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>> FEDERAL JUDGE HAS PUT A TEMPORARY HALT ON PLANS TO
OPEN A HORSE SLAUGHTER PLANT IN NEW MEXICO AND IOWA.
THERE HAS BEEN NO SUCH FACILITY FOR SEVEN YEARS IN
THE U.S. BUT DISTRICT JUDGE ARMIJO ISSUED A RESTRAINING
ORDER IN A LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF U.S. AND
OTHER GROUPS. THE ISSUE HAS DIVIDE RESCUE
GROUPS, NATIVE TRIBES, RANCHERS AND POLITICIANS OVER
A BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH A HUGE OVER POPULATION OF HORSES
HERE. >> ROB, YOU WERE AT THAT
HEARING LAST FRIDAY. RECAP 20 SECONDS OF WHERE THE
JUDGE WAS COMING FROM, WHERE BOTH SIDES ARE COMING FROM?
HSUS AND THE ANIMAL RIGHTS. >> JUDGE ARMIJO, U.S. DISTRICT
COURT JUDGE, ISSUED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
AND I THINK IT SURPRISED A NUMBER OF OBSERVERS THERE.
AFTERWARDS WE REPORTERS INTERVIEWED THE ATTORNEY FROM
THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND I ASKED HIM, I SAID, WERE YOU
SURPRISED THAT YOU GOT THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER?
HE ADMITTED, HE WAS. I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE THE
BAR IS VERY, VERY HIGH. AND, THE THRUST OF THE
ARGUMENT FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY WAS WE THINK BY PRIOR
EXAMPLES THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.
AND THAT WAS THE SMALL SCOPE. IT WAS NOT AN ETHICAL
DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SLAUGHTERING HORSES.
BUT, IT WAS BASED ON THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO
HAPPEN. I THINK A LOT OF OBSERVERS
WERE THINKING THAT THE JUDGE MIGHT SAY, I MIGHT SYMPATHIZE
WITH YOU, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE REACHED THAT
THRESHOLD. >> AS WE STAND, A 30 DAY STAY.
>> THERE IS A BOND HEARING GOING ON.
AND, THE PEOPLE FROM VALLEY MEAT COMPANY WANT 10 MILLION
IN BONDS BECAUSE THEY SAY THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT THEIR
ECONOMIC WELL-BEING. JUDGE WILL HAVE ANOTHER
HEARING IN ABOUT 30 DAYS. BOTTOM LINE, I THINK THAT, YOU
KNOW, IF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, WHETHER THEY ARE IN FAVOR OR
AGAINST IT, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE VALLEY MEAT COULD
POSSIBLY BE OPENING UP AND THEIR OWN ATTORNEY TOLD ME
LAST WEEK, THAT HE SAYS, SIX MONTHS AT THE MINIMUM.
>> INTERESTING. BECAUSE THE WORD WAS, THEY
WERE READY TO GO LAST MONDAY. >> RIGHT, BUT THEY HAVE THIS
ROADBLOCK AND ANOTHER ROADBLOCK BECAUSE THE STATE
ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR USE OF
WASTEWATER. SO, THERE IS A LOT OF HURDLES
FOR THESE GUYS TO OVERCOME. I THINK MAYBE ONE OF THE OTHER
QUESTIONS WOULD BE, ARE THERE SO MANY HURDLES EVENTUALLY
THEY -- >> THAT IS INTERESTING PLACE
TO PICK UP BECAUSE FOR THE LONGEST TIME VALLEY MEAT
COMPANY WAS PUTTING IT OUT THERE, THIS IS A CRUISE.
WE HAVE 120 JOBS, BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL WEIGHED IN AND CHANGED THE GAME HERE.
WHAT IS YOUR SENSE ABOUT WHERE WE SIT NOW WITH THIS?
>> THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF IS A PROBLEM AND IS A CONCERN AND
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CONCERN FROM DAY ONE.
REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG IT TAKES TO RESOLVE IT.
WE HAVE EXTENSIVE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR FEED LOTS,
FOR OTHER KINDS OF FACILITIES AND WHY THIS ONE SHOULD SKATE
WITHOUT ANY KIND OF EXAMINATION OF THE AIR
POLLUTION, THE NOISE POLLUTION, THE WATER POLLUTION
AND ALL OF THOSE IMPACTS, IS SOMETHING I NEVER UNDERSTAND.
DO THEY HAVE A BLANKET EXCEPTION?
>> SEEMED LIKE THEY CAUGHT ON TO THIS LATE IN THE PROCESS.
>> I AM NOT SURE WHY. IT IS A FACILITY THAT COULD
HAVE A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS.
>> TRIP, TO AMPLIFY WHAT THE SENATOR IS SAYING, THE FACTS
OF THE MATTER ARE SOMEWHAT GRUESOME BUT WHEN YOU RENDER A
HORSE, YOU CAN ONLY USE 60% OF IT.
AN AWFUL LOT OF HORSE IS LEFT OVER.
THERE IS TWICE AS MUCH BLOOD IN EACH HORSE AS A COW.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE HUGE HOLDING PONDS WITH ALL
THIS BLOOD AND WASTE THAT HAS BUTE AND OTHER THINGS HARMFUL
TO HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS AND HOW ONE DEALS WITH THIS
DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT HAVING A PLAN SEEMS TO BE A REASONABLE
QUESTION THAT FOLKS WOULD HAVE, WOULDN'T IT?
>> IT SEEMS TO BE REASONABLE IN THE SENSE THAT WHAT KIND OF
HOLDING CAPACITY DO THEY HAVE AND WHAT DO THEY USE?
HOW DO THEY PROMISE IT DOESN'T LEACH INTO THE GROUNDWATER?
YOU KNOW, IN SOME WAYS, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE PARTICULARS
OF THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED IT BUT IT
DOES SEEM THAT THERE ARE SOME ANALOGOUS ISSUES TO OIL AND
GAS IN THE SENSE OF LEACHING. SO, ENVIRONMENTALLY, I DON'T
KNOW ALL THE AGENTS THEY PUT IN HORSES, I THINK THERE ARE
40. AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR HUMAN
BEINGS AND DOES WATER DISSOLVE THAT POTENTIAL -- THERE IS
REALLY INTERESTING QUESTIONS HERE.
I DO THINK THE POLITICAL DISCUSSION IS VERY -- FRAME IS
VERY INTERESTING, JOBS, IN AN OPPRESSED AREA VERSUS
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ETHICAL CONCERNS AND THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT THOSE OF US WHO COVER POLICY ARE INTERESTED IN THESE
KIND OF DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME REALLY
INTERESTING COMPELLING ARGUMENTS, I THINK, ARGUMENTS
THAT ARE VERY INTERESTING ON ALL SIDES HERE.
>> INTERESTING TENSION POINT, ISN'T IT?
A CLASSIC. I AM GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE
POLITICS. IT IS INTERESTING NOW THAT THE
TRIBES ARE WEIGHING IN. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR
THOSE OF US THAT FOLLOW THIS ISSUE, I MUST DISCLOSE I AM IN
A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE WHO IS ON THE SIDE OF NOT
HAVING HORSE SLAUGHTER. SHE IS WORKING OFFICIALLY IN
THAT CAPACITY. THERE ARE ESTIMATES BETWEEN
20,000 AND 70,000 FERAL HORSES ON NAVAJO NATION LAND AND ONE
CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR WILL TO DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM THROUGH
SLAUGHTER. BUT WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE
POLITICS NOW THAT THE TRIBES WEIGHED IN?
>> IT COMPLICATES IT FURTHER. IT IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE.
THIS ISSUE OF JOBS VERSUS ENVIRONMENT IS NOT A NEW ONE
AND TO ME IT IS A FALSE DICHOTOMY BECAUSE IT IS
SOMETHING THAT IS CREATED BY THOSE WHO WANT TO PUSH FORWARD
WITH BUSINESS WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. MY ORGANIZATION STANDS FOR
TRYING TO INCORPORATE A SUSTAINABLE PLAN AND THINK
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF A
BUSINESS PLAN AS PART OF YOUR ADVANTAGE.
SO, I THINK THAT WHEN WE SET UP THOSE DICHOTOMIES, THEY ARE
INTERESTING BUT THEY ARE FALSE IN MANY WAYS.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT A GOOD BUSINESS PERSON TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WOULD BE
FROM THE START AND THAT IS WHAT IS MISSING IN THIS
SITUATION. WHAT IS INTERESTING TO ME IN
THIS, IS THAT NEPA HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME; USED
TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR A WIDE NUMBER OF PROJECTS. IN THIS CASE THE INTERESTING
THING TO POINT OUT, THE IMPORTANT THING TO POINT OUT
IS THAT THIS IS AN ACTION WHERE THE CRITICISM IS AGAINST
USDA FOR HAVING MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT DOING THIS
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO.
ANY FEDERAL AGENCY DOING A PERMIT APPROVAL PROCESS, THEY
HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY INCORPORATE THE NEPA
PROTECTIONS. AND THEY DIDN'T DO THAT IN
THIS CASE AND THERE IS ALSO, THE ISSUE OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH
INSPECTION, AN INSPECTION PROCESS AT USDA.
THERE WAS PRESSURE ON USDA TO APPROVE THIS MAYBE BY THE
BUSINESS INTERESTS WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THIS
BROADER NEPA PROCESS THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.
>> 30 SECONDS. ONE INTERESTING TIDBITS AS
WELL, IS FEDERALLY, WE HAVE THE SAFE ACT OUT THERE,
SAFEGUARD AMERICAN FOOD EXPERTS ACT SITTING IN BOTH
HOUSE AND SENATE AND NOT MOVING QUITE YET, SO THERE IS
A FEDERAL END TO THIS AS WELL. DOES THIS MEAN THE WALLS -- I
DON'T WANT YOU TO PUT OUT -- ARE THE WALLS CLOSING IN ON
THESE GUYS? WHAT IS THE SENSE?
THERE IS NOT A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM.
>> THE POLITICS OF THIS, EVEN THOUGH THE USDA APPROVED THIS
AND THEY WERE ARGUING FOR IT LAST WEEK IN COURT, TOM, HEAD
OF THE USDA IS AGAINST THIS. SO, THERE IS A GROWING FEELING
THAT THERE IS ALMOST A STALLING TACTIC.
THE MORE TIME THAT IS INVOLVED HERE, THEN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT CAN STEP IN AND PUT IN A BAN FOR HORSE SLAUGHTER.
>> THAT MIGHT BE RIGHT, TOO. BACK SOON WITH A LOOK AT A
REPORT THAT CLAIMS NEW MEXICO IS HURTING JOB GROWTH BY
DEMANDING TOO MANY OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES.
STAY WITH US.