Since enhancements completed March 31, 2011, have changed baseline load calculations, all cached calculations for accounts existing at that time have been wiped out and will need to be updated for each worksheet. There also may be worksheets that are no longer “complete” because because of revisions in some of the possible data a user may enter. Users should inspect their worksheets, fill in any newly missing information, and save their worksheets in order to recalculate the credits generated. No additional changes to the calculation tool are anticipated until the new Chesapeake Bay TMDL allocations are added in January 2012. The patience of those who have been affected during this transition has been greatly appreciated, and any comments, questions, or requests for assistance should be directed to Susan Payne, Coordinator of Ecosystem Markets, at 410-841-5865 or NuTrade@mda.state.md.us.
Nutrient trading is a form of exchange (buying & selling) of nutrient reduction credits. These credits have a monetary value that may be paid to the seller for installing Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce nitrogen or phosphorous. In general, water quality trading utilizes a market-based approach that allows one source to maintain its regulatory obligations by using pollution reductions created by another source. As a market-based approach, increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness are achieved by letting the market determine costs. To achieve a desired load reduction, trades can take place between point sources (usually wastewater treatment plants), between point and nonpoint sources (a wastewater treatment plant and a farming operation) or between nonpoint sources (such as agriculture and urban stormwater sites or systems).
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Over the years, pollution levels in the Chesapeake Bay have been increasing. Chief among these pollutants are nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. Much has already been done to reduce these pollutants with the development of Maryland's Tributary Strategies, but more is still needed. Over the last 15 years, federal, state and local programs have been developed to assist in mitigating the impacts of pollutants in the Bay; however, the amount of public sector funding required to achieve the desired reductions has fallen short in meeting the goals of a clean Bay.
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Maryland’s Nutrient Trading Program is a public marketplace for the buying and selling of nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) credits. The purpose of the Program ranges from being able to offset new or increased discharges to establishing economic incentives for reductions from all sources within a watershed and achieving greater environmental benefits than through, existing regulatory programs. To facilitate trading, a web-based Calculation Tool, Marketplace and Trading Registry have been established. The Calculation Tool will assess credit generating capacity while the Market Place and Trading Registry will record approved credits and transactions and provide a means for the public to track the progress of Maryland's trading program.
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Point Source Trading
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Nonpoint Source Trading
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Learn more about Nutrient Trading here:
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