Office of Water NIS Activities and Concerns

1. Office of Water NIS Activities and Concerns Diane Regas Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Nonindigenous Species Workshop July 12 & 13, 2000 Washington, DC

2. NIS Activities and Concerns • Nonindigenous species are serious business • Tools the Office of Water uses • Regulatory • Grants • Inter-agency Coordination • Partnerships with Private Sector • Our activities include prevention, restoration • We need good science to do our job

3. BALLAST WATER Uniform National Discharge Standards (UNDS) • We are currently writing regulations on standards for Armed Forces vessels discharges, including ballast water, hull cleaning and antifouling paint. • Although UNDS applies only to Armed Forces vessels, it may pave the way for technology that can be used on all vessels.

4. BALLAST WATER Petition to Regulate Ballast Water • In response, we have been studying • implications, • chances of success, and • “side-effects” • technological limitations • gaps in knowledge • gaps in current regulation.

5. BALLAST WATER Petition to Regulate Ballast Water • Some early areas of consensus: • The threat is real, and is appropriate for EPA to address • The Clean Water Act does provide EPA with some authority, at least in some circumstances. • The biggest impediment: the lack of effective treatment technologies. • EPA should encourage the rapid development of these technologies, and help to implement them.

6. BALLAST WATER Other regulation • Coast Guard regulations came out recently. • EPA is working with Coast Guard and ANS Task Force to develop effective standards • International Maritime Organization is working on an international ballast water treaty. EPA is on the U.S. Delegation. • Several States recently passed ballast water laws. Other state legislatures are considering it.

7. OTHER FEDERAL ACTIVITIES Invasive Species Council • “National Invasive Species Management Plan” Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force • Coordinates many Federal governmental NIS efforts. • Focus shifting from mostly research to action • Task Force committees, eg • Mediterranean Caulerpa taxifolia • Ballast Water and Shipping Committee • Regional Panels

8. NEPS AND NIS • 28 NEPs are national watershed management models • 1997: 9 NEPS identified NIS as high or medium priority; • NEPs designated NIS as 1 of 7 key management issues

9. NEPS AND NIS (cont.) • NEPS have: • Funded research on impacts of a major NIS, Atlantic Cordgrass, on native grasses and two endangered bird species in San Francisco Estuary • Funded research that evaluated shoreside treatment of ballast water

10. NEPS AND NIS (cont.) • NEP headquarters staff: • served on workgroup that planned regional and this national workshop • serve on inter-agency NIS Council workgroups • are currently exploring potential for a mini-grant program to support NEP NIS initiatives

11. NEPS AND NIS (cont.) • San Francisco Estuary • 95%-99% of Bay Organisms are Non-native • NIS is 1 of 10 top priorities • Estimated $2.4M/Year Cost of Responding to NIS • NEP Sits on Western Regional Panel of Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force

12. NEPS AND NIS (cont.) • Indian River Lagoon • 3 Exotic Plant Species: • Brazilian Pepper, • Australian pine, • maleleuca tree • Control is Very Costly • Activities of NEP Include: • volunteer “Pepper Busts”, • beach & lagoon clean-up days

13. WETLANDS RESTORATION • EPA Work on CWAP Goal • Participate in Five Star Grant Program • Supports community-led NIS restoration projects • Examples: Grants to Caddo Native American Tribe, Communities in Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Idaho, Oregon • Wetlands Division approach: support restoration to level at or near naturally-functioning, healthy ecosystem

14. BIOCRITERIA • We strongly support state biocriteria development • Biocriteria provide states with WQ standards benchmarks • Work with states to develop biocriteria

15. AQUACULTURE • We have begun preparation of Aquaculture Effluent Guidelines • How, if at all, should we address NIS in these Guidelines? • Stakeholders comments: • all facilities potentially have escapees • problem in fresh water as well as the marine environment.

16. TMDLs • 26 water bodies in 5 states are impaired from “Exotic Species” • More than 800 waters listed as impaired from “Noxious Aquatic Plants” (alien or native) • CA recently listed some waters of SF Bay as impaired by invasive species

17. WATER DIVERSIONS • Water transfers/diversions are potential pathways for invasives • EPA is evaluating how to address water diversions that transfer chemical pollutants • Some proposed water diversions may provide new NIS pathways

18. RESEARCH NEEDS • Major Research Needs • Efficacy and costs of prevention options, monitoring activities, control programs • NIS vector sources • Habitat vulnerability to NIS • Treatment technologies

19. CONCLUSION • NIS are a major environmental problem • We are devoting resources and attention to NIS prevention and restoration • Research will play a vital role • We welcome the opportunity to work closely with ORD in developing an NIS research agenda