Contact: Laura Murphy and Justin Kolber, Assistant Attorneys General, (802) 828-3171

Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced two recent settlements entered by his office to resolve environmental enforcement claims.

On October 9, the Franklin Superior Court approved a settlement with a Franklin County farm to resolve agricultural water quality claims.  The settlement relates to discharges of silage leachate and manure from the Kane’s Scenic River Farms, LLC dairy farming operation to the Missisquoi River.  Under the terms of the settlement, the farm agreed to pay $13,500 in civil penalties and agreed to implement a long-term, agency-approved plan to permanently eliminate silage leachate discharges from the farm.  The farm also took action to ensure that the manure discharge would not recur.

On September 13, 2018, the Rutland Superior Court approved a settlement with a Chittenden, Vermont resort to resolve alleged violations of land use and environmental permitting laws that occurred during the resort’s recent expansion. The settlement between the State and Chittenden Resorts, LLC and RMT Associates relates to a to a years-long expansion project of new guest cottages and expanded event spaces at the Mountain Top Inn, allegedly without obtaining Act 250 land use permits or amendments.  The alleged violations also included expanding the capacity of the resort’s main facilities without obtaining proper wastewater permits from the Agency of Natural Resources. The Attorney General worked closely with the Natural Resources Board and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources on all aspects of this matter.

The Attorney General’s Office notes that the cooperation of Kane’s Scenic River Farms and the Mountain Top Inn allowed these cases to be resolved without litigation, resulting in the court-approved settlements.

Related Documents:

Kane’s Scenic River Farms

Pleadings by Agreement

Stipulation for the Entry of Consent Order & Final Judgment Order

Consent Order & Final Judgment Order

Chittenden Resorts, LLC and RMT Associates

Pleadings By Agreement

Consent Agreement and Final Order

Last modified: October 17, 2018