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LEGAL NEWSLINE

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Storm water suit settled with Wis. meat company

Van Hollen

ABBOTSFORD, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced on Monday that he has reached a $600,000 settlement with a food company that allegedly violated the state's environmental protection laws.

Abbyland Foods, Inc., which owns and operates a cooked meat and smokehouse sausage production facility in Abbotsford, allegedly violated air pollution and storm water management laws since 2000.

The infractions were discovered through voluntary audits. The company then disclosed the information to federal and state regulators.

"Abbyland Foods discovered and promptly disclosed its non-compliance with permit requirements designed to protect the public from harmful air emissions and storm water discharges, and has worked with the DNR to come into compliance," Van Hollen said.

"The Wisconsin Department of Justice will continue to work with the DNR to ensure that Wisconsin's citizens and natural resources are protected through compliance with the law."

State law requires all companies to obtain and follow construction and operation permits that control the emissions of air contaminants from a facility. The lawsuit alleged that Abbyland Foods operated heating and meat processing equipment without a proper air pollution control construction or correct operation permits.

The company also failed to submit its annual emission inventories or pay its annual emission fees, and exceeded the number of hours of operation for two processes.

Abbyland Foods is covered by a general industrial storm water Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit.

The complaint also alleged that the company never implemented certain practices or performed inspections and evaluations required by its Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan under this permit.

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