang

Partner: Nooksack Tribe •

The Suquamish Tribe will continue to monitor the work of the Climate Change Study Group, review climate change related studies and documents, and attend related meetings in order to build tribal capacity with respect to climate change All. Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2 and Regional Goal 7. R10 lead: Lisa Chang

Partner: Suquamish Tribe •

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

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Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

The Port Gamble Indian Commission of the Port Gamble Reserve plans to participate in climate change and ocean acidification programs in order to inform the development of a climate change program in FY13 Ocean acidification. Puget Sound
NEP. Goal 2 and Regional Goal 7. R10 lead: Lisa Change

Partner: Port Gamble Indian Commission •

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

81 | Page 

## Office of Environmental Assessment

Linked to Vulnerability Relevant Agency Direction Relevant EPA Goal R10 Lead/
Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

Inreach Project

– Meet with each unit within OEA (including our Manchester Environmental Laboratory Director) and determine where climate science can be used in our work for programs: e.g., EJ related apps and heat stress/vegetation; riparian setbacks and hyporhe ic flow models; TMDL models; Any modeling involving temperature or flow terms. All R10 Strategic Alignment plan R10 Lead: Mike Cox

Partners: POCs in Offices • • •

Regional Outreach/Training

– Continue to brief offices on vulnerabilities and tee up discussions where climate science can be used in decisions. All R10 Strategic Alignment plan R10 Lead: Mike Cox

Partners: POC in offices • • •

Coordination with other federal agencies by participating on Climate Change Cooperative All R10 Strategic Alignment plan R10 Lead: Mike Cox;

Partners: Other federal agencies •

Support Pacific NW Landscape Conservation Cooperative

- Steering Committee

– OEA Director, Sci TEK subcommittee

– CC Science Advisor All coastal & marine

- related R10 Strategic Alignment plan R10 Leads: Joyce Kelly an ; Mike Cox;

Partners: NPLCC participants. •

Participate on the National Tribal Science Council, and support actions related to climate change and tribes All National Tribal Science Council Goal 1

. R10 Lead: Lon Kissinger

Partners: RTOC •

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## Office of Compliance and Enforcement

Linked to Vulnerability Relevant Agency Direction Relevant EPA Goal R10 Lead/
Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

Climate change may have more impact on overburdened communities as these communities, due to various concerns, adapt less well than other communities

. OCE is using an Environmental Justice Screening tool to identify regulated facilities located in these overburdened communities

. This tool was nationally developed to screen for communities with environmental justice concerns for implementation in various EPA
programs

. All R10 Strategic Alignment plan Goal 5 R10 Lead: Anne Dalrymple

Partners: Running Grass •

Continuing enforcement in small programs that have climate change influence such as the Clean Air Act Mobile Source Enforcement Program

. In this program, OCE is implementing and taking enforcement actions against illegal imports of non

- compliant engines and tampering devices that produce elevated levels of green house gas emissions (Oxides of Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide)

. Also OCE is pursuing enforcement against industries releasing Ozone Depleting Substances into the atmosphere until full transition of enforcement to the Region 5 ODS Center

. Increasing

summer t emperatures. R10 Strategic Alignment plan Goal 5 R10 Lead: Air Compliance
Team

Partners:

Permitting Class I Underground Injection Control (UIC) Wells in the North Slope of Alaska

. The permafrost in the North Slope of Alaska has been identified as a vulnerable resource

. In substitution for retention ponds used to store oil and gas industry’s drilling wastes, the UIC program continues to permit several Class I wells for underground injection of those wastes

. This reduces the need to establish waste retention ponds on the increasingly vulnerable permafrost

. Permafrost thawing. R10 Strategic Alignment plan Goal 5 R10 Lead: UIC Compliance
Team

Partners: •

Continuing to support the Regional Support Corps by deploying staff for varying emergency response efforts (e.g

. Hurricane Katrina)

. All R10 Strategic Alignment plan Goal 5 and Operation s and Facilities. R10 Lead: Wendy Adams

Partners: Ann Williamson

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

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Partners Tribes Sustain

ability EJ

RCRA enforcement is evaluating land

- based units which have received hazardous waste and determining the extent to which precipitation and evaporation levels must be considered in protective management standards and closure requirements

. In these instances, changes in precipitation and evaporation rates could likely change the required compliance actions

. Increased precipitation. R10 Strategic Alignment plan Goal 5 R10 Lead: RCRA Compliance
Team

Partners: Continuing to look for opportunities to encompass green infrastructure as part of settlement agreements

. An example of this is the City of Seattle, Washington and King County, Washington CSO settlement agreements

. These settlements allow for the City of Seattle and King County to substitute green infrastructure projects for gray infrastructure projects (e.g

. green roofs, permeable pavements, urban gardens)

. All R10 Strategic Alignment plan Goal 5 R10 Lead: Depends on the case.

Partners: •

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## Appendix D: Comparison of Vulnerabilities and EPA Region 10 **Existing Actions**

Appendix D compares the vulnerabilities identified in Section 2 and Appendix B with the existing actions identified in Section 3 and Appendix C

. Th is comparison provides valuable information as EPA Region 10 evaluates how to best proceed to integrate climate change into the programs

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

Vulnerability Action(s) Increase in tropospheri c ozone pollution may occur in certain areas due to increased average summertime temperature No specific existing actions.

Increase in air toxics from anthropogenic sources is uncertain due to variability in effects of temperature increase on individual air toxics. Work with the West Coast Collaborative to reduce evaporative losses of air toxics from fossil fuels.

Increase in particulate matter levels is occurring now and is very likely to increase due to increased frequency or intensity of wildfires du e to increased summertime temperatures, prolonged droughts, and decreased soil moisture. No specific existing actions.

Indoor air quality is very likely to be impacted, especially in Alaska, due to c hanges in precipitation, extreme temperatures, more freq uent wildfires, and severe weather events. Develop and host training for professionals (housing, medical, schools) on making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable

.
Assist Tribes to build capacity and knowledge and assess and address air quality concerns including those related to climate change through the Regional Clean Air Act Grants

. Stratospheric ozone layer is likely to be impacted in Alaska due to climate change effects No specific existing actions.

Increased rate and deposition of sulfates, nitrates, and mercury is uncertain due to changes in precipitation patterns. No specific existing actions.

Goal 2: Protecting America’s Water

Vulnerability Action(s) Drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and agricultural infrastructure is likely to be impacted by increased heavy precipitation, more frequent flood events, storm surge, coastal erosion, and drought. Work with the State of Alaska to identify alternative technologies for providing first time service to unserved homes in a mo re sustainable way compared to a traditional piped system

.
Work with the Water Sense program to encourage water efficiency in homes, landscaping and commercial buildings with a focus on new homes.

C ontinue implementing the Sustainable Energy

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

85 | Page Vulnerability Action(s) Managemen t Program with a Western Washington cohort of drinking water and wastewater utilities

. Impacts to freshwater fisheries is occurring now and likely to increase due to e arlier stream runoff and scouring of streambeds due to earlier snow melt, decreased summer stream flows and increased steam temperatures, and longer periods of low stream flow. Continue with pilot program examining how to integrate climate change in an ongoing TMDL by examining how temperature can be improved in the Nooksack watershed in order to support salmon restoration

.
Estuarine watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands are very likely to be impacted by s ea

- level rise, sea surface temperature and increasing heavy precipitation events during the winter months, and decreasing precipitation days and increasing drought intensity during the summer months. Coordinate a Wetlands and Climate Change Research Meeting focused on new approaches and tools to better understand, manage, and conserve wetlands in a changing climate.

I ncorpora te climate change considerations into the CWA 404 regulatory program as they relate to permit reviews and compensatory mitigation.

As resources allow, improve baseline information on wetland extent, condition and performance to inform effective adaptation to climate change

. Integrate climate adaptation in the FFY13/14 Region 10 Wetland Program Development Grants
RFP

. Forest ecosyst ems will likely be impacted by

w arming temperatures and more frequent and intense drought conditions. Through the NEPA review process ensure consideration of climate change in review of all federal projects and incorporate climate change adaptation into la nd management planning and other projects as appropriate

. Loss of sea ice is occurring now and will very likely increase in Alaska due to warming air and water temperatures. No specific existing actions.

Ocean acidification is occurring now and is very likely to increase due to increasing concentrations of CO 2 in the atmosphere. Include ocean acidification language in NEPA review comment letters as appropriate and develop template language in letters and example NEPA analyses that include ocean acidification information.

Participate in interagency development and implementation of federal strategies through the National Ocean Council (NOC) and the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan Change in vegetation is likely in eastern Washington and Oregon and Idaho due to pest outbreaks, invasive species, increased fire, shifts in species ranges and increased erosion, drier soils, and depletion of water. Through the NEPA review process ensure consideration of climate change in review of all feder al projects and incorporate climate change adaptation into land management planning and other projects as appropriate

. Puget Sound: Many of these projects address multiple vulnerabilities. Support Tribal projects on climate change in Puget Sound through the National Estuary Program

. A listing of those projects is included in Appendix C

.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

86 | Page Vulnerability Action(s)

Continue to support projects in Puget Sound related to climate change

. There are several on

going projects that are highlighted in Appendix C.

Work with the Unive rsity of Washington to develop a system for visualizing and analyzing a variety of climate change

- related features that are shifting with time and probability across the Region. Training and Outreach Inform and educate water program managers in the public and private sectors on climate change and water issues and EPA related activities such as the National and Regional climate change adaptation strategies.

Work with States, Tribes, municipalities, non

- profit organizations and businesses to promote the Cli mate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) and Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) Programs and new Climate Ready Resilience and Awareness (CREAT) Version 2.0

.
Support Development of a Climate Change Section in the “Green” Paper for the State Revolving Loan Funds and Annual Review Checklists

.
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development

Vulnerability Action(s) Remedial, removal, brownfield, corrective action or permitted sites may be impacted due to flooding, sea level risk, storm surges, extreme events, and landslides. No specific existing actions.

Increase in work for Alaska’s Tribal and emergency
response programs is occurring now and likely to increase due to t hawing permafrost and changes in sea ice that leads to damage of roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure. Work with federally recognized tribes in Region 10 to address landf ills and unconfined open dumps which are impacted by climate change and help develop appropriate responses to these threats

.
EPA Region 10, Tribal and state partners will have increasing workloads in many aspects of site and waste management as well as work related to the formation and implementation of sustainable development and materials management programs, partnerships and initiatives. Work with our partners through the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum and our pollution prevention technical assistance providers and grants to assist in the transition to sustainable materials management processes and source reduction. Availability of raw materials and the cost of mining and refining raw materials, producing products, transporting products, and disposing products may increase due to impacts of climate change

. Recruiting and retaining participants for the Federal Green Challenge and for the Food Recovery Challenge in support of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Progr am.

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

87 | Page Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution

Vulnerability Action(s) Increased exposure and risk to hazardous chemicals is likely due to i ncreasing extreme temperatures and heavy precipitation events, changes in storm intensities, and increasing frequency of floods. Incorporating green remediation in corrective action decision

- making and r aising issues nationally regarding the potential impacts of climate change on alternative landfill covers

.
Goal 5: Enforcing Envir onmental Laws

Vulnerability Action(s)
Non

- compliance at regulated entities may increase due to extreme weather events and changing weather patterns. Continue to use an Environmental Justice Screening tool to identify regulated facilities located in overburdened communities.

Continue to look for opportunities to encompass green infrastructure as part of settlement agreements. Shift in regional enforcement priorities due to changes in compliance (both increased compliance and non

- compliance in different sectors) and increased number of inquiries from industry about maintaining compliance due to extreme weather events and changing weather patterns

. Continue enforcement in small programs that have climate change influence such as the Clean Air Act Mobile Source Enforcement Program.

RCRA enforcement is evaluating land

- based units which have received hazardous waste and determining the extent to which precipitation and evaporation levels must be considered in protective management standards and c losure requirements Increased permitting of Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells for Carbon Dioxide sequestration and Class V UIC wells for stormwater management. No specific existing actions.

An increase in regulated industrial activities in Alaska may result as the melting of sea ice opens new areas for activities. No specific existing actions.

An increase in non

- compliance at facilities with Underground Storage Tanks (UST) holding ethanol

blended fuels

. No specific existing actions.

Facilities and Operations

Vulnerability Action(s) Drinking water may be limited and an increase in demand for air conditioning is possible due to i ncreasing drought frequency and intensity. No specific existing actions.

Operations of Region 10 facilities may be impacted by increasing risk of floods and increasing intensity of storms. Continuing to support the Regional Support Corps by deploying staff for varying emergency response efforts

Tribal and Vulnerable Populations

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

88 | Page Vulnerability Action(s) Vulnerable population such as children, the elderly, poor, and the infirm may be at increased health risk due to increased temperatures, failing infrastructure, and extreme weather events. Support the Rural Alaska Children’s Health Initiative wh ich works to protect children from harmful environmental exposures in rural Alaska, including factors related to climate change

.
Through work on children’s health, develop and host training for professionals in the housing, health and educational fields on making indoor environments healthier for the most vulnerable populations.

Provide technical assistance and training to affected communities on risks associated with poor outdoor air quality (e.g., work with Tribal Air Program and convene Rural Alaska Children’s Environmental Initiative).

Outreach/risk communication to vulnerable and economically deprived communities

. Food security for native Alaskans and Tribal people in the Pacific Northwest who live a subsistence lifestyle may be at risk due to warming associated with climate change. Support Tribes to develop adaptation actions (plans), to document that impact from climate change and to engage in the collaboration with local, state and federal agencies working on broad based adaptation plans.

Pro vide GAP funding as appropriate to Tribes with climate change in their GAP workplans to do baseline environmental assessments and support adaptation planning. Increased erosion of shorelines is likely to increase risk to coastal native villages due to inc reased intensity of coastal storms and rising sea levels. No specific existing actions.

Decreased access to clean drinking water is very likely due to l oss of permafrost. No specific existing actions.

Reduced availability of fish and shellfish resources is occurring now and is likely to increase due to changing water conditions

. No specific existing actions.

Training and Outreach which will address all vulnerabilities. Raise awareness by providing educational outreach, training, and webinars to Tribes and work with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals on tribal climate change adaptation models and resources

.
Training and Outreach (supports all the goals)

Vulnerability Action(s) General training and outreach that supports all the goals and programs Provide outreach/trainings to increase awareness of climate science to regional staff, and work with

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

89 | Page staff to incorporate climate science into their work
programs

.
Communicate with the public about hazards posed by climate change and actions being taken by the EPA to address climate change.

Coordinate with other federal agencies by participating on Climate Change Cooperative and supporting the Regional Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.

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## Appendix **E :**  **EPA Region 10 Approach for**  **Measuring Success**

Several key steps to developing the Region 10 approach to meeting our Strategic Alignment Plan, measuring our progress, and adapting as we go are discussed below

. In Region 10 we have identified a point of contact (POCs) for each of our offices to assist with developing the Implementation Plan and they will have a critical role in collecting measures from their offices

.
Collate the measures and reporting requirements for the existing a ctions

. Section 3 i dentifies existing actions that Region 10 has underway. Many actions are part of the Region 10 Strategic Alignment Plan and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time

- sensitive) and some may have measures associated with them. These available measures will be collated

. For all other actions, we will seek clarification through our POC network on the status of development of SMART measures and how to prioritize completion of the SMART process

.
Consider developing Logic Model as the underlying framework for Measures

. U nder a Logic Model, the ultimate goal is to measure changes, commonly called outcomes , which often are changes in behavior

. In the figure below shared nationally by the Office of Water, goals of awareness are followed by the desired behavior that climate science is incorporated into federal policies and
programs

. Measures of outcomes also benefit from determining a baseline condition as well as benchmarks for success

. Both of these will be considered in implementing the Region 10 approach

.
The Logic M odel example below is based on the following considerations:

• Diagram/Text illustrating the relationships among program elements

• Identifies key activities, “players”, and expected results

• Identifies program span of control and external influences

• Span of co ntrol: Region 10 only has direct influence over key activities & outputs

The model is developed keeping in mind that:

• To meet ultimate goals, Region 10 will seek to change the attitudes, knowledge, and behavior of others (outcomes).

• The challenge of the m easurement approach is to balance output vs outcome measurement

.

• In order to obtain Buy

- In we will clearly define the purpose of the measurement effort to staff (how will the information be used) and minimize staff time needed to report the measures.

• We will need to address Measurement “apprehension”: Programs recognize progress toward outcomes is important, but hesitate to be held “accountable” for things outside their direct control.

Consider existing climate vulnerabilities in refining/selecting Meas ures

. For climate change adaptation, successful adaptation would be measured against conditions we do not expect to face for several decades

. However, some conditions are occurring now and actions in response to these conditions are ones where meaningful measures of outcomes could be generated

. In Region 10, particularly Alaska, we are seeing accelerated changes that are documented in our vulnerability analysis

. And, in Puget Sound, ocean acidification is already affecting larval cultures of oyster growe rs.

Include other considerations in refining/selecting Metrics : How many measures are too many? How “measureable” are the metrics (precision of language, access & availability of data)? Output (short term) vs

. Outcome (longer term) Focus Challenges to Analysis: How will reporting and analysis take place (process)

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

91 | Page How information can/will be presented to meet the needs of key stakeholders (utility) Retaining the flexibility to modify the measurement framework as the program “learns” vs

. need to retain c ore metrics for comparability.

Learn from other regions and the national program

. The key areas Region 10 will look for concerning measures are specific benchmarks/ commitments, ease of reporting, matching with national and regional reporting requirements , ability to adapt/adjust measures in the future, how closely measures relate to outcomes, and how other efforts have developed measures based on immediacy of vulnerabilities (for example, how hurricane Sandy and other recent extreme events have shaped mea sures developed for the east coast).

How to t rack and r eport p rogress

• Consider an annual Highlights of Progress document that is excerpted from the existing Region 10 reporting requirements and provided in a useful format common to other regions and natio nal programs

• Consider how our strategic action contacts would report internally on adaptive management phase, with guidance provided from the Climate Change Science Advisor

• Region 10 Strategic Alignment could include an adaptive management phase at the Goa l level in Highlights of Progress

.

• The Climate Change Science Advisor will use the Evaluation and state of management phase to:

o Inform any needed changes to the Region 10 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

o Identify appropriate performance measures for m easuring the effectiveness of the Strategy.

Document regional program awareness and use of climate science even as we develop measures

. Even without a logic model structure in place for climate change adaptation actions, in Region 10 we are seeing awarene ss of the availability and use of climate science increasing, and can begin to document this trend

. An example is awareness and use of climate science and tools in our Office of Water and Watersheds TMDL program

. For approximately the past two years, we have been conducting an ongoing pilot project where we have been incorporating climate science into an ongoing temperature TMDL

. As follow

- on to this process, the TMDL unit in March 2013, held an internal demonstration of where to find downscaled 7Q10 flo w data projections under climate change scenario models on an interactive website

. Similarly, our regional wetlands program led (co

- sponsored with our Region 10 Science Steering Council) a workshop on new tools to assess the impact of climate change on we tlands

.
Office of Water, Logic model example:

### EPA Region 10 Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implemen t ation Plan September 2013

92 | Page Conditions Vision Goal Audience Awareness Audience Behavior EPA Role Primary Audiences

Area 3 Coastal and Ocean : Ocean

and coastal environment

protected against climate

change and

against unintended

adverse consequences of responses to climate change. Support collaborations creating and

sharing of information and best practices

Develop partnerships that assist effective adaptation action

for coastal and

ocean environments

Ensure that mitigation and

adaptation

measures are environmentally sound

Adjust EPA programs to incorporate

shifting environmental conditions and other emerging threats Foster partnerships, collaborations, and information

sharing

Regional ocean organizations

State and local

watershed organizations U.S. National Ocean Council

Develop environmental safety criteria for offshore renewables

and CCS Develop climate

readiness guidance for

federal programs, agencies, and

authorities

Provide technical assistance

Coastal infrastructure owners and operators Aware of adaptation

options

Mindful of the potential hazards

that offshore renewables and CCS may pose to

coastal and

ocean resources Coastal communities and planners Understand strategies for incorporating adaptation into federal policies & programs EPA’s NWP and NEP programs

Promote best practices for

climate

readiness planning Aware of relevant partners & opportunities to collaborate/ share information Incorporate climate change & adaptation considerations into regional, state & local programs &

plans Integrate adaptation considerations into policies & programs at the federal

level

Engage in collaborative partnerships that ensure information

sharing and

prevent duplication of efforts

**EPA Sphere of Direct Influence**  Climate

- change

induced risks to

coastal and

ocean ecosystems and infrastructure are minimized

Adjust offshore

renewables

and CCS permitting criteria to consider adverse effects

to ocean &

coastal

resources Coastal and

ocean infrastructure and ecosystems are protected against adverse effects of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts

Coastal and

ocean environments continue to provide current levels of ecosystem services and socioeconomic benefits

**Examples of additional Influences on**

**primary audiences:**

• Shoreline development and real estate

trends

• Weather, tidal, and climate conditions

• Technological advances (particularly

CCS, renewables, and IT)

• Offshore navigational dredging

• Renewable portfolio standards

• Competing planning considerations

• Emerging climate threats