Ray Hilburn, deputy commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, said the waste violation conditions at New Pilgrim's Pride New York Farm at Springhill are the worst he has ever seen.

“I've been in this business for a long time and this is, without a doubt, the biggest mess that I've ever seen - hurricanes, tornadoes - the worst ever.”

The waste violations occurred Thursday night, Aug. 9, when two of the breeder houses were being cleaned by an individual waste remover from Samson.

There had apparently been a leak in the watering system in the houses for some time, causing the manure to liquef.,

Hilburn said when the waste was removed it ran down the slope away from the houses, continued through the drain on County Road 3314 and onto the property of Kara Hackel.

“When we came home Thursday night there was chicken manure in the driveway to our house, about 200 feet of it, and we couldn't get the car down the drive,” Hackel said. “The manure was seeping all along the side of the drive in the drainage ditch. The smell was awful.”