The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is accepting applications for the 2014 Clean Water Awards. The awards recognize outstanding performance of wastewater treatment plants that operate at poultry processing facilities. Winners will be announced at USPOULTRY's 2014 Environmental Management Seminar to be held at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, Fla., from September 25-26, 2014.
"Poultry companies continue to be committed to environmental stewardship and do an excellent job operating their wastewater treatment facilities. They reclaim most of the water used in poultry processing and return it to the environment in excellent condition. We are pleased to sponsor this annual competition that highlights the efforts wastewater treatment professionals in the poultry industry take to protect our natural resources and enhance the environment," said Elton Maddox, Wayne Farms, Oakwood, Ga., and chairman of USPOULTRY.
Awards are presented in two categories - full treatment and pretreatment. Full treatment facilities are those facilities that fully treat their wastewater prior to discharge into a receiving water or a land application system. Pretreatment facilities are those facilities that discharge pretreated effluent to publicly-owned treatment facilities for further processing. Any USPOULTRY member company is eligible to submit three nominees in each category. Facilities which have previously won the award may not be nominated again for five years. The deadline for submitting applications is May 31, 2014.
An evaluation committee will review the applications and select semi-finalist facilities in each category. Award recipients will be selected after the evaluation committee completes a site visit were the semifinalists will have an opportunity to showcase their facility.
Award recipients will receive a trophy, be profiled on the USPOULTRY website and receive assistance in publicizing the award on a local, regional and national level.
The winners of the 2013 Clean Water Awards were GNP Company, Cold Spring, Minn., for full treatment, and Marshall Durbin, Jasper, Ala., for pretreatment. Koch Foods, Gadsden, Ala., received honorable mention in the full treatment category.
For an application form, visit USPOULTRY's website.
