The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board held a Thursday, June 22nd hearing on the issue of agriculture waivers. The Regional Water Board voted to extend a waiver for irrigated agriculture which would allow 8 million acres of farmland to keep polluting the waters with pesticides and fertilizers without any accountability. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in July 2003 issued waivers for waste discharges from irrigated farm land, in spite of protests by the Clean Waters/Clean Farms coalition. That waiver, which was adopted under pressure from powerful San Joaquin Valley agribusiness interests, provided for the establishment of “voluntary coalitions” comprised of farmers to establish voluntary programs to address agriculture's massive pollution of Central Valley waterways. While municipalities, industry and other water users are subject to water quality standards when they discharge waste water into rivers and streams, agribusiness in the Central Valley and other farming areas of California continue to be exempt from the same pollution controls that others must live by.

Over 100 groups from various backgrounds and representing many different interests have come together to oppose the proposed waiver program. They planned to tell the Regional Board to not allow farmers to pay to pollute, and to show that they are adamantly opposed to Ag Waivers and adversely impacted by farm pollution. They were going to demand that the Board protect the public's interest--not just the interest of big, corporate agriculture.

The meeting took place at 11020 Sun Center Drive, Suite 200, Rancho Cordova, CA. 95670-6114, beginning at 9:30 am. on June 22nd. People planned to arrive by 8am with signs so the boardmembers would walk past them on their way into the building. Press conferences were scheduled for 9am and 12pm. People from Visalia to Redding, representing fishermen, health groups, labor, and environmental justice groups, planned to attend. Organizers said, "We know irrigated agriculture is polluting--the Board's own studies show pesticides rampant in the Delta. We know the 'waiver' program that the Board has used the last three years has been a huge failure--just as we predicted it would be." Read more.

Broad Coalition Urges Water Board To Stop Agribusiness Water Pollution | BayKeeper's Deltakeeper chapter page on Ag Waivers | Earth First! Call to Action on Climate Change and Environmental Justice