Overcoming New Technology Barriers: Technology Acceptance and Reciprocity Partnership (TARP) Arleen O’Donnell, Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection State-EPA Symposium on Environmental Innovation 1/25/2006 Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Overview  Discuss relevant barriers to adoption of new technologies  Describe TARP and how it reduces these barriers  Provide an example - Stormwater treatment technologies  Invite other states to join

Relevant Technology Barriers  Lack of credible data to allow regulators to make decisions  Uncertain testing requirements  Duplicative reviews under traditional state- by-state permit system  Cost of testing  Acceptance by Users

What is TARP?  Collaboration of 8 states (CA, IL, MD, MA,NJ, NY, PA, VA)  Led by ECOS and coordinating with relevant EPA programs  Other states are encouraged to join  Current TARP priority areas: stormwater, beneficial use of waste, and alternative septic system designs

Goals of TARP  To maximize innovative approaches to meet states’ environmental goals  To develop common protocols to assess performance claims  To reduce permit review time in deference to a state partner’s review and verification of performance results  To improve information sharing between states  To increase acceptance of new technologies by purchasers and reviewers.

How TARP Works  One state is identified as a lead and each interested state identifies a participant  Administrative support, travel and conference call funding is provided through ECOS  After a protocol is developed, states define how they will reciprocate in decision- making  Protocols are frequently updated

Stormwater - Example  Stormwater was selected as one of the first priority areas  Over a hundred new stormwater technologies on the market claiming performance efficiencies, many without good data  6 states developed original protocol

Why is Stormwater a Problem? Impaired Waters, 2002 Massachusetts Example: Urban runoff and stormwater responsible for 46% of assessed river segments and 48% of assessed marine waters not supporting their designated water quality standard (MassDEP 1995). Reduced Flow, 2001  High Stress Basin  Medium Stress Basin

Stormwater Regulatory Issues  Massachusetts adopted rules in 1996 to regulate stormwater  Rules require 80% TSS Removal for new development and redevelopment in or near Wetlands  Rules assign each traditional stormwater treatment BMP a specific TSS removal credit.

Role for Innovative BMPs  Some traditional stormwater treatment BMPs are land constrained in urban areas  Beyond TSS Removal  Growing Demand for Recharge  NPDES Phase II/TMDL Compliance

TARP Stormwater Status  Protocol available on line  NJ and EPA (ETV) actively testing stormwater technologies – in the lab and in the field  MA developed a searchable database ( to provide one-stop shop for reports, data and evaluations of stormwater technologieshttp://  Interstate team being re-activated to update protocol and discuss what reciprocity means  New states invited to join

Summary: How TARP Addresses Barriers  Lack of credible data to allow regulators to make decisions  Uncertain testing requirements  Duplicative reviews under traditional state- by-state permit system  Cost of testing  Acceptance by Users  Understand common and unique data requirements  Develop Protocol and agree to use it  Agree on reciprocity  Accept data from another state  Share information with users

TARP Contacts  Linda Benevides, MassDEP (617)  Marybeth Brenner, NJDEP (609) Website: PADEP hosts -