Kansas Dairy Ingredients in Hugoton, Kansas, a dairy manufacturing facility, was recently selected to receive an EPA Region 7 2021 Pollution Prevention Award. The award will be formally presented on Oct. 26 during ceremonies at the Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Pollution prevention (P2) is any practice that reduces, eliminates or prevents pollution at its source. The EPA Region 7 P2 Awards celebrate organizations across the Midwest who have successfully implemented P2 projects.
Also a 2018 and 2019 awardee, Kansas Dairy Ingredients is being recognized for completing the second phase of its plant effluent treatment project by constructing an irrigation pond to hold the treated water previously discharged to the city of Hugoton. This pond was then used for crop irrigation, which has saved over 48 million gallons of well water over the past two growing seasons.
“I commend Kansas Dairy Ingredients for their proactive approach to water conservation,” said Acting EPA Region 7 administrator Edward H. Chu. “Water is one of our most precious resources, and the construction of the irrigation pond demonstrates their commitment to being good stewards in the community.”
Kansas Dairy Ingredients is a leading processor of milk ingredients in southwestern Kansas. The facility converts milk into numerous dairy ingredients that are used in the manufacture of cheese, ice cream, and nutritional drinks. Byproducts from the facility are converted to animal feed. In late 2021, Kansas Dairy Ingredients will commission a 90,000-square-foot cheese and butter manufacturing facility.
In addition to Kansas Dairy Ingredients, two other entities have received EPA Region 7 2021 P2 Awards:
- Iowa Waste Reduction Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa
- Doherty Steel Inc. in Paola, Kansas
