Central Coast water board sued over pollution secrecy

The Environmental Law Foundation is suing the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to force all growers to make public data about the regional wells’ levels of nitrates – a dangerous category of chemicals if consumed. The board gave growers the ability to submit their data without also providing proof of notice to local residents not to drink the contaminated water.

“They feel that it is not anybody’s business to know where contaminated drinking water is located. They don’t want to be liable for a potential case of contamination on an individual grower,” says Pearl Kan, an attorney with California Rural Legal Assistance.