Bill Lehman, an American meat inspector who gained an international reputation for his criticism of meat inspection systems, has transfer orders to move to Detroit, Mich.
Lehman, who has been stationed at Sweet Grass, Mont. since 1987, was told by his supervisor in the United States Department of Agriculture to report for work in Detroit Jan. 18.
In an interview from his home, Lehman said he will go because he has no choice: “I have exhausted all my appeals.”
He had previously been told by supervisors he could accept early retirement, take a transfer or be fired following years of controversy over his complaints about the meat inspection system.
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Lehman’s reputation for tough standards when inspecting meat raised the ire of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association along with beef and pork exporters. He turned back numerous truckloads of meat saying it was contaminated with hair, manure, bone chips, metal shavings or infected abcesses.
He said the problem with the current inspection system is that not enough lots are checked. There are supposed to be random checks of 3,000 lots of meat per year. A computer selects which boxes of meat are opened and examined for contamination. Each month, about 26 million pounds of beef passes through the Sweet Grass port of entry. As Canada’s exports increase, proportionately less meat is checked before it enters the U.S., he said.
“We can’t keep telling the American consumer that we are inspecting meat when we’re not,” Lehman said.
“Certain packers have an impeccable history and others seem indifferent.”
He hasn’t rejected any imports lately.
Lehman, 58, has 30 years experience as a meat inspector.
In November, he filed suit in an American federal court calling for an immediate halt on all Canadian meat imports.
Farmer support
The Montana Farmers Union and the Farm Bureau have come to his defence. The union has publicly supported Lehman because it believes questionable meat inspection practices is more than a trade issue.
“This issue transcends any trade issue. This is a consumer food issue,” said farmers union general manager George Paul.
In public meetings at Great Falls and Shelby with the farmers’ union and farm bureau, U.S. federal agriculture secretary Dan Glickman promised something would be done on Lehman’s behalf.
Sen. Max Baucus has also called for an investigation by the office which oversees whistle blowers and another Montana senator, Conrad Burns, asked the congressional General Accounting Office to investigate the situation, said Paul.
“We have had no response from Glickman, which is very disappointing to us,” Paul said in an interview from Great Falls.
Other farm groups, such as the Montana Stockgrowers Association, said they wouldn’t interfere on Lehman’s behalf because it is a personnel matter.
