Lawyer representing victims of salmonella outbreak finds leaks, holes in Texas peanut plant
April 22 2009
An attorney representing victims of the salmonella outbreak says he saw leaks and openings animals could crawl into while touring a Peanut Corp. of America processing plant in Texas.
State inspectors had found dead rodents in the plant in Plainview shortly after it closed Feb. 9.
Attorney Bill Marler toured the plant Wednesday with several experts, mainly looking at the structure of the plant. A lawyer for the company, which has filed for bankruptcy, didn’t immediately return a call Wednesday.
Marler will tour the company’s plant Thursday in Blakely, Ga., which was at the heart of the salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds and was linked to the deaths of at least nine people.
Peanut Corp. was fined $14.6 million earlier this month by Texas regulators.