A representative from Smithfield Foods' corporate office appeared before the Monmouth city council to address a string of recent crises at the local pork processing plant, from the death of a worker to widespread odor complaints and graphic photos of plant conditions circulating on social media.
Jim Monroe, vice president for corporate affairs, said 44-year-old Patou Mpinda was a valued and respected worker at the Monmouth plant.
Mpinda, a Congolese immigrant and Monmouth resident, was pronounced dead around 2:31 a.m. Monday, Sept 14, following a work-related incident.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family during this incredibly difficult time for them," Monroe said. "Since the incident, we have remained in close contact with the family and we've been working to provide support in meaningful ways."
Monroe said members of Smithfield's Monmouth plant have visited with Mpinda's family, helped coordinate benefits, and have connected them with available resources. Employees also organized a fundraiser to support Mpinda's wife and children.
Monroe said Smithfield has offered to pay the family's childcare expenses in the coming months.
He acknowledged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation into Mpinda's death.
"We have not received any findings or determinations and it would be inappropriate for us to speculate on the outcome of that. Right now our focus is on supporting the family, supporting our employees, and ensuring cooperation with the investigation," Monroe said.
The cause of Mpinda's death has not been released.
TSPR confirmed at least one other work-related death has occurred at the plant in its history. In January 1971, when the plant was owned by Wilson-Sinclair, 44-year-old Jack McKee died from head injuries.
An inquest determined McKee died following an incident related to a conveyor that moved carcasses in the plant.
Company: 'This was not a walkout'
The Monmouth plant is the largest employer in the region. The plant was constructed in the 1960s by Agar Packing. It has been owned by Smithfield since 2003 when the company bought Farmland Foods out of bankruptcy.
The Monmouth plant has the capacity to slaughter more than 10,000 hogs a day.
Prior to Mpinda's death, a city-wide boil order suspended operations for a couple of days. In addition, problems with the plant's wastewater treatment system required the plant to temporarily suspend rendering operations.
On the morning of Mpinda's death, the plant had a delayed start but resumed regular operations.
Multiple news outlets have reported that hundreds of workers walked out that day.
Monroe told the Monmouth city council that is not true. He said employees were informed of the loss of their coworker, and that every employee was given the option to take the day off without penalty.
"Some chose to do so while others chose to work. This was not a walkout," Monroe said. "Employees exercised their individual choice about how to best respond while balancing their personal circumstances and responsibilities to their families."
Waste cleaned up, air quality to improve
Photos circulating on social media in the last week show hog carcasses stacked in piles, bins overflowing with waste, and standing liquid in parts of the plant. A stench circulating in the air has been described as the worst Monmouth residents have ever experienced.
Monroe said the odor stems from technical failures in the plant's wastewater treatment system that forced Smithfield to temporarily suspend rendering operations and created a backlog of waste material.
"The underlying technical issues have since been resolved. The material has been removed and their area has been cleaned," Monroe said. "And I would expect that you will begin to see consistent improvement in that area."
Tim Messman, a Smithfield vice president responsible for management of the Monmouth plant, said workers loaded the backlogged material into covered roll-off containers and the plant expects all remaining waste to be off-site by the end of the week.
Smithfield is working with 30 outside contractors to install backup pumps and upgrade equipment to better filter wastewater, according to plant management.
Messman, who said he doesn't use Facebook, pushed back on the social media photos showing plant conditions.
"Everything that I have seen in those pictures that have been presented to me, those are all areas that have been completely cleaned up," Messman said. "And in a good number of those situations, we had to clean them up just to operate. It was a one-day situation that had to be cleaned up."
Still, the company recognizes that recent incidents at the Monmouth plant have impacted community confidence.
"The concerns being voiced by residents are understandable and we take them very seriously. Most importantly, we are committed to being transparent, responsive, and accountable," said Monroe.
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