Today, Bruce Scott, commissioner of the Department for Environmental Protection, joined the states of Ohio and Indiana in signing a multistate agreement that establishes an interstate water-quality trading pilot project. This pilot project is designed to provide additional opportunities to reduce nutrient loading for agriculture producers and power plants located in the Ohio River basin.
During his remarks, Commissioner Scott stated that, if successful, the trading project could evolve into a “game changer” if it is able to be scaled up to include the wide array of nutrient sources within the multistate Ohio River basin. He went on to say that this pilot project supplements and builds upon the progress that has already been accomplished in Kentucky and coordinates well with Kentucky’s current procedures.
Kentucky has previous experience in implementing revolutionary approaches to improve water quality. In 1994, the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act was passed by the Kentucky General Assembly and established a process to protect Kentucky’s surface and groundwater resources from environmental impacts related to various agricultural activities.
Additional information about the water-quality trading pilot project can be obtained from the project website at www.epri.com/ohiorivertrading. A copy of the agreement can be viewed here.
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