Due to the large set of different stakeholders in the seven state project area, this effort will allow power companies, farmers, and other industrial dischargers to work together to improve water quality, minimizing costs to the public and stakeholders. Coordinated efforts among state, regional and federal regulatory agencies are critical to address how interstate trading will occur. The design of the program will also need to consider existing Ohio trading rules, Pennsylvania trading policy, West Virginia’s emerging trading framework and existing watershed trading programs such as in the Great Miami River watershed. Read what some of the Ohio River Trading Project Collaborators are saying…
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Alan Vicory - ORSANCO
“The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission – ORSANCO - is very pleased that the Ohio Valley has been determined to be the region targeted for the design and implementation of an interstate trading program. As a key project participant, we bring over 60 years of experience in effective cooperation with state and federal agencies, utilities and industry on water quality issues. Perhaps nowhere else in this country do we have, collectively in place, the institutions, relationships and environmental conditions necessary for the successful implementation of interstate trading.” |
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Tim Lohner -
American Electric Power
"Participation in this EPRI project has allowed AEP to work collaboratively with major Ohio River stakeholders to help improve water quality in the watershed. As a major user of water in the Ohio River Basin, AEP supports this effort to develop more cost effective ways to protect this resource."
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Brooks Smith -
Hunton & Williams
“Under EPRI's leadership, this collaborative effort with
ORSANCO, EPA, states, and key industry and agricultural stakeholders
will result in the first interstate water quality trading program
for nutrients in the Nation. EPRI's leadership will not only accelerate
the improvement of water quality within the Ohio River Basin, but
will signal an important step toward restoration of the Gulf of
Mexico by cost-effectively reducing excess nutrients. I believe
that EPRI's leadership will also serve as a model for addressing
nutrient problems elsewhere around the country." |
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Mark Kieser - Kieser & Associates
"For more than a decade, water quality trading programs involving non-point sources have failed to develop into robust opportunities for environmental and economic gains largely due to 'thin markets'. Such market conditions have been a result of highly localized trades and conflicting trading policies from one locale to the next. A regional, multi-state trading framework has the potential to overcome these previous short-comings and achieve expected trading programs benefits long-touted by proponents including myself." |
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Jimmy Daukas - American Farmland Trust
“This project to develop a multistate water quality trading system is an exciting, new opportunity for agriculture in the Ohio River Basin. EPRI has brought together all the critical stakeholders to work together to develop and implement a successful trading system to improve water quality. American Farmland Trust is pleased to be a project team member engaging farmers and agriculture organizations in this effort. When this trading system is up and operating, it will improve water quality at a lower cost and create economic incentives for farmers to adopt conservation practices." |
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Jim Stieritz, Principle Environmental Specialist, Duke Energy
“I believe the Ohio River Trading program will offer a real alternative to wastewater treatment for nutrients for our Power Stations. I believe this trading program will be based on the very best science because of the excellent participants involved in this project." |
