The Frenches have until April 21 to comply with the order or face potential fines

In a letter dated April 7, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation ordered Rodger and Kate French to cease unpermitted composting operations on their property at 780 Crawford Hill Rd. in West Charleston. The Frenches have until April 21 to comply with the order or face potential fines and court action. The Frenches were previously cited for illegal compost and poultry operations at 66 Horseshoe Lane in Lyndon. They have been fined well over $100,000 for Lyndon zoning violations with no effect, and problems of constant noise, strong odors, and unsanitary conditions persist. If the Frenches do not comply, enforcement will fall to the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District. The waste district has struggled to deal with the Frenches, who have generated complaints for illegal composting in recent years in Westmore, North Troy, Lyndon, and West Charleston.