http://epa.gov/OWM/marnews.pdf March 1999
National Biosolids Partnership (NBP): EPA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of
Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA), and other stakeholders have formed the NBP to promote good
management practices regardless of the use/disposal option chosen and public acceptance of beneficial use when
that option has been selected. The NBP is focusing its initial efforts on the development of an environmental
management system (EMS) that could be adopted by municipalities and their contractors to help assure responsible
management of biosolids. An organization adopting an EMS pledges to comply with all applicable Federal, State,
and local regulations and to adopt and follow other practices to address issues such as traffic, odors, noise, and
dust that are not covered by EPA regulations. EPA is providing
$1.245 million, including the $0.9 million “add-on” included in the FY-99 Appropriations Act, to the NBP through
cooperative agreements. For additional information about the NBP, contact John Walker on (202) 260-7283; for
additional information about the EMS, contact Jim Horne on (202) 260-5802.
Incident Response Team (IRT): This is a team of Headquarters and Regional experts that can react quickly to
allegations of health, environmental, and other problems caused by biosolids. Sometimes the team simply reviews
existing data; on other occasions the team performs detailed field investigations. Currently active IRT projects are:
Colorado: The team is establishing “baseline” conditions prior to the discharge of pre-treated groundwater from
beneath the Lowry landfill superfund site into the Denver Metro wastewater treatment facility. Also, the team has
investigated the allegation that the deaths of dairy cows near Deer Trail, Colorado, was caused by the application of
biosolids from Denver Metro. A draft report on both cases is expected by the end of March, 1999.
Georgia: The team is investigating the death of dairy cows on the Boyce and McElmurray farms allegedly caused by
the land application of biosolids from the Augusta wastewater treatment facility on those farms. The investigation is
just getting underway.
For more information, call Bob Bastian on (202) 260-7378 or Bob Brobst on (303) 312-6129.