Arkansas Nutrient Water Quality Trading Advisory Panel: October 23rd Meeting Scheduled
October 20, 2017
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) issued an October 19th news release noting that the Arkansas Nutrient Water Quality Trading Advisory Panel (“Panel”) will meet at 1:30 on October 23rd at the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission headquarters (“ANRC”).
The ANRC is located at 101 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 350 in Little Rock.
Legislation enacted in the 90th Arkansas General Assembly provided the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission the authority to establish and regulate water quality trading in the state. The legislation also provided for the establishment of a Nutrient Water Quality Trading Advisory Panel.
A number of areas in the country are utilizing water quality trading as one approach to address water quality goals. Clean Water Act National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permits issued at both the federal and state level are increasingly including stringent limits applicable to the discharge of nutrients such as phosphorus or nitrogen.
The costs associated with removing nutrients from a point source can be significant. Non-point source discharges may often be reduced at a lower cost on a pollutant basis than the point source discharges. Therefore, trading programs may allow facilities facing higher pollution costs to meet that regulatory obligation by purchasing environmental equivalent (or superior) pollution reductions from another source at a lower cost.
ADEQ states that the Panel’s agenda includes a review of a proposed nutrient trading regulation.
A copy of the ADEQ news release can be downloaded here.
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