June 25, 2010

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 (WDRs) from the California Regional Water Quality Control 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 of can be found at www.wuenvironmental.com.

Dairy producers adapting to environmental regulations

Editor’s Note: Story reprinted courtesy of Newman West-Side Index from its June Is Dairy Month edition.

California dairy producers are adapting to new environmental regulations, including a phased wastewater permit requirement which is approaching another important deadline. Producers must submit a waste management plan, approved by an engineer, to the Regional Water Quality Control Board no later than July 1, according to Western United Dairymen Environmental Specialist Paul Sousa. The mandate is the latest in the environmental regulations placed on dairy operations. The wastewater regulations were spelled out under a general permit requirement adopted in May 2007, Sousa said. The water management plan required this year certifies that dairy operations have the capability to capture all the runoff from their operation.

A year ago, dairy producers had to submit a nutrient management plan spelling out how dairy waste would be used as fertilizer. "You need to meter the nutrients you are putting out there and how much you are harvesting in the crops. There has to be a balance," he explained. Annual reports to the water board are another requirement of the permit. "This is the final big report that is due," Sousa said of the water management document, "but the annual reports will be standard and ongoing."

The nutrient management and wastewater management plans should identify any facility improvements required to bring a dairy into compliance with the regulations. Dairy producers have until July 2011 to correct any infrastructure deficiencies. A recent grant program helped about two dozen Central Valley dairy producers implement water quality improvement projects.  The cost of some of those projects approached $100,000, Sousa said.

The degree of change required to bring dairies into compliance will vary, he suggested. "There are going to be some individual components of the dairy that require change, but a lot of it is also management practices," Sousa explained. "It is also a major change in reporting. Even if they were already (implementing those practices), they were not doing this level of record keeping." Dairy producers and industry leaders insist that they want to be - and in fact are - good stewards of the environment. But the added layer of regulation comes as many are simply struggling to survive. "With the timing and the economics, it has been a major challenge. This year we've got the required engineering reports, and you have infrastructure improvements that are being identified and required," Sousa said. "It is hitting when dairy economics are a disaster."

State Water Project increases deliveries

The California Department of Water Resources says the 2010 State Water Project allocation is being increased to 50 percent of requested amounts because of storms late in the spring. “Unusual late season storms that augmented Northern Sierra snowpack have allowed us to increase our delivery estimate to 50 percent,” says DWR Director Mark Cowin. Even with a return to normal precipitation and reservoir levels, and an above normal Sierra snowpack, State Water Project deliveries will remain limited due to current restrictions on Delta pumping to protect native fish species, the state says. <more> June 23, 2010 Central Valley Business Times  

Animal handling policy approved for WUD members

An animal handling policy has been reviewed and approved by the Western United Dairymen board of directors. The policy will be distributed by WUD field representatives to their member dairies. The policy is designed to assure that all animals are treated humanely and that all employees who work with animals are appropriately trained to provide optimum care of animals.  The policy was developed with guidance from WUD’s legal counsel, Anthony Raimondo. It specifies that allegations of animal abuse must be reported promptly and will be investigated swiftly and resolved. Prompt disciplinary action will be taken regarding any employee or cooperator found to have abused animals and such abuse will be grounds for dismissal. The dairy reserves the right to refer animal abusers to law enforcement for prosecution. The policy form is available by clicking here.  June 22, 2010  

Strip-till, no-till corn silage field days set for June 29-30

Four Valley dairies will hold field days June 29-30 to demonstrate strip-till or no-till corn silage planting techniques. The field days are sponsored by the Conservation Tillage Workgroup. Field days will be held at:

·        Tuesday, June 29 at 9 a.m. BarVee Dairy, 3031 N. Washington, Turlock

·        Tuesday, June 29 at 11 a.m. Coreira Family Dairy, 5245 South Highway 33, Santa Nella

·        Wednesday, June 30 at 9 a.m. Giacomazzi Dairy, 9550 Sixth Avenue, Hanford

·        Wednesday, June 30 at11 a.m. Barcellos Farms, 14781 Avenue 152, Tipton

Each field day will last about one hour. Additional information is available from Jeff Mitchell at (559) 303-9689 mitchell@uckac.edu  June 18, 2010 UC Notice

Milk Prices Poised To Rebound As U.S. Production Growth Stabilizes

A recent upswing in U.S. milk production appears to be stabilizing, signaling that prices are posed to bounce back after slumping most of this year, two dairy brokers said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a June 18 report, said nationwide milk output rose for the third consecutive month. Still, the report was “slightly bullish” for dairy markets in light of earlier expectations, brokers Dave Kurzawski and Eric Meyer said. A few factors may temper production during the second half of 2010, including an upcoming herd-retirement program and the difficulty dairy producers have obtaining loans to finance expansion, the brokers said in a report this week. <more> June 22, 2010 CattleNetwork.com   

JUNE 2010

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