March 26, 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 WDR’s from the Water 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.

March 31, 2010 deadline to file for diesel vehicle exemptions

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) approved a new regulation to significantly reduce emissions from existing on-road diesel vehicles operating in California. 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.” 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. Dairy producers must file for the exemptions by March 31, 2010, or you will lose your exemption. The exemptions forms can be downloaded from the ARB website at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/documents/TBReportingForm091222.pdf March 25, 2010

Humboldt County WUD members can get help on diesel rule

Western United Dairymen Field Representative Leslie Corp will be in Humboldt County on March 29 and March 30 to help members fill out the proper paperwork to get their agriculture exemption for the new Diesel Truck Rule. Members who have questions about the exemption or wonder if your trucks qualify, again, please contact Leslie at (530) 354-4981 or lesliewud@hotmail.com. March 23, 2010

Two public sessions set on proposed EIR for digesters

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Water Board will be holding two California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) scoping meetings to seek information that should be considered in the preparation of a Program Environmental Impact Report for anaerobic digesters at individual dairies or centralized locations using manure or manure plus other organic feedstocks within the Central Valley region.  The Board is developing a regulatory program to regulate the discharge of effluent and solid digestate at such facilities.  A meeting will be held on March 30 from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the Board's Fresno Office, located at 1685 E Street, Fresno. Another meeting will be held on April 7 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Board's Rancho Cordova office, located at 11020 Sun Center Drive, Rancho Cordova. Supplemental information, including an Initial Study and Notice of CEQA Scoping Meeting and Public Workshop may be downloaded in PDF format from the Central Valley Water Board's website at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley               /press_room/announcements/ March 23, 2010 Water Board Notice

Dairy herdsman short course April 27-29 in Tulare

A three-day dairy herdsman short course sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension will be held in Tulare April 27-29. The course is designed for working dairy employees and is designed to provide information on the latest technology and training in all aspects of dairy management. Simultaneous translation will be available to assist Spanish-speaking attendees. Morning session will focus on classroom sessions, with the afternoons devoted to hands-on training. Registration fee is $280. Companies or dairies with more than one participant will be charged $260 for each additional participant. Individual student fees are $220. Pre-registration is required. Additional information is available online at http://cefresno.ucdavis.edu/Dairy/ or by contacting Fresno/Madera dairy Advisor Gerald Higginbotham at (559) 456-7558 or gehigginbotham@ucdavis.edu. Feb. 4, 2010 UCCE Notice

New light for Westlands?

Cash-strapped farmers in California's agricultural heartland and environmentalists at odds over water rights and wildlife protections finally agree on something: that thousands of acres of cracked, salty farmland is the perfect site for a sprawling utility-scale solar farm. The 47 square-miles of land proposed for the Westlands Solar Park in remote Kings and Fresno counties is just one of dozens of unfinished solar projects in California, but renewable energy analysts say it is a rare one that enjoys the broad support of environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, powerful agriculture interests and state government. Thousands of solar panels would be located on and near the salty-white, fallowed farm land, most of which is owned by the Westlands Water District, the largest such district in the country comprised of 600,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley farmland. <more>  March 24, 2010 AP

Chronicle editorial: The science of water limits

Score one for science. A national panel waded into California's water wars and sided with salmon and smelt in a politically loaded showdown with Central Valley farmers. Agriculture doesn't deserve the exclusive blame, the report said, in a finding that should soften the sting of its overall support for limits on water deliveries. Finding a flexible answer that siphons off water with minimal environmental damage is the best answer, though striking the right balance will take "careful monitoring, adaptive management and additional analyses." Whether this happens is one of California's biggest challenges. A polarized debate exists between environmentalists and farmers, North versus South, and coast against valley.  <more> March 24, 2010 SF Chronicle  

CALENDAR OF MONTHLY MONITORING ACTIVITIES

March 2010

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