Contact: Alexis Donath, 651-757-2312
St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) recently commended the work of 182 wastewater-treatment operators at the 74th annual Wastewater Operations Conference. For the 34th consecutive year, the MPCA recognized operators of facilities that were fully compliant with all discharge permit requirements during the previous calendar year.
MPCA Commissioner Paul Aasen had high praise for the 2010 award recipients: “The wastewater professionals honored today are true stewards of Minnesota’s water. Their hard work protects our rivers, lakes and streams each and every day.”
To be eligible for the award, facility operators had to submit all monitoring reports to the MPCA correctly and on time, demonstrate consistent compliance through monitoring or surveys, and employ MPCA-certified operators.
The annual Wastewater Operations Conference brings together Minnesota wastewater operators for training and professional education. There are about 1,700 wastewater-treatment facilities in Minnesota, including municipal, industrial and some privately operated institutional facilities. The size of the community, institution or treatment plant is not a factor in awarding the certificates of excellence.
For a complete list of winners, see www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=8820. You may download photos of many award winners at http://gallery.me.com/mpca/100015. The thumbnails are labeled with the name of the facility. Click on your choice. To download a high-resolution version, click the downward-pointing arrow at the bottom.& For the names of those pictured, click on the “i” icon. Although he is not identified, MPCA Commissioner Paul Aasen is in all of the photos, wearing a grey suit and lavender shirt.
