News Update
August 22, 2014
N.M. Processor Ends Bid for Slaughterhouse Amid Horse Controversy
Valley Meat Co. has ended its efforts to build a plant near Roswell, N.M., that had envisioned horse slaughter for overseas meat buyers, state government officials said.
The company’s recent withdrawal of a request to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for a ground water discharge permit was the last straw and came some seven months after a federal spending bill slashed funding for horse-slaughter inspection.
Valley Meat continued to seek a permit in the hopes of processing cattle, according to local media reports.
In a notice to NMED, Valley’s attorney, A. Blair Dunn, noted the state’s “arbitrary delay” in making a decision and that the company had to withdraw its application, among other reasons, because the state laws “only recognize livestock and do not differentiate by species.”
“As the application has now been withdrawn, NMED has no further action to perform in this matter and has no further comments,” the state said in a statement.
Valley Meat Co. still faces a lawsuit from the New Mexico Attorney General’s office asking a judge to assure that the company cannot reapply for a permit in the future, the office’s spokesman, Phil Sisneros, told Meatingplace.
For more information, please visit www.meatingplace.com.
Anthrax Confirmed in a Texas Deer
Anthrax has been confirmed in a whitetail deer in southeastern Edwards County, Texas. This is the second confirmed case of anthrax in Texas this year, the first in a deer.
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) rules require proper disposal of affected carcasses and vaccination of livestock on the premises prior to release of the quarantine.
Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, which is a naturally occurring organism with worldwide distribution, including certain parts of Texas. It is not uncommon for anthrax to be diagnosed in livestock or wildlife in the southwestern part of the state. A vaccine is available for use in susceptible livestock in high-risk areas.
Acute fever followed by rapid death with bleeding from body openings are common signs of anthrax in livestock. Carcasses may also appear bloated and decompose quickly. Livestock displaying symptoms consistent with anthrax should be reported to a private veterinary practitioner or a TAHC official. If affected livestock or carcasses must be handled, producers are encouraged to follow basic sanitation precautions such as wearing protective gloves, long-sleeve shirts and washing thoroughly afterward to prevent accidental spread of the bacteria to people.
“The TAHC will continue to closely monitor the situation for possible new cases across the state. Producers are encouraged to consult their veterinary practitioner or local TAHC office if they have questions about the disease,” said T.R. Lansford, TAHC assistant executive director for animal health programs.
For more information regarding Anthrax, contact your local TAHC region or call 1-800-550-8242 or visit www.tahc.texas.gov.
To learn more about Anthrax, visit the TAHC’s brochure at www.tahc.state.tx.us/news/brochures/TAHCBrochure_Anthrax.pdf.
AFBF Again Urges Court to Restore State Authority in Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) asked a federal appellate court in Pennsylvania Aug. 19 to reverse a lower court ruling that upheld pollution limits for the Chesapeake Bay watershed imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Although restricted to areas surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, the court’s decision could have sweeping effects on states and economic activity across the country. EPA has claimed that its Bay limits were developed in cooperation with the Bay states.
The AFBF brief points out that, “If EPA can set federal limits and deadlines in a TMDL (total maximum daily load), then it can do so with or without state cooperation: that is why 21 State Attorneys General have supported us as amici.”
The appellate court will decide whether EPA has the power to set only the “total” allowable pollutant load for waters, as AFBF and its allies maintain, or also to set individual limits for farming, construction or other activities across the landscape, as EPA claims. AFBF maintains that Congress reserved such land use decision-making exclusively for the states.
According to AFBF, under EPA’s view of its power, “EPA could assign nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment limits for each farm, home site or even each acre of undeveloped land across the countryside.” Such broad power “amounts to nothing short of federal land use zoning authority, which cannot be squared with Congress’s clear and consistent determination to reserve such authority for the states.”
AFBF also noted that because restoration of the Bay does not depend on the unlawful aspects of the TMDL before the court, cleanup would continue with a court ruling in AFBF’s favor. According to the AFBF brief, a ruling in its favor would not disturb the total pollutant limit set by EPA for each segment of the Bay. In addition, a ruling removing the challenged EPA source limits or “allocations” from the TMDL “would in no way impair the ability of any state to achieve those objectives. It would only allow them the freedom — as Congress intended — to set different allocations and deadlines, if they so choose.”
Missouri Farmers Care Announces 18,783
Pounds of Food to be Donated from
State Fair Food Canstruction® and Food Drive Efforts.
Missouri Farmers Care announced Aug. 20 that its annual Missouri State Fair food drive and Canstruction® project resulted in 18,783 pounds of food being donated to Missouri families.
The food pantry of Sedalia will receive the 6,881 pounds (lb.) of food that were part of the 13 foot 10 inch tall 4-H Emblem Canstruction® project and the cans collected from the Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Tuesday Aug. 19 promotion that took place on the fairgrounds. Bing’s Grocery Stores of Sedalia donated the cans for the 4-H Emblem Canstruction® project that also had the support of Midwest Ford Dealers, St. Louis Ford Dealers, Missouri Farmers Care, Canstruction® Mid-Missouri of Columbia-Jefferson City, and the Missouri State Fair. Engineers from Trabue, Hansen & Hinshaw, Inc. and architects from Peckham & Wright Architects, Inc. designed and oversaw the construction of the canned-food sculpture (pictured here).
Cash donations were also accepted and with the wholesale purchasing power of Missouri’s foodbanks, the $658 donated will equal 6,580 lb. of food for Missouri foodbanks and pantries. During Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Tuesday, an additional 5,522 lb. of food were collected from generous fairgoers.
Missouri 4-H is a community of more than 280,000 youth ages 5-18 from rural farming communities, suburban schoolyards and urban neighborhoods across Missouri. In the Show Me State, 4-H members are guided by more than 10,000 caring adult volunteers. The 4-H Revolution of Responsibility is a movement of young people across America stepping up to lead in a complex, changing world.
Canstruction® is a unique way to raise awareness of hunger in a positive and fun way. It showcases the talents of the design and construction industry, and it highlights the ability to give back to the communities that these professionals help build.
Canstruction® is a professional design/build competition and community service project of the architectural/engineering/construction industry. Their events and structures at special events like the Missouri State Fair are designed to raise awareness of hunger and show that “One Can Make a Difference” in a creative way.
Additional information regarding Missouri Farmers Care and Missouri agriculture can be found at www.MoFarmersCare.com.
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