Sacramento — The California State Water Resources Control Board is suggesting a fertilizer fee to the legislature as a way to pay for cleaning up high to extremely high nitrate levels in parts of Tulare and Kings counties and in the Salinas Valley. The board’s report cites the findings of a 2012 UC Davis study on groundwater contamination stating that “a nitrogen fertilizer fee could compensate affected small communities for mitigation expenses and effects of nitrate pollution.” According to the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA), new legislative fees added to regulatory costs would be a burden to growers, when a more measured approach of allowing growers time to plan for and adopt new regulatory requirements would be a more prudent path forward. Renee Pinel, WPHA president/CEO, reminded legislators that the fertilizer industry has led the way for almost 30 years in developing new practices and technologies in the environmentally safe use of fertilizers. “Through the mill assessment, the industry sponsored the first major study of nitrates in groundwaters and has developed best management practices for the many commodities that make up California’s diverse agricultural markets,” Pinel emphasized. “We hope the legislature will recognize the need for a more comprehensive approach to addressing drinking water concerns than to focus on individual sources that impact groundwaters.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain