The Great Lakes Cheese facility located in Franklinville. Photo courtesy of greatlakescheese.com

FRANKLINVILLE – The Great Lakes Cheese facility has been ordered by the state Department of Environmental Conservation to pay nearly half a million dollars in fines and to take corrective action on the harmful discharge the company expelled into Ischua Creek.

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton made an announcement Monday, saying Great Lakes Cheese will be issued a fine totaling $475,000. Of the fine total, $250,000 must be paid directly to the DEC, $75,000 is pending suspension based on completing terms and conditions, and $150,000 must be put towards an environmental benefits project. The facility will also be ordered to complete an extensive list of corrective actions, according to Lefton. Required actions include extensive in-stream monitoring, modifications to the wastewater treatment plant, implementing plans to more quickly detect problems within the plant, preventing excessive future levels of hydrogen sulfide, hiring DEC-approved third parties to ensure compliance, timelines to report sampling data, and system evaluations to ensure compliance with the company’s air state facility permit.

Great Lakes Cheese is expected to resume operations of the wastewater treatment facility shortly, but will be under DEC supervision and contingent on compliance. This is an effort to ensure the company is obeying the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit as well as the conditions presented in the order of consent from the DEC.

State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, said he is pleased with the quick and responsive action of the DEC. Borrello Borello noted that it is encouraging to know that portions of the fine will contribute toward projects to improve local environmental conditions. Borrello also praised workers at the DEC for taking quick action against these violations and reminding all businesses of the responsibility of protecting natural resources. These actions taken by the DEC are the crucial first steps in a long process of undoing environmental damage and rebuilding community trust, Borrello said.

“We appreciate the Department of Environmental Conservation’s transparency in handling this matter and Great Lakes Cheese’s cooperation in addressing the violations and strengthening its operations. Accountability, transparency, and a genuine commitment to improvement are essential to ensuring this type of incident does not happen again,” Borrello said. .

Prior to the discharge violation in August, the DEC issued four Notices of Violations for air, water, petroleum bulk storage, and chemical bulk storage violations. While these prior violations did not cause any adverse impacts to the creek, it shows a history of non-compliance with regulations. During the DEC and Department of Health investigations there was an evaluation to determine if there were any impacts to drinking water in the region, which luckily found no negative impacts. The DEC also took measures to make sure facility workers and farmers would not be harmed by any actions.

“DEC also collaborated with the State Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Labor, and Transportation to swiftly engage the facility and regional agricultural stakeholders to help protect the approximately 500 jobs at the facility and significantly minimize impacts to area farmers and other agricultural stakeholders due to the plant’s importance to the regional dairy industry,” said in a statement from the press office of the DEC.

The DEC will continue a close oversight of the facility and will ensure a strict adherence to the rules of compliance. The press office noted that any future violations of the order, or of regulations as a whole, will result in the further enforcement of punishment.

Public updates and information will continue to be posted at dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/facilities-in-your-neighborhood/great-lakes-cheese-ischua-creek.