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BECKHAM, LISA

From: SHOJI, KERRY

Sent: Friday, May 09, 2014 4:25 PM

To: Lee, Anita

Cc: COHEN, Deborra; Ziegler, Cynthia

Subject: RE: literature search on acid deposition to milk vetch - Biological assessment for the 

proposed Desert Rock Power Plant

Hi Anita, 

 I did a search using the Science Direct, Web of Science database along with Google Scholar, and Google. 

Search queries: 

· (“Mancos milk vetch” OR “Mancos milk-vetch” OR “Astragalus humillimus” OR “milk-vetch”) AND acid 

(deposition OR uptake OR rain) OR (“sulfuric acid” OR H2SO4) 

 Cynthia stayed mainly on Google and used the following search terms in various combinations: 

· Milk-vetch, milkvetch, Mancos Milkvetch, mancos milk#, Astragalushumillimus, acid#, acid# deposition, fourcorners 

When we found a document that looked relevant we also checked the bibliographies for possible resources. 

--Kerry 

From: Lee, Anita 

Sent: Friday, May 09, 2014 2:13 PM 

To: SHOJI, KERRY 

Cc: COHEN, Deborra; Ziegler, Cynthia 

Subject: RE: literature search on acid deposition to milk vetch - Biological assessment for the proposed Desert Rock 

Power Plant 

Thank you Kerry and Cynthia for your help on this! 

I’d like to be able to convey to FWS that EPA did do a literature review. Can you give me a summary of where you 

looked? It sounds like you also used the various (4 or 5?) search terms I had suggested. 

Thank you again! 

From: SHOJI, KERRY 

Sent: Friday, May 09, 2014 2:04 PM 

To: Lee, Anita 

Cc: COHEN, Deborra; Ziegler, Cynthia 

Subject: RE: literature search on acid deposition to milk vetch - Biological assessment for the proposed Desert Rock 

Power Plant 

Hi Anita, 

 I found the biological assessment for the Proposed Desert Rock Power Plant that the FWS 5 Year Review on the 

Mancos Milk-Vetch indicated pollutants from the power plant posed a threat to threat to the plant. The BA is attached 

here. The relevant section starts on Section 6.1 (page 16). Sulfuric acid is listed as one of the pollutants of concern from 

the power plant and is listed on page24. 

 BTW – the BIA withdrew the BA in 2009 and it appears it was not revised and reissued. 

--Kerry Shoji 

Kerry L. Shoji, MLIS 
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Librarian (contractor, ASRC Primus) 

U.S. EPA Region 9 Library/ 75 Hawthorne Street/ San Francisco, CA 94105-3920 

shoji.kerry@epa.gov

415-972-3695 phone 

415-947-3533 fax 

http://www.epa.gov/region9/library

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From: Lee, Anita 

Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 11:22 AM 

To: SHOJI, KERRY 

Subject: literature search on acid deposition to milk vetch 

Hi Kerry, 

Thanks for walking me through what you would need to do a literature search. I am interested in determining whether 

there is any recent literature looking at effects of acid deposition on endangered plants in the Four Corners area. 

Specifically, I am interested in sulfuric acid and the endangered Mancos milk-vetch. 

This stems from a very broad statement in a 1989 USFWS Recovery Plan for the Mancos milk-vetch stating that acid 

deposition from power plants are a potential threat to the species. The document acknowledges that there is no data to 

suggest that acid deposition is an actual threat, but simply notes that there are power plants in the area and acid 

deposition can affect plants. 

I am not sure if anything will come up with those specific terms. If not, then we could try and broaden the search a 

little. 

Maybe “acid uptake” (or “acid deposition”) and “milk vetch” ? 

I am hoping to close the loop on by next Wednesday, May 14, but my schedule is somewhat flexible. Is that doable? 

Thank you very much! 

Anita 

Anita Lee, PhD 

Environmental Scientist 

US EPA, Air Division, Planning Office (Air-2) 

75 Hawthorne Street 

San Francisco, CA 94105 

(415) 972-3958