Columbia Packing Owner Indicted For Pig Blood Pollution
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Oak Cliff slaughter house shut down by the city for dumping pig blood into the Trinity River has been indicted on criminal charges.
The Columbia Packing Company was shuttered nearly a year ago. An amateur photographer who rigged a camera onto a remote-control plane discovered the blood while taking pictures of a nearby trail.
MORE: Columbia Packing Company Investigation
Inspectors found the pig blood flowing from the plant into a creek that dumped into the Trinity River.
The company had denied any wrongdoing, but Wednesday a Dallas County grand jury indicted the company and two of its officers on charges of dumping pig blood into the Trinity River.
The grand jury signed off on 18 indictments against the meatpacking company, including criminal claims against the two men tied to the business.
>>CLICK HERE to read the full indictment<<
Councilman Dwaine Caraway said Columbia refused to work with the city to solve the problem, so the city closed slaughterhouse part of the plant.
Caraway called the indictments appropriate. "If it were not a total disregard for the law, there wouldn't be the indictments. The evidence proves they disregarded, disrespected, bullied the community."
The company faces massive fines. Former owner Joseph Ondrusek and his vice president Donny Ondrusek both face water pollution and evidence tampering physical evidence charges.
Neighbors say foul odors coming from the area stopped as soon as that happened. The charges against the company carry fines of up to $250,000 dollars. The two officers could face jail time as well.
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