Reference Shelf
Related Research
EPRI researchers routinely collaborate to address complex, inter-related issues associated with water & air quality in the United States. The following EPRI projects represent work that relates to and supports the Ohio River Basin Trading Project.
- Water Quality and Watershed Protection
- Water Availability and Resource Risk Management
- Effluent Guidelines and Water Quality Management
- Global Energy and Climate Policy Costs & Benefits
- Air Quality Assessment of Ozone, Particulate Matter, Visibility, and Deposition
- Developing GHG Emissions Offsets by Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Agricultural Crop Production: Experience Validating a
New GHG Offset Protocol
- EPRI Water Prism Decision Support System
- Project Templates
- Agreements & Letters
- EPRI Reports
- 2016-2018 Funding Opportunity Notice
- Public Auction for Credits
- MSU-EPRI Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Offsets Protocol
- Newsletters
- Presentations
- Water Quality Trading in the News
Project Templates
EPRI is pleased to provide templates of our project documentation for public access. These templates represent many hours of diligent effort of the collaborators, advisory committees, participating soil and water conservation districts, and farmers. The templates will be used during the pilot period of this project.
The Request for Proposals for Producer Funding Document Includes the Following Templates
- Pilot Project Application
- Farm History Affidavit
- Project Farm Inventory & Evaluation Form
- Farm History Documentation for Baseline Eligibility
- Sample for SWCD-Producer Contracts
- Sample Producer Announcement for Funding
- Checklist for Qualification Criteria and Application Submittal
2013 Project Templates 
(961 KB)
2016-2018 Funding Application Packet (1 MB)
2018-2019 Request for Proposals (825 KB)
The Credit Documentation Workflow Includes the Following Templates
- SWCD Installation Report (Soil and Water Conservation District)
- Credit Verification Report (State Agriculture Agency)
- Credit Certification Report (State Permitting Authority)
- Credit Release Letter (EPRI)
- Credit Suspension, Reinstatement, Cancellation Notice
- Credit Calculation Report
Credit Documentation Flow (961 KB)
Agreements & Letters
Signed, Multi-State Pilot Trading Plan
The nation's first interstate trading plan was signed by Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky on August 9th, 2012, amended in October 2013 and amended again on October 26th, 2017. The 2nd amendment
commemorates the states’ continued commitment to the trading project. Download the signed, amended Pilot Trading Plan 1.0 for the Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project
(7.2 MB), which describes the rules and approach for the pilot period.
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Resolution Recognizing EPRI's Water Quality Trading Project
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is the national association representing the State Public Service Commissioners who regulate essential utility services in States. NARUC members are responsible for assuring reliable utility service at fair, just, and reasonable rates. At the 2013 Summer Meeting, the Board of Directors passed the resolution, noting that NARUC "commends EPRI for working to develop best practices in water quality trading, and encourages State governments to consider similar programs in other States, given the importance of water quality to the nation."
- NARUC Resolution (101 KB)
USDA - NRCS State Conservationist of Indiana Expresses Support
"The Water Quality Trading Project would complement the work of NRCS and the Indiana Conservation Partnership. This project will provide another opportunity for producers to implement a system of conservation practices to increase the soil health on their land, benefiting both production and water quality."
USEPA Provides Clarification on Incentives for Early Participation of Point Sources During Pilot Period
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USEPA Project Letter (1.3 MB)
USDA Expresses Support for EPRI Water Quality Trading Project
"Your project is innovative and unique in its regional and interstate focus, in the leadership that has been shown . . . in the involvement of major stakeholder groups in the Basin, and in its strong emphasis on a scientific framework."
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USDA letter (595 KB)
EPA Region 4 Express Support for Project
"Region 4 is committed to exploring the use of water quality trading as a tool for attaining water quality standards and achieving watershed restoration goals in a cost-effective manner. To that end, we encourage and support your efforts to design and interstate trading program for nitrogen and phosphorus in the Ohio River Basin."
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EPA Region 4 letter (90 KB)
Soil and Water Conservation Districts Support Project
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Dearborn County, Indiana (45 KB)
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Switzerland County, Indiana (76 KB)
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Ohio County, Indiana (36 KB)
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Wayne County, Indiana (57 KB)
ORSANCO Resolution 2-11
On June 9, 2011, with the support of its member states, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) adopted a resolution in support of the Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project.
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Resolution 2-11 (42 KB)
EPRI Reports
Summary of EPRI Abstracts (117 KB)
2016-2018 Funding Opportunity Notice
Priority is given to forestry best management practices, View the funding opportunity details and application (reviewed on a rolling basis beginning Sept. 1st 2016)
The Ohio River Basin (ORB) Water Quality Trading (WQT) Pilot Project is announcing the 2016-2018 round of funding. The project seeks to include forestry (i.e. tree planting) as a best management practice to reduce nutrient runoff and enhance ecosystem function on farmland in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. The project will also consider funding non-forestry practices that work synergistically with the forestry practice to further reduce nutrient runoff. At least 60% of requested funding must be applied towards forestry BMPs, with no more than 40% applied towards complimentary BMPs.
Projects must be fully installed, including verification by the state agency, no later than July 15th 2018. There is a preference for projects installed by November 2017. During the 2016-2018 round of funding, the Project has been expanded to 71 counties in Ohio, 80 in Indiana, and 71 counties in Kentucky (see p.8 of the Funding Opportunity Notice). Eligible producers are invited to submit funding requests per the instructions set forth in this application package.
We strongly suggest utilizing the Rapid Project Pre-screen before completing a full application.
Resources:
- Funding Opportunity Notice
- Recorded Presentation about Funding Opportunity
(Indiana, April 2017) - Recorded Presentation about Funding Opportunity
(Kentucky, May 2017)
- Rapid Project Pre-Screen
- Full Application
Public Auction for Credits
The project team organized a public auction of stewardship credits that would have been held in New York City on May 20th, 2015. When not enough buyers came forward to demonstrate a competitive market dynamic for stewardship credits, the auction was postponed and the team continued offering credits for sale via estab¬lished contracting approaches.
See the auction invitation. (1.1 MB)
MSU-EPRI Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Offsets Protocol
- American Carbon Registry, “Methodology for Quantifying Nitrous
Oxide (N2O) Emissions Reductions through Reduced Use of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Agricultural Crops”
- Climate Action Reserve, “Nitrogen Management Protocol”
- Verified Carbon Standard, VM0022 – “Quantifying N2O Emissions Reductions in Agricultural Crops through Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate Reduction, v1.1”
- Michigan State University, US Cropland Greenhouse Gas Calculator
Newsletters
Presentations
Visit our YouTube channel on water quality trading 
Public Webcast: Advancing the Science for Estimating Trade Ratios in Water Quality Trading
Webcast Recording
Congressional Testimony: The Role of Trading in Achieving Water Quality Objectives (533
KB)
Video (see 13:31)
Public Webcast: The Legal Status of Environmental Credit Stacking
Presentation (2.9 MB)
Webcast Recording
Agriculture Leader Briefing: Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project, April 27, 2012
(2 MB)
Project Webcast: Modeling Trading in the
Ohio River Basin: Theoretical & Practical Considerations (4.2 MB)
Project Webcast: Regional Water Quality Trading in
the Ohio River Basin (1.1 MB)
Stacking Environmental Opportunities and Risks in Environmental Credit Markets (913 KB)
Washington, DC Briefing – Summary – Presentation (7.7 MB)
Water & Ecosystems Area Council (44
KB)
Water Quality Trading in the Ohio River Basin Webcast (2.7 MB)
Webcast: Ohio River Basin Trading Program for Wastewater Treatment Plants (3.1
MB)
Webcast: Public Status Update (4.6 MB)
