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A Sacramento County community is fighting tooth and nail to keep a proposed slaughterhouse — and its planned “kill floor” — from bringing livestock slaughter to their rural neighborhood.
The 20-acre project, dubbed “Greenfarm,” was approved in July and narrowly survived an appeal from residents in the Rio Linda-Elverta community.
Neighbors say they’re worried about everything from the impact on their children to potential contamination and the smell of slaughtered animals.
“We live about 600 feet from the back of their property and we see it all,” a community member said during the public comment portion of an Aug. 24 Sacramento County Planning Commission meeting.
“My kids play in a seasonal pond that we have in our backyard and it flows directly from their property. Are they still safe to play there?”
“I’m just glad I don’t live next door, I’ll say that, but I know there are some folks here that do,” another person said.
The project plans to house livestock and accept customers for up to 30 custom slaughter services per week.
Bahadur Amiri, who is behind the project, says Sacramento needs more halal slaughtering services.
“It’s not easy when you’re just by yourself and the whole community comes against you,” he said.
Joseph Devlin, a member of the Sacramento Planning Commission, backed the proposal, saying the community could benefit from having a local slaughtering operation.
“We are and have claimed to be the Farm to Fork capital of the world. However, one of the, probably, biggest gaps within that Farm to Fork is the actual acquiring and harvesting of meat that is locally sourced,” he said.
But neighbors remain concerned about what the operation could bring to their backyards — including the smell.
“Let’s talk about the smells and the fact that we have a nice breeze out there,” Michelle Anderson, who lives near the proposed slaughterhouse, said. She also has concerns about whether it will contaminate her well water.
Amiri said he respects his neighbors and their concerns but insists the operation will not produce a smell because it will be sealed.
“It’s going to be sealed tank,” he said. “This operation is not going to happen in the middle of the yard, [it] is going to be inside the building and that building will be inspected by the building department.”
There are no additional public hearings and the project is set to move forward, according to Fox 40.
Community members told the outlet they remain hopeful since the project has not yet been finalized.
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