NPMA is the first and only industry group to receive an EPA Honors Award

December 17, 2009 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) with its National Pesticide Program Partners Award on Thursday, December 17, 2009. The award was given as a part of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Program’s first-ever Honor Awards Ceremony, which aims to highlight core values and principles of EPA and encourage their widespread practice.

The National Pesticide Program Partners Award was the only award at the ceremony honoring an organization outside of EPA. The award recognizes the work of NPMA’s GreenPro program, the largest green certification program for pest management professionals in the world.

“NPMA is honored to receive this award from EPA in recognition of our GreenPro program,” said Bob Rosenberg, senior vice president for NPMA, who accepted the award on behalf of the association. “EPA and NPMA share a commitment to the protection of public health and the environment, and NPMA’s GreenPro program is one way in which we strive to preserve our planet and increase consumer awareness for environmentally responsible initiatives.”

As the most widely-recognized certification available in the pest management industry, NPMA’s GreenPro certification verifies to consumers that their pest management provider complies with many qualifications designed to ensure they receive eco-effective service. In addition to requiring participating companies to submit independent audits, GreenPro certified companies must have their service technicians, salespersons and managers trained, tested and recertified. In addition to green pest management service standards, participating companies are also evaluated on business operations, such as criminal background checks, reference checks, drug screening and more, prior to being able to participate in GreenPro.

In addition to receiving this award, GreenPro has also been recognized by organizations inside and outside the pest management industry, including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and is designed to satisfy the needs of green-conscious consumers like buildings seeking a LEED certification.

For more information on NPMA’s GreenPro program, visit www.npmagreenpro.org.