Darlington cheese plant fined

Attorney General Josh Kaul announced a settlement with Wisconsin Whey Protein Inc. requiring it to pay $350,000 to resolve violations of Wisconsin’s wastewater and stormwater laws related to its operation of a cheese and whey plant in Darlington. The settlement was approved by the Lafayette County Circuit Court on July 11. The state alleged that Wisconsin Whey Protein Inc. discharged treated wastewater to an unnamed tributary, they did not properly operate and maintain its wastewater treatment facility, resulting in multiple spills of untreated wastewater, and they did not obtain stormwater permit coverage required for its construction and industrial operations in a timely fashion. The settlement requires Wisconsin Whey Protein Inc. to pay a total of $350,000 in fees, and install and begin operating a chiller by October 30, 2024, to cool the temperature of its wastewater before discharge.