[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 223 (Monday, November 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67124-67125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19556]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8243-7]
2007 Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Awards--Call for
Nominations
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the initiation of an EPA recognition and
leadership program for excellence in water quality trading, ``Blue
Ribbon Water Quality Trading Awards,'' and solicits nominations for
possible award to water quality trading programs and policies which
have achieved or are expected to achieve environmental and economic
benefits. Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Awards will encourage
[[Page 67125]]
and recognize exemplary water quality trading programs and policies.
This recognition program will enable EPA to identify successful and
innovative water quality trading programs and policies that most
closely align with U.S. EPA's Water Quality Trading Policy and
cooperate with those programs in order to prevent, reduce, and
eliminate water pollution. This program will also help EPA promote
water quality trading and create a network of water quality trading
leaders throughout the country.
DATES: Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on
Tuesday, January 16, 2007. Nominations received after this deadline
will not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Awards; ATTN: Chris
Lewicki; U.S. EPA; Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds;
Assessment and Watershed Protection Division; Room 7303K; Mail Code
4503-T; 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW.; Washington, DC 20004; telephone
202-566-1293.
Nominations must be submitted by express mail, courier service, or
hand delivery to the address in this section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Lewicki; U.S. EPA; Office of
Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds; Assessment and Watershed Protection
Division; Room 7303K; Mail Code 4503-T; 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW.;
Washington, DC 20004; telephone 202-566-1293; e-mail
[email protected]. Additional information on water quality trading
is available at: http://www.epa.gov/waterqualitytrading.
I. Background
Water quality trading is an innovative approach to achieve water
quality goals more efficiently. Trading is based on the fact that
sources in a watershed can face very different costs to control the
same pollutant. Trading programs allow facilities facing higher
pollutant control costs to meet their regulatory obligations by
purchasing environmentally equivalent (or superior) pollutant
reductions from another source at lower cost, thus achieving the same
water quality improvement at lower overall cost. This recognition
program will enable EPA to identify successful water quality trading
programs and policies that most closely align with U.S. EPA's Water
Quality Trading Policy and cooperate with those programs in order to
prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution. This program will also
help EPA promote water quality trading and create a network of water
quality trading leaders throughout the country.
II. Award Information
From the nominations submitted to EPA's Blue Ribbon Water Quality
Trading Awards, EPA will select those programs and policies that best
meet the evaluation criteria described below. EPA will recognize those
programs and policies that are selected as leaders in the field of
water quality trading.
III. Eligible Applicants
Nominations for a Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Award must be
for water quality trading programs or policies that have been, are
being, or will be implemented in the United States, and may be either
self-nominated or nominated by a third party. The following sectors are
encouraged to apply: Corporations; industry; individuals; non-
governmental organizations and other associations; institutions; and
local, state, and tribal governments. In order to be considered for
recognition, nominations must have a satisfactory compliance record
with respect to environmental regulations and requirements.
IV. Evaluation Criteria
Recognition will be given based on the following evaluation
criteria: (1) Actual or anticipated environmental improvement; (2)
actual or anticipated economic benefits; (3) transparency of trades;
(4) accountability of meeting National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit limits; (5) accounting for the fate and transport
of the pollutant and the possible different forms of the pollutant
being traded in the design of a pollutant credit; (6) mechanisms for
managing uncertainty of non-point source pollutant credits (this
criterion will apply only for those programs or policies that include
trading with non-point sources of pollutants); (7) stakeholder
involvement; and (8) actual or anticipated evaluation of the trading
program or policy.
V. Selection Process
Nominations will be judged according to the evaluation criteria
(see Section IV) by a panel of national water quality trading experts.
The panelists will provide recommendations to EPA, who will then
consider the expert panel's recommendations when making the final
selections. In addition to the expert panel's recommendations, EPA may
also consider additional factors in making its final selection such as
diversity of programs and policies. EPA reserves the right to contact
nominees for additional information should it be deemed necessary.
VI. Nomination Submission Information
A. Content of Nomination Package
Each nomination must include all the information listed below.
(1) Contact information: (a) Name of water quality trading program
or policy being nominated; (b) Name of the organization(s) responsible
for creating the water quality trading program or policy; (c) Name,
telephone number, postal address, and e-mail of person to contact with
questions regarding the nomination; and (2) A description of the water
quality trading program or policy and how it addresses the evaluation
criteria (see Section IV).
B. Form of Nomination Package
Nominations should not exceed 20 double-spaced pages in length of
12 point font (including all tables, timelines, charts, graphs, maps,
pictures, and all other supporting materials). Nominations that exceed
the 20 double-spaced page limit will not be considered. Send two
printed hard-copies of the nomination and two compact discs (CDs) with
the nomination in a Microsoft Word (.doc) format to the address as
provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
VII. Award Notice
EPA anticipates announcing its selections in the spring or summer
of 2007. EPA will mail letters to all nominees and any third parties
that made nominations indicating whether or not the water quality
trading program or policy that was submitted for nomination was
selected for recognition in EPA's 2007 Blue Ribbon Water Quality
Trading Awards.
Dated: November 13, 2006.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. E6-19556 Filed 11-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P