Awards Recognize Pollution Prevention Efforts;
Governor Notes Environmental Successes and Needs

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) awarded three Pollution Prevention Awards for Excellence at its awards banquet Wednesday night, part of KDHE's annual environmental conference. Theme of the September 24-25 conference is Linking Community, Business and Government: Connections for a Clean Environment. The two-day conference is a smorgasbord of programs, projects, guidance, and ideas that involve businesses, communities, and government agencies on all levels.

KDHE Secretary Gary R. Mitchell presented the Pollution Prevention Awards at last night's banquet to the Kansas City, Kansas, Water Pollution Control Division, the Rawlins County Recyclers, and the Frito Lay Green Team.

The Kansas City Water Pollution Control Division was commended for its cooperative agreement with the Kansas City, Missouri, Water Services Department to construct a sewer line to connect both sewer areas. This line will enable both wastewater systems to transport raw sewage or sludge from one facility to the other, reducing pollution due to plant malfunctions, organic overloads, or shut-down.

Also commended for Cooperative Efforts, the Rawlins County Recyclers from Northwestern Kansas involves local government, citizens, schools, and community groups. At the awards ceremony, Secretary Mitchell noted, "This effort serves as a model for other small communities with limited resources." The award was accepted by Kathy Boettcher on behalf of the PRIDE program and the community of Atwood.

The third recipient, the Frito-Lay Green Team, was recognized in the category of New Technologies/Initiatives. In this program, which Frito-Lay initiated in 1993, each facility is

responsible for establishing and maintaining a team of management and technical-level employees to ensure that ongoing environmental compliance programs exist. Objectives are not only to bring Frito-Lay's systems and competency to full compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations; in addition, the program established an ongoing program to reduce environmental impacts beyond regulatory requirements.

"Frito-Lay's company-wide commitment, management support and involvement, and employee Green Team members are working together to effectively reduce waste across all media," Mitchell noted in giving the award. Mark Bennaka accepted the award on behalf of Frito-Lay.

Governor Addresses Environmental Issues

Governor Bill Graves opened the conference with a call for trust and education. He also accented several environmental successes that had taken place:

• The water quality initiative, which he characterized as a "small step in a pilot program." Under this governor's initiative, state agencies, businesses, and individuals are collaborating to improve water quality in the Kansas-Lower Republican Basin in Northeast Kansas.
• Funding for abandoned oil wells.
• The dry cleaning industry's initiative to combat pollution. These regulations were unusual, said Graves, because the drycleaners themselves took the initiative to seek a surcharge to reduce and remediate pollutants from their business activities.
• The Kansas State University study on confined feeding operations. Graves said this scientific study would supply data on which to decide whether Kansas needs to strengthen feedlot regulations.
• Reviewing water quality standards for designated use of Kansas rivers. A seven-person committee is reviewing designated uses for the state's rivers, with an eye to balancing varying needs.
• The recent awarding of $1.3 million in state grants for recycling projects.

Future Needs Noted

Regarding where environmental improvement is needed, Graves said, "We need two elements. One is mutual trust. There continues to be a lack of trust on environmental issues; everyone seems to think someone else is out to 'snooker' someone else."

Graves said this lack of trust was reflected in some reactions to his choice of KDHE Secretary Mitchell. The governor said many saw the appointment as a pro-agriculture, anti-environmental appointment. "It makes no sense at all to fail the environment of this state," Graves stated, as he emphasized Mitchell's commitment to the state's environmental health.

The second need Graves stressed is educational effort. "We need a greater investment in environmental education. We need a more proactive educational effort for the children of the state."

In a brief talk following the governor's address, Secretary Mitchell said his philosophy was that he was a steward of the land: "I believe in turning the land over better than I received it." Mitchell also stressed the need to develop collaborative partnerships throughout the state with such measures as the environmental self-audit bill.