FORT WORTH -- Two meat-judging contests scheduled for Saturday have been canceled after the Dallas pork-packing plant that was scheduled to host them was cited for code violations and temporarily shut down.
The Fort Worth Stock Show's Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest and 4-H and FFA Meat Judging Contest were set for Saturday morning and afternoon at the Columbia Packing Co. in Dallas."Considering the expense involved in travel, carcass and product preparation and other administrative tasks, the quandary of possibly not having access to the facility gives us no other choice but to cancel the contest for this year," Brad Barnes, the Stock Show's president, told agricultural-science teachers and county extension agents in a letter Monday announcing the cancellation of the 4-H contest.KTVT/Channel 11 reported Jan. 20 that authorities were investigating alleged violations at the plant.The Dallas city attorney's office sent Columbia a letter Tuesday after two days of inspections, alleging 18 violations of city code, including illegal discharges into the storm-water system. Those discharges, the letter said, included animal hair and blood, and plastic gloves.In the letter, the city threatened to "promptly discontinue" water and wastewater service at the plant unless Columbia closed the facility to correct the violations.Columbia, in a news release, said it's a fifth-generation family-owned company operating in a "highly regulated industry."The company said it became aware of a problem Jan. 19, when public officials notified it."We immediately cooperated with officials and conducted our own investigation of the situation," the statement said."We discovered that a clog in the sewer line had caused the flow to back up into an overflow vent pipe in the creek drainage area," the company said. "We were extremely disappointed that the city was aware of this backup for 41 days before notifying us of the problem. If we [had] known about it, we would have taken immediate remedial action."The company said "the clog has been removed, and the lines are flowing cleanly into the city's sewer main in compliance with city code."A company official said Thursday that the plant remains closed.Scott Nishimura,817-390-7808Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
