No. All processes take place indoors. Fish tanks are clean and emit no odors. Co-products are stored indoors in sealed containers to prevent odors and frequently removed from the facility.
General Operations / Facility Design
Will the project increase car and truck traffic on Route 1?
Nordic operations will require less than 15 truck trips per day, which is less than 5% percent of current traffic and is not anticipated to impact Belfast or Northport’s residents or recreational visitors.
What does the Nordic facility look like?
Everything from eggs to harvest happens indoors at the Nordic Aquafarms facility. Fish swim in pipes from the hatchery/smolt facility to the grow-out buildings. When the fish grow and the stock is divided into more tanks, the fish are transferred through pipes within the buildings. Before harvest, the fish swim through underground pipes to the purge and processing facility where they are harvested and processed.
Is Nordic discharging into the bay?
No. Nordic will not be discharging any effluent into the bay. Fully treated and filtered water will be discharged 1.55 miles into the ocean using an existing outflow pipe currently used by the Samoa waste water treatment facility, and the DG Fairhaven facility.
Can fish escape during a Tsunami?
No. Nordic engaged renowned Tsunami expert Dr. Gary Chock to assess the site and make recommendations on how to build a safe, structurally sound and escape proof facility. Study results confirm that a 2,500 year tsunami event will not overtop or breach our fish tanks or result in the escape of any fish from the facility.
Is Nordic raising fish in the bay or ocean?
Nordic will be raising all fish inside buildings in closed tanks on land. Nordic uses recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that treats water from the fish tanks so it can be reused within the tank. Nordic raises the fish in sea water in its grow-out tanks. This dramatically reduces the amount of freshwater required to produce salmon at the facility.
RAS features:
- All production takes place indoors.
- Water is recirculated and continuously treated to maintain good water quality for the fish.
- Water exchange is maintained through intake and discharge of moderate volumes of water per pound of fish.
- Feeding, light, water quality, and temperature are constantly monitored and optimized.
- Production staff have close contact with fish to monitor health and welfare.
- Back-up systems ensure reliable operations.