Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected poultry processor House of Raeford Inc.'s bid to stave off criminal charges accusing the North Carolina-based company of willfully releasing turkey remains into waterways in violation of federal clean water law.In 2009, a federal grand jury indicted House of Raeford and Raeford turkey processing plant manager Gregory Steenblock on charges of violation of the federal Clean Water Act. The indictment accused the company and Steenblock of knowingly bypassing the plant's water treatment system 14 times in 2005 and 2006, dumping turkey feathers, blood and internal organs into a municipal sewage treatment plant.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied the company's request to consider arguments that it can't be prosecuted because it already paid nearly $1 million in pollution fines and shouldn't be punished twice. The Supreme Court's decision means the case goes back to a federal district court in Winston-Salem for trial.
For more information, click here.
Posted 10/4/2011
