​Federal lawmakers today introduced legislation to prevent the establishment of horse slaughter operations within the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat. The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1942, was introduced by Reps. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.).

​Last year, more than 140,000 American horses were slaughtered for human consumption in foreign countries. The animals often suffer long journeys to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico without adequate food, water or rest. At the slaughterhouse, horses are  brutally forced into a "kill box" and shot in the head with a captive bolt gun in an attempt to stun them before slaughter—a process that can be inaccurate due to the biology and nature of equines and result in animals sustaining repeated blows or remaining conscious during the kill process.

"For centuries, horses have embodied the spirit of American freedom and pride," said Rep. Guinta. "To that end, horses are not raised for food – permitting their transportation for the purposes of being slaughtered for human consumption is not consistent with our values and results in a dangerously toxic product.  This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent and end the inhumane and dangerous process of transporting thousands of horses a year for food."

​"Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment," said Rep. Schakowsky. "We must fight those practices. The SAFE Act of 2015 will ensure that these majestic animals are treated with the respect they deserve."

"The slaughter of horses for human consumption is an absolute travesty that must be stopped," said Rep. Buchanan.  "This bipartisan measure will finally put an end to this barbaric practice."

(SANTA FE)---State District Court Judge Matthew Wilson today granted Attorney General Gary King’s motion for a preliminary injunction against Valley Meat Company, preventing the opening of a proposed horse slaughterhouse until the AG’s lawsuit is resolved.

“The judge’s decision allows our lawsuit to continue while preventing the immediate killing of horses for human consumption,” says AG King. “I still strongly believe that Valley Meat’s proposal for commercial horse slaughter posed a serious danger to consumers and to our environment.”

With the close scrutiny of horse slaughter that the Attorney General’s lawsuit has prompted, the U.S. Congress has approved, and the President has signed, an appropriations bill that restores the long-standing prohibition on funding for federal inspection of horse slaughterhouses – which effectively bans commercial horse slaughter nationwide.

Attorney General King is especially grateful to U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, for their supportive efforts to de-fund the federal inspections.

Numerous other individuals and groups have helped accomplish this important result, particularly Front Range Equine Rescue, which first discovered Valley Meat’s plans to get into the horse meat business and has worked tirelessly ever since to stop those operations, and Animal Protection of New Mexico, which has led the fight for equine protection in our state.

Click Here to read the filing [PDF]

Source: NEWS RELEASE, Attorney General Gary K. King
CONTACT: Phil Sisneros 505-222-9174

The State of New Mexico Environment Department on Friday set a public hearing for a water-discharge permit denied a horse slaughter plant, Valley Meat Company, in July. According to the webpage Citizens Against Equine Slaughter, the hearing will take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 9:00 a.m., at the Chaves County Courthouse, 400 N. Virginia, in Roswell.

The hearing will discuss the Discharge Permit Application for Valley Meat Company. Owner, Mr. De Los Santos proposes to renew the Discharge Permit for the discharge of up to 8,000 gallons per day of horse processing waste water from the horse slaughterhouse. Discussed will be the potential of ground water contamination which includes nitrogen compounds.

In an article from HorsesforLife.org, the Water Quality Bureau received more than 450 comments opposing the renewal of the water discharge permit. DeLos Santos argues that most of the comments were from people outside of the United States and not from the State of New Mexico. He stated that no one from the farm area of Roswell commented.

Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) from District 1 in Albuquerque opposes horse slaughter and states that 75% of New Mexicans oppose horse slaughter, calling it a cruel practice which inflicts great pain and distress. Grisham is also concerned with health issues as most American horses are routinely administered known carcinogenic drugs prohibited in the United States to be used on animals killed for human consumption.

A July 11 letter from the Environmental Department of New Mexico brings attention to another legal aspect citizens against the permit expressed. Numerous public comments raised concern about De Los Santos "possible misrepresentations of criminal charges."

"Specifically Section 74-6-5 (E) (4) requires that if an "applicant" has, within the last ten (10) years received a felony charge or one constitution moral turpitude the Department must deny the application."”

In a New York Times article Mr. De Los Santos' attorney A. Blair Dunn stated the advocacy group erroneously described criminal trespassing as a felony. In December 2011, the first application filled out by Mr. De Los Santos stated "none" in the section about felony convictions. The second application filled out in March 2012 had no notations of any convictions, however the third application was filled out with two convictions; one for criminal trespass in Texas in 1988 and the other for residential burglary there in 1978.

Court records show that Mr. De Los Santos was arrested by the Amarillo police department on Sept. 11, 1989 — his third U.S.D.A. application reported the incident occurring a year earlier — on suspicion of criminal trespass but charged only with a moving violation and convicted of that offense.“ He was arrested on Aug. 28, 1978, in Dallam County, Tex., charged with
residential burglary and convicted. Mr. Wagman, the lawyer for Front Range, contended that Mr. De Los Santos now has committed a third felony by improperly filling out his first two applications. Under federal law, it is a felony to knowingly falsify, conceal or materially misrepresent facts submitted on a federal application.

Source: The Examiner by Cheryl Hanna

Below is the official notice of the Public Hearing and how to participate.   

Description of the Requested Action:
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has scheduled a public hearing to consider the proposed approval of a ground water Discharge Permit Renewal, DP-236, based on the application submitted by Ricardo De Los Santos, President of Valley Meat Company, LLC, 3845 Cedarvale Road, Roswell, New Mexico 88203. Discharge Permits are issued and renewed pursuant to the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) Regulations, 20.6.2 NMAC.
  
Hearing Date, Time and Location:
The hearing begins with opening statements and the presentation oftechnical testimony on Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 9:00 a.m., at the Chaves County Courthouse, 400 N. Virginia, in Roswell, New Mexico.Non-technical public comment will be taken as specified by the Hearing Officer, and also starting at 5:00 p.m. on October 22.The hearing may continue on the following day as determined by the Hearing Officer.In lieu of oral public comments, written statements may be submitted to the Hearing Clerk for the record during or prior to the hearing. 
 
Application and Facility Description:
In the Discharge Permit Application for Valley Meat Company, DP-236, Mr. De Los Santos proposes to renew the Discharge Permit for the discharge of up to 8,000 gallons per day of livestock processing wastewater from a slaughter facility.Wastewater generated from the slaughter facility and occasional washdown of receiving pens collects in two concrete tanks for solids settling before flowing into the first of two synthetically lined impoundments
for disposal by evaporation.Potential ground water contaminants associated with this type of discharge include nitrogen
compounds.The facility is located at 3845 Cedarvale Road , approximately six miles east of Roswell , in Section 17, T11S, R25E, Chaves County .Ground water beneath the site is at a depth of approximately 10 feet and has a total dissolved solids concentration of approximately 4,080 milligrams per liter.
  
Hearing Procedures:
The hearing will be conducted in accordance with the WQCC Regulations at 20.6.2.3110 NMAC and NMED’s Permitting Procedures at 20.1.4 NMAC, available electronically at http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/_title20/title20.htm, and at no charge from the NMED Hearing Clerk, Sally Worthington, Room S-2103, 1190 St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502,
telephone 505-827-2002 <br>, fax 505-827-2836. All interested persons will be given a reasonable opportunity at the public hearing to submit relevant evidence, data, views or arguments orally or in writing, and to examine persons who testify at the
hearing.
  
No decision will be made at the end of the hearing; the post-hearing process will be set out upon the completion of the evidentiary record.Following that process, the NMED Secretary will approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the proposed Discharge Permit based upon the administrative record for the Discharge Permit application, including the applicable information provided during the public hearing.
 
NMED will arrange for a court reporting service to make a written transcript of the hearing proceedings.Any party requesting a copy of the transcript from the court reporting service shall bear the full cost of obtaining copies of the transcript. The transcript also becomes a public record available from the NMED Hearing Clerk.
  
Technical Evidence Presentation Requirements:Any person who wishes to present technical evidence at the hearing shall file a Statement of Intent to Present Technical Testimony by 5:00 p.m. October 9, 2013, with the NMED Hearing Clerk, Sally Worthington, Room S-2103, 1190 St. Francis Drive , P.O. 5469, Santa Fe , New Mexico 87502 .Persons filing a Statement of Intent shall also serve a copy on the Department, the Applicant and other parties of record.A service list is available from the Hearing Clerk. Additional information concerning the presentation of technical evidence can be found in a Procedural Order entered by the Hearing Officer on August 15, 2013, available from the Hearing Clerk and on the web at
http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/gwb/NMED-GWQB-PublicNotice.htm.