Baltimore vinegar company to pay $1.3 million to settle pollution lawsuit
Fleischmann’s Vinegar Company has agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle a lawsuit alleging its now-shuttered Baltimore factory polluted the Jones Falls.
The federal lawsuit, filed last year by local nonprofit watchdog Blue Water Baltimore, came after repeated acidic discharges from the facility and fish kills were reported in the Falls, which flows into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Per the consent decree, Fleischmann’s, owned by Ireland-based Kerry Inc., will decommission the facility, and monitor the water in the Jones Falls for pollution. The company will pay $865,000 to fund environmental projects beneficial to the Jones Falls watershed, $25,000 in penalties to the U.S. Treasury and it will cover Blue Water’s legal fees.
The Maryland Department of the Environment also sued the company, citing environmental violations, and that case remains ongoing. It could result in additional requirements or fees for the facility.
The Baltimore facility, situated on the banks of the Jones Falls on Cold Spring Lane, stopped manufacturing vinegar in December, according to a statement Kerry provided to the Baltimore Sun in December.
“The company will transfer production from Baltimore to other facilities as part of a broader consolidation of activity within the network,” read the statement. “The company is committed to continuing to work with the Baltimore and Maryland community on next steps for the property.”
Kerry did not respond immediately to a request for comment about the settlement.
The factory was built in the 1880s, and it was previously a rye whiskey distillery, according to a news release from Blue Water Baltimore.
“The building was constructed directly on top of the Jones Falls, was missing its roof in large sections, and had drain holes in the floor that were dye tested and proven to connect directly to the stream in multiple locations,” Blue Water said in the news release.
Officials believe that direct connection caused pollution to enter the stream from inside the factory. Blue Water first recognized the issue in 2021, after a concerned passerby reported dead American eels and other fish floating in the Jones Falls. The nonprofit then began monitoring the water in the stream, and reporting concerns to state environmental officials, who conducted their own investigation.
“This all began with a single call to our pollution reporting hotline, and it’s proof that one person can make a difference to protect their waterways,” said Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper with Blue Water Baltimore, in a statement. “Blue Water Baltimore is going to keep holding polluters accountable on behalf of our members.”
Patrick DeArmey, a senior attorney for the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, which helped bring the case, said in a statement that he is “thrilled” with the result.
“This settlement ensures the pollution will end and puts the bulk of the payments towards projects that directly benefit the Jones Falls and the community,” DeArmey said.