The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) is working to develop a voluntary environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids handling that would help biosolids producers and appliers meet market and regulatory standards.
The program is still in the early development stage. It could ultimately evolve into a national system that would include an ongoing independent third-party verification program and citizen input to ensure that the management systems are effectively implemented.
Peter Machno, NBP environmental management system manager, said the Partnership hopes to develop a EMS program that would help utilities become more efficient and competitive. He said one overriding goal is that the EMS program not become an additional burden to wastewater treatment utilities.
Machno likened the program to the ISO standards and said it would provide something like a ?Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval? which utilities could use in communicating with their local communities.
The National Biosolids Partnership was formed in 1997 by the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, the Water Environment Federation and the Environmental Protection Agency to promote environmentally sound and publicly acceptable biosolids management programs.
The NBP has developed a Code of Good Practice that defines broad goals to guide biosolids management programs. It is developing a Manual of Good Practice describing the full range of management practices, including pretreatment, treatment and beneficial use or disposal, and a series of uniform steps, with accompanying guidance, for designing and implementing an EMS.
Machno said the EMS program would be ?technology neutral? and the system could be implemented no matter how utilities handle or dispose of biosolids. For example, it would not matter if the biosolids are land applied, landfilled or incinerated, he said.
A national model for the EMS will incorporate three basic elements: compliance with applicable regulations as a baseline; uniform steps for developing the EMS; and a system for verifying performance by qualified independent third parties.
The national initiative also will include, as a minimum, a standard set of actions. To qualify, a facility must:
- Subscribe to the Code of Good Practice;
- Identify overall objectives for its EMS;
- Select management practices that meet its objectives;
- Measure the effectiveness of the EMS at critical control points;
- Conduct internal audits of the system to ensure objectives are met;
- Take corrective action if any objectives are not met;
- Establish management feedback;
- Establish a communication link with the community and stakeholders.
As part of the development process, the NBP has already begun working with 14 utilities, and has conducted a ?gap analysis? at each of the utilities. These analyses are voluntary, self-evaluations designed to identify the ?gap? between where utilities are and where they should be, Machno said. Participating utilities include Cary, N.C.; Lawrence, KS, and King County, WA, among others.
The Partnership would like to recruit another 50 utilities to participate in the program over the next year. NBP staff and other participants in the program will help the utilities conduct the gap analysis and provide technical and outreach information.
The National Biosolids Partnership can be contacted at: 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1994; Fax: 703-684-2492; e-mail: [email protected].
James Laughlin
Editor
