Several months after announcing its intent to construct a $400 million aquaculture facility on the Samoa Peninsula, a Norwegian company has flagged water infrastructure and site contamination issues that could be “show stoppers.” 

At the July 23 Board of Supervisors meeting, the company’s request for “financial incentives/funding” to address the issues was met with commitment to seek grant funding. 

But the timing and success of that process is uncertain and the company’s board of directors will meet in September to decide whether or not to proceed with the project’s permitting. 

…Supervisor Mike Wilson was a harbor district commissioner when the district took control of the pulp mill site several years ago and had 2.7 million gallons of stored toxins removed. 

“I think this is not an unusual discussion that a community might have when you want to seek out economic development,” he said.

The community needs to be convinced that infrastructure and clean-up investments will “generally benefit the county and not just one company,” he continued.

Supervisors voted to have the county’s task force identify “funding and financing solutions” to the site issues and make a presentation to the board within 45 days. 

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With a “huge” price tag looming over infrastructure problems at the Samoa Peninsula, a representative from Nordic Aquafarms said Wednesday the company’s plan to build a large fish farm at the site could be in trouble if the quagmire remains unaddressed.

“The county’s recognizing this project is — I’m not saying it’s in jeopardy, but it potentially is, if we don’t solve this problem,” said Lynette Mullen, Nordic Aquafarms’ community liaison in Humboldt County.

Local surface water needed for Nordic’s proposed fish farm can be highly turbid, or murky, during the winter months, and the cost of treating it could range into the double-digit millions. Meanwhile, the defunct Samoa pulp mills left behind hazardous waste, turning portions of the site into a toxic brownfield.

Without a locally driven solution, Nordic will be left to convince investors the costs involved in mitigating these factors are worth it, Mullen explained. And while Humboldt County has called on a task force to look into the issues — with a staff update coming in 45 days — Mullen emphasized urgency.

“I can tell you that … we ain’t going to pay,” said Dennis Mayo of the McKinleyville Community Services District. He explained that his district is billed for water by the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, which manages the water infrastructure for the Samoa site. “If you’re counting on (us)? You can forget it.”

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KMUD news covers the recent lease agreement with Nordic AquaFarms, featuring  interviews Harbor District Director Larry Oetker and Humboldt Baykeeper Director Jennifer Kalt. Click HERE to listen.

Humboldt County is poised to become a hub for aquaculture, as the Harbor District has approved a lease for a Norway-based company that aims to build a fish farm on the Samoa Peninsula.  

The district’s Board of Commissioners approved a 30-year lease with a subsidiary of Nordic Aquafarms on February 11, in a closed session special meeting followed by a public hearing.  

The Humboldt Baykeeper advocacy group has indicated that it will monitor the project and comment on it as it takes form. For now, the group has questioned the short timing between the lease’s approval and its prior public announcement.  

Baykeeper’s staff met with Nordic Aquafarms before the lease approval and Jen Kalt, the group’s director, said the proposal is formative.  

“They’ve said that they won’t grow Atlantic salmon, they won’t grow GMO fish and they won’t use antibiotics,” she continued. “But they’re not sure what fish they’re going to raise so they can’t point to the source of the fish stock or anything like that – there’s really nothing specific, it’s vague at this point.”  

Baykeeper’s focus of concern will be on ocean discharge but “we haven’t had time to go into the details on that because this has come up so suddenly,” said Kalt. 

Nordic Aquafarms will now work to gain ground on public interaction. The company’s representatives were in town for the entire week following the lease approval and Kalt said a meeting with Baykeeper and member groups of the Northcoast Environmental Center was set. 

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