Nordic Aquafarms Awarded Three State Environmental Permits for Belfast Aquaculture Facility

Governor Janet Mills, Maine & Co. and Maine State Chamber of Commerce applaud the work of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection in awarding the critical permits.

News provided by

Maine & Co.

Dec 03, 2020, 15:20 ET

AUGUSTA, Maine, Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordic Aquafarms is closer to breaking ground in Belfast as Maine's Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) awarded the company three critical permits for its land-based aquaculture facility. On November 19, the Maine BEP unanimously approved Nordic Aquafarms' Minor Source Air Emissions License, Maine Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit and Waste Discharge License, and Site Location of Development and Natural Resources Protection Act permit for its new land-based facility, which is expected to produce 30,000 metric tons of salmon upon completion.

"Land-based aquaculture will create good-paying jobs for Maine people and will further diversify and strengthen our economy over the long-term," said Maine Governor Janet Mills. "As we continue our economic recovery efforts, I am excited to see this ground-breaking, thoroughly-vetted project move forward. I applaud the Bureau of Environmental Protection for its rigorous work in administering our state's strict environmental standards and Nordic Aquafarms for meeting those standards. Protecting our environment and growing our economy are goals that can and must go hand-in-hand."

Maine State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dana Connors also extends his congratulations to the Nordic Aquafarms team. "Nordic Aquafarms should be proud of its thorough and focused work to bring this vision to the final stages of permitting. They submitted an extremely detailed, multidisciplinary application that withstood tremendous scrutiny. We congratulate Erik Heim and his team and congratulate the Maine BEP for its thorough diligence through this entire process."

Maine & Co. President and CEO Peter DelGreco and his team worked with Nordic Aquafarms for several years as the company considered locations along Maine's coast. "We are pleased and honored to have worked with Erik Heim as he built his world-class Maine team for Nordic Aquafarms. Over the last few years, this team has stayed steady in its vision to bring cutting edge, land-based RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) technology to Maine. As the BEP recognized by its unanimous votes and incredibly thorough vetting process, this is a project that protects Maine's environment. We are excited for the future of Nordic Aquafarms and the economic benefits the company will be bring to Belfast and the entire state of Maine."

Media Contact: Dianna Fletcher, 207-831-8148, [email protected]

SOURCE Maine & Co.