Marin Slaughterhouse Hearings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 26, 2016

Contact: Miyoko Schinner, phone (415) 336-1817

Do No Harm: Marin Residents Unite Against Animal Slaughter

People from all walks of life protest a proposed change to Marin County’s planning codes that would allow for stationary and mobile slaughter facilities in the county.

SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. – Tourists and residents alike come to Marin County to enjoy idyllic landscapes, natural beauty, and fresh air. Now, as a proposed change to planning codes threaten to bring animal slaughter to the county, residents grow uneasy and unite to voice their opposition.

The proposed amendment to Marin County’s Development Code would lift the prohibition on animal slaughter to “create a pathway for agricultural producers to start small and scale up to meet market demand.” Small scale poultry slaughter operations would take place on ranches on a permanent basis, and full scale slaughter and rendering plants would be allowable in certain districts with a Conditional Use Permit. Concerned citizens cite numerous reasons for opposing these amendments.

Property owners and realtors assert nearby slaughter and rendering operations will create everything from stigma, noxious emissions, pests, waste, and pollution. With only a 100-foot proposed perimeter from surrounding properties, people are scared of plummeting property values in surrounding areas.

Parents worry that their children will be forced to hear the screams of animals, and that cross-county traffic and out-of-county traffic to slaughterhouses will mean that more and more transport trucks filled with frightened animals will appear on public roads in Marin County, leading to a less family-friendly environment.

Environmentalists point to need to protect Marin County’s water quality and the sustainability of our agricultural soil resources. Slaughterhouses use massive amounts of water, pollute soil, and use harsh carcinogenic chemicals and disinfectants. Only about 40% of slaughtered animal parts are useable, and the remaining 60% is waste that must be recycled, disposed of, or rendered. The destructive impacts of animal agriculture and slaughterhouses carry a heavy environmental cost.

Animal advocates have ethical opposition to endemic slaughterhouse cruelties and poor oversight – the goal of scaling up to slaughter more and more animals means that more animals will be subjected to this suffering. Additionally, most stationary slaughterhouses are federally-regulated, meaning that Marin County, known for its high animal welfare standards, would be unable to act when abuses occur. The US Government Accountability Office has found violations in nearly one-third of all slaughterhouses, with violations including the dragging of sick and/or disabled animals, “excessive” beating, anal electrocution, improper stunning, and the shackling and processing of conscious animals.

Others grow worried that human-on-human crime will rise. A University of Windsor study examined FBI crime rates over an 18year period, finding slaughterhouses located in communities increase both the number of arrests and reports in those communities.

Health advocates also express concern with the intention of scaling up animal agriculture in Marin County. At a time when scientific literature underscores how Americans need to eat more plants, we should be increasing market demand for healthy, plant-based options instead of increasing our dependence on animal products.

Marin County residents will be expressing their concerns once more at the Planning Commission’s next meeting, scheduled for November 28, 2016 at 1 pm in the Marin Civic Center, Room 328.

# # #