Imperial Valley Update: All-American Canal, E. Coli

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published December 18, 2006 at 7:55 AM PST

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

We speak with the editor of Imperial Valley Press about the All-American Canal, the controversial plans to build a sludge plant in Niland, and how the Taco Bell E. coli scare is affecting farmers.

Tom Fudge: Earlier this month, dozens of people who ate at Taco Bell in several Eastern states became very sick. The cause was E. coli bacteria. And health officials have determined it came from contaminated lettuce used at the restaurants. This has caused some consternation in the Imperial Valley which produces a very large percentage of the nation’s winter lettuce.

All lettuce growers need is another E. coli scare that could put the whole country off a crop that’s vitally important to the region. Fear of a lettuce scare is one of the stories we’re talking about in our latest Imperial Valley update. Guest

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Brad Jennings, editor of the Imperial Valley Press.