California Water Quality Regulations and USDA Invests in Domestic Fertilizer

**Farmers in San Diego County say proposed water quality regulations for commercial ag operations are burdensome, costly and duplicate work by growers participating in other regulatory programs.

The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board released a proposed draft that creates new monitoring and reporting requirements for nitrogen applications and removals.

Local farmers say the proposed requirements are based on large farms in other regions, not small farms in San Diego County.

**Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA is investing in domestic fertilizer projects to strengthen competition for U.S. agriculture.

USDA is awarding, through the Fertilizer Production and Expansion Program, $83 million in 12 states for projects that provides grants to independent business owners to help modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more.

Vilsack says the investments will, increase domestic fertilizer production and strengthen our supply chain.

**With the Atlantic Hurricane Season beginning tomorrow, some meteorologists are concerned about a serious threat of rapidly intensifying storms this year.

AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva says rapidly intensifying tropical storms and hurricanes pose a major threat along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines.

DaSilva says, “The warmer the oceans are, the more favorable the environment will be for tropical development and intensification.”