March 5, 2010

Welcome to Weekly Update, a publication of Western United Environmental Services (WUES). Our goal is to provide you with breaking coverage of environmentally related diary news. We provide the latest information about the WDRs from the water board and information regarding your Waste Management Plan. We endeavor is to assist you with your environmental concerns and any challenges along the way. All previous publications of the Weekly Update can be found in the newsletters section on our website at www.wuenvironmental.com.

Come see us at the WUD convention

Drop by the WUES booth at the Western United Dairymen convention held in Modesto Wednesday March 10 through Friday March 12.  WUES service technicians will be on hand to answer your questions and provide the latest information about the WDR program.

Be sure to attend these two important workshops on Wednesday, March 10, at the convention held at the Modesto Plaza Center:

·         2:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Harvest Hall “Alternative Groundwater Monitoring Well Proposal”  Western United Dairymen Staff

·         3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Arbor Theater “Central Valley Water Quality Update” - Western United Dairymen and Western United Environmental Services Field Staff

Informational sessions on diesel truck rules

Western United Dairymen is offering informational meetings for members who want to learn more about the diesel truck rule being implemented by the state Air Resources Board.

An informational session will be held at WUD’s annual convention on Wednesday, March 10, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. "Diesel Truck Rule - How to Comply" by Brandon Rose, Air Pollution Specialist, California Air Resources Board, will be held in the Arbor Theatre.

A workshop is set for  1 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, at Elk Grove Dairy Service, 10550 Arno road in Galt. Paul Sousa, WUD’s environmental specialist, will discuss the rule.  WUD staff will be on hand to help fill out your agriculture exemption forms. All area dairy producers are invited.

Here is some additional background on the rule:
Trucks used on agricultural operations, including dairies, have received some exemptions from a new rule regulating all diesel trucks that were originally designed for on-road use. Pickups are exempt from the rule.  The exemptions were granted due to the types of uses and the economic impact the rule would have on agriculture. However, dairy producers must file for the exemptions by March 31, 2010. In order to qualify for these exemptions, producers were required to record the odometer reading of all of their trucks as of January 1. That information, plus information about the truck and its owner, must be reported to the California Air Resources Board by March 31, 2010. WUD’s environmental specialist, Paul Sousa says, “Agriculture got some valuable exemptions from this rule; however, dairy producers must register for those exemptions through this process. If a producer fails to register they will have to comply with the rule, which means turning over your truck fleet on an accelerated basis.” The exemptions forms can be downloaded from the ARB website at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/documents/TBReportingForm091222.pdf

A stink in Central California over converting cow manure to electricity

Air-quality rules in the region leave dairy farmers facing costly changes to generators used to burn methane to produce power. Some have put their renewable-energy plans on hold. Reporting from Stanislaus County, Calif. - Central California is home to nearly 1.6 million dairy cows and their manure -- up to 192 million pounds per day. It's a mountain of waste and a potential environmental hazard. But for dairyman John Fiscalini, the dung on his farm is renewable gold: He's converting it into electricity. At his farm outside Modesto, a torrent of water washes across the barn's concrete floor several times a day, flushing tons of manure away from his herd of fuzzy-faced Holsteins and into nearby tanks. There, bacteria consume the waste and release methane, which is then burned in a generator capable of producing enough power to run Fiscalini's 530-acre farm, his cheese factory and 200 additional homes.  Fiscalini's resourcefulness should be drawing accolades, considering that state mandates are requiring California industries to boost renewable energy use and slash greenhouse gas emissions sharply over the next 10 years. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cow-power1-2010mar01,0,3595430,full.story  March 1, 2010 LA Times

USDA issues final decision on large producer milk bottlers

The USDA issued its final decision Friday to limit the unfair pricing exemption enjoyed by large, vertically-integrated farmer-owned bottling plants, which according to the national Milk Producers federation (NMPF) will close the loophole for the largest producer-handler milk bottlers. Under rule changes to be published this week in the Federal Register, the producer-handler definitions in all Federal Milk Marketing Orders will be amended so that only farms with bottled milk sales of three million pounds or less per month remain exempt from the pooling provisions.<more> March 1, 2010 NMPF Press Release  

CALENDAR OF MONTHLY MONITORING ACTIVITIES

March 2010

To receive more information on WUES, please contact your WUES Environmental Technician or WUES Office:

Phone (209) 238-3818

Fax (209) 238-3808

Email: info@wuenvironmental.com