The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) has recognized the New England Organics – Hawk Ridge Compost Facility in Unity Plantation, ME as the first privately operated biosolids management company in the country to be certified and admitted to the partnership’s Environmental Management System (EMS) program.
This achievement signifies that New England’s largest biosolids composting facility, Hawk Ridge, meets the requirements and supports excellence in biosolids management practices, exceeds or augments regulatory compliance obligations, and presents meaningful opportunities for public participation.
The NBP is an alliance of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) with advisory support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“Our team has spent the last two years diligently working to reach this important goal. It is essential that our customers and the communities, in which we operate, receive the very best and most responsible service. Their trust and respect are the foundation of our business,” said James Ecker, General Manager of NEO.
New England Organics provides removal, transportation, processing, and marketing of organic resources — including biosolids, short paper fiber, ash, wood wastes, food wastes, and compost. For over 25 years, NEO has helped clients build, manage, and maintain sustainable and effective waste solutions.
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a systematic set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency. It is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving environmental and health & safety processes which an organization undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals. As part of a national campaign orchestrated by the National Biosolids Partnership, numerous wastewater treatment facilities have received or are working toward certification. With this certification, New England Organics is in the company of Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington DC, as well as twenty other major municipalities.
“The National Biosolids Partnership is pleased with the New England Organics – Hawk Ridge Compost Facility’s successful completion and verification of the NBP EMS program,” said NBP Chair Richard Lanyon. ‘The Partnership believes that instituting an EMS for utility management is vital to enhancing environmental excellence in local communities.’
For more information on the NBP EMS program and to view the Hawk Ridge Compost Facility audit report, visit www.biosolids.org.
