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Report: County Commission in Kansas Rescinds $500M Pledge for Tyson Foods Plant

1 min read

Tyson Foods’ plans for a $320 million poultry processing plant in Tonganoxie, Kansas, have hit a snag.

Amid local opposition, Leavenworth County commissioners voted 2-1 Monday morning to rescind a a pledge of $500 million in revenue bonds for the facility, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

A spokesman for the publicly traded, Springdale-based meat processor said the bonds were among the factors the company considered when determining where to put the plant.

“We’re evaluating our options in light of today’s vote,” he said.

Tyson, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and other state and local officials announced the plant earlier this month. Built outside the town of about 5,300 residents, the plant would employ 1,600 and was scheduled to open in mid-2019. Tyson said it needs the plant to keep up with a growing consumer demand for fresh poultry.

But the plant sparked an uproar by locals who criticized Tyson Foods’ environmental record and the idea of a large industrial agriculture complex coming to the area. About 2,500 people attended a rally Friday night to protest the plant.

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