Maine DEP today released Whole Oceans' draft permit to build and operate a salmon tankfarm in Bucksport. Read it here https://tinyurl.com/wo-092818-draft-permit Note: 72 page pdf
Excerpts
"By copy of this letter, the Department is requesting comments on the proposed draft permit from various state and federal agencies and from any other parties who have notified the Department of their interest in this matter. Beginning today, Friday, September 28, 2018, the Department is making the draft permit available for a 30-day public comment period. All comments on the proposed draft permit must be received in the Department of Environmental Protection office on or before the close of business Monday, October 29, 2018. "
........
"On June 4, 2018, and as amended on September 10, 2018, Whole Oceans LLC (Whole Oceans/permittee hereinafter) submitted an application to the Department of Environmental Protection (Department hereinafter) for a new Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MEPDES) permit/Maine Waste Discharge License (WDL)(permit hereinafter) for the monthly average discharge of 18.6 million gallons per day, subject to the attached conditions of this permit, of waste water associated with a land based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) to the Penobscot River main stem, "
CONCLUSIONS
BASED on the findings in the attached and incorporated PROPOSED DRAFT Fact Sheet dated September 28, 2018, and subject to the Conditions listed below, the Department makes the following CONCLUSIONS:
1. The discharge, either by itself or in combination with other discharges, will not lower the quality of any classified body of water below such classification.
2. The discharge, either by itself or in combination with other discharges, will not lower the quality of any unclassified body of water below the classification which the Department expects to adopt in accordance with State law.
3. The provisions of the State’s antidegradation policy, Classification of Maine waters, 38 M.R.S. § 464(4)(F), will be met, in that:
(a) Existing in-stream water uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect and maintain those existing uses will be maintained and protected;
(b) Where high quality waters of the State constitute an outstanding national resource, that water quality will be maintained and protected;
(c) Where the standards of classification of the receiving waterbody are not met, the discharge will not cause or contribute to the failure of the waterbody to meet the standards of classification;
(d) Where the actual quality of any classified receiving waterbody exceeds the minimum standards of the next highest classification that higher water quality will be maintained and protected; and
(e) Where a discharge will result in lowering the existing water quality of any waterbody, the Department has made the finding, following opportunity for public participation, that this action is necessary to achieve important economic or social benefits to the State.
4. The discharge will be subject to effluent limitations that require application of best practicable treatment as defined in 38 M.R.S. § 414-A(1)(D)
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The permittee discharges to the estuarine portion of the Penobscot River, which is strongly influenced by freshwater during high spring flows, large rainfall events, and during ebb tides. These conditions make it very difficult to accurately define the mixing characteristics of the effluent from the permittee’s facility and the receiving water at any given point in time.
Excerpts
"By copy of this letter, the Department is requesting comments on the proposed draft permit from various state and federal agencies and from any other parties who have notified the Department of their interest in this matter. Beginning today, Friday, September 28, 2018, the Department is making the draft permit available for a 30-day public comment period. All comments on the proposed draft permit must be received in the Department of Environmental Protection office on or before the close of business Monday, October 29, 2018. "
........
"On June 4, 2018, and as amended on September 10, 2018, Whole Oceans LLC (Whole Oceans/permittee hereinafter) submitted an application to the Department of Environmental Protection (Department hereinafter) for a new Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MEPDES) permit/Maine Waste Discharge License (WDL)(permit hereinafter) for the monthly average discharge of 18.6 million gallons per day, subject to the attached conditions of this permit, of waste water associated with a land based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) to the Penobscot River main stem, "
CONCLUSIONS
BASED on the findings in the attached and incorporated PROPOSED DRAFT Fact Sheet dated September 28, 2018, and subject to the Conditions listed below, the Department makes the following CONCLUSIONS:
1. The discharge, either by itself or in combination with other discharges, will not lower the quality of any classified body of water below such classification.
2. The discharge, either by itself or in combination with other discharges, will not lower the quality of any unclassified body of water below the classification which the Department expects to adopt in accordance with State law.
3. The provisions of the State’s antidegradation policy, Classification of Maine waters, 38 M.R.S. § 464(4)(F), will be met, in that:
(a) Existing in-stream water uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect and maintain those existing uses will be maintained and protected;
(b) Where high quality waters of the State constitute an outstanding national resource, that water quality will be maintained and protected;
(c) Where the standards of classification of the receiving waterbody are not met, the discharge will not cause or contribute to the failure of the waterbody to meet the standards of classification;
(d) Where the actual quality of any classified receiving waterbody exceeds the minimum standards of the next highest classification that higher water quality will be maintained and protected; and
(e) Where a discharge will result in lowering the existing water quality of any waterbody, the Department has made the finding, following opportunity for public participation, that this action is necessary to achieve important economic or social benefits to the State.
4. The discharge will be subject to effluent limitations that require application of best practicable treatment as defined in 38 M.R.S. § 414-A(1)(D)
----------------
The permittee discharges to the estuarine portion of the Penobscot River, which is strongly influenced by freshwater during high spring flows, large rainfall events, and during ebb tides. These conditions make it very difficult to accurately define the mixing characteristics of the effluent from the permittee’s facility and the receiving water at any given point in time.
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