[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35747-35749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13110]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Interagency Working Group on the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia
Research and Control Amendments Act
AGENCY: National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notices; publication of report and plan summary.
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SUMMARY: The National Ocean Service (NOS) of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes this notice to announce the
publication of a detailed outline summarizing the intent of the Great
Lakes Plan on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Hypoxia.
Notice is also hereby given of the publication of ``HABs and
Hypoxia Comprehensive Research Plan and Action Strategy: An Interagency
Report.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caitlin Gould ([email protected],
240-533-0290) or Stacey DeGrasse ([email protected], 240-402-
1470)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
HABS and hypoxia can have detrimental impacts to human and animal
health, local and regional economies, and long-term national security.
In response, the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control
Amendments Act of 2014 (HABHRCA) establishes a national program and
Federal interagency task force to advance the understanding of HABs and
hypoxia events, and to respond to, detect, predict, control, and
mitigate these events to the greatest extent practicable.
Section 8 of the HABHRCA requires NOAA, as the lead federal agency
of the task force and Interagency Working Group on HABHRCA (IWG-
HABHRCA), to develop and submit to Congress a plan for reducing,
mitigating, and controlling HABs and hypoxia in the Great Lakes, and
publish a summary of the plan in the Federal Register prior to
submission. The plan builds upon the Great Lakes HABs and Hypoxia
Integrated Assessment contained in ``HABs and Hypoxia Comprehensive
Research Plan and Action Strategy: An Interagency Report'', referenced
herein, and builds upon the work of the International Joint Commission
(e.g., reports entitled A Balanced Diet for Lake Erie: Reducing
Phosphorous Loadings and Harmful Algal Blooms and Human Health Effects
from Harmful Algal Blooms: a Synthesis) and the Great Lakes Water
Quality Agreement (e.g. Annex Four). The Plan also addresses key
aspects of Federal Activities to better understand and address HABs and
hypoxia in the Great Lakes. Those efforts include establishing HAB and
hypoxia forecast products through comprehensive monitoring integrated
with satellite coverage and modeling of coastal, and freshwater zones;
and developing and deploying lower cost, easy to use, and real-time
sensors for early detection of hypoxia and HAB cells and toxins. The
Plan further reflects significant engagement between IWG-HABHRCA
agencies and a wide variety of stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement
provides the IWG with information and perspective that enhances Federal
data collection efforts.
II. Summary of the Great Lakes Plan on Harmful Blooms and Hypoxia
The IWG-HABHRCA is producing the Great Lakes Plan on Harmful Algal
Blooms and Hypoxia: An Interagency Report (hereafter: The ``Plan''),
which will assess the current state of the science on causes and
impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and
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hypoxia in the Great Lakes, highlight progress to date and current
challenges, and propose next actions.
An overview of the current state of science in the Plan will
discuss challenges and recommendations related to HABs and hypoxia,
addressing improving scientific understanding; prediction, modeling,
and monitoring; mitigating the causes and impacts; social science; and
engagement, communications, and outreach. Throughout, the report will
consider prevention, control, and mitigation as related to HABs and
hypoxia in the region. It will also discuss Federal progress and
successes.
Scientific Understanding: Requirements for Understanding, Verifying,
and Characterizing HABs and Hypoxia
The section on improving scientific understanding will synthesize
existing knowledge regarding bloom toxicity and the detection and
mapping of HAB and hypoxia extent. It also will review causes of HABs
and hypoxia, including the role of phosphorus and nitrogen, invasive
species, herbicides, climate change, and other environmental drivers,
as well as how these factors influence the duration and intensity of
HAB and hypoxia events. It also will review questions related to the
timing of events and causes of HAB toxicity.
Monitoring
Expanded and coordinated monitoring and data aggregation efforts,
as well as advances in monitoring technologies, can help answer
pressing questions at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. The
report will discuss how scientific understanding and nutrient
mitigation strategies for HABs and hypoxia can be improved with
additional environmental monitoring. It also will discuss how
partnerships between agencies and non-Federal groups play a role in
enhancing the efficiency of monitoring efforts.
Modeling
The prediction and modeling section will discuss the methods and
technology that are being developed to provide advanced warnings of HAB
and hypoxic events, forecast recovery efforts related to nutrient
abatement, and raise awareness of HABs and hypoxia in order to reduce
risk to public health. Methods and technology discussed in the report
will include data, calibration, and validation needs related to HAB and
hypoxia models.
Impacts and Assessments
Mitigating the causes and impacts of HABs and hypoxia will
encompass best management practices (BMPs) for addressing HABs and
hypoxia, as well as BMPs during HAB and hypoxic events to minimize
potential human health and socioeconomic risk. Mitigation challenges
will include, but are not limited to, implementing new programs that
reduce nutrient inputs, along with monitoring and modeling to determine
BMP effectiveness.
Sections discussing challenges related to socioeconomics,
engagement, communications, and outreach of these issues in the region
will include information on health impacts for humans, the aquatic
ecosystem, pets, and wildlife, as well as information on cost-benefit
analyses, valuation of ecosystem services, and risk assessment. It will
also discuss how to better communicate between Federal agencies and
with non-Federal stakeholders.
Timeline and Budget
Recommendations for actions in each of the themes will be included
in the report. The specific timeline and budgetary requirements for the
deployment of future assets are subject to the availability of
appropriations.
This report will consider HAB and hypoxic events that occur
throughout the Great Lakes, such as those in Lake Erie's western basin
and Sandusky Bay, Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay, and Lake Michigan's Green
Bay. Stakeholder engagement and consultation will play a significant
role in informing the content of the report; the IWG is soliciting
input from academics, agricultural interests, industry, state and
international agencies, and other stakeholder groups. To ensure that
the Plan is technically sound and cost-effective, interagency
collaborations and other partnerships will be identified as possible
opportunities for leveraging resources, including areas of expertise,
workforce, funding, or equipment. The Plan will refer to existing
reports for information, such as the International Joint Commission's A
Balanced Diet for Lake Erie: Reducing Phosphorous Loadings and Harmful
Algal Blooms, and Annex Four of the Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement. The Plan will expand upon relevant topics as they relate to
current challenges and recommendations for future efforts.
Other Information
The IWG-HABHRCA is comprised of representatives from NOAA, United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), United States Navy, National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Science Foundation
(NSF), United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Park
Service (NPS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM).
Other Information
Stakeholders are invited to submit questions and provide input
related to concerns and successes pertaining to HABs and hypoxia in the
Great Lakes region. The IWG-HABHRCA continues to seek general and
technical feedback on topics including:
Regional, Great Lakes-specific priorities for:
[cir] Ecological, economic, and social research on the causes and
impacts of HABs and hypoxia;
[cir] Approaches to improving monitoring and early warnings,
scientific understanding, prediction and modeling, and socioeconomics
of these events; and
[cir] Mitigating the causes and impacts of HABs and hypoxia.
Communication and information dissemination methods that
state, tribal, local, and international governments and organizations
may undertake to educate and inform the public concerning HABs and
hypoxia in the Great Lakes; and
Perceived needs for handling Great Lakes HAB and hypoxia
events, as well as an action strategy for managing future situations.
Inquiries and comments may be submitted via email ([email protected]) or via U.S. mail to Caitlin Gould at NOAA, National
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, SSMC-4, #8237, 1305 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Technical feedback in the form of
brief annotated bibliographic entries would be welcome. The Interagency
Working Group will gladly accept public input at any time; however,
only those that are received on or before May 15, 2016, will be
considered when the Interagency Working Group finalizes the plan.
Other Information
Paperwork Reduction Act: Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be
subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of
information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act,
unless that collection
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displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.
Dated: May 26, 2016.
Mary C. Erickson,
Director, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-13110 Filed 6-2-16; 8:45 am]
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