[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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