August 19,2020-
Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella plans to expand their storage capacity at there big nut plant in town. The company will have hearing thus week at the Board of Supervisors to expand their storage capacity by around 50% adding 24 new silos expanding capacity from 90 million pounds to 133 million pounds. Each new silo holds 1.8 million pounds.
The company is also dealing with a Cease and Desist order from the state and seeks to improve its waste water treatment .The company will add more pipeline adding pre clean lines as well as lengthen the pipeline to improve odor controls.
Setton is the number two pistachio processor in the state behind the Wonderful Co.
Water used during pistachio processing is beneficially reused. Presently, up to 3 million gallons per day and 60 million gallons per year of wastewater is filtered and applied for beneficial reuse for irrigation of 483 acres of orchards.
The applicant does not seek to increase the amount of wastewater beyond these amounts. However, to mitigate the potential of the wastewater to create objectionable odors, and to improve the water quality of water stored at the existing ponds, the project includes a request to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to the land application area for the wastewater, and reduce the amount of stored volume in the ponds.
Specifically, the proposed Project includes the applicant’s proposal to expand its application of process water and construct new pipeline to irrigate a total of 892 acres of agricultural fields, an increase of 409 acres compared to existing conditions.
The Project is anticipated to begin construction in mid-August 2020 and will be completed between late August 2020 and early September 2020