Owner of N.H. mustard company sentenced to 18 months in prison for ‘knowingly’ polluting river
The sentencing comes after Santich and his company pleaded guilty in Feb. 2025 to knowingly discharging a pollutant without a permit, violating the Clean Water Act.
Neither Santich nor a representative from his company could be immediately reached for comment. Attorneys representing Santich and his company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Old Dutch Mustard Co., which manufactures mustard and vinegar in Greenville, N.H. near the Souhegan River, had a long history of not complying with the Clean Water Act, beginning in the 1980s, according to court documents.
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That led to enforcement action from federal and state environmental authorities. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the US Environmental Protection Agency required the company to continuously monitor a stream that flows under the facility.
But Santich and his company tried to intentionally evade that monitoring, according to court documents.
“Throughout years of repeated civil and administrative attempts to encourage Santich and his company to follow the law, Santich lied to state and federal authorities and even purposefully built the illegal infrastructure needed to pump his manufacturing waste into New Hampshire’s waterways, pushing his employees to help him violate the law,” Creegan said in a statement.
She said the pollution left waterways with fewer fish and impacted homeowners and people who recreate on the river.
“As the result of this years-long scheme of intentional misconduct and deceit, a criminal sanction is necessary to protect the public,” she said.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said the case represents “a deliberate effort to violate environmental laws and evade detection, putting one of New Hampshire’s valued waterways at risk.”
“Protecting our rivers is a top priority, and our office will continue to pursue all appropriate actions to ensure compliance and safeguard New Hampshire’s water quality,” he said.
Santich told his employees to pump acidic wastewater and stormwater through and underground pipe leading to the Souhegan River, so he could save on shipping costs, according to Creegan.
His employees said Santich would fire them if they did not follow his orders, according to court documents. Creegan said Santich hid the crime by submitting false documents to federal regulators and obstructing the EPA’s efforts to get data about how he disposed of wastewater.
The pollution from Santich and his company likely contributed to a mercury fish consumption advisory, an EPA toxicologist testified at the sentencing.
State inspectors from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services found wastewater from the facility that smelled of vinegar flowing into the Souhegan River in May 2023. Santich lied to the inspectors, and told them the smell was caused by a failed attempt to plant mustard seed. Inspectors found Santich’s secret discharge pipe in August 2023 thanks to a search warrant.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
