[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