The U.S. Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposed rule to increase line speeds at poultry-processing plants.
The rule, a holdover policy from the Trump administration, would allow poultry processors to operate at slaughter speeds of up to 175 birds per minute, up from the standard rate of 140.
Worker safety groups for years lobbied the USDA to reject the policy, claiming it was unsafe for plant workers. Meanwhile, supporters argued that blocking the rule would hamstring the U.S. poultry industry.
The Biden administration withdrew the rule a few days after the inauguration.
Ashley Peterson, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs with the National Chicken Council, said in a written statement that this action was standard and done by every incoming administration.
"[They] issue a temporary regulatory freeze to assess all rulemakings currently under way, review them in light of administration priorities, and then decide whether to move forward," she said. "We are hopeful that it will move forward."
Worker advocates applauded the move, saying that faster line speeds would only lead to more worker injuries and further covid-19 outbreaks.