2021 first phase deadline now pushed back, confirmed land-based salmon farmer.
The City Council in Belfast, Maine, is urging the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) to complete Nordic Aquafarms’ permit process, reports Waldo Village Soup. The project has been waiting for two years for a decision on the permitting process deemed key to the USD 400 million project.
The 33,000 tonne RAS salmon farm will be built in two phases. The first phase was meant targeted for completion in 2021. A spokesperson told SalmonBusiness that this is now not the case and that date has been pushed back.
However, the towns’ Mayor Eric Sanders urged the BEP to express an answer, either way, sooner rather than later. He urged the board to use teleconference meetings to evaluate Nordic’s applications instead of waiting for social distancing rules to be relaxed in light of COV-19.
“Someone pointed out to me that if it hadn’t been for all the delays and the delaying tactics, then there would probably be good families in this area right now living off of the proceeds of working on site,” City Councilor Neal Harkness told the publication.
“Nordic is looking forward to completion of the permitting process after repeated delays, and attempts from some to throw obstacles in the way,” wrote Nordic Aquafarms in a blog post in response to the comments.
The BEP is expected to make a decision on Nordic’s land-based fish farm permits by the end of May.
