Download - EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environment
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EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environment
Denice M. Shaw, PhDU.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Assessment
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EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environmentwww.epa.gov/roe
• Uses indicators to address 23 questions EPA considers most important and relevant to its mission in the areas of air, water, land, human health, and ecological condition.
• Currently supports over 30 strategic performance measures. –Example: ROE indicator of “Wetland Extent, Change, and Sources
of Change” measures EPA’s progress in meeting its objective of increasing wetland acreage.
• Informs the strategic planning process, particularly cross-program “targeted areas for improvement.”
• Identifies critical needs for future planning.
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What are the trends in…and their effects on HH and the Environment?
Air: Outdoor Air Quality, Greenhouse Gases, Indoor Air Quality
Water: Water and Watersheds, Ground Water, Wetlands, Coastal Waters, Drinking Water, Recreational Water, Consumable Fish and Shellfish
Land: Land Cover, Land Use, Wastes, Chemicals, Contaminated Land
Human Health: What are the trends in the…?
Human exposure to environmental contaminants
Health status in the United States
Human disease and conditions for which env. contaminants may be a risk factor
Ecological Condition: What are the trends in the…?
Extent and distribution of the Nation's ecological systems
Diversity and biological balance of the Nation's ecological systems
Ecological processes that sustain the Nation's ecological systems
Critical physical and chemical attributes of the Nation's ecological systems
Biomarkers of exposure to common env. contaminants in plants and animals
2008 ROE Focus:
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Interactive public website that is updated with the most recent environmental indicator data and enhancements.
Electronic Report on the Environment (eROE)www.epa.gov/roe
Provides access to the content of the ROE and companion Highlights Document, including the underlying methodology, references, and data, in one location and in a searchable format.
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Electronic Report on the Environment (eROE)
• eROE provides the public and EPA with the most current indicator data–Updated on a
quarterly basis with new data and supporting text and figures
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EPA’s Report on the Environment
•Current Projects:–Soliciting new and revised indicators for inclusion in
the eROE
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•Current Projects (con’t)– Quantifying uncertainty information for indicators
and developing presentation options for eROE
Streambed Stability in Wadeable Streams
EPA’s Report on the Environment
5.3%
24.9%
19.7%
50.1%
Percent of stream miles
Least Disturbed
Moderately Disturbed
Most Disturbed
Not Assessed/No Data
[a] Compared with minimally disturbed reference sites. See text for definitions of the categories shown in the figure.
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•Current Projects (con’t)Displaying
indicators in a geospatial format
EPA’s Report on the Environment
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EPA’s Report on the Environment
•Current Projects (con’t)Aligning the ROE structure more closely with the goals and objectives of EPA’s planning process
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EPA’s Report on the Environment
•External Review and Feedback–EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) panel established
to provide advice and counsel as the ROE program moves forward