Feinstein Urges Action on Ammonia Discharges into Delta

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein this week urged the State Water Resources Control Board and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to take action to address ammonia contamination affecting fish species in the Delta.

In a May 20 letter to the chairs of the state and regional boards, Feinstein noted that two recent studies suggest that reduction of ammonia discharges is necessary to help restore the Delta ecosystem. She also noted that the regional board is in the process of considering a permit renewal for discharges from the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District treatment facility, the single largest source of wastewater discharged into the Delta.

“I respectfully request that you complete the review of the discharge as soon as possible, and work with the District to evaluate and implement means to appropriately reduce or eliminate its ammonia discharges,” Feinstein wrote in the letter. “This review is critical to achieving the co-equal goals of ecosystem restoration and water supply reliability for the Delta and all of California.”