Story blames ferts for California’s nitrate problem

Sacramento-California Watch, a nonprofit and independent investigative reporting team, published on May 13 on its website a lengthy story alleging that nitrate contamination of groundwater is spreading in California due to “lax regulatory efforts.” The story cites nitrogen fertilizer use on farmland, animal manure, wastewater treatment plants, and leaky septic systems as the causes, claiming that the number of wells that exceeded the health limit for nitrates jumped from nine in 1980 to 648 in 2007. “Nothing is being done to regulate the use of the leading source of nitrate pollution in many regions of the state – nitrogen fertilizer,” the story states, claiming nitrate levels in groundwater are at their highest in the southern Central Valley, eastern San Joaquin Valley, Imperial Valley, and Salinas Valley. “Farmers and companies are urged not to degrade groundwater but are mostly left to employ voluntary strategies to comply.” The story says a number of strategies have been considered to combat the nitrate problem, including installing mandatory groundwater-monitoring wells on farms or establishing stricter regulations for fertilizer use, but regulators instead are focused on other more pressing water quality issues in the state. “On the scale of things we deal with, while nitrates is certainly a concern and we’re managing for it, I don’t rank it high up there as something that makes me stay awake at night,” Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the State Water Resources Control Board’s division of water quality, is quoted as saying. That sentiment was echoed by Rich Cornett, director of communications for the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA). “There is no regulation being considered,” Cornett told Green Markets. “Yeah it’s a problem, but nothing is being done at the present time, and there are so many other problems that California is tackling right now. Nitrates in groundwater isn’t topping the list at this point.” Cornett said WPHA is focusing on the problem, however, noting that WPHA President and CEO Renee Pinel will be attending a meeting on the issue in early June. “We will have an official industry response within the next three weeks,” Cornett said.