Large-Scale Hog Production and Processing

I. INTRODUCTION Henteleff) and a panel of six commissioners (Christine Common-Singh, Celia The Citizens’ Hearing on Hog Production Guilford, Roderick Macdonald, W.J. and the Environment was held in Turnock, John Welsted, and Kay Wotton). Brandon, 29-31 October 1999, to examine A wide range of groups and individu- the environmental, economic, social, and als were invited to make presentations, public health aspects surrounding indus- including First Nations, academics, farm- trial scale hog production and processing, ers, farm organizations, industry, govern- using the experience of other jurisdictions ment (municipal, provincial, federal), in North America. This hearing arose non-governmental organizations, and an from a dissatisfaction felt by some citizens open invitation was extended to con- about the decision by the Government of cerned citizens. There were 29 presenta- Manitoba to grant a license to Maple Leaf tions (23 scheduled and 6 non-scheduled) Meats (MLM) for a large hog-processing (Appendix A). After each presentation the plant in Brandon (which started operation floor was open for questions, first from in 1999) without convening Clean Envi- the commissioners and then from the au- ronment Commission hearings. This lack dience. All the proceedings were recorded of public hearings seemed to ignore the and a transcript was made. In addition, concerns of those people who had doubts many of the presenters and other indi- about the advisability and sustainability viduals and groups provided copies of of large-scale hog operations in Manitoba. documents, and references to other perti- Subsequently, some citizens of southwest nent information. Information on how to Manitoba, spearheaded by the Sierra Club see the “Transcript” and the “References Prairie Chapter and the Westman Action to Documents” is given in Appendix A. Coalition, decided to organize this Citi- The five commissioners who wrote this zens’ Hearing in an attempt to compen- report based it on the transcript, and the sate for the lack of such an activity before documents and references, as well as their the licenses were granted. To ensure fair- notes from the Citizens’ Hearing. This ness in the hearings, the organizers ar- hearing, unlike more formal hearings con- ranged for the hearings to be presided ducted by a governmental body, could not over by an independent Chair (Yude compel testimony. Many of the invited Large-Scale Hog Production and Processing: Concerns for Manitobans 1 groups/individuals responded, but not, ity increases, sales of lower-priced unfortunately, the City of Brandon or homes are brisk, and there is a small MLM, so we did not get direct informa- demand for higher-priced homes. tion from the proponents. Other informa- • Once a plant is in operation, demand tion was examined by the commissioners for consumer goods and entertain- in preparing this report in an attempt to ment, particularly in the lower-price provide a balanced view. Limited re- range, increases. Demand for low-cost sources prevented us from presenting a rental housing exceeds supply. Rev- complete analysis of the benefits and im- enue from commercial and residential pacts of the anticipated massive increase property, and from service fees, par- in hog production in Manitoba. Such an ticularly if the new plant is paying its analysis is needed, and we hope that our full and reasonable share, increases. limited examination will provide the in- • The majority of the jobs are relatively centive for a full, formal, and public evalu- low-paid, difficult and dangerous, ation of this development. leading to high turnover. The This report has been organized into workforce for these jobs tend to be categories corresponding to major areas highly mobile, young, and often immi- of concern about the hog production and grants or visible minorities. processing industries. These categories • The processing plant uses large are not mutually exclusive, and each amounts of water and discharges liq- should be considered as a lens through uid wastes containing coliform bacte- which the writers view a subject area, ria, disease organisms, and plant nu- bringing a different focus and perspective trients. These contaminants may be to each category. difficult to remove in standard waste- treatment plants and have caused the II. SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS deterioration of waters into which they were discharged. If the plant has been The relationship between large-scale meat excused from full service rates, the cost processing plants that have been estab- of operation and of any upgrading of lished in North America during the past the facility will be borne by other cus- 20 years and their host communities have tomers or the government; that is, ulti- had the following characteristics: mately, by other businesses, residents • The large, often multinational corpo- and taxpayers in general. rations owning these processing plants • The processing plants have tended to have greater power than most of the depress the price of hogs by vertical jurisdictions with whom they negoti- integration into large hog-production ate, and have used this power to get enterprises, by dominating the market financial and other concessions from for hogs, and by buying from inde- the community in return for bringing pendent producers only by contract. investment and jobs to that community. Many farmers have been forced out of • Initially, during the construction and hog production and even out of farm- early operational phases, local unem- ing. ployment decreases, commercial activ- Family farm hog production, locally 2 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–Manitoba owned and managed, and using little • The secret “Memorandum of Under- hired help, has been replaced by large- standing” between the Government of scale corporate hog production, which: Manitoba and MLM essentially re- • Injects capital and hires workers for the moved the “go/no-go/modify” op- construction of barns and waste dis- tions without any public airing of the posal systems. costs and benefits of the plant and the • Is owned and managed non-locally. projected large increase in hog produc- • Hires barn workers who are often sin- tion in Manitoba. gle and mobile, with little stake in the • The approval of the proposal followed local community. the provisions of The Environment Act, • Purchases in bulk, from affiliated com- and ignored the provisions of The Sus- panies or from low-price sources out- tainable Development Act, proclaimed 1 side the community. July 1998, which committed the Gov- • Uses large volumes of water and pro- ernment of Manitoba to consider duces large amounts of waste. sustainability in evaluating all propos- als. The establishment of a large-scale meat • The staged licencing process under The processing plant has had the following Environment Act excluded considera- direct effects on communities: tion of the wider implications and im- • A shortage of, and overcrowding in, pacts of the proposed development. rental housing. • Requests for public hearings for the • Increased costs of handling social prob- “stages” in the licencing process were lems such as marital disputes and child denied by the then Minister of the En- abuse, and of health care and language vironment, leaving an impression in services. some quarters that the Memorandum • Increased cost of law enforcement, par- of Understanding had included accept- ticularly those costs associated with a ance of the proposal and an assurance young, male, and mobile workforce, that the licencing process would not such as intoxication, driving offences, delay final approval. Although infor- assault, and murder. mation sessions were held by the proponent, these did not allow the testi- The establishment of large-scale hog mony of independent experts, ques- production units in rural communities has tioning by a panel charged with evalu- affected the local community by: ating the evidence, or the introduction • Decreasing the number of family units of information on the wider effects of and the number of school children. the development. • Decreasing local purchasing with loss of local businesses. III. RECOMMENDATIONS • Loss of local control. 1. Any “Memorandum of Understand- The process for evaluating the MLM ing“ between the proponent of a major de- proposal for a large-scale hog-processing velopment and the Government of Mani- plant in Brandon was flawed in that: toba or any other public body should be a Large-Scale Hog Production and Processing: Concerns for Manitobans 3 public document and should require that ther on- or off-reserve. governmental commitment to any action or subsidy be conditional on full compli- 5. Consultation, representation, public ance with all pertinent laws and regula- information sessions, etc., are useful parts tions, including an evaluation of its of the examination and evaluation of a sustainability. There should be public proposal, but should not be used as a sub- participation in the processes. stitute for public hearings. 2. The Environment Act should be 6. The siting of hog barns should be con- amended to reflect the requirements of The sidered on both the Municipal/District Sustainable Development Act and the find- and the “Larger Area” level, so that deci- ings and recommendations of the 1999 sions can be based on broader considera- Manitoba Report on the Consultation on tions of economic, social, health, cultural, Sustainable Development (COSDI). and ecological impacts. 3. The Sustainable Development Act should 7. The Province of Manitoba should ini- be expanded beyond its current statement tiate a cooperative program with the mu- of principles. The requirement that all pro- nicipalities and other jurisdictions to im- vincial departments and agencies include prove the technical background for mak- the consideration of “sustainability” in all ing decisions by preparing risk maps in their policies and actions, and the proc- relation to the location of hog barns. Maps esses through which this goal may be at- for other potentially polluting develop- tained, should be legislated. This legisla- ments could also be included in such a tion should reflect the need to strengthen program.

Load more