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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 25 September 2020
Iowa fines beef plant $957 after huge coronavirus outbreak

By RYAN J. FOLEY between them.
Associated Press Inspectors noted that em-
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — ployees were wearing sur-
Iowa regulators have is- gical-style masks that were
sued their first citation to a issued by the company and
meatpacking plant with a required when the plant re-
large coronavirus outbreak opened April 20. The com-
that sickened its workforce pany had allowed workers
— a $957 fine for a minor to begin wearing their own
record-keeping violation. face coverings April 2, four
The outbreak at the Iowa days before the plant shut
Premium Beef Plant in down, records show.
Tama in April resulted in 338 The plant has taken steps
of the plant's 850 workers to prevent the virus' spread
testing positive for the vi- by installing plastic barriers
rus, 80 more than the state where possible, stagger-
previously acknowledged, ing breaks, adding seating,
according to inspection re- providing hand sanitizer
cords released Thursday. and checking tempera-
The Iowa Occupational tures before entry.
Safety and Health Adminis- The plant was purchased
tration said on June 1 that it last year by National Beef,
had launched inspections which is based in Kansas
at the Tama plant and four In this Oct. 16, 2014 file photo, work continues on the Iowa Premium Beef plant in Tama, Iowa. City and supplies grocery
other meatpacking plants Associated Press stores and restaurants with
where thousands of work- meat products.
ers had tested positive. according to documents during the pandemic. Re- nounced at a news confer- CEO Tim Klein praised his
Records show that the in- obtained by The Associ- publican Gov. Kim Reyn- ence May 5 that only 258 company in an open let-
spections did not lead to ated Press under the open olds has defended the workers had tested posi- ter published Wednesday
any citations at the other records law. state's approach, saying it tive. The department has for "rapidly adjusting our
four plants, where at least On Sept. 2, Iowa OSHA ad- has helped keep a critical blamed record-keeping processes and protocols to
nine workers have died ministrator Russell Perry ap- industry operating while problems for erroneously improve safety" during the
after contracting the CO- proved a settlement with protecting workers. announcing artificially low pandemic.
VID-19 virus. Those included the company that reduced The outbreak in Tama pro- numbers of positive tests "Our industry was in the lo-
Tyson Foods plants in Wa- the proposed penalties duced one of the first hot at another meatpacking cal and national news for
terloo, Columbus Junc- from $1,914 to a $957 fine. spots in the state. plant the same day. the wrong reasons during
tion and Perry and the JBS The company also agreed The beef plant suspended Facing criticism for its re- a time when we were all
plant in Marshalltown. to correct the violations. It production for two weeks in sponse, Iowa OSHA de- learning how to combat
The agency cited Iowa Pre- had already turned over April after scores of workers cided to inspect the Tama COVID-19 and keep our
mium Beef in August for fail- the log the day after the became ill. A two-day mass plant May 21 based on people safe," he wrote.
ing to keep a required log inspection, although it was testing conducted by the news reports of the 6-week- "And yet our employees
of workplace-related inju- initially missing information Iowa Department of Public old outbreak. continued to deliver —
ries and illnesses, and for about several workers' ill- Health found that 338 work- Inspectors found that four safe, quality beef products,
failing to provide the docu- nesses. ers were infected by then, workers were still hospital- ideas for improved safe-
ment within four hours after Democrats and labor ac- the records show. ized with COVID-19 and ty, and time and talents
inspectors requested it. tivists have blasted the The health department's saw some employees work- to help their families and
Both violations were la- Iowa agency for a lax ap- deputy director, Sarah ing close to one another communities thrive in chal-
beled "other-than-serious," proach to worker safety Reisetter, nonetheless an- on the floor with no barriers lenging situations."q

San Francisco sues 28 alleged dealers to stop flow of drugs

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ ing a 50-block area in the hood, which includes
Associated Press Tenderloin and part of the City Hall and several fed-
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — neighboring South of Mar- eral buildings, has a large
San Francisco sued 28 al- ket neighborhood. Those homeless population and
leged drug dealers who who violate the court or- is just blocks from tourist-
frequent a downtown der would face arrest on heavy Union Square. The
neighborhood where misdemeanor charges, a neighborhood has long
broad daylight drug deal- $6,000 fine and the seizure been a public safety prob-
ing and drug use is com- of drugs and money. lem with people shooting
mon, in an effort to clean "These lawsuits won't solve up or snorting powder on
up the area that has seen the problems themselves the sidewalks at all times of
the city's largest number of but they are a step worth the day.
overdose deaths, authori- taking," Herrera said. It has lots of single-occu-
ties announced Thursday. The move comes after pancy hotels but is also
San Francisco City Attor- a 70% spike in overdose home to many low-income
In this July 25, 2019, file photo, sleeping people, discarded ney Dennis Herrera said deaths in 2019, when 441 families.
clothes and used needles are seen on a street in the Tenderloin the lawsuits, if approved in people died, more than The Tenderloin has the
neighborhood in San Francisco. California Superior Court, half of them from fentanyl highest concentration of
Associated Press would prevent the al- overdoses. children in the city — about
leged dealers from enter- The Tenderloin neighbor- 2,260.q