TOLEDO, Ohio (WANE) — Campbell Soup Supply Co. has admitted to dumping waste into a river at its Ohio plant, violating the federal Clean Water Act thousands of times over a roughly six-year period.
It comes after multiple environmental agencies — Environment Ohio, Lake Erie Waterkeeper, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — filed a joint lawsuit against the company.
The lawsuit was filed back in March 2024, accusing Campbell Soup Supply Co. of dumping wastewater containing phosphorus, ammonia, E. coli bacteria, oil and grease, suspended solids, and other harmful pollutants into the Maumee River, which connects to Lake Erie.
On Monday, the company admitted to violating the Clean Water Act at least 5,400 times between April 2018 and December 2024 at its canning factory in Napoleon, Ohio.
“Campbell’s admission that it committed these violations will speed this case toward a trial that will decide what steps the company must take to curb its pollution and how large a civil penalty should be imposed. That’s great news for the people who live along the Maumee River and Lake Erie, who want prompt action on reducing sources of the toxic algae in their local waters,” said John Rumpler, clean water program director for Environment Ohio. “We appreciate Campbell’s willingness to work cooperatively with us and the federal government to solve its compliance problems, rather than spending time and effort contesting clear-cut violations of the Clean Water Act.”
The largest concern, according to Environment Ohio, is the phosphorus released in these wastewater dumps, which feeds toxic algae blooms that can harm lake-goers and cause cyanobacteria in drinking water.
“Pollution flowing into western Lake Erie from the Maumee River, containing Campbell’s phosphorus discharges, contributes to the lake’s toxic algal blooms,” explained Sandy Bihn, Lake Erie Waterkeeper since 2004. “Bringing an end to Campbell’s violations will help water quality in the river and Lake Erie, and demonstrates the power citizen enforcement suits have to drive meaningful environmental progress.”
But the soup company shared a statement Tuesday refuting the negative effects on the water. The company said its Napoleon facility is a permitted point source to discharge the phosphorus in the river, and its actions are publicly self-reported. The company also cited a report by the EPA saying the Napoleon plant is not a major contributor to the pollution.
We have taken a number of steps to improve our operations and comply with environmental regulations. We have been part of the Napoleon community since 1938 and our goal is to reach a settlement that serves the interest of the environment and the community where our employees live and work.
Importantly, the facility has had minimal, if any, adverse effects on the Maumee River or Lake Erie.
Campbell Soup Supply Co.
A joint stipulation to the liability requires Campbell, a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Co., to agree not to assert any defense to liability for the violation, and admit that citizen groups were harmed, allowing them the legal right to sue for enforcement of the Clean Water Act alongside the government.
The next step in the violation is determining a penalty that requires the reduction of waste emissions, and what should be paid to penalize the company for its years of waste dumping.
Environment Ohio, Lake Erie Waterkeeper, and the EPA said they anticipate going to trial next year to determine the appropriate penalty for Campbell’s years of now-admitted violations.
