81 FR 40302 - Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi-Sector Approach

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 119 (June 21, 2016)

Page Range		40302-40303
FR Document		2016-14666

EPA is announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft document titled ``Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi-Sector Approach'' (EPA/600/R-15/312). EPA is also announcing that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, will select four independent experts from a pool of eight to conduct a letter peer review of the same draft document. The document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). This document describes an assessment tool that uses quantitative and qualitative indicators to help cities identify areas of resilience and vulnerability to climate change impacts and introduces example case studies from Washington, DC and Worcester, Massachusetts. EPA intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in accordance with this document to the external peer reviewers for their consideration during the letter peer review. When finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to consider any public comments received in response to this notice. EPA is releasing this draft document for the purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft document is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines and it does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views. The draft document is available via the internet on EPA's Global Change Research Program Products and Publications Web page at https:// www.epa.gov/risk/global-change-research-program-products-and- publications.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 119 (Tuesday, June 21, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40302-40303]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14666]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0357; FRL 9947-98-ORD]


Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi-Sector 
Approach

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft 
document titled ``Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A 
Multi-Sector Approach'' (EPA/600/R-15/312). EPA is also announcing that 
Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, 
will select four independent experts from a pool of eight to conduct a 
letter peer review of the same draft document. The document was 
prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) 
within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). This document 
describes an assessment tool that uses quantitative and qualitative 
indicators to help cities identify areas of resilience and 
vulnerability to climate change impacts and introduces example case 
studies from Washington, DC and Worcester, Massachusetts.
    EPA intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in 
accordance with this document to the external peer reviewers for their 
consideration during the letter peer review. When finalizing the draft 
document, EPA intends to consider any public comments received in 
response to this notice. EPA is releasing this draft document for the 
purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft document is not 
final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines and it does 
not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or 
views. The draft document is available via the internet on EPA's Global 
Change Research Program Products and Publications Web page at https://www.epa.gov/risk/global-change-research-program-products-and-publications.

DATES: The 30-day public comment period begins June 21, 2016, and ends 
July 21, 2016. Technical comments should be in writing and must be 
received by EPA by July 21, 2016. The document will be available on or 
around June 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: The external peer review draft, ``Evaluating Urban 
Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi-Sector Approach,'' is available 
primarily via the internet on the EPA's Global Change Research Program 
Products and Publications Web page at https://www.epa.gov/risk/global-change-research-program-products-and-publications. A limited number of 
paper copies are available from the Information Management Team, NCEA; 
telephone: 703-347-8561; facsimile: 703-347-8691. If you are requesting 
a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing address, and the 
document title.
    Comments may be submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov, 
by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please follow the 
detailed instructions provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the ORD Docket at the EPA Headquarters Docket Center; 
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email: 
[email protected].
    For technical information, contact Susan Julius, NCEA; telephone: 
703-347-8619; facsimile: 703-347-8694; or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    Climate change impacts are diverse, long-term, and not easily 
predictable. Adapting to climate change requires making context 
specific and forward-looking decisions regarding a variety of climate 
change impacts and vulnerabilities when the future is highly uncertain. 
EPA scientists and their collaborators created an assessment tool to 
help cities identify climate change risks in eight different municipal 
sectors. The report identifies and tests indicators of traits that may 
enhance or inhibit communities' resilience to climate change, allowing 
decision-makers to focus planning efforts on those areas that are least 
resilient to anticipated impacts. The results yielded an approach that 
provides a way for cities to explore threats to and measures

[[Page 40303]]

of resilience. It also demonstrates the utility of this systematic and 
flexible method in providing useful information for future adaptation 
planning for different types of cities.

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-
0357, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center (ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The ORD Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public 
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by 
mail or hand delivery, please submit three copies of the comments. For 
attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the 
comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2013-0357. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
the EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public 
docket without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information through 
www.regulations.gov or email that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an email comment directly to the EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other 
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or 
CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical 
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not 
be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use 
of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any 
defects or viruses. For additional information about the EPA's public 
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www2.epa.gov/dockets.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: June 9, 2016.
Mary A. Ross,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2016-14666 Filed 6-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

40302 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 119 / Tuesday, June 21, 2016 / Notices

and/or quantity of EFH . . . [and] may Permit in further EPA proceedings (see Products and Publications Web page at
include direct (e.g. contamination or 40 CFR 124.19). Instead, they may either https://www.epa.gov/risk/global-
physical disruption), indirect (e.g. loss challenge the General Permit in court or change-research-program-products-and-
of prey, reduction in species’ fecundity), apply for an individual NPDES permit. publications.
site-specific or habitat-wide impacts, Authority: This action is taken under the DATES: The 30-day public comment
including individual, cumulative, or authority of Section 402 of the Clean Water period begins June 21, 2016, and ends
synergistic consequences of actions.’’ Act as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1342. July 21, 2016. Technical comments
NMFS may recommend measures for should be in writing and must be
Dated: June 9, 2016.
attachment to the federal action to received by EPA by July 21, 2016. The
Daniel D. Opalski,
protect EFH; however, such document will be available on or around
recommendations are advisory, and not Director, Office of Water and Watersheds,
Region 10. June 22, 2016.
prescriptive in nature. EPA has
[FR Doc. 2016–14671 Filed 6–20–16; 8:45 am] ADDRESSES: The external peer review
evaluated the General Permit and has
draft, ‘‘Evaluating Urban Resilience to
made the determination that issuance of BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
Climate Change: A Multi-Sector
the General Permit is not likely to
Approach,’’ is available primarily via
adversely affect EFH. NMFS has
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION the internet on the EPA’s Global Change
concurred with this determination.
Executive Order 12866: The Office of AGENCY Research Program Products and
Management and Budget (OMB) Publications Web page at https://
[Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2013–0357; www.epa.gov/risk/global-change-
exempts this action from the review FRL 9947–98–ORD]
requirements of Executive Order 12866 research-program-products-and-
pursuant to Section 6 of that order. Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate publications. A limited number of paper
Economic Impact [Executive Order Change: A Multi-Sector Approach copies are available from the
12291]: The EPA has reviewed the effect Information Management Team, NCEA;
of Executive Order 12291 on this AGENCY: Environmental Protection telephone: 703–347–8561; facsimile:
General Permit and has determined that Agency (EPA). 703–347–8691. If you are requesting a
it is not a major rule pursuant to that ACTION: Notice of public comment paper copy, please provide your name,
Order. period. mailing address, and the document title.
Paperwork Reduction Act [44 U.S.C. Comments may be submitted
3501 et seq.] The EPA has reviewed the SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 30-day electronically via www.regulations.gov,
requirements imposed on regulated public comment period for the draft by mail, by facsimile, or by hand
facilities in the General Permit and finds document titled ‘‘Evaluating Urban delivery/courier. Please follow the
them consistent with the Paperwork Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi- detailed instructions provided in the
Reduction Act of 1980, 44 U.S.C. 3501 Sector Approach’’ (EPA/600/R–15/312). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
et seq. EPA is also announcing that Versar, this notice.
Regulatory Flexibility Act [5 U.S.C. Inc., an EPA contractor for external FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
601 et seq.] The Regulatory Flexibility scientific peer review, will select four information on the public comment
Act (RFA) requires that EPA prepare an independent experts from a pool of period, contact the ORD Docket at the
initial regulatory flexibility analysis for eight to conduct a letter peer review of EPA Headquarters Docket Center;
rules subject to the requirements of the the same draft document. The document telephone: 202–566–1752; facsimile:
Administrative Procedures Act [APA, 5 was prepared by the National Center for 202–566–9744; or email: Docket_ORD@
U.S.C. 553] that have a significant Environmental Assessment (NCEA) epa.gov.
impact on a substantial number of small within EPA’s Office of Research and For technical information, contact
entities. However, EPA has concluded Development (ORD). This document Susan Julius, NCEA; telephone: 703–
that NPDES General Permits are not describes an assessment tool that uses 347–8619; facsimile: 703–347–8694; or
rulemakings under the APA, and thus quantitative and qualitative indicators email: julius.susan@epa.gov.
not subject to APA rulemaking to help cities identify areas of resilience SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
requirements or the RFA. and vulnerability to climate change
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: impacts and introduces example case I. Information About the Document
Section 201 of the Unfunded Mandates studies from Washington, DC and Climate change impacts are diverse,
Reform Act (UMRA), Public Law 104–4, Worcester, Massachusetts. long-term, and not easily predictable.
generally requires Federal agencies to EPA intends to forward the public Adapting to climate change requires
assess the effects of their regulatory comments that are submitted in making context specific and forward-
actions (defined to be the same as rules accordance with this document to the looking decisions regarding a variety of
subject to the RFA) on tribal, state, and external peer reviewers for their climate change impacts and
local governments, and the private consideration during the letter peer vulnerabilities when the future is highly
sector. However, General NPDES review. When finalizing the draft uncertain. EPA scientists and their
Permits are not rules subject to the document, EPA intends to consider any collaborators created an assessment tool
requirements of the APA, and are, public comments received in response to help cities identify climate change
therefore, not subject to the UMRA. to this notice. EPA is releasing this draft risks in eight different municipal
Appeal of Permit: Any interested document for the purposes of public sectors. The report identifies and tests
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

person may appeal the General Permit comment and peer review. This draft indicators of traits that may enhance or
in the Federal Court of Appeals in document is not final as described in inhibit communities’ resilience to
accordance with section 509(b)(1) of the EPA’s information quality guidelines climate change, allowing decision-
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1369(b)(1). and it does not represent and should not makers to focus planning efforts on
This appeal must be filed within 120 be construed to represent Agency policy those areas that are least resilient to
days of the General Permit issuance or views. The draft document is anticipated impacts. The results yielded
date. Affected persons may not available via the internet on EPA’s an approach that provides a way for
challenge the conditions of the General Global Change Research Program cities to explore threats to and measures

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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 119 / Tuesday, June 21, 2016 / Notices 40303

of resilience. It also demonstrates the email comment directly to the EPA functions, policies and regulations
utility of this systematic and flexible without going through required by the SDWA. This notice
method in providing useful information www.regulations.gov, your email solicits nominations to fill one new
for future adaptation planning for address will be automatically captured vacancy from December 2016 through
different types of cities. and included as part of the comment December 2019. To maintain the
that is placed in the public docket and representation required by statute, a
II. How To Submit Technical Comments
made available on the internet. If you nominee will be selected to represent
to the Docket at www.regulations.gov
submit an electronic comment, the EPA state and local agencies concerned with
Submit your comments, identified by recommends that you include your water hygiene and public water supply.
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2013– name and other contact information in DATES: Nominations should be
0357, by one of the following methods: the body of your comment and with any submitted on or before July 31, 2016.
• www.regulations.gov: Follow the disk or CD–ROM you submit. If the EPA ADDRESSES: Submit nominations to
on-line instructions for submitting cannot read your comment due to
comments. Michelle Schutz, Designated Federal
technical difficulties and cannot contact Officer (DFO), The National Drinking
• Email: Docket_ORD@epa.gov. you for clarification, the EPA may not
• Fax: 202–566–9744. Water Advisory Council, U.S.
• Mail: U.S. Environmental be able to consider your comment. Environmental Protection Agency,
Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center Electronic files should avoid the use of Office of Ground Water and Drinking
(ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 special characters, any form of Water, Mail Code 4601–M, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, encryption, and be free of any defects or Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington,
DC 20460. The phone number is 202– viruses. For additional information DC 20460. You may also email
566–1752. about the EPA’s public docket visit the nominations with the subject line
• Hand Delivery: The ORD Docket is EPA Docket Center homepage at http:// NDWACResume2016 to
located in the EPA Headquarters Docket www2.epa.gov/dockets. schutz.michelle@epa.gov.
Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, Docket: Documents in the docket are FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
1301 Constitution Avenue NW., listed in the www.regulations.gov index. Email your questions to Michelle Schutz
Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Although listed in the index, some or call her at (202) 564–7374.
Center Public Reading Room is open information is not publicly available, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday e.g., CBI or other information whose National Drinking Water Advisory
through Friday, excluding legal disclosure is restricted by statute. Council: The Council was created by
holidays. The telephone number for the Certain other materials, such as Congress on December 16, 1974, as part
Public Reading Room is 202–566–1744. copyrighted material, are publicly of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974,
Such deliveries are only accepted available only in hard copy. Publicly Public Law 93–523, 42 U.S.C. 300j–5,
during the docket’s normal hours of available docket materials are available and is operated in accordance with the
operation, and special arrangements either electronically in provisions of the Federal Advisory
should be made for deliveries of boxed www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2.
information. If you provide comments the ORD Docket in the EPA The Council consists of 15 members,
by mail or hand delivery, please submit Headquarters Docket Center. including the Chairperson, all of whom
three copies of the comments. For Dated: June 9, 2016. are appointed by the EPA’s
attachments, provide an index, number Mary A. Ross, Administrator. Five members represent
pages consecutively with the comments, Deputy Director, National Center for appropriate state and local agencies
and submit an unbound original and Environmental Assessment. concerned with water hygiene and
three copies. [FR Doc. 2016–14666 Filed 6–20–16; 8:45 am] public water supply; five members
Instructions: Direct your comments to BILLING CODE 6560–50–P represent private organizations or
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2013– groups demonstrating an active interest
0357. Please ensure that your comments in the field of water hygiene and public
are submitted within the specified ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION water supply—of which two such
comment period. Comments received AGENCY members shall be associated with small,
after the closing date will be marked rural public water systems; and five
‘‘late,’’ and may only be considered if [FRL–9947–99–OW]
members represent the general public.
time permits. It is the EPA’s policy to The current list of members is available
The National Drinking Water Advisory
include all comments it receives in the on the EPA Web site at http://
Council: Request for Nominations
public docket without change and to water.epa.gov/drink/ndwac.
make the comments available online at AGENCY: Environmental Protection The Council will meet in person once
www.regulations.gov, including any Agency (EPA). each year and may hold a second
personal information provided, unless a ACTION: Request for nominations. meeting during the year either in person
comment includes information claimed or by video/teleconferencing. These
to be Confidential Business Information SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental meetings generally occur in the spring
(CBI) or other information whose Protection Agency (EPA) invites and fall. Additionally, members may be
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do nominations of qualified candidates to asked to participate in ad hoc
not submit information through be considered for a three-year workgroups to develop policy
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

www.regulations.gov or email that you appointment to the National Drinking recommendations, advice letters and
consider to be CBI or otherwise Water Advisory Council (NDWAC or reports to address specific program
protected. The www.regulations.gov Council). The 15-member Council was issues.
Web site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ established by the Safe Drinking Water Member Nominations: Any interested
system, which means the EPA will not Act (SDWA) to provide practical and person and/or organization may
know your identity or contact independent advice, consultation and nominate qualified individuals for
information unless you provide it in the recommendations to the EPA membership. EPA values and welcomes
body of your comment. If you send an Administrator on the activities, diversity. In an effort to obtain

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Document Created: 2016-06-21 01:30:37
Document Modified: 2016-06-21 01:30:37

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of public comment period.
Dates		The 30-day public comment period begins June 21, 2016, and ends July 21, 2016. Technical comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by July 21, 2016. The document will be available on or around June 22, 2016.
Contact		For information on the public comment period, contact the ORD Docket at the EPA Headquarters Docket Center; telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email: [email protected]
FR Citation		81 FR 40302