VOTE YES TO STOP NEW SLAUGHTERHOUSES
More than 10,000 residents signed our petition, ensuring that voters will have a chance to stand up against controversial plans to open new slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls. More than 50 prominent Sioux Falls businesses and organizations echoed their concerns in a letter to city officials. From depleting our water supply and wastewater discharge into the Big Sioux River to increased odors and traffic congestion, new slaughterhouses within city limits could have a devastating impact on our community.
ODOR
Massive new slaughterhouses within city limits will increase the stench ‒ with no local laws in place to stop it. Wholestone Farms’ proposed slaughterhouse in Sioux Falls would process up to 6 million hogs a year with its own sewage lagoon. Local residents elsewhere claim Wholestone’s parent company has not done enough to reduce odor at other facilities they manage. When asked about their plan for Sioux Falls, Wholestone Vice President Katie Sinclair admitted, “I can’t promise it will never smell.”
WATER & WASTEWATER
Wholestone’s proposed slaughterhouse would draw an additional three million gallons per day from our city’s water supply, making water scarcer for other businesses and local residents. Wholestone will guzzle up more water each day than 32,000 typical South Dakota residents.
Wholestone also plans to discharge its wastewater into the Big Sioux River. Pollution in the Big Sioux is already over the limit and last year earned an “F” grade for unsafe levels of sediment, E. Coli and nitrates. Any significant increase from slaughterhouses would jeopardize water quality, recreation and wildlife – and potentially restrict future commercial development.
TRAFFIC
Sioux Falls residents are rightfully concerned about increased truck traffic and congestion from new slaughterhouses. Wholestone CEO Scott Webb said Sioux Falls can expect their proposed slaughterhouse to add “100-plus incoming trucks with live animals coming in per day and probably 120 to 130 finished-product trucks going out.”
PROPERTY VALUES
Who wants to buy a new home or business next to a slaughterhouse? A second slaughterhouse in city limits could decrease property values and make the city’s historic housing shortage even worse. Smart Growth Sioux Falls believes any new slaughterhouses should be built beyond city limits, closer to livestock producers, and where heavy industrial facilities don’t raise the same concerns.
The voters of Sioux Falls deserve a say before developers rush ahead on new slaughterhouses near our homes, businesses, and schools. By acting now, we can stop new slaughterhouses from increasing odor and traffic, protect our water, and ensure that Sioux Falls continues the smart residential and commercial development we need to grow.
