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Disclaimer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

subject to change. 
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Preface

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

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

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

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

significant challenges to the EPA’s ability to fulfill its mission. The EPA must adapt to climate 

change if it is to continue fulfilling its statutory, regulatory and programmatic requirements. The 

Agency is therefore anticipating and planning for future changes in climate to ensure it 

continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the 

climate changes. 

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

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

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

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

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

mainstreaming climate adaptation within EPA complements efforts to encourage and 

mainstream adaptation planning across the entire federal government.

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

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

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

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

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

compatible with its goals and objectives.

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

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

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

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

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

integrate climate adaptation into their work.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Criteria for the selection of priorities are discussed. An emphasis is placed on protecting the 

most vulnerable people and places, on supporting the development of adaptive capacity in the 

tribes, and on identifying clear steps for ongoing collaboration with tribal governments.
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Because EPA’s Programs and Regions and partners will be learning by experience as they 

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

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

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

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

necessary.

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

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

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

nation that is resilient to a changing climate.

Bob Perciasepe

Deputy Administrator

September 2013
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Contributors

This document was produced by select members of the Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change 

Work Group. Contributors include:

James R. Brown, National Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup Member and Co-author

Jim Yarbrough, National Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup Alternate Member and Co-author

Barbara Keeler, National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup Member, Editor, and Contributor

Rob Lawrence, EPA Region 6 Energy Advisor and Contributor

William Rhea, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Brian Graves, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Joshua Olszewski, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Verne McFarland, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Casey Luckett , Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Randy Gee, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Mark Allen, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Jessica Hernandez, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Julie Alderete, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor

Kenneth McPherson, Region 6 Clean Energy and Climate Change Workgroup Member and Contributor
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Table of Contents

Introduction 8

Relationship to Sustainability 9

Part 1: Vulnerability Assessment 10

Part 2: Responding to Vulnerabilities: Priority Actions 20

Part 3: Measuring and Evaluating Performance 24

Part 4: Working with Tribes and Other Sensitive Populations 27

Part 5: Conclusions 30

Figures and Tables 31

References Cited 35

Appendix 37
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Introduction

The EPA Region 6 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan stems from the National 

Climate Adaptation Plan which was prepared by EPA to fulfill the requirements of Executive 

Order 13514, calling for all Federal Agencies to develop a plan on how they will address 

climate change adaptation. EPA’s draft Adaptation Plan was submitted to the White House 

Council on Environmental Quality in June of 2012, and has undergone a tribal consultation as 

well as a public review and comment period that ended April 9, 2012. EPA expects to publish 

the final Climate Adaptation Plan in 2013. While the Adaptation Plan was under development, 

EPA Administrator Jackson issued a Policy Statement on Climate Change in June 2011. The 

Policy Statement recognizes that climate change can pose significant challenges to EPA’s 

ability to fulfill its mission, and calls for the Agency to anticipate and plan for future changes in 

climate and incorporate considerations of climate change into its activities. The Policy 

Statement also directs all EPA Program and Regional Offices to develop Implementation Plans 

that provide more detail on how they will meet the priorities and carry out the work called for in 

the Agency’s Adaptation Plan.

Regional Implementation Plans explain how climate change considerations will be integrated 

and mainstreamed into programs, policies and operations to ensure they are effective under 

future climate conditions. Through the Implementation Plans, EPA will continue to protect 

human health and the environment while accounting for the effects of climate change. The 

EPA Region 6 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan discusses climate change 

vulnerabilities the Region will face in coming years, identifies priority actions the Region will

take in response to these vulnerabilities, outlines an approach for measuring and evaluating 

performance, and stresses the importance of working in partnership with stakeholders, states, 

tribes, and vulnerable communities and places to address the challenges posed by a changing 

climate. The Implementation Plan is a living document, and will certainly change as new 

information about the climate and ways to mitigate and adapt to it become available. As a 

result, periodic updates and changes to this Plan are expected. 
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Relationship to Sustainability

Many of the adaptations described in this Implementation Plan relate to sustainability. EPA’s 

efforts to address sustainability are described at: 

http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm#sustainability.

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and wellbeing depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability has 

emerged as a serious concern as a result of the unintended social, environmental, and 

economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth and consumption of our 

natural resources. Climate change impacts can affect the natural environment and even our 

survival and well being. Adaptation will be needed to maintain the delicate balance among a 

healthy environment, societal well-being, and a strong economy. 

In the context of this Implementation Plan, sustainability also refers to the momentum and 

persistence of Region 6 efforts to champion certain approaches or changes in behavior that 

promote adaptation to a changing climate. Should EPA’s involvement at some point become 

more limited or need to be redirected, Region 6 wants to ensure that the initiative will continue 

to grow without our presence.

In some cases, market forces will continue to push desired outcomes even without the 

Agency’s involvement. For example, in the drought stricken State of Texas, water conservation 

and efficiency campaigns through the WaterSense program have been launched by EPA to 

encourage changes in the way Texans use water in the industrial, agricultural, municipal and 

domestic sectors. As the demand for water continues to grow and supplies diminish, water will 

inevitably become more expensive and the free market economy will respond with a variety of 

water saving devices and products that were previously not widely available. This economic 

response would likely occur with or without government sponsored water conservation 

campaigns. Moreover, local watering restrictions and state permitting procedures would 

enforce water use restrictions beyond involvement by the Federal government. Thus, 

sustainability in water conservation and efficiency would be achieved by market forces, even 

though an early catalyst to use water more efficiently was created by government. In other 

cases where market forces provide less motivation to change, EPA’s partnerships with 

organizations aligned with our environmental and public health protection goals will be needed 

to continue promoting climate adaptation initiatives.

The federal government has an important and unique role in climate change adaptation, but is 

only one part of a broader effort that must include public and private partners throughout the 

country and internationally. Partnerships with local communities, tribes, states, other 

governments, businesses, and international organizations, many of which have already begun 

to implement adaptation measures, are essential. EPA’s leadership and commitment to help 

build the nation’s adaptive capacity are vital to the goal of protecting human health and the 

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

prosperous nation that is resilient to a changing climate.
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Part 1: Vulnerability Assessment

1.1 Geographic Setting

Region 6 straddles three different climate regions identified by the U.S. Global Change 

Research Program: the Southeast, Great Plains, and Southwest. The majority of Region 6 lies 

in the Great Plains Climate Region.

The Great Plains Climate Region extends from the Dakotas and eastern half of Montana in the 

north to Texas in the south. On the west, it is bounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Basin 

and Range geographic provinces, and the central lowlands and coastal plain provinces to the 

east and to the south. Parts of ten states in three EPA Regions (6, 7, and 8) are located in this 

vast grassland prairie, which nevertheless includes several very large and rapidly growing 

urban areas. Key issues for Region 6 relate to general population growth; loss of snowpack;

declining surface and groundwater quality and quantity; and competition for water among the 

energy, industrial, agricultural and public water supply sectors.

South Louisiana and coastal Texas belong to the Southeast Climate Region, which extends 

from Virginia to the Texas border with Mexico. It includes the South Atlantic Coast, the 

Piedmont Coastal Plain, the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the Gulf Coast and the 

southern Mississippi River watershed. All of EPA Region 4 and parts of Regions 3 and 6 are 

included. The area includes a wealth of ecological and economic resources, such as barrier 

islands, extensive estuaries, busy shipping ports, and important commercial and recreational 

fishing resources. Given the continuing population and business growth along the Gulf coast, 

major environmental issues relate to decreased water supply and increased flooding; sea level 

rise and intense tropical storms compounded by land subsidence; and heat-related stress on 

aquatic ecosystems and human health.

The Southwest Climate Region covers portions of EPA Regions 6, 8, and 9 and includes 

California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and the westernmost portions of Colorado and 

Texas. Much of the region is characterized as arid with relatively high air temperatures. Parts 

of the area are influenced by several mountain ranges, where water is stored as snowpack 

during the winter and released to streams in the spring and early summer, helping to meet 

increasing water demands. The lack of precipitation as rainfall, decreasing snowpack and the 

prospect of increasingly severe droughts are significant concerns, especially because the 

Southwest continues to lead the nation in population growth. 

As a result of this geographic and climate diversity, Region 6 will face many different types of 

climate change impacts, including increases in air and water temperatures, drought, increased 

flooding, increased frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events, loss of habitat and 

reduced ecosystem functions, and a general deterioration of water quality. The southeastern 

part of Region 6 will face continuing problems of sea level rise and coastal land loss, while the 

western section of Region 6 will likely experience reduced snowpack and associated impacts 

to natural water storage and discharge in the mountains of New Mexico. These impacts are 

expected to be compounded by population growth and competing demands for fresh water 

among the industrial, agricultural, energy and municipal sectors throughout Region 6. 
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1.2 Adaptation Planning

The term “adaptation” relates, in this context, to changes in natural ecosystems that are 

induced by climate change or to adjustments we make to expected changes in climate. Such

adjustments can be defensive in nature (e.g., infrastructure changes to protect against

negative cultural impacts of climate change) or opportunistic (e.g., expanding agriculture in 

areas that have become more climatically amenable).

Historically, humans have adapted to environmental and climate changes by growing different 

crops, modifying shelter types, and moving to new areas (Adger et al., 2007). However, with 

the current pressures of climate change on expanding populations, it will be increasingly 

difficult for societies to adapt. With increasing interdependence, impacts on one population or 

economy can have world-wide repercussions (USGCRP, 2009; U.S. EPA, 2012a).

In response to this challenge, an Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force has 

been created and is co-chaired by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), 

the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. There are also representatives from over 20 federal agencies on 

this Task Force. The objective is to develop recommendations to the President about what 

federal government can do to better prepare for climate change impacts. One of the first steps 

is for each agency to integrate climate change adaptation into their planning, operations, and 

policies and to develop a climate change adaptation plan (U.S. EPA, 2012b).

EPA issued a climate change adaptation policy statement in June 2011 (U.S. EPA, 2011) and 

a year later completed an agency-wide Climate Adaptation Plan. The policy statement requires

every program and each regional office to develop an Implementation Plan outlining the 

projected impacts of climate change on its operations and programs, as we well as carrying

out the work called for in the Agency-wide Plan.

In response, Region 6 coordinated among all its Divisions and with its standing Clean EnergyClimate Change (CECC) Workgroup. In 2008, the CECC Workgroup produced a strategic plan

for Regional climate change priorities, which served as a starting point for the Implementation 

Plan. The EPA Office of Water’s “National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate 

Change” proved to be another valuable resource. The Region also gleaned insights by 

coordinating in 2011 and 2012 with state, tribal, and local governments in the south-central 

U.S. The challenges expressed by these governments assisted our efforts to clarify potential 

vulnerabilities. 

Region 6 concluded that our main vulnerabilities involve emergency response challenges, 

contaminated site cleanups (CERCLA, RCRA, Brownfields, LUST), water quantity and quality 

issues, worsening air quality, the consequents of enhanced use of pesticides and herbicides, 

increased requests for assistance from vulnerable populations and tribes, and supporting the 

continuity of Region 6 internal information technology operations by providing consistent 

electrical power and water to Regional facilities.

Although this document speaks specifically to climate change adaptation, the Region has a 

host of additional climate change efforts that fall under the separate category of climate 

change mitigation. As a review, climate change adaptation relates to adjusting to a changing 

environment while climate change mitigation refers to reducing the human influences on the 

climate system. Examples of climate change mitigation would include strategies to reduce 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing the capacity of carbon sinks. By contrast, an 
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adaptation measure might be to move coastal infrastructure further from the coast in response 

to the effects of relative sea level rise.

Region 6 has a strong and ongoing climate change mitigation program including a greenhouse 

gas reduction initiative, technical programs to enhance geosequestration capacity, and efforts 

to promote energy efficiency used for irrigation and water utilities. However, this 

implementation plan speaks specifically to adaptation actions. Future revisions to this 

Implementation Plan may include mitigation activities.

1.3 Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts

Generally, climate scientists predict that mean temperatures in the five states of Region 6 will 

rise significantly in the 21st century. This will be seen as higher mean low temperatures in the 

winters. In summers, greater frequencies of heat waves are expected, with elevated high and 

low temperatures. 

While projections differ, lower annual precipitation in the central and western parts of the 

Region is expected, while precipitation may increase in the eastern parts of the Region. Much 

of the southern plains and New Mexico currently experience modest to little precipitation, but it 

comes with a high degree of inter-annual variability. There are indications that “extreme 

precipitation events” will constitute a larger percentage of the total, thus prompting greater 

flooding. Seasonal shifts are likely to affect snow packs in the mountains of New Mexico, 

where runoff is expected earlier in the spring and summer, with attendant decreases in runoff 

in the warmer months. Droughts are expected to become more frequent and larger in spatial 

extent and thus more damaging. Drought conditions leading to an increased frequency and 

spatial extent of wildfires are likely. 

Climate change may also play a role in the seasonal effects of hurricanes along the Gulf coast. 

Hurricanes and tropical storms of increased intensity could further imperil populations, 

industry, land, and wildlife in Louisiana and Texas. Coastal land loss and relative sea-level rise 

are ongoing challenges in Louisiana and Texas, where some of the highest existing rates of 

wetland loss occur. Climate change projections indicate that Gulf coastal ecosystems and 

communities will face increasing risks. Two of the largest population centers in the Region, the 

Houston-Galveston and the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corridors, have been subject to major 

hurricane and tropical storm damage in the past and are of particular concern, though 

vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure occur throughout the Gulf coastal zone. 

These expected changes in temperature, precipitation, and seasonality are anticipated to 

significantly impact municipal water availability, agricultural practices, ecosystem functions, 

types and extent of habitat coverage, occurrence of pest problems, human health, population 

displacement, coastal infrastructure security, coastal land loss, and air quality in the Region.

Complicating this overall picture of warming is a continuing, underlying variability in weather 

systems which may temporarily modify these overall trends and subject the Region to greater 

weather variability (Christensen et al., 2007; U.S. EPA, 2012c; Nielsen-Gammon, 2009; Deser 

et al., 2012; Longergan, 1998; Hanes et al., 2000; Martens et al., 1997).

In order to evaluate fully the vulnerabilities these changing conditions pose to the Region, a full 

assessment was made of the Regional responsibilities by programmatic Divisions. A Regional 

organizational chart is included for reference as Figure 1, and a summary of the results is 
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provided in Table 1. Overall, many of the projections for climate change impacts and 

environmental consequences were found to be consistent with findings from the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (Field et al., 2007).

1.4 Region 6 Program Impacts

1.4.1 Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division

1.4.1.1 Air Quality

Currently there are three metropolitan areas that fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality 

Standard (NAAQS) for ozone in Region 6. However, up to 18 other areas in Region 6 have 

recently monitored concentrations exceeding the new NAAQA standard of 75 parts per billion 

and may ultimately become “nonattainment” areas. With expected higher temperatures likely to 

enhance the photochemical process for ozone production, it is to be expected that more 

stringent emissions controls will have to be implemented so that attainment with the NAAQS is 

achieved in these areas. Exacerbating the health impacts from ozone pollution on urban 

populations will likely be higher nighttime temperatures expected in urban areas, both as a 

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

This is apparently particularly evident in sprawling urban centers, which are common in Region 

6 (Stone et al., 2010).

A related complication for ozone pollution is an anticipated increase in electricity demand due 

to higher temperatures in the summer, along with the associated nitrogen oxides (NOx) 

emissions from power plants. This assumes that new power generation will remain largely 

fossil-fueled in nature. A further, related complication is the availability of water for power plant 

cooling purposes. Without sufficient quantities of water that is cool enough, interruptions in 

service or even shutdowns could occur at these power plants, as happened during the summer 

of 2011 in Texas (Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), 2011).

Further, other air pollutants, such as particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, may become 

problematic in Region 6, particularly if many additional fossil-fueled power plants are built to 

meet an accelerating electricity demand. More NOx emissions may be a consequence of

additional natural gas exploration and production activities resulting from increased electricity 

demand. These may also negatively impact progress in attaining the goals of the Regional 

Haze Program in Class I National Park and Wilderness Areas. Increased frequency and spatial 

extent of wildfires due to enhanced droughts may significantly increase particulate matter 

loadings in the atmosphere (U.S. EPA, 2009).

Reflecting a national issue, Region 6 air permitting and air quality implementation plan 

development may prove to be flawed because of the Agency’s conventional reliance on 

historic meteorological data sets for dispersion modeling. With air quality plans sometimes 

stretching for decades, climate change can manifest itself in future temperatures and wind 

directions/speeds that an historic meteorological data set cannot accurately simulate. 

GHG emissions from power plants and industrial sources in Region 6 contribute to elevated 

atmospheric concentrations of GHG pollutants, which endanger both public health and welfare. 

EPA has made a decision that new major stationary sources and major modifications at 

existing stationary sources are required by the Clean Air Act to obtain a GHG air quality permit 

before commencing operations.
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EPA Region 6 is currently the GHG Permitting authority for GHG Prevention of Significant 

Deterioration (PSD) in Texas and is implementing this permitting program in Texas under a 

Federal Implementation Plan. The other Region 6 states are implementing their own GHG 

PSD permitting programs through their EPA approved regulations. With an expectation of 

increased industrial activity in Region 6 states, EPA-Region 6 will continue to perform direct 

permit development or permit development oversight in those states.

Best Available Control Technology (BACT) determinations for GHGs currently consider options 

that improve the overall energy efficiency of new stationary sources or existing sources 

undergoing a major modification. These BACT determinations and overall permitting 

involvement may well become more detailed and comprehensive in the future as Agency 

policy may evolve in response to climate change impacts. For example, Region 6 may

evaluate how carbon capture sequestration meets the criteria for BACT, but we would also 

evaluate the potential impacts that such technology will have on increasing GHG and nonGHG emissions from an individual permit basis. In that way, we would ensure that sources are 

constructed and operated in a manner consistent with achieving the energy efficiency 

limitations established as BACT.

1.4.1.2 Pesticides

Local, regional, and global climate changes that result in an increase and duration of mean 

and extreme temperature, and the reduced average rain fall in combination with extreme 

precipitation events and floods, are predicted to result in the increased use of pesticides by 

volume, target site, and type.

The region is likely to experience increased incidence of existing pests, exotic invasive 

species, and the rise of new endemic pests. The reduced availability of land for agricultural 

use, decrease in favorable growing seasons, and increased demand on commodities will have 

a significant impact on crops. The risk of vector-borne diseases that affect public health and 

agriculture will likely increase dramatically. This is not only due a predicted increase in 

abundance of endemic and invasive pest species, but also changes to migration patterns of 

vertebrate hosts, human introduction, and temperature conditions that promote pathogen 

amplification.

As a consequence of the impacts that pests and pest-borne diseases will have on crops and 

humans, it is expected that the quantity, formulations, and classification of pesticides will

change in order to combat these pests. It is reasonable to expect that this increase in pesticide 

use will generate additional risk to workers, specifically those in agriculture. The use of new 

and/or unfamiliar pesticides for new or invasive species will pose challenges in communicating 

the implications to workers. Issues will include exposure, reentry requirements, health, and 

personal protective equipment requirements. With an increase in extreme rainfall events and 

floods, increased pesticide run-off and contamination of both surface and ground water may 

occur. Such events could reasonably be expected to have significant implications for surface 

and groundwater quality throughout the Region.

1.4.1.3 Waste Site Management

Flooding from more intense and/or frequent storms may lead to contaminant releases from 

Corrective Action waste management sites. Inundation and flooding may lead to transport of 

contaminants through surface soils, ground water, surface waters and/or coastal waters. 

Saltwater intrusion and increased ground water salinity in coastal aquifers may also increase 
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the permeability of clay liners installed at waste sites, such as landfills, allowing contaminants 

to spread to nearby properties. These contaminant releases may pose an increased risk of 

adverse health and environmental impacts.

Additionally, increased incidents of flooding may disrupt existing hazardous waste 

management networks. Inundation from relative sea level rise or severe storms may disrupt 

the transportation system in place to handle hazardous waste or may damage treatment,

storage or disposal facility infrastructure. A major storm event may increase the amount of 

hazardous waste generated, as well as, lead to the release of hazardous materials. Smaller 

entities that use and store hazardous materials may lack resources for emergency planning, 

which may increase the risk of abandoned hazardous materials during a flooding or storm 

event. 

Changes in precipitation patterns and temperature may adversely affect the performance/ 

efficacy of remedies, and cleanup timing and duration. To the extent that climate change leads 

to more prolonged droughts, water intensive remedies may become limited and the risk of 

wildfires spreading to contaminated sites may increase (e.g., Los Alamos National Lab). 

Changes in precipitation may affect the rate at which vegetation grows, impacting landfill 

covers, phytoremediation, ecological revitalization efforts, and remedies relying on biological 

processes (e.g., land farming and enhanced monitored natural attenuation). The impacts may 

be positive or negative, depending on conditions at each site. Groundwater characteristics 

(i.e., depth, flow, chemistry) may also be altered, resulting in potential adverse impacts on the 

performance and cost of remediation. To the extent that temperatures increase with climate 

change, contaminants at cleanup sites may become more volatile, increasing risks for local 

populations. 

1.4.2 Water Quality Protection Division

Numerous environmental complications from expected climate change in Region 6 center 

around the complex and interrelated issues of drought and inundation. General population 

growth and shifts in population from the Region’s rural areas to urban centers will continue to 

create demands for water storage to maintain sustainable water supplies and increase 

competition among water users (e.g., energy, industrial, agricultural and municipal uses). 

Decreased water availability due to increased temperature, increased evaporation, and longer 

periods of time between rainfall events, coupled with an increase in societal demand, is very 

likely to affect many sectors of the Region’s economy. More frequent and more intense 

droughts could adversely impact agriculture, silvaculture, energy production and a myriad of 

other industries and economic sectors.

Declines in soil moisture are expected to increase the magnitude and frequency of wildfires, 

which have increased over the last 30 years, and to impact severely water quality in streams, 

creeks, rivers, lakes. Reduced groundwater supply due to a lack of recharge will also be a

concern. Declining surface and groundwater quantity and quality, coupled with more frequent 

and severe droughts, will continue to exacerbate water shortages in the Region.

Loss of snowpack in the western portion of the Region will further impact water use, storage, 

and irrigation practices. Warmer temperatures will reduce mountain snow packs and peak 

spring runoff from snow melt will shift to earlier in the season, increasing the shortage of fresh 

water during the summer. A longer and hotter warm season will likely result in longer periods 

of extremely low flow and lower minimum flows in late summer. Water supply systems that 
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have no storage or limited storage (e.g., small municipal reservoirs) may suffer seasonal 

shortages in summer and ecosystems and wildlife may be stressed. This must also be taken 

into consideration as infrastructure is added.

Increased frequency and altered timing of flooding will increase risks to people, ecosystems, 

and infrastructure. Increased flooding could occur as a result of an increased percentage of 

winter precipitation falling as rain. Water quality impacts will be amplified both by increases in 

precipitation intensity and by longer periods of low flow in streams. Increased nonpoint source 

pollution (e.g., sediments, phosphorus, and nitrogen) is to be expected as a result of increased 

periods of intense rainfall. This could result in changes to natural stream morphology and could 

negatively impact the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.

As relative sea levels rise and rainfall patterns change, the physical and chemical structure of 

estuaries, coastal wetlands, and tidal rivers are likely to become more variable and potentially 

less sustainable. Some of the fastest rates of relative sea level rise in the U.S. are occurring in 

areas where the land is subsiding, including parts of the Gulf coast. For example, in coastal 

Louisiana, relative sea level rise was about eight inches or more during the last 50 years, 

which is slightly faster than twice the global rate. Much of New Orleans sits below the mean 

local sea level and the State’s only inhabited barrier island, Grand Isle, is reporting one of the 

highest sea level rise rates in the world. Projections are that an additional 1,750 square miles 

of Louisiana’s coastal zone will be inundated in the next 50 years (CPRA, 2012). As the 

ecological risks grow so do the financial costs of maintaining and restoring coastal 

ecosystems. The challenge will be to leverage financial and technical resources with those 

from outside the agency in order to focus more on landscape scale coastal restoration 

projects, rather than on small projects yielding more limited results. 

Relative sea levels will vary along the Gulf coast and will contribute to changing barrier island 

configurations and coastal shorelines. Wetlands will be drowned or eroded and low-lying 

areas, including some populated areas, will be inundated more frequently or permanently. 

Salinities will increase in the estuaries and aquifers. Hurricanes often have their greatest 

impact at the coastal margin where they make landfall, intensifying beach erosion, inland 

flooding, and wind-related damage to both cultural and natural resources. Increasing relative 

sea level rise combined with the damaging effects of more intense storm surges and 

hurricanes are expected to pose severe and growing risks to people, personal property, and 

public infrastructure along the coast, including to wastewater treatment facilities and drinking 

water systems.

The Water Quality Protection Division will continue to heighten the focus on sustainable 

infrastructure issues from both the emergency response perspective and from the perspective 

of long-term strategic planning.

1.4.3 Management Division

Region 6 has its main facilities in three different Texas cities. The main Regional office is in 

downtown Dallas, the Regional laboratory is in Houston, and the U.S.- Mexico Border Office is 

in El Paso. Additionally, a Training and Conference Center is located in Addison, a suburb of 

Dallas. 

In addition to fulfilling Executive Order commitments to reduce energy use, conserve water, 

reduce waste, and expand recycling, the Region will likely face acute power and water 
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challenges in these locations. This is a consequence of being in an area of rapid population 

growth that is expected to experience significant warming and less reliable precipitation. 

Therefore, all these facilities could suffer from decreasing reliability of electrical power and 

water availability. For example, load-shedding occurred in the Texas electrical grid, ERCOT, in

February 2011, with Electricity Emergency Alerts in summer 2011. In addition to employee 

discomfort from such a situation, without reliable power and water, information technology 

equipment may be compromised. Whether enhancing employee telework would be an 

effective response to these challenges is unclear.

1.4.4 Superfund Division

1.4.4.1 Emergency Response

Region 6 Emergency Response personnel are very familiar with the challenges of responding 

to emergencies and natural disasters, having worked for months in several different hurricane 

response activities, including that for Katrina in 2005. With hurricanes affecting the Gulf of 

Mexico coast perhaps being more powerful, coupled with an expected increase in extreme 

precipitation events, Emergency Response in Region 6 will be further challenged. Although the 

Region maintains a volunteer, basically trained “Regional Support Corps” to assist emergency 

response activities in an extreme short-term need, it is likely there will be shortages of 

specialized Emergency Response personnel to respond to these kinds of events in the future. 

This is particularly true of major events that may require many weeks or months of follow-up 

cleanup activities. Further, if the strength of future hurricanes and extreme precipitation events

is as predicted, Emergency Response personnel may be confronted with a whole new set of 

challenges such as massive storm surges, larger and more widespread flash floods, and longlived breakdowns in electricity grids and water and sewer systems.

1.4.4.2 Superfund Sites

A number of Superfund sites are located in vulnerable areas of Region 6, particularly the Gulf 

Coast regions of Texas and Louisiana. Rising coastal waters and massive storm surges could 

potentially flood sites where waste has been capped and left in place. Although most caps and 

barriers at Superfund sites are engineered to contain waste for many years, the possibility of 

long term and extensive flooding, even permanent submersion, could affect the integrity of 

engineered remedies at many sites where waste has been consolidated and remains in place. 

Additionally, there are active Superfund cleanups expected to be ongoing for many years to 

come in the vulnerable Gulf Coast areas that will likely be impacted by energy shortages, 

flooding, storm surges, water shortages and other expected climate change impacts. For 

example, domestic or public water supplies could be affected in areas where Gulf Coast 

Superfund sites are utilizing energy intensive pump and treat methods to remedy groundwater 

contamination in aquifers used to supply drinking water. Or, as discussed above, EPA’s 

common practice of consolidating waste and leaving it in place in landfills or under engineered 

caps may no longer be protective of human health and the environment if climate changes 

result in frequent, massive flooding in the Gulf Coast areas. 

1.4.4.3 Brownfields Sites

Brownfield sites in Region 6 exist in many different forms. Brownfield sites can vary from an 

old abandoned gas station or movie theater to an illegal dump site or old airport. Some of 

these sites are relatively small while others may cover many acres. It is the goal of the 
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Brownfields program in Region 6 to encourage state, tribal, or local entities that are 

redeveloping old Brownfield sites to consider green technologies and sustainable practices 

that reduce energy use. In urban areas, the Region encourages development that reduces 

GHG effects and minimizes the urban footprint. Some of the Region 6 Brownfield sites have 

been returned to parks and to new construction that utilizes practices resulting in Leadership in 

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. These sustainable practices will 

continue to be important in the Region 6 Brownfield program and as a means of contributing to 

climate change adaptation.

1.4.5 Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs

The Region 6 Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs (OEJTA) oversees affirmative 

federal environmental protection programs for vulnerable communities and 66 tribal lands in 

Region 6. These represent populations that may be at greatest risk as climate change occurs 

in the future. Many lower-income minority areas are ones characterized by substandard 

infrastructure which may be the first to fail during times of high temperatures, drought or 

extreme precipitation events, for example. Older residents of urban areas may be particularly 

vulnerable to synergistic health impacts due to elevated nighttime temperatures which are 

expected as the climate changes. Tribes may be particularly affected by heat waves and 

drought conditions, as many are dependent upon natural resources on their tribal lands. 

OEJTA will be challenged to understand fully the differential impacts on these various 

communities, to educate themselves about how EPA may be able to assist these populations 

to protect human and environmental health, and to conduct effective outreach to these 

vulnerable populations.

As more of the Region’s tribal partners begin to develop their own climate change adaptation 

plans, OEJTA will need assistance from Regional staff to help with these efforts. OEJTA 

should see an increase in this effort and the current draft Indian General Assistance Program 

guidance mentions this work as an eligible activity. This increase may occur as soon as 2013.

Demands for funding to address climate change can be expected to increase and, therefore,

there will be a greater need for grant funding from the Region 6 Management Division and 

OEJTA's EJ Small Grant program.

1.4.6 Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Division

Regional compliance and enforcement activities may be complicated by shifting priorities 

influenced by climate change. These could include a surge in violations of water-related 

regulations that may occur as a result of excessive precipitation events and floods. Air-related 

regulations could be more frequently violated because of stress on regional electricity grids.

With electricity demand increasing, problematic financing for new electricity generating units,

and long-term fuel trends complicating decision-making, construction of new power plants may 

not keep pace. Ensuring grid integrity may portend increasing difficulty meeting air emissions 

limits. These same factors can also influence success in meeting water quality effluent limits. 

Regular assessment of such trends will be necessary to ensure Regional compliance and 

enforcement resources are appropriately tailored to meet future challenges.
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1.4.7 Office of Regional Counsel

The Region’s broad mandates to protect human health and the environment afford a reservoir 

of legal authority to support adaptation work. However, specific legal questions that may arise 

in the course of adaptation programming cannot be answered in the abstract. As part of a 

federal agency, EPA Region 6 derives its authority to act from the U.S. Constitution and the 

laws passed by Congress. Because the legality of its actions is such a high priority for EPA,

program managers and staff will consult with the appropriate attorneys in the Office of General 

Counsel (OGC), Offices of Regional Counsel (ORC), and the Office of Enforcement and 

Compliance Assurance (OECA) as they conduct their adaptation work. 

The variation among the statutes our Region administers, as well as the regulatory programs 

EPA designs, implements, and enforces under those laws will require special attention and 

legal analysis on a case by case basis. The evolving scientific understanding of climate 

change impacts and the sensitivity of EPA programs to those impacts will also necessitate 

case specific analysis. The relative weight climate change considerations should be given in 

evaluating options for EPA action will depend on many factors including, but not limited to, the 

time and geographic scale of the relevant climate impacts compared to the temporal and 

spatial scale of the proposed EPA action; the scientific understanding of the climate impacts; 

and the environmental and economic consequences estimated to result from the proposed 

climate change adaptation measures. Considerations such as these are by definition casespecific. As such, Regional program managers and staff will consult with this Region’s ORC 

branch for special analysis and legal application as discrete issues develop. 

1.4.8 Cross Program Impacts

Cross-Divisional and interoffice communications and partnerships are essential methods for 

Region 6 to understand better its climate change adaptation vulnerabilities and to make plans

to address these. The following is an illustrative, but certainly not exhaustive, list of these:

1.4.8.1 Communications — In light of a changing climate, Region 6 will need to 

maintain strong EPA headquarters and Regional communications, as well as with states and 

tribes. We will also need to continue Regional training related to climate change (Regional 

Science Council and Clean Energy-Climate Change Workgroup), as well as outreach initiatives 

(WaterSense, meetings with elected officials, presentations to citizen groups) and conferences 

(Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4), Low Impact Development (LID), Green 

Infrastructure (GI), Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency Conference, and the Texas Combined 

Heat and Power Conference).

1.4.8.2 Partnerships — To leverage resources, involvement and cultivate a synergistic 

response from vested stakeholders, Region 6 will continue and expand partnerships with 

public, non-governmental organizations, and private sector organizations, such as Councils of 

Governments and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (e.g., NCTCOG), North Texas

Sustainable Materials Forum, Texas Association of Builders, Texas AgriLife, DFW International 

Airport, Region 6 Tribes and vulnerable communities, sporting organizations (Greening Sports 

Initiative), the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, Texas Public Utilities Commission, 

Arkansas Public Service Commission, and the Southwest Power Pool. Climate change 

adaptation will not be inclusive, integrated or effective unless these key relationships are 

developed, fostered, and mobilized into action through active EPA leadership. 
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1.5 Summary of Vulnerabilities

Region 6 faces many serious vulnerabilities in successfully fulfilling its mission as the climate 

changes. As an area of rapid population growth but one subject to major future temperature 

and precipitation changes, increasing numbers of people will be impacted by increased 

environmental pressures due to climate change. It is our goal to anticipate fully and 

understand the nature of such pressures in order to achieve our mission to protect human 

health and the environment in the Region. This vulnerability assessment reveals the current 

state of knowledge but will necessarily change as additional information is received and new 

scientific and technical knowledge is gained. Thus, the vulnerabilities outlined herein are 

expected to take on new characteristics and to continue to pose challenges over time.

Part 2: Responding to Vulnerabilities—Priority Actions

2.1 Overview

From an Agency-wide perspective, ten separate priorities have been identified to respond to 

the climate change adaptation challenge:

(1) Fulfill strategic measures in FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan by such actions as 

integrating climate change trends and scenarios into five rule-making processes, five 

major financial mechanisms, and five major scientific models and/or decision support 

tools;

(2) Protect Agency facilities and operations;

(3) Factor legal considerations into adaptation efforts;

(4) Strengthen adaptive capacity of EPA staff and partners through training;

(5) Develop decision-support tools that enable EPA staff and partners to integrate 

climate adaptation planning into their work;

(6) Identify cross-EPA science needs related to climate adaptation;

(7) Partner with tribes to increase adaptive capacity;

(8) Focus on most vulnerable people and places;

(9) Measure and evaluate performance; and

10) Develop Program and Regional Office Implementation Plans.

From the Region 6 perspective, we believe items 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are the most relevant 

and lend themselves to direct Regional action. The other priorities are more properly 

addressed at the EPA headquarters program office level. The Region will defer to 

headquarters in those areas and will respond when guidance is issued.

To further clarify the Regional roles, EPA’s Office of Policy identified several common areas of 

focus for the Regions:

(a) Vulnerability assessments;
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(b) Priority actions on climate adaptation;

(c) Agency-wide strategic measures on climate adaptation;

(d) Legal and enforcement issues;

(e) Training and outreach;

(f) Partnerships with tribes;

(g) Vulnerable populations and places; and

(h) Evaluation and cross-office pilot projects.

As a precursor to completing this priority actions section of the Regional Implementation Plan, 

Region 6 completed a vulnerability assessment which broadly covers the major climate 

change-induced conditions to which the Region is expected to be susceptible. 

2.2 Selection Criteria

The criteria for selecting priority actions comprised two categories. First, the major Regional 

vulnerabilities identified above provided the substance from which priority actions were 

derived. Second, agency priorities numbered 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 informed the process by 

which the Region proposed to deal with these priority actions.

2.3 Impacts and Actions

Priority actions relating to the Regional vulnerabilities are summarized in Table 1 and the 

discussion below provides more detail. 

In order to most effectively adapt our ways of conducting business to the realities of climate 

change, the Region proposes a process that relies on training, some infrastructure 

enhancements, and constant monitoring and evaluation of indicators that signal climate 

change in the Region. This approach lends itself to more quickly responding to the effects of 

climate change than by prescribing many specific actions now which may be deemed 

ineffective and inappropriate in short order. The discussion below reflects this philosophy. 

Nonetheless, Table 2 presents specific programs the Region anticipates continuing to 

emphasize in order to minimize the effects of climate change on Regional operations.

2.4 Priority Actions

2.4.1 Higher mean temperatures, with more frequent and intense summer heat waves

The priority action in response to this anticipated impact would involve expanded training for

Regional staff in the air program, pesticides program, environmental justice program, and in 

the Management Division. This training would emphasize the scientific basis and engineering 

implications of climate change for human health, the efficiencies and risks in employing new 

and/or alternate doses of existing pesticides, and safeguarding vulnerable urban populations. 

This latter concern may influence debate and decision-making about the robustness of ozone 

mitigation strategies in the Region. Also, Regional air program staff should understand the 

increasing role of energy production emissions in air quality implementation strategies. 

Management Division staff are likely to benefit from training that imparts better understanding 

of energy vulnerabilities and needs for Regional facilities.
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Together with existing Executive Orders 13514 and 13423 and the expiration of the lease on 

the main Region 6 offices in Downtown Dallas in 2017, the Management Division may want to 

consider options with the General Services Administration for a facility that makes broad use of 

distributed generation energy such as solar, wind, and fuel cells, as well as highly energy

efficient technologies such as ground-source heat pumps. This emphasis would greatly reduce 

the vulnerability of the Region to an increasingly stressed electricity grid and would significantly 

reduce the Regional office’s carbon emissions.

2.4.2 More frequent and intense droughts in central and western areas of Region 6

The use of existing programs and tools will be expanded to accomplish priority goals in this 

arena. Priority actions will include: evaluating the possibilities for enhancing water conservation 

in new Regional Office space; building upon the existing Region 6 web page devoted to the 

topic of drought; promoting and expanding the use of tools such as Climate Ready Utilities and 

programs such as Water Sense, Sustainable Communities, Green Infrastructure, and Healthy 

Watersheds; leveraging and assisting states in using existing funding vehicles to support green 

infrastructure, such as SRF, Green Project Reserve, and Clean Water Act Section 319 grants.

Expanded training for Water Quality Protection Division and Environmental Justice-Tribal 

Affairs staff would focus on the increased pressures on agriculture, urban and rural residents, 

and the power generation industry. While this would focus on water availability, increased 

water quality concerns would also be part of this training, which would seek alternative ways to 

conserve, reuse, and process water. Management Division staff would receive training in 

implications for Regional facilities from increased droughts and water availability. In 

conjunction with Executive Orders 13514 and 13423, Management Division staff may consider 

enhanced water conservation measures. Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division staff 

should receive training to educate them about the role of intense and more frequent droughts 

and increased wildfires on regulatory programs such as the Regional Haze Program and 

achieving the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

2.4.3 Increase in extreme precipitation events

Given the intensive efforts in responding to hurricanes such as Katrina in 2005, the Region is 

very aware of the magnitude of labor and resources required to respond to major natural 

disasters. Because a climate change-forced future is likely to encourage stronger and perhaps 

more numerous hurricanes striking Louisiana and Texas, the Region’s Emergency Response 

Branch in the Superfund Division will probably be even more active in this arena. Training for 

these staff is necessary to prepare them for this likely increase in effort, emphasizing 

opportunities for even more efficient operations; this training may also reveal a need for 

additional personnel or contractor capability.

Beyond training, the recent events from Hurricane Sandy in the northeast U.S. reveal a critical 

need for sufficient, uninterruptible power supplies, particularly critical for emergency 

responders. In the future, with electricity grids perhaps chronically weakened and stressed by 

the long-term effects of climate change, the demands of natural disasters such as major 

hurricanes may be significantly more challenging and long-lasting to electricity generation and 

transmission infrastructure. The same kinds of pressures can result from increased nonhurricane flooding. Therefore, Region 6 believes its Emergency Response Branch should be 

equipped with distributed generation equipment to produce the electricity it will need to ensure 
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that power is supplied to field operations. Further analysis would be needed to determine the 

optimal mix of power modes (e.g., solar, wind, fuel cell, others). This infrastructure priority 

would require a dedicated budget commitment, one that would likely require negotiations 

between the Region and headquarters.

The Water Quality Protection Division and the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal

Affairs staffs would benefit from supplemental training, emphasizing the special anticipated 

needs for citizens increasingly impacted by flooding events, as well as temporary infrastructure 

dislocations (e.g., waste water treatment plans and water distribution systems). 

2.4.4 Seasonal weather shifts

Water quality and quantity issues will drive adaptations that Region 6 staff should anticipate 

and to which the Region will conform policies and procedures. Priorities will be placed on

working with state partners to explore existing infrastructure funding such as SRF to enhance 

resiliency, promoting watershed planning tools to address the loss of natural storage and to 

better absorb flashy runoff.

Promoting the use of EPA developed software tools among water utility groups such as 

Climate Ready Utilities software will enhance climate adaptation planning in this sector. 

Additionally, training of Regional Water Quality Protection Division and Multimedia Planning 

and Permitting Division staff members is a goal. Pesticides staff in the Multimedia Planning 

and Permitting Division should be trained to anticipate new and expanded pest and weed 

problems that will endanger public, agricultural, and natural flora and fauna health.

2.4.5 Increasing rates of relative sea level rise and continued coastal land loss

Sea level rise and coastal land loss have long been significant problems in Region 6. The 

Ecosystem Protection Branch will look for increased efficiencies in working with federal, state, 

and local partners with a goal of optimizing ongoing efforts to restore, protect, and enhance 

coastal habitats. The three Region 6 National Estuary Programs and the CWPPRA program 

will lead the charge and efforts will be made to improve the effectiveness of the limited 

resources available. Numerous other coastal protection programs will play a role and 

additional ways to better integrate them into other Regional programs will be evaluated.

Emerging priorities will involve providing technical and planning support for efforts such as the 

Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Council, the Gulf of 

Mexico Regional Planning Body as part of the National Ocean Council, and the Gulf of Mexico 

Alliance. Climate change adaptation goals will be addressed by establishing, refining, or 

expanding coastal restoration priorities.

Promoting the use of EPA developed software tools such as Climate Ready Estuaries software 

among key stakeholders who advocate for the protection and restoration of estuaries and 

similar coastal environments will enhance climate adaptation planning in coastal areas. 

Internally, training to better familiarize Region 6 staff with long-term implications of sea level 

rise on “core programs” could be accelerated. Staff of the Water Quality Protection Division, 

the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, and the Superfund Division would be the

main recipients of the training.
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2.4.6 Outreach, Partnerships, Communication, and Awareness

Beyond those actions described, the Region plans to enhance our outreach, partnership, and 

communication efforts. One of the top priorities would be to meet regularly with tribes, states, 

and other government entities about anticipated climate change impacts and adaptation 

challenges.

The Region has initiated this process by sponsoring specific climate change discussion 

sessions at the 2011 and 2012 Annual Tribal Environmental Summits, by convening the first 

Sustainable Practices Symposium for local elected officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 

August 2012 (including anticipated climate change impacts and adaptation options), and by 

hosting a climate change roundtable with agencies from Region 6 states in July 2008. The 

Region has sponsored numerous other specialized workshops.

In the future, the Region proposes to continue holding climate change sessions at the Annual 

Tribal Environmental Summits, sponsor climate change listening sessions at Regional Tribal 

Operation Committee meetings, speak to individual tribes about climate change, support 

sustainable practice/climate change workshops for local elected officials in the Region, and 

schedule at least annual meetings with critical agencies of governments in each Region 6 

state. The Region will also continue its actions to encourage climate change mitigation and 

adaptation through approximately 30 national and regionally-initiated partnership programs. 

Region 6 will also maintain close communications with state, local and tribal governments,

non-governmental organizations, colleges and universities, the private sector, other federal 

agencies, and other EPA offices in order to properly sense and assess indicators of climate 

change in the Region. This process will help inform the Region as to next specific steps to take 

in coping with climate change.

Part 3: Measuring and Evaluating Performance

An important facet of both the priority actions relating to Regional vulnerabilities and those 

involving outreach, partnerships, and communication will be performance measurement and 

evaluation. To this end the Region plans to develop a methodology to assess its effectiveness 

in accomplishing specific priority actions that grow from this Regional Implementation Plan.

3.1 Background

The EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan emphasizes the need for measuring and evaluating 

performance so that climate change adaptation is successfully integrated into the Agency’s 

operations. The agency-wide FY 2011-2015 Strategic Measures address this need by 

including three such metrics. These include measures to integrate climate change science into 

at least five rule-making processes; to integrate climate change adaptation impacts and 

measures into at least five major grants, loans, contracts or technical assistance programs; 

and to integrate such science into at least five major models and/or decision-support tools.

EPA understands the transition will be a gradual one as we strive to account for projected 

climate change impacts into day-to-day operations. As the national Climate Change Adaptation 

Plan states:
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EPA recognizes that the integration of climate adaptation planning into its 

programs, policies, rules, and operations will occur over time. This change will 

happen in stages and measures should reflect this evolution. The earliest 

changes in many programs will be changes in knowledge and awareness (e.g., 

increase in the awareness of EPA staff and their external partners of the 

relevance of adaptation planning to their programs). Building on this knowledge, 

they then will begin to change their behavior (e.g., increase their use of available 

decision support tools to integrate adaptation planning into their work). As 

programs mature, there will be evidence of more projects implemented as a

result of increased attention to climate-related programmatic issues. Finally, in 

the long-term, adaptation planning efforts will lead to changes in condition (e.g., 

percentage of flood-prone communities that have increased their resilience to 

storm events) to directly support EPA’s mission to protect human health and the 

environment (U.S. EPA, 2012d).

3.2 Approach to Measuring and Evaluating Performance

Region 6 employs several tracking mechanisms to measure and evaluate performance of 

internal operations and programmatic activities and outcomes during the year, many of which 

relate directly to climate change adaptation. Each year, the Region is active in setting 

commitments, monitoring progress and reporting results under the various National Program 

Managers (NPM) Guidance documents issued by EPA program offices. In addition, Region 6 

develops and reports semiannually on an Annual Plan designed to track additional measures 

either not covered or sufficiently emphasized in the NPM guidance. The Annual Plan 

showcases regional accomplishments in important program sectors and geographic and 

ecological regions that uniquely characterize the priorities and challenges faced by Region 6. 

The Region also tracks a variety of progress indicators under its Environmental Management 

System. As shown in Appendix A, Regional involvement in developing and reporting progress 

on climate adaptation and mitigation related initiatives is part of a cross division, multimedia 

reporting and tracking effort. Moreover, the Region recently began hosting what will become 

an annual “Earthapalooza” event which will serve as an Internal Educational Forum for Region 

6 Employees to better acquaint them on climate change and sustainability topics (also 

presented in Appendix A). Another tracking mechanism for measuring and evaluating climate 

adaptation related progress involves the Region’s Clean Energy and Climate Change (CECC) 

workgroup. Initially charged with developing a CECC strategic plan which was completed in 

2008, the workgroup reports annually on progress made in furthering the goals and objectives 

outlined in the strategy, many of which relate to climate adaptation efforts. Finally, the Water 

Quality Protection Division produces its own 5-year strategic plan to help guide priority-setting 

and resource allocation for unique Regional initiatives. While this Implementation Plan 

overlaps somewhat with annual reporting in the tracking mechanisms described above, it 

offers commentary on strategic partnerships the Division is building to leverage stakeholder 

involvement and to assist in achieving goals. Several initiatives discussed in the Division 

Strategic Plan such as the WaterSense program and coastal protection and restoration efforts 

relate specifically to climate adaptation activities being pursued by the Region.

The Region will continue to observe and evaluate our operations and the dynamic needs of our 

customers in the midst of a changing climate. This will be an adaptive process in order to 
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constantly identify any additional Regional priority actions that might be necessary. We will

engage in ongoing communications with state, local, and tribal governments; nongovernmental organizations; colleges and universities; the private sector; other federal 

agencies; and other EPA offices in order to properly sense and assess indicators of climate 

change in the Region. This process will help inform the Region as to next specific steps to take 

in coping with climate change. 

3.3 Measures

As Table 1 indicates, Region 6 priority adaptation actions in response to climate change 

constitute significant amounts of personnel training. Most Divisions will require such training 

first to evaluate the climate change impacts from the perspective of the various environmental 

programs and then to evaluate the means with which the Region can best address the 

impacts. Aside from program specific training, the Region will commit to holding at least one 

annual training event on climate adaptation such as the “Earthapalooza” event to ensure 

employees are aware of the issue and opportunities on how to integrate adaptation into their 

daily work.

As part of implementing this plan, Region 6 will also develop a specific list of needed 

programmatic training courses and a schedule for delivery. We will establish a roster of 

Regional personnel that should receive this training and develop a post-training assessment 

survey to determine the effectiveness of the training. Deficiencies in knowledge acquisition will 

be addressed through training revisions and/or course repetition. This training will be subject to 

the availability of sufficient resources.

Beyond the Region’s training efforts, several priority actions relate to the operation of Regional 

office space, as reflected in the Regional Environmental Management System. These include 

evaluating alternatives for electricity, energy efficiency, water, and distributed generation 

infrastructure. Currently, it is not possible to measure these parameters given the way our 

leased space meters electrical and water use. Should alternatives that would allow these 

metrics to be tracked become available in the future, the Region will track electricity, energy, 

and water use in its office and laboratory space, comparing these totals against those totals 

prior to such improvements. In the case of any future acquisition of distributed generation 

equipment for use in Regional Emergency Response actions, the Region will investigate the 

feasibility of tracking the specific activities that required such power use and the amount of 

power produced and used in the field. It will also assess the overall value in deploying these 

types of units. 

Additional programmatic metrics that will be tracked and reported on under this Implementation 

Plan include the following initiatives (with the project lead given in parentheses):

1. Expand Partnerships with stakeholders to leverage their support with climate change 

implementation efforts (6PD, 6SF, 6WQ);

2. Distribute Information on Availability of Assistance Agreements (e.g., grants) to 

stakeholders facilitate climate change adaptation planning and implementation (6WQ, 

6MD);

3. Provide technical assistance to tribes and environmental justice communities on the 

development of climate change implementation plans (6PD, 6WQ);
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4. Promote the use of tools such as Climate Ready Utilities and Climate Ready Estuaries 

among states, tribes and stakeholder groups (6WQ);

5. Promote energy efficiency at water utilities through a series of workshops, focusing on 

the US-Mexico Border area (6WQ);

6. Continue to require that 10% Regional Drinking Water and Clean Water State revolving 

fund programs support green projects (6WQ);

7. Meet with Tribal and Environmental Justice communities at least once a year to provide 

training on climate science and adaptation opportunities and practices (6PD, 6WQ);

8. Recruit 30 additional WaterSense partners each year as part of a Regional water 

efficiency and conservation campaign (6WQ);

9. Seek opportunities in permitting, compliance assistance and enforcement actions, 

remediation and site redevelopment options, as well as funding programs to further 

green infrastructure, low impact development, and other sustainable practices (Region 

6);

10.Participate in outreach and pilot projects with states, local governments, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector focused on implementation of lowimpact development (e.g., with the Texas Land-Water Sustainability Forum) (6PD);

11.Restore coastal habitat and reduce coastal land loss. Region 6 will work with a variety

of partners and through several programs to promote these efforts in Louisiana and 

Texas. Working through the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, the 

Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, and 

the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Program we will track 

and report on progress in terms of the number of acres restored, protected, or 

enhanced per year, with a current goal of at least 3,000 acres per year (6WQ); and 

12.Work with EPA headquarters to evaluate what, if any, specific Regional actions may be 

appropriate to include in the Agency’s pilot rule-making processes; grants, loans, 

contracts or technical assistance programs; or scientific models or decision-support 

tools (Region 6).

These measures will be tracked and reported on annually. In addition, the measures will be 

reviewed regularly and revised as needed to include new initiatives to promote climate 

adaptation.

Part 4: Working with Tribes and Other Sensitive Populations

Two fundamental priorities of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan involve working 

with tribes to improve their adaptation capacity and focusing on the most vulnerable peoples 

and places. Many climate change strategy documents conclude that tribal and other vulnerable 

populations will be the hardest hit by changes in climate because they rely on the land for 

subsistence and may be less able to readily adapt due to a lack of resources. The Region 6 

Implementation Plan aims to improve and expand communications, training, and other 

outreach efforts with these groups to enable them to better adapt to climate change impacts.

4.1 Partnerships with Tribes

EPA values its unique government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in planning 

and decision making. This trust responsibility has been established over time and is further 
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expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for the Administration 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 of adaptive capacity among tribes is a priority for the EPA. Tribes 

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 

Indian tribes.

EPA engaged tribes through a formal consultation process in the development of the Agency’s 

Climate Change Adaptation 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 access 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 to 

coordinate climate change activities among federal agencies so that resources are better 

leveraged and administrative burdens are reduced. 

This Implementation Plan identifies specific steps that will be taken to partner with tribal 

governments on an ongoing basis to increase their adaptive capacity and address their 

adaptation-related priorities. These collaborative efforts will benefit from the expertise provided

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 viewed 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 Environmental 

Professionals and the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP). Additionally, efforts will be 

made to coordinate with other Regional and Program Offices in EPA, 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.

4.1.1 Building Tribal Adaptive Capacity

Sixty-six federally recognized tribes are located in Region 6. Consistent with tribal sovereignty, 

Region 6 partners with these tribes on a government to government basis to strengthen our 

relationships so we are better able to fulfill our mission of protecting human health and the 

environment for all Region 6 residents. Tribal communities will potentially experience 

disproportionate impacts of climate change because of their reliance on natural resources,
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which support subsistence hunting, fishing, recreational and other important cultural practices.

Moreover, a general lack of resources to implement adaptation measures will further 

compound climate change impacts. In response, Region 6 announced at the Spring Regional 

Tribal Operations Council meeting in Tulsa (April 3, 2013) the formation of a Region 6 Tribal 

Climate Change Adaptation Planning Workgroup. The purpose of the workgroup is to form a 

community of practice among EPA Region 6 and its tribal communities to assist in the 

development of climate adaptation plans. The objectives are:

1) Create a network of professionals to help inform the development of adaptation 

plans for Tribal communities;

2) Share scientific information, TEK, grant opportunities, adaptation tools, best 

practices, and success stories;

3) Provide tribes with guidance and feedback from EPA as they develop their 

adaptation plans; and 

4) Replicate effective adaptation planning efforts. 

EPA Region 6 will also partner with the South Central Climate Center (Norman, Oklahoma)

and other federal agencies to deliver information and training and to announce the availability 

of grants, tools and pertinent resources to support adaptation activities. 

4.2 Focusing on the Most Vulnerable People and Places

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

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

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

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

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

This Implementation Plan identifies key programmatic vulnerabilities and the priority actions 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Direct impacts on the vulnerable groups in areas experiencing rapid climate change may 

include not only changes in ecosystem function and production, but also human health impacts 

such as increased illnesses, injuries and deaths from heat waves, extreme weather events, 

flooding, and wildfires, as well as respiratory illnesses caused by deteriorations in air quality. 

Indirect health impacts could include illnesses and deaths that may arise from climate-related 

changes in ecosystems, migration of infectious agents and disease vectors, or reductions in 

agricultural and livestock production. Through the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal 

Affairs and other program offices, EPA Region 6 will strive to build the adaptive capacity of 
Draft September 18, 2013

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populations in all areas of the region, but in particular those residing in the most vulnerable 

places.

In Region 6, people living in areas along the U.S.-Mexico Border and along coastal Louisiana 

are perhaps among the most vulnerable to climate change effects. Along the border, increases 

in ambient air temperatures, reduced air and water quality, drought, and the threat of wildfires 

represent perhaps the greatest climate change impacts. These stressors heighten the 

importance of a strategic management of water resources, rangelands, and air quality, which 

remain a critical part of the Region’s environmental protection goals along the border. 

Ecosystems in coastal Louisiana are already experiencing many stressors that threaten a way 

of life for peopling living in this area. Some of these include the loss of habitat and alterations 

in ecosystem functions due to factors such as land subsidence, eustatic sea level rise, 

saltwater intrusion, coastal development, habitat fragmentation, hydrology and landscape 

modifications resulting from dams and levees, water and air pollution, and declining fishery 

resources. All of these can be compounded, if not accelerated, by climate change effects. 

Moreover, increased storm intensity for the area profoundly threaten human health and alter 

ecosystems, as evidenced by recent hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike. 

Region 6 program staff and managers will continue to work with within existing networks such

as the Region 6 U.S. Mexico Border Program Office, the Mexican Government, the Border 

Environmental Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank in the 

U.S. Mexico Border area, and with the Gulf of Mexico Program Office, the State of Louisiana 

and related coastal conservation and protection agencies to ensure they possess the adaptive 

capacity to integrate climate change considerations into existing programs, policies, 

operations, and funding considerations. Adaptive capacity will be strengthened through 

outreach and educational efforts, funding opportunities relating to climate adaptation, and the 

delivery of climate adaptation tools such as Climate Ready Utilities and Climate Ready 

Estuaries. In addition, Region 6 will continue to promote the Agency’s water utility energy 

efficiency and WaterSense programs to further strengthen adaptation activities while 

introducing mitigation elements at the same time. 

Part 5: Conclusions

Region 6 faces significant planning and implementation challenges as climate change occurs 

in the 21st century and will practice an overall anticipatory philosophy regarding climate change

adaptation planning. This Regional Implementation Plan has identified internal priority actions 

including infrastructure enhancement and training, which stem from five major identified 

climate change vulnerabilities. Externally, the Region has identified technical assistance efforts 

with a variety of partners, as well as enhanced outreach and communication to be important 

priority actions to fully address those vulnerabilities. Measuring and evaluating new priority 

actions and ongoing adaptation initiatives will be important in gauging Regional effectiveness 

in fulfilling our mission. This Regional Implementation Plan is certainly not an endpoint. It is 

intended to be the first version of a plan that will change and mature as the Region’s 

knowledge of, and experience with, climate change adaptation grows. The Region’s most 

important goal remains to serve all its stakeholders in the most efficient and thorough means 

possible, even as climate changes.
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Figures and Tables

Figure 1 – EPA-Region 6 Program Organization
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32

Table 1

EPA Region 6 Climate Change Vulnerabilities & Priority Actions

 Anticipated Consequences Involved Priority Actions 

 Impacts Programs 

A.

Higher mean 

temperatures, 

with more 

frequent and 

intense 

summer “heat 

waves”

Higher O3 and other 

criteria air pollutants with 

increased difficulty in 

attaining health standards; 

Increased health risks 

from “heat island” impacts; 

Higher electricity 

demands, with inc.

pollution from fossil-fueled 

plants and impacts from 

gas exploration and 

production; Greater health 

risks due to changes 

affecting pests and 

patterns of disease

Multimedia 

Planning and 

Permitting 

Division; 

Management 

Division 

(facilities); 

Office of 

Environmental 

Justice and 

Tribal Affairs

Evaluate the potential for using distributed 

generation electricity & energy efficiency 

infrastructure enhancements in new 

Regional office space and energy 

infrastructure improvements to existing 

office space, contingent upon budget & 

GSA considerations; Training for Air, 

Pesticides, Environmental Justice/Tribal 

Affairs, and Management Division staff.

B.

More frequent 

and intense 

droughts in 

central and 

western part of 

Region 6

Reduced agricultural 

yields; decreased power 

plant cooling capabilities; 

consumer rationing; 

decreased industrial water 

availability; more wildfires; 

increased blowing dust

Water Quality 

Protection 

Division; 

Management 

Division 

(facilities); 

Office of 

Environmental 

Justice and 

Tribal Affairs; 

Multimedia 

Planning and 

Permitting Div.

Evaluate the possibilities for enhancing 

water conservation in new Regional Office 

space; Build upon the existing Region 6 

web page devoted to the topic of drought; 

promote tools such as Climate Ready 

Utilities and programs such as Water 

Sense, Sustainable Communities, Green 

Infrastructure, and Healthy Watersheds; 

Leverage and assist states in using 

existing funding vehicles to support green 

infrastructure, such as SRF, Green Project 

Reserve, and Clean Water Act Section 319 

grants; Training for Water Quality 

Protection Division, Environmental 

Justice/Tribal Affairs, and Management 

Division staff.

C.

Increase in 

extreme 

precipitation 

events 

More extensive flooding 

and wind damage from 

hurricanes; increased 

stormwater runoff and 

flashfloods from other 

extreme weather events

Superfund 

Division; 

Water Quality 

Protection 

Division; 

Office of 

Environmental 

Justice and 

Tribal Affairs

Enhance emergency response capabilities 

for these types of events; Enhance the 

capabilities of the Center of Excellence for 

quickly getting water and wastewater 

facilities back on line following these 

events; Provide technical assistance for

coastal habitat restoration and protection

through such venues as the Urban Waters 

Initiative, three NEPs and CWPPRA; 

Provide technical assistance in watershed 

protection and planning through the 319 

and CZARA programs in order to enhance 

flood water retention; Training for staff in 
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33

Superfund and Emergency Response 

Branch, Water Quality Protection Division, 

and Environmental Justice/Tribal Affairs. 

D.

Seasonal 

weather shifts

High-country snow melt 

earlier in spring, with early 

floods and summer water 

deficits downstream; 

increased pests and nonnative noxious weeds with 

longer warm-season 

periods

Multimedia 

Planning and 

Permitting 

Division; 

Water Quality 

Protection 

Division

Explore existing infrastructure funding such 

as SRF to enhance resiliency; Promote 

watershed planning tools to address the 

loss of natural storage and to better absorb 

flashy runoff; Training for Water Quality 

Protection Division and Pesticides Section 

staff

E.

Increasing 

rates of relative 

sea level rise 

and continued 

coastal land 

loss

Accelerated loss and 

degradation of estuarine 

habitats, barrier islands, 

and shorelines in 

Louisiana and Texas; 

Increase in inland floods 

from coastal storms, local 

precipitation, and 

upstream flooding in major 

river systems

Water Quality 

Protection 

Division; 

Office of 

Environmental 

Justice and 

Tribal Affairs; 

Superfund 

Division

Provide technical and planning support for 

the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task 

Force, Gulf Ecosystem Restoration 

Council, National Ocean Policy, and Gulf 

of Mexico Alliance to establish restoration 

priorities; Develop and implement 

restoration projects through three National 

Estuary Programs, Climate Ready 

Estuaries Program, and CWPPRA; 

Training for staff in Superfund and 

Emergency Response, Water Quality 

Protection Division, and Environmental 

Justice/Tribal Affairs.
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Table 2

Current Climate Change Partnerships

Lead Region 6 Division Program

Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division Ozone Advance, Energy Star, Federal Green 

Challenge, Landfill Methane Outreach Program, 

Repowering America, North Central Texas 

Environmental Stewardship Forum, Blue Skyways 

Collaborative, WasteWise, Urban Heat Island 

Mitigation, Energy Efficiency-Renewable Energy in 

SIPs, promoting ecological enhancements at RCRA 

sites

Water Quality Protection Division WaterSense, Green Infrastructure, HUD-DOT-EPA 

Partnership for Sustainable Communities, National 

Estuary Program, Climate Ready Water Utilities 

Program, NEPs, CWPPRA, National Ocean Council, 

Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and Council, 

Gulf of Mexico Program, Gulf Alliance, Gulf Tribal 

Climate Adaptation Advisory Workgroup

Management Division Regional Environmental Management System, E.O.

13514 and 13423 compliance

Superfund Division Superfund and Brownfields projects utilizing renewable 

energy

Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs Environmental Justice Showcase Communities

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Partnering with Office of Regional Counsel to fulfill 

regulatory responsibilities while optimizing responses to 

climate change-forced water and air compliance issues

Office of Regional Counsel Continuing coordination with R6 program offices to map 

out appropriate climate change adaptation support 

while ensuring regulatory fidelity
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References Cited

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Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

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Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 717-743. 

Christensen, J.H., B. Hewitson, A. Busuioc, A. Chen, X. Gao, I. Held, R. Jones, R.K. Kolli, W.-

T. Kwon, R. Laprise, V. Magaña Rueda, L. Mearns, C.G. Menéndez, J. Räisänen, A. Rinke, A. 

Sarr and P. Whetton, 2007: Regional Climate Projections. In: Climate Change 2007: The 

Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of 

the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, 

M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, 

Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 887-892.

CPRA, 2012. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Louisiana’s 

Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, May 23, 2012.

http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisiana.gov

Deser, C., R. Knutti, S. Solomon, and A. Phillips. Communication of the role of natural variability 

in future North American climate. Nature Climate Change 2: 775-779 (2012).

Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, 2011. Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Events Summary 

August 2 ― August 5, 2011 available at: 

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+August+2+%E2%80%95+August+5%2C+2011+&btnG=Search+%3E&site=www_All_docume

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Field, C.B., L.D. Mortsch,, M. Brklacich, D.L. Forbes, P. Kovacs, J.A. Patz, S.W. Running and 

M.J. Scott, 2007: North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. 

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. 

van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 617-652.

Haines, A, A. McMichael, and P. Epstein. Environment and Health: 2. Global Climate Change 

and Health, Canadian Medical Association Journal 163 (6): 729-734 (2000).

Longergan, S. The Role of Environmental Degradation in Population Displacement, 

Environmental Change and Security Project Report 4: 5-15 (1998).

Martens, W., T. Jetten, and D. Focks. Sensitivity of Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Dengue to 

Global Warming, Climate Change, 35 (2): 145-156 (1997).
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Nielsen-Gammon, J.C. The Changing Climate of Texas in: The Impact of Global Warming on 

Texas Second Edition [Schmandt, J., J. Clarkson, and G. North (eds.)]. University of Texas 

Press, Austin, 2011.

Stone, B, J. Hess, and H. Frumkin. Urban Form and Extreme Heat Events: Are Sprawling 

Cities More Vulnerable to Climate Change Than Compact Cities? Environmental Health 

Perspectives. 118(10): 1425-1428 (2010).

U.S. EPA, 2012a. Adaptation Overview. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impactsadaptation/adapt-overview.html

U.S. EPA, 2012b. Federal and EPA Adaptation Programs.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/fed-programs.html

U.S. EPA, 2012c. Great Plains Impacts & Adaptation. http://epa.gov/climatechange/impactsadaptation/greatplains.html

U.S. EPA, 2012d. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plan 

(Draft), June 2012. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/pdfs/EPA-climate-change-adaptationplan-final-for-public-comment-2-7-13.pdf

U.S. EPA, 2011. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Statement on Climate Change 

Adaptation, Lisa Jackson, Administrator, June 2, 2011. 

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

U.S. EPA. Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A 

Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone (An Interim Report of the U.S. 

EPA Global Change Research Program). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, 

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Appendix 

Copy of All Hands Memo Announcing Regional Involvement in Climate Adaptation and 

Mitigation Related Initiatives and the Announcement of “Earthapalooza” which will serve as an 

Internal Educational Forum for Region 6 Employees

This is being sent as R6 All Employee Memo - Please do not reply to this mass mailing

This memo and all Region 6 "All Employee Memos" may be viewed on the Region 6 Intranet

***************************************************

NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW

April 4, 2013 

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: How EPA Region 6 is Working to Achieve Better Environmental Practices

FROM: Ronnie Crossland /s/ Ronnie Crossland

Acting Assistant Regional Administrator

for Management

TO: All EPA Region 6 Employees/SEEs/Contractors

As Earth Day approaches, I want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the exciting ways EPA 

Region 6 is working to achieve better environmental practices, and how we as individuals can each 

contribute. EPA is leading a change in how our society protects the environment and conserves 

resources for future generations by encouraging Americans to rethink the way we manage our resources. 

Not only are we taking steps within our own organization to reduce our environmental footprint through 

the hard work of our Environmental Management System Team, but we are also challenging other 

agencies, organizations, and municipalities to do the same through EPA’s Sustainable Materials 

Management Program; exploring ways to “green” sports events and venues as part of EPA’s Green 

Sports workgroup; and engaging in a pilot climate change mitigation initiative. 

Below are highlights of these programs and what you can do to help.

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Programs:

The SMM Programs provide opportunities for businesses, universities and government entities to

increase efficiency, reduce waste, and gain recognition for protecting human health and the 

environment. There are three SMM programs:
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• Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) – Grocers, universities, stadiums, and other venues commit to 

a three-year goal for reducing the amount of food reaching landfills by learning to purchase 

leaner and divert food away from landfills for better uses. We currently have 143 participants 

signed on to the challenge and collectively diverted 71,521 tons of food from landfills in 2011. 

Contact: Golam Mustafa

• Electronics Challenge (FEC) – Electronics manufacturers and retailers who become a partner 

of the Electronics Challenge commit to sending all their collected electronics to only certified 

electronics recyclers. Certification seeks to ensure environmental excellence in managing used 

electronics. EPA Region 6 has also lead by example by achieving the Federal Electronics 

Challenge Platinum award for ensuring environmental excellence in the way we purchase, use, 

and dispose of federally owned electronics.

Contact: Stephen Sturdivant

• Federal Green Challenge (FGC) – Federal Agencies commit to lead by example by reducing 

their facilities’ environmental impact and save money in two of six areas: waste, purchasing, 

electronics, energy, water and transportation. We currently have 29 facilities representing 12 

different federal agencies signed up as participants, including the EPA Region 6 facilities. 

Contact: Joyce Stubblefield

Environmental Management System (EMS) Team:

The EMS team is a group of representatives from each division working towards encouraging 

improvement in EPA Region 6’s designated Significant Environmental Aspects: Electricity Use, Vehicle 

Emissions and Fuel Use, Waste Reduction and Recycling, Electronics Stewardship and Green 

Purchasing. Along with a focus on the Significant Environmental Aspects, the EMS team helps Region 

6 meet SMM program commitments. Through the EMS team:

• Our goal of 5% paper reduction each FY has been exceeded, FY 2012 being the best year by 

far

• The next big focus in our Regional Office will be green purchasing

• Region 6 joined the FGC, reducing their environmental impact in purchasing and electronics 

Climate Change:

The Region’s Clean Energy-Climate Change Workgroup, formed in 2008 with Divisional 

representatives, continues to track and report annually on climate change mitigation and adaptation 

activities in six sectors. These sectors include Greenhouse Gas Regulatory, Internal Conservation and 

Efficiency, Alternative and Renewable Energy and Green Remediation, Climate Change Adaptation, 

Sea Level Rise/Coastal Land Loss, and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Partnerships. Many different 

activities which either directly or indirectly benefit climate stewardship are occurring throughout the 

Region and are captured within these sectors. 

The Region is completing a Regional Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan, required by the 

Council on Environmental Quality. It will focus on assessing challenges to Regional operations from 

future climate change and taking steps to cope with these challenges. The Water Quality Protection 

Division and the Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division are taking the lead in drafting the plan, 
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39

with input from the other Divisions. Also, the Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division is engaged 

in a pilot climate change mitigation initiative in 2013. This initiative focuses on encouraging voluntary 

greenhouse gas emissions from stationary/area sources and on accelerating the purchase of green power 

and installation of on-site renewable energy. 

What can you do?

• Consider ways to reduce your food waste (Learn how to reduce food waste)

• Reduce paper usage by printing double sided or not printing at all

• Ensure electronic purchases are EPEAT certified and energy efficient options are enabled 

(EPEAT)

• Recycle all paper and #1 plastics

• Turn off equipment and lights when not in use

• Commute efficiently by utilizing public transportation, carpooling, walking or riding your bike 

when possible

• Participate in the EMS Team (contact Julia Alderete or David Bond for more information) 

What’s next?

• Come to the open house on April 11 from 10 am – 2 pm in 

the 12th floor conference rooms to hear more about the SMM and EMS activities in Region 6

• Enjoy Earth Day themed movies the week of April 15