Peter Pan Seafood Pays $750,000 EPA Fine Settlement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that PSF, Inc., formerly known as Peter Pan Seafood, has paid a $750,000 penalty for violating state and federal Clean Water Act permit requirements. These violations relate to seafood processing waste discharge limits designed to protect the marine environment.

The violations occurred at two seafood processing facilities located in Valdez and King Cove, Alaska. At the Valdez facility, PSF and Peter Pan Seafood discharged seafood waste beyond the permitted one-acre “zone of deposit”—an area where seafood processors are allowed to accumulate waste under specific conditions. Instead, a significantly larger seafood waste pile formed on the seafloor, impacting the local marine ecosystem. The Valdez facility is now owned and operated by Silver Bay Seafoods.

At the King Cove facility, PSF and Peter Pan Seafood discharged waste from a broken outfall system and at an incorrect depth, among other permit violations. These issues highlight the importance of maintaining infrastructure and adhering to established environmental regulations.

Alaska is unique as the only state where “zones of deposit” are permitted for seafood processing facilities. While these zones allow for some waste accumulation, strict limitations are enforced to minimize environmental harm.

In Valdez, the corrective measures required under the consent decree will now be the responsibility of Silver Bay Seafoods. Silver Bay Seafoods has committed to implementing stricter controls on fish waste discharges, improving monitoring of the waste piles on the seafloor, and adhering to other environmental protection measures outlined in the agreement.

Whether the King Cove plant will reopen remains uncertain. In January, Peter Pan Seafood announced it was closing the plant, which had been a cornerstone of the local economy for nearly a century. The closure of the plant, located in the remote community of King Cove, home to about 800 residents, has severely impacted the local economy, sending the town into uncertainty with the loss of its primary source of jobs and tax revenue.

The corrective actions taken by both companies are expected to significantly reduce the environmental impact of their operations, ensuring cleaner and more sustainable practices moving forward.

This enforcement highlights the EPA’s continued commitment to holding companies accountable for environmental compliance and protecting marine habitats for future generations.