Weekly Update aug. 6, 2010

Welcome to Weekly Update, a publication of Western United Environmental Services (WUES). Striving to ensure you have the most current information for compliance with the Waste Discharge Requirements of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board we feature articles on compliance issues, regulatory changes and endeavor to answer environmental related questions. All previous publications of the Weekly Update can be found in the News section on our website at www.wuenvironmental.com.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service awarded Western United Dairymen $1 million in July to boost efforts at keeping San Joaquin Valley's water clean. The funding works on a 50-50 cost-share basis with dairy owners, who recently finished applying for the money awarded this year, the second year of the NRCS's Agricultural Water Enhancement Program. The program boosts projects aimed at conserving the quality of ground and surface water on farmland. Water quality is a major concern for the state's dairy industry. It is concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley, where high priority is placed on the quality of often-scarce water, both above and below ground. With regional water rules ramping up under a regulation adopted in 2007, dairy owners face ratcheting-up permitting requirements for discharging ag water. NRCS awarded $58 million to multi-year projects last year, but this year had only $20 million available for new projects. California received the greatest share, with about $6 million awarded, NRCS said. In 2009, Western United secured $17.3 million to fund projects over three years. <more> Aug. 5, 2010 Capital Press

Card check legislation, which has been vetoed repeatedly by Gov. Schwarzenegger over the years, was amended this week in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill was approved and sent to the full Assembly where it is expected to be voted on in the next few weeks. Aug. 31 is the deadline for action to be taken on bills. SB 1474 has already been approved by the Senate. A full analysis of the amended bill has not been completed but the coalition in opposition to the measure, of which WUD is an active member, indicates that the bill is still unfriendly to agricultural interests. The bill by Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) would allow unions to be certified as the representatives of agricultural employees without secret ballot elections. If a majority of workers sign union authorization cards, the state would certify the union as their representative. Similar “card check” bills have previously been approved by the Legislature, only to be vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger.

An orange balloon floated 50 feet above California State University, Fresno's small dairy herd last week, helping in the unsavory task of gathering air samples from a plume of pungent gases. On the ground, a gas chamber held more samples while massive Holstein and Jersey cows drooled and munched feed nearby. Researchers sweated in the barnyard stench, making sure sampling instruments worked properly. It's not glamorous, but this is the cutting edge of air-quality science. In just the last decade, dairies have emerged as a serious source of air pollution, and there's work to do. <more> Aug. 5, 2010 Fresno Bee

A Sacramento County Superior Court judge has dismissed two lawsuits by environmental activists that sought to challenge water quality regulations adopted by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in May 2007. The judge ruled in favor of the regional board and Dairy CARES. The judge completely rejected a laundry list of arguments made by the activists: That the regulations should have been tougher, more expensive or at the very least, should have been designed to make it easier for activists to file more lawsuits in the future against individual dairy families. <more> Aug. 3, 2010 Dairy CARES

The Legislature could soon pass a bill that would revoke farmers' pesticide licenses if they don't participate in regional water-quality programs. AB2595, by Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) would require county agricultural commissioners to withhold pesticide-application permits from farmers who don't meet regional rules governing the quality of discharge from irrigated fields. The state's regional water-quality boards have adopted various waste-discharge programs, including conditional waivers that tailor the rules for farmers. While the state says all farmers who discharge from fields are required to participate, not all do. <more> Aug. 5, 2010 Capital Press

Livestock Gross Margin-Dairy Insurance is a program new to California that allows producers to manage price risk on both feed and milk prices. It is flexible and relatively low-cost. Workshops targeted towards producers, dairy and feed supply co-ops, insurance providers, lenders, and agricultural agencies have been scheduled to explain the program. The California Center for Cooperative Development is conducting three single-day educational workshops taught by Dr. Brian W. Gould of the University of Wisconsin.

The workshop registration deadline is August 6 and fees for each are $20. A wireless-enabled laptop is required and can be rented for $25 upon registration (each laptop will be shared by two people). Scholarships are available upon request. The workshops will include lunch and a hands-on session explaining how to optimize LGM-D contracts. Attendees may register online at www.cccd.coop/events/LGMDairy, or contact CCCD at (530) 297-1032 or email to info@cccd.coop for inquiries about the sessions.

* Petaluma – Wed, Aug 11 at Community Center, Conf Room 2, 320 N McDowell Blvd

* Tulare – Fri, Aug 13, Ag Center conference dining room, 4450 S Laspina Street

1^st of the month	Photograph Free Board in Ponds
Each month	Visual inspection (production and waste storage areas; ponds)
Process wastewater application	Visual inspections, volume, date, field & lab analysis
Solid manure application	Volume/density OR weight/moisture, and lab analysis 2 x per year
Manure Exports	Measure volume/density OR weight/moisture
Harvest	Yield, lab analysis
Irrigation event	Volume, source and date
Tail water discharge	Date, time, volume, duration, location, source, destination, field measurements & lab analysis if within 60 days of a manure application

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