Residents say illegal slaughtering at Highway 41A is fouling creek; county and state investigating

Residents and farmers told the Bedford County Commission during the public-comment period that an apparent slaughter operation near Highway 41A North is disposing of animal remains in a creek and creating noxious odors and pests for neighbors.

"They were dumping remains into the into the creek," said Jeremy Henderson, a resident who asked commissioners to investigate. "You could see heads. You could see hides, sticking out of the ground."

The complaints centered on a property residents identified as 2985 Highway 41A North. Several speakers said the operation is sited in a former horse barn and that carcasses, guts and other remains have been buried too shallowly or otherwise allowed to run into an adjacent waterway that feeds the Duck River.

Why it matters: residents said the site is near private homes and supplies to downstream livestock and drinking-water sources. Neighbors described strong odors, large numbers of vultures and flies, and disruption to daily…