EPA Meets President Trump’s Deadline, Makes Agency Guidance Available to the Public

 

 

 

 

EPA Meets President Trump's Deadline, Makes Agency Guidance Available to the Public

 

WASHINGTON (February 28, 2020) – Today, in support of President Trump's Executive Order to promote transparency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a new guidance portal that provides public access to agency guidance documents. This new searchable database will make it easier for the regulated community to find and follow agency guidance.

"EPA has followed through on President Trump's direction to streamline and improve the transparency of regulatory guidance issued by the agency," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "This new online database is a major milestone in government transparency.  Never before has the American public had access to all of the Agency's guidance documents. This initiative spearheaded by President Trump will finally provide sunlight to agency decisions."

On October 9, 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order 13891, Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents, to promote transparency by ensuring that all active guidance documents are made available to the public. Today, EPA is meeting the President's deadline under the EO. The new guidance portal provides an indexed database that allows the public to search for documents based on a range of criteria that include date of issuance, general subject matter, and summary of contents. Prior to the launch of the portal, EPA conducted an exhaustive review of its current guidance documents and withdrew those documents that were determined to be no longer relevant.

The guidance portal also provides a mechanism for the public to request modification or withdrawal of any documents. The EPA uses guidance documents to clarify existing obligations for interested parties, but not as a vehicle for implementing new, binding requirements on the public.

In addition to the guidance portal, by August 28, 2020, EPA is developing a regulation that establishes the processes and procedures for issuance of new guidance documents.

For additional information and to access the portal, visit: https://www.epa.gov/guidance

 

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EPA and Partners Announce Collaborative Implementation of the National Water Reuse Action Plan

 

 

 

EPA and Partners Announce Collaborative Implementation of the National Water Reuse Action Plan

 

(WASHINGTON Feb. 27, 2020) — Today, at an event at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C., EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Mary B. Neumayr joined federal, state, tribal, local and water sector partners to announce the National Water Reuse Action Plan: Collaborative Implementation (Version 1). The actions that EPA and its partners commit to in the Action Plan will help strengthen the sustainability, security and resilience of our nation's water resources by creating new partnerships, providing accountability and promoting communication and transparency with a new online platform.

"A reliable water reuse program provides great opportunity for alternatives to existing water supplies across the nation to enhance water security, sustainability, and resilience for communities, rural and urban alike, across the country," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "By launching this phase of the National Water Reuse Action Plan, federal agencies are driving progress on this national priority and delivering on President Trump's commitment to ensuring a reliable supply of water for our nation."

"Under President Trump's leadership, we are pursuing an aggressive approach to ensuring reliable and secure water delivery—driven by modern technology and the best possible science. As our water users are preparing for the future—by strengthening their own water systems and integrating new technologies—collaboration across federal partners is critical to supporting rural and urban water users alike. The National Water Reuse Action Plan will guide the Administration's efforts to provide safe, affordable, and reliable water to the American people," said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

"President Trump and his Administration are committed to making it easier for farmers to succeed and to ensure they are the most innovative in the world. Administrator Wheeler's action plan on water reuse will help inspire creative, problem-solving that boosts production on farms, ranches, and private forests – ultimately improving water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

"As we pursue practical approaches to address our nation's most pressing environmental challenges, including water scarcity, this Administration strongly supports developing modern, resilient infrastructure to effectively manage our nation's water resources," said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Mary B. Neumayr. "One way to support our nation's communities, economy and environment is by continuing to develop additional opportunities for water reuse to promote safe and reliable water supplies for our homes, businesses, agricultural communities, recreation, and healthy ecosystems. The National Water Reuse Action Plan is a practical example of agencies coming together to improve use of technology to increase water reliability and better manage our nation's water resources."

"The Department of Energy is delighted to support EPA's efforts on the National Water Reuse Action Plan through our Water Security Grand Challenge," said U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel R. Simmons. "Water is a critical resource for human health, economic growth, and agricultural productivity. We are calling on the power of competition and drawing on the strengths of our partners and stakeholders to advance transformational technology and innovation to meet the global need for safe, secure, and affordable water."

"Our nation is blessed with abundant access to safe and reliable water sources throughout our country. However, as our country and economy continues to expand, we must ensure that this reliability continues for future generations. I am pleased the administration has taken a forward-looking approach to include federal, state and tribal agencies, along with a multitude of diverse stakeholders, to put out the WRAP. It is an example of the good that comes when government and the private sector work together to lay out practical suggestions to steward our natural resources well," said Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).

"Finding new ways to preserve and protect water in Oklahoma is one of our top priorities as a state. Today's release of the "Water Reuse Action Plan" shows that the federal government is serious about  leading in their mission to assist all 50 states as well as sovereign tribal nations in developing valuable resources out of previously worthless water. These goals cannot happen without the full partnership of states, tribes, local governments and our federal partners across all agencies working together. Kudos to the Trump Administration and Administrator Wheeler for their leadership in this important endeavor," said Oklahoma Secretary of Energy & Environment Ken Wagner.

"The U.S. Department of State is excited to use the WRAP as a tool to raise awareness about water reuse around the world.  By encouraging partner governments to adopt water re-use policies, management approaches, and new technologies – many of which were made here in America – the State Department is helping to implement the President's Global Water Strategy.  And, through our outreach efforts, all of the people and agencies who contributed to the WRAP are also helping to make other nations more water-secure," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Marcia Bernicat.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to work with its federal partners and local sponsors to identify opportunities and include water reuse features in congressionally authorized Civil Works projects," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Ryan Fisher.​

Over the next decade, 40 states anticipate some freshwater shortages within their borders. The Action Plan supports the President's memorandum on Promoting a Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West and will help advance water reuse technology that has the potential to ensure the viability of our water economy for generations to come. The Action Plan is a collaborative effort that represents the first initiative of its magnitude to be coordinated across the water sector and builds on more than four decades of water reuse experience and practice. It frames the business case that water reuse is a viable and growing means of supporting our economy and improving the availability of freshwater for farmers, industry, communities, and ecosystems. The Action Plan identifies 37 specific actions across 11 strategic themes to be led by a spectrum of federal, state, local and private sector interests. The Action Plan reflects new partnerships, generates action through more than 200 initial implementation milestones and provides accountability through transparency and routine progress updates.

For more information, including opportunities to engage with EPA on this effort and to find implementation progress updates, visit: https://www.epa.gov/waterreuse/water-reuse-action-plan

This action supports EPA's 50th anniversary celebration and its February theme of protecting America's waters. For more on EPA's 50th Anniversary and how the agency is protecting America's waters, visit: https://www.epa.gov/50. Follow EPA's 50th Anniversary celebration on social media using #EPAat50.

Background

Water reuse, also known as recycled or reclaimed water, can be used to meet water demands and mitigate the risks posed by droughts. Recycled water can be used for a wide variety of applications including agriculture and irrigation, potable water supplies, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes and environmental restoration. Further developments in water reuse provide more secure, sustainable and safe water supplies across the country.

The development of EPA's Water Reuse Action Plan is part of a larger Administration-wide effort to address the nation's most pressing water resource management challenges. The Water Reuse Action Plan will leverage and complement other federal efforts to advance water reuse, including EPA's priority to finance water reuse and recycling projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Security Grand Challenge.

 

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EPA Settlement with Dyno Nobel Will Prevent Millions of Pounds of Pollution From Entering Waterways

 

 

 

EPA Settlement with Dyno Nobel Will Prevent Millions of Pounds of Pollution From Entering Missouri Waterways

 

WASHINGTON (February 27, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Dyno Nobel, Inc. (Dyno Nobel) has reached a settlement with the United States to address violations of the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at Dyno Nobel's explosives manufacturing facility in Carthage, Missouri and its ammonium nitrate facility in Louisiana, Missouri. As part of the settlement, Dyno Nobel has agreed to make extensive improvements to those facilities that will prevent future releases and discharges of explosives, nitrogen, and other pollutants, ultimately reducing pollution levels in Center Creek (adjoining the Carthage facility) and the Mississippi River (adjoining the Louisiana facility). The controls embodied in the settlement will result in the reduction of over 3,800,000 pounds per year of nitrogen, nearly 257,000 pounds per year of heavy metals such as zinc, aluminum and iron, nearly 187,000 pounds per year of oxygen demanding material and 103,500 pounds per year of suspended solids entering Missouri waterways.  Dyno Nobel will also pay a civil penalty of $2,900,000 to the United States.

"By preventing millions of pounds of pollutants from entering Missouri waterways, this settlement will help protect the environment and the health of nearby communities," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Susan Bodine.

Today's settlement resolves water pollution and hazardous waste claims brought by the United States in a lawsuit filed in April 2019. In that lawsuit, the United States alleged that Dyno Nobel violated the Clean Water Act at both facilities by discharging pollutants such as ammonia, nitrate, pH, Total Suspended Solids, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, E. coli, and Nitroglycerin into Center Creek and the Mississippi River in amounts that exceeded the facilities' permitted limits; failing to properly sample and monitor discharges; and failing to appropriately manage stormwater. Additionally, Dyno Nobel violated the Clean Water Act by discharging wastewater at the Carthage facility into Center Creek that included unauthorized explosives and zinc in toxic levels. The United States also alleged that Dyno Nobel violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by disposing of hazardous waste (including explosives) at both facilities without a permit, and at the Carthage facility, by failing to meet requirements for the generation and transportation of hazardous waste.

The consent decree requires Dyno Nobel to develop and revise pollution controls at both facilities to prevent unauthorized discharges of pollutants, and to investigate sources of contamination. These measures include: eliminating the discharge of high-strength wastewater at the Carthage facility; surveying and modifying the facilities' sewer systems to identify and eliminate locations with the potential to convey unauthorized discharges to waterways; developing and implementing best management practices and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) programs to reduce spills in, and prevent discharges from, the production areas; sampling soil and cleaning up contamination at the Carthage facility; and performing enhanced effluent monitoring to ensure unauthorized discharges are not occurring.

The settlement, lodged today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.  

More information on the settlement: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/dyno-nobel-inc-missouri-information-sheet

Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations.  Learn more here:  https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations

 

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EPA Releases PFAS Action Plan: Program Update

 

 

 

EPA Releases PFAS Action Plan: Program Update

Report highlights EPA's aggressive and unprecedented efforts to address PFAS in the environment

 

WASHINGTON (Feb. 26, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the PFAS Action Plan: Program Update. Over the past year, EPA has made significant progress under the Action Plan to help states and local communities address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and protect public health and the agency's Program Update highlights those efforts.

"The Trump Administration's efforts under the PFAS Action Plan over the past year represent the first time in EPA's 50-year history that we have tapped all of our program offices to address an emerging contaminant of concern like PFAS — and our EPA staff efforts have been unprecedented," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "As we look to the future, we are committed to working diligently with our federal, state, local and tribal partners as we continue to make progress on this important public health issue."

From issuing groundwater cleanup guidance to proposing a positive regulatory determination for both perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), EPA has made progress under every aspect of the Action Plan. The actions EPA has taken reflect the comprehensive and coordinated approach that was outlined in the February 2019 PFAS Action Plan. Some key highlights from the past year include:

·       On February 20, 2020, EPA issued preliminary determinations to regulate PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.

·       On February 20, 2020, EPA issued a supplemental proposal to ensure that new uses of certain persistent long-chain PFAS chemicals in surface coatings cannot be manufactured or imported into the United States without notification and review under TSCA.

·       On December 19, 2019, EPA accomplished a key milestone in the PFAS Action Plan by publishing a new validated method to accurately test for 11 additional PFAS in drinking water bringing the total to 29 PFAS.

·       On December 19, 2019, EPA issued  Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater Contaminated with PFOA and PFOS, which provide guidance for federal cleanup programs (e.g., the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) that will also be helpful to states and tribes.

·       On November 22, 2019, EPA announced availability of $4.8 million in funding for new research on managing PFAS in agriculture.

·       On November 25, 2019, EPA issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking that would allow the public to provide input on adding PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory toxic chemical list.

For more information and to view a copy of the report, visit: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-action-plan-program-update-february-2020

Background on the PFAS Action Plan
PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals used in consumer products and industrial processes. In use since the 1940s, PFAS are resistant to heat, oils, stains, grease, and water—properties which contribute to their persistence in the environment.

The agency's PFAS Action Plan is the first multi-media, multi-program, national research, management, and risk communication plan to address a challenge like PFAS. The plan responds to the extensive public input the agency received during the PFAS National Leadership Summit, multiple community engagements and through the public docket. The PFAS Action Plan outlines the tools EPA is developing to assist states, tribes and communities in addressing PFAS.

 

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EPA Announces First Two Nitrogenous Fertilizer Plants to Earn ENERGY STAR Certification

 

 

 

 

EPA Announces First Two Nitrogenous Fertilizer Plants to Earn ENERGY STAR Certification

 

WASHINGTON (February 25, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes two nitrogenous fertilizer plants as the first of their kind to earn EPA's ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance. Koch Fertilizer's plant in Beatrice, Nebraska, and Simplot's plant in Helm, California, both earned 2019 ENERGY STAR certification.

"I congratulate the owners of these ENERGY STAR-certified plants for demonstrating leadership in reducing the environmental impact of this growing sector and defining a new generation of efficient plants," said EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Anne Idsal. "These plant teams are showing that what makes sense for our environment also makes economic sense. We encourage all fertilizer plants in the U.S. to seek top energy performance."

"We are proud to be recognized among the most energy-efficient facilities of this kind in the U.S.," said Koch Fertilizer Beatrice Plant Manager Phil Tasset. "We recognize the financial and societal benefits from continuously improving our plant operations, including process improvements to reduce energy consumption. Our employees identify and pursue opportunities to create value for our customers, society, and the company."

"We are very pleased to receive this recognition as a reflection of the prioritization we place on energy efficiency. Our ongoing commitment to long-term, sustainable business practices is an important part of providing better service to our customers today and in future generations," said Simplot's Helm Facility Plant Manager Gilbert Rodriguez.

The U.S. fertilizer industry spends nearly half a billion dollars on energy each year. EPA believes the energy performance achievements of these two ENERGY STAR certified plants indicate that there are many opportunities for the industry to increase energy efficiency.

Manufacturing plants that are verified to be among the most energy efficient within their sector are eligible to earn EPA's ENERGY STAR certification. To measure energy efficiency, EPA worked with the fertilizer industry to develop an Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) for nitrogenous fertilizer plants. To qualify for ENERGY STAR certification, the plants used the EPI to benchmark their energy performance and received an ENERGY STAR energy performance score indicating these plants use energy more efficiently than 75 percent of similar nitrogenous plants in the U.S. This means the two plants spend less on energy and have lower energy-related environmental impacts than similar plants. Compared to industry averages, the two plants are preventing 86,688 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. All plants awarded with the ENERGY STAR must have their energy performance verified and be in good standing with federal environmental laws.

ENERGY STAR^® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped save American families and businesses nearly 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions—all through voluntary action. In 2017 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid $30 billion in energy costs. More information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: https://www.energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.

Learn more about EPA's focus on energy efficiency in fertilizer manufacturing.

 

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Attn. Faith-based Community Leaders: Join this month’s call.

 

 

 

 

 

Join the Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Public Engagement for a
Monthly Conference Call
for Faith-Based Leadership 

Thursday, February 27, 2020
1:00 PM EST

This Month's Topic:

EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management's work on Brownfields and Opportunity Zones

with

Thomas Mills and Derrick Bolen, Faith Liaisons and Steven Cook, Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management  

Register now.

 

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Administrator names Local Government Advisors

 

 

EPA Administrator names Local Government Advisors

 

WASHINGTON (Feb. 25, 2020) — Today, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of 12 new members to the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC). The 31-member LGAC provides advice to EPA on developing stronger partnerships with local governments and building their capacity to deliver environmental services and programs. The Administrator also appointed five new members to the LGAC's Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee.

"Ensuring the agency is well informed on how its programs impact local governments is an essential part of our decision making process," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "I want to thank our 12 new LGAC members, and five new Small Communities Advisory Committee (SCAS) members, for their willingness to serve in this important role. I also want to thank the returning LGAC and SCAS members for their contributions. The committees provide invaluable insight on how to best work with our local partners to build and maintain strong environmental programs, and I look forward to working with them in the coming year."

 The Administrator also appointed Commissioner Kitty Barnes of Catawba County, North Carolina as the LGAC's new chair.

"I am honored to be appointed Chair of the Committee and look forward to working with Administrator Wheeler on issues of importance to us at the local level," said Commissioner Barnes. "As elected and appointed officials of states, tribes, and local governments, we bring firsthand experience from the communities we represent."

Kitty Barnes has served 21 years on the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, and 12 years as its Chair. She has led the county to the top ranking in North Carolina for curbside single‐stream recycling and biannual household hazardous waste collections. Commissioner Barnes also serves as vice‐chair of the National Association of Counties' Environment, Energy, and Land Use Steering Committee and Resilient Counties Task Force.

The newly appointment LGAC members include:

The Honorable Gary Ward Black, Commissioner of Agriculture, State of Georgia 
The Honorable Bruce Bracker,  Supervisor, Santa Cruz County, AZ 
The Honorable Melissa Cribbins, Commissioner, Coos County, OR 
The Honorable Eric Genrich, Mayor, Green Bay, WI 
The Honorable Evan Paul Hansen, House Delegate, State of West Virginia 
The Honorable Ryan E. MacKenzie, State Representative, House 134th District, Harrisburg, PA 
The Honorable Bill McMurray, Mayor, St. Joseph, MO 
The Honorable Steve Miller, Mayor, Fairfield, OH 
The Honorable Cynthia Pratt, Deputy Mayor, Lacey, WA 
The Honorable Matt Surrency, Mayor, Hawthorne, FL 
The Honorable Paul TenHaken, Mayor, Sioux Falls, SD 
The Honorable Eric Thompson, Tehoroniathe (Bright Sky), Chief, St. Regis Mohawk Nation, NY 

The five new appointments to the LGAC Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee include:

The Honorable Vincent DeSantis, Esq., Mayor, Gloversville, NY 
The Honorable Ella M. Jones, City Council Member, Ferguson, MO 
The Honorable Joan Lee, Commissioner, Polk County, MN 
The Honorable Gabriel Lopez, Vice-Chair, AK-Chin Indian Community, AZ 
The Honorable Ann Mallek, Commissioner, Albemarle County, VA 

Chartered in 1993 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Local Government Advisory Committee provides independent and objective policy advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of issue affecting local governments, such as: regulatory innovation and reform, environmental protection tools, pollution prevention, performance measures, and coordinated environmental management and stewardship. The Small Community Advisory Subcommittee was established by EPA in 1996 to advise the Administrator on environmental issues of concern to the residents of smaller communities. New committee members were selected based on their demonstrated leadership experience, proven record of service to their communities, and involvement in effective environmental protection services and programs at the community, state, and national level. 

The committees intend to convene in early 2020 to begin their work.

For more information and to see the full list of LGAC and SCAS members, please visit our websites: EPA Local Government Advisory Committee and EPA Small Community Advisory Subcommittee.

 

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EPA Awards Over $1.8 Million for Innovative, Market-Based Nutrient Reduction Projects in Great Lakes

 

 

 

EPA Awards Over $1.8 Million for Innovative, Market-Based Nutrient Reduction Projects in Great Lakes Basin

 

WASHINGTON (Feb. 24, 2020) — Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $1.8 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grants to five organizations that will use market-based approaches, including water-quality trading, to enhance nonpoint source excess nutrient reduction efforts in the Great Lakes basin. This action supports EPA's 50th anniversary celebration and its February theme of protecting America's waters.

"Addressing emerging challenges, like excess nutrients in our waters, requires creative solutions," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "This EPA funding will help build on existing state, local and tribal efforts and support innovative tools and technologies that will deliver critical water quality improvements at a lower cost."

"EPA is proud to offer GLRI funding to promote water-quality trading and other market-based approaches to target nutrient runoff, one of the biggest threats to the health of the Great Lakes," said Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Kurt Thiede. "These innovative projects will encourage cost-effective ways to reduce the excess nutrients that can lead to algal blooms and other water-quality issues."

Excess nutrients can lead to challenging environmental problems in the Great Lakes, including algae blooms, hypoxic zones and other surface water quality concerns. Under the Trump Administration, EPA is focusing its attention on reducing nutrient losses through enhanced federal and state coordination, stakeholder engagement and the use of market-, incentive- and community-based programs. For more information on EPA's efforts to address excess nutrients, visit https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data.

These grants are also part of a larger effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes and mark the first time EPA has requested competitive applications for water-quality trading projects under the GLRI. This larger effort is memorialized in the GLRI Action Plan III, which was unveiled by EPA Administrator Wheeler in October 2019. The Action Plan provides an aggressive roadmap that will guide Great Lakes restoration and protection activities by EPA and its many partners over the next 5 years. The grants announced today include:

$303,181 to the Delta Institute (Chicago, Ill.)

"By implementing a performance-based agricultural conservation program, we will not only reduce pollution in the Kalamazoo River watershed, but we will also strengthen collaboration between agricultural producers upstream and harbor stakeholders downstream," said Bill Schleizer, CEO of the Delta Institute. "We are excited to continue our longstanding partnership with EPA and GLRI on this important project to create replicable and impactful water quality trading programs."

The Delta Institute will reduce excess phosphorus loading to Lake Michigan from cropland erosion, livestock access and road and bridge crossings through a market- and performance-based agricultural incentive program in targeted areas of the Kalamazoo River watershed.

$479,782 to the Conservation Technology Information Center (West Lafayette, Ind.)

"This grant will kick start an effort to link farmers who work to reduce nutrient loss with supply chain participants," said Mike Komp, executive director of the CTIC. "Through this partnership with farmers, researchers, market makers, and nonprofits, we will create the ability to quantify and reward farmers for their reductions in phosphorus loss. With all the issues related to water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin, we hope to drive improvements through this market-based effort."

The Conservation Technology Information Center and partners will create a pay-for-performance marketplace in the Maumee and Sandusky River watersheds to incentivize optimized use of phosphorus in farming operations and meet sustainability goals for consumer-packaged goods companies in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

$338,438 to NEW Water (Green Bay, Wis.)

"Continued funding for Great Lakes protection yields many benefits for our economy, our natural resources, and for the communities that live and thrive on these precious waters," said Tom Sigmund, executive director of NEW Water. "We are grateful for this funding, which will allow us to be part of the solution to the vexing water challenges facing our utility and Northeast Wisconsin."

NEW Water will implement a cost-share program for the installation of permanent vegetative buffers on 35 acres of headwater streams in the Fox River watershed as part of an adaptive water quality trading approach.

$290,000 to the Great Lakes Commission (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

"The Great Lakes Commission is pleased to partner with US EPA and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative on exciting new market-based conservation investments in the Great Lakes Basin. Conservation Kick builds on the pioneering vision of the Great Lakes Basin Compact to efficiently and responsibly develop, use and conserve the water resources of the Basin," said Darren Nichols, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission. "We appreciate EPA and Administrator Wheeler's investment in the next generation of innovation, conservation and Great Lakes stewardship as we build on earlier water quality trading efforts to expand the marketplace for willing buyers and sellers. Conservation Kick will enable motivated credit investors – including water utilities, industries and businesses, non-profit organizations and citizens – to fund conservation improvements on the land, keeping soil and nutrients out of the Great Lakes and protecting drinking water for 48 million North American citizens. This is an innovative win-win-win for farmers, communities, and the Great Lakes."

The Great Lakes Commission will expand the use of water-quality trading in the Great Lakes basin by creating a new incentive to participate in trading programs through the inclusion of drinking water utilities as potential buyers of water quality credits.

$437,000 to the Dairy Research Institute (Rosemont, Ill.)

"Designing a clearinghouse to facilitate water-quality trading will boost existing water quality programs in Wisconsin resulting in greater market participation, broader adoption of best practices and technologies, and accelerated water quality benefits for all," said Krysta Harden, executive vice president of global environmental strategy for Dairy Management Inc., and advisor to the Dairy Research Institute. "We are appreciative of receiving EPA funding for this important project to improve water quality across the Great Lakes."

The Dairy Research Institute will identify and design the functional elements of a market-based, water-quality trading clearinghouse in the Fox River watershed to assist in establishing, promoting and operating a transparent water quality trading marketplace.

For more information on the GLRI, please visit: https://glri.us.

For more on EPA's 50th Anniversary and how the agency is protecting America's waters, visit: https://www.epa.gov/50.

Follow EPA's 50th Anniversary celebration on social media using #EPAat50.

 

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