Mercury now a “Known-unknown” in NAF’s Plan

Thursday, May 7th, Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) issued its 16th Procedural Order in the matter of Nordic Aquafarms (NAF) permit applications, rejecting arguments that the dredging and removal of bay bottom sediments known to contain methylated mercury justifies additional precautions.  Robert Duchesne, BEP’s Presiding Officer, wrote: “Requests to stay proceedings and reopen the record to provide for additional sediment sampling and analysis were previously denied in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Procedural Orders and will not be further revisited.”  

In filings prompting the 16th Procedural Order, attorneys for the Maine Lobstermens Union and landowners Mabee and Grace argued that Nordic’s new plan for blasting and dredging its proposed pipeline route created a new point-source discharge and raised the problem of controlling mercury-laden deposits known to exist in the area.  Two other intervenors expressed similar concerns.  BEP stated in its May 7th order that Nordic’s attorney considered those concerns to be “…without merit.” 

The May 7th order offered no plan for – and no commitment to conduct – a thorough baseline assessment of existing sediment quality.  “While we all hunker down at home,” said Sid Block, President of HLHCA, “Nordic wants to bend and narrow the rules in order to expedite the permits that will lead to the industrialization and pollution of Belfast Bay.”  “How can BEP and DEP determine no contamination will occur if there is no baseline assessment to start with?” Block wondered.