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Water Quality Trading Program
Stakeholders/Project Partners for the Passaic Trading Project:
• The Passaic
River Basin Alliance
The Passaic River Basin Alliance, a local nonprofit organization, is a
coalition of most of the wastewater treatment plants within the watershed.
They provided funding towards the total cost of the TMDL Work Plan and
another $1.4 million was provided by its members for the TMDL study. The
Alliance will work closely as a partner in the project to help negotiate
NJPDES permit language, and they will provide critical technical and cost
information on specific treatment facilities.
• New Jersey
Association of Environmental Authorities
New Jersey Association of Environmental Authorities is a nonprofit organization
of New Jersey Waste Water Treatment Plants, Water Utilities, Solid Waste
Facilities, and Collection System Operators. Its role in the project will
be to represent its member's views and concerns to the state's Legislature,
regulatory agencies, and the general public.
• New Jersey
League of Municipalities
The New Jersey State League of Municipalities is a voluntary association
created to help communities do a better job of self-government through
pooling information resources and brain power. Its involvement with the
project includes providing educational support for the project and work
with the team to disseminate information to their constituents.
• New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
NJDEP is the state department dedicated to protecting New Jersey’s
air, land, water and natural resources. It has permitting and enforcement
authority for point source dischargers across the state to meet standards
set by NJDEP. It promulgated the 0.1 mg/L in-stream total phosphorus water
quality standard. This standard is driving the need for point sources
in the Passaic watershed to consider water quality trading. It oversees
the TMDL process which allocates pollution loads to point and nonpoint
sources. NJDEP input and approval will ensure that the Passaic water quality
trading program complies with federal, state, and local water laws. It
will oversees NJPDES permitting and Interact with USEPA Region 2.
• Christopher Obropta, Ph.D., P.E., Assistant Professor, Department
of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University
Dr. Christopher Obropta has vast experience in conducting water quality
modeling studies for developing waste load allocations for point sources
in New Jersey, conducting TMDL analyses, negotiating NJPES permits for
point source discharges, and designing stormwater management practices
for non point source pollution control. He will lead the scientific effort
to develop a cost effective trading program working closely with various
stakeholders to disseminate the information generated by this project.
• Christopher
Uchrin, Ph.D., P.E., Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences,
Rutgers University
Dr. Uchrin’s research include Mathematical modeling of contaminant
transport in ground and surface water systems, Mathematical modeling of
storm water runoff and its impacts on receiving waters, Mathematical modeling
of dissolved oxygen dynamics in lakes and rivers and Mathematical modeling
of ground water hydrology in fractured rock systems. His expertise in
water quality modeling will be valuable for the project. Drs. Uchrin and
Strom conducted a water quality study on the Passaic River in the early
1980s; their previous experience with the watershed will be very valuable
to the project.
• Peter Strom,
Ph.D., Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University
Dr. Strom's research has focused on the microbial ecology of the biological
treatment of wastes. This has included work on activated sludge and rotating
biological contactors (RBCs) for wastewaters; nitrification in wastewater
treatment and receiving waters and biological phosphorus removal. He will
provide expertise in wastewater treatment plant processes, including technology
for phosphorus removal.
• William
Goldfarb, J.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Environment Law, Department
of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University
Dr. Goldfarb has background and research in Environmental Law and Policy,
with a sub-specialty in Water Law and Policy. During the 1970s, Dr. Goldfarb,
as a special consultant to NJDEP, drafted the New Jersey Clean Water Act,
the New Jersey Safe Water Act, and the New Jersey Water Quality Planning
Act, which were subsequently enacted into law. He will provide the legal
expertise needed to clearly evaluate the various trading scenarios and
the trading program as a whole.
• Gregory
Poe, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Applied Economics and Management,
Cornell University
Dr. Poe’s research focuses on both the demand and supply of environmental
resources. On the demand side, much of his research has centered on developing
and testing the contingent valuation method with particular applications
to groundwater quality, pollution of remote mountain lakes, ecosystem
protection, and "green" electricity. On the supply side, he
has had longstanding interests in designing environmental programs related
to water quality, with particular interest in nonpoint source pollution
and land use. Over the last decade he has evaluated voluntary pollution
control policies such as New York State's Agricultural Environmental Management
Program, and federal programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program. Dr. Poe will use experimental economic methods to test the efficacy
of ambient-based incentive policy for regulating nonpoint source pollution.
• Jeffrey
Potent, USEPA Region 2
Mr. Potent will support overall project coordination, provide input on
public policy and regulatory issues, and provide support to local trading
projects in Region 2 via ongoing electronic dialogue.
