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Fish-Processing Plant Fined After Ammonia, Cyanide Found in Creek

Posted on: Friday, 1 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

BY SCOTT HARPER

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

RICHMOND Omega Protein Inc. , which owns the East Coasts largest menhaden-processing plant, on Virginias Northern Neck peninsula, was fined and ordered Tuesday to upgrade its waste water system because of high traces of ammonia and cyanide found in discharges to a small creek off the Chesapeake Bay.

Under an agreement approved by the State Water Control Board, Omega Protein will pay a $5,500 civil penalty and improve its treatment system to meet state rules governing toxic substances.

Omega Protein is a Texas-based conglomerate that produces the worlds largest amount of fish oils, mostly from menhaden, a silvery bait fish. The company catches much of its menhaden from the Gulf of Mexico, but it also nets hundreds of tons from Virginia waters, bringing jobs and economic vitality to the remote part of the state.

It is the second time in two years that the large fish- processing plant in rural Reedville has run into trouble with state regulators over cyanide. Virginia officials on Tuesday described the facility as being in significant non compliance with environmental laws a statement that puts the company on a federal watch list shared with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A spokesman for Omega Protein downplayed the episode, saying new equipment and policies already have been installed to control toxic wastes. He said the state violations in question occurred last year, from May through December.

Weve already put in the upgrades that are required, said corporate spokesman Toby Gascon .

What happened today was more of a formality.

Not all members of the State Water Control Board were convinced.

During a hearing Tuesday in Richmond, board member John Bryant Jr. asked, Should we be worried about this? I mean, cyanide sounds a little scary to me.

Its not what Id characterize as a tremendous amount of cyanide, replied James Golden , a regional manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, but they are over their permit.

Golden said the state and company still were trying to figure out where the cyanide was coming from.

He suggested that technology recently installed to curb air pollution might be to blame for the cyanide entering waste water.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for Omega Protein.

Virginia and North Carolina are the only Atlantic states that have not severely limited or barred industrial harvests of menhaden.

Now, Virginia is under pressure from environmentalists, sports fishermen and scientists to curb harvests from the lower Chesapeake Bay. They argue that a population decline is taking a toll on other fish species and on the ecosystem.

Also Tuesday, the state water board approved environmental settlements with two Eastern Shore businesses for pollution violations.

Eastern Shore Seafood Products Inc . in Mappsville agreed to pay an $8,000 fine after about 4,000 gallons of nutrient-rich waste water were released into a ditch feeding Petit Branch a violation of the companys state discharge permit.

Samples taken from the branch the day after the spill, in April last year, showed high levels of phosphorus, ammonia and solid wastes, according to the settlement agreement.

Also in Mappsville, East Coast Brokers & Packers Inc. , a tomato packing plant, agreed to pay $2,800 to settle several waste water violations from last summer .

Maria Nold , a state enforcement manager, said both companies in Accomack County have completed other improvements and now are considered in compliance.

* Reach Scott Harper at (757) 446-2340 or at scott.harper@pilot online.com.

Source: Virginian - Pilot

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