Southwest Missouri News--Southwest City

by Carol Harris

After spending a large part of the first of the year closed because of a leak in its Southwest City treatment facility, Simmons Foods is beginning a new strategy in the plant.

Earlier this month, the company unveiled a new "holistic" environmental plan that will cover all areas of environmental protection.

The new plan, called LAW (Land, Air and Water), is a total commitment to environmental quality, said Mark Simmons, company chairman.

The company also announced its plans to invest $2 million in the Southwest City wastewater plant.

This is part of a nearly $7 million capital expenditure plan. Almost $4 million will be spent on improving air quality.

This will be done through purchasing an efficient feather-hydrolyzing machine, which will allow for better ventilation and odor relief.