A slaughterhouse on Old Richmond Road that has been dumping blood into ditches, leaving rotting animal parts on the ground and in improperly refrigerated containers, has to pay $20,000 in civil penalties as part of a settlement reached with the Harris County Attorney’s Office, it was announced today.
Half the money will go to the state, the other half to Harris County.
County Attorney Vince Ryan’s office began investigating Texas Farm Fresh Halal Meat after the Harris County Pollution Control Services Department received complaints about the operation. According to Ryan’s office, the overburdened septic sewer system was clogged and drains weren’t being maintained.
In addition to paying court costs and attorneys’ fees, Irfan Sheikh, the owner of Texas Farm Fresh Halal Meat, agreed to immediately fix his company’s sewage system and sanitation practices, including installing and maintaining drain caps. The refrigerated waste containers must be made “varmint-proof.”
Under the halal process of butchering meat, all blood is drained from the animal carcass. By terms of the judgment, if Texas Farm Fresh Halal does discharge waste into the water, it will have to notify the Harris County Pollution Control Services Department within 24 hours.
This article appears in May 5-11, 2016.
