Sacramento, CA….Last week, Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Second Vice Chair and Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams testified before the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) in support of their proposed Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for medicinal cannabis cultivation. “The immediate threat to water quality posed by marijuana cultivation has increased dramatically in recent years as our rural counties have seen a continual expansion of the scale and volume of individual grow sites,” said Williams. “On behalf of California’s rural leaders, I applaud the Central Valley Water Board for taking steps to address the effects of marijuana cultivation on our state’s water quality.”

Supervisor Williams expressed appreciation for the requirement that cultivators must comply with county regulations and ordinances before the Water Board approves any Notice of Intent, as maintaining county control over land use and other issues related to marijuana cultivation is of utmost importance to California’s rural counties. Secondly, California’s rural leaders support the imposition of an annual fee to support the Water Board’s enforcement activities so that other established dischargers aren’t forced to subsidize enforcement and clean-up activities for marijuana cultivation sites.

The Water Board adopted the proposed WDRs on Friday, setting the tone for the rest of the state in addressing water quality concerns related to marijuana cultivation. These requirements work in concert with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s requirements which were approved earlier this year.

An image of RCRC Second Vice Chair and Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams testifying can be accessed here.

About Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC)

The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a thirty-four member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. RCRC is dedicated to representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter.

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