For the first time, EPA is requesting competitive applications for water quality trading projects under the GLRI

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will accept applications for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grants until July 12. EPA expects to award a total of approximately $14M for about 30 projects in five categories addressing excess nutrients and stormwater runoff.

This year, EPA is including a category to provide funding for innovative water quality trading projects. Approximately $1.5M is available for four projects in this category which promotes cost-effective and market-based approaches to reducing excess nutrients to surface waters.

“EPA looks forward to collaborating with the Great Lakes states and agricultural communities on innovative water quality trading programs that deliver significant environmental results at a lower cost,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water David Ross.

Another $12.5M is available to fund projects that target the following priorities:

Riparian restoration to reduce runoff to the Maumee River

Green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff

Manure management to reduce nutrient runoff from farms

Accelerating adoption of nutrient management through farmer-led outreach and education

“Reducing stormwater and nutrient runoff is a critical part of restoring the Great Lakes,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator/Great Lakes National Program Manager Cathy Stepp. “EPA is proud to offer GLRI funding for on-the-ground projects that will reduce runoff pollution and improve water quality in the Great Lakes basin.”

EPA has supported the use of water quality trading, offsets, and similar programs for achieving compliance with regulatory requirements of the Clean Water Act for many years. In February 2019, EPA issued a water quality trading memorandum that modernized the agency’s water quality trading policies to leverage emerging technologies and facilitate broader adoption of market-based programs that promote nutrient reductions and water quality improvements at a lower cost. The February 2019 memorandum is a part of the agency’s broader efforts to reduce nutrient losses through enhanced federal and state coordination and stakeholder engagement. In December 2018, EPA and USDA issued a letter to state co-regulators encouraging a reinvigoration of state, tribal, and federal efforts to reduce excess nutrients in waterways, with a focus on market-based and other collaborative approaches. In February 2019,EPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Water Research Foundation to develop affordable technologies to recycle nutrients from livestock manure.

Background:

The GLRI was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Federal agencies have funded more than 4,700 projects totaling over $2.4B to address the most important Great Lakes priorities such as addressing agricultural nutrients and stormwater runoff, cleaning up highly-contaminated “Areas of Concern”, combating invasive species and restoring habitat. Making GLRI funding available through a competitive application process is just one way that the GLRI achieves results.

Non-federal governmental entities, including state agencies, interstate agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations, local governments, institutions of higher learning (i.e., colleges and universities), and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding.

For more information on how to apply:https://www.glri.us/

For more information on EPA’s efforts to address excess nutrients, visit:https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data

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