[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 7 (Monday, January 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1215-1216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-355]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8760-7]
Notice of Availability of the Final White Paper on Integrated
Modeling for Integrated Environmental Decision Making
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Document Availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing
the availability of the final White Paper on Integrated Modeling for
Integrated Environmental Decision Making (EPA 100/R-08/010, November
2008.
In pursuing its mission to protect human health and to safeguard
the natural environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency often
relies on environmental models. The EPA defines a model as a
``simplification of reality that is constructed to gain insights into
select attributes of a particular physical, biological, economic, or
social system.'' While traditionally environmental modeling has focused
on considering a single pollutant in a single environmental medium,
this approach is no longer viewed as sufficient for effective
environmental management decision support. It is increasingly
recognized that a holistic approach to modeling the environment and the
mechanisms governing the fate and transport of pollutants through the
different environmental media as well as the multiple exposure pathways
and the consequent responses of humans and ecosystems, is required to
adequately assess and address environmental problems. Integrated
modeling is thus of importance to helping EPA consider the environment
as a ``single, interrelated system''. Integrated modeling encompasses a
broad range of approaches and configurations of models, data and
assessment methods to describe and analyze complex environmental
problems, often in a multimedia and multidisciplinary manner.
This staff white paper recommends a commitment to a new direction
in environmental modeling and decision making, one that adopts a
systems thinking approach. This approach EPA will be able to
significantly improve its ability to conduct scientific analyses in
support of integrated decision making. The result will be implementing
more efficient, effective and equitable policies and programs to
advance environmental protection as well as economic prosperity. This
white paper: (1) Outlines the need for and value of integrated modeling
for EPA science and decision-making; (2) analyzes the state of the art
and practice of integrated modeling and include examples of how this
approach has been successfully applied and the lessons learned; (3)
identifies the challenges to more fully implementing this approach in
the future; and (4) presents a plan to create an enabling environment
to facilitate a concerted, systematic, and stable approach to the
development and application of integrated modeling for integrated
decision making.
ADDRESSES: The final document is available electronically through the
CREM Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/crem/integrated-model-paper.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Noha Gaber, Council for Regulatory
Environmental Modeling, Office of the Science Advisor, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Mail Code: 8105R, Washington, DC 20460; by
telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2179; Fax: (202) 564-2070; or via e-
mail at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To achieve its mission of protecting human
health and safeguarding the natural environment, the U.S. EPA often
employs mathematical models to study environmental systems and
processes and to inform regulatory decision making. The U.S. EPA
established the Council for Regulatory Environmental Modeling (CREM) in
2000 in an effort to improve the quality, consistency and transparency
of EPA models. Recognizing the policy demand for systems integration,
the CREM initiated a series of activities to foster the development and
application of integrated modeling. The CREM kicked off this series of
integrated modeling-focused activities by convening an EPA-wide
workshop on Integrated Modeling for Integrated Environmental Decision
Making, held in January 2007. The workshop discussions highlighted the
need for a coordinated and harmonized approach to integrated modeling
and an institutional vision and workplan to help overcome the
scientific, technological and organizational challenges impeding the
effective use of integrated models. Building on this successful
workshop, an Agency White Paper on ``Integrated Modeling for Integrated
Environmental Decision Making'' (hereafter White Paper) was developed.
The strategic vision and action plan proposed in the White Paper
outline a set of recommended activities to overcome the science,
information technology and organizational challenges facing a more
consistent and coordinated implementation of integrated modeling to
inform decision making at EPA.
In addition to internal review within Agency offices and regions,
the White Paper was also evaluated and approved by the EPA's Science
Policy Council, the Agency's forum for senior level policy deliberation
and coordination on significant science issues. It has also undergone
an independent external review process through the National Advisory
Council on Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). In its advice
letter to the Agency NACEPT highlighted their finding that ``integrated
modeling is a significant cross-cutting science and technology tool'',
endorsed the White Paper and offered some recommendations for the
Agency to move forward to implement the action plan proposed in the
White Paper. The NACEPT advice letter may be found here: http://www.epa.gov/ocem/nacept/reports/pdf/nacept-im-final-advice-letter-092208.pdf.
[[Page 1216]]
Dated: January 5, 2009.
George Gray,
EPA Science Advisor.
[FR Doc. E9-355 Filed 1-9-09; 8:45 am]
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