Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, recently performed a climate change vulnerability analysis for the Oceans and Coastal Protection Division (OCPD) within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water. The work was provided under a two-year mission support contract for the EPA. Dewberry is a subcontractor to Battelle.
Dewberry identified and categorized potential climate change risks within the Northeast region by analyzing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate trend data, the National Climate Assessment, and individual Northeast state’s climate reports. This scoping analysis will alert the EPA about climate change risks to achieving Clean Water Act goals and will help the agency determine whether there may be climate change concerns that require further evaluation.
The scope of work included determining the nature and spatial extent of anticipated risks to recreational, public water supply, and pollution control aspects based on expected changes to known environmental stressors in the years 2050 and 2100. The findings of the analysis will help the EPA and other stakeholders to identify areas of concern and prioritize climate change mitigation measures. This information will also be used to assist communities.
