The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP), a not-for-profit consortium of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), officially launched its Website www.biosolids.org on July 26, 2000. The NBP goal is to advance environmentally sound and accepted management practices for biosolids, the nutrient-rich organic product of wastewater treatment.
The Website will serve as a central clearinghouse for communication of biosolids-related information, and numerous links have been established along with navigational tools for easy access. For example, the site features a home page map of the United States with links to each of the 10 EPA regions as well as individual Web pages for each of the 50 states. Visitors are able to access contacts and survey results specific to their state and region.
According to NBP Technical Communications Manager Sam Hadeed, development of the site was "a labor of love reflecting many months of researching innovative Web features coupled with listening to numerous biosolids professionals across the country. The site will serve as an invaluable technical and communications resource for thousands of water quality professionals who are working together as true environmental stewards in local communities to 'raise the bar' for biosolids recycling."
The Web site also includes information on the NBP's environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids initiative. The EMS initiative is a progressive program that will provide tools for biosolids professionals to demonstrate to their communities a commitment to go beyond meeting regulatory requirements, as well as plans to improve environmental performance. Agencies interested in implementing an EMS will have Web site access to the blueprint tools that will be completed this fall.