Ventana Chapter - Conservation Issues

Chapter member appointed to Regional Water Board
December 2011

Bruce Delgado, longtime Chapter member and Mayor of Marina, was appointed last month to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) by Governor Jerry Brown. The Water Board is a state agency that implements state and federal water quality laws within the Central Coast Region which includes all or parts of nine counties, plus marine waters out to the three-mile limit.

In this region, problems include widespread toxicity in surface waters, pollutant loading in groundwater, and degradation of watersheds. The Central Coast Water Board makes critical decisions to address those issues to protect water quality, including setting standards, issuing waste discharge requirements, determining compliance with those requirements, and taking appropriate enforcement actions. The Water Board's decisions include not only "end of pipe" regulation of direct discharges to water bodies from sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities, but also actions related to land uses which affect water quality and the health of our watersheds.

The Chapter will be following the progress of the proposed Ag Waiver for Salinas Valley agricultural operations/farms. Approximately nine RWQCB meetings will be held next year in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Salinas, and Watsonville. If members would like to learn more about RWQCB please let Bruce know at 277-7690 or .

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