Campbell Soup Plant in Ohio Accused of Polluting River for More Than Six Years

Campbell Soup Supply Company, LLC has agreed not to contest accusations that its Ohio plant discharged pollutants into the Maumee River more than 5,400 times between 2018 and 2024.

This violation of the Clean Water Act allowed harmful substances like ammonia, E. coli, phosphorus, and chlorine to enter the river, which flows into Lake Erie.

On Sept. 15 in US District Court in Northern Ohio, Campbell's filed a stipulation acknowledging the allegations made by environmental groups Environment America and Lake Erie Waterkeeper.

These groups had sued Campbell in March 2024. Court records show that, over a six-and-a-half-year period, Campbell's plant in Napoleon exceeded discharge or waste limits set by law.

"Pollution flowing into western Lake Erie from the Maumee River, containing Campbell's phosphorus discharges, contributes to the lake's toxic algal blooms," said Sandy Bihn of Lake Erie Waterkeeper, JustFood reported.

These blooms harm fish, wildlife, pets, and can make the water unsafe.

Campbell's responded with a statement saying it has already taken steps to follow environmental laws.

The company emphasized that it has been part of the Napoleon community since 1938, and claimed the facility's impact on the Maumee River and Lake Erie has been "minimal."

Toxic Discharges From Campbell's Plant Spark Legal Action

John Rumpler, clean water director at Environment America, said the court filing shows Campbell's "is admitting this is what we put into the water."

He added that the company now needs to figure out how much money will be needed and what changes must be made to stop future violations.

The lawsuit details that pollutants included oil, grease, and chemicals that upset the water's acid level (pH).

According to USA Today, these were banned or heavily restricted by the plant's permits. The violation count totals 5,468 incidents between April 2018 and December 2024.

The US Environmental Protection Agency warns that too much phosphorus can cause dangerous algae to grow.

This leads to poor water quality and hurts animals that live in the water. Rumpler explained, "It is incredibly toxic to humans and wildlife and pets."

Although Ohio's EPA reported that Campbell's average permitted discharge is about 10 million gallons per day, in recent years the plant's actual average was about 5.5 million gallons per day.

Experts say this does not excuse the violations, since the quality of what is discharged matters as much as how much.

Campbell signed the agreement with the environmental groups, agreeing not to contest its documented violations.

Originally published on vcpost.com