EPA Region 3 Releases Integrated Green Storm Water Infrastructure Guide

On April 22, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 released a publication titled, Community Based Public-Private Partnerships (CBP3) and Alternative Market-Based Tools for Integrated Green Stormwater Infrastructure: A Guide for Local Governments. This guide comes out of a multi-year effort by EPA Region 3 and its partners to identify tools to help Mid-Atlantic communities address their water quality challenges through faster, cheaper and greener methods.

Input for this guide came from experts across a variety of sectors, including public infrastructure financing, green infrastructure design/delivery, investment/finance, economic development, renewable energy and military housing, among others. The guide is intended for a variety of audiences, including, but not limited to, lawyers, finance specialists, P3 experts, public officials, economic developers, storm water and green infrastructure practitioners and managers, decision makers and regulators. Specifically, this report introduces the CBP3 approach as a flexible, performance-based platform for implementing affordable, integrated green storm water infrastructure to meet a variety of regulatory and community needs. The guide also provides background information on traditional P3s in the U.S., and how this paradigm differs from the CBP3 model. Further, the guide goes into detail on the financing alternatives as well as market-based tools.

The topic of innovative financing and funding for green infrastructure investments is not confined to the Mid-Atlantic. Region 3 has held a series of webcasts over recent years, with many drawing more than 1,000 attendees from across the U.S. and abroad. 

Source: GreenStream