PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release – February 12, 2026
Media Contact:
Randy J. Miller, II, Enforcement and Litigation Attorney
Agency of Natural Resources
Randy.Miller@vermont.gov, 802-272-1744
Agri-Mark, Inc. Fined for Multiple Wastewater Permit Violations at their Vermont Facility
Montpelier, Vt. – The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that Agri-Mark, Inc. was fined $60,000 for multiple violations of its Pretreatment Discharge Permit (Permit) at its dairy and whey processing facility in Middlebury, Vermont.
More than 15 billion gallons of wastewater are processed by Vermont’s 91 municipal wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) per year, where the wastewater is treated before being released into the environment. Certain industries must obtain a pretreatment permit to treat their wastewater before sending it to municipal WWTFs, ensuring it doesn’t disrupt the treatment process. Pretreatment discharge permits help prevent the release of untreated wastewater. The discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater can pose a significant risk to the state’s natural resources and to public health.
“Without proper pretreatment, there is the potential for discharges from municipal wastewater treatment facilities to contaminate our lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands,” says Misty Sinsigalli, DEC Commissioner. “Compliance with pretreatment discharge permits is crucial for ensuring safe discharges from municipal wastewater treatment facilities to Vermont’s surface waters.”
Since July 1, 2022, Agri-Mark, Inc. violated 15 conditions of their Permit, including numerous exceedances of Biological Oxygen Demand and pH effluent limits, unpermitted discharges of high-strength waste to the municipal treatment system, and multiple monitoring and reporting violations. Several of these instances resulted in impacts to the municipal wastewater treatment facility. Agri-Mark also failed to maintain the facility in good working order, and did not employ an adequate number of staff.
To resolve the violations, Agri-Mark, Inc. has agreed to hire a qualified consultant to evaluate the facility and its waste management procedures, develop a compliance and operations plan for Agency review and approval, and ensure adequate staffing. They also agreed to a fine of $60,000 for the violations. This agreement was incorporated into a Final Judicial Order of the Vermont Superior Court, Environmental Division.
Learn more online about DEC’s Watershed Management Division, including the Wastewater Management Program and Discharge Permits.
