EPA penalizes Starbound, LLC $168,000 for Clean Water Act violations off Oregon, Washington, Alaska coasts

EPA penalizes Starbound, LLC $168,000 for Clean Water Act violations off Oregon, Washington, Alaska coasts

August 1, 2024

SEATTLE - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Starbound, LLC of Seattle, a subsidiary of Aleutian Spray Fisheries, Inc., will pay $168,000 for violations of the Clean Water Actat operations off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

When processing seafood on the fishing vessel, the company generated and discharged gelatinous waste, known as stickwater. The organic components of the waste consume a lot of oxygen as part of the decomposition process, which can result in reduced oxygen levels in the seawaters at the ocean bottom. Low oxygen in water creates what are called 'dead zones,' because most marine life either dies, or leaves the area. Low oxygen conditions already exist along the Washington and Oregon coasts.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits required for Starbound and other seafood processing vessels contain limits on what companies can discharge, monitoring and reporting requirements and other provisions to ensure that discharges do not harm water quality or the environment. Between 2020 and 2023, EPA completed reviews of annual reports for Starbound, LLC's offshore seafood processing permits and found a significant number of violations with permit requirements.

"Companies that don't accurately report discharge make it difficult for them and EPA to evaluate the potential impacts posed by the seafood processing vessels," said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. "Compliance with EPA's permit for offshore discharges is imperative to protecting our sensitive coastal waters, and disregard for the Clean Water Act will result in a hefty fine."

Additional details can be found in the Consent Agreement and Final Order.