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Title:

Investigating the Cost-Effectiveness of Nutrient Credit Use as an Option for VDOT Stormwater Permitting Requirements

Accession Number:

01551434

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

Water quality trading (WQT) markets offer an opportunity for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to achieve compliance with Virginia water quality standards for stormwater runoff for linear development projects through the purchase of credits. The purpose of this study was to determine the economic feasibility of VDOT participating in WQT in lieu of constructing onsite structural best management practices (BMPs) to achieve compliance with Virginia water quality standards. The objectives of the study were (1) to assess the potential credit demand for VDOT projects, focusing on the James River watershed as a case study, and (2) to compare the costs to VDOT of constructing BMPs and participating in WQT. Data, including a database of existing BMPs, construction plans, and detailed cost estimates, were provided by VDOT. To assess the potential credit demand, details of existing BMPs were reviewed for eligibility to participate in WQT. For the cost comparison, a cost estimate for select linear development projects with BMPs was calculated and then compared to credit costs. The results suggest that i) based on historical data, the annual average credit demand for phosphorus is expected to be 24 pounds for the James River watershed and ii) participating in WQT at current market rates in lieu of constructing onsite structural BMPs is an economically feasible solution for VDOT to manage stormwater quality.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFB60 Hydrology, Hydraulics and Water Quality.

Monograph Accession #:

01550057

Report/Paper Numbers:

15-5336

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Nobles, Alicia L
Goldstein, Hillary D
Goodall, Jonathan L
Fitch, G Michael

Pagination:

19p

Publication Date:

2015

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; Maps; References; Tables

Geographic Terms:

James River (Virginia)

Subject Areas:

Finance; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I10: Economics and Administration; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-5336

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 30 2014 1:48PM