President Trump signed an executive order on April 28 to keep meat processing plans opens. He used the Defense Protection Act (DPA) to keep some semblance of a supply chain balance during the coronavirus pandemic. Estimates put capacity reductions nationwide at about 80%.
Tyson Foods Chairman warned earlier in the week that the food supply was breaking due to the coronavirus outbreak. Multiple meat processing plants and facilities closed or decreased production in recent weeks after employees got sick.
It is important that processors of beef, pork, and poultry (meat and poultry) in the food supply chain continue operating and fulfilling orders to ensure a continued supply of protein for Americans. However, outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers at some processing facilities have led to the reduction in some of those facilities production capacity, the president wrote in the order,Given the high volume of meat and poultry processed by many facilities, any unnecessary closures can quickly have a large effect on the food supply chain.
Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group (EWG) senior vice president for government affairs said of the Presidents action in a statement, Sending workers back to meat-processing plants without proper protection is tantamount to a death sentence.Rather than escalating this danger with reckless fiats, President Trump should be ensuring food and farm workers have adequate PPE, plenty of space to work safely and free testing not to mention paid sick leave and medical care if they do get sick.These workers have been on the front lines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, risking their lives to feed the rest of us. President Trump should order OSHA to issue immediate, urgent standards to protect them.
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Trump Signs Executive Order to Send Workers Back to Meat Processing Plants Without Proper Protection - One Green Planet
