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.

Why Is Surface Water Issue Emerging?

• EPA and states moving from point to non-point pollution.

• More attention to managing non-point source pollution.

Key Player: the Water Flea

• Water flea (ceriodaphnia dubia).• Indicator species.• Sensitive at parts per trillion.

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.

Pesticides Detected In Delta Tributaries

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

(Salt Slough, Orestimba Creek, Merced River)

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

Nonpoint Source Contamination (NPS)

• Improper application of chemicals.– spray drift– aerial spray or dumping over water

• Irrigation – Tailwater runoff– Leaching

• Overland runoff– heavy rain

Nonpoint Source Contamination (NPS)

• Mixing and Loading

– No containment

– Improper site

• Urban Runoff

– Urban streams

Point Source Contamination

• A “driver” for non-point source regulations.

• Based on Clean Water Act regulations.

– Permitted Discharges

• Manufacturing

• Water treatment plants

• Storm runoff

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

What the Issue is Not About

• Human health concerns.

• Direct effects on fish.

• Ecological significance?

• Persistent toxicants.

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

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.

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

Pollutants/Stressors in 303(d) Listings

• Fertilizer/Nutrients

• Pathogens (e coli,

coloform)

• Sediment

• Pesticides

• Metals (mining runoff)

• Salinity

• Diazinon

• Chlorpyrifos

TMDL - Total Maximum Daily Load

TMDL = point sources + non-point sources +

background + margin of safety.

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

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).

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.

Newport Bay Problem

• Toxicity from almost all storm events.

• Highest toxicity ever found in state.

– 50% from Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon

• Unknown persistence beyond 96 hrs.

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

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

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)

Why Best Management Practices?

• Are BMPs the answer?• What are my alternatives to BMPs?• BMPs will slow down the process.

What happens if BMPs are adopted?

• No regulations (ideally).• Exemptions.• Less severe restrictions in the future.

Urban BMPs

• Goal: Control non-point source pollution

– Reduce off-site transport of sediment, nutrients,

pesticides.

Urban BMPs

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

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.

Urban BMPs

• Irrigation Runoff

– Avoid overwatering to point of runoff.

– Consider frequent light irrigations (when product

must be watered-in to turf or landscape.)

Urban BMPs

• Building/facility/home drains

– Drains eventually reach river/ocean.

– Don’t dispose of rinsewater in drains.

– Don’t dispose leftovers in drains.

Urban BMPs

Pest Control Practices

• Take an IPM approach

• ID the pest, host, habitat

• Consider all control options

• Treat only where needed

• Monitor results

Best Management Practices

• Surface water– vegetation buffer strips – water holding periods– containment/catch basins – application buffers – mixing areas w/containment and rinsate recycling

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

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

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

Managing Drift From Airblast 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.

Managing Drift From Airblast 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.

Tough Questions Yet To Be Answered

• Which programs will “trump.”

• What will those programs look like?

• Which best management practices

will solve the problem?

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

What Does The Future Hold ...

• Who shapes our future?

– Industry

– Regulators