Weekly Update December 19, 2008

December 19, 2008

Welcome to Weekly Update, a publication of Western United Environmental Services (WUES). We realize you look to us as a reliable source of information on the Waste Discharge Requirements from the Regional Water Board. We strive to provide your dairy with quality service, while at the same time saving you money as you face the challenges in complying with the WDRs. Previous editions can be found at www.wuenvironmental.com.

Ag News Update

California adopts the most sweeping curbs on greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. – California regulators adopted the nation's first comprehensive plan to slash greenhouse gases Thursday and characterized it as a model for President-elect Barack Obama, who has pledged an aggressive national and international effort to combat global warming. The ambitious blueprint by the world's eighth-largest economy would cut the state's emissions by 15% from today's level over the next 12 years, bringing them down to 1990 levels. Approved by the state's Air Resources Board in a unanimous vote, the 134-page plan lays out targets for virtually every sector of the economy, including automobiles, refineries, buildings and landfills. It would require a third of California's electricity to come from solar energy, wind farms and other renewable sources -- far more than any state currently requires. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has been a vigorous advocate of the plan, vowed that it would "unleash the full force of California's innovation and technology for a healthier planet." Businesses, however, are sharply divided. <more> Dec. 12, 2008 LA Times

Creating a Sustainable Food Future: California Agricultural Vision Framework Released – The California State Board of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) are releasing the California Agricultural Vision framework for public comment. This “Ag Vision” will help craft long term policy priorities for California's food system that will bring together various stakeholders with the common goal fo advancing innovation and the sustainability of California's agricultural future. This includes perspectives from farmers, ranchers and processors as well as nutrition, conservation, environmental and rural development groups. The Ag Vision's framework is centered on three policy priorities for a sustainable agri-food system: • Better Health and Well-being: Meeting the nutritional needs of California's diverse population. • A Healthier Planet: Agricultural stewardship of the natural resources upon which California food production depends. • Thriving Communities: Food production is a driver of sustainable California economic growth. <more> Dec. 15, 2008 CDFA Press Release

State water supply may drop 50%. Officials worried about delta smelt breeding activity – Some Californians could see their water supply cut as much as 50% under new federal rules to protect threatened fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The rules, released Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, govern water pumping operations by the California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The agencies operate massive water diversion systems near Tracy that export delta water for farm and urban purposes, from Silicon Valley to San Diego. Two-thirds of Californians get at least some of their water from the delta. It also irrigates nearly 3 million acres of farmland. But these water diversions have pushed the delta smelt, a fingerling fish native to the estuary, to the edge of extinction. The new rules, called a biological opinion, were prepared under a federal court order that found existing regulations inadequate. DWR estimated Monday that, in average weather years, the cuts could range from 20% to 30%. But in roughly one out of five years -- typically a wet fall followed by a severe dry year -- the cutbacks could reach 50%. <more> Dec. 16, 2008 Fresno Bee

New on-road diesel trucks rules will impact dairy industry – New diesel emissions rules passed by the California Air Resources Board on December 12 will impact the trucking and dairy industries. The rules are designed to bring California into line with Clean Air Act requirements for air pollutants including particulate matter and NOx emissions. The regulation requires all trucks and buses operated within the state of California with a gross vehicle weight ratio more than 14,000 pounds comply with 2010 engine standards for PM10 and NOx emissions within the next 14 years. Exceptions are provided for certain groups of vehicles, including Limited-Mileage Agricultural Vehicles (exempt until 2017), and Low-Mileage or Specialty Agricultural Vehicles (exempt until 2023). Additional regulations on farm vehicle emissions are expected to be announced in 2009, with implementation beginning in 2014. Details and time-lines are available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2008/truckbus08/appa.pdf.

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1^st of the month	Photograph Free Board in Ponds
Weekly	Visual inspection (production and waste storage areas; ponds)
Manure Exports	Measure volume/density OR weight/moisture (require lab analysis)
Harvest	Yield, lab analysis