Water Pollution Reduction Credits

The type of non-point source water pollution reduction project described below may be useful in the Saginaw River watershed, the Black River watershed (upstream of Port Huron and the St. Clair River) and smaller tributaries to Lake St. Clair, such as the Clinton River, Thames River and Belle River.

The Great Lakes Commission* has announced plans to implement water quality trading as a means of reducing the phosphorus overload in western Lake Erie. The principals are the states of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan and the Province of Ontario. Agricultural, environmental and business interests are participating, as well.

The plan targets farms, these days the greatest source by far of waterborne phosphorus. The concept is to permit those most successful in reducing phosphorus running off their fields to sell credits to those less successful, creating competition to be sellers of credits, rather than buyers. Presumably, sanctions more costly than the credits will be imposed on the worst polluters.

Planners hope for field trials next year. (This observer’s view: Don’t hold your breath.)

Called the “Erie P Market,” the project depends on being able to measure reductions in nutrient pollution. Trading would be limited to a portion of such reductions. Funding for the project is being provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“The two-year project also aims to develop a common approach for who can trade with whom, and how, where and when trading can occur, as well as examine ways to verify that conservation practices are working to improve water quality.”

http://glc.org/announce/2016-07-eriepmarket-launch/?platform=hootsuite

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* “The Great Lakes Commission is a United States interstate agency established in 1955 through the Great Lakes Compact, in order to ‘promote the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin,’ which includes the Saint Lawrence River. The commission provides policy development, coordination, and advocacy on issues of regional concern, as well as communication and research services.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Commission

Editorial Condemns Ohio’s Plan for Lake Erie

***  Buffalo News Pulls No Punches  ***

Buffalo Harbor Entrance

Following are selections from an editorial in the Buffalo News, June 15, 2016 about Ohio's Western Basin of Lake Erie Collaborative Agreement Implementation Plan.

“New York has paid a price over the years for its geographic location at the receiving end of Ohio’s pollution. Acid rain pelted our lakes and forests, deadening some in the Adirondack wilderness. Agricultural runoff from Ohio poisons Lake Erie, creating toxic algae blooms that are moving ever closer to Buffalo where, without intervention, they may eventually threaten the water supplies of many municipalities. It has to stop, not just for New York’s sake, but for Ohio’s, Pennsylvania’s and Ontario’s.” [AND MICHIGAN'S - J. Lang]

“Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, said last week. ‘If the toxic algae blooms continue to spread, Buffalo and Western New York could be at risk. It is clear that Ohio has not gone far enough, and New York is threatened by Ohio’s inadequate plan.’ “

“That’s why Washington – or the federal courts – will have to be involved … Ohio has frequently been slow to acknowledge its role in causing environmental harm to its neighbors.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/buffalo-news-editorials/ohios-pollution-control-effort-wont-do-enough-to-reduce-the-growth-of-dangerous-algae-20160615

http://www.epa.ohio.gov/News/OnlineNewsRoom/NewsReleases/TabId/6596/ArticleId/949/language/en-US/state-of-ohio-releases-draft-plan-to-reduce-nutrients-in-lake-erie-basin.aspx

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Canadian Influences on Shared Waters

LAKE ST. CLAIR:  Sometimes we forget that our neighbors across the border share with us similar concerns about water quality in Lake St. Clair.

Norman DeBono of the London (Ontario) Free Press wrote earlier this spring that heavy rains caused sewage overflows at London, polluting the Thames River, which flows into Lake St. Clair. City records show 59,473 cubic meters of raw sewage and 91,171 cubic meters of partially treated sewage were discharged to the river in the first quarter of the year.

http://www.lfpress.com/2016/04/10/rainfall-fuels-raw-sewage-dumpings-into-thames

Inadequately treated sewage contains phosphorus, which feeds algal blooms in Lake St. Clair and farther downstream in Lake Erie.

Another cause for concern is suspended sediment in the Thames River, much of it erosion from Ontario farms. A sediment plume clouding Lake St. Clair, beginning at the mouth of the river, can be seen often in satellite photos.

LAKE ERIE:  As you might expect, Canada monitors water quality in the Great Lakes. Some Canadian researchers look for toxins in Great Lakes fish. Results of recent tests in Lake Erie warrant our attention.

“Since the 1970s there has been a dramatic reduction in contaminants in Great Lakes. Harmful pollutants have been phased out or banned resulting in over 90% reduction levels for some contaminants. As the ecosystem recovers, contaminant levels continue to decline at most locations, with some exceptions. For example, a slight upward trend in contaminant levels in some Lake Erie fish is occurring.”

https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-great-lakes-strategy-2016-progress-report

New England Fertilizer to pelletize DWSD sludge

NEW PLANT WON’T CHANGE OLD TECHNOLOGY MUCH

The New England Fertilizer Company (NEFCO) is coming to Detroit.  It’s purpose will be to dispose of sewage sludge, sometimes called biosolids, generated by the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD).  

The same purpose brought Synagro Technologies, Inc. to Detroit in 2007 and Vista Disposal, Inc. in 1980, but the exposure of corruption in those two deals stopped them in their tracks.

Inability to properly dispose of sludge is what caused DWSD to dump the nutrient-rich sludge into the Detroit River.  The river carried it to Lake Erie, where nutrients like phosphorus fueled oxygen-sapping algae blooms.  

As a consequence, DWSD has been cited on a number of occasions for violations of the Clean Water Act.  The problem has been so intractable that federal and state intervention was necessary for 35 years.

NEFCO has been in business since 1986.  It operates facilities adjacent to wastewater treatment plants large and small around the country.  

Under a 20 year contract with DWSD for nearly $700 million, NEFCO will operate a plant it is to construct on Jefferson Ave., opposite DWSD’s principal wastewater facilities.  The plant is expected to be completed in 2016.   It will produce pellets suitable for fertilizer or burning as a source of energy.

The project is intended to replace DWSD’s obsolete incinerators.  Planners anticipate that NEFCO will dispose of approximately 300 of the average 500 (so called) dry tons of sludge produced by DWSD daily.  Most of the rest will go to landfills.