Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Program

Nutrient Trading

Background
Water quality credit trading is a tool for reducing the cost of meeting the environmental goal of controlling nutrients and sediments that severely impact streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Some states in the Mid-Atlantic have begun to encourage trading through
legislation and rulemaking.

All those involved in making or shaping policies must understand that water quality credit trading presents opportunities, such as lowered costs for pollution reduction, but is ccompanied by challenges. These challenges include gaps in knowledge and resultant uncertainty about the outcomes.

Scientists with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Program are working on these challenges to ensure that nutrient credit trading programs are designed and implemented based on the best science available.

Activities

Nutrient Trading and Implications of Mid-Atlantic Waters
This workshop introduced the audience to the theory of water quality credit trading, its goals, and the implications of putting trading into practice on Mid-Atlantic waters. Presentations also provided updates on efforts to develop trading programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and suggested the neccessary steps to make these programs successful.

Water Quality Credit Trading Symposium
This symposium discussed the basics of water quality credit trading as well as the potential pitfalls. Evaluation of water quality credit trading programs can play a key role in how they operate and how they are perceived. Several existing water quality credit trading programs were discussed. The symposium ended with a discussion of the role of extension and research in the water quality credit trading arena.

EPA Region 3 Nutrient Trading Workshop
This workshop was co-hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Water Quality Trading Forum and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Program on December 12, 2007.

Publications
Nutrient Trading Resource Directory (99KB)
Mid-Atlantic Water Program, 2005

A Primer on Water Quality Credit Trading (261KB)
Mid-Atlantic Water Program, 2006-2007

State Specific Inserts: Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia

Water Quality Credit Trading and Agriculture: Recognizing the Challenges and Policy Issues Ahead (173KB)
Article by Charles Abdalla, Tatiana Borisova, Doug Parker and Kristen Saacke Blunk that was published in the 2nd Quarter 2007 issue of Choices.

Pennsylvania's Nutrient Trading Program: Legal Issues and Challenges (215KB)
This White Paper was commissioned by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program. This product was prepared by the National Sea Grant Law Center. 2007.

Related Links

State Trading Activities:

Delaware  http://www.dnrec.state.de.us

Maryland  http://www.mde.state.md.us/Programs/WaterPrograms/index.asp

Pennsylvania  http://www.dep.state.pa.us/river/Nutrient%20Trading.htm

Virginia  http://www.deq.state.va.us/vpdes

West Virginia http://www.wvdep.org

Chesapeake Bay Program

U.S Department of Agriculture

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Contact Information

Maryland - Doug Parker, University of Maryland, dparker@arec.umd.edu

Pennsylvania - Charlie Abdalla, Penn State University, CAbdalla@psu.edu

Virginia - Kurt Stephenson, Virginia Tech, Kurts@vt.edu

West Virginia - Richard Herd, West Virginia University, RichardHerd@mail.wvu.edu

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	This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2002-51130-01522. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.