News from coast to coast this week covers the following topics:

Lee karen
Karen Lee
Managing Editor / Progressive Dairy

East and Gulf Coast port strike resolved, for now

Members of the International Longshoreman’s Association that went on strike at 36 ports along the East and Gulf coasts on Tuesday resumed work on Friday after the union announced late on Oct. 3 that a tentative agreement on wages was reached.

Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), said, “While the strike lasted just three days, IDFA members had to re-route and front-load shipments since early September due to concerns that a strike might occur, and truck rates increased as companies were stocking inventory for the holiday season. In addition, it will take weeks to clear the backlog caused by the strike.”

Each year, $1.7 billion in dairy exports flow through the East and Gulf coast ports. Dairy exporters reported cancelled sales and added time and costs to re-route products due to the three-day work stoppage.

The dockworkers union agreed to extend the contract it had with port officials at the United States Maritime Alliance Ltd. terminals until Jan. 15 in order to have union members back on the job while they return to the bargaining table to negotiate new contract conditions.

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“We encourage both sides to continue their negotiations and reach a final agreement that protects the supply chain and strengthens the reliability of American exports,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).

California dairy workers contract bird flu

The CDC has confirmed two dairy workers in California were infected with H5 bird flu. A third possible human case of bird flu has also been identified in California and is awaiting confirmatory testing.

Both of the confirmed cases are Central Valley individuals who had contact with infected dairy cattle. The workers developed eye redness known as conjunctivitis and had mild symptoms. Neither reported respiratory symptoms nor were hospitalized.

No known contact between the individuals suggests animal-to-human spread of the virus.

The risk to the general public remains low, but people who interact with infected animals, like dairy or poultry farmworkers, are at higher risk of getting bird flu.

This year, 16 human cases of H5 have been reported in the U.S. and have been located in Texas (1), Michigan (2), Colorado (10), Missouri (1) and California (2). Six of the human cases have been linked to exposure to sick or infected dairy cows, nine cases had exposure to infected poultry, and the source of infection for the one case in Missouri has not been determined.

It is recommended that anyone working with animals or materials that are infected or potentially infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus wear personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as respirators (N95 masks), eye protection (face shields or safety goggles) and gloves.

Individuals exposed to infected animals should also monitor for symptoms such as eye redness, cough, sore throat and fever for 10 days after contact. Immediate isolation and testing are recommended for those feeling ill.

Across the U.S., more than 280 dairy herds have been infected in 14 states since the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed in March. With the exception of California, where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in 79 dairy herds in the last 30 days, there has been a notable slowdown of HPAI detections, with many states experiencing weeks without new cases.

USDA offers resources to help Hurricane Helene-impacted farmers, communities

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated communities, homes, farms and businesses across parts of the Southeast, the USDA has deployed staff to assist with response and recovery efforts. The USDA is also putting in place contingency plans and program flexibilities to ensure farmers, and foresters and communities are able to get the support they need.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux traveled Thursday to Florida and Georgia with President Biden to assess damage and meet with farmers and residents in the wake of the storm.

“At USDA, our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families and farmers who have been impacted by this storm,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “Our job is to try to keep farms viable and operational, to help rural communities remain resilient and at the end of the day to get as much help as quickly as possible to as many people as possible.”

In remarks, Secretary Vilsack highlighted that the USDA is taking measures like extending program signup opportunities and using waivers and emergency procedures to expedite recovery efforts on America’s working lands. The department has also deployed 190 staff, including many from the U.S. Forest Service, to assist with response efforts, including removal of debris from roads.

With some local USDA offices in the impacted area obstructed or without power due to the storm, other USDA offices in affected states are stepping up to help triage and take producers’ calls. The Farm Service Agency Call Center, available at (877) 508-8364, can help direct producers to available staff.

The USDA also partners with several organizations to offer mental health resources. Anyone in need of extra support in light of stressful circumstances is encouraged to contact the Southern Ag Exchange Network Farmer Support Hotline at (888) 381-7243, which is available 24-7.

For the full suite of programs and flexibilities offered to streamline the hurricane recovery process, visit the USDA website.

EPA proposes to expand public access to information on more than 100 PFAS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to add 16 individual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 15 PFAS categories representing more than 100 individual PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). It would also designate them as chemicals of special concern so they must meet more robust reporting requirements, including reporting even for small concentrations.

TRI was created to help track the waste management of toxic chemicals and support actions to prevent pollution and safeguard public health. TRI requires regulated facilities to report annually to the EPA the amount of these toxic chemicals released into the environment and managed through recycling, energy recovery and treatment. Facilities must also report on practices used to prevent or reduce the generation of these chemicals as waste. The EPA makes the data publicly available to inform decision-making and support pollution prevention efforts.

These PFAS are being proposed for addition to the TRI based on their toxicity to human health, the environment or both. Data shows that the PFAS being proposed are linked to health outcomes such as cancer, damage to the liver and kidneys, and damage to reproductive and developmental systems.

The EPA is proposing to set a reporting threshold of 100 pounds for manufacture, processing and other uses. This is consistent with reporting requirements for other PFAS on the TRI list added pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA).

The EPA will accept public comments on the proposed rule for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register via docket EPA-HQ-TRI-2023-0538 at the Regulations.gov page.

Learn more about the proposed rule. 

ADA North East seeks independent dairy producers for board of directors

The American Dairy Association (ADA) North East is seeking independent dairy farmer nominees for its board of directors for 2025.

To be considered for a board seat, nominees must be an active dairy farmer in the ADA North East service region which includes New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware or the counties of Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William in Virginia.

“Dairy checkoff is farmer-funded and farmer-directed, and this is an opportunity for more dairy farmers to provide input on how their investment is being used to sell more milk and build trust in dairy,” said ADA North East CEO John Chrisman.

Three seats on the board of directors are open to independent producers for 2025. Independent producers are defined as dairy farmers who do not market their milk through a dairy marketing cooperative.

To be considered for one of these board seats, complete the online application by Oct. 31.