County Regional Environmental
Evaluation KO-Alition
NEWS ITEMS - October 2005

October 27, 2005
Press Release

There is a stench at Maple Leaf and it isn't dead pigs.

Much to the dismay of the neighbours, Maple Leaf Foods Limited wants to bring a massive pig slaughterhouse and packing plant to the top of the Niagara escarpment in Hamilton, Ontario. Unable to manage their current facilities without adverse environmental impacts, Maple Leaf now seeks to build a plant 10 times bigger than the one they can't manage in Burlington.

Ann Tennier, speaking as Maple Leaf Environment Vice President, has been publicly avowing her love of the environment and her appreciation of community.  Ann's idea of environmental management seems to consist of going to great lengths to ignore any meaningful dialogue with the impacted community, and ensuring that Maple Leaf makes no financial investment in doing the right thing.

The hypocrisy is glaring.  While promoting their Canadian meat products to Asia and Europe as being free of sludge and free of animal meal, Maple Leaf is spreading their own sludge in hapless rural communities in Nova Scotia, and working to offload their prion risk animal feeds to whatever impoverished third world county they can find.

Maple Leaf and their rendering plant Rothsay have been spreading their mad cow prion risk wastes over the drinking water aquifers of rural Truro for several years.  These industrial sludges are making the neighbours sick.  But Maple Leaf is shameless.   No matter how numerous the public meetings, how vehement the protests from agricultural organizations, and how ghastly the health complaints - Maple Leaf executives refuse to be held to account.

The proposed abattoir for Hamilton's rural suburb will generate a massive amount of sewage, material so full of decomposing material that it will be impossible to treat at the already filled to overflowing Woodward sewage treatment plant.  Every time it rains in Hamilton the sewers with all their filthy contents bypass the treatment plant and head straight for the harbour.  The environmental outfall from the plant will stink very far from the proposed Glanbrook site.

It is one thing for Hamilton to build out their sewer infrastructure to service the proposed Maple Leaf abattoir site in Hamilton's suburb of Glanbrook.  But it will be another huge dip into the public purse to clean up the environmental damage and outfall from inadequate capacity and infrastructure to manage the foul wastes that will go into those sewer pipes.  Look at what happened at the Maple Leaf plant in Brandon, where the public coffers were drained for a new sewage treatment plant.. another gift to Maple Leaf.*

The antibiotic resistant diseases that are bred in the massive barns will be disposed into the public sewers, to mingle in the digesters, replicating the more virulent strains and confering antibiotic resistance to an untold array of human pathogens.  Then Terratec (American Water Services) will take the wastewater sludges that have these virulent pathogens land apply it on Ontario agricultural lands.  The sewer overflows and bypasses will carry these pathogens into the lake.  It is small wonder that antibiotic resistant diseases like MRSA have become epidemic in Ontario since 1996.

The Maple Leaf approach to public environmental health is indecent.  Beyond decaying meat, blood, and the sharp scent of money is not a whiff of decency from Maple Leaf. They need to step up and start doing things right.

* see Hogwild: http://www.aquarianonline.com/Values/hogwild.html

.30.

for more info: Maureen Reilly 416 922-4099 or 416 801 4099

From: hogwatchontario@yahoogroups.com On Behalf Of B Ross
Sent: November 30, 2005 7:40 PM
To: hogwatchontario@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [hogwatchontario] Update on Hamilton fight

RE: CAPS (citizens against pig slaughterhouses) fight with Maple Leaf in Hamilton, Ontario.

Bill and I attended a 5 1/2 hour council meeting with CAPS (citizens against pig slaughterhouses) who packed the gallery and 21 people spoke against the Maple Leaf proposal. Maple Leaf wanted to buy land in an Industrial park zoned only for light industry. We listened to a Maple Leaf Foods presentation saying they would employ 2500 people and pay $18. an hour in wages. Their state of the art new plant would not stink and there would be no air or water pollution. Their figures were quickly shot down by council. It came out that Mayor Di Ianni had been negotiating with Maple Leaf 10 months before any of council knew about it. Several councilors were against the proposal and said if they sold the land they would be obligated to re zone it.

The motion to sell the land would have passed by a slim majority, however, council decided to delay their decision.

In the meantime Maple Leaf foods withdrew their offer to purchase the land stating they did not have enough support from council.

At this weeks council meeting the Mayor tried to save the deal by putting the sale of land back on the agenda without previous notice. Some of the opposing councilors were not present because they were attending a meeting in Toronto. The motion to sell the land passed.

It was announced on the Hamilton news today that the deadline on the offer to sell the land ended at midnight last night and Maple Leaf had not responded.

CAPS put up a great fight with lots of support. Over 1000 people at their last meeting and they made it clear they were willing to go the legal route.

For CAPS it was a victory but what community will be fighting Maple Leaf Foods next?

Cynthia
Hogwatch Haldimand