Expert Review Panel for the East San Joaquin (ESJ) Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Board) adopted the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed Waste Discharge Requirements General Order in December 2012. Environmental interests subsequently filed a petition with the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) contending that the surface water quality monitoring framework is inadequate to determine if the goal of protecting water quality is being met.

In April 2019, the Central Valley Board asked the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority (SCCWRP) to convene an Expert Review Panel to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the present monitoring program requirements. SCCWRP has convened an independent, five-member panel to undertake a comprehensive review of the monitoring program. This site provides information about the Panel and its activities.

    • To read more background about the General Order and the issues that led to formation of the Expert Panel, please click here.
  • To see the Expert Panel Charge questions, please click here.
DateEventSupporting Documents
January 7-9, 2020First Panel meeting
  • Meeting agenda
  • Background materials provided to the Panel prior to the meeting
  • Biographies of guest speakers
  • PowerPoints presented to the Panel

    Introduction (Weisberg)
    Morning Factual Presentations
    Overview (McConnell)
    Sampling Framework (Johnson)
    Field/Lab Methods (Turner)
    Data Management (Turner)
    Afternoon Perspective Presentations
    Otter Project (Shimek)
    Exponent Consulting (Paulsen)
    Regional Board (Pulupa)
    Coastkeeper Alliance (Bothwell)
    ESJ Coalition (Johnson)

  • Video recordings of the meeting

    January 7 Morning Session
    January 7 Afternoon Session
    January 9 Report-Out

  • Public comments and documents received
  • Field Tour Guide for the Expert Panel (January 8, 2020)
  • Hotel option
  • April 28-30, 2020
    August 24-26, 2020
    Second Panel meeting
  • Meeting agenda
  • Background materials provided to the Panel prior to the meeting
  • PowerPoints presented to the Panel

    August 24, 2020
    Introduction (Weisberg)
    Program Effectiveness (Turner)
    Source Identification Studies (Johnson)
    System Hydrology (Klassen)
    August 25, 2020
    Toxicity Testing Alternatives (Shimek)
    Ventura County Agricultural Monitoring (Zhu and Toneva)
    Ventura County Agricultural Monitoring (Storm)
    Delta Regional Monitoring (Cole)
    Central Coast Agricultural Monitoring and Appendix (Lopez)
    August 26, 2020
    Petitioners' Closing Statements (Bothwell)
    Coalition Closing Statements (Klassen)
    Panel Report-Out (Hunt)

  • Video recordings of the meeting

    August 24, 2020
    August 25, 2020
    August 26, 2020 (Morning Session)
    August 26, 2020 (Afternoon Report-Out)

  • Public comments received
  • November 6, 2020Third Panel meeting
  • Meeting agenda
  • Draft Panel report (released October 16, 2020)
  • PowerPoints presented to the Panel

    Introduction (Weisberg)
    Coalition Comments on the Draft Panel Report (Klassen and Dunham)
    Petitioner Comments on the Draft Panel Report (Bothwell)

  • Video recording of the meeting
  • Public comments received
  • December 17, 2020Release of final Panel assessment report
  • Findings and Recommendations of the Expert Review Panel for the Eastern San Joaquin Surface Water Monitoring Program
  • Panel Members

    Dr. Kevin Armbrust

    Kevin is Chair of the Environmental Sciences Department at Louisiana State University. Previously, Kevin was Director of the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory and an Associate Professor at Mississippi State University.

    Full resume

    Dr. Doug Parker

    Doug is Director of the California Institute for Water Resources, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, where he coordinates water-related research, extension, and education efforts across ten UC campuses. Prior to joining the University of California, Doug worked on water quality issues related to the Chesapeake Bay as a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland.

           Full resume

    Mr. Jon Costantino

    Jon is Principal of Tradesman Advisors, a regulatory consultancy firm. Previously, Jon was the Climate Change Planning Manager for the California Air Resources Board, overseeing publication of the State’s economy-wide climate policy document, and served two terms on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

    Full resume

    Dr. John Hunt, Panel Chair

    John is a Research Toxicologist at UC Davis and has designed and advised statewide and regional water quality monitoring programs under the auspices of the California Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. He served for 20 years as Director of the Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory at Granite Canyon.

    Full resume

    Dr. Charles Menzie

    Charles is Global Executive Director for the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, where he oversees global initiatives and activities of the society. He also maintains a private consulting practice on risk assessment, in which he has testified as an expert before the International Court of Justice and the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Full resume