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Information Sheet IS-19 Reissued Waste Discharge Requirements General Order R5-2013-0122 Existing Milk Cow Dairies of underlying groundwater must upgrade their management practices on a time schedule that is as short as practicable, supported with appropriate technical or economic justification, but in no case may time schedules extend beyond 10 years from the date that the Summary Report or SRMR is approved by the Executive Officer. Step 7 (Applied): In the case of the dairies regulated by the Dairy General Order, allowing the maximum extent of degradation allowed by law (i.e., degradation up to the water quality objectives that are protective of the designated beneficial uses)would allow the Board to focus its efforts on ensuring that the discharges do not impact sensitive populations that rely on the quality of the receiving waters. In other words, while the focus of the State Anti-Degradation Policy is on justifying degradation that will ultimately result in water quality somewhere between the "best water quality that has existed since 1968" and a numeric limit that is protective of all beneficial uses, the Board and the dairy industry acknowledge that their primary task lies in preventing pollution and protecting sensitive uses. The Board acknowledges that significant degradation at dairies has occurred throughout the Central Valley Region due to historic practices. In issuing the Dairy General Order, the Board will allow the maximum extent of degradation allowed by law to occur. The Dairy General Order is structured in such a way as to compel the dairy industry to focus their available resources on meeting water quality objectives, thereby protecting communities that are dependent on groundwater. As the dairy industry develops more effective management practices in the coming years, the Board may re-evaluate this goal, and may impose more stringent requirements that reflect the availability of better practicable management practices. Step 8 (Applied): Although dairy waste materials provide nutrients to crops, they can create pollution or nuisance conditions if improperly managed or cause pollution of surface water and/or groundwater if site conditions are not taken into account in preparing a nutrient utilization and management strategy. While the Board recognizes that it may be impracticable for the dairy industry to make dramatic changes to its waste management practices overnight, or even in a few years, those dairies whose practices are found to not be protective of the underlying groundwater through required individual or representative monitoring must upgrade their operations to ensure compliance with water quality objectives on a time schedule that is as short as practicable. Allowing regulated dairies to degrade high quality waters is consistent with maximum benefit to people of the State as long as that degradation does not result in detrimental impacts to beneficial uses over the long term. California's dairy industry, built on the foundation of 1,563 family-owned dairies statewide 4, is important to the economic well-being of the Central Valley. Dairy farms generate jobs in a variety of sectors, from employees on the farm, providers of farm and veterinary services, other farmers who grow feed, processors of milk and dairy products, and in transportation of feed, milk and dairy products, and many others. According to a 4 Source for this an all data on number of dairies, cows and farm gate value of milk: CDFA.ca.gov/dairy/dairystatsannual.html