February 22, 2007

 

Triumph Foods clears hurdle for hog plant

 

 

US-based Triumph Foods has overcome a major hurdle in building its East Moline hog-processing plant worth US$135 million.

     

Triumph Foods will not need a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers to build a hog processing plant in East Moline, provided it sticks to plans for the project already reviewed by the agency, the corps said in a letter to the company.

 

While the company will still have to obtain local and state permits, the corps' decision came as welcome news, said Patt Lilly, chief administrative officer for the company.

 

In January, East Moline aldermen voted unanimously to approve the transfer of the site to Triumph whenever it is ready to take possession. With the new hog processing plant, Triumph would provide employment to over 1,000 workers and process 15,000 hogs a day.

 

The letter, dated Feb 15, says the corps has jurisdiction over two of four wetland areas on the 116-acre site off Barstow Road but that plans for the plant, parking and other facilities submitted by Triumph would not disturb them.

 

The decision drew immediate criticism from a representative of Quad-Cities Citizens Against Triumph, or Q-CAT, a group that has opposed plans for the plant.

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