July 2, 2012 Documentation for Survey Design Values Spreadsheet | pg 1

Date July 2, 2012 

To The Section 316(b) Existing Facilities Rule Record 

From Erik Helm, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Subject 316(b) Stated Preference (SP) Survey – Documentation for Survey Design Values 

Spreadsheet

Methods used to calculate baseline and changes to attribute values in the 316(b) stated preference (SP) 

survey were described in a previous memorandum (“Attribute Calculations within the 316(b) Stated 

Preference (SP) Survey”, DCN 11-4533). In this brief memo, we point to locations in summary 

calculation spreadsheets (“316(b) Survey design values”, DCN 11-4523) where baseline values are 

presented, and briefly describe any calculations that occur within these sheets. The following four 

sections address the four environmental attributes included in the SP survey: (1) commercial fish 

populations, (2) fish populations (all fish), (3) fish saved, and (4) condition of aquatic ecosystems. 

1 Commercial Fish Populations 

All values used to calculate baseline commercial fish population attributes for marine stocks were 

obtained from Appendix 4 of NMFS (2010). These values, separated by stock, are presented in the 

worksheet “Q4.2010.Fish”. Each stock received a score of 0 or 1 using the FSSI criteria that stock 

biomass is at or above 80% of the biomass that produces maximum sustainable yield (column 

“Sustainable”). Stocks were grouped into survey regions prior to calculating regional attribute values. 

Grouped values are found in the ‘Calculations for “Commercial Fish Populations’” box. 

Although inland fish stock values came from a wider variety of sources, all data are found in the 

worksheet “Inland Fish”. For each data source (e.g., electrofishing, catch per unit effort, seining, etc.), the 

average ratio of the most recent year of data to the maximum observed catch was calculated (see columns 

titled “2007/max” and “Ratio”) for commercially targeted species. These average values were themselves 

averaged for water bodies inside and outside the Great Lakes (See boxes “Combined Averages, 316b 

Inland” and “Combined Averages, Great Lakes”) for commercial species. An overall average value (box 

“Combined Averages, Survey Inland”) was calculated as the average for the Great Lakes and non-Great 

Lakes regions. 

Preliminary scoping exercises used to estimate maximum changes for the commercial fish populations 

attribute are described in a separate memorandum to the 316(b) rulemaking record (“316(b) Stated 

Preference (SP) Survey – Overview of Preliminary Modeling Exercises for Attribute Values”, DCN 11-

4534). 

2 Fish Populations (All Fish) 

All values used to calculate baseline Fish Population (All Fish) attributes for marine stocks are presented 

in the worksheet “Q4.2010.Fish”. Values from the column “Numeric B/Bmsy” were averaged by survey 

region. These averages are presented in the box entitled ‘Calculations for “Fish Populations.’” 

Similarly to Commercial Fish Populations, baseline values for the fish population (all fish) attribute for 

freshwater species are found in the “Inland Fish” worksheet. Calculations for this attribute proceeded 

identically to those for the commercial fish populations attribute, with the exception that values for all 

species were included in calculation. Final attribute values are found in the “Combined Averages, Survey 

Inland” box. 

Preliminary scoping exercises used to estimate maximum changes for the fish populations (all fish) 

attribute are described in a separate memorandum to the 316(b) rulemaking record (“316(b) Stated 
July 2, 2012 316(b) SP Survey -Documentation for Survey Design Values Spreadsheet| pg 2

Preference (SP) Survey – Overview of Preliminary Modeling Exercises for Attribute Values”, DCN 11-

4534). 

3 Fish Saved 

Values used to estimate the fish saved attribute are presented in the worksheet “I&E Losses”. Raw model 

output is provided for all four proposed options, initially separated by losses at manufacturing facilities 

(e.g., option.mn1) and generating facilities (e.g., option.t1). EPA generated preliminary estimates of 

baseline age-1 equivalent (A1E) losses and A1E reductions for each SP survey region by aggregating 

estimates from those benefits regions presented in the Environmental and Economic Benefits Analysis 

(EEBA) for the proposed rule (USEPA 2011) as follows: 

Table 1—Matching of EEBA Benefits 

Regions to SP Survey Regions 

EEBA Benefits Region SP Survey Region 

California Pacific 

Great Lakes Inland 

Inland Inland 

Gulf of Mexico Southeast 

South Atlantic Southeast 

Mid-Atlantic Northeast 

North Atlantic Northeast 

All Benefits Regions National 

Following this first round of aggregation to SP survey regions, separate values for manufacturing and 

generating facilities were combined for each regulatory option. EPA then calculated minimum and 

maximum percent fish saved values by comparing reductions under regulatory options to baseline losses. 

4 Condition of Aquatic Ecosystems 

All values used to calculate baseline attribute values for the Condition of Aquatic Ecosystems are found 

in the worksheet “Ecosystem Condition”. In this sheet, aquatic ecosystem condition values are presented 

by reference in separate boxes. In each reference-specific box, scores from all data points collected are 

presented. The number of sites from which data are presented, the average score, and maximum score are 

summarized (by region) in the columns “Sites”, “Avg. Score”, “Max”, and “Percent”. Within each survey 

region, the presented baseline values are the average value for all identified references. For the national 

survey region, the baseline value represents the average of all regional baseline values. 

Preliminary scoping exercises used to estimate maximum changes in the condition of aquatic ecosystem 

attribute are described in a separate memorandum to the 316(b) rulemaking record (“316(b) Stated 

Preference (SP) Survey – Overview of Preliminary Modeling Exercises for Attribute Values”, DCN 11-

4534). 

5 References 

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2010. Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. 

Fisheries - 2009. Silver Spring, MD. 
July 2, 2012 316(b) SP Survey -Documentation for Survey Design Values Spreadsheet| pg 3

USEPA, 2011. Environmental and Economic Benefits Analysis for the Proposed Section 316(b) Existing 

Facilities Rule. Office of Science and Technology, Engineering and Analysis Division. EPA 821-

R-11-002.