The Environmental Protection Agency and Superior Farms, Denver’s only meat processing facility, have settled an alleged Clean Air Act Violation for $120,000. Superior Farms has also committed to a $250,000 supplemental environmental project which will bring equipment upgrades that exceed the EPA’s code requirements.
Superior Farms has found itself on the chopping block after a citizen-led initiative seeking to ban slaughterhouses in Denver got enough signatures to be placed on November’s ballot. Superior Farms is a roughly 160-employee lamb processing plant and slaughterhouse in Denver’s Globeville and Elyria/Swansea neighborhoods.
The slaughterhouse, along with employees, livestock industry groups and the United Food and Commercial Workers union have rallied to oppose the closure. Thus far, the groups have raised almost $740,000 to oppose the ban in November. Supporters of the ban, primarily made up of the group Pro Animal Future’s Denver chapter members, have managed to raise $228,000.
Pro Animal Denver celebrated the fines and used the EPA’s Wednesday announcement as proof that Denver doesn’t need a slaughterhouse, highlighting environmental issues caused by the operation.
“This fine is just the latest proof that Superior Farms cannot be trusted as a responsible steward of the environment,” Olivia Hammond, a spokesperson for Pro-Animal Denver, said. “Superior Farms has a years-long record of recklessly violating federal laws, endangering the surrounding community and harming workers and animals.”
Pro-Animal Denver, and its national counterpart Pro-Animal Future, are seeking a ban on slaughterhouses in Denver both for animal welfare and the welfare of employees at the slaughterhouse. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found slaughterhouse employees are more likely to have repetitive strain injuries and suffer nerve damage in at least one hand. However, this study was based on a poultry plant in Maryland.
Other allegations by Pro-Animal Future’s website include Humane Slaughter Act violations, but these violations were directed at the company’s Dixon, California plant and not the Denver plant. This is not lost on supporters of Superior Farms, who believe Pro-Animal Denver will say and do anything to shut down Superior Farms.
“Pro-Animal Future is a political organization that will stop at nothing to put 160 workers out of their jobs by banning a local food source. They have a track record of exaggerating claims to serve their goal of banning meat,” Ian Silverii, spokesperson for the No on 309 Campaign, said. “Unsurprisingly, even though the EPA praises Superior Farms for 'going beyond what is required by code,' Pro Animal Future ignores the facts because they will say anything and do anything to pass its ban on a single employee-owned business that has been operating in Denver for 70 years.”
While the EPA has identified multiple quarterly violations from Superior Farms, it has only taken formal action twice before Wednesday’s announcement. One of those formal actions from three years ago resulted in a $5,000 fine. Previous violations resulted in a $2,000 settlement in 2007. Superior Farms is working with the EPA to respond to "prior noncompliance concerns, including those identified and resolved in yesterday’s agreement," an EPA spokesperson told The Denver Gazette Thursday.
The violation and settlement announced Wednesday stem from an inspection conducted by the EPA which found “deficiencies.” These included a failure to identify hazards using appropriate hazard assessment techniques, failure to design and maintain a safe facility to prevent releases and failure to minimize the consequences of accidental releases, according to the news release.
In addition to the $120,000 fine, Superior Farms will invest $250,000 in modernized equipment that will provide significant upgrades, beyond what existing codes require, the EPA said.
“I’m glad that Superior Farms is implementing critical safety measures to protect workers and the community,” EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker said. “This settlement will benefit the surrounding community by preventing dangerous chemical accidents.”
Superior Farms’ spending plan was entirely voluntary, according to Greg Ahart, Vice President of Operations for Superior Farms.
Rather than waiting, Arhart said Superior Farms thought it “prudent” to jumpstart their efforts to get an “advanced system” up and running to “reap its benefits as soon as possible.”
"This cooperative effort will upgrade the refrigeration system at our Denver facility, adding efficiencies and redundancies that align with our commitment to food quality and employee safety,” he said. “We’re excited to take this next step to ensure we continue to exceed food quality standards and provide the safest environment for our employee-owners. Superior Farms’ participation in the SEP program marks a four-year partnership with the EPA to maintain highly efficient operations and act responsibly as Denver neighbors."
Denver Gazette reporter Scott Weiser contributed to this report.
Local News
