Western Growers, in collaboration with numerous agricultural partners, have evaluated and responded to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Draft General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands (Draft Order 4.0) and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The Draft Order comment submittal also includes alternatives to what was proposed.

“The Ag Partners identified here cannot support the Draft Order as proposed. As a practical matter, the economic impact of this Draft Order will devastate agriculture in the Central Coast region. The economic cost of nitrogen discharge limits alone (for one crop, in one area) would be over $635 million annually. This, coupled with mandatory riparian and operational setbacks, ranch level monitoring, other prescriptive requirements and a seriously deficient DEIR leaves us no choice but to oppose the Draft Order.”

Click here to read the full submittal as well as other stakeholder’s comment letters.

For more information, please contact Gail Delihant at (916) 446-1435.