Although a controversial salmon farming operation has received the necessary water & wastewater permits, it remains unclear what its parent company plans to do with a proposed site near Pioneer, Ohio.
Aquabounty recently received permits from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for water withdrawals from the Michindoh aquifer and for wastewater discharge.
The company initially applied for the permits more than three years ago, but suspended its project due to financial and court challenges.
There has been some confusion over the past year about AquaBounty’s intentions at the Pioneer facility, after the company ceased all operations in the area, sold equipment, and downsized its Canadian assets.
However, in a recent update on its website, the company said the Ohio operation, known as Aquabounty Farms LLC, has been working with officials in Pioneer to secure the right-of-way for water transmission lines. The village has already received the right-of-way from Williams County.
Meanwhile, residents and environmental groups in Ohio and Michigan have called “foul” after the Ohio EPA quietly approved the permits.
The EPA issued an apology, calling the lack of official information an “oversight.”
Aquabounty’s salmon farming operation has sparked controversy since it was first proposed more than three years ago, due to the large amount of water it will withdraw from the Michindoh Aquifer, which supplies water to several counties in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, including Hillsdale County.
The controversy prompted local leaders in all three states to form a commission to oversee the use of the region’s water resources.
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