Anti-Triumph plant rally draws a crowd, including RiverStone's Imler

Barb Ickes reports on the recent gathering in Barstow of opponents of the proposed Triumph Pig Plant and those who simply wanted to "learn", as Bob Imler, president of RiverStone, the corporation which owns the wetland property upon which the vast plant is to be built said he was there to do.

Better late than never, I guess.

The signs in the parking lot made clear the purpose of the rally: "We can do better than hogs," one sign read.

"(East Moline Mayor John) Thodos 1-term mayor," another read.

Residents living near the site of a soon-to-be-built hog-processing plant in East Moline are spending much of the weekend rallying for change. They hope to submit affidavits to the Illinois governor’s office, demanding an environmental impact study on the land that will be used for Triumph Foods’ new pork processing plant.

A rally was held all day Saturday at the Archery Zone on Barstow Road near the future site of the plant. Today, there will be an informational meeting from 1-5 p.m. at the Boulevard, 1801 10th St., Moline.
...
Norris, who also lives off Barstow Road, said his purpose is to educate his neighbors about specific concerns related to the hog plant.

"We know that 244 semi trucks will be going along (Barstow Road) every day," he said. "That'll affect air quality."

"There’s not a good plan in place for a waste-water treatment plant," he said. "Hog waste is 110 times harder to break down than human waste."

He also worries about area wildlife, he said, including the hundreds of migratory birds that flock to the two lakes across Barstow Road from the Triumph site. Endangered mussels live in a creek that follows the property, and neighbors also worry about what will happen to their property values.

"How can you get $16 million from the government for 1,000 jobs when, at the same time, you’re destroying 400 homes?" he asked.

At least one of the people who appeared at Saturday’s rally has a different kind of interest in the project. RiverStone Group Inc. owns the land on which Triumph plans to build, and the company’s spokesman, Bob Imler, attended the rally.

"I'm just learning," he said earlier in the day. "I'm looking forward to hearing the speakers — to what they have to say."