Lawsuit: Slaughterhouse letting blood leak into drainage ditch

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Harris County and the state of Texas are suing an area slaughterhouse that has allegedly allowed blood to drain into a nearby drainage ditch.

The suit is filed against Irfan Sheikh, doing business as Texas Farm Fresh Halal Meat. The business is located in the 13200 block of Old Richmond Road.

According to court documents, authorities were first alerted to the situation by a tip on December 31, 2012 claiming "there is bloody water emanating from a nearby slaughterhouse and (it) is pooling in the parking lot ... and ... has also flowed onto the street."

A Harris County Pollution Control Services Department investigator responded and allegedly found "500 gallons" of blood in the roadside ditch in front of the business. She also apparently saw a several pools of blood flowing from the site to a neighboring property at a lower elevation. According still to the lawsuit, that investigator measured the rate at which the blood was flowing to be a quarter gallon per minute.

Over the next two years, investigators say they visited the facility seven times, repeatedly finding what they say were issues with storage and disposal of processed animals. In September 2013, an investigator observed a liquid that appeared to be "animal juices" leaking from a container used for cold storage of animal parts. The temperature inside was reportedly 72 degrees and the investigator described the order existing as "nauseating."

Texas Farm Fresh Halal Meat was issued several violations as a result of the ongoing investigation.

Mohammed Sheikh, who identifies himself as brother of the owner, says they have done nothing wrong. He says they were never cited and claims investigators cannot prove where the blood was coming from.

Irfan Sheikh did not directly respond to our request for comment.