A SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND CONFINEMENTS WITH AMMONIA AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE COMING TO A LOCATION NEAR YOUToday a press conference was held in Moline, IL. It was to notify the press that TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3RD.
The meetings (ONE IN MOLINE AND ONE IN ELDRIDGE, IOWA) are to INFORM THE PUBLIC THAT A HOG SLAUGHTEHOUSE IS PROPOSED CLOSE TO BARSTOW, IL ON A FLOODPLAIN. The site is on land that this year was annexed by the city of East Moline, IL.
If the slaughterhouse is built, word is that 16,000 HOGS A DAY OR OVER 4,000,000 HOGS A YEAR…THAT'S RIGHT 4 MILLION… ARE EXPECTED TO BE KILLED. THIS MEANS AN EXPLOSION OF HOG CONFINEMENTS IN EASTERN IOWA AND WESTERN ILLINOIS COUNTIES WILL FOLLOW.
THE PUTRID AIR THAT EMINATES FROM LARGE HOG CONFINEMENTS (ALSO KNOWN AS "FACTORY FARMS") CAUSES AN INCREASE IN ASTHMA RATES, DISORIENTATION, LOSS OF MEMORY, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, AND DEATH.
THE IMPACTS DO NOT JUST AFFECT THE RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OUR COUNTIES, BUT MUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED BY MEDIUM AND LARGE URBAN AREAS SUCH AS THE METRO QUAD CITIES. Just last Wednesday while I was in Moline, the strong winds from the north (over 40 mph) brought the smell of manure from somewhere out there.
So, our ENVIRONMENTAL/SUSTAINABILITY/ENERGY group of the PROGRESSIVE ACTION FOR THE COMMON GOOD (PACG), thought it was time for more citizens to be informed.
The morning meeting on Saturday, December 3rd will be held in Moline, IL at Riverside United Methodist Life Center, 2420 41st St. from 10AM -12 Noon.
The afternoon meeting the same day will be held in Eldridge, IA in Scott County in the Eldridge Public Library/First Amendment Room from 2 - 4PM.
Speakers will be KAREN HUDSON AND TERRY SPENCE of GRACE (GLOBAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT). They are part of a national organization that helps others who may not have the funding to educate others on the hazards of CAFO's (CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS).
Come if you can and tell others about the meetings. Get active in your county and keep track of what is going on. As I said in an earlier article, once you step outside and are slapped in the face with the stench, it will be too late.
So check these web sites to gain further knowledge: www.farmweb.org
And www.thenation.com by searching for "Meatpacking" where you will find "The Shame of Meatpacking" by Karen Olsson and "Bad Meat" by Eric Schlosser.
Keep up the good work you all do in helping to CPR…CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
