For families in Planada, California, the summer heat is compounded by odors from nearby dairies that residents say hang in the air so often that some people keep their windows closed and spend less time in their own yards.
Tensions are rising because one of the area's largest dairies wants to get even larger — something many locals see as adding to a burden their community has long been forced to bear.
What's happening?
According to Inside Climate News, a proposed expansion by Hillcrest Dairy in Le Grand would increase the operation's herd by about 1,700 cows, on top of the roughly 8,000 it already has. The plan also calls for new facilities, including a 50,000-square-foot barn.
Merced County has also approved a new manure digester at the site, though the project does not appear to have been built yet, according to the report.
California already has more than 160 dairy manure digesters in operation, and dozens more are under construction. Much of that growth is concentrated in the Central Valley; Stanford University data cited by ICN says the region contains 89% of the state's cows and 81% of its dairy farms.
Advocates and residents say places like Planada — a town of about 4,000 people that is roughly 98% Hispanic — are being left to contend with persistent odors and pollution as industrial dairies continue to expand.
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Jamie Zweifler-Katz, senior staff attorney at Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, said, "Over the last decade, California has created policies that favor large-scale industrial dairies over smaller operations and lock in the most environmentally harmful practices that disproportionately impact low-income communities of color."
Why does it matter?
Longtime resident David Rodriguez, 71, who previously worked for Merced City schools, said Planada felt calm and clean before large dairy operations arrived nearby.
His wife, Rita Rodriguez, a former public health department worker, said: "We don't drink that water. I don't use it for cooking."
According to families who spoke with ICN, some households depend on bottled water or filters, and some residents stay indoors to avoid the odor and flies.
Regulators have warned that runoff from large-scale farms can contaminate surface water and groundwater with nitrate, ammonia, coliform, and other pollutants.
In some parts of the Central Valley, 40% of drinking wells exceed the federal nitrate safety limit, a problem tied to serious health risks including miscarriages and infant mortality.
What's being done?
Dairy industry groups say digesters are part of the solution.
"Dairy digesters are an integral part of California's comprehensive climate-smart approach to dairy methane reduction," Michael Boccadoro, executive director of Dairy Cares, said, according to ICN.
California Air Resources Board spokesperson Dave Clegern also told ICN that methane from manure management is down by about 17% from 2012 levels.
The state has supported digesters through grant programs and low-carbon fuel incentives to reduce methane pollution under Senate Bill 1383. Industry supporters say capturing biogas from manure is less harmful to the climate than leaving waste in open lagoons.
Community members and environmental justice groups say those climate benefits do not cancel out the local harms. In their view, digesters can still leak pollutants, spur the growth of larger herds, and leave nearby neighborhoods with poorer air and water quality.
A draft state order on oversight of dairy water pollution is now open for public comment through July 30.
"I considered this a little piece of heaven before the dairies arrived," David Rodriguez said, according to ICN. "I'll continue to fight. Even in my 80s and 90s. If I live that long."
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