Sponsored by US Poultry & Egg Association, the Expo is set for 26 to 28 January in Atlanta, Georgia.

Paul Bredwell, vice president of environmental programs at USPoultry, said: "One of the major issues currently facing the poultry industry is the regulation and control of nutrients in wastewater discharges and run-off. This is clearly evident in EPA's development of a total maximum daily load for the Chesapeake Bay. This TMDL has been compared to placing all sources of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay on a diet to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment flowing into the bay. While this is an extremely large and complicated undertaking, the bay TMDL is part of a larger initiative to set water quality standards nationwide that include limits on nutrient levels within waters of the US."

The 2011 IPE environmental education session will focus on these issues and the potential effects they will have on the poultry industry. The session will feature presentations from experts in the field of water quality science and engineering and the development of federal regulatory programs. They will address rational steps that can be taken to collaborate on the issues.

Speakers will include Pat Bradley, senior scientist with LimnoTech, an engineering firm that specialises in water quality science and engineering; Adrienne Nemura, a vice president with LimnoTech; and Suzy Friedman, deputy director for Working Lands at the Environmental Defense Fund.

Mr Bradley will describe water quality standards and other targets and how these can be used to trigger a TMDL, summarize the issues associated with establishing appropriate water quality standards, and discuss the advantages of adaptive watershed management.

Ms Nemura will discuss the implementation of nutrient control policy as it relates to the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and provide guidance to prepare stakeholders in the poultry industry for the numerous TMDLs that are being developed across the country. She will also discuss potential challenges associated with EPA's apparent next focus – the Mississippi River watershed.

Ms Friedman will describe the development and implementation of incentive-based conservation projects with farmers, conservation organisations, producer organisations, state and federal agencies, and other local partners to enhance cooperative conservation efforts on agricultural lands.