FRANKLINVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — About two dozen people stood outside Great Lakes Cheese in Franklinville, with signs in hand, protesting a fish kill caused by the company and demanding more clarity on why animals are dying.
WATCH: ‘What’s in the water?’: Neighbors protest Great Lakes Cheese in Franklinville after Ischua Creek fish kill
For over a week, dead fish have floated down the Ischua Creek.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the environmental damage was caused by discharge from the Great Lakes Cheese factory, and their neighbors are not happy about it.
“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 is two different things.”
“I’ve fished that creek for 60 years. 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 said. “No matter how safe these places say they are, there’s 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.”
The company has said it has voluntarily paused all discharge into the creek and is working with the DEC during the investigation.
"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."
