California farmers have long been able to spray excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizers onto their crops to boost growth and ensure a bounty worthy of competitive global markets. But a battle waging in state court could end with farmers being forced to cut back on a fertilizer they say is critical to their success. A group of nine environmental groups sued the California State Water Resources Control Board in October to essentially compel the body to implement nitrogen fertilizer restrictions proposed by the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board. Because crops absorb only a portion of the nitrogen fertilizer that’s applied, the remainder can leach through the soil into the groundwater below. As a result, several San Luis Obispo County groundwater drinking sources, and countless more around the state, are polluted with toxic nitrate, a biochemical byproduct of nitrogen.

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• Marin Independent Journal: Opinion - Protect state’s residents, wildlife from groundwater contamination