Austin J. DeCoster

From dKosopedia

Category: Agriculture

Austin J. 'Jack' DeCoster runs a series of large animal confinement operations (hog lots) and egg plants in Iowa, Maine and Ohio. His companies have been cited repeatedly for violating enviromental, workplace and immigration laws.

Recent News

• In June 2000, he became Iowa's first Habitual Violator of environmental laws, and was fined $150,000.
• The DeCosters paid $1.5 million in fines to the EEOC in 2003 to resolve complaints of sexual harassment and rape by supervisors.
• DeCoster plead guilty to federal immigration violations and agreed to pay a record $2,125,000 civil fine to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August 2003.
• In June 2006, a raid found 36 illegal workers at a DeCoster egg plant in Clarion, Iowa.
• In December 2006, the Ohio Agriculture Dept. revoked the operating permits of Ohio Fresh Eggs, because the firm failed to disclose that DeCoster was involved with daily operations. (Source: "Egg Firm Misstated DeCoster Link", DesMoines Register, Dec. 3, 2006, p.4D.)
• In September 2007, a raid found 51 illegal immigrant workers at a DeCoster egg plant in Wright County, Iowa. (Source: Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept. 14, 2007, p. 5B.)
• August 2010 - Wright County Egg, a company controlled by DeCoster, recalled over 300 million eggs that had been contaminated by salmonella. (Source: "Wright Egg Owner has Troubled History", Cedar Rapids Gazette, Aug. 28, 2010, p.1)

External Links

• DeCoster to be Classified as First "Habitual Violator" - Iowa Attorney General's office
• EEOC Annual Report for 2003
• DeCoster pleads guilty to immigration violations
• Raid Nabs 36 Illegal Workers
• You Could Have Had Ed Fallon - a good summary of DeCoster's record from the State 29 blog.
• Egg recall not first problem for DeCoster operations - by Anderw Zajac, LA Times, Aug. 27, 2010