For Release: Friday, October 16, 2009
Felony Charges Filed Against Great Lakes Kraut and Manager
Both Great Lakes Kraut, LLC, and its former Shortsville plant manager James Mulholland, 49, were charged with two felonies for illegally discharging polluted wastewater and falsifying records, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Director Paul D'Amato announced today.
Following a lengthy investigation, Environmental Conservation Investigators Jeffrey Lamphier and Christopher Didion, with Environmental Conservation Officer Dawn Galvin, with the assistance of Orangeburg Police, arrested Mulholland, of Orangeburg, NY, on Oct. 13. Both the company and the former plant manager are charged with two class E felonies.
Mulholland was arraigned at Manchester Town Court and released Oct. 14 from the Ontario County Jail on bail.
Lt. Richard Thomas, of the Department's Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigations, said, "We are charged with the protection of New York's water resources, not only for fish and wildlife, but also for public health and safety. This case serves as an example of our efforts to monitor industry and hold them and their employees accountable when intentional violations of the Environmental Conservation law occur."
Environmental Conservation Officer John Dobies began the investigation, which originated with several odor complaints at the facility. The charges allege that in July 2008 the processing plant, under Mulholland's direction, illegally discharged polluted wastewater into the Canandaigua Outlet in violation of their water SPDES (State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit. The following September, Mulholland submitted a falsified Discharge Monitoring Report to DEC.
Great Lakes Kraut, LLC, is based in Wisconsin and operates manufacturing facilities in Shortsville, NY, and Bear Creek, Wis., and produces and processes sauerkraut products.
