EPA Announces Comment Period for Draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan

In today’s Federal Register (FR 9388) EPA announced the release of its Draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan for a 60-day public comment period with a due date of April 9, 2013.  EPA’s Plan will help guide the Agency to prepare for future changes in climate and to incorporate considerations of climate change into its mission-driven activities to protect human health and the environment.

The Agency developed the draft plan in response to the President Obama’s October 2009 Executive Order (EO 13514) and the subsequent set of instructions from the Council on Environmental Quality for EPA and other Federal Agencies.  For reference, this draft plan combines EPA Office of Water’s Climate Change Strategy (that is now finalized) with those of the other EPA offices for the entire Agency.  In addition, input on this draft is expected to help the Agency to strengthen its partnerships with states, tribes, local communities, and non-governmental organizations — many of which have already begun to develop and implement adaptation measures.

To review the draft plan go to: http://www.epa.gov/dockets/index.htm Docket Number EPA-HQ-OA-2012-0247.  To view the Federal Register Notice with instructions for submitting comments, go to: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-08/pdf/2013-02918.pdf.  For questions, please contact Catherine Allen of EPA by phone at 202-566-1039.