A New Mexico hearings officer says the state should deny a wastewater discharge permit for Valley Meat in Roswell, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources says it will get back to Rains Natural Meats in Gallatin once it decides if horses are livestock. These state regulatory barriers now face
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10th Circuit Lifts Injunction: Horse Slaughter Can Legally Resume in U.S.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver has lifted its emergency injunction from early November, clearing the way for the slaughter of horses before the year ends for meat for export from any of three establishments USDA has found eligible for equine inspection services. In removing the emergency…
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Third Horse-Slaughter Business Qualifies for USDA Inspections
A third business has met all the statutory and regulatory requirements to require USDA to provide inspection services when it begins processing horsemeat for human consumption. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys representing USDA have informed the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico that it may want to…
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Judge in Horse Slaughter Case Corrects Mistake; No Next Round Date Set
Federal District Court Judge M. Christina Armijo has amended her order temporarily banning horsemeat packing in the U.S. because it was too broadly drawn. Armijo’s original Aug. 2 temporary restraining order said USDA was ordered to suspend or withhold the provision of “meat inspection services” to Valley Meat and Responsible…
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Judge's Order Stopping Horse Slaughter 'Potentially Invalid'; HSUS Lawyers File Motion Seeking Clarification
The Humane Society of the United States praised the temporary ban on horse slaughter signed by U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo last week. But the group’s attorneys this week say the order is “potentially invalid.” They’ve filed a new motion seeking expedited review so Armijo’s highly publicized order can be…
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New Mexico's AG Says Horses Are on Too Many Drugs to be Slaughtered
An official opinion from New Mexico Attorney General Gary K. King either marks the end of horse slaughter in The Land of Enchantment or a meaningless intervention into federal meat regulation. In a June 10 AG’s opinion, the Democrat King said veterinary drugs are too commonly administered to horses not…
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5 Applicants Want to Be USDA's First Horse Slaughter Client
UPDATE: Since originally published this morning, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) public affairs staff have provided Food Safety News with copies of the applications for equine inspection services. The FSIS officials did so in part to illustrate that most of the applications are not complete in …
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Valley Meat Goes to Court to Get Equine Inspection Services
It’s possible USDA might like getting told by a federal judge that it must provide equine inspection services to Valley Meat Co. in Roswell, NM. That way, it couldn’t be blamed for the decision, which is likely to remain unpopular with many horse lovers. More than a year after Congress…
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Valley Meats Disputes State Fine For Improper Cow Disposal
New Mexico’s Valley Meat Co. is appealing a state fine of $86,400 for improper disposal of composted cattle remains. Valley Meat gained notoriety earlier this year when it applied to USDA for equine inspection services to open a horse slaughter facility for export at its closed beef plant near Roswell,…
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USDA Ready to Inspect Horse Slaughter By Year End
Equine inspections will be back on the menu at USDA by the end of the year, according to Al Almanza, administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
On Saturday, Almanza told the Texas-based Southwest Meat Association, meeting in San Antonio, that USDA will be ready to inspect plants…
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