Environmental BMPs passed unanimously by the Board of Directors

[PWNA HQ 14]

The Board of Directors are pleased to announce that the Environmental BMPs have been unanimously approved. A 21 day comment period for PWNA members and non-members resulted in one person submitting changes to the document. Those comments were reviewed by the Environmental Committee and changes were made to the BMPs. During the comment period we received emails, phone calls and text messages supporting the BMPs. The Board of Directors also approved Fort Worth as the Model Ordinance of the PWNA.

The next step for the committee is to create a training curriculum around the BMPs and Model Ordinance. The curriculum will include a training guide, a Power Point presentation and certification test. The first Environmental class available to PWNA members and non-members will be taught on Saturday, October 22nd at the PWNA convention.

The following is from a previous post regarding the purpose of the Environmental BMPs:

What the BMPs are:

· An educational tool - to be used as part of an Environmental Certification course. For me personally, I have spent all of my time on residential services like wood restoration, roof cleaning and house washing. I recently began commercial exterior cleaning and fleet washing and I had no idea where to begin as it relates to the Clean Water Act (CWA from this point). I found the current PWNA BMPs difficult to understand and they left me with many questions. However, I didn't know where to begin without them. The PWNA is leading this important topic.

· A resource for your employees - we wanted to have a document that could be part of every members operation, if they chose. Take these BMPs and use them as they are or use them to start developing your own company BMPs based on the services you provide and the geography you serve. They are a living and open document that can be modified and applied by anyone that wants them.

· Protection - having BMPs and being Water Reclaimer Certified can be used to demonstrate to local regulators and municipalities that you are a trained professional. They will know that you are doing what you can to protect our lakes, rivers, streams and oceans. The PWNA is here to protect our members and help them to be more profitable. You may not agree, and that's fine, but that is what the BOD believe.

· Helping keep our waters clean - Some cities have not developed their own BMPs, others have. Part of phase 2 of the EPA (as I understand it) requires cities to develop their own BMPs. If all of us can do the work for them by writing or at least influencing the writing of their BMPs, better for your city, better for you the contractor and better for the environment. The services each of us as contractors perform is to keep things clean and to protect the health and safety of our customers. No one is more interested in protecting the environment than those of us in the power washing industry.

What the BMPs are not:

· The PWNA is not going to bring, or shop, the BMPs to municipalities, city leaders or roll them out across the country. That was never mentioned as our plan and I don't know where that came from. Second, we don't have the money or resources for such an undertaking.

· These BMPs aren't designed to be the answer for every power washer, in every part of the country, for every possible cleaning situation or challenge. They are a guide. They are a resource to develop BMPs specific to your operation.

· They will not solve the Houston problem. These BMPs are written to comply with the CWA. What is happening in Houston is not about the CWA. As you can read toward the beginning of the BMP document "If your discharge does not reach the waters of the United States, then there are no requirements under the Clean Water Act."

· The BMPs are not applicable to residential services such as house washing, roof cleaning or deck cleaning unless wash water will reach a storm drain. If the water doesn't hit the storm drain, these BMPs do not apply.

· The BMPs are not about enriching anyone. To be on the BOD, 50% or more of your revenue must come from contract cleaning. Michael Hinderliter had to leave the Board when he bought Delux from Robert and the new bylaws were passed. Although Robert Hinderliter is the Environmental Chairman, he is not one of the Board of Directors. The BMPs are about education and guidance. We aren't suggesting anyone buy a particular type of equipment or to buy any equipment at all. It is up to the individual contractor as to how he or she will meet the requirements of the CWA.

· We are not submitting these BMPs to the EPA on April 15th or any other date. We are not submitting these BMPs to any government authority. They will be available on the PWNA website to anyone who wants to read them. We are asking for member comments to be returned by April 15th to keep the process moving.

· The BMPs don't suggest that we are polluters.

[Scott Stone 604]

Really? So why is a power point be prepared to shop to municipalities?

[tonyshelton 112]

How long will it be before municipalities require all of us to be "certified" through the PWNA to spray water or lose our "license".

Is the BOD willing to guaranty that if it's "certification" becomes a requirement to work by any local authority they will discontinue the certifications?

If not, why not?

[PWNA HQ 14]

Scott, there will be 2 Power Point presentations developed. The first one will be the training demonstration presentation used for classroom training. The second one will be available to members to bring back to their city so they can educate their local Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) people. That presentation will also be used to educate regulators like the Houston regulators. Again, there are no plans to shop these BMPs. However, we want to be ready when called upon.

Tony it would be great if someday everyone will have to be certified in water reclamation through the PWNA. I want the members of our organization to write the standards, not some well intentioned bureaucrat.