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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Leadership Awards Program - Call for Nominations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EPA´s Blue Ribbon Water Quality Trading Awards Program?
An award program to recognize water quality trading efforts that have achieved or anticipate achieving environmental and economic benefits.
What does EPA expect to accomplish?
EPA expects this program to encourage, motivate, and recognize efforts of programs and policies that demonstrate excellence in WQT.
Who can submit a nomination?
Programs may nominate themselves or be nominated by a third party.
Who is eligible?
Nominations must be for programs or policies located or implemented in the United States. 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, nominations must have a satisfactory compliance record with respect to environmental regulations
and requirements.
How will nominations be selected for an award?
Nominations will be judged by a panel of national water quality trading experts. The panelists will provide recommendations to EPA, who will then
make the final selections.
What are the evaluation criteria?
Recognition will be given based on the following evaluation criteria:
- Actual or anticipated environmental improvement
- Actual or anticipated economic benefits
- Transparency of trades
- Accountability of meeting National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit limits
- Accounting for fate and transport of the pollutant in the design of a pollutant credit
- Mechanisms for managing uncertainty of non-point source pollutant credits
- Stakeholder involvement
- Actual or anticipated evaluation of the trading program or policy
When is the deadline for nominations?
Nominations must be received by 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time, January 16, 2007 .
Where can I get more information?
For more 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
Email: Lewicki.chris@epa.gov.
Nominations must be submitted by express mail, courier service, or hand delivery to the above address.
Additional information on water quality trading is available at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading.htm