Association Presents to SJV Air District Study Session

This week, Association President, Roger A. Isom, was given the opportunity to present to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s (Air District) Governing Board during their annual Study Session meeting. The Study Session is utilized by the Air District to update the representative board members on strategies and difficulties in achieving difficult rules and regulations. While the San Joaquin Valley has made significant strides in lowering emissions across a wide variety of industries, the regulations have been lowered and made more difficult to show attainment.  

Isom’s presentation walked the Air District board through the history of collaboration between agriculture and the Air District over the past three decades. Isom also took the opportunity to push back on California Air Resources Board member comments during a recent meeting that “Ag is not regulated” and pointed out the laundry list of rules that your operations are required to comply with. Isom also stressed the necessity for ongoing incentive funding to assist with the backlog of tractor replacement projects, ag burn alternative applications for orchard removals, and funding for necessary research to help identify more targeted opportunities for emission reductions as opposed to the typical broad-based regulatory approach which negatively impacts agriculture as opposed to other industries. Several Board Members echoed Isom’s talking points in pleas to attendees from the Air Resources Board and U.S. EPA to work together to find funding and opportunities for collaboration. Stay tuned for more updates.