Owner of New Hampshire Mustard Company Sentenced to 18 Months for Polluting River

The owner of Old Dutch Mustard Co. was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for knowingly polluting the Souhegan River. The sentencing occurred on Friday in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire.

The owner, Charles Santich, 60, of New York, also received one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. 5 million fine and establish environmental compliance and ethics programs. Santich and the company pleaded guilty in February 2025 to violating the Clean Water Act by discharging a pollutant without a permit.

Neither Santich nor a company representative responded to requests for comment. Old Dutch Mustard Co. manufactures mustard and vinegar in Greenville, New Hampshire, near the Souhegan River. Court documents indicate the company had a history of non-compliance with the Clean Water Act since the 1980s, leading to enforcement actions by federal and state environmental authorities.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required the company to monitor a stream under the facility.

the company evaded monitoring requirements, according to court documents.

U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan stated that Santich lied to state and federal authorities and built illegal infrastructure to pump manufacturing waste into waterways. Employees were directed to assist in these actions, with threats of termination for non-compliance.

U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan (The Boston Globe) The pollution reduced fish populations in the waterways and affected homeowners and recreational users along the river, according to Creegan. Santich instructed employees to pump acidic wastewater and stormwater through an underground pipe to the Souhegan River to reduce shipping costs.

He submitted false documents to regulators and obstructed EPA data collection efforts.

An EPA toxicologist testified that the pollution likely contributed to a mercury fish consumption advisory.

State inspectors from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services detected vinegar-smelling wastewater entering the river in May 2023. Santich told inspectors the odor resulted from a failed mustard seed planting attempt. Inspectors located the secret discharge pipe in August 2023 using a search warrant.

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella stated the case involved a deliberate effort to violate environmental laws and evade detection, risking a valued waterway. " — New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella (The Boston Globe) The sentencing aims to protect public interests through criminal sanctions after years of misconduct.

Environmental authorities will continue monitoring compliance.

The case highlights ongoing efforts to enforce water quality standards in New Hampshire.