TOLEDO, Ohio — Campbell Soup Supply Co. has admitted to thousands of violations of the federal Clean Water Act at its canning plant in Napoleon, Ohio.

In a court filing released Monday, the company acknowledged it's part in years of illegal discharges into the Maumee River, which feeds into Lake Erie.

In the filing, which listed the plaintiffs as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and environmental groups Environment Ohio and Lake Erie Waterkeeper, Campbell conceded it is legally liable for at least 5,400 violations between April 2018 and December 2024. The wastewater contained phosphorus, ammonia, E. coli bacteria, oil and grease, suspended solids, and other pollutants.

The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed in March 2024 by environmental advocates, who alleged the factory

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