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ORDER NO. R5-2006-0054 -8- INDIVIDUAL 8 - INDIVIDUAL DISCHARGER CONDITIONAL WAIVER OF WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR DISCHARGES FROM IRRIGATED LANDS and/or operators of irrigated lands who discharge waste from irrigated lands and it is neither feasible nor practicable due to limitations of Central Valley Water Board resources to adopt WDRs within a reasonable time. 32. It is not appropriate at this time to adopt individual WDRs because although there is information that discharges of waste from irrigated lands have impaired waters of the State, information is not generally available concerning the specific locations of impairments, specific causes, specific types of waste, and specific management practices that could reduce impairments and improve and protect water quality. The conditions of the Conditional Waiver will result in the development of new and additional information on which to base the adoption of individual or general WDRs, if appropriate. The conditions of the Individual Discharger Conditional Waiver require actions to protect and improve the quality of the waters of the State within the Central Valley Region. The conditions of the Conditional Waiver may be enforced in a manner similar to enforcement of WDRs. Coverage under the Conditional Waiver may be terminated at any time and the Executive Officer may require any person to submit a RWD and comply with the Water Code pursuant to individual or general WDRs. 33. Water Code section 13269 requires that the Water Board determine that any waiver of waste discharge requirements is in the public interest. The Water Board has considered all the continents of the public and finds that this Order waiving waste discharge requirements for dischargers of waste from irrigated lands is in the public interest as further described. The Water Board has many options to regulate discharges of waste, including through individual and general waste discharge requirements, prohibitions in the Basin Plan, and individual and general conditional waivers of waste discharge requirements. Due to the large numbers of dischargers within the scope of the Board's jurisdiction, the lack of direct regulation in the past, the lack of information about the specific sources of discharges of waste from such lands, and the unprecedented scope of the program, it is reasonable to establish an interim conditional waiver that sets forth a process to collect the necessary information and require management plans to control the sources of discharges of waste as that information is developed. The Central Valley Water Board finds that allowing the use of Coalition Groups provides a reasonable way to coordinate the efforts of large groups of dischargers that are not readily identified by the Central Valley Water Board and, if such Coalition Groups adequately comply with the conditions of the Conditional Waiver, the use of Coalition Groups will continue to be a reasonable manner of regulation. The adoption of this Conditional Waiver is also in the public interest because: 1) it was adopted in compliance with Water Code Sections 13260, 13263, and 13269 and other applicable law; 2) it requires compliance with water quality standards, 3) it includes conditions that are intended to reduce and prevent pollution and nuisance and protect the beneficial uses of the waters of the State; 4) it contains more specific and more stringent conditions for protection of water quality compared to the 2003 Conditional Waiver; 5) contains conditions that are similar to the conditions of municipal stormwatcr NPDES permits, including evaluation and implementation of management practices to meet applicable water quality standards and a more specific MRP; 6) given the magnitude of the discharges and number of persons who discharge waste from irrigated lands, it provides for an efficient and effective use of