Nearly 1600 dairies in the Central
Valley area of California are now required to obtain wastewater
permits, submit reports on soil and pond conditions and will eventually
need to dig wells to monitor for groundwater pollution under new
regulations passed recently by the Central Valley Regional Water
Quality Control Board.
Nearly 1600 dairies in the Central Valley area of California are now required to obtain wastewater permits, submit reports on soil and pond conditions and will eventually need to dig wells to monitor for groundwater pollution under new regulations passed recently by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Under California law, regional water boards are responsible for enforcing water quality standards and regulating wastewater discharge. Under the new regulations, groundwater monitoring will be phased in at a rate of 100 to 200 dairies per year, starting with dairies suspected of having the highest nitrate levels. According to a report in the Fresno Bee, no one seems pleased with the new regulations. Dairy producers complain the new rules will drive many operators out of business while environmentalists believe the water board is moving too slowly and the rules do not go far enough.
