It's a disgrace that we're considering opening another new chicken processing plant in our area. Letters from readers cite serious concerns, and I applaud Bruce Ballantine for straightforwardly reminding us of specifics: "We are talking about slaughtering 335,000 birds every week.  There is blood, mortality, and wastewater, as well incredible air pollution."

Approximately 335,000 birds in one week, in one plant, is a staggering amount of killing!  Chicken plants, and the entire industry they are part of, are a real blight on our county. No one should have to kill for a living, and our residents and visitors should not to have to drive behind truckloads of innocent animals suffering on hot crowded trucks on their way to a gruesome death.

Many people have told me they deliberately avert their eyes or even drive in a different direction to avoid confronting this horrible scene.

These days the trend is towards meat made from plants instead of animals.  Even NASA has declared that by 2030 all meals served in space will be plant-based. No wonder that supporters including Twitter founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone are investing in "Beyond Meat" (already being served in at least one top Rehoboth restaurant), and garden-brand  "Meat-Free Crispy Fingers" and "Mandarin Orange Chick'n" are popular items in most of our major grocers.

Chicken plants, like other atrocities from the past, should be relegated "to the dustbin of history."

Patricia Haddock
Georgetown