Action item # 11 of the 2001 Action Plan (PDF) (6.4MB) calls for an assessment of progress in achieving the three goals (Coastal, Within Basin, and Quality of Life) of the Action Plan and decisions on a future course of action:

"By December 2005 and every five years thereafter, the Task Force will assess the nutrient load reductions achieved and the response of the hypoxic zone, water quality throughout the Basin, and economic and social effects. Based on this assessment, the Task Force will determine appropriate actions to continue to implement this strategy or, if necessary, revise the strategy."

• A Peer Review of 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." that will independently assess the scientific validity of the conclusions on the roles of phosphorus and nitrogen limiting nutrients during algal bloom development given the data reviewed.

• 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. These teams will each array and summarize available data on the changing conditions, identify gaps and limitations in existing information and activities, and propose additional activities, assessments, and interpretations.

• A draft proposal for the 2005 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) (67K, 6 pp.)

• Updated Timeline and Process - 2/22/06 (PDF, 34K, 1 page)

• The following four(4) symposia were condutecd as part of the Reassessment Proposal with the purpose of assessing the current state of the science:

  • Upper Mississippi Symposia - September 26-28, 2005 in Ames, IA
  • Gulf Science Symposia - April 25-27, 2006 in New Orleans, LA
  • Lower Mississippi Symposia - June 1-2, 2006 in New Orleans, LA
  • Sources, Fate, and Transport Synthesis Symposia - Nov. 6-7, 2006 in Minneapolis, MN

• Science Advisory Board Panel:

  • Request for Nominations to Panel (PDF) (66K, 3 pp.) (Federal Register)
  • Invitation for Comment on Short List (PDF) (160K, 33 pp.)
  • Determination of Panel Membership (PDF) (71K, 9 pp.)
  • Notification of Public Meeting (PDF) (70K, 2 pp.) (Federal Register)

• Mississippi River Nutrients Science Workshop - October 4-6, 2005, St. Louis, MO:
  Meeting Proceedings

• 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.

1. Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Integrated Assessment
   1999 CENR Reports

   • "Characterization of Hypoxia"
   • "Ecological and Economic Consequences of Hypoxia"
   • "Flux and Sources of Nutrients"
   • "Effects of Reducing Nutrient Loads"
   • "Reducing Nutrient Loads"
   • "Costs and Benefits Analysis of Methods for Reducing Hypoxia"

   May 2000 Final Integrated Assessment
   Response to public comments

2. Science Symposia

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

Gulf Science Symposia

• Agenda and Presentations
• Session Transcripts (PDF) (421K, 118 pp.)
• Panel Summaries (concluding statements from the panelists reviewing lead authors’ papers) (PDF, 39K, 21 pp.)

Lower Mississippi Symposia

• Presentations
• Session Transcripts (PDF) (287K, 73 pp.)

Upper Mississippi Symposia

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

Nutrients Sources Fate and Transport Symposium

Presentations are currently linked at http://www.tetratech-ffx.com/nutrients4/agenda.htm
Citations from each presenter (PDF). (85K, 11 pp.)

3. Management Action Reassessment Team Products

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

4. 2001 Action Plan (PDF, 6.4MB, 36 pp.)

5. EPA Region 4 White Paper - "Evaluation of the Role of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Causing or Contributing to Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf, EPA, August 2004" Including:
   Peer Review Summary and EPA Responses
   Full (peer reviewers’) comments
   Public Input Summary and EPA Responses
   Full Public comments:
   
   • Comment 1 (PDF) (106K, 8 pp.)
   • Comment 2 (PDF) (2MB, 34 pp.)
   • Comment 3 (PDF) (23K, 4 pp.)
   • Comment 4 (PDF) (34K, 2 pp.)
   • Comment 5 (PDF) (78K, 17 pp.)
   • Comment 6 (PDF) (57K, 3 pp.)

   Reg 4 White Paper August 2004 Cover Letter (PDF, 119K, 2 pp.)
   Reg 4 White Paper August 2004 (PDF, 675K, 25 pp.)
   Reg 4 White Paper Peer Review-Fact Sheet (PDF, 20K, 2 pp.)
   White Paper - April 2004 Draft (PDF, 4.5MB, 42 pp.)
   White Paper - January 2004 Draft (PDF, 1.6MB, 42 pp.)

6. 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

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

   Selected public domain PDF docs for references (numbers correspond to Master List):

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

8. Miss River Nutrient Science Workshop, October 4-6, 2005

9. Reference Documents for the SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel (HAP)

• The first public meeting of the Hypoxia Advisory Panel will be held on September 6-7, 2006 in Washington, DC. For more information go to the Federal Register announcement