Reedley residents question city's transparency of illegal lab handling

REEDLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dozens of people packed into the Reedley City Council meeting Tuesday night. People who could not fit into the small meeting room stood and listened outside.

Several people went to the meeting to express their concern over the city's communication to the public regarding the illegal lab that had been operating in Reedley, where investigators found unauthorized biological agents were found on site, including mice, samples of bodily fluid and infectious diseases.

"The city was aware in December and then again in March, and they believed it was not the public's right to know. Me and many others believe it was the public's right to know," said Reedley resident Matthew Casarez.

City Manager Nicole Zieba explained she could not inform anyone, even the city council, any earlier than she did. Zieba said the FBI told her in December not to publicize what they discovered in the lab.

"There are still things we are not able to fully express. There are still investigations ongoing," said Zieba. "One of the reasons we were told this was important to keep undercover is because as soon as it hits the light of day, the players involved in these companies would scatter, and indeed, that is exactly what has happened."

Tuesday marked Code Enforcement's completion of the abatement of the lab.

Zieba spent time debunking misinformation that had been circulating.

"The conspiracy theories are abounding. We had one local politician go on national news and say this was a Chinese lab manipulating viruses to get out to the public. I assure you that is not what the Reedley situation is," said Zieba.

She also said no one who has gone in and out of the building, including herself, has contracted any kind of illness; which is why she's confident nothing infectious ever reached the public.

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