The UNM Grounds and Landscape Department's innovative programs, which cut back on the use of dangerous chemicals on campus, has earned it the Pollution Prevention Award from Albuquerque's Wastewater Utility Division.
The award is given annually to institutions that comply with city, state and federal guidelines of safety and innovative procedures for reducing harmful waste.
The Best Management Practices award was given to the department, which is a component of UNM's Physical Plant Department, last month.
"We're happy to give UNM the recognition of the reward in the area of pollution prevention," said Douglas Dailey, Albuquerque Wastewater Utilities Division manager. "An organization that achieves this accomplishment keeps us from having to regulate them, which means we don't have to monitor them. It's quite an accomplishment from the standpoint of regulatory control."
One of the practices that helped the Grounds and Landscaping Department win the award was a recycling cooler tower from Ford Utilities. Other factors helping it win included minimizing the number and types of pesticides and fertilizer used on campus, proper storage of chemicals, maintaining records of recycled materials and waste disposal, having a written spill control and chemical hygiene plan and conserving water and energy.
"This award is a testament to the efforts of the staff of this department to be a leader in innovative ideas to protect everyone on this campus," said Gary Smith, manager of grounds and landscaping. "It just goes to show you how far we can come when we pull together for a common cause like campus and environmental safety."
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The Wastewater Utilities Division serves all of the Albuquerque area's homes, businesses and institutions that are connected to city's sewer system. The division itself recently received an award from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.
All the water that is flushed down a toilet or poured down a sink flows through a system of pipelines that the department builds and maintains. It receives and reclaims more than 60 million gallons of water daily, according to the department's Web site.
"This award shows that UNM's effort to go above and beyond what is called for is being noticed," said Brenda Gutierrez, a city pollution prevention specialist. "We appreciate their extra effort to ensure the safety of our world for generations to come."
The Pollution Prevention Program was started in 1992 as a free, voluntary technical assistance program. Its primary focus is on wastewater discharges that may harm the Southside Reclamation Plant and the Rio Grande. The program considers pollution prevention as the reduction of wastes through source control including process changes, technologies and efficient operating practices.
"What UNM has done is followed the best management practices for pollution prevention in Albuquerque's wastewater ordinance that ultimately protects the Rio Grande," Dailey said.
UNM's Grounds and Landscaping Department is responsible for campus arboriculture and landscaping activities including everything from turf maintenance to refuse removal. In addition to ensuring the health and beauty of campus, it is responsible for cleaning waterscapes and keeping the campus free from litter and debris.
