A recent incident in Ventura County, California, illustrated the struggles of farmworkers picking strawberries amidst wildfire smoke from the nearby Hughes Fire. Despite California's stringent regulations requiring employers to provide masks when air quality is unhealthy, many workers still faced dangerous conditions. The air quality index (AQI) reached concerning levels, akin to smoking a quarter to half a pack of cigarettes daily. Advocates highlight that existing laws do not sufficiently protect farmworkers from the realities of working in hazardous environments, even with a new law permitting sick days under certain AQI conditions.
"That reddish light, there's something primal that you really do sort of your lizard brain recognizes that there's danger,” says Elizabeth Strater, an organizer and national vice president for the United Farm Workers of America.
"Oxnard, a city in Ventura County, isn't prone to wildfires, but it is surrounded by mountains, which are prime agricultural land...also places that are prone to being affected by wildfire smoke.”
"Studies show that when AQI levels hover between 100-200 on a smoky day, that air pollution is like smoking a quarter to a half pack of cigarettes a day.”
"California has some of the strongest regulations in the nation to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke...require employers to provide masks to workers when the air quality reaches unhealthy levels.”
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