At Least 2 Horse Meat Plants Possible In Wyoming

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A state lawmaker says at least two groups are considering opening horse slaughterhouses in Wyoming now that Congress has cleared the way for such operations.

State Rep. Sue Wallis is a Republican from Recluse and a member of the group United Horsemen, a non-profit group which supports horse slaughter. She said the group has set up a company to explore the possibility of opening a meat processing plant, possibly in Platte County.

Wallis told the Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/vQUMfx) that another group, from Riverton, has also talked to her about opening a plant.

Last month, Congress lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, making the opening of horse slaughterhouses possible. The last one that butchered horses closed in 2007 in Illinois.