FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2005

Contact: Alescia Marie Teel
(609) 984-1795

DEP FINES NORTH BERGEN FACILITY FOR DISCHARGE VIOLATIONS

(05/132) TRENTON — Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined Frutarom USA Inc. $705,000 for ongoing violations of its wastewater discharge permit.

"Frutarom is being held to account for breaking the law and polluting Bellman's Creek," said Commissioner Campbell. "Frutarom's violations merit steep fines because they were repeated, flagrant, and serious."

Frutarom USA, Incorporated is an industrial facility that imports, processes and supplies products that include seasonings, fragrances, and natural aroma chemicals.

From April 2001 through July 2005, DEP cited Frutarom with 39 violations of its wastewater discharge permit including releases of petroleum hydrocarbons, oil and grease, and total suspended solids. DEP issued several Notices of Violation (NOV) to Frutarom for recurring noncompliance with its Surface Water Quality Permit during the last four years. However, the company has continued to fail to meet the water discharge permit limitations.

For over four years, Frutarom has discharged cooling water and stormwater runoff containing pollutants into Bellman's Creek, significantly contributing to impaired water quality and degraded environmental habitat for indigenous aquatic species, such as striped bass and white perch. As a result, DEP issued Frutarom an Administrative Order and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessment (AONOCAPA) for $705,000. This DEP order requires Frutarom to immediately comply with its New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit limitations under the New Jersey Water Pollution Control Act. Failure to comply with this administrative order by Frutarom USA, Inc. will be met with further enforcement action by DEP.

For additional information on DEP Enforcement visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/index.html

 

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