The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a fine to one of Alaska’s largest fishing companies more than one million dollars over Clean Water Act violations.
American Seafoods Company is the largest at-sea processor in the world of Alaska pollock. They also have the largest quantity of wild Pacific hake. The company has seven vessels operating in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.
The EPA has cited the company as well as the owners of their vessels for hundreds of violations on the Oregon and Washington coasts, which included discharge of waste in protected areas and failing to check discharges, and not reporting accurate information in the annual reports that are required as per an announcement on Thursday.
“Discharge of the wastes from the processing of seafood in zones that are prohibited and within the 100-meter deep the contours that runs through Washington and Oregon can exacerbate existing low oxygen conditions that adversely impact many species of crabs, fishes and other marine animals,” the EPA said.
A spokesperson for American Seafoods spokesperson said the company was informed about the accusations in march. Since then, the company has sent all documents to the EPA and has added additional staff and has changed its procedures to ensure that reporting is “complete precise and punctual.”
The EPA discovered it was found that American Seafoods and the owners of its vessels had more severe and a more frequent violation than some others Oregon or Washington off-shore fish processing companies, during an inspection of compliance in the industry. The vessels include the American Dynasty, American Triumph, Northern Eagle, Northern Jaeger and Ocean Rover.
The EPA requires American Seafoods to conduct “corporate-wide improvement of the system” to ensure that they are in compliance with their permits. It also is requiring them to pay $999,000 in fines.
“In collecting hundreds of violations, ranging from illegal discharges to inept and sometimes non-existent records, American Seafoods Company demonstrated a complete disregard for the delicate and precious resources that fuel its operations,” said Ed Kowalski director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division in Seattle. “When you issue a permit EPA assigns each permit owner the obligation to safeguard our national resources. We anticipate that the comprehensive systemic overhaul of its procedures will focus American Seafoods Company on the real value of its permit, and the necessity of monitoring the compliance of permit holders, and the resources permit is entrusted with the responsibility of protecting.”
When inquired concerning the business’s Alaska operations An EPA spokesperson was unable to say whether or it is taking legal actions in any way against the company.
On August 1, one of the crew members aboard one of the American Seafoods factory trawler died at sea in the vicinity of Unalaska/Dutch harbor Most likely because of an ammonia leak aboard.
