Reassessment Activities

2008 Action Plan

The Task Force approved the 2008 Action Plan and released it to the public on June 16, 2008. The 2008 Action Plan is a product of the reassessment. The Task Force approved the Draft 2008 Action Plan in November of 2007. The public was invited to comment on the Draft 2008 Action Plan in a Federal Registar notice dated November 23, 2007. The public comment period ended January 4, 2008. You can view the 2008 Action Plan, the draft and the public comments on the 2008 Action Plan page.

Draft Proposal for Reassessment Process

A draft proposal for the Reassessment was approved by the Task Force on June 3, 2005. For more detailed information view the full PDF document:

• Approved 2001 Action Plan Reassessment Proposal (PDF) (PDF, 6 pp, 67K)
• Updated Timeline and Process (PDF, 1 pg, 34K), February 22, 2006

Science Symposia to Reassess the Science of Hypoxia

The following four (4) symposia were conducted as part of the Reassessment with the purpose of assessing the current state of the science of hypoxia. An additional workshop on the science of nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin contributed to the reassessment.

Sources, Transport, and Fate of Nutrients in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basins
November 7–9, 2006 in Minneapolis, MN
Presentations and Agenda
Citations from each presenter (PDF, 11 pp, 85K)

Nutrient Loading & Removal in the Lower Mississippi River Basin: Data, Trends & Opportunities
June 1–2, 2006, New Orleans, LA
Presentations and Agenda
Agenda Sessions Transcripts (PDF, 73 pp, 287K) 9 Sessions

Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Assessing the State of the Science
April 25–27, 2006, New Orleans, LA
Presentations and Agenda
Panel Summaries (PDF, 21 pp, 39K) (concluding statements from the panelists reviewing lead authors’ papers)
Agenda Sessions Transcripts (PDF, 118 pp, 421K) 7 Sessions
Papers prepared by Session Authors

• Session 1 (PDF, 36 pp, 3.1MB)
• Session 2 (PDF, 32 pp, 1.3MB)
• Session 4 (PDF, 46 pp, 331K)
• Session 6 (PDF, 41 pp, 288K)

Gulf Hypoxia and Local Water Quality Concerns Workshop
September 26–28, 2005, Ames, IA
Agenda
Presentations and Agenda (PDF, 205 pp, 2MB)
Full proceedings, by session:

• Session 1 (PDF, 15 pp, 384K)
• Session 2 (PDF, 8 pp, 284K)
• Session 4 (PDF, 17 pp, 73K)
• Session 5 (PDF, 14 pp, 82K)
• Session 6 (PDF, 15 pp, 82K)
• Session 7 (PDF, 20 pp, 77K)
• Session 8 (PDF, 11 pp, 53K)
• Session 9 (PDF, 12 pp, 40K)
• Session 10 (PDF, 22 pp, 735K)
• Session 11 (PDF, 11 pp, 62K)
• Session 12 (PDF, 14 pp, 59K)
• Session 13 (PDF, 16 pp, 318K)
• Session 14 (PDF, 27 pp, 98K)
• Session 15 (PDF, 11 pp, 55K)

Mississippi River Basin Nutrients Science Workshop
October 4–6, 2005, St. Louis, MO
Meeting Proceedings

Science and Management Teams and Workgroup

Formation of Management Action Reassessment Team (MART) and Science Reassessment Team (SRT) for the purpose of undertaking the initial compiling and updating of the data for the reassessment. Each of these teams will summarize available data, identify gaps and limitations in existing information and activities, and propose additional activities and assessments to close the gaps.

Management Action Reassessment Team Products

• MART Report (PDF, 31 pp, 3.5MB)
• Point Source Loadings Reassessment (PDF, 31 pp, 1.2MB)

Modeling, Monitoring and Research Workgroup Products

• A Science Strategy to Support Management Decisions Related to Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Excess Nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin (Monitoring, Modeling and Research Workgroup, Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, 2004): MMR Final Report

Science Advisory Board Panel

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water has requested that the Science Advisory Board (SAB) conduct an evaluation of the complex scientific and technical issues that affect the causes, location, magnitude and duration of the hypoxic zone in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the priority and feasibility of management and control options in the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf to reduce it. The SAB Hypoxia Panel reviews background reports and current research efforts (including research discussed through the 4 science symposia) and seeks public comments to answer the charge given to the panel.

2007 Science Advisory Board Report on Gulf Hypoxia (PDF, 333 pp, 4.74MB)

Request for Nominations to Panel (PDF, 3 pp, 66K) (Federal Register)

Invitation for Comment on Short List (PDF, 33 pp, 160K)

Determination of Panel Membership (PDF, 9 pp, 71K)

Notification of Public Meeting (PDF, 2 pp, 70K) (Federal Register)

Bibliography and Abstracts for SAB: Master list of articles with abstracts (PDF, 141 pp, 531K)

Selected public domain PDF documents for reference (numbers correspond to Master List):

• Reference document 03 (PDF, 25 pp, 546K)
• Reference document 13 (PDF, 62 pp, 1.2MB)
• Reference document 23 (PDF, 36 pp, 1.1MB)
• Reference document 29 (PDF, 1 pg, 20K)
• Reference document 40 (PDF, 14 pp, 860K)
• Reference document 71 (PDF, 1 pg, 64K)
• Reference document 75 (PDF, 358 pp, 8.5MB)
• Reference document 90 (PDF, 1 pg, 159K)
• Reference document 97 (PDF, 12 pp, 2MB)
• Reference document 100 (PDF, 37 pp, 199K)
• Reference document 106 (PDF, 6 pp, 1.1MB)
• Reference document 146 (PDF, 6 pp, 155K)
• Reference document 148 (PDF, 358 pp, 10.5MB)
• Reference document 150 (PDF, 382 pp, 4MB)
• Reference document 197 (PDF, 85 pp, 1.2MB)
• Reference document 245 (PDF, 8 pp, 151K)
• Reference document 254 (PDF, 58 pp, 4MB)

Background Documents

As part of the Hypoxia Science Advisory Board (SAB) Panel’s review, several key background materials are available for review by the panelists as well as the interested public.

Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Integrated Assessment
CENR's 1999 Preparatory Hypoxia Assessment Reports

• Characterization of Hypoxia
(PDF, 203 pp, 12.5MB)
• Ecological and Economic Consequences of Hypoxia
(PDF, 63 pp, 366K)
• Flux and Sources of Nutrients
(PDF, 159 pp, 4MB)
• Effects of Reducing Nutrient Loads
(PDF, 158 pp, 4MB)
• Reducing Nutrient Loads
(PDF, 134 pp, 5.9MB)
• Costs and Benefits Analysis of Methods for Reducing Hypoxia
(PDF, 137 pp, 3.4MB)
• Public Comments on the six prepratory reports

• Public Comments on the Draft Integrated Assessment
• Response to Public Comments from CENR
(PDF, 58 pp, 139K)

EPA Region 4 White Paper - Evaluation of the Role of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Causing or Contributing to Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf, August, 2004 Peer Review Summary and EPA Responses
Full (peer reviewers’) comments
Public Input Summary and EPA Responses
Full Public comments:

• Comment 1 (PDF, 8 pp, 106K)
• Comment 2 (PDF, 34 pp, 2MB)
• Comment 3 (PDF, 4 pp, 23K)
• Comment 4 (PDF, 2 pp, 34K)
• Comment 5 (PDF, 17 pp, 78K)
• Comment 6 (PDF, 3 pp, 57K)