Wisconsin Cheese Group, LLC was fined $237,500 and sentenced to one year of probation in a Clean Water Act enforcement action. The sentence also requires the company to make improvements at its facility and to work closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on future permitting matters. The company pleaded guilty on June 4, and sentencing was imposed on August 13 by a federal magistrate judge.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, untreated wastewater from the company’s plant was released into the municipal sewer system on 19 days between June 6, 2022, and November 5, 2022. Officials said the releases occurred at the company’s facility in the community served by a publicly owned treatment system.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that the facility exceeded the biological oxygen demand limit in its permit by high margins during the period in question, including multiple discharges that were more than 1,500% above the limit. Authorities also stated that, at the time of the discharges, the company lacked specific controls to ensure compliance with its permit and did not adequately train employees on wastewater management.
Enforcement officials said the untreated industrial wastewater discharges disrupted the publicly owned wastewater treatment system on multiple occasions. The disruptions prompted further review and coordination among agencies overseeing compliance and permitting.
In issuing the sentence, the court described the violations as avoidable with better planning as the company increased production at its Monticello plant. The court’s order directs the company to implement measures aimed at preventing a recurrence and to work with regulators to align operations with permit requirements.
Company officials could not be reached for comment following the sentencing.
