Collaboration and Partnerships
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Water Quality Trading
Office of Water
Geographic location or area of activity: Nationwide, Chesapeake Bay
Description of activity: EPA’s Water Quality Trading program involves coordination with other agencies.
- USDA-NRCS & EPA-OW Partnership Agreement: In October 2006, EPA & USDA signed a partnership agreement to coordinate the agencies’ trading efforts. The focus of the agreement is to coordinate on a “Nitrogen Trading Tool” and support its use in a pilot project in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The agreement also includes developing common trading terminology to improve agency communication. The Partnership Agreement can be viewed at the following address: https://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/partnership.html
- Trading Award: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Nitrogen Credit Exchange Program as the winner of EPA’s first Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Award. A panel of EPA and USDA participants chose the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Nitrogen Credit Exchange Program.
- Trading Toolkit: In August 2007, EPA released the Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers to help interested stakeholders design and implement trading programs consistent with EPA’s 2003 National Water Quality Trading Policy. The Toolkit was the product of cooperation among many individuals at EPA as well as from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut, Maryland, West Virginia and Portland, OR.
- Virginia Nonpoint Source Manual: EPA funded the development of a nonpoint source trading manual for Virginia.
- Trading Training: EPA provides water quality trading training to interested stakeholders. In 2007 EPA has held trainings in Bellevue, WA as a pre-conference workshop to the TMDL 2007 conference and in Kansas City at the EPA Region 7 office. Most recently EPA has worked with USDA-NRCS to hold a training at USDA headquarters, primarily for USDA staff but also open to the public.
- World Resources Institute (WRI) Advisory Group: EPA participated on WRI’s Trading Advisory Group to help determine the barriers to trading.
- Ecosystem Marketplace: EPA is participating in efforts by Ecosystem Marketplace to hold a Chesapeake Bay water quality trading summit. EPA was also asked to write an article on the status of water quality trading for Ecosystem Marketplace’s news website.
Interagency partners: USDA, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut
Local partners: Ecosystem Marketplace, World Resources Institute, Portland, OR
Activity URL: https://www.epa.gov/waterqualitytrading/