Ah, a Breath of Fresh Air

 

I just got home from a Fresno County public meeting about the quality of air in our fair city.  And no one talked about the fresh air.  They talked about the worst air in the state, the fourth worst air in the US, air that doubles our asthma rate, air that is seriously dirtied by cows, air that costs us who live in Fresno County $1.7 billion in health costs each year. 

It was quite an evening.  The Fresno County Department of Public Works played host to get the people’s reaction to  their second draft of a Dairy/Feedlot Facility ordinance.  Over a hundred people showed up to comment, complain, urge or just listen and learn.

For my part, I learned a lot.  I learned that the American Lung Association ranked Fresno the fourth most polluted county in the country for fine particulate matter, which is associated with a range of respirator ailments, heart and lung problems and premature death.  I learned that although awareness of the problem is growing, the problem itself is still growing.

I learned that air pollution is due to automobiles and energy production but also, in agricultural counties like ours, to the dairy industry.  In fact, Fresno’s dairies are one of its top sources of the most dangerous forms of air pollution.  I learned that dairies are an incredibly important part of our county’s economy, where milk represents our sixth most valuable commodity and the industry is still growing.  So imprudent restrictions on dairies could seriously hurt our valley’s economic health, but ignoring the problem could continue to seriously hurt our valley’s physical health.

After the sponsors from the County discussed the first draft of the ordinance and how suggestions and comments from a first town hall led them to make changes, they opened two floor mikes to the public.  The first person to speak was a clergyman who encouraged all those in charge to do what was right as stewards of God’s creation and keepers of their brothers’ well-being.

Then some scientists spoke ominously of the danger to come if the County fails to meet this crisis.   We were told that red flag days were costly—red flags can refer to inclement weather or fire possibilities, but in our Valley they mean that the air is so bad that school athletics and outside work must be curtailed especially for those with asthmatic or pulmonary problems.  One scientist commented that much of our problem is due to the fact that we live in a valley surrounded by  air-holding mountains, and then he added that we cannot change the geography, so we must change the air.

But we were told that 85% of the pollution can be taken care of by today’s technology if it is applied properly to the problem.   Building enclosed barns and covered lagoons will be costly, we were told, but the present profit per milk cow (we were given the figure of $394 per cow) is enough to cover any additional costs.

 Two farmers spoke of caution.   Both of them were families of multiple generation in our Valley.  They have worked hard over the many decades to improve the soil and enrich the Valley and their families.  One of them commented that other families, involving some one hundred people, are dependent on  his dairy and farm.  Both of them questioned the correctness of the supposed per-cow profit and suggested that the County might be excessive  in their legal demands, costing the farmers too much to maintain the dairies profitably.

Then some doctors spoke, one noting that there was anger here, but all insisting that there was greater danger to the health of the population that had to be addressed.  One was so negative that he even suggested that we can’t do anything to make the situation worse.

I am new to the Valley, I am not knowledgeable about farms or dairies, but it was clear that we in the Valley have a problem that has to be considered from  many points of view and solved with prudence and charity.  It will not be easy.