The NYS DEC fined Great Lake Cheese for discharging hazardous materials into Ischua Creek. The investigation found that an August 2025 discharge poisioned fish and wildlife. A $475,000 corrective action was filed against Great Lakes Cheese.
The Order requires Great Lakes Cheese to complete extensive corrective actions to address violations, including detailed in-stream monitoring at the facility’s wastewater treatment plant operations; modifications to the wastewater treatment plant; implementation of plans to timely detect plant upsets to prevent a recurrence of the August 2025 discharge; actions to abate hydrogen sulfide exceedances from reoccurring; and the hiring of independent third parties approved by DEC to further ensure compliance with the terms of the Order, timely reporting of sampling data, and evaluating the design and operation of the biogas collection and control system to ensure compliance with the company’s Air State Facility permit.
Is that enough money? Sure seems a little light considering the amount of devastation caused.
When a company develops a process to neutralize waste discharge has the DEC reviewed the design? Were they at the first discharge to verify the data? Have they a plan to review the process over the next 3 months to insure compliance? Whats the follow up schedule. Do they have sufficient staff?
How often do they check other companies?
I too feel they penalty was light considering the damage.
I was wondering if there was information on what is being done to clean this up. Great Lakes Cheese should have known better. Considering they “took over from Cuba Cheese Company” who were located on Haskell Rd in South Cuba, NY. That location had not had this problem. Why? Because they knew what they were doing, and the owner lived in Cuba NY. Perhaps “GLC” needs to do more with their clean up. Ensure all the streams, inclusive, need to be tested. The Allegheny River is just down the road, and it reaches to the Mississippi, through Pittsburgh. Has PA looked into this. Also, the river runs through Salamanca NY, and recently I personally saw how high the river was, and flooding on the side of Wildwood area, near the bridge over the river – I don’t recall this area being flooded over the years. More needs to be addressed, before they are off the hook.