NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:  July 19, 2012

Contact:  Hannah Mellman
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(202) 833-4655

NACWA Urges EPA to Review and Update 2003 Water Quality Trading Policy

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) sent a letter  to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today requesting that the Agency review and update its 2003 Water Quality Trading Policy.  In the letter, NACWA recommends a series of changes to the Policy that would encourage greater market formation and broader market participation that includes nonpoint sources.  Most notably, NACWA cites concerns it has that EPA’s Policy appears to focus primarily on linking water quality trading to implementation of total maximum daily loads.  As the letter states, a waterbody impairment should not have to be declared for trading to be utilized.

This effort comes out of NACWA’s newly formed Water Quality Trading Working Group, which was created to promote the use of water quality trading and think strategically about how to overcome some of trading’s main barriers.  For more information on this letter or the working group, please contact Hannah Mellman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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NACWA represents the interests of more than 300 public agencies and organizations that have made the pursuit of scientifically based, technically sound and cost effective laws and regulations their objective. NACWA members serve the majority of the sewered population in the United States and collectively treat and reclaim more than 18 billion gallons of wastewater daily.