BLOOD IN THE BASEMENT

We could probably load up this page with one or more of these stories every week, but I try to stick to ones that are especially noteworthy, because it's always basically the same story. Huge animal operation moves into town, trashes environment, breaks laws, makes entire area unlivable, and then claims the residents are just whining too much. "Don and Deloris Letcher said that since Bridgewater Quality Meats opened in February 1999, blood from the plant runs into their yard and once backed up into their basement." Lovely. Oh, and "Bridgewater Quality Meats opened on Main Avenue five years ago and within a year was warned about its procedures. The attorney general sued the plant last October on behalf of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with potential fines of $10,000 a day." Really? Yes: "A May 2000 memo from Paula Huizenga, an engineer with the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said the plant's discharge overloaded the city's wastewater lagoons, made them septic, turned wastewater pink and caused odor. She said hair from animal hides and pieces of meat turned up in the collection system." Albert Spangler of the DENR complained: "During my June 6, 2001, visit to your site, I found blood entering the alley from a side door of your facility. This is not acceptable." Well, uh... if not, why are those folks still in business?