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Government Reinvention Office Rewards Team Effort To Improve Dairy Waste Management In Idaho

Release Date: 8/20/1998
Contact Information: Lynn McKee
mckee.lynn@epamail.epa.gov
(208) 378-5746

August 20, 1998 - - - - - - - - - - 98-45




News Release
Vice President Al Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government today recognized the successful efforts of state and federal employees -- working with the Idaho Dairy Association -- to make sure Idaho dairies are keeping animal wastes out of the state's rivers, lakes and streams.

In a noon ceremony at the Governor's office in Boise, a Hammer Award was presented to representatives of the Idaho Department of Agriculture, the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Idaho and the state dairy association. The award was presented by Chuck Fox, EPA's assistant administrator for water in Washington, D.C.

Fox presented the Hammer Award on behalf of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), the Clinton Administration's initiative for reinventing government. The Hammer Award is given by NPR to recognize team efforts to help government work better and cost less.

"The improvements in the Idaho dairy compliance program are exactly the kind of thing that the Administration set out to do with its efforts to reinvent government," said Fox. "The winners of this award have eliminated overlap in government services, and have brought about compliance with animal waste regulations at less expense and in much less time than ever before."

Fox made this before-and-after comparison:

"A traditional compliance program, run by EPA, was replaced by an innovative state program run by the Idaho Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The new approach coupled the ISDA's milk licensing authority with the waste management responsibilities of EPA and the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality. During their visits, the ISDA inspectors now look at dairies' waste management practices in addition to their milk sanitation inspections.

"Since November 1995, the state agriculture inspectors have inspected more than 4000 dairies. Had the old arrangement remained in effect, with EPA and IDEQ checking on waste management, less than 300 inspections would have been performed by EPA and IDEQ during that same period. As a result, farmers in Idaho are complying with the Clean Water Act and are showing the public their commitment to a clean environment."

Hammer Award plaques were presented by Fox to the following individuals: Marv Patten, Idaho Department of Agriculture; Susan Lee, Greg Ledbetter and Lewis Eilers, Idaho Dairy Association; Dean Falk, University of Idaho; Michael McMasters, Idaho Division of Environmental Quality; and Lynn McKee, Carla Fromm and Warren McFall, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.