Problems with Cattle Plant in Jefferson

By Spencer (multiquote@mqins.com)

This was posted originally in our open threads area, but I wanted to give it wider circulation...

Hi everyone, I wanted to post a comment about an issue going on here in Iowa right now that many people probably don't know about. Recently a plant that produces cattle feed was built in a residential area of Jefferson, Iowa enticed by the city of Jefferson to bring more industry to the town. However, shortly after the plant opened neighbors within a mile radius started getting sick, plant and wildlife started to die and disappear, paint began to peel on vehicles, windows and siding began to pit and corrode, and outdoor pets became sick and began to die such as small kittens and dogs.

The DNR has found several times that the plant was emitting way over the legal limit of hydrochloric acid into the atmosphere, but the plant has never faced any fines or repercussions and the city that brought the plant in to the town in the first place will do nothing to help the problem. A couple hundered of the local residents have began working on a lawsuit but it looks like they'll have a long road ahead of them, so in the mean time they are faced with a choice: Move and live, or stay and slowly die from the hydrochloric acid poisoning. Not to mention the fact that their property is now basically worthless since no one in their right mind would move into the area.

You can find several articles taken from the Des Moines register over the last year that goes into detail about this issue as well as phone numbers and addresses for the city, mayor, and all of the city councilmen at http://www.iowahealthinsurance.biz/articles/soychlor.htm