Pacific Seafood fined for polluting Yaquina Bay
State environmental regulators have fined Pacific Seafood, doing business as Pacific Shrimp Company, $1,540 for violating its wastewater discharge permit at its seafood processing facility at 617 SW Bay Boulevard in Newport.
Clackamas-based Pacific Seafood is one of the largest integrated seafood companies in the nation, operating its own fishing fleet, seafood processing plants, distribution networks, and even restaurants.
The company holds a permit allowing it to discharge wastewater from shrimp processing to Yaquina Bay. It sets a limit of 54 pounds of total suspended solids per 1,000 pounds of raw product.
In June 2016 the company discharged a monthly average of 59 pounds per 1,000 pounds of raw product to Yaquina Bay, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.
The limits are set to protect aquatic life and human health, DEQ wrote in a letter to the company.
“Compliance with the permit terms is essential to protecting the quality of our public waters,” DEQ said.
The company has previously been cited for at least eight similar violations.
In October 2009, DEQ fined the company $40,591 for discharging too much suspended solids, oil and grease into Yaquina Bay between July 2008 and March 2009.
In 2008 DEQ issued the company a warning letter for some of the same violations.
The company's holdings now comprise much of Newport’s downtown Bayfront district. Pacific Seafood purchased the Newport processing plant in 1996; and bought Depoe Bay Seafood and the Fish Peddler’s Market and Restaurant in 2000.
The plant also processes Dungeness crab, numerous bottomfish species, several species of troll-caught wild salmon, albacore tuna and Pacific whiting.
General manager Dave Wright could not immediately be reached for comment. The company has until Jan. 30 to appeal the penalty.
tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/Tracy_Loew
Eat local: Stock up on local food at bulk buying event
Oregon mega-dairy construction raises questions about legality