“The penalties announced against Great Lakes Cheese underscore the seriousness of the environmental harm to Ischua Creek and its surrounding ecosystem. This outcome serves as an important reminder of the responsibility all businesses share in protecting our natural resources.

It is encouraging that a portion of the penalty will support a local environmental project and that the company will contribute to the remediation of the creek. These steps, while necessary, represent the beginning of a long process of restoration and rebuilding trust with the community.

With significant improvements to its wastewater systems underway and a host of new monitoring plans in place, the company’s operations are expected to restart soon under strict oversight to ensure full compliance with environmental standards.

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.”