Lewis Dairy gives up permit
NEW BREMEN — Lewis County Dairy Corp. voluntarily surrendered its permit last week to discharge into the Black River to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The plant faces violations for improper operation and maintenance of its wastewater treatment facility. The plant produces kosher bottled milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream and employs about 50 people.
"The process and cost were way out of control," said Schneur Bistritzky, who bought the plant in February with his brother, Menachem.
The two own Toobro LLC, New York City, which acquired the plant and another one in Ogdensburg, from the embattled Ahava Food Corp.
Mr. Bistritzky said the plant continues operation and waste will be processed by waste management companies.
In a press release on Friday, DEC Regional Director Judy Drabicki said the plant has outstanding charges of violating state law numerous times since its wastewater treatment facility went online two years ago. Along with improper operation and maintenance, the violations also covered unacceptable sampling methods, excess effluent and deficient recordkeeping.
DEC notified the plant in February that it would revoke the permit. On Monday, the company told an administrative law judge that it would not contest the revocation.
The company and DEC officials will meet and work out necessary changes to comply with environmental law. Proceedings on the violations will continue and the dairy plant faces separate enforcement actions from 2007. Those violations allege 14 spills of sludge and waste materials.
Mr. Bistritzky said upgrades are planned. The Bistritzky brothers are already repairing and upgrading the Ogdensburg plant, which was shut down by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets on Feb. 20 after an inspection found high levels of bacteria and coliform.
"That's been our intention from minute one of taking over the company," Schneur Bis-tritzky said. "The old company had its problems and we're prepared to do what is needed to be done."
