

[Federal Register: August 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 154)]
[Notices]               
[Page 45046-45048]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au07-83]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8453-1; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0666]

 
Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Invasive Species and 
Implications for Management and Research

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

[[Page 45047]]

document titled, ``Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Invasive 
Species and Implications for Management and Research'' (EPA/600/R-07/
084). The document was prepared by the National Center for 
Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office of Research and 
Development.
    EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre-
dissemination peer review under applicable information quality 
guidelines. This document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It 
does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency 
policy or determination. EPA intends to consider any public comments 
submitted in accordance with this notice when revising the document.

DATES: The 30-day public comment period begins August 10, 2007, and 
ends September 10, 2007. Technical comments should be in writing and 
must be received by EPA by September 10, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The draft ``Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Invasive 
Species and Implications for Management and Research'' is available 
primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental 
Assessment's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and 
Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of 

paper copies are available from the Technical Information Staff of the 
National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA-TIS). Please contact 
the Technical Information Staff by telephone at 202-564-3261 or by 
facsimile at 202-565-0050. If you are requesting a paper copy, please 
provide your name, your mailing address, and the draft document title, 
``Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Invasive Species and 
Implications for Management and Research.''
    Comments may be submitted electronically via http://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 Office of Environmental Information Docket; 
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-1753; or e-mail: 
ORD.Docket@epa.gov.

    For technical information, contact Britta Bierwagen, NCEA, 
telephone: 202-564-3388; facsimile: 202-565-0061; or e-mail: 
bierwagen.britta@epa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Project/Document

    This draft report addresses the potential effects of climate change 
on Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and consequences for their 
management, and describes apparent research gaps. The report is 
intended for managers and scientists working with AIS to provide them 
with information on the potential effects of climate change on AIS, 
strategies for adapting their management to accommodate these 
environmental changes, and highlight further research needs and gaps. 
The literature review that introduces this report shows that important 
progress has been made in identifying climate change effects on 
invasive species, but that our understanding of effects on specific 
species and interactions of other stressors needs to be improved. 
Following the literature review is an analysis of existing AIS 
management plans to assess the capacity of states to modify or adapt 
their management activities to account for climate change effects. The 
assessment shows that most states currently do not explicitly consider 
climate change in their aquatic invasive species management plans, but 
that many plans can incorporate new information on changing 
environmental conditions. Finally, this report compares information 
needs of AIS managers with current research to determine where gaps 
exist. Overall, more information and research are needed on many 
aspects of the effects of climate change on AIS.

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



    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD 2007-
0666, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 

instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: 202-566-1753.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., 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 one 
unbound original with pages numbered consecutively, and 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-
2007-0666. 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 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at http://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 that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous 

access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov
, your e-mail 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, 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 EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, 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 EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the http://.

http://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.

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Certain other materials, such as copyrighted material, are publicly 
available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are 
available either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in 

hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: August 2, 2007.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E7-15674 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
