By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
FRANKLINVILLE — Great Lakes Cheese Co. has been hit with a $475,000 fine by the state Department of Environmental Conservation for discharges into Ischua Creek in early August blamed for killing tens of thousands of fish and other aquatic life.
The fine was announced Monday by DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, who visited Franklinville to talk with Great Lakes Cheese Co. officials and others about the significant impact the discharges had to the creek and how to correct the problem.
Lefton said $150,000 of the fine would go toward an “environmental benefit project for the community.” The order on consent to DEC presented to Great Lakes Cheese includes corrective actions.
In a statement issued by Great Lakes Cheese, the company apologized “to everyone affected” and stated it “realizes that the impacts on Ishcua Creek created significant concerns across the community, including among our neighbors, customers and our hard-working Franklinville employee-owners.”:
A company spokesman said, “As a result of our agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, we will soon begin the process of re-starting our discharge under a controlled process. We will be doing so in compliance with all state and federal regulatory requirements.”
The spokesman said, “Thanks to our close collaboration with the DEC throughout the last several weeks, we are pleased to be moving forward in a positive direction. We recognize the need to work every day to earn the trust of our stakeholders and community.
“Great Lakes Cheese remains committed to maintaining environmentally responsible operations that support more than 500 local employee-owners, dozens of New York family dairies, and the broader Farmersville and Franklinville communities, the company statement added.”
In her statement, Lefton said, “The enforcement requires significant operational changes and full compliance with water quality, air quality, and chemical and petroleum requirements, enhanced real-time water quality monitoring to further protect Ischua Creek, and other actions closely overseen by DEC to ensure effective implementation.”
“Great Lakes Cheese violated the environmental laws and permits in place to protect the region’s precious natural resources and under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s direction, DEC took quick and decisive action to hold the company accountable,” 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 commissioner said.
DEC confirmed that individual water supplies were not impacted by the Great Lakes Cheese discharge into Ischua Creek.
The creek remains off-limits for recreational use including fishing and any boating. It’s not clear how far downstream the contamination extended. Dead fish were seen as far south as the Five Mile Road bridge and the DEC sampled the creek as far south as Hastings Road in the town of Olean.
“DEC also intends to pursue a Natural Resources Damage claim against Great Lakes Cheese, as warranted, to ensure restoration of the impacted section of Ischua Creek,” Lefton said.
The commissioner also said, “The consent order addresses the numerous violations connected to the Ischua Creek impacts and earlier violations assessed in June and July 2025. DEC required a total civil penalty of $475,000 — $250,000 paid to DEC and $75,000 suspended pending compliance with the terms and conditions of the Order and an environmental benefit project valued at $150,000.”
The consent 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,” according to the DEC statement.
“Resumption of GLC’s wastewater treatment plant, expected imminently and under DEC oversight, is contingent on the discharge fully meeting the stringent SPDES permit limits and the interim limits set forth in the Order on Consent,” Lefton stated.
During the state’s two-month investigation, DEC and the state Department of Health evaluated the Great Lakes Cheese discharges and found no impact to drinking water.
“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,” Lefton said.
“DEC will require strict adherence to the schedule of compliance under the Order and continue rigorous oversight of the Great Lakes Cheese facility while required work is performed,” the statement said. “Violations of any provision of the Order, or future violations of applicable environmental laws or permits by Great Lakes Cheese will result in further enforcement.”
DEC will continue to keep the public informed through updates and other information that will be posted at the Great Lakes Cheese Ischua Creek webpage.
