Vermont dairy processing facility fined $210,000 for alleged wastewater violations
Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark announced on July 30, 2025, a settlement with St. Albans Creamery (the Creamery) over alleged violations at its milk and dairy processing facility in St. Albans. The State found the Creamery violated its pretreatment permit for industrial wastewater discharges on multiple occasions by discharging substantial amounts of raw milk and cream to the St. Albans wastewater treatment facility. The settlement includes a civil penalty for accountability and deterrence and on-the-ground actions at the facility to prevent future violations.
“We all treasure our environment and natural resources in Vermont. Environmental permits are designed to protect our natural resources,” said Attorney General Clark in a press release. “I am very pleased that St. Albans Creamery has made a commitment to take the necessary actions to prevent further harmful discharges of raw milk wastes.”
The Creamery holds a pretreatment permit from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The permit is designed to “pre” treat industrial wastewater from the dairy processing facility before it goes to the St. Albans wastewater treatment facility. From 2021 to 2024, the Agency found the Creamery had multiple violations of its permit. These included substantial discharges of raw milk and cream to the wastewater treatment facility, causing interference with the wastewater facility and impacting Stevens Brook, a tributary of Lake Champlain. Others included violations of flow limits, pH violations, exceedances of biological oxygen demand and phosphorus limits, and inadequate staffing.
To settle the alleged violations, the Creamery will pay a civil penalty of $210,500 and implement corrective actions, including a compliance plan with engineering and construction requirements for an upgrade to the pretreatment system.
The proposed settlement was filed in Franklin Superior Court on July 28, 2025. It is posted on the Attorney General’s Office for 21 days, available here. After the court signs the settlement, it will become a court order.