AR-News: Animal-rights group sues Attorney General's Office

[jim robertson]

Animal-rights group sues Attorney General's Office
Suit over methods at slaughterhouse are called 'preposterous'

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

An animal-rights group sued the state Attorney General's Office yesterday, 
accusing it of violating public records laws by refusing to release some 
documents about the slaughter of cows at one of the state's largest 
meatpacking plants.

In a lawsuit filed in Thurston County Superior Court, the Humane Farming 
Association alleged state officials withheld information from their 
investigation into the association's complaint about the meatpacking plant.

The organization, based in San Rafael, Calif., complained in 2000 that cows 
were being strung up and processed alive at the IBP plant in Wallula, now 
operated by Tyson Fresh Meats.

The state investigated but declined to prosecute. The organization claims it 
has new evidence that inhumane practices continue.

"Since that petition was raised and blown off by the government, the 
evidence we have of the government's lack of interest in enforcing the law 
... has played out as one would expect, with continuing lack of compliance," 
said Mickey Gendler, the group's attorney.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office called the complaint 
preposterous.

"It appears the Humane Farming Association is attempting to use the Public 
Records Act to air some issues that were thoroughly reviewed and 
investigated several years ago," spokesman Gary Larson said yesterday.

"We're very surprised that the first notice we received about the concerns 
of the Humane Farming Association was a lawsuit ... filed some time after 
the public records issue was discussed."

Gary Mickelson, a Tyson spokesman, said yesterday, "The Humane Farming 
Association is resurrecting old, unfounded claims against us in an apparent 
effort to support the union during labor negotiations at our Pasco beef 
plant."



Mickelson said the labor contract at Pasco expired in May and negotiations 
continue.

"We take the issue of proper livestock handling very seriously. It's not 
only a moral and ethical obligation, it's also important from an employee 
safety and product quality standpoint," he added.

The lawsuit also accuses the Attorney General's Office and the Washington 
State Patrol of showing favoritism toward the plant, drafting a plan to 
protect the company and dispense of the investigation as soon as possible, 
and misusing the public records law to cover up the alleged favoritism.

"The state government and Walla Walla County government were much more 
interested in protecting IBP than enforcing the law," Gendler said.

The Humane Farming Association was one of 13 petitioners who submitted a 
request in 2000 to the Attorney General's Office to have the processing 
plant investigated.

In April 2001, a few days after the state announced it wouldn't prosecute, 
the public records request was filed, seeking the release of documents 
concerning "inhumane and illegal animal handling and slaughtering practices" 
at the plant.

In general, public records are open in Washington, although some types of 
records are exempt.

Gendler said the state released thousands of documents in response to the 
public records request, but refused to release all the paperwork concerning 
the investigation and a "communications plan," claiming some information was 
attorney work product and exempt from disclosure.

The lawsuit said the plaintiffs presented evidence to the state that the IBP 
plant was operated in violation of the Humane Slaughter of Livestock Act.

The state law requires humane methods be used for livestock slaughter and 
outlaws any act "intentionally inflicting pain or killing an animal by a 
means causing undue suffering."

The association offered affidavits from IBP employees who testified that due 
to high production line speeds, it was impossible for all the cows to be 
unconscious before slaughtering and that many cows were skinned and 
dismembered while still alive.

The lawsuit asks the court to fine the attorney general's office for 
violating the Public Disclosure Act.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/179673_slaughter26.html



I would sooner expect a goat to succeed as a gardener than expect humans to 
become responsible stewards of the Earth. --
James Lovelock


It should not be believed that all beings exist for the sake of the 
existence of Man. --
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon  1135-1204