Press Release from Hermiston City Manager’s Office

Horse Eating Dave Duquette less than Popular in his Hometown

Hermiston, OR ~ Anti-Horse/Pro-Slaughter Dave Duquette (PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals) practicing his horse eating technique on a turkey leg.

Contact:    Mark Morgan, Asst. to the City Manager
(541) 667-5003  mmorgan@hermiston.or.us

Sept. 24, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hermiston, Ore. – A potential horse slaughtering facility near Hermiston will face opposition by the city when the operation submits an application to the Umatilla County Planning Department.

The City of Hermiston’s land-use attorney recently provided an opinion that a horse slaughter facility is not a permitted use on the proposed site near the I-84/I-82 interchange west of Hermiston.

Hermiston City Councilors agreed Monday night to allow City Manager Ed Brookshier to move forward on legal recommendations to block development of the slaughter facility.

The operators of the horse slaughter facility, who propose to butcher between 150 and 200 horses daily, will have to apply for an amendment to the Umatilla County Development Code and receive an exception to Oregon Statewide Planning Goals 3 and 14.  The Umatilla County Planning Commission would be the first entity to hear the request before making a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.

“If one (horse slaughter facility) needs to be built, I don’t think this is the place,” said City Councilman Rod Hardin.

Although the potential facility is located outside of Hermiston’s Urban Growth Boundary, city officials worry about the long-term negative economic impacts to the area.

“Most everyone who I’ve talked to about this agrees that this would be a bad thing,” said Mayor Bob Severson.

The facility, which would be visible from the freeway interchange, would be located just south the Hermiston Generating plant.

The City of Hermiston is a vibrant, and growing community of nearly 17,000 residents located at the cross-roads of the Pacific Northwest.
Located near the intersection of Interstate 84 and Interstate 82, just minutes from a Columbia River port and the Washington state line, Hermiston is capitalizing on its strategic location as a transportation center and gateway to Oregon.  To learn more about the exciting future of Eastern Oregon’s largest city, go to www.hermiston.or.us.

Thanks,

Mark Morgan, MPA

Administrative Assistant to the City Manager mmorgan@hermiston.or.us
(541) 667-5003

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