Trading and Offsets Workgroup
Scope and Purpose
The charge of the Trading and Offsets Workgroup (TOWG) is to focus and support the implementation of practices, policies, and programs within the realm of nutrient and sediment trading and offsets that will assist efforts to restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. The Workgroup recognizes that trading and offsets may be valuable tools in achieving allocations set forth in the 2010 Chesapeake Bay TMDL, and water quality in general. The Workgroup reports to the Water Quality Goal Implementation Team.
Functions include:
- Provide a forum for discussion, consensus building and exchange of information among federal, state, and local agencies, river basin commissions, industry groups, universities, and other interested parties on nutrient and sediment trading efforts.
- Evaluate and facilitate strategies to effectively exchange nutrient, and sediment loads from municipal, industrial and onsite wastewater, agricultural lands and animal operations, urban and suburban stormwater, forested lands, tidal and in-stream sediment, and air emissions.
- Build consensus on common approaches to calculating, verifying, registering and tracking performance of nutrient and sediment trading and offsets.
Projects and Resources
Trading and Offset Workplans
The Trading and Offsets Workgroup (TOWG) and its Chesapeake Bay Program partners collaborate with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to guide federal and state efforts to create trading and offset programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. To this end, the TOWG and EPA attempt to coordinate their respective workplans for the coming year and beyond.
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TOWG Workplan August 2012 draft (629.54 KB)
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EPA Trading and Offsets workplan_July 31 2012 draft (728.8 KB)