Dive Brief:
- Tyson Foods is being blamed for two environmental disruptions in two states -- both of which were triggered by accidental dumping.
- In Monnett, MO, workers at the company allegedly dropped Alimet, an amino acid used in making animal feed, into the water supply. The chemical wound up killing every fish in a nearby stream and crippling the town's wastewater-treatment plant.
- News of the Monnett mishap comes as Tyson has agreed to pay $305,000 in fines in connection with the dumping in 2010 of 210,000 pounds of rendered chicken parts into a river in North Carolina.
Dive Insight:
Food processing is a messy business. Meat production in particular can be nasty work. And, as the saying goes, accidents happen.
Still, the size of these accidents is worth noting. And the fact that both accidents -- although separated by years in terms of when they occurred -- are in the news this week is not a good sign for Tyson public-relations.
Here's hoping that the rivers recover, and that Tyson institutes additional safety measures at its plants.