Citizens Against Project Sunset · Tonganoxie, Kansas Email: CAPSTongie@gmail.com · Facebook · Twitter
Dense flock of white chickens with bright red combs crowded together inside a poultry barn, a red feeder line running across the frame, harsh industrial lighting and a crowded, tense atmosphere

No Tyson in Tongie

Tyson Still Wants Tongie

Join our community's fight to keep Tyson's poultry plans from destroying Leavenworth County's economy, environment and quality of life.

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What You Can Do

We are a group of committed Leavenworth County and Tonganoxie citizens strongly opposed to building the Tyson plant near Tonganoxie. Here are the three fastest ways to help.

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Funds go toward mailers, brochures, ads and a legal fund to keep Leavenworth County green. Donations can be made at Mutual Savings Association, FSA, or via PayPal.

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Sign up for email updates and let us know how you can volunteer to help stop Tyson in Leavenworth County.

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Find a Petition

Residents were not allowed to vote on the plan. Petitions and community meetings give ordinary citizens a way to be heard.

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Why We Oppose the Plant

The project was hidden from the public by state, county and city officials until it was in late-stage planning. Our group objects to the proposed facility on environmental, economic and contractual grounds.

  • Environmental pollution concerns near Tonganoxie and rural Leavenworth County
  • Potential drops in nearby property values
  • Unfair grower contracts for contract farmers
  • A slaughterhouse, hatchery and feed mill planned for one site
  • No vote for the residents who would live beside it

About Our Group

Large group of white chickens with red combs packed closely together in a barn interior, a red feeder line running through the frame, dim industrial lighting and a crowded atmosphere
White chickens densely packed in a poultry barn interior with red feeder equipment, muted blue industrial tones

Project "Sunset" by the Numbers

$320M
Announced investment in the plant
1,600
Jobs Tyson said it would employ
1.25M
Birds targeted for processing each week
4,200+
Facebook group members as of September 2017

Follow Us Online

News coverage, resident protest reporting and the growing supporter network — the fastest way to stay informed is social media.

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Facebook Group

Join the community conversation. The group had more than 4,200 members as of September 2017, and its Facebook page had some 1,400 likes.

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Twitter

Short updates on meetings, petitions and press coverage of the opposition effort.

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In The Press

Read the reporting on the effort adding supporters by the hundreds and on residents protesting the poultry plant.

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Explore the Site

Everything CAPS has published about the plant, the company, and how to take part.

Upcoming & Recent Community Events

Meetings listed by CAPS in the fall of 2017 where residents could speak up on the record.

DateEventTimeLocation
Saturday, October 7, 2017Kaw Valley Farm Tour7:00 AMAmy's Meats at the Homestead, 17967 23rd St, Lawrence, KS
Monday, October 9, 2017Leavenworth Board of County Commissioners Meeting9:00 AM300 Walnut Street, Suite 225, Leavenworth, KS
Monday, October 9, 2017Tonganoxie School Board Meeting6:00 PMTonganoxie Elementary School Library, 1180 S. East St, Tonganoxie, KS
Thursday, October 12, 2017Leavenworth Board of County Commissioners Meeting—300 Walnut Street, Suite 225, Leavenworth, KS

View All Events

People who voiced opposition expressed concerns about the possible environmental and health impacts of the facility as well as the possibility that the plant may change the community for the worse.

Reported by the Lawrence Journal-World, September 2017

No Tyson in Tongie is a community effort by Leavenworth County and Tonganoxie citizens who are deeply opposed to a proposed Tyson poultry processing plant near their town. Organizers argue the project would reshape the character of the area, bringing large-scale industrial operations into a place valued for its rural landscape, quiet roads and close-knit neighborhoods. The site serves as an information hub where residents can read about the plan, share news and signal their opposition collectively.

The campaign centers on the idea that the economic promises attributed to the plant are misleading. Supporters of the project describe jobs and investment, while opponents question whether the benefits would reach local workers in any lasting way. They point to the sheer scale of poultry processing, including slaughterhouse, hatchery and feed volumes, and wonder whether such an operation could be accommodated without changing the county's way of life.

Environmental concerns form a major part of the argument. Large poultry facilities require significant water and can generate waste, odor and air quality issues, along with runoff that may affect nearby streams and groundwater. Residents have raised worries about how noise, traffic and lighting would affect the closest locations and surrounding rural roads, and they have asked whether the promised quality of life for Leavenworth County families would actually be preserved or diminished.

Animal treatment is another theme emphasized throughout the site's material. Critics question the ethics of large-scale broiler production and the treatment of birds within industrial systems they describe as inhumane. They also raise concerns about how such operations affect the broader community's values, including school resources and local civic life. For residents who feel the moral line is being crossed, voicing opposition becomes a matter of conscience as much as economics.

The site also outlines several concrete ways residents can participate. People can donate toward mailers, brochures, advertising and a legal fund intended to protect Leavenworth County, with contributions arranged through mutual savings association channels or online payment services. Others can sign up to volunteer, helping with canvassing, signage and event work. Additional pages cover press announcements, frequently asked questions, events, updates and ways to support the effort over time.

Those who wish to remain informed can follow announcements and updates as new information becomes available, and many readers choose to share the campaign with friends and neighbors to build momentum. Some supporters have chosen to write to decision makers, contact their local government representatives and submit public comments, ensuring that elected officials understand the depth of resident concern. Public comment opportunities and hearings are key moments where community opinion can be formally recorded.

The history of the surrounding area is often invoked as part of the case against the project. Tonganoxie and the wider county region have maintained a strong identity built on agriculture, small-town commerce and a valued sense of community, and residents are reluctant to see that identity replaced by a single industrial complex. The campaign argues that a poultry plant of this scale would represent a fundamental change in the county's character, and that such decisions deserve careful public scrutiny.

Opponents also raise questions about transparency and process. They want clarity on how the proposed complexes and associated infrastructure were planned, what studies were conducted, and which agencies reviewed them. Concerns have been expressed about declining local resources and whether commitments made during the review process would be honored once construction begins. For many residents, trust in the planning process is the foundation of any meaningful public decision.

Ultimately, No Tyson in Tongie frames the dispute as a choice about the future of Leavenworth County. The site's message is that the people who live in the area should have a voice in decisions that will define it for generations, and that their collective opinions carry weight when petitions, public comments and organized opposition are brought to bear. Community members are encouraged to learn, speak out, vote and take part in shaping what comes next.

Support the Fight

We need funds to get the word out with mailers, brochures and ads. We need a legal fund. We need any help you can give to keep Leavenworth County green.

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