This website's content is fully accessible to all browsers, however it will look much better and your experience will be much more enjoyable if you upgrade your browser to one that is standards-compliant.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2003
Contacts:
Fred Pehrson, Permitting, Compliance and Monitoring Branch Manager, Utah Division of Water Quality, (801) 538-6076
Don Ostler, Director, Utah Division of Water Quality, (801) 538-6146
(Salt Lake City, Utah) - Utah's water quality permitting, compliance and monitoring manager announces his retirement after 30 years of public service with the State of Utah. Fred Pehrson will leave his post at the DEQ Division of Water Quality May 30, 2003.
In 30 years as a water quality engineer and manager, Pehrson has been able to provide better environmental and public health protection by fostering cooperative working relationships with industry, municipalities, agriculture and other regulated facilities.
"While we walk a fine line as a regulatory agency, we've been able to accomplish a great deal through collaboration and partnerships," Pehrson said. "The regulated community has now accepted a much more responsible role in protecting water quality than in the past."
Water quality programs have expanded dramatically during his 30-year career. For example, Pehrson said he has seen the number of regulated facilities increase tenfold, from approximately 200 to more than 2,000.
"At the beginning of my career, we regulated mostly industrial and municipal facilities," he said. "Now we regulate storm water pollution, animal feed lots and sewage sludge. The public has enjoyed a better environment because of these additional regulatory programs."
At a critical point in the 1980s when states recognized the benefit of local control of federal regulatory programs, Pehrson helped Utah successfully receive primacy of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate wastewater discharges to Utah's rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs. He also played a key role in helping Utah to become the first state in the country to receive local control of the federal program that regulates treatment and beneficial use of municipal sewage sludge, also known as biosolids.
Furthermore, Pehrson led Utah's effort to receive primacy of the federal Underground Injection Control Program that protects ground water. He served as a multi-state representative on the Board of Directors of the National Ground Water Protection Council that developed national policies regarding protection of ground water.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to Fred for his outstanding work ethic and commitment to cooperation," said Division of Water Quality Director Don Ostler. "We all enjoy a higher quality of life because of the progress Utah has made under his leadership. His influence will be felt for years to come."
Pehrson graduated from the University of Utah in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and in 1975 with a master's degree in environmental engineering. He became an assistant to the water quality division director in 1988 in charge of permitting, compliance and monitoring. Pehrson is a licensed professional engineer.
You are here: Home >