Great Lakes Trading Network

Conference Call Summary

March 14, 2000

List of Participants:

  • Dave Batchelor, Michigan DEQ
  • Bill Reed, Forum for Greater Kalamazoo
  • Mary Anne Lowndes, Wisconsin NR
  • Doug White, Virginia Power
  • Bob Norwood
  • Mike Tenenbaum, Kieser & Associates, MI

I. Welcome

Several participants joined in the first few minutes of the call, between 1:30-1:40 p.m.  Self -introductions of early participants were made and the agenda set forth for today.

Agenda: I. Welcome
II. Old Business: February Conference Call Summary  (remain in preparation)

III. May Trading Conference updates: brochures, registrations, papers, etc.

IV. Discussion and finalization of plans for speakers and exhibits

V. Project Updates

Apparent consensus by all on line that this would be a shorter meeting due to both limited agenda and limited participants.

II. Old Business and February Conference Call Summary  (remain in preparation)

· Summaries from last month’s call and this one should be finalized before the end of the month.

· A new revised list of members was prepared and sent electronically by D. Batchelor to all participants.

· The revised summary from the January Call was recently distributed also by D. Batchelor.

· Dave has also drafted a letter of inquiry for funding to continue the Network beyond the current grant period.  Perhaps the best option will be to pursue a planning grant.  While the letter is virtually finalized, it has not been sent. 

· During our next call, we need to focus on (1) the future of the Network, especially how present participants would like to see it., and (2) a Draft Report to our funding agency on the project itself.

III. May Trading Conference updates

Brochures have now been printed and distribution has begun.  The following list is a rough breakdown of who in the Network wants brochures:

  • Michigan DEQ 1,700
  • B. Painter 25
  • Claire Schary 25
  • Mark T.50
  • Susan Austin 50 
  • Carl Ott 25
  • Kalamazoo Project 300
  • Mary Anne Lowndes 50
  • Bob Moore 50
  • Michigan Dept. Of Ag. 25
IV. Exhibits and Speakers

Currently there are 10-15 exhibits either confirmed or pending.  A list of potential exhibitors was created and distributed by Bruce and his team.  Bruce has expressed his inability to continue with this component any further.  Dave will now take over control of the remaining elements or the exhibits.

Confirmed Exhibitors are:

  • Susan Austin
  • Jean Bayer
  • Fox-Wolf Basin
  • 2000 Kalamazoo Project
  • Rock River (WI DNR, M. A. Lowndes)
  • Cherry Creek (Rhonda Sandquist)
  • Lower Boise
  • Chesapeake Bay Program

Pending Exhibitors are:

  • WERF (Margaret Stewart)
  • Long Island EPA (Mark Tedesco)
  • National Wildlife Fed. (Cari Dolan)
  • EPA (unknown)
  • WRI (Paul Faeth)*
  • General Motors*
  • ASWIPCA*

*designates conference sponsors who will be provided an opportunity to exhibit

Dave will forward all of his confirmations to Bill Reed (Forum for Greater Kalamazoo), with the needs of each, by the end of next week (March 23).  Dave will also address equipment and spatial needs of each exhibitor, with follow-up confirmation assistance from Mary Anne, and provide same to B. Reed so that he might communicate all needs to the hotel since we are behind their desired timetable for this information. 

B)            Bill and Dave have worked on the needs for each speaker and determined that each speaker should make their own personal hotel reservations BUT the Network will pick up these expenses at the time of departure.  Registration fees for speakers will also be handled by the Network.  If these individuals provide invoices for their respective airfares to Bill Reed AT THE CONFERENCE, they can receive immediate reimbursement.

We will try for twenty (20) speaker baskets.  Allison is taking the lead and is now looking for those who want to make contributions (small) to be placed in these baskets.  (Allison is in charge of this and will determine whether bags or baskets or steamer trunks would be used.)  Please check with Allison on the size of the “basket” and the size of any “product” that you wish to include BEFORE you make it available.  NOTE: All decisions on suitability will rest with Allison so please do not give her a hard time.  Remember that this coordination is not an easy task.  The Welcome Room for speakers will be manned by Kalamazoo Project members who would more than welcome ANY additional assistance from others so that people will be able to attend sessions too.  Please consider donating an hour or two of your time here and there.

Number of registrations at time of this call stood at 10, with one registration from Japan and others from each coast.  Now there are 19, as of the 28th.  Our capacity is 200 and our budget analysis indicates that 100 are needed to break even.   Expectations are for 100 to 150 attendees.

A question was raised about using legislative contacts to stimulate EPA participation.  This was followed by the suggestion that legislators, especially from our respective districts, should also be invited to attend.  Discussion followed on general reasons for why EPA may not be sending more supportive gestures for this program. Ranged anywhere from short-staffed to concern about signals being sent to other organizations to confusion over what stance is appropriate.  An informal approach may be workable.

Bob offered that Nancy Johnson (Connecticut) was moving legislation forward to expand the Long Island Sound project and put more funding into it that includes trading.  Her staff has been working with Conn. EPA and could be of assistance.  Will be followed up by Bob and others. 

Discussion on letter from Margaret Stewart indicating that papers given in Chicago should not be the same information as to be presented in Vancouver.  Speakers and other WERF funded project participants should submit written materials to Dave B. For inclusion in the notebooks we will hand out. It may be possible for Dave to set a conference call time with Margaret and representatives of the WERF funded projects.

Exhibit space will be available for set-up of displays from 7-12 the night before the start of the conference.

V.  Project Updates

Michigan proposed trading rules have their first of two public hearing this week with the second about two months later.  Rules should then be in place in September or early October 2000.  Not sure what EPA will do.  Kalamazoo project is now moving into construction phase on the last few sites.

Bob Norwood, Long Island Sound and Connecticut trading program, provided his update.  Submitted a bill to the Legislature to create a trading program, which was reported out of committee and referred to Finance (not sure how long it can sit there before it must come out).  Generally speaking, support has been favorable.  Concerns relative to the strength of an Advisory Board have been voiced since it is currently under the Commissioner.  Has a conference call with EPA this afternoon on their TMDL, which is not so simple.  Of the many convoluted and complex issues the most significant of which is that they do not have a realistic water quality standard and they have just noticed lowering their water quality standard to something that is achievable.  They too have experienced that the trading bill often gets confused with the TMDL program to lower nitrogen.  (In Kalamazoo the confusion was between trading and a TMDL to reduce phosphorus.)  The TMDL program needs to be in the lead.  Bob noted that the trading program is very well received.  Which does not mean that EPA will approve of or embrace it.  But most advice from EPA to this group was “Go ahead and do it; we will never stop you.”  That appears to be the informal political aspect. 

It would appear that the difficulty might be in the bureaucracy of EPA itself which has so many compartment that no matter what you do you are likely to violate something or other by doing this.   For instance, a proposed fifteen-year TMDL schedule can not be accepted by EPA.  Realistically however, two regions of EPA have signed off on this already.  This will have to play out step by step. 

A brief discussion followed on the difficulties of EPA embracing trading since it is so broad and appears not to fit well together.  It is becoming obvious for many that trading will work.  Trading has to work on a program by program basis, which will not necessarily be the same approach everywhere.  The great difficulty is in not being able to apply the same uniform approach everywhere.  The irony is that an environmental agency appears to be unable to relate or work with an approach that lends itself to adaptation within the needs of different biological and social communities.    

NEXT CALL

April 18, 2000, Tuesday, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.; his will be the last Network conference call before the May conference.  If there are any remaining details this will be the time to address them.

The tentative agenda is:

A) Conference Update

B) Future of the Network   

·  Report to GLPF

· Letter of Inquiry for Funding

· Suggestions for Organizational & Operational Structure

Call terminated at approximately 2:20 p.m.

Prepared by: Michael Tenenbaum