NEW BERLIN – Following up a a number of odor complaints from local residents, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has warned the AgroFarma plant in New Berlin to take steps to improve the air and water quality of its generated waste or face daily fines.
The company makes Chobani brand yogurt at the site and has generated a larger than usual amount of milk and water waste in the last year as a result of increasing production and demand for its product, said DEC spokeswoman Diane Carlton.
“We aren’t looking to hurt any local business. We don’t want anyone to lose their job. We want to work with the company so we can both come up with a plan that’s best for the local community,” said Carlton.
According to New York State law, the agency could fine the yogurt plant up to $37,500 per day for each water quality violation, and between $375 and $15,000 per day for each air quality violation.
However, Carlton said she didn’t believe that was going to happen anytime soon as long as the company was working with the DEC on a plan to solve the issue.
In a letter sent to AgroFarma on April 21, Carlton said the agency was looking at two main points of concern. The first was the immediate issue of reducing the odor of waste milk product. The company routinely hands out thousands of pounds of dairy waste product to local licensed farmers, who use the sour milk to fertilize their fields in manure spreaders. Carlton said this practice had led to the DEC receiving about 10 complaints from local residents between August and January, she said.
After visiting the site to investigate the complaints, DEC officials raised concern over the local plant’s increased waste water generation.
Carlton said the company had its own water treatment facility at the plant which was processing waste water beyond its allowed capacity – in violation of an issued state pollutant discharge elimination system permit. The permit regulates and restricts the limits of released waste water back into a natural water source based on the specifics of the plant, what chemicals are used and other considerations.
