SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES
by
Molly Regan
on Thu 15 Dec 2005 01:13 PM CST
SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES
ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, I READ THE FOLLOWING TO THE EAST MOLINE,
IL, CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR AND NEARLY 400 OTHERS IN A CROWDED HIGH
SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. WE HAD GATHERED TO VOICE OUR OPINIONS ON A PROPOSED HOG SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN THE EAST MOLINE CITY LIMITS:
LOCATING A HOG SLAUGHTERHOUSE ON A FLOOD PLAIN IS UNCONSCIONABLE. THE
REASONS WHY SHOULD BE OBVIOUS… A FIFTH-GRADER COULD FIGURE IT OUT.
A SLAUGHTERHOUSE IS ONE OF THE WORST TYPES OF INDUSTRIES TO COME TO A
COMMUNITY. THE AIR AROUND A HOG SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND AROUND THE HOG
CONFINEMENTS THAT WILL BE BUILT TO SUPPLY THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE IS
TOXIFIED WITH DEADLY HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND AMMONIA. ACCORDING TO
DR. KAY KILBURN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN HIS BOOK
“CHEMICAL BRAIN INJURY,” HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM HOG WASTE KILLS.
PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO IT CAN CAUSE CONVULSIONS, SEIZURES, AND
DEATH. DR. KILBURN IS “THE NATION’S FOREMOST AUTHORITY ON
HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE HUMAN BODY.” THIS PER A
SEGMENT ON IOWA PUBLIC TV’S ‘MARKET TO MARKET’ WHICH AIRED IN JANUARY,
2003.
HOG CONFINEMENTS WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY IN WESTERN ILLINOIS AND
EASTERN IOWA TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMAND FOR NEARLY 16,000 PIGS A
DAY. THE NEED FOR PIGS TO BE DELIVERED ALIVE IS CRUCIAL TO A
SLAUGHTERHOUSE’S SURVIVAL.
TRUCKING PIGS FROM ONLY ABOUT 50-80 MILES AWAY MEANS MORE WILL LIKELY
LIVE DURING TRANSPORT. SO THE HOG CONFINEMENTS NEED TO BE CLOSE
BY. THE RESULTING EXPLOSION OF HOG CONFINEMENTS IS A BAD IDEA.
ASTHMA RATES FOR CHILDREN ARE WORSE FOR THOSE LIVING CLOSE TO THESE
SITES BECAUSE ANTIBIOTICS ARE USED ON MANY HOGS IN CONFINEMENTS.
A REPORT BY DR. JAMES MERCHANT OF THE COLLEGE OF RURAL HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA SUBSTANTIATES THIS.
THE STRESS THE HOGS ENDURE, AND THE SMELL OF THEIR OWN STENCH FROM
LIVING IN CLOSE QUARTERS, CAUSE THEM TO BECOME ILL. THIS IS ONE OF THE
REASONS ANTIBIOTICS ARE NEEDED.
IT IS MY SUGGESTION THAT THIS ISSUE BE TABLED UNTIL SUCH TIME THE
COUNCIL VISITS A MIDWEST HOG SLAUGHTERHOUSE. HAVE ANY OF YOU BEEN
TO ONE OR EVEN TO A HOG CONFINEMENT? IF ALL OF YOU HAVE NOT DONE
THIS, HOW CAN YOU VOTE ON THIS?
TAKE TIME TO DETERMINE FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT ON A COMMUNITY THAT HAS
EXPERIENCED ONE OF THESE. THE SAFETY ISSUES SHOULD ALSO BE OF
GRAVE CONCERN. THIS TYPE OF FACTORY INDUSTRY HAS AN ATROCIOUS
RECORD OF PERMANENT INJURY AND DEATH.
SOME LOCAL WORKERS MAY WANT TO INITIALLY BE EMPLOYED AT A HOG
SLAUGHTERHOUSE, BUT USUALLY ONLY STAY A YEAR OR SO. THIS
INFORMATION IS PROVIDED BY THE GLOBAL RESEARCH ACTION CENTER FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT OR G.R.A.C.E
OFTEN IMMIGRANT AND OR MIGRANT WORKERS ARE DRIVEN TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE
TO WORK, AND ARE NOT AWARE THAT THEY CAN SPEAK OUT IF SAFETY IS A
CONCERN. MANY OF THESE WORKERS LIVE IN HOUSES OWNED BY “THE
COMPANY”. OUT OF THEIR WAGES COMES MONEY TO PAY FOR THEIR ‘RENT’
AND FOR THEM BEING DRIVEN TO WORK. ALSO PAYMENT FOR THEIR MEALS AT THE
SLAUGHTERHOUSE IS AUTOMATICALLY DEDUCTED.
IN ONE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, WHEN A FIRE BROKE, 25 PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE THEY
HAD ALL BEEN LOCKED IN DURING WORKING HOURS. DOES THIS SOUND LIKE
A SAFE INDUSTRY?
SO PLEASE VOTE NOT TO BRING THIS DANGEROUS FACTORY TO THE AREA. BRING
INSTEAD A MORE BENEVOLENT BUSINESS: TRY TO ATTRACT A FLAG MAKING
COMPANY, OR A WIND GENERATOR MANUFACTURER, OR A COMPOSTING COMPANY THAT
MAKES INSULATION BRICKS. HUNDREDS OF OTHER TYPES OF BUSINESSES
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
THE WASTE ALONE FROM THE HOG CONFINEMENTS THAT MUST SUPPORT THIS
SLAUGHTERHOUSE IS MUCH MORE THAN OUR LAND CAN SUPPORT. THE WATER
IN THE AREA WILL NOT BE FIT FOR USE, AND TOURISM WILL SUFFER AS A
RESULT.
THOSE ATTENDING THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC WILL SMELL HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND
AMMONIA INSTEAD OF NEWLY MOWED GRASS. THESE SMELLS CARRY. THE DAY
BEFORE THANKSGIVING WHEN THE 40MPH WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTH, THE SMELL
OF MANURE WAS PICKED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF MOLINE.
THE BIX WILL BE MORE SMELLY THAN SWEATY. EVEN THE FAIRS AND
OUTDOOR MUSICAL EVENTS WILL BE EFFECTED. A FEW DAYS OF STAGNANT
AIR IN WHICH THERE IS NO AIR MOVEMENT SUCH AS HAPPENED FOR 3 DAYS LAST
FEBRUARY WILL KEEP THE SMELLS FROM MOVING OUT OF THE AREA. THE
AIR QUALITY INDEX WILL BE EXTREMELY HIGH FOR THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY
PROBLEMS.
THE COST TO THE COMMUNITY IN INCREASED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS 5, 20, 50 YEARS FROM NOW WILL NOT BE WORTH IT.
THERE IS A BULLY IN THE ROOM. IT IS CALLED TRIUMPH. IT IS TIME TO STAND UP TO IT.
VOTE NOT TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST. THANK YOU
.....THEN AFTER MOST OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME, TRIUMPH FOODS
CAME INTO THE ROOM. ITS GOLDEN BOY CHOSEN TO SPEAK WAS CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER, RICK HOFFMAN. NOT ONLY WAS IT ODD THAT THE
COMPANY OFFICIALS WEREN'T IN THE ROOM FOR MANY OPINIONS ON THEM COMING
TO TOWN, BUT THEY CAME FROM BEHIND A CURTAIN!
MR. HOFFMAN SPENT TIME TELLING US HOW MANY WONDERFUL JOBS THEY WOULD
BRING. BUT THIS COMPANY HAS NO TRACK RECORD. IT WAS CREATED
IN 2003 BY A CONSORTIUM OF PORK PRODUCERS WHICH INCLUDES CHRISTIANSEN
COMPANY. THE ONLY OTHER PLANT THEY'VE BUILT IN ST. JOSEPH, MO.,.
HAS HAD THEIR OPENING DELAYED BECAUSE THERE WAS A FIRE. ONE WORKER
DIED AND 14 WERE INJURED.
SO MANY QUESTIONS ARE LEFT UNANSWERED. THE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
DISCUSSIONS HAVE GONE ON FOR MONTHS. ONLY THE WEEK AFTER
THANKSGIVING DID THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS RECEIVE THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
IT JUST SO HAPPENED THE TWO SPEAKERS FROM GRACE (GLOBAL RESEARCH ACTION
CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT) HAD BEEN SLATED FOR OVER 6 WEEKS TO COME TO
THE AREA DECEMBER 3RD.
SO, NOW ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF SILVIS (NEXT TO EAST MOLINE) WANTS
TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS THIS COMING WEEK. THE EAST MOLINE COUNCIL
WILL VOTE AGAIN MONDAY, DECEMBER 19TH WHETHER OR NOT TO RECOMMEND TO
PROCEED WITH THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT.
SO, TIME WILL TELL. THERE ARE ALSO PERMITS WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE SCRUTINIZED.
ONCE AGAIN, CORPORATE AMERICA TRIES TO PUT A STRANGLEHOLD ON A COMMUNITY. IT AIN'T OVER, TILL IT'S OVER.
TO CHECK ON THE GRACE FACTORY FARM PROJECT, GO TO WWW.FACTORYFARM.ORG
ALSO, VIEW IOWA FARMERS UNION WWW.IAFU.ORG BECAUSE THEY HAVE
ASKED FOR A MORATORIUM ON CAFO'S (CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING
OPERATIONS)
AND DON'T FORGET...CPR...CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
The Time for Wind Energy is Now