ALEXANDRIA, VA, Sept. 11, 2003 -- The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP), an alliance of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will recognize The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works - Bureau of Sanitation, Los Angeles, California, for successfully achieving independent, third-party verification of the Partnership's environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids program.
A ceremony was held at the agency's facility on September 15, 2003.
With admission into the NBP EMS program, this achievement recognizes that the agency has been independently verified as having an effective biosolids environmental management system.
The L.A. Department of Public Works' biosolids EMS was independently verified on September 4, 2003, by KEMA-Registered Quality, Inc. to conform to the NBP's EMS guidance.
"WEF is pleased with the L.A. Department of Public Works' successful completion and verification of the NBP EMS program," said WEF President Robert McMillon. "The Federation believes that instituting an EMS for utility management is vital to enhancing environmental excellence in local communities."
"On behalf of the U.S. EPA Office of Water, I would like to congratulate the Bureau of Sanitation for successfully completing an independent third party audit for your EMS for biosolids operations under the National Biosolids Partnership. This is an important accomplishment which will pave the way for even greater adoption of EMSs by water and wastewater facilities" said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water G. Tracy Mehan, III.
The EMS verification signifies that the L.A. Department of Public Works supports excellence in biosolids management, exceeds regulatory compliance obligations, and provides meaningful opportunities for public participation.
The L.A. Department of Public Works is one of 52 demonstration agencies participating in the NBP EMS for biosolids program.
An additional 6-10 agencies are expected to undergo audits of their biosolids EMS in 2003 and be admitted to the EMS Program. For more information about the NBP's EMS program, visit: http://www.biosolids.org.
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with members from varied disciplines who work toward the WEF vision of preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The WEF network includes water quality professionals from 79 Member Associations in over 30 countries.
More information about the participants in the EMS program, including contacts, is available on the EMS section of the National Biosolids Partnership web site at http://biosolids.policy.net/emsguide/.
