A judge in Sussex County, Delaware, heard a case October 13 where opponents and proponents of a proposed Allen Harim poultry plant say the county’s land-use board let the poultry company take shortcuts in getting the proposed plant approved. Allen Harim wants to convert the former Vlasic pickle plant in Millsboro, Delaware, into a plant where it could process a small breed of chicken that is popular for use in a ginseng stew.
Judge Richard Stokes has 90 days to render a decision on the case, according to a report from Delaware Public Media.
Leading the opposition of the proposed plant was the local environmental group Protecting Our Indian River. The organization’s lawyer, Richard Abbott, said the Sussex County board had no jurisdiction to approve the Allen Harim plant because it did not provide notice and allow input from the public and other government agencies.
Allen Harim’s attorney, Robert Gibbs, however, argued that the public did have an opportunity to comment.
Allen Harim, which had been considering the former pickle plant as a site for a new poultry plant since early 2013, announced recently that it had purchased the plant from Vlasic’s parent company, Pinnacle Foods. It is presently being used as a warehouse and storage facility.
