GOING FOR THE GOLD! Applying for the Biosolids Third-Party Audit

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) is one of the National Biosolids' Partnership (NBP) 27 “pilot” member agencies that have committed to the development of an Environmental Management System (EMS) for its biosolids program. This EMS follows specific requirements of the NBP guidelines. OCSD decided to participate in the EMS for biosolids demonstration project to improve the organization and efficiency of its biosolids program, which is both environmentally protective and responsive to the communities we serve. Once the EMS was determined to be fully functional, OCSD requested to be verified by an independent third-party auditor who determines if minimum EMS requirements have been met. Once these were verified, the auditor recommended OCSD for EMS Certification. OCSD is the first agency in the U.S. to be certified for an EMS for biosolids program. OCSD expects that EMS certification will not only help improve the biosolids program but will help gain public support for the biosolids recycling efforts.