The California Air Resources Board, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and California Energy Commission (CEC), will host the first meeting of the Dairy and Livestock Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group on May 23, 2017. The first meeting of the Working Group will be held on:
Date: May 23, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location:
CDFA’s Main Auditorium
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814.
The meeting will be live-streamed for online viewing, but this will be a listen-in only option. Public comments will be received at the meeting. Members of the public who wish to provide oral comments at the meeting should plan to attend in person. More information on the Working Group and meeting materials can be found at https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/shortlived/shortlived.htm
The formation of the Working Group is called for by legislation passed in 2016, Senate Bill 1383 (Lara), which requires the State to develop and approve a plan to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Short-lived climate pollutants, including methane from dairy cows and other livestock, are greenhouse gases that, despite having a relatively short residence time in the atmosphere, have a powerful warming influence. They are also harmful air pollutants. Accomplishing swift reductions of SLCP emissions can have a significant impact on cumulative climate change, lessening harmful climate change impacts over the long term, and can improve public health.
Methane from dairy manure and enteric fermentation make up the largest portion of California agriculture’s 8% total greenhouse gas emissions. CDFA houses two incentive programs to provide dairies with financial assistance to reduce methane emissions; the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program and the Alternative Manure Management Practices Program. Despite the development of these programs and the growing efforts to reduce emissions, there are still many challenges which the Working Group will address.
The newly-formed Working Group will identify and address technical, market, regulatory, and other barriers to the development of dairy methane reduction projects. The Working Group, made up of CDFA, partner agencies and a diverse group of stakeholders and experts, will produce recommendations to advance methane reductions on and achieve other co-benefits from California dairies and livestock operations while also supporting the resiliency and sustainability of California’s world-renown dairy and livestock industry. The Working Group will also foster important relationships and build the cooperation necessary to maximize environmental benefits, minimize impacts to disadvantaged communities, and utilize available resources efficiently.