The Petaluma slaughterhouse, Rancho Meats, is closing in 2008. Its owner for over 40 years, Bob Singleton, is selling his land to a developer and retiring. This has created a pressure to find a site to build a new slaughterhouse that will primarily serve the ranchers of Marin and Sonoma counties. At present, two different business outfits are scouting the Ukiah area to find a place to build a slaughterhouse. The sites under consideration for the slaughterhouse are in populated areas, thus exposing the community to air and noise pollution, waste contaminants, truck traffic, while putting a huge stress on our water and sewage systems.

So far, there have been two proposals to build a slaughterhouse in the Ukiah area. Sam Goldberger of the North Coast Meats is considering several sites at the south end of Ukiah. The other entity, Chris Stone of Mendocino Abattoir, is exploring building a slaughterhouse on Old River Road, near Talmage--on what is Yokayo Indian land adjacent to the river. A feasibility study is being conducted by North Coast Meats prior to applying for a permit with Ukiah or Mendocino County. While no formal applications have been submitted, the two interested parties are probing the Ukiah area to gauge receptivity to their idea.

Sam Goldberger says that his slaughterhouse will use only the latest technology to recycle polluted water to remove contaminants and also turn waste products into biodiesel fuel. But what if the results are less than promised and pollution and water contamination do occur? It is clear that once the slaughterhouse is built we are stuck with it. And the USDA, which is supposed to monitor such plants, is well-documented as turning its head the other way (Slaughterhouse, Gail. A. Eisnitz). Let’s not forget that once the plant is built it can always grow bigger; or be sold to a new owner who cares only about profits.

As word is getting out about the possibility of a slaughterhouse coming to Ukiah, people are making their protest heard. Recently, there have been numerous letters printed in the Ukiah Daily Journal and discussions on KZYX radio concerning the slaughterhouse. More and more, as Ukiahans become aware of the threat to their community, an outcry is being heard. A number of us have formed the Citizens Against a Ukiah Slaughterhouse (C.A.U.S.) to inform others, and to take action to make sure that no slaughterhouse is built . . . NOT ANYWHERE IN THE UKIAH VALLEY!

These are the two slaughterhouse proposals:

North Coast Meats (Sam Goldberger)

Mendocino Abattoir (Chris Stone)