[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23834-23835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11165]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6335-1]


Notice of Availability of Topical Scientific Reports for an 
Integrated Assessment of the Causes and Consequences of Hypoxia in the 
Gulf of Mexico

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in coordination with 
National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce, invite public comments 
on six topical scientific reports requested by the National Science and 
Technology Council's Committee on Environment and Natural Resources 
(CENR) for an assessment of the causes and consequences of hypoxia in 
the Gulf of Mexico as required by section 604(a) of Public Law 105-383. 
The six topic papers will be used by the CENR Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia 
Working Group to prepare an Integrated Assessment which will provide 
ecological and economic analysis of various options for reducing 
nutrient loads carried by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. 
This Integrated Assessment will be delivered to the President, Congress 
and the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force.

DATES: Comments must be received by August 2, 1999. All comments 
received after the formal comment period will be reviewed by the Gulf 
of Mexico Hypoxia Working Group and delivered to the Mississippi River/
Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force for their consideration 
along with the final Integrated Assessment.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to: Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia 
Working Group National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, WS 13446 
SSMC4, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Field, National Ocean 
Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, WS 13446 SSMC4, 
1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, telephone 301-713-3060 
x135, Internet John.F[email protected]; or Dr. Mary Belefski, U.S. EPA, 
Assessment and Watershed Protection Division (AWPD), 401 M Street, S.W. 
(4503F), Washington, D.C. 20460, telephone (202) 260-7061; Internet: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    The Environmental Protection Agency leads the Mississippi River/
Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force consisting of Federal, 
State, and Tribal members. The purpose of this group is to coordinate 
and support nutrient management and hypoxia related activities in the 
Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico watersheds.

Status

    These reports will provide the basis for the formulation of an 
Integrated Assessment of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as 
required in section 604(a) of Public Law 105-383. This law requires the 
assessment to consider the distribution, dynamics, and causes; 
ecological and economic consequences; sources and loads of nutrients 
transported by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico; effects of 
reducing nutrient loads; methods for reducing nutrient loads; and the 
social and economic costs and benefits of such methods. This assessment 
will be delivered to the President and Congress and will subsequently 
provide the basis for the Action Plan required by section 604(b) of 
Public Law 105-383.
    Each of the reports has undergone extensive peer review by 
independent scientific experts. These reports, along with the public 
comment on them, will be considered in developing the Integrated 
Assessment and, subsequently, the Action Plan.
    The six reports are entitled:
    TOPIC 1--Characterization of hypoxia. This report describes the 
seasonal, interannual, and long-term variation of hypoxia in the 
northern Gulf of Mexico, and its relationship to nutrient loadings. It 
also documents the relative roles of natural and human-induced factors 
in determining the size and duration of the hypoxic zone.
    TOPIC 2--Ecological and economic consequences of hypoxia. This 
report presents an evaluation of the ecological and economic 
consequences of nutrient loading, including impacts on Gulf of Mexico 
fisheries and the regional and national economy.
    TOPIC 3--Flux and sources of nutrients in the Mississippi-
Atchafalaya River Basin. This report identifies the sources of 
nutrients within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya system and within the Gulf 
of Mexico with two distinct components, first, the geographic location 
of the most significant nutrient additions, and second, the relative 
importance of specific human activities in contributing to these loads.
    TOPIC 4--Effects of reducing nutrient loads to surface waters 
within the Mississippi River basin and Gulf of Mexico. This report 
estimates the effects of nutrient source reductions in the Mississippi-
Atchafalaya Basin on water quality in these waters and on primary 
productivity and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.
    TOPIC 5--Reducing nutrient loads, especially nitrate-nitrogen, to 
surface water, groundwater, and the Gulf of

[[Page 23835]]

Mexico. This report identifies and evaluates methods to reduce nutrient 
loads to surface water, ground water, and the Gulf of Mexico.
    TOPIC 6--Evaluation of economic costs and benefits of methods for 
reducing nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to 
evaluating the social and economic costs and benefits of the methods 
identified in topic 5, this analysis includes an assessment of various 
incentive programs and any anticipated fiscal benefits generated for 
those attempting to reduce sources.
    The reports may be reached via either the EPA or NOS websites: at 
<http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/>; <http://www.nos.noaa.gov/Products/
pubs__online.html>; or contact those listed above for information on 
how to obtain the reports.

    Dated: April 29, 1999
Robert Wayland,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 99-11165 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P