FRANKLINVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Crowds protested outside the Great Lakes Cheese facility in Franklinville on Friday, demanding answers about a fish kill.
Last month, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation began an investigation into a fish kill along Ischua Creek. The DEC claims environmental damages have been caused by discharge from the Great Lakes Cheese facility, and neighbors are not happy about it.
WATCH: 'What's in the water?': Community protests outside Great Lakes Cheese facility in Franklinville
For over a week, dead fish have floated down the Ischua Creek.
"This is a small town, that's what we do. We hunt. We fish," Christine Gonzalez said. "They have to take accountability. Saying you're going to do something and doing it are two different things."
"This has been my life, my go-to place to get out of stress. They took it from me," Ken Kellner said. "Talk to us. Work with us. We want to make sure that, down the road, this is here for my son and other people's kids."
"Why should a company be able to poison the waterways and kill off tons and tons of fish?" Shawn Lembke asked. "No matter how safe these places say they are, there are always deadly things that can happen. You destroyed that environment. How many years is it going to take to get that back?"
"I'm just devastated," Reese Marracino said. "They're not asking for the factory to be shut down, not this group of people. We are locals, just concerned citizens. We just want to know what’s in the water.”
"We realize and understand that the community and our neighbors are very concerned about the discharge incident at Ischua Creek.
Great Lakes Cheese is committed to being a good neighbor and this includes being good stewards of the environment. This commitment is a foundational core to our business operations.
At this time, we continue to work very closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in continuous monitoring of the creek and we are communicating with DEC officials on a daily basis throughout the ongoing investigation and assessment process.
We respect the right of our neighbors to voice their concerns and we are working to restore their trust as we continue to rectify this matter."
