Just this past  Wednesday the Eastern  Shore  Soil and Water Conservation District voted to approve a memorandum of agreement that was presented by  Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality with the intent that  the tomato companies would CONTINUE to work closely with ESSWCD as they have in the past to address any issues of water quality and runoff.  The local tomato companies have spent many thousands of dollars installing best management practices in the last  several years and  have exhibited a  very willing spirit of  cooperation to work with ESSWCD  whenever an issue has arisen.  To resort to regulation of the tomato companies due to issues that have arisen after the fourth wettest year and THE wettest fall on record seems extremely heavy handed.  Acts of God such as the record breaking rainfall this past fall cannot be predicted and are impossibe to deal with in a real world situation like farming.   The MOA has enforcement provisions through the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under the Agriculture Stewardship Act.  Give the tomato companies a chance to work with ESSWCD under this new memorandum of agreement before resorting to more regulations. 

                                                                 Dave Lovell