Virginia is taking the advice of economists and using markets to help clean waterways.
Some policymakers think the power of markets can help cleanse the nations waterways of nutrient pollution. Marketlike trading has been touted as a cheaper way to stimulate pollution prevention and speed compliance. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2003 published guidelines for nutrient trading, which gave the idea official support. EPA even threw in funding for pilot projects. The Clean Water Acts legal limits known as total maximum daily loads, TMDLs, are under development for polluted waters. Those load limits, for the first time, would set caps for pollution in waterways and allocate discharges that could be bought and sold.
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Clearing Troubled Waters

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

Berkeley Approves ‘Middle Housing’ Ordinance
The city that invented single-family zoning is finally reckoning with its history of exclusion.

SEPTA Budget Slashes Service by 45 Percent
The Philadelphia-area transit agency is legally tasked with maintaining a balanced budget. Officials hope the state will come to the rescue with additional funding.

Connecticut Governor Vetoes Housing Bill
Gov. Lamont reversed his view on a controversial affordable housing bill that would have required municipalities to zone for set amounts of affordable housing to receive state funding.
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