PSPA adds an Oregon heavyweight

The Pacific Seafood Processors Association today announced it has taken on a major new member — Pacific Seafood Group, based in Clackamas, Oregon.

Juneau-based PSPA, based in Juneau, is "a nonprofit trade association representing seafood processing companies in the policy, regulatory and legislative arenas since 1914," its website says. Its corporate members include many of the top processors operating in Alaska including Silver Bay Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, UniSea, and units of Canfisco and Maruha Nichiro.

Pacific Seafood has a considerable processing presence in Alaska, including Seward and Wrangell. Last year, it completed a big expansion in the state, acquiring Trident's Kodiak processing operations.

Wrangell packer to pay $96,332 pollution penalty

The fish processor cited in the press release below is a division of Pacific Seafood Group of Clackamas, Ore.

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Oct. 22, 2010

State reaches settlement agreement with Sea Level Seafoods LLC

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation today announces it reached an agreement with Sea Level Seafoods LLC to address numerous wastewater permit violations at its Wrangell facility. The company agreed to pay $96,332 to settle violations.

Sea Level Seafoods discharged crab and seafood processing wastewater and waste into marine waters at its Wrangell facility for many years without a federal or state permit authorizing the discharge. The discharges could have been authorized under a general permit that would have included specific discharge limits, and treatment, monitoring and reporting requirements.

DEC considers the violations serious because without the sort of monitoring and reporting required by a permit, it is difficult for the state to determine if a facility is complying with laws that protect water quality.

“Alaska’s regulatory system to protect water quality largely depends on having good permits in place and monitoring compliance with the permits,” said Lynn Kent, director of the Division of Water. “Long-running compliance issues like these are a grave concern to us. Penalties help create a level playing field by ensuring that violators do not obtain an unfair economic advantage over competitors who have obtained and complied with a discharge permit.”

Sea Level Seafoods cooperated with the Alaska Department of Law and voluntarily entered into the settlement agreement.