Joint Coalition Letter: AB 2447 (Bauer-Kahan) Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act SUPPORT

FINAL 4.11.26 AB 2447 Coalition Support Letter--ESTM Committee.pdf

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April 11, 2026

Assembly Member Damon Connolly, Chair of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee

1020 N Street, Room 171, Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: AB 2447 (Bauer-Kahan) Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act SUPPORT

Dear Chair Connolly and Members of the Committee:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing thousands of Californians, we write in strong support of Assembly Bill 2447, the Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan. This bill is urgently needed to safeguard the human right to clean, safe, and affordable water while advancing climate-smart agriculture and driving innovation in the fertilizer market. In 2012, the Governor declared water as a human right. Unfortunately, that right is being violated for the hundreds of thousands of Californians who still, to this day, do not have access to clean and affordable drinking water. The science is clear: excessive nitrogen fertilizer use causes nitrates to leach into drinking water supplies. More than 600,000 Californians lack access to safe drinking water due, in part, to nitrogen pollution. Nitrogen pollution in drinking water is linked to blue baby syndrome as well as increased risk of stomach, ovarian, colorectal, thyroid, and kidney cancers. Nitrogen pollution threatens California’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems, contributing to harmful algal blooms (HABs) that kill fish, sicken pets, and cause rashes and blisters in children swimming in contaminated streams.

HABs also compromise recreational and fishing economies, costing millions to clean up and remedy. Imperiled California species such as the Bay checkerspot butterfly and arroyo toad are particularly vulnerable to nitrogen pollution. Nitrogen pollution fuels the climate crisis. When fertilizer is overapplied to croplands, the excess can enter the air as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 273 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The Air Resources Board has determined that the state will fail to reach its climate goals without substantial reductions in nitrous oxide emissions.

The Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act responds directly to these challenges by setting a clear goal that nitrogen pollution from croplands should no longer threaten California’s drinking water, rivers, and climate. This bill adds deadlines to an existing nitrogen management program and directs the State Water Resources Control Board to coordinate with regional water boards to update their programs with science-based guidelines on nitrogen fertilizer use and discharge, while also encouraging the use of sustainable farming practices. The bill also creates a statewide goal to incentivize increased research and investment in more efficient fertilizer technologies and launches a Safer Fertilizer Task Force to support the development of safer fertilizer technology standards. The Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act fills a gap in existing regulations that policymakers have been trying to address for nearly 30 years and drives progress towards other statewide climate and water quality, and supply efforts. Some state programs rely on voluntary efforts to reduce nitrogen pollution, but on their own, these efforts do not work fast enough.

By strengthening California’s existing nitrogen management program, the Act will spur more farmers to use healthy soil practices, help achieve sustainable groundwater quality targets, protect ecosystems, and provide a long-term drinking water solution for communities. Californians should not have to choose between thriving farming economies and clean water. This Act will help protect California’s water supplies and communities from nitrogen pollution while speeding up farmers’ transition to sustainable and climate-resilient farming systems.

Sincerely,

( See attachment for coalition and partnership signatures)

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