The goal of this pilot project was to promote cleaner, cheaper and smarter compliance alternatives for chemical manufacturing companies and to enhance environmental improvement. Effluent trading of local pretreatment limits is an approach to addressing concerns over difficulties in meeting permit discharge limits for certain substances. It includes discussions of the benefits of trading, elements of a successful trading program, organizational and sociological aspects of trading, and approaches for promoting trading within a POTW service area. Due to the ground-breaking nature of this trade, we have made several presentations at conferences and received press coverage in the New Jersey and national environmental trade press. The results of this effort have been well-received by NJ DEP, EPA's Office of Water, and industrial facilities and POTWs nationwide, and EPA has distributed the report to pretreatment coordinators in all ten regions.
Trading also provides greater flexibility to facilities for meeting local limits.
This flexibility encourages wider and more timely compliance with local pretreatment limits and can lead to economic savings for facilities that buy and sell effluent credits, which ultimately can help to sustain local economic conditions. The POTW benefits from trading by developing an enhanced public image as a proactive and effective regulatory agency that is concerned with ensuring that facilities meet local limits that are protective of the environment, while alleviating potential negative impacts of regulations on the local economy by allowing innovative compliance approaches. Avoidance of facilities locating in areas with more lax local limits. Increased flexibility in achieving compliance. Public recognition for good environmental performance.