Federal Agencies: Friend or Foe? Lessons learned from the Front Lines.

摘要

Public utilities need to be aware of the benefits and hazards of working withrngovernmental health agencies. Based on the experience of the Butler County Departmentrnof Environmental Services (BCDES), considerable time and money was expendedrndealing with employees and regulators, as well as the public relations fallout. BCDESrnintended to partner with The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Healthrn(NIOSH) to solve a potential employee health issue. Instead, a national campaign againstrnland application of Class B Biosolids was further fueled as a result of NIOSH findingsrnand report.rnBCDES contends that the NIOSH report is flawed in that it correlates worker illnesses tornClass B Biosolids. BCDES has never had a verified illness related to Biosolids of anyrnclass.rnThis paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of working with governmentalrnhealth agencies to investigate and solve operational issues. This case study underscoresrnthe following key concepts, including the need to:rn? Clearly define the goals and objectivesrn? Communicate with technical advisorsrn? Identify potential agendasrn? Identify facts and issuesrn? Communicate effectively with the service providerrnAlthough the NIOSH report include an inaccurate picture of all the facts, it has givenrnthe opponents of land application a “scientific” basis to alarm public policy makersrnand the public about the perceived “risks” of Class B Biosolids. This paper willrnprovide the utility manager with a number of useful strategies to maximize return onrninvestment when working with regulators on both water quality and laborrnmanagement issues.