Editors' note: This version of the story adds information not included in the original version.

New London — Sheffield Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay a $1 million fine for discharging polluted industrial wastewater from its New London factory into the municipal sewage system without proper permits, in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

The agreement was announced Tuesday by the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Thomas H. Faria, former president and chief executive officer of Sheffield, pleaded guilty in July 2014 to charges of illegal discharges from the factory from April 2004 to May 2011. As a condition of his guilty plea, Faria resigned from the company in March 2014 and no longer has any role in the operations, the state’s attorney’s office said in a news release.

In February 2015, U.S. District Judge Alvin Thompson sentenced Faria to three years of probation, a $30,000 fine and 300 hours of community service.

Under the agreement, Sheffield will pay installments on the $1 million fine over a seven-year period. The funds will be used to support environmental conservation projects in coastal Connecticut, according to the news release.

The Clean Water Act requires that companies obtain permits from DEEP before discharging industrial wastewater into the public sewage system. Companies also are required to test and monitor their industrial wastewater to ensure that chemical levels do not exceed state and federal limits.

Sheffield manufactures over-the-counter creams, ointments and toothpastes at its factory at 120 Broad St. The violations at Sheffield were found during an unannounced inspection by DEEP in 2011. The inspectors found that the company had been operating without the required wastewater discharge permits.

Since the violations were found, Sheffield has installed a system to pretreat its wastewater at the factory before discharging it into the city's sewage treatement plant. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the Thames River.

"This action sends a strong message that ignoring environmental laws — and causing damage to this state's natural resources — carries significant consequences," DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee said.

Jeffrey Davis, the current president and chief executive officer of Sheffield, issued a statement Wednesday in response to the announcement.

"We deeply regret the actions of our former CEO in not obtaining the proper discharge permit and for not installing a pretreatment system," he said. "We take this matter seriously which is why Sheffield fully cooperated with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to resolve this issue quickly. While we moved swiftly to resolve this matter over five years ago, we today acknowledge our CEO's past errors and bring this matter to a close with federal and state agencies. 

"Today, our discharge is in compliance, and we look forward to moving on," he continued. "Our new company leadership remains committed to being a good corporate citizen and creating more jobs in Southeastern Connecticut by developing new, innovative and affordable health and beauty care products for consumers."