Non-Compliance
TRI Reporter
Clean Water Act
VALLEY QUEEN CHEESE FACTORY, INC.
Quick Summary
- •Released 4,515 lbs of toxic chemicals to the environment in the most recent TRI reporting year.
- •Currently out of compliance in at least one environmental program (CAA, CWA, or RCRA).
- •Assessed $29,917 in total penalties since records began.
- Address
-
200 E RAILWAY AVE.
MILBANK, SD 57252
View on map ↗ - County
- GRANT County
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- NAICS (North American Industry Classification)
- 311513
- Inspections
- 1 · last Sep 29, 2021
- Total Penalties
- $29,917 · last Feb 21, 2023
- Registry ID
- 110000427921
How This Compares
#36
of 84 TRI reporters in SD
#5,177
of 16,877 TRI reporters in Manufacturing
Ranked by most recent year's total TRI releases.
Compliance Status (Last 12 Quarters)
Number of calendar quarters, out of the last 12, in which this facility was in violation of its permit. Zero means no recorded violations in that program over the past three years.
3
Water (CWA)
Qtrs Non-Compliant
Qtrs Non-Compliant
TRI Toxic Chemical Releases
Annual pounds of each toxic chemical released to air, water, and land, as reported to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory. Carcinogen (♦) and PFAS designations are per EPA and IARC classifications.
Emissions Trend (2015–2024)
+196% overall
| Year | Total Releases (lbs) | vs Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8,265 | — |
| 2016 | 5,365 | -35% |
| 2017 | 4,515 | -16% |
| 2018 | 9,285 | +106% |
| 2019 | 28,473 | +207% |
| 2020 | 56,771 | +99% |
| 2021 | 4,259 | -92% |
| 2022 | 5,307 | +25% |
| 2023 | 5,947 | +12% |
| 2024 | 24,489 | +312% |
2024
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 22,726 | — | 22,726 | — | — | |
| Ammonia | 1,743 | 5 | 1,738 | — | — | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Peracetic acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2023
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 4,271 | — | 4,271 | — | — | |
| Ammonia | 1,656 | 5 | 1,651 | — | — | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Peracetic acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2022
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzoyl peroxide | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 4,168 | — | 4,168 | — | — | |
| Ammonia | 1,119 | 5 | 1,114 | — | — | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Peracetic acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2021
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzoyl peroxide | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 4,119 | — | 4,119 | — | — | |
| Ammonia | 130 | 5 | 125 | — | — | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2020
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 56,556 | — | 56,556 | — | — | |
| Ammonia | 205 | 5 | 200 | — | — | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2019
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 27,848 | — | 27,848 | — | 630 | |
| Ammonia | 615 | 5 | 610 | — | 15 | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2018
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 7,970 | — | 7,970 | — | 250 | |
| Ammonia | 1,305 | 5 | 1,300 | — | 250 | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2017
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 3,750 | — | 3,750 | — | 250 | |
| Ammonia | 755 | 5 | 750 | — | 250 | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2016
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 5,100 | — | 5,100 | — | 250 | |
| Ammonia | 255 | 5 | 250 | — | 250 | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
2015
| Chemical | Total (lbs) | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzoyl peroxide | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 8,000 | — | 8,000 | — | 250 | |
| Ammonia | 255 | 5 | 250 | — | 250 | |
| Nitric acid | 10 | 10 | — | — | — |
Waste Management & Recycling
How this facility manages toxic chemicals beyond direct releases — through recycling, energy recovery, and on-site or off-site treatment. Data from the most recent TRI reporting year. Quantities in pounds.
| Chemical | Released | Recycled | Energy Recovery | Treated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitric acid | — | — | — | 840,453 |
| Ammonia | — | — | — | 18,821 |
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | — | — | — | 840,453 |
| Peracetic acid | — | — | — | 14,608 |
Off-Site Transfer Destinations
Facilities to which toxic chemicals were transferred for disposal, recycling, energy recovery, or treatment during the most recent TRI reporting year. Quantities in pounds.
| Destination | Chemical | Disposal | Recycling | Energy Rec. | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ALBIN DAIRY
MILBANK, SD
|
Ammonia | 250 | — | — | — |
|
ALBIN DAIRY
MILBANK, SD
|
Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 250 | — | — | — |
Compliance Violations
Individual permit violations recorded by the EPA across air, water, and hazardous waste programs. Open violations are unresolved as of the most recent ECHO data update.
| Program | Type | Violation Date | Return to Compliance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cwa | Effluent Violations - Reported Fish Kill | Jul 21, 2022 | — | Open |
| cwa | Monitoring Violations - Improper Analysis or Lab Error | Jul 21, 2022 | — | Open |
| cwa | Monitoring Violations - Invalid/Unrepresentative Sample | Jul 21, 2022 | — | Open |
| cwa | Permit Violations - Violation Specified in Comment | Dec 29, 1999 | — | Open |
Discharge Limit Exceedances
Instances where this facility's reported discharge monitoring results exceeded its permitted limits under the Clean Water Act. Exceedance percentage shows how far over the permit limit the discharge was.
| Pollutant | Violation | Reported | Limit | Exceedance | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOD, 5-day, 20 deg. C | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 31.00 mg/L | 30.00 | +3% | Feb 2025 | Open |
| Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N] | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 8.60 mg/L | 1.80 | +378% | Jan 2025 | Open |
| Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N] | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 1.86 mg/L | 1.00 | +86% | Jan 2025 | Open |
| Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N] | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 2.80 mg/L | 1.80 | +56% | Oct 2024 | Open |
| Solids, total suspended | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 23.13 mg/L | 20.00 | +16% | Jul 2022 | Open |
| Solids, total suspended | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 55.00 mg/L | 40.00 | +38% | Jul 2022 | Open |
| Oxygen, dissolved [DO] | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 6.26 mg/L | 6.50 | +4% | Jul 2022 | Open |
| Oil and grease, hexane extr method | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 11.80 mg/L | 10.00 | +18% | Mar 2022 | Open |
| Oil and grease, hexane extr method | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 22.50 mg/L | 10.00 | +125% | Jul 2021 | Open |
| Oil and grease, hexane extr method | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 22.20 mg/L | 10.00 | +122% | Mar 2019 | Open |
| Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N] | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 1.04 mg/L | 1.00 | +4% | Sep 2018 | Open |
| Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N] | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 5.77 mg/L | 1.80 | +221% | Sep 2018 | Open |
| Oil and grease, hexane extr method | DMR, Limited - Numeric Violation | 10.60 mg/L | 10.00 | +6% | Jan 2017 | Open |
Enforcement Actions
Formal enforcement cases brought by the EPA or state agencies, including administrative orders and civil penalties assessed. Penalty amounts reflect what was formally assessed, not necessarily what was collected.
State CWA Penalty AO
Clean Water Act
· Case SD-7987A0223 · Feb 21, 2023
$29,917
State CWA Penalty AO
Clean Water Act
· Case SD-7987A1110 · Nov 8, 2010
$14,000
State CWA Non Penalty AO
Clean Water Act
· Case SD-N00000243 · Aug 6, 2003
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