Pacific Seafood Group’s Dirty Secret

Pacific Seafood Group claims it is “committed to setting the industry standard for environmental responsibility”

But Pacific Seafood Group has paid over $360,000 in fines in the past four years for polluting Half Moon Bay in Washington, the Skipanon River in Oregon, and Humboldt Bay’s Eureka Slough in California.

Pacific Seafood Group was also issued penalties totaling $250,800 in 2023 and 2024 for polluting Half Moon Bay in Washington and the Port of Brookings Harbor in Oregon. These cases are currently pending. [1],[2]

Get the Facts:

In 2024

the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology issued a $222,000 penalty to Pacific Seafood Westport for repeatedly polluting Half Moon Bay. Pacific Seafood Westport is appealing the penalty.

Excerpts from the News Release:

“Over the past two years, the facility violated its water quality permit 58 times… While they are allowed to discharge wastewater under their permit, the facility has violated every pollution limit in their permit.”

The wastewater contained “too much organic matter, solids, acidity, oil and grease, and fecal coliform bacteria. This type of pollution can threaten aquatic life and human health.”

The Department of Ecology’s water quality program manager, Vince McGowan, stated: “It’s unacceptable that this facility is continuing to pollute Half Moon Bay after repeated citations and technical assistance” and “The majority of similar companies in the industry are able to meet permit requirements. The bottom line is that we need this facility to comply with their permit and stop polluting Half Moon Bay. This includes making any needed upgrades to their wastewater treatment system to fix the problem.”

Pacific Seafood-Westport, LLC has appealed the penalty to the Pollution Control Hearings Board. The hearing is scheduled for July 14, 2025 (click here for more information).

News Release | PreHearing Order

In 2023

the Oregon DEQ issued a $41,200 penalty to Pacific Seafood Warrenton for discharging polluted wastewater into the Skipanon River, which was later reduced to $40,000. Pacific Seafood Warrenton paid $8,000 after agreeing to complete a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to reduce the penalty by 80%. 

Excerpts from the Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment and Order:

On October 14, 2022, Pacific Seafood’s Warrenton facility “discharged untreated wastewater contaminated with fish detritus off the dock outside the Facility into the Skipanon River. This is not an approved discharge point.” 

“DEQ issued this penalty because Pacific Seafood – Warrenton, LLC continues to have ongoing issues meeting effluent limitations set forth in the Permit.”

“In the five years immediately preceding the violations alleged in the attached Notice, the company experienced 48 Class I violations at the facility it operated in Astoria prior to the rebuilding of its Warrenton facility.” 

Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment and Order

In 2023

the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a $28,800 penalty to Pacific Seafood Brookings for discharging polluted wastewater and violating monitoring requirements. The case is currently undergoing settlement negotiations.

Excerpts from the Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment and Order:

“Pollutant limits in wastewater permits are set at levels protective of water quality and aquatic life.”

“By exceeding effluent limits, you created a risk of harm to beneficial uses of state waters.”

“By failing to comply with monitoring requirements, you deprived DEQ and the public of information necessary to determine potential environmental impacts of your wastewater.”

Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment and Order

In 2022

Pacific Seafood Westport paid a $92,250 penalty as part of a settlement with the State of Washington Department of Ecology for discharging polluted wastewater into Half Moon Bay.

Excerpts from the News Release and Settlement Agreement:

In April 2022, Pacific Seafood Group’s Westport, WA facility was cited for 49 violations between April 2020 and November 2021 for releasing “wastewater containing fecal coliform, grease, oils, and other solids above the amounts allowed in its permit. The company also did not monitor several wastewater discharges as required by the permit.”

“Excess effluent from seafood processing can harm aquatic life and reduce water quality. Maintaining water quality standards and eliminating pollution is critical to protecting the health of this important ecosystem.”

Pacific Seafood Westport appealed the penalty and reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Ecology. As part of the settlement, Pacific Seafood Westport paid $92,250 and the balance of $30,750 was held in abeyance under the condition that the company did not commit further violations for twelve months.

News Release  | Settlement Agreement

In 2020

Pacific Seafood Westport paid a $190,000 penalty as part of a settlement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for discharging polluted wastewater into Half Moon Bay.

Excerpts from the News Release:

“EPA identified over 2,100 violations of the Westport facility’s wastewater discharge permit during an unannounced inspection in 2017.”

In a statement by Lauris Davies, acting Director of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in Seattle: “Seafood processors have wastewater discharge permit limits for a reason… “local receiving waters can get inundated with body parts, entrails, shell particles, oil and other byproducts in volumes they just can’t handle. When discharges exceed permit requirements, companies must take swift action to comply with legal limits, or face penalties.”

News Release | Consent Agreement

In 2020

Pacific Seafood Eureka paid a $74,500 penalty as part of a settlement with the EPA for discharging polluted wastewater into Humboldt Bay’s Eureka Slough.

Excerpts from News Releases and Consent Agreement:

In a statement by EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud: “Humboldt Bay is an important waterway enjoyed by many Californians,” and “unpermitted and untreated discharges of pollutants to the bay can harm aquatic life and water quality.”

“Pacific Seafood-Eureka, LLC’s wastewater from shrimp processing bypassed the pretreatment system and discharged to waters of United States via a stormwater drain.”

The Consent Agreement states that in 2018, “Wastewater from the de-shelling process was observed entering a storm drain in an area of the Facility where shrimp shells are loaded onto trucks to be hauled offsite.”

“On multiple occasions, the Respondent discharged gloves, labels, and shells to the City of Eureka’s sanitary sewer that clogged the sewer collection system.”

EPA News Release | EPA in California News Release | Consent Agreement

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This website is published by UNITE HERE Local 49, the union for gaming, hotel, food service and airport workers in the greater Sacramento, California region. For more information, visit unitehere49.org

[1] “Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment and Order  Case No. WQ/I-WR-2022-123”. oregon.gov/deq, 3 August 2023, https://www.oregon.gov/deq/nr/202308PacificSeafood.pdf
[2] “Westport seafood plant penalized $222,000 for water quality violations”. ecology.wa.gov, 13 June 2024,  https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/june-13-seafood-plant-penalized
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