In a recent development, the U.S. Department of Justice and environmental groups have taken legal action against Campbell for allegedly polluting Lake Erie.
Two separate lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio within hours of each other. The complaints in both lawsuits revolve around the accusation that Campbell's manufacturing plant in Napoleon, Ohio, has been allowing wastewater and pollutants to enter the Maumee River unchecked. This river ultimately flows into Lake Erie, causing environmental harm over a prolonged period. The expectation is that these two lawsuits will eventually be combined into a single case.
One of the advocacy groups involved in the lawsuit, Environment Ohio, expressed their concerns about the situation. John Rumpler, the Clean Water Program Director for the organization, highlighted that the presence of toxic algae in Lake Erie due to pollution from Campbell is unacceptable.
The manufacturing plant in question produces millions of gallons of wastewater through its canning operations, which involve various processes like heat washing, blending, and canning fruits, vegetables, juices, sauces, and soups. The lawsuits specifically mention the presence of pollutants such as bacteria, E. coli, and phosphorus in the discharged waters, further emphasizing the environmental impact of Campbell's actions.
In a statement to CBS News, Campbell Soup said it had "taken a number of steps to improve our existing wastewater management operations and will continue to take immediate action to address this issue."
"We have capital investments planned to resolve this issue permanently," the company added. "We will continue to work with regulators and other stakeholders to improve our operations and comply with all environmental regulations."
The government's lawsuit, brought on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, called for "injunctive relief and civil penalties" for violations of the Clean Water Act. Last May the Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the act and curbed the authority of the EPA to regulate wetlands.
Court documents allege the manufacturing plant had allowed wastewater and pollutants to flow into Maumee River for years, "where they impact the plants and wildlife that depend on those waters, diminish the downstream water quality of Lake Erie, and potentially threaten human health."
Bacteria found in the water can cause respiratory illness, urinary tract infections and other illnesses. The wastewater also adds to dangerous algal blooms on the edges of Lake Erie, court documents claim.
A lawsuit filed by Environment America and Lake Erie Waterkeeper alleged that a soup company is dumping 5 million gallons of wastewater daily into the river. The environmental advocacy groups had previously warned the company of their intention to sue in July. According to Sandy Bihn, the Lake Erie Waterkeeper, the pollution from the Maumee River is a major contributor to toxic algal blooms in Western Lake Erie. Bihn stated that Campbell Soup's continuous violations of discharge limits for phosphorous and other pollutants are exacerbating the problem.
