July 16, 2010

Welcome to Weekly Update, a publication of Western United Environmental Services (WUES). Our goal is to provide you with the latest information about the Waste Discharge Requirement’s from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and how our organization can help you with your environmental challenges. All previous publications of the Weekly Update can be found in the News section on our website at www.wuenvironmental.com.

July 19-26 signup period for Central Valley water quality projects

A $1 million two-year project proposed by Western United Dairymen has been accepted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to address both water conservation and water quality resource issues. The WUD/NRCS Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) funding partnership is intended to improve water quality and quantity on dairy farms throughout the Central Valley and will help them meet the requirements of the dairy WDR.  NRCS has announced sign-ups will be open from July 19 to July 26. For more information on the project goals and boundaries, contact your local NRCS field office or call Western United Dairymen at (209)527-6453.

Water board sets Aug. 3-4 meetings on dairy digester EIR

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has released a draft Program EIR for a waste discharge regulatory program for dairy manure digester and co-digester facilities. The 45-day public review and comment period for the draft EIR is from July 8, 2010 until August 23, 2010.  During the review period the Central Valley Water Board will hold two public meetings to receive comments on the draft EIR. The first public meeting will be held on Aug. 3 from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Central Valley Water Board's Fresno Office, 1685 E Street, Fresno. The second meeting will be held on Aug. 4 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Central Valley Water Board's Rancho Cordova office, located at 11020 Sun Center Drive, Rancho Cordova. The draft Program EIR can be downloaded from the Central Valley Water Board website    July 11, 2010 CVRWQCB Notice

Public workshops for north coast dairies July 20, July 22

Dairies in the north coast region (upper part of Sonoma County and Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties) are encouraged to attend and participate in  two public workshops being held by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. The workshops held on July 20 and July 22, will be a forum to comment on the regional board’s upcoming dairy program that will include a requirement that dairies obtain a permit. Regional board staff will be at the workshops to provide information on the direction they want to take with the program, but the primary goal is to take comments from dairy producers. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 20, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the DCJ Room at the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board office, 5550 Skylane Boulevard, Suite A, in Santa Rosa. The second meeting will be held on Thursday, July 22, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Agricultural Center Auditorium, 5630 Broadway Street, Eureka. The regional board will be sending out an informational flyer for the workshops. Western United Dairymen urges members in these areas to attend one of the water board workshops and to take an active role in the development of the district’s dairy program. July 9, 2010 WUD Weekly Update  

WUD hosts labor workshops July 20-21

WUD will be hosting a series of free informational workshops for members in three locations: Fresno, Bakersfield, and Modesto. George Daniels from Farm Employers Labor Services will discuss the importance of safety training and Injury and Illness Prevention Plans. Modesto will be first with a workshop on Tuesday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau conference room, 1201 L Street in Modesto. The Fresno workshop will follow on Tuesday afternoon, also on July 20, in the conference room at the Fresno Farm Bureau office, 1274 West Hedges Ave, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Bakersfield workshop will be on Wednesday morning, July 21, from 9 p.m. to noon at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1031 South Mt. Vernon Avenue in Bakersfield. At all sites, seating is limited, so be sure to arrive early. July 9, 2010 WUD Weekly Update  

North Bay dairies awarded conservation funding

Western United Dairymen was recently notified its application for Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative funding for North Bay dairies was successful.   The program objectives are to improve water quality by appropriately managing animal manure and reducing the potential for related non-point source pollution by developing and implementing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) (Conservation Practice 100) and implementing Nutrient Management (Conservation Practice 590) on North Bay dairies. WUD anticipates that 20 dairies will participate in the program over three years, with six or seven dairies applying each year. <more> July 13, 2010 WUD Press Release

$10 Million More Available to Help Ag Producers Improve Air Quality

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California announced $10 million in additional funding for farmers and ranchers interested in reducing air quality emissions from off-road mobile or stationary agricultural sources. This funding is in addition to over $13 million available earlier this year for agricultural air quality improvements through the 2008 Farm Bill's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The funding offers agricultural producers incentives for retiring old inefficient engines that contribute to air pollution problems. More information can be found at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/2010/index.html. While there currently is an application backlog, interested producers in eligible counties can contact their local NRCS Service Center for information about future opportunities.<more> June 25, 2010 NRCS Press Release  

JULY 2010

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    Fax (209) 238-3808