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Emerging Surface Water Issues And Pesticides

Emerging Surface Water Issues And Pesticides. - CURES - Coalition For Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship. Problem: Pesticides In Urban Runoff. Pesticide detections on the rise. Regulators seeking voluntary solutions. If not solved soon, regulatory action is likely.

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Emerging Surface Water Issues And Pesticides

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  1. Emerging Surface Water Issues And Pesticides - CURES - Coalition For Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship

  2. Problem: Pesticides In Urban Runoff • Pesticide detections on the rise. • Regulators seeking voluntary solutions. • If not solved soon, regulatory action is likely.

  3. Why Is Surface Water Issue Emerging? • EPA and states moving from point to non-point pollution. • More attention to managing non-point source pollution.

  4. Key Player: the Water Flea • Water flea (ceriodaphnia dubia). • Indicator species. • Sensitive at parts per trillion.

  5. Detections in CA Rivers and Streams • Some samples toxic to water flea. • Only in occasional spikes. • Not above health advisory levels. • Regulations in the works.

  6. Pesticides Detected In Delta Tributaries (Salt Slough, Orestimba Creek, Merced River) Alachlor - Lasso/Lexan Atrazine Carbaryl - Sevin Chlorpyrifos - Lorsban Dieldrin Cynazine - Bladex Diuron - Karmex Diazinon Dacthal EPTC - Eptam Fonofos - Dyphonate Malathion Pebulate - Tillam Metolachlor - Dual Molinate - Ordram Napropamide - Devrinol Methomyl - Lannate Pronamide - Kerb Propargite - Comite/Omite Simazine - Princep Triflurilin - Trelan DDE, p, p

  7. Pesticides Detected In Urban CreeksNewport Bay Carbaryl - Sevin Chlorpyrifos - Dursban Benomyl - Benlate Diuron - Karmex Diazinon Methidathion - Supracide Methomyl - Lannate Pendimethalin - Prowl Malathion Oryzalin - Surflan Simazine - Princep Triflurilin - Trelan

  8. Nonpoint Source Contamination (NPS) • Improper application of chemicals. • spray drift • aerial spray or dumping over water • Irrigation • Tailwater runoff • Leaching • Overland runoff • heavy rain

  9. Nonpoint Source Contamination (NPS) • Mixing and Loading • No containment • Improper site • Urban Runoff • Urban streams

  10. Point Source Contamination • A “driver” for non-point source regulations. • Based on Clean Water Act regulations. • Permitted Discharges • Manufacturing • Water treatment plants • Storm runoff

  11. Why Now? • Technologies of detection: part per trillion. • Ease of using testing kits. • Emphasis shift from point to nonpoint sources. • Increased monitoring -- just beginning. • USGS, State activities • $$$$ for monitoring. • CWA, State funds, CalFed

  12. What the Issue is Not About • Human health concerns. • Direct effects on fish. • Ecological significance? • Persistent toxicants.

  13. What the Issue Is About • Recurring part per trillion level of pesticides. • Initial focus on organophosphate insecticides. • Toxicity to a sensitive screening organism. • Water flea: Ceriodaphnia dubia

  14. What the Issue Is About • FIFRA vs. Clean Water Act Standards. • Overlapping jurisdictions. • DPR and State/Regional Water Boards • The need for refined science: what is ecological significance? • Science-based regulations needed.

  15. What is the Clean Water Act Process? • Identify impaired waters - 303(d) Lists. • Revised every two years • Prioritize Total Maximum Daily Load development. • Develop TMDL’s. • quantitative assessment of water quality problem • sources • actions to restore/protect the water body

  16. Fertilizer/Nutrients Pathogens (e coli, coloform) Sediment Pesticides Metals (mining runoff) Salinity Diazinon Chlorpyrifos Pollutants/Stressors in 303(d) Listings

  17. TMDL - Total Maximum Daily Load TMDL = point sources + non-point sources + background + margin of safety.

  18. TMDL Litigation by States • EPA under court order to establish TMDL’s • OR, AK, GA, CA (North Coast), PA, AZ, NM, WV, DL, CA (Newport Bay) • Litigation filed (December 1997) • D.C., AL, FL, MS, CA (Los Angeles) • 42 cases

  19. CA Urban Creek TMDL Priorities • OP Pesticide TMDLs for CA urban creeks • Chollas Creek, San Diego: due April 2000. • Upper Newport Bay, urban creeks, Orange County: due Jan. 2002. • San Francisco Bay, urban creeks: due 2002/03. • Sacramento/Stockton, urban creeks: due 2012 (pressure to complete on SF Bay timeline).

  20. Newport Bay TMDL Priorities • Preliminary staff report - March 2000 • TMDL draft language in 3-6 months later. • Public hearings/stakeholder meetings. • Finalize mitigation measures. • To Office Administrative Law to finalize.

  21. Newport Bay Problem • Toxicity from almost all storm events. • Highest toxicity ever found in state. • 50% from Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon • Unknown persistence beyond 96 hrs.

  22. Potential TMDL Impacts • Pressure for regulatory controls on agriculture, urban and other non-point sources • Wasteload allocation with little data or science • Tighter discharge limits on point source permits

  23. CA Pesticide Water Quality Program • MAA (Management Agency Agreement) between DPR, Ag Commissioners, and State Water Resource Control Board - Feb. 1997 • Developed to: • address overlapping authorities • reduce duplication of effort, inconsistencies, confusion of regulated public

  24. Pesticide Management Plan (PMP) for Water Quality • Implements the Management Agency Agreement • Mitigate problems using phased approach: • Stage 1: Outreach & Education - preventative • Stage 2: Self Regulating - sponsors • Stage 3: Regulatory (DPR & Commissioners) • Stage 4: Regulatory (State/Regional Water Boards)

  25. Why Best Management Practices? • Are BMPs the answer? • What are my alternatives to BMPs? • BMPs will slow down the process.

  26. What happens if BMPs are adopted? • No regulations (ideally). • Exemptions. • Less severe restrictions in the future.

  27. Urban BMPs • Goal: Control non-point source pollution • Reduce off-site transport of sediment, nutrients, pesticides.

  28. Urban BMPs • Transport Mechanism: How’s it moving off-site? • Stormwater runoff • Irrigation runoff • Washed off during hose down • Drains in building/facility/home

  29. Urban BMPs • Stormwater Runoff: manage potential movement • Don’t spray just before storms. • No overspray on hard surfaces; sweep up granules from driveways. • Consider alternative controls in areas where stormwater channels or drains off the site. • Evaluate drain pest treatments.

  30. Urban BMPs • Irrigation Runoff • Avoid overwatering to point of runoff. • Consider frequent light irrigations (when product must be watered-in to turf or landscape.)

  31. Urban BMPs • Building/facility/home drains • Drains eventually reach river/ocean. • Don’t dispose of rinsewater in drains. • Don’t dispose leftovers in drains.

  32. Urban BMPs Pest Control Practices • Take an IPM approach • ID the pest, host, habitat • Consider all control options • Treat only where needed • Monitor results

  33. Best Management Practices • Surface water • vegetation buffer strips • water holding periods • containment/catch basins • application buffers • mixing areas w/containment and rinsate recycling

  34. Vegetation Buffer Strips • 20-foot wide vegetation strip along waterways and on downhill side of field • Plant cover crop • legumes • native perennial grasses • Physical barrier • slows water - sediment deposition • captures/absorbs available materials

  35. Mixing and Loading • Contained concrete mixing/loading pad • Flat area, disked or graveled • Recycling system for rinsate • Recycle rinsate into the spray mix • Spray rinsate on the field • Stay away from wells

  36. Sprayer Technology • Use dry locks on spray equipment • Increase droplet size • use drift retardants • avoid windy spray conditions (see label) • Equipment maintenance • avoid leaks and broken hoses • Turn sprayer off at end of row

  37. Managing DriftFromAirblast Sprayers • Most drift comes from outside 2 rows • First/last passes through the orchard • Don’t spray inside of row 1 or 2 • Spray outside -inward on perimeter rows, slowing down to improve coverage.

  38. Managing DriftFromAirblast Sprayers • Direct spray at canopy, not open spaces. • Base of tree and gap between rows (straight up) • Almond canopy begins 6 feet from ground. • Set nozzle angle to cover target only. • Canopy is the greatest interceptor of spray. • Use nozzles that produce bigger droplets.

  39. Tough Questions Yet To Be Answered • Which programs will “trump.” • What will those programs look like? • Which best management practices will solve the problem?

  40. What Needs To Be Done by Regulators? • Better Define Problem • Extent of impact • Which pesticides • Characteristics of pesticides • Source Identification • Where they coming from? • BMP Development • Address Regulatory Issues • CWA, Stormwater agencies, etc

  41. What Does The Future Hold ... • Who shapes our future? • Industry • Regulators

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