Raeford, NC – A North Carolina poultry processing plant has been sentenced following a federal conviction for knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. House of Raeford Farms, Inc. was found guilty in August 2012 of deliberately circumventing wastewater treatment protocols, discharging contaminated effluent into the municipal system, and then concealing those actions from authorities.
According to court documents, House of Raeford employees routinely bypassed the facility’s pretreatment system, sending raw, untreated wastewater directly to the City of Raeford’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. This bypass occurred over a period of more than 16 months. The illicit discharge contained alarming contaminants, including blood, grease, and even discernible body parts from slaughtered turkeys. A former employee testified that operations continued despite warnings about the detrimental impact on the city’s treatment facility.
Deliberate Disregard for Regulations
The scheme wasn’t merely accidental; evidence presented at trial demonstrated a pattern of deliberate disregard for environmental regulations. Log books maintained by House of Raeford’s own wastewater operators documented the unauthorized bypasses, yet these records were never disclosed to the city. This occurred even while the company was under a consent order requiring the construction of a new pretreatment system and full compliance with existing permits. The City of Raeford’s plant is responsible for treating wastewater from residential, commercial, and industrial sources before discharging it into Rockfish Creek in Hoke County, placing an undue burden on the system.
Federal Investigation and Prosecution
The case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Federal prosecutors from the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section brought the charges, successfully arguing that House of Raeford knowingly violated the Clean Water Act. Ignacia S. Moreno, then Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting such offenses, stating the violations were “especially egregious.”
Sentencing and Penalties
On February 26, 2013, House of Raeford Farms, Inc. was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $150,000 federal fine, along with a $4,000 special assessment. The sentencing reflects the severity of the offenses and aims to deter similar misconduct. The company was convicted on ten counts of violating 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(2)(A), pertaining to knowingly violating the Clean Water Act, and 33 U.S.C. 1311(a), which addresses the discharge of pollutants without a permit.
Key Facts
- Defendant: House of Raeford Farms, Inc.
- Location: Raeford, North Carolina
- Crime: Clean Water Act violations, illegal discharge of pollutants
- Contaminants: Blood, grease, turkey parts
- Statutes Violated: 33 U.S.C. 1311(a) & 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(2)(A)
- Penalty: $150,000 fine, 2 years probation, $4,000 assessment
- Investigation: EPA-CID, NC SBI
“Publicly owned wastewater treatment plants must be protected from companies that cut corners by discharging wastewater illegally,” stated Maureen O’Mara, Special Agent in Charge of EPA Region 4. This case serves as a stark reminder that environmental compliance is not optional, and those who prioritize profit over the health of our waterways will be held accountable.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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