On March 14, a federal judge ruled in favor of the USDA to allow fee-for-service inspections to horsemeat processing plants despite efforts of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal rights groups to prevent the inspections and thus close the plants.

The USDA implemented the fee-for-service inspections on March 10 after the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill eliminated funding for the inspections through October of 2006. (For more information on the fee-for-service plan see www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=6687.) The HSUS filed suit against the USDA in February claiming the fee-for-service inspections were in violation of the congressional intent of the agricultural spending bill.

United States District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly dismissed the majority of the suit with the exception of allegations neighboring residents near the there plants suffer negative environmental consequences from the plant’s operation. Any action resulting from these allegations will be decided at a later date. Kollar-Kotelly also rejected the group’s request for a temporary injunction to halt horse slaughter until a decision was made on the pending suit.

A joint statement from animal rights groups involved in the suit said, “We will continue our efforts to enforce the clear legislative mandate to stop horse slaughter for the 2006 fiscal year, either by proceeding on the merits of the case or by seeking an appeal