The Economic and Environmental Potential Of Nutrient Trading in Three Watersheds of the Upper Midwest

摘要

The Clean Water Act of 1970 and its amendments have been successful in reducing the load of pollution to the nations surface waters. However, in many instances the nation has still not achieved the goals articulated under the Act and the job of cleaning up our waterways remains unfinished. One reason we have not moved to correct our water quality problems is that the conventional remedies are perceived as too expensive. Much less expensive options exist to involve other dischargers to produce significant improvements in water quality at low cost. Trading, which provides a flexible alternative and allows the least cost options to be employed, appears to have broad potential for application.