Perdue  Clean  Waters
                Environmental   Initiative
    In November 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regions 3 and 4 and Perdue Farms Incorporated entered
into an agreement to help independent contract poultry producers growing for Perdue protect our nation's waters. The parties
signed a Memorandum of Agreement to implement the Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative, an effort to provide training,
assistance and environmental assessments for poultry producers. The initiative will help enhance the producers' compliance, as it
relates to their poultry operations, with federal, state  and local environmental regulations. Perdue poultry processing facilities will
also each implement an Environmental Management System, a set of processes and practices designed to reduce environmental
impacts and increase operating efficiency.
Scope
    The Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative is an expansion of a pilot program that was conducted in 2007 with the
    largest producers growing for Perdue on the Delmarva Peninsula. A joint EPA and Perdue evaluation proved the pilot
    program successful.
    It will be expanded to include all independent contract poultry producers growing for Perdue in Region 3 and Region 4
    states including Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
    By the end of the four-year implementation, approximately 1,650 producers will be included in the initiative.
    The initiative also includes implementing an Environmental Management System program at Perdue's processing facilities.
Together, EPA and  Perdue will
... implement the Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative to minimize environmental impacts to our nation's waters and to
help poultry producers comply with environmental requirements. EPA and Perdue have identified the following critical components
of the initiative and will work together to refine their elements:
    Training and Assistance: EPA and Perdue, in conjunction
    with federal and state agricultural agencies, will imple-
    ment the training and assistance program to  ensure Per-
    due field associates can perform thorough environmental
    and compliance assessments. Producers will  be provided
    information to help them comply with environmental
    requirements governing poultry operations. They will also
    obtain technical and financial assistance to support imple-
    mentation of Best Management Practices.
    Producer Environmental Assessments: Perdue will
    implement a thorough assessment program two times a
    year to promote poultry producer compliance (within the
    poultry production area) with critical elements of the
    Nutrient Management Plan and full implementation of
    required best management practices.
    Deviation Notification Process: Perdue will implement a
    program to enable producers to address and correct
    issues identified in the assessment.
    Environmental Results: Perdue, in consultation with EPA,
    will develop and implement a set of program measures to
    track progress toward achieving environmental
    improvement and compliance.
               Program Evaluation: Perdue and EPA plan to conduct an
               annual evaluation involving joint record reviews,
               environmental results analyses and joint site assessments
               to determine program effectiveness.
               Recognition: Perdue, in consultation with EPA, will
               develop and implement a program to recognize poultry
               producers who demonstrate environmental and
               compliance excellence, particularly those that are judged
               to be outstanding in their efforts to minimize nutrient
               loads to the nation's waters.
               EPA Compliance Assurance Activities: When targeting
               for inspections, EPA intends to consider the good faith
               and full participation by Perdue and  participating
               producers as a factor in determining whether and how
               inspection activities will be undertaken.
               Environmental Management Systems: Perdue plans to
               implement an Environmental Management System at all
               of its processing plants using as a model the  International
               Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001-based
               program that has been developed for its Salisbury, Md.,
               processing plant.
Contacts
Jeff Smith
Corporate Environmental Manager
Perdue Farms Incorporated
(410) 341-2055
Hank Zygmunt
Agriculture Advisor
US EPA Region 3
(215) 814-5750
Denise Tennessee
Agriculture Program Coordinator
US EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8460

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