■ National policy
Humane Society
sues the U.S. for
poultry slaughter
BY LIBBY QUAID
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Chickens and
turkeys should be covered by the
same law as cows, pigs and other an
imals when they are slaughtered, the
Humane Society of the United States
said in a lawsuit filed Monday against
the Agriculture Department.
Before becoming T-bone steak or
pork ribs, livestock must be stunned
or otherwise unable to feel pain, ac
cording to the federal Humane
Methods of Slaughter Act. However,
the Agriculture Department main
tains that the 47-year-old law does
not apply to poultry.
The Humane Society argues that
common methods of slaughtering
poultry are not only cruel, they in
crease the risk of contamination
that leads to food poisoning. The
lawsuit was filed in U.S. District
Court in San Francisco.
Typically, birds arriving at a
slaughterhouse are dumped from
their crates onto conveyor belts, then
shackled upside down on a conveyor
line, the Humane Society said. The
humane slaughter act specifically
prohibits shackling and hanging of
conscious animals by their legs, the
Humane Society said.
Birds are then dipped into electri
cally charged water to stun them.
Their necks are cut by a machine,
and they are dipped into a scalding
vat to loosen feathers, according to
the lawsuit.
Studies show that birds defecate
and inhale when they are stunned,
contaminating the water of the stun
bath as well as birds themselves, the
Humane Society argued.
“Consumers may well be at an in
creased risk for contracting a poten
tially life-threatening food-borne
illness,” said Michael Greger, the
University Theatre
the production with the guts to tell it like it is
MORS
Tickets:
UO Ticket Office
346-4363
Robinson Theatre
Nov. 11, 12, 18, 19,
25, 26- 8 PM
Thur., Nov. 17- 7:30
Sun., Nov. 20- 2 PM
I Benefit Performance:
Habitat for Humanity
741-1707
write for the
Oregon Daily Emerald
For more information about freelancing
call 346-5511.
k___/
group s director of public health and
animal agriculture.
A poultry industry spokesman
called the lawsuit a publicity stunt for
Thanksgiving, when people will eat
an estimated 45 million turkeys.
“We do have humane handling
and slaughter in the industry,” said
Richard Lobb, spokesman for the Na
tional Chicken Council. “The system
is set up to stun the bird so that it is
insensitive to pain when it is killed,
and it should be dead before it enters
the scalder.”
Examples mentioned in the lawsuit
are exceptions, he said.
Had Congress intended to cover
poultry, the law would have said so
specifically, Lobb said.
The law applies to “cattle, calves,
horses, mules, sheep, swine and oth
er livestock.” In the lawsuit, the Hu
mane Society argues that poultry
counts as livestock.
Agriculture Department
spokesman Steven Cohen said a sep
arate law, the Poultry Products In
spection Act, governs inspection of
poultry processing plants.
The law ensures “birds are slaugh
tered in a manner that’s consistent
with good commercial practices and
they are handled in a way that mini
mizes discomfort and accidental
injury,” Cohen said.
About 9 billion birds are slaugh
tered for food every year in the Unit
ed States, the Humane Society said,
citing Agriculture Department esti
mates. About 36 million cattle, 100
million pigs and 3 million sheep and
lambs are slaughtered annually, the
group said.
The Humane Society was joined
in the lawsuit by another animal
rights group, San Francisco-based
East Bay Animal Advocates, and
five individual consumers.
FUJICOLOR
Iphocessing. in cl
PHOTO
SPECIALS
Nov. 21 - Dec. 4
2ND SET
FREE
(c-41 full-frame 35mmcolor print film)
Prints: 3x5 4x6
12 exp. $2.25 $3.25
24 exp. $4.25 $5.25
36 exp. $6.25 $7.25
20%OFFAPS
DEVELOP & PRINT
15 exp. $4.40
25 exp. $6.66
40 exp. $9.40
UOBookstore.com
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
BOOKSTORE
You're always close to campus.
____» www.dailyemerald.com
IN BRIEF
State police plan to help
arrange tissue donations
PORTLAND — The Oregon State
Police are helping families to arrange
human tissue donations from people
who die in traffic wrecks.
Under pressure from tissue re
covery agencies, state police have
become the first law enforcement
agency in Oregon to help families
of victims of fatal accidents to do
nate their corneas, skin, bones and
other tissues. Previously, that op
tion was restricted to deaths
in hospitals.
“It’s as much about the families
who donate as the recipients,” said
Bob Hinely, director of Communi
ty Tissue Services in Portland. “It
helps families grieve and get
through their loss, knowing their
loved one helped someone.”
Under the program, after a fatali
ty a state police dispatch supervi
sor will alert a tissue recovery call
center in Portland. Once the family
has been notified of the death, a
donor coordinator will call.
State police Capt. Gerry Gregg
said the agency did not want to
agree to the new program until it
was assured that the agency work
ers contacting families so soon af
ter a death were properly trained.
The first donation came after a 54
year-old Lincoln City man died Nov.
13 when his pickup truck rolled off a
logging road outside Lincoln City.
So far this year more than 400
people have died on Oregon high
ways, and state police investigated
about half of the cases.
Time is crucial. Corneas must be
recovered within 15 hours, and
skin, bone, tendons and heart
valves can be collected up to
24 hours after a death.
Kulongoski files papers
for re-election bid
SALEM — Gov. Ted Kulongoski
on Monday became the first Democ
rat to formally file papers for the
May 2006 gubernatorial primary,
confirming what he has been telling
aides for months.
Kulongoski’s commitment to run
for re-election could give pause to
fellow Democrats who have been
talking openly of challenging him.
The low-key election filing —
there was no news conference oi
campaign kickoff event — also al
lowed Kulongoski to keep the em
phasis on his role as the incumbent
governor rather than just being
another candidate.
“His focus is on being governor.
He’s got more than a full-time jot
doing that,” said Peter Bragdon,
former chief of staff to Kulongoski
and a senior adviser to the
Kulongoski campaign.
In August, Kulongoski told c
group of state agency heads that he
planned to seek re-election, and he
has discussed his goals for a seconc
term in various settings since then.
Still, Monday’s filing was a “sho
over the bow” of other Democrat!
who said they might run agains
Kulongoski — mainly state Sens
Vicki Walker of Eugene and Riel
Metsger of Welches, who have botl
criticized Kulongoski, said politica
analyst Jim Moore.
“The other Democratic hopeful:
have got to put or shut up in tin
next few weeks. That means raising
money, putting together a staff anc
crafting a strong message to run
on,” said Moore, who teaches politi
cal science at Pacific University in
Forest Grove.
Walker has said she will an
nounce her plans by the end of the
month. Metsger’s announcement is
expected within the next day or two.
Another Democrat, Lane County
Commissioner Peter Sorenson, an
nounced in January that he’s
running, but he hasn’t filed yet.
A statewide poll issued last week
showed Kulongoski in a virtual tie
with former Gov. John Kitzhaber,
even though Kitzhaber has said he
has no plans at present to run for his
old job.
The opinion survey, by Portland
pollster Mike Riley, also showed
Walker, Metsger and Sorenson in the
single digits, which Moore says indi
cates that their criticism of Kulon
goski’s performance as governor is
n’t gaining them much traction
among Democratic voters.
“They don’t have a message that
moves beyond being cranky,” the
political analyst said. “They are
frustrated with Kulongoski, but
they are having a hard time putting
together a message about what
their candidacy is about.”
On the Republican side, former
state GOP Chairman Kevin Mannix
has filed papers to make a second
bid for governor next year. Mannix
won the 2002 GOP primary but lost
the general election to Kulongoski.
Portland lawyer Ron Saxton —
who was defeated by Mannix is the
2002 primary — and state Sen. Ja
son Atkinson of Jacksonville both
have said they plan to seek the Re
publican gubernatorial nomination
next May.
The Associated Press
023754
PLAN
Health Center open through December 12.
Health Center closed on December 13 and will reopen
on January 9 to resume regularly scheduled hours.
Hours for December 10 & II
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Hours for Monday December 12
10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
DON'T forget:
Fill your prescriptions
UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
birth control needs http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu
low cost over-the-counter items appointments: 346-2770
Your place for
N EWSreader polllnd
classifieds ARCHIVES
more
www.dailyemerald.com