FAC joined California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) in a public records lawsuit seeking disclosure of documents listing dairies under active quarantine for bird flu.
In November 2024, CRLA became concerned about the impact of bird flu on dairy workers and rural communities because a strain of the virus had become endemic in California’s over 1,000 dairies, most of which are in the Central Valley. On December 18, 2024, Governor Newsom declared an emergency in response to the public health threats posed by bird flu. A number of dairies have been placed under quarantine to prevent the spread of bird flu.
Based on its own work and other reporting and research, CRLA is concerned that many dairy employers are not following a state regulation designed to prevent the spread of diseases such as bird flu from animals to humans. At least 36 dairy workers have been infected with bird flu. That may be a significant undercount due to fears of reporting illness in light of increased immigration enforcement.
CRLA has sought to inform dairy workers of their rights and provide them with personal protective equipment, but it is difficult to reach that population, as dairy workers are often undocumented and reluctant to identify themselves.
In hopes of making its outreach more effective, CRLA asked the California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”), which is responsible for the dairy quarantines, to disclose records listing dairies under active quarantine. CDFA eventually disclosed quarantine-related records, but it redacted the names and locations of dairies under quarantine. Despite continued advocacy by CRLA, it has refused to change its position.
The public has a compelling interest in disclosure of the unredacted lists because the names and locations of quarantined dairies are vital in supporting the ability of dairy workers and their advocates to protect both the workers and the community at large from bird flu infection.
News:
Legal Documents:
- Petition for Writ of Mandate (11/3/2025)