In January 13, 2003, Administrator Christine Todd Whitman announced the issuance of the final water quality trading policy by stating that, "the most effective and economical way to reduce pollution is to provide incentives to encourage action by those who can achieve reductions easily and cost-effectively”. The policy supports the trading of nutrients and sediments within a watershed. Additonally, the USEPA is providing $800,000 to support 11 projects around the country. The following links provide more information.
EPA Water Quality Trading page
- State and Individual Trading Programs page
- A Summary of U.S. Effluent Trading and Offset Projects (1999). Environomics for US EPA Office of Water (pdf).
- Results of Water-Based Trading Simulations (1999). Chuck Marshall for Office of Science and Technology (PDF).
- U.S. EPA Final Water Quality Trading Policy (2003) - Federal Register Issuance of Final Policy
- U.S. EPA Water Quality Trading Assessment Handbook (Nov. 2004)
- Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers (Aug. 2007) - Link
- Wetlands and Water Quality Trading: Review of Current Science and Economic Practices with Selected Case Studies - US EPA Report (EPA 600R06/155 - July 2007)
- EPA Water Quality Trading Evaluation (Oct. 2008) - PDF
- TMDL Implementation - Characterisctics of Successful Projects (2006) - pdf
U.S. EPA Watershed Based NPDES Permitting: website
Case studies:
General Permit for Nitrogen Discharges, Long Island Sound
Final Permit, Rahr Malting Company, MN
Final Permit, Neuse River Compliance Association, NC
Tualitan River Watershed (OR) NPDES Permits
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, VA: Watershed-based general permit for nutrient discharges and trading.
EPA Webcast seminar: Introduction to Trading for Water Quality Protection (Dec 14, 2005)
EPA Water Quality Trading Newsletters
- TWG Program home page
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2008 Targeted Watershed Grants |
The 2008 TWG focused on water quality trading or other market-based water quality projects in the Ohio River Basin, and the Upper and Lower Mississippi Rivers. 10 finalists received $3.7 million. Link to 2008 TWG web page |
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2006/2007 Targeted Watershed Grants |
15 finalists were selected for a total $12.4 million in implementation grants. Two grants were awarded for market/trading projects: Clear Creek (CO), and Saluda-Reedy Rivers (SC) Link to 2006/07 TWG web page. |
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2005 Targeted Watershed Grants
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For 2005, the 12 Targeted Watersheds were awarded over $9 million in total. Market-based and/or trading programs were featured 4 of these watersheds, including Vermillion River (MN), Tuttle Creek Lake (NE, KS), Willamette River (OR), and Skagit River (WA) Link to 2005 TWG web page. TWG 2005 Annual Report.
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On July 19, 2004 the USEPA announced its Targeted Watersheds under the 2004 program. Trading was featured in five of the fourteen targeted watersheds. These watersheds include the Lake Tahoe (CA/NV), Bear River (ID, UT, WY), Kalamazoo River (MI), Cape Fear (NC) and Passaic River (NJ). Read a summary of each trading project (PDF). Link to the 2004 TWG web page. |
US EPA Sponsored National Forum on Water Quality Trading, Chicago, IL. July 22 & 23, 2003.
US EPA 2nd National Water Quality Trading Conference. Pittsburg, PA, May 23-25, 2006.
USDA CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS
USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants main page
Previous winners:
2008: Water quality trading projects include "Development and Application of a Modified NTT Tool for Water Quality Trading" (Tarleton State University, MD) and "Starting It Local: Transferable Market Infrastructure for Trading Water Quality Credits & Ecosystem Services in the Upper Mississippi River Basin" (Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Board).
2007: Water quality trading projects include "Customized Training on Water Quality Trading for Agriculture and Wastewater Facilities" (Conservation Technology Information Center MD, OH, VA), and "Piloting Point source to Non-Point Source Nutrient Trading in the Upper Chesapeake Bay" (Maryland Department of Agriculture).
2006: Water quality trading projects include "Improving Conservation and Agricultural Economics with Water Quality Credit Trading and the BMP Challenge" (Agflex, Inc.) and "Development and Implementation of a Water Quality Bank and Trade Program for the Potomac River Watershed, WV" (West Virginia University Research Corp.).
2005: Water quality trading projects include "Great Miami River Watershed Water Quality Credit Trading Program" (Miami Conservancy District, OH).
2004: Water quality trading projects include "Designing, Evaluating, and Implementing a Market-Based System for Delivery of Conservation Practice Funding" (Pennsylvania Environmental Council) and "Innovative Cropping Systems Environmental Credit Program" (Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District, VA)
USDA Farm Bill
Website(2008 Farm Bill)
Conservation Measures (including market-based incentives) - web page.
Resources, Northeast Midwest Institution
