National Biosolids Partnership EMS Program Rebecca Western Carolina

National Biosolids Partnership EMS Program Rebecca Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority Greenville, South Carolina

Overview • History of the need for Biosolids EMS • Status of EMS for Biosolids • Future Outlook for EMS

More Overview • Now there was the need to interact with neighbors and the public • Public perception became the number one priority

History

History • Storm clouds on biosolids public acceptance were starting to gather in the late 1980’s – • Ocean Dispersal no long allowed • Public Environmental Awareness

History con’t • Sludge “Disposal” was no longer an “arrow” to no where • Wastewater Industry caught by surprise • Industry had been recycling solids for years

More History • Need for better performance-more than regulatory minimum • Public agency staff didn’t have credibility • Producers of a product, Perceived of as trying to get rid of Biosolids the cheapest way possible

National Challenge • Many Controversies around the United States

National Biosolids Partnership Goal: Advance Environmentally Sound and Accepted Biosolids Management Practices-Gain Public Acceptance Non-Profit Alliance Formed in 1997

Environmental Management System (EMS) • Major NBP Objective • Wastewater Professionals asked to “Raise the Bar” • Regulations are Baseline—EMS is Commitment to go Beyond • Includes Pretreatment, Treatment and Use/Disposal

NBP Strategy • NBP believes the EMS with its third party verification will help us gain public trust. • We also have a new communications program that has been developed at the national level-the first step is our new NBP Web Site (www. biosolids. org)

EMS Blueprint. Five Components • • • Code of Good Practice EMS Elements Guidance Document National Manual of Good Practice Independent, Third-Party Verification Program

EMS Blueprint. Code of Good Practice • • Commitment to to EMS Third Party Audit Good Practices Communications

EMS Blueprint. EMS Common Elements • 17 Elements • Required for an EMS • Identifies critical control points in the biosolids value train • Major emphasis on public participation and communications

EMS Blueprint. EMS Guidance Manual • A how to manual, self implementing • Meet the requirements of the Common Elements • Prepare for the Audit

EMS Blueprint. National Manual of Good Practice • Compendium of all the manuals in the country • Identifies best management practices at critical control point • Participant chooses best practices

EMS Blueprint. Third Party Program • Audit-use an existing organization • Audit reports readily available to the public • More detailed work needs to be done in preparation for launching audit program 2002

Demonstration Program Test and refine Blueprint with 27 Demonstration Projects

Demonstration Projects

Southeast Charter Demonstration Projects • Montgomery, Alabama • Columbus, Georgia • Greenville, South Carolina

Looking to the Future-2002 • January 2002 -Third Party Certification Program in place • 27 Demonstration Projects have established EMS and have initiated operations consistent with EMS • 13 Additional smaller organizations included in the Demo Program

Looking to the Future-2003 • Year 2003 -100 wastewater organizations in the Code of Good Practice Club • 40 Demonstration organizations completed the certification process • 60 New Organizations preparing EMS

Conclusions • EMS Program has moved from Planning to the implementation phase • Learn from Demonstration Program • Continue to refine Blueprint to be sure it is practical and cost effective

Conclusions • NBP ready to assist Biosolids organizations prepare a Biosolids EMS • Looking for more organizations to participate in the Demonstration Program

National Biosolids Partnership Peter Machno Ph. D EMS Program Manager Telephone 800 -613 -4502 pmachno@biosolids. org