Environmental Concerns

No, the Bay is connected directly to the ocean. The sea chests are being refitted with modern screens. 1mm wedge wire screens will be installed to prevent fish from entrainment to the fullest extent possible with a large surface area to reduce the velocity of the water at the screens surface to prevent potential impingement. Periodic air burst will be used to keep the screens clean.

Nordic will withdraw 10 million gallons per day (MGD) of sea water. In comparison, more than 60 billion gallons per day (BGD) is exchanged per day with the daily tidal flows.

In addition to completing the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) under the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) process, Nordic will obtain several permits in order to build the facility in Humboldt.

The main permits are:

• Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from Humboldt County for development of the site within the Humboldt Bay Area Plan, Local Coastal Plan (LDP) jurisdiction
• Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from the California Coastal Commission for the discharge to comply with the Coastal Act
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit including compliance with the Water Code Section 13142.5(b) for water intake from Humboldt Bay
• Air quality permit from the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management

The Harbor District will also obtain permits for water intake from the Sea Chest from the California Coastal Commission.

No. The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District has carefully studied the water supply.

Approximately 2 million gallons of fresh water will be diverted from the Mad River using existing industrial infrastructure. This is approximately 6-7% of the previous water volume supplied to the pulp mills through the industrial water line when they were operational.

Humboldt County needs to generate additional industrial demand for fresh water or risks losing regional water rights when permits come up for renewal in 2029.

The Harbor District worked with the EPA to conduct initial site clean-up of most hazardous substances, including several million gallons of black liquors used in producing pulp.

Other debris had been left on site and now includes scrap metal, decaying buildings covered with lead, asbestos and other public hazards such as open pits and buildings with material falling off of them, and areas of contaminated soil.

Nordic will be responsible for the remaining clean-up of industrial debris and demolish abandoned buildings, addressing lead, asbestos and other hazardous materials remaining on-site. Nordic will also remove any potential contamination ensuring clean-up of the site and create a new, environmentally sustainable stormwater system that treats all the stormwater.

No. Nordic’s high-level filtering and disinfection means that discharge is essentially filtered water with traces of nutrients. More than 99% of phosphorus, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) are removed before the effluent is discharged into the ocean. High discharge treatment ensures that there is no significant impact to the surrounding waters or marine life at the point of discharge.

RAS aquaculture has been endorsed by multiple agencies, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Atlantic Salmon Federation (wild salmon conservation), Nature Conservancy, Food and Water Watch, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Sierra Club, Wild Fish Conservancy and more.

Nordic uses Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) instead of net pens, flow-through raceways or ponds. Land-based RAS farming was developed to mitigate detrimental impacts of these other types of fish farming.

For example:

• Nordic cleans and reuses our production water. Others don’t.
• Nordic treats all water coming in and out of the farm for disease-causing pathogens.
• Nordic removes all solid waste from effluent and only discharges treated water.
• Nordic has extensive barriers to prevent fish escape.
• Nordic does not need medication and pesticides to treat parasites such as sea lice as they cannot enter the farm due to our extensive filtration and water treatment before the water enters the farm.