Water Quality Water Quality Trading in Trading in

WashingtonWashingtonHelen BreslerHelen Bresler

(360) 407-6180(360) 407-6180

Water quality trading Water quality trading must meet three must meet three

objectives:objectives:

• Comply with Washington’s water quality standards and the Clean Water Act.

• Result in water quality trades that are verifiable and fully enforceable.

• Promote cost-effective water quality protection and restoration.

Where are we in the Where are we in the process?process?

• Idaho has a trading policy .• Washington is developing one—

Spokane will be the pilot.• The state programs may not be

identical, but will be compatible.• Will be designed to allow cross-

border trading.

Key PrinciplesKey Principles• Credits are generated by controlling pollution

beyond what is required by a load or wasteload allocation.

• Technology-based effluent limits cannot be met by trading.

• Trading may not result in exceedence of water quality standards, violation of antidegradation requirements, or cap established by TMDL.

• Credits should be generated and used within the same time period.

Key PrinciplesKey Principles

• Pollution controls used for trading must be secured using binding legal instruments.

• Must have system in place to ensure compliance—record-keeping, inspections, enforcement.

• Regularly assess results to modify and improve the program.

• Provide adequate public notice and program transparency.

Tasks to accomplishTasks to accomplish

• Determine what qualifies as a trade.• Identify actions and activities that may

be used for trading in the Spokane watershed.

• Quantify the reductions expected from the identified actions and activities.

• Establish trading ratios.

To help us make To help us make progress togetherprogress together

• Take a look at EPA’s trading page http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/trading.cfm

• And Idaho’s guidancehttp://www.deq.state.id.us/water/prog_issues/waste_water/pollutant_trading/pollutant_trading_guidance_0710.pdf