Almond Industry Headline Environmental News  June 12, 2007

   Air Quality

• Almond Growers Urged To Comment on New Soil Fumigant Proposals - - State and federal agencies are currently seeking public comment on two separate proposed soil fumigant regulations that could have immediate and far reaching effects on how and to what extent current preplant soil fumigants are used in almonds and other California crops. DPR’s New Soil Fumigant Plan will Mean Big Changes for Almond Growers. Most critical to almond growers is Calif. Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) proposal to cap soil fumigant use in the San Joaquin Valley to reduce pesticide VOC emissions. The regulations are required to be in place by Jan. 1, 2008 to bring DPR in compliance with a 1994 State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality under terms of a judge’s ruling in federal lawsuit ruling last fall. The cap and related restrictions would take effect for the 2009 ozone season.

  LINKS

  Submit comments by July 13 on California DPR’s proposal to restrict soil fumigant methods and use at: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/legbills/rulepkgs.htm

  Submit comments by July 2 on EPA’s proposed risk mitigation options related to soil fumigant use at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/soil_fumigants/.

  A public hearing for the VOC regulations has been scheduled for July 12 at 5 p.m. at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center, Nectarine Room, 9240 S. Riverbend Avenue, Parlier. Persons who wish to speak will be asked to register before the hearing. The registration of speakers will be conducted at the location of the hearing from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m.

  For more information, contact Gabriele Ludwig at 209 765 -0578 or email her at gludwig@almondboard.com

  To read more about this situation, please click here.

   

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