3/14/06 - 8:03  AM CST
Federal judge will not close horsemeat plant

An appeal by horse advocates to stop the fee-for-service plan and to close the horse meat plants has been ruled in favor of the slaughterhouses and the USDA. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly¹ claimed she did not find grounds for an injunction. This is the second ruling within a year in favor of the foreign-owned horsemeat plants; even though Congress and the American people made it clear they oppose the slaughterhouses.

An amendment was passed by Congress last year that prohibits the USDA to use any tax money for horse  slaughter. The intent was to stop horse slaughter until the federal bills HR503 and SB1915, currently in committees, are passed. However, the USDA granted a petition by the horse meat plants to continue slaughtering by paying for the inspections themselves and now a federal judge was also on the side of the horse meat plants.

As the Dallas Morning News reported, the court fight exposed some interesting facts. "According to affidavits from company executives, Dallas Crown Inc. in
Kaufman exports 4,000 tons of horse meat for human consumption, and
sells 750 tons to U.S. zoos. Beltex Corp. in Fort Worth exports 5,000
tons and sells 1,000 tons to zoos. Cavel International Inc. in DeKalb,
Ill., exports 8,000 tons." (Gillman, Dallas Morning News, 3/14/06)

"The plant's parent corporation, Bruessls-based Chevideco, owns similar facilities in Argentina, Romania and New Zealand." (Schlachter, The State, 3/14/06)

¹Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is also known for being the judge in the Microsoft anti-trust case and rulings in regards to Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Click here for the article in the Dallas Morning News.