TOLEDO — Willemsen pleaded guilty in May 2026 to negligently discharging a pollutant. He was serving as the manager of Heartland Dairy at the time of the offense.

The event resulted in the death of approximately 789 fish and 1,371 other aquatic animals. Little Black Creek is a tributary of Saint Mary’s River that flows to the Maumee River.

"The defendant oversaw a discharge of ammonia-laden wastewater to Little Black Creek in the Maumee River, Ohio watershed that poisoned the water for miles and killed thousands of fish and other aquatic animals," Allison Landsman said. Landsman is the Special Agent in Charge of the EPA criminal enforcement program in Ohio.

Landsman added that clean water is one of Ohio’s and America’s most valuable resources. She stated that the sentencing demonstrates that the EPA and its enforcement partners will investigate violations that pollute interstate waterways and hold polluters accountable.

David M. Toepfer, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said reckless and careless business practices that threaten Ohio’s environment and wildlife will not be tolerated. Toepfer added that federal environmental laws will be aggressively enforced.

"Let this sentence serve as a reminder that we will aggressively enforce federal environmental laws, and anyone found contributing to the diminishment of the quality of our land, air, and water will be prosecuted," Toepfer said.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Ohio’s waterways are vital to communities, wildlife and the economy. Wilson stated that the case sends a clear message that those who pollute Ohio’s waterways will be held accountable.

Willemsen is a citizen of the Netherlands residing in Frankton, Indiana. He was 54 years old at the time of sentencing.

Why It Matters

The sentencing reflects the enforcement of the Clean Water Act, the primary federal law governing water pollution in the United States. The violation involved a discharge into a waterway that connects to the Maumee River watershed, affecting aquatic life over a significant area.

Officials emphasized that the penalty serves as a warning to businesses regarding environmental compliance. The involvement of multiple state and federal agencies shows the coordinated effort to monitor and prosecute violations of water quality standards.

Timeline

Teunis Jan Willemsen was serving as the manager of Heartland Dairy in December 2022. In December 2022, investigators found a discharge being pumped from a settling basin at Heartland Dairy into a ditch draining into a waterway. The discharge was dumped into Little Black Creek. The discharge resulted in the death of approximately 789 fish and 1,371 other aquatic animals.

Teunis Jan Willemsen pleaded guilty in May 2026 to negligently discharging a pollutant in violation of the Clean Water Act. On September 8, 2026, Teunis Jan Willemsen was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. On the same date, Teunis Jan Willemsen was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.

What's New

Later reporting identifies that Little Black Creek is tributary of Black Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. This geographic detail provides additional context regarding the waterway systems involved in the broader region.