A California plan to reduce greenhouse (GHG) emissions within its borders is drawing sharp criticism from dairy producer organizations in the state.

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Dave Natzke
Editor / Progressive Dairy

Methane emissions from dairy manure and livestock enteric fermentation are among targets for reduction under California’s proposed “Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reduction Strategy.”

The strategy is mandated by Senate Bill 605, signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. Brown identified reductions of SLCP emissions as one of the "five pillars" to meet an overarching goal to reduce California's GHG emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

Following preliminary development and public comment, a proposed strategy was released April 11. The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resources Board (CARB) hosted regional workshops on the plan and will hold a public discussion during a May 19 ARB board meeting.

A public comment period on environmental analysis of the plan closes May 26. A final strategy is anticipated in late summer or early fall of 2016.

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SLCP: Short-lived climate pollutants

Described on the SLCP website, “short-lived climate pollutants” remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period than longer-lived climate pollutants, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). However, the relative potency of SLCP, when measured in terms of how they heat the atmosphere, can be tens, hundreds or even thousands of times greater than that of CO2, according to the website.

In addition to manure and enteric emissions, the statewide strategy targets reduced emissions from black carbon, landfill methane, gas and oil methane and refrigerant/motor vehicle air conditioning hydrofluorocarbons.

Specific to dairy, the SLCP strategy calls for transitional reduction targets for manure methane emissions (20 percent in 2020, 50 percent in 2025, and 75 percent in 2030), putting the dairy industry on track to reduce methane emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

Under a proposed timeline, CARB, in coordination with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and local air and water quality agencies, would begin regulation of dairy methane emissions in 2017. Standards and rules, in addition to incentive programs, would be established.

The state would support research and monitor progress on reducing enteric emissions, the release of methane by ruminant animals during digestion, by 25 percent.

Dairy critical of plan

Leaders of California’s Milk Producers Council (MPC) and Western United Dairymen (WUD) blasted the plan in recent newsletters. In addition, Dairy Cares, an organization made up of producers, processors and others created to address sustainability and environmental issues, detailed challenges in its April newsletter column.

“This is an important issue, and one that certainly threatens the future of the California dairy industry, as if our other financial challenges weren’t enough of a threat,” said Rob Vandenheuvel, MPC general manager. “Our industry is already locking arms and fighting back against CARB on this issue, and those efforts can and must continue.”

Vandenheuvel said his criticism wasn’t related to whether global climate change is real, but rather another example of a “ridiculously ‘go-it-alone’ strategy” for implementing business-killing regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.”

”When a single state like California does it on its own, I call that absolutely insane,” Vandenheuvel said. “When a California business (whether that’s a dairy, or any other business) has finally had enough of the expensive, invasive, ridiculous regulations that Sacramento dreams up each year, and that business moves to a neighboring state, what happens to the “global” greenhouse gas emissions? They remain the same. California has lost a job creator and economic driver, and the net impact on the greenhouse gas emissions is zero.”

Vandenheuvel called on the California state government to create incentives and funding opportunities leading to creation of methane-reducing technologies, instead of driving dairies and other businesses out of state through regulation.

Manure digesters, cited by CARB as a means to address dairy methane emissions, are only a part of the answer, and not a one-size-fits-all solution, he said.

Paul Sousa, WUD director of environmental services and regulatory affairs, called the transitional and final methane emission targets for dairy “beyond ambitious.”

“It has been estimated that if the dairy industry was going to meet the 2030 goal of reducing manure management methane emissions by 75 percent using only digesters, we would have to install digesters on the 600 largest dairies in the state,” Sousa said. “Since 2000, about two dozen dairy manure digesters have been built in California, and about 13 of those are still operating today.”

He said building digesters on those 600 dairies would be a miracle equivalent to “Moses parting the Red Sea.”

Citing California’s dairy size, climate and management diversity, he said WUD continues to advocate for multiple options suitable for each individual dairy.

Sousa called the proposed regulatory process of dairies vague.

“In our conversations with CARB they have indicated (it) will likely start with requiring larger dairies to calculate and report their GHG emissions, followed by additional regulations,” Sousa said.

“I understand that we all have to do our part, and dairies are no different,” Sousa said. “Nationally, dairies have reduced their carbon ‘hoofprint’ by over 60 percent per gallon of milk in the last 70 years, and that effort continues due to your work on continual improvement in efficiency. However, it will take significant investment from the state to accelerate that pace and put infrastructure in place to even get part way to their overly aggressive goals.”

Dairy Cares

Dairy Cares’ monthly column, titled “State Air Board Methane Plan Unrealistic,” calls the plan an ill-conceived and unachievable political goal, which could set the industry up for failure. It said the state must commit additional incentive funding to help the dairy industry move toward those goals.

“The California dairy industry is committed to being an active partner in state efforts to address climate-change challenges,” the newsletter states. “That commitment is part of the longstanding dedication to dairy farm sustainability and productivity ingrained in the California dairy tradition. California dairies are already a model for the rest of the world on how to reduce methane emissions. California’s family dairies look forward to continuing to work with ARB to develop a workable strategy that identifies realistic and achievable goals and provides the necessary funding for additional reductions. Only then will the state and dairy industry be successful.”  PD

Dave Natzke