Lots of support for slaughterhouse during public hearing along with concerns

A bill to establish a USDA-certified slaughterhouse on Guam to "jump-start" local ranching and meat-packing industries drew plenty of discussion during a public hearing today.

The measure by Sen. Cclynt Ridgell directs the Guam Economic Development Authority to develop a request for proposal for a public-private partnership. It also transfers two acres of Chamorro Land Trust property for a site and appropriates up to $3 million in financial assistance.

But the CLTC's Angie Camacho, testifying on behalf of trust Chairman John Reyes, Jr., said they support it in theory but have a few concerns.

"Do we want a slaughterhouse located over our aquifer, is the processing or pre-processing, is this a processing or pre-processing facility or both, to expand the leakage process in both is high and how would it be contained to not have negative impact to our northern aquifers? Is there sufficient infrastructure to support this type of facility," she questioned.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture's John Borja urged support of the bill saying a certified local slaughterhouse is long overdue.

"The age of farmers that are gradually disappearing, but it also gives a momentum for the potential for new livestock producers the new generation and I'm seeing a lot of interest of the growing need for a livestock slaughterhouse," he said. 

Thomas Camacho says the intent of the bill is good, but its content is flawed. He represents a separate group called Guahan Livestock Producers Cooperative which is working on the same slaughterhouse issue.

"I was not invited to this table but I brought my chair madame chair because it is important for the community, it's important for the people, it's important for our island it's important for sustainability," he said. "And all we are saying is let us continue working on our plans because at the end of the day we would provide this legislative body with a concrete plan that would be sustainable and modeled to fit this island."

 Camacho adds that there have been three attempts by the agriculture department in the last 31 years to launch a certified slaughterhouse facility with so far, no results.