Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LSRA) have entered into a proposed Consent Decree with Hanover Foods Corporation to address more than 600 violations of the federal Clean Water Act and its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit at its wastewater treatment facility since 2016. As part of the proposed settlement filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on November 18, 2025, Hanover Foods would agree to pay a civil penalty of $1,150,000.
“This is about holding polluters accountable, and in doing so, upholding DEP’s commitment to Pennsylvanians to protect their health and the health of the environment,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Enforcement actions like this Consent Decree are proof of the value that positive collaborative efforts between state and federal agencies and citizen groups can have for the environment and for people. Through this settlement with Hanover Foods, we are ensuring that their facility is up to standards and eliminating unlawful discharges into the Susquehanna River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.”
If the Consent Decree is approved, Hanover Foods will be required to pay civil penalties of $575,000 to DOJ and $575,000 to DEP. In addition, Hanover Foods will install new equipment and take other measures to prevent violations of its NPDES permit limits for certain nutrients and for temperature. The upgrades include installation of a permanent boiler to maintain proper temperatures during the treatment process, install a Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Sensor to continuously monitor the amount of TSS in the discharge, and implement spare-parts programs to prevent prolonged equipment stoppages.
These efforts and others outlined in the Consent Decree will upgrade Hanover Foods’ wastewater treatment system, improve monitoring, compliance, and violation reporting systems, and prevent future violations that could negatively impact aquatic life in the area.
The proposed Consent Decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval, and can be viewed by requesting an informal file review via DEP’s website.
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