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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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10

Worker Told Bosses: We Need to Clean This Place

'I did see roaches and rodents,' employee says

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(Newser) – At least one employee alerted management to the sanitation problems at a Georgia peanut plant linked to the deadly salmonella outbreak, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. “I used to tell them all of the time, ‘We need to shut down and really clean this place,’” said Anne Bristow, a sanitation worker at Peanut Corp of America. “I did see roaches and rodents.”

The company's own tests found salmonella a dozen times in the last 2 years, but it wasn't required to notify the feds. That's a "gaping loophole," Sen. Tom Harkin complained yesterday. Georgia's Saxby Chambliss, meanwhile, criticized the CDC for taking too long to identify the problem and notify states. “Y’all have got to figure out some way to speed up this process,” he said.

In this Jan. 29, 2009 file photo, an Early County, Ga. Sheriff's car sits parked in front of the the Peanut Corporation of America processing plant in Blakely, Ga.
In this Jan. 29, 2009 file photo, an Early County, Ga. Sheriff's car sits parked in front of the the Peanut Corporation of America processing plant in Blakely, Ga.   (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
An Early County (Ga.) Sheriff's Deputy leaves the the Peanut Corporation of America processing plant in Blakely, Ga., Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009.
An Early County (Ga.) Sheriff's Deputy leaves the the Peanut Corporation of America processing plant in Blakely, Ga., Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
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I used to tell them all of the time, ‘We need to shut down and really clean this place.’ I did see roaches and rodents, but was it bad enough that I’d pick up my coat and leave? No.
- Anne Bristow, Peanut Corp. of America

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10 comments
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Ryan
Feb 6, 09 12:36 PM CST
I'm surprised Mr. Peanut Jimmy Carter hasn't sounded off about this yet. I wish he were involved somehow and we could lock him up in a 4x4 cell for the rest of his miserable life. Reply
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Caps
Feb 6, 09 12:39 PM CST
Ryan, you are a cold blooded hate monger. What has Jimmy Carter done to you? Maybe we should lock up Georgie Boy for all his lies, and misdeeds. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Newser001
Feb 6, 09 1:45 PM CST
Word up on the street - 'Boy-George" is GW's new handle. What do yah say, Ryan...? OR maybe feed us some them there Bushim's... The economy is only in our head's... That there's good stuff for our economy... Tells us how his numbers is up... How the entire Nation backed him and his party... That all this was a simple misunderstanding - Just like Florida was with Gore v GW.
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IN RESPONSE:
Newser001
Feb 6, 09 2:19 PM CST
"The 2000 election was a coup d'etat, a systemic corruption of our voting system, devised by Karl Rove." Imagine if GW HAD lost... The Republican Party hadn't circumvented OUR Constitution in the electoral process (see HBO's 'RECOUNT' on DVD - 'Brilliant' - NY Post, 'Gripping' - Entertainment Weekly, 'Powerful' - Daily Variety), what type of economy / world we'd be living in, today...? You owe yourself the perspective... View it, so we'll never-ever allow such a thing to ever happen in this Country ever again.
Vote up! Vote down!
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Ryan
Feb 6, 09 12:47 PM CST
You're right we got Regan out of the deal so in all honesty I should thank Obama Sr. I mean Mr Carter. We can only hope we'll be that lucky again. Reply
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