November 5, 2002
I'm sending you this request to urge your support in helping clean up the aquatic pollution that's been very destructive to our Central Valley waterways, fish & wildlife, and the Bay-Delta Estuary. We have a rare opportunity to properly regulate agricultural pollution, its impacts to our fisheries and the ecology of critically important waterways. Please review the information below and then send a letter to the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board supporting intelligent application and enforcement of the clean water laws on the books instead of the waivers this Board has been granting to ag dischargers for the past twenty years! We can change this if collectively we make our concerns known to the water board!
Please send me a copy of your letter so CSPA can reference it when we make our comments to the CVRWQCB during their December hearing. It's vitally important to do this in the next several weeks! If you would like to attend the Hearing and present supportive testimony, please give me a call - 510.526.4049.
According to the U.S. EPA, over 500 miles of rivers and streams in the Central Valley, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin Delta, are seriously polluted by agricultural run-off. The toxicity of this pollution varies with time and season. During certain periods this pollution has been found to be lethal to aquatic organisms such as zooplankton and larval fish for many miles on the lower Sacramento and San Joaquin River systems.
The California Office of Pesticide Regulation detected pesticides in 96% of the 133 aquatic locations they tested in the Central Valley. More than half of these sites exceeded safe levels for aquatic life and drinking water consumption. This pollution seriously impacts the estuary's food-web and limits the productivity of Central Valley populations of salmon, steelhead, striped bass, and sturgeon while increasing the pollutants carried by the estuary's fish. These fish bio-accumulate toxic chemicals reducing reproductive success which affects the size and health of their populations.
The California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued warnings against striped bass consumption and that adults should limit consumption of Bay sport caught fish, along with sturgeon, black bass and catfish from the Delta. It appears that most of the public is not aware of such health advisories. In addition to mercury, elevated levels of selenium, arsenic, PCB's, pesticides and herbicides were found in many fish species. Many of these chemicals are know to cause cancer and birth defects.
California farmers have wielded powerful political influence for decades to obtain and keep exemptions to state and federal water quality laws. Unlike other industries and businesses in California, agricultural operations discharge polluted run-off because they've been able to lobby exemptions to the federal Clean Water Act and the state's Porter Cologne Act which allow waivers on discharges that are believed not to pose a threat to the environment.
These waivers expire this January. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) has the opportunity to propose a new regulatory program for the 25,000 Central Valley farmers they have exempted from the law. We have an exceptional opportunity to properly regulate agricultural run-off, but this will not happen without a fight! The CVRWQCB, citing staff and other resource limitation, would like to punt the entire process by re-issuing the waivers. It is critical that all of us put the heat on the CVRWQCB to require:
Urge the Board not to renew the waiver and implement an effective regulatory program to control and minimize agricultural pollution. The CVRWQCB needs to hear that you want discharges controlled so we have clean waters with healthy fish that are safe to eat!
Contact:
Robert Schneider, Chair,
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board,
3443 Routier Road, Suite A
Sacramento, CA 95827-3003
Phone: (916) 255-3101 / Fax: (916) 255-3015
AgWaiver@rb5s.swrcb.ca.gov
Include the line: "Re: Terminate Waivers for Agricultural Discharges" at the top of your letter, or in the subject-line of your e-mail or fax.
Please send a copy of your communication to the water board to CSPA.
CSPA
1360 Neilson St., Berkeley, CA 94702
or email to JBeuttler@aol.com
Because we will be testifying before the CVRWCQB, it is critical that we reference the outpouring of letters from anglers, citizens, public interest organizations, and conservation groups.
We also need individuals to support our testimony that agricultural discharges must be properly regulated. If you can provide support testimony, please let me know. The meeting will take place on December 4, 5 and 6 in Sacramento beginning at 8:30 am each morning. If you can attend please let me know so we can coordinate testimony (510-526-4049).
EZ way to get this sample letter onto paper.
Type date here
Dear Chairman Schneider:
I am writing to express my concern regarding the damage done to much of the Central Valley rivers, streams, the Bay-Delta estuary and its fish and wildlife resources as a result of pollution from agricultural runoff. I request the CVRWCB terminate the practice of issuing waivers to agricultural interest that discharge to the state's waters and mandate instead a discharge permit that requires:
Given the massive decline of the estuary's fisheries, the CALFED effort to restore its ecology and the impacts agricultural discharges have on this ecology and the public's drinking water quality, its time for these discharges to be properly regulated.
Sincerely,
x_________________
Type your name here.