Miyoko Sakashita of the Center for Biological Diversity advises us that a group letter to the US EPA on ocean acidification has over 60 organization signatories. She noted that: It was wonderful to have everyone speak up on this important issue. Below is a final version of the letter. Additionally, 40 members of Congress also endorsed a letter to the EPA in support of action on ocean acidification.
Here’s the letter:
Planet 1 Ocean * 1Sky * 350.org * Alaska Center for the Environment American Fisheries Society * Blue Climate Solutions * Blue Frontier Campaign Blue Ocean Institute * California Coastkeeper Alliance * Campaign to Safeguard America’s Waters * Caribbean Conservation Corporation * Casco Baykeeper Center for Biological Diversity * Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration Citizens Campaign for the Environment * Clean Ocean Action * Clean Water Action Climate Protection Campaign * Conservation Law Foundation * Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) * CORALations * Cry of the Water * Defenders of Wildlife * Earth Island Institute EcoLaw Massachusetts * Environmental Defense Center * Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) * Friends of the Earth * Global Exchange * Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice * Greenpeace USA * Gulf Restoration Network Hawaii Preparatory Academy * Humane Society of the United States * Humboldt Baykeeper International Center for Technology Assessment * International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute * International Rivers * KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance * Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center * Living Oceans Foundation Marine Conservation Biology Institute * Mass Audubon * Natural Resources Defense Center (NRDC) * Niijii Films producers of A Sea Change * Northcoast Environmental Center * Oceana * Ocean River Institute * Pacific Environment * Palm Beach County Reef Rescue * Rainforest Action Network * Reef Relief * Sailors for the Sea San Diego Coastkeeper * San Francisco Baykeeper * Santa Barbara Channelkeeper Snorkel Bob Foundation * Spirit of the Sage Council * SustainUS * Turtle Island Restoration Network * Waterkeeper Alliance * Western Nebraska Resources Council Wildcoast * Wild Fish Conservancy * Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation May 21, 2010
Clean Water Act Section 303(d):
Notice of Call for Public Comment on 303(d) Program and Ocean Acidification
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Constitution Ave., NW, Mailcode: 4503–T
Washington, DC 20460.
Re: Protect our oceans from acidification under the Clean Water Act
On behalf of our organizations and millions of members, we write to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) taking action to address ocean acidification. Specifically, we urge the EPA to issue guidance to address ocean acidification under the Clean Water Act.
Protecting our oceans from the threat of ocean acidification
The world’s oceans are becoming more acidic from absorbing carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere to the tune of 22 million tons each day. Surface waters have become 30% more acidic since the industrial age, and scientists predict that if carbon dioxide emissions continue unabated seawater acidity will increase 100-150% by the end of the century (
Ocean acidification impairs the ability of marine animals — including corals, plankton, and shellfish — to build the protective shells they need to survive. Scientific evidence shows that ocean acidification may harm many marine organisms, and some of these impacts are already underway.
Studies of certain corals, shellfish, and plankton show that they will have difficulty building and maintaining their structures under future conditions of acidification (
Slower growth rates have already been observed in some corals, and many corals could be lost within a few decades due to global warming and acidification (
Pacific Coast oyster hatcheries are experiencing difficulties that may be related to acidification, and two of the largest hatcheries report production rates down by as much as 80% (
Some plankton are growing thinner and weaker shells in polar regions, which are more vulnerable to ocean acidification (
Studies show that exposure of fish, squid, and other animals to future levels of ocean acidification may disrupt metabolism and other biological functions (
Ocean acidification could have serious impacts on marine biodiversity, as well as the coastal communities and economies that depend on our oceans. The marine ecosystems threatened by ocean acidification provide valuable services ranging from fishing and shellfish harvesting to coastal tourism and protection. To prevent some of its worst consequences it is imperative that EPA take swift action to address ocean acidification.
Nature 437:681-686). Thus, ocean acidification is becoming one of the greatest threats to seawater quality. Limnol. Oceanogr. 54(6):2072–2080, J. of Marine Sci. 65: 414–432, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 10:Q07005). Science 323:116-119, Marine Pollution Bull. 58:1428-1436). PLoS ONE 4(5):e5661). Nature Geosci. 2:276-280). J. of Oceanogr. 60:705-718; PNAS 105:20776-20780; J. of Oceanogr. 60:731-741). EPA leadership and guidance on ocean acidification is needed
We support EPA implementing the Clean Water Act to address ocean acidification. The Clean Water Act’s objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. It has successfully reduced water pollution and must be fully employed to address ocean acidification. Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act is well suited to address ocean acidification because it was designed for water pollution problems originating from various sources, including the atmosphere.
EPA should direct prompt action while such efforts can still avert the worst impacts of ocean acidification. Under the Clean Water Act, EPA can and should develop a framework coordinating state and federal action to prevent ocean acidification. Specifically, we urge EPA to:
Issue guidance on how to address ocean acidification under the Clean Water Act, including precautionary strategies for addressing this water quality problem.
Work with states to ensure the use of the best available science on ocean acidification when establishing water quality standards, identifying threatened and impaired waters, and calculating and implementing total maximum daily loads.
Provide guidance for state, tribal, and territorial governments on how to monitor ocean acidification and its ecological consequences; as well as promote management and adaptation planning for coastal and marine areas.
EPA guidance would fulfill a critical need because as ocean acidification becomes more severe, all coastal regions will have to confront its impacts. Ocean acidification is already becoming apparent in vulnerable regions, including the entire West Coast, Alaska’s productive waters, and the Caribbean, which could soon threaten Florida’s coral reefs (
EPA action is needed to protect our coasts and oceans from the alarming impacts of ocean acidification. Moreover, approaches to ocean acidification under the Clean Water Act can and will complement local, state, and federal efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We thank you again for your leadership on environmental issues and support EPA’s efforts to protect America’s oceans and coasts from ocean acidification.
Science 320:1490-92, Oceanogr. 22: 160-171, J. of Geophys. Res. 113:C10031). EPA guidance should inform strategic responses to ocean acidification. Most sincerely,
David Guggenheim, Ph.D., President 1 Planet 1 Ocean
Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director 1Sky
May Boeve 350.org
Toby Smith, Executive Director Alaska Center for the Environment
Gus Rassam, PhD, Executive Director American Fisheries Society (AFS)
Steven Lutz, Executive Director Blue Climate Solutions
David Helvarg, President Blue Frontier Campaign
Carl Safina, Ph.D., President Blue Ocean Institute
Sara Aminzadeh, Programs Manager California Coastkeeper Alliance
Gershon Cohen Ph.D., Project Director Campaign to Safeguard America’s Waters Project of Earth Island Institute
David Godfrey, Executive Director Caribbean Conservation Corporation
Joe Payne Casco Baykeeper
Miyoko Sakashita, Oceans Director Center for Biological Diversity
Andrew J. Gunther, Ph.D., Executive Director Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Cindy Zipf, Executive Director Clean Ocean Action
John DeCock, President Clean Water Action
Mike Sandler, Co-Founder Climate Protection Campaign
Christopher M. Kilian, Vice President Conservation Law Foundation.
Brian Huse, Executive Director Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)
Mary Ann Lucking, Director CORALations
Stephanie Clark Cry of the Water
Noah Matson, Vice President for Climate Change and Natural Resources Adaptation Defenders of Wildlife
John A. Knox, Executive Director Earth Island Institute
Margaret E. Sheehan, Partner EcoLaw Massachusetts
Linda Krop, Chief Counsel Environmental Defense Center
Scott Greacen, Executive Director EPIC – the Environmental Protection Information Center
Bradley Angel, Executive Director Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice
Marcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign Director Friends of the Earth
Kirsten Moller, Executive Director Global Exchange
Damon Moglen, Global Warming Campaign Director Greenpeace USA
Cyn Sarthou, Executive Director Gulf Restoration Network
Marc R. Rice Director, Science and Technology Hawaii Preparatory Academy
John W. Grandy, Ph.D., Senior Vice President Humane Society of the United States
Pete Nichols Humboldt Baykeeper
Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director International Center for Technology Assessment
David Phillips, Director International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute
Payal Parekh, Climate Scientist International Rivers
Marti Townsend, Program Director KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance
Lesley Adams, Rogue Riverkeeper Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center Philip G. Renaud, Executive Director Living Oceans Foundation
John Guinotte, Ph.D., Marine Biogeographer Marine Conservation Biology Institute
John J. Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations Mass Audubon
Bradford H. Sewell, Senior Attorney Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Barbara Ettinger, Director Niijii Films, Inc. producers of
A Sea Change: Imagine a World without Fish Tara Stetz Northcoast Environmental Center
Jeff Short, Pacific Science Director Oceana
Rob Moir, PhD, Executive Director Ocean River Institute
David Gordon, Executive Director Pacific Environment
Ed Tichenor, Director Palm Beach Reef Rescue
Rebecca Tarbotton, Acting Executive Director Rainforest Action Network
Paul G. Johnson, State Programs & Policy Director Reef Relief
Dan Pingaro, CEO Sailors for the Sea
Jill Witkowski San Diego Coastkeeper
Jason Flanders San Francisco Baykeeper
Kira Redmond, Executive Director Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Robert Wintner Snorkel Bob Foundation
Leeona Klippstein, Executive Director Spirit of the Sage Council
Kyle Gracey, Chair SustainUS
Teri Shore, Program Director Turtle Island Restoration Network
Kristine Stratton, Executive Director Waterkeeper Alliance
Buffalo Bruce, Staff Ecologist Western Nebraska Resources Council
Serge Dedina, Executive Director Wildcoast
Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director Wild Fish Conservancy
Scott Black Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation