The AP reported:

A South Dakota town that had to remove 44 tons of rotting bison meat left in a warehouse wants to know if the owner plans to pay for the cleanup. [...]

The meat stayed cold until December, when the power was cut. By June, the smell had extended to the whole town, so workers removed the mess. [...]

According to a lawsuit, he could face civil penalties of up to $7 million if convicted of dumping too much blood and animal parts down the drain.

More from CBS:

When the town about 40 miles away from Sioux Falls began to warm in the spring, the smell began to creep out. Some said the scent was like road kill. The mayor said he spent two tours of duty in Vietnam and could not recall smelling anything as bad.

“This is worse than rotten bodies,” Barattini said.

Well, actually, it is rotten bodies. 44 tons of bison meat = at least 44 dead bison. Say it which ever way you like, but let’s not pretend that meat isn’t flesh.

What can we learn from this story?

• No USDA inspectors or other government officials came by to check up on this facility (no one even knew the owner abandoned the bison meat until it stank up the whole town),
• Some of the people in charge of meat storage and shipping don’t have a clue (the owner claims he never endangered people – even though 44 tons of rotting meat is CLEARLY a human health hazard),
• There are limits to how much blood and animal parts one can wash down a drain (ie. groundwater contamination and stinky polluted air are acceptable, but only up to a point),
• The penalties for endangering human health by creating a giant petri dish for bacteria and maggots to flourish are civil, not criminal.

Time for a change. Time to go vegan.

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Sections: Vegan News
Topics: 44 tons of rotting meat, bison, health, meat, news, rotting meat, south dakota, veg, Vegan