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Reissued Waste Discharge Requirements General Order R5-2013-0122 5 Existing Milk Cow Dairies 20. This Order, which supplements regulatory requirements already imposed on the existing dairy discharges under the 2007 General Order and which is designed to enhance the protection of groundwater resources, is exempt from the provisions of CEQA in accordance with the following categorical exemptions: a. California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15301 , which exempts the "operation, repair, maintenance, [and] permitting ... of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features" from environmental review. Eligibility under the Dairy General Order is limited to milk cow dairies that were existing facilities as of 17 October 2005, and the Order does not authorize the expansion of these facilities. The restoration of, or improvements to, dairy waste management systems to ensure proper function in compliance with this Order will involve minor alterations of existing private facilities. b. California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15302, which exempts the "...replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced..." The Dairy General Order will likely require covered dairies to replace or reconstruct portions of their waste management systems to ensure compliance with the Order's requirements. c. California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15304 exempts "... minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes..." The Dairy General Order will require covered dairies to make improvements to their waste management systems that will result in only minor alterations to land, water, and/or vegetation. DAIRY IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY 21. Groundwater monitoring shows that many dairies in the Region have impacted groundwater quality. A University of California study of five dairies in a high-risk groundwater area in the Region during the 1990s found elevated salts and nitrates beneath the production area, wastewater retention ponds and land application areas. Data included in the first annual monitoring report of the Central Valley Dairy Representative Monitoring Program (CVDRMP) reported that groundwater beneath some dairies that have begun implementation of practices required by the 2007 General Order continue to have elevated levels of salts and nitrates beneath the production area, wastewater retention ponds and land application areas. Representative monitoring programs (RMP) began monitoring groundwater in 2012, and some provisions of the 2007 General Order were only fully implemented by 2012, therefore, monitoring results may not be fully reflective of the effectiveness of current practices. Prior to the issuance of the 2007 General