Opponents of a hog processing plant in Lethbridge are relieved the Taiwanese company has pulled out of their community.
Yuan Yi Agricultural and Livestock Enterprises Co. Ltd. announced March 20 that mounting environmental pressures and delays due to further hearings were enough to make it decide to build elsewhere. Local environmental groups were demanding further environmental reviews of the plant and its impact on the community.
“My first reaction is relief,” said Sylvia Campbell, president of the Southern Alberta Environmental Group.
Members of her group said they were not against development in the city but felt this project was put together too hastily.
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“It’s a victory of sorts but it’s too bad the community had to get into such an uproar over this,” she said. “We’re getting a lot of flak from local businesses and farmers.”
The environmental group said it is logical for Lethbridge to be a food processing centre and it is not celebrating the Yuan Yi decision.
“In the future we hope we can do it better in this town,” said Campbell.
Bruce Haig, one of four citizens legally challenging the city’s method of rezoning the land for the plant, is waiting to see what happens next.
“I think we won. We’ll see what the fallout is,” he said.
Lethbridge is a politically aware community and those opposing the plant were able to launch protests before the bricks were laid by Yuan Yi, said Haig.
His group had already gone one round in the courts. A judge ruled the city did not behave improperly when it rezoned the proposed development site. The case was scheduled to go before the Alberta Court of Appeal. It is not known what becomes of that appeal now.
