Franklin Foods agrees to pay civil penalties of $265,000 and implement corrective actions
Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a settlement with Franklin Foods, Inc. over alleged violations at its dairy and soy processing facility in Enosburg Falls, Vermont. The state found Franklin Foods violated its pretreatment permit on numerous occasions over several years, including releasing untreated effluent to the Enosburg Falls wastewater treatment facility. To settle the alleged violations, Franklin Foods will pay a civil penalty of $265,000 and implement a corrective action plan and revised waste management plan. Franklin Foods has already made progress on corrective actions.
The owner of Franklin Foods (Hochland Group, Germany) announced earlier this year that it is closing its two US plants, according to the St Albans Messenger, including this one and one in Arizona by the end of July. The cream cheese maker dates back to 1899, but was deemed not profitable enough. It employs about 100.
“I am pleased that Franklin Foods made a commitment to ensure proper treatment of dairy and soy waste products onsite,” said Attorney General Charity Clark. “Vermonters take pride in our pristine lakes and rivers, and protecting surface waters from contamination is crucial to the health of our environment.”
Franklin Foods holds a pretreatment discharge permit from the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). The permit requires Franklin Foods to treat industrial wastewater from its dairy and soy processing facility before sending the wastewater to the Enosburg Falls wastewater treatment facility.
Pretreatment discharge permits are designed to protect municipal wastewater treatment plants from damage, operational interference, and to protect Vermont surface waters by reducing pollutant levels from industrial/nondomestic sources by ensuring industrial wastewater is treated to remove harmful substances before entering municipal sewer systems.
“Businesses that generate industrial wastewater have a clear responsibility to manage it properly before it enters our public sewer systems,” said Julie Moore, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. “This settlement reinforces the importance of strong oversight and timely corrective action to help protect both municipal infrastructure and the health of Vermont’s rivers and streams.”
In early 2019, Franklin Foods entered an Assurance of Discontinuance (AOD) with ANR related to violations of its permit between 2015 and 2018. Among other things, the AOD required that Franklin Foods comply with a plan designed to prevent further violations.
However, ANR found that Franklin Foods again violated its permit over several more years. Violations included numerous pH violations, exceedances of biological oxygen demand and phosphorus limits, failing to perform wastewater sampling, inadequate monitoring and reporting, insufficient lab practices, inadequate staffing, discharging untreated effluent, and failing to update the facility’s waste management plan.
The proposed settlement was filed in Franklin Superior Court on April 17, 2026, and entered by the Court on May 12, 2026.
Attorney General’s Office | 109 State Street | Montpelier, VT 05609-0101 | ago.vermont.gov
5.13.2026. MONTPELIER, Vt. – Attorney General
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