Alliance and Trading program update

I had the opportunity to speak with Shannon Moore, the Frederick County representative to the Alliance and was able to gain some additional insight on the group and its works as well as some insight to the Maryland Nutrient Trading program. Some of the info will be a repeat from my former post.

The alliance is run out of the Frederick County Sustainability office and has a grant for one staffer who helps organize the alliance.

Each municipality, county, or state with in the watershed has  separate improvement plans, for instance Frederick County Capital improvement Plan for TMDL is different than the City of Fredrick’s effort.  The alliance  brings together  the neighboring districts to help conform and leverage resources to meet Chesapeake Bay TMDL levels.

Usually projects are sponsored and run by members who look to the alliance for assistance and to take a holistic approach to work within the watershed.

Current goals for the county and alliance focus on meeting the Chesapeake Bay TMDLs and reducing nutrients, biological and sediment from entering the system.

The counties watershed restoration plan calls for reduction of impervious surfaces, planning on using credits from WWTP discharge reductions to pay for storm water BMP efforts and to reduce % impervious surfaces.

State- nutrient trading system

                  Draft language is to be developed by winter for establishing the State run nutrient trading program.  The Maryland department of agriculture has already issued guidance for how they would like to see credits work, the rest of the state is following their lead.  Right now credits will be given to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment in respective watersheds with future plans to potentially include carbon if program is successful. 

Interestingly the county is looking to use credits from efforts to reduce loading from WWTPs to buy credits to reduce impervious surfaces. With a 10% reduction paid for by credits, and 10% thorough investment they are hoping significantly reduce their pollutant inputs to the Bay.   This is different from the model I was thinking but because the WWTP have already made the investment for equipment to reduce nutrient loading into the system, they are able to use those technologies to go above and beyond their permitted requirements to create credits to expand their non-point restoration projects.

Here is a photo of one of their stream restoration projects as high lighted in the County's Storm Water Restoration Plan. Accessed from:  https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/290850