CPS Coolidge: Following Stewardship Policies
July 5, 2012 To hear Preston Golding, site safety manager for Crop Production Services (CPS) in Coolidge, AZ, tell it, the outlet has always been dedicated to protecting the environment — so being named a state winner in the annual Environmental Respect Awards is a nice acknowledgement of this effort. “I honestly believe that one of the main things that sets us apart and leap ahead of our competition is our environmental, health and safety policies,” says Golding. “Safety and environmental respect are woven into who we are as employees.”
This comes through in many of the outlet’s operations, he adds. For instance, all of CPS Coolidge’s fertilizer blending operations are done in a contained area so any spillage that might occur doesn’t impact the environment. “Everything that is loaded is done on a load pad so any product that trickles out after we disconnect the hose from the tank is captured on the load pad, which has 110% containment,” says Golding.
The same holds true for the facility’s crop protection product warehouse. At present, all products are kept within a containment of 110% of the maximum that can be held. A containment ramp was installed in January and construction is currently underway on a herbicide containment that will contain two 5,000-gallon tanks.
When it comes to rinsate, CPS Coolidge has two load pads to contain this material for reuse, which is documented for thoroughness, says Golding. “We document the date it is taken out, the amount of rinsate that is land applied, who the driver was and where it was applied at,” he says.
Adding to its commitment to safety, CPS Coolidge holds monthly meetings with all employees to update them on everything from respirator protection to general housekeeping points. The use of visual inspections is also stressed at these meetings.
“We believe that the environmental protection of our facilities is maximized through improved use of energy and natural resources and the effectiveness of our control programs,” says Golding. “We are committed to implementing best management practices that address the impacts our business has on the environment.”
Note: Crop Production Services (CPS) in Coolidge, AZ, is a 2012 state Environmental Respect Award winner. For more information on this program, which is sponsored by DuPont, click here.
Subscribe Today For
