Friday, January 23, 2009

Office Re-location

After almost 25 years at the same location, the Ag Council is moving to new office space on January 31st. The new address will be 1000 G Street, Suite 230, Sacramento, CA 95814. All other contact information will remain the same. We’ll be sending out the formal announcements soon. Although we’re only moving two blocks to the west, we have a lot of packing, unpacking and re-organization to accomplish over the next several days. Therefore, the next distribution of eUpdate will be February 6, 2009.

Senate Food & Ag Schedule

Last week I explained the significant policy shift that’s occurring in the Senate Food & Agriculture Committee with the appointment of Dean Florez as the new committee chairman. To underscore the change, hearings have been scheduled over the next several weeks covering three major policy areas:

• February 17: Setting a course for improving farm animal welfare in California.
• March 3: Evaluating the ongoing necessity of the Milk Pool subsidy and its impact on consumer prices.
• March 17: Addressing the public health impacts resulting from the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in our food supply: Are we creating a “superbug?”

Refrigerated Trucks

California has received a waiver from U.S. EPA that allows the state to enforce regulations that cut toxic diesel emissions from tens of thousands of transport refrigeration units (TRU) mounted on big rigs. Adopted in February 2004, these regulations are part of California Air Resources Board’s strategy to reduce particulate matter from diesel engines. Diesel particulate matter was listed as a toxic air contaminant in 1998 triggering a requirement to reduce public exposure. The regulations require all TRU engines on the road in California, about 40,000 at any given time, even those travelling from outside the of state, have emission control technology no older than seven years. Once fully implemented in 2020, the regulation will eliminate 2,000 tons of diesel particulate matter emitted into California's air, significantly protecting the health of those that work and live around these engines.

2009 Legislation

Since the deadline for the introduction of new bills is January 30th; only a couple of bills of interest to agriculture have surfaced thus far:

Pierce’s Disease – SB 2 (Wiggins)
Extends statutory authorization of the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Food and Agriculture Fund until March 1, 2016

Methyl Bromide/Shipping Containers – AB 21 (Lowenthal)
Authorizes the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to impose new requirements on the use of methyl
bromide in fumigating or cleaning shipping containers used to transport goods to and from California. It also requires that the manner and method of application precludes exposure to any residential dwelling, school, day care facility, park, play area, or healthcare facility. DPR will also be required to ensure: 

1. The use of methyl bromide involves appropriate pollution-capturing devices.
2. Optional or unnecessary use of methyl bromide is reduced.
3. Appropriate warnings are posted.
4. Non-fumigant alternatives are used where possible.

DPR will levy new fees in order to administer and enforce the new use requirements.

Ag Shipping Conference

The Agriculture Transportation Coalition will be holding a workshop in Modesto on February 25th to cover an array of transportation issues including:

• Ocean Carrier Service and Costs: Freight rate forecasts, fuel surcharges. Documentation – getting accurate and timely bills of lading. 
• Automated Export System: New requirements and penalties, effective now.
• Obama Economic Stimulus and Infrastructure Proposals: Direct from Capitol Hill with an update of what we can expect for rail, highway, port infrastructure spending. 
• Trucking: Truck and driver shortage – long haul and drayage. Expected hours of service revisions in the new Administration. Increasing truck weight limits.
• Looming Crisis at the Ports: New port container fees at LA and Long Beach to pay for “clean trucks.” Eliminating independent owner operators. Union-labor trucking companies with exclusive port access rights.
• Trans-Pacific: Carriers plan to set capacity limits for each carrier. Will it create new vessel container shortages?
• Transportation Corridors: New infrastructure needed, can agriculture afford to pay the proposed user fees?
• “No Doc, No Load”: Getting container info and submitting documents prior to cut-off; what about perishables? Exporting to China under the new 24 Hour rule.

Registration information can be obtained at www.agtrans.org.
 

Annual Meeting Reminder

Don’t forget we have a very exciting line-up for the General Session at this year’s Annual Meeting! Tony Coelho will be discussing the political climate in Washington, along with the outlook for the Obama Administration. Phil Isenberg will be outlining California’s water challenges with respect to the findings of the Delta Blue Ribbon Task Force, and Ralph Grossi will talk about implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill. If you have not yet registered for Annual Meeting, please visit our website at www.agcouncil.org or give us a call at (916) 443-4887. As a reminder, the following deadlines are of particular importance:

• Ag Council hotel rates at the Carmel Valley Ranch expire January 30, 2009 
• Registration deadline for the golf tournament is February 6, 2009