Judge rejects pork plants speed up Josh Funk Associated Press FacebookTwitterEmail A federal judge has thrown out a rule allowing pork plants to speed up production lines because the U.S. Department of Agriculture didn’t properly consider the risks to workers before the rule was issued in 2019. Union officials praised the ruling because they say faster line speeds at pork plants increase the risk of injuries for workers.Michael Conroy | AP A federal judge has thrown out a rule allowing pork plants to speed up production lines because the U.S. Department of Agriculture didn’t properly consider the risks to workers.