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In
2003, the MPCA developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for
phosphorus to address dissolved oxygen sags in the Minnesota River near Jordan
during summer drought conditions. MESERB
participated in the 45-member Advisory Committee that reviewed modeling
done by Tetra Tech EM, Inc., and offered input on implementation
strategies. The final TMDL
report and responses to public comments may be viewed on the MPCA
website at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/index.html.
In
response to concerns about the TMDL’s technical basis and
implementation plan, a core group of 11 cities and one business formed
the Minnesota River Basin Nutrient Trading Committee to negotiate an
interim nutrient reduction target with the MPCA, to be achieved on a
group basis through 2009 by point-point trading.
At that time, additional information will be available from
MESERB’s Phosphorus Initiative, an update of the 1985 WLA, a turbidity
TMDL for the Minnesota River, and a TMDL for Lake Pepin to inform what
additional phosphorus reductions (if any) may be necessary.
In the meantime, however, point sources can achieve phosphorus
reductions without delay by using a proven, cost-effective technique.
How Trading Works
With
MESERB’s guidance, the Committee is negotiating an interim (five-year)
nutrient reduction target with the MPCA, which will eventually be
enshrined in a watershed NPDES permit.
Once this is completed, the participants will agree on a price or
set of prices per pound of phosphorus removed from wastewater effluent.
Facilities with high removal costs may benefit from buying
credits at a lower price; facilities with low removal costs may benefit
from selling credits to help cover their costs.
See the Nutrient
Trading Fact Sheet for more information.
Who May Trade
All
municipal and industrial point sources in the
Minnesota
River Basin
are welcome to participate in the trading program; however, MESERB is
targeting in particular those point sources that received a phosphorus
wasteload allocation under the TMDL as they may receive the most benefit
from trading. Point sources
must join MESERB as either a Joint Powers Board or associate member to
participate. Facilities that
do not anticipate community growth or facility expansion in the next
10-15 years might not find trading beneficial.
How to Participate
Participants
in MESERB’s nutrient trading program must be MESERB regular or
associate members. Cities
joining both MESERB and the Nutrient Trading Committee receive a
first-year discount on their MESERB dues of $0.15 per wastewater/water
billing account.
1.
Join MESERB as a Joint
Powers Board or associate member. Information
on how to join is available on
MESERB’s Membership Information page.
Cities joining both MESERB and
the Nutrient Trading Committee pay only $0.60 per wastewater/water
billing account for their MESERB membership in the first year.
2.
Click
here for Nutrient Trading Committee participation. Membership
forms are available for governmental
units and businesses.
The annual
cost for MESERB regular members is $0.25 per wastewater/water
billing account, prorated to the month joined; the cost for MESERB
associates is $50 per pound of TMDL wasteload allocation (See Table 6.6
on pages 41-42 of the Lower Minnesota River TMDL report available
online: www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/reports/tmdl-final-lowermn-doreport.pdf). If you do not have a
TMDL wasteload allocation but want to participate, please
contact MESERB for more information.
3.
Nutrient Trading
Committee participants are responsible for a portion of the program’s
start-up costs. This
one-time fee varies by the facility’s size but is roughly
about $1,000 - $1,500. Please
contact MESERB for more information about
this fee.
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