DEC Orders Great Lakes Cheese to Pay $475,000 and Implement Corrective Actions Following Ischua Creek Discharge

(WNY News Now) – FRANKLINVILLE, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has ordered Great Lakes Cheese (GLC) in Franklinville, Cattaraugus County, to pay $475,000 in penalties and take extensive corrective actions after a wastewater discharge in August 2025 caused a significant fish and wildlife die-off in Ischua Creek.

Under a consent order announced by DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, Great Lakes Cheese must undertake major operational improvements, enhanced real-time water quality monitoring, and strict compliance with state environmental regulations. The enforcement also includes a $150,000 Environmental Benefit Project to support local environmental restoration efforts.

“Great Lakes Cheese violated the environmental laws and permits in place to protect the region’s precious natural resources and under Governor Kathy Hochul’s direction, DEC took quick and decisive action to hold the company accountable,” Commissioner Lefton said. ”DEC’s enforcement action not only secures a large fine but also requires a project that will benefit environmental quality in the community and help it heal from the significant loss of tens of thousands of fish and other aquatic species. I applaud DEC staff and our partners for the diligent chronicling of creek impacts, collaborating on requirements to bring operations into compliance and help local farmers, and continuing our stringent oversight of the facility.”

The DEC investigation, initiated under Governor Kathy Hochul’s direction, determined that the discharge resulted from a catastrophic operational failure at the GLC facility. In addition to the $475,000 penalty—of which $250,000 is payable to DEC and $75,000 suspended pending compliance—the agency intends to pursue a Natural Resources Damage claim to restore the affected section of Ischua Creek.

The Order mandates extensive corrective measures, including:

Continuous in-stream water quality monitoring at the wastewater treatment plant.
Upgrades to wastewater treatment operations and biogas collection systems.
Implementation of early-warning systems to detect potential upsets.
Independent third-party oversight of compliance and reporting.
Actions to prevent hydrogen sulfide exceedances and other air quality violations.

Resumption of the plant’s wastewater operations will only occur under DEC supervision and after meeting strict discharge limits established in the Order and under the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit.

Prior inspections by DEC earlier in 2025 had already identified air, water, and chemical storage violations, leading to several Notices of Violation issued in June and July. While these prior violations did not impact Ischua Creek, they contributed to the state’s heightened oversight of the facility.

The DEC, in collaboration with the Departments of Health, Agriculture and Markets, Labor, and Transportation, also evaluated potential impacts to drinking water and found none. State agencies continue to work with Great Lakes Cheese and regional farmers to mitigate economic impacts and protect local jobs in the dairy industry.

The DEC emphasized that continued noncompliance or future violations by Great Lakes Cheese could lead to further enforcement. Updates and ongoing public information regarding the case will be available on the DEC Great Lakes Cheese Ischua Creek webpage.