def #237 10/31/07

OCUA WINS NATIONAL AWARD; BIOSOLIDS PROGRAM CITED

TOMS RIVER - The production and marketing of organic fertilizer by the Ocean County Utilities Authority has received national recognition, being selected a first place winner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 National Clean Water Recognition Award Program.

"The outstanding work done by the Ocean County Utilities Authority has now been recognized nationally and this Board is very proud of that accomplishment," said Ocean County Freeholder Director John P. Kelly. "Because of the OCUA, our waterways are cleaner now then they have ever been. The residents and the environment both benefit from the OCUA's innovative approach to managing wastewater."

OCUA Chairman John C. Parker, OCUA Executive Director Richard M. Warren and David J. Ertle, Director of Fertilizer Manufacturing at the OCUA, attended this week's preboard meeting of the Board of Freeholders to talk about the recent recognition.

"We are very proud of these efforts," said Freeholder Deputy Director James F. Lacey, who is liaison to the OCUA. "The OCUA has raised the bar when it comes to treating wastewater and recycling it into a useful fertilizer."

"This award is the culmination of over 15 years of hard work and reflects the commitment and determination of the Freeholders and the Authority's Commissioners and staff to implement an exemplary project for the environmentally sound beneficial reuse of its biosolids," Warren said.

According to the USEPA, the OCUA was selected for the award based on "demonstrated creative and outstanding practices" in the area of biosolids management.

Since 1997, the OCUA has successfully manufactured the organic fertilizer called OCEANGRO. A decade later, more than 90,000 tons has been produced and beneficially reused.

OCEANGRO is non-burning, slow release, runoff resistant and is rich in iron and calcium. It is an economic and environmentally sound alternative for golf courses and athletic fields as a maintenance application. Registered with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, it is manufactured to fertilizer industry standard specifications and exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's "Exceptional Quality" standards. OCEANGRO is used by over 60 golf courses in New Jersey and is available in many retail locations throughout the state.

Ertle noted that the OCUA is the only agency in the state that produces and markets a commercial fertilizer product from its sludge or biosolids.

"We do it all," Ertle said. "From wastewater treatment to the development of a sales and marketing network for the distribution of 9,000 tons per year of product."

The EPA's National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Program recognizes select wastewater treatment plants, programs or projects that have achieved outstanding compliance results and have demonstrated an exceptional technological achievement, method, or device in their waste treatment and pollution abatement programs.

The OCUA's program was first recognized by the EPA's regional office in June when the OCUA received the Region II Exemplary Biosolids Management Award, which qualified it to be considered on a national level.

The OCUA program then underwent additional screenings and evaluations on the national level by a select panel of expert judges in the wastewater treatment industry and was found to be number one in the nation.

"For years, many municipalities, individuals and groups have worked to make significant contributions to the study and practice of environmentally safe use and disposal of municipal biosolids," the EPA stated. "This awards program recognizes their professional efforts."


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