Proposed composting bill would help farmers and winegrape growers

Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, introduced new environmental legislation on Wednesday that would allow farms and vineyards to compost large amounts of green waste onsite — now that California has banned nearly all agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley.

“Banning agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley was absolutely essential to protect our environment and health,” McNerney said. “Although the valley is an agricultural powerhouse, it is also home to some of the worst ozone and particulate pollution and has the highest child asthma rates in the country.”

McNerney is a member of the Senate Agricultural Committee and whose district includes all of San Joaquin County. He said SB 279 will provide California farms and vineyards the ability to compost large amounts of green waste onsite rather than having to ship it to another composting facility hundreds of miles away. It would also benefit community composting programs, urban farms, and school farms by allowing them to compost larger amounts of green waste onsite, he said.

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