Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation honored as a certified biosolids
environmental management system
9/12/2003 WaterWorld
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 will be 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.