In a milestone for creating a major new source of drinking water, California has approved its first standards for turning sewage into potable water supplies delivered to homes and businesses.

The State Water Resources Control Board, In a unanimous vote today, outlined for the first time how water suppliers can treat recycled water and send it directly to taps. Currently recycled water is mixed into aquifers or used for irrigation and other non-drinking purposes.

The new rules — which have been more than a decade in the making and were mandated by a state law — outline a slew of requirements aimed at ensuring that germs and chemicals are scrubbed from treated sewage.

Often dubbed “toilet-to-tap,” the process is actually much more extensive and complex, requiring multiple treatment steps overseen by 63 pages of detailed rules. The new rules also call for extensive monitoring to ensure the treatment is working.

The sewage will be bubbled with ozone, chewed by bacteria, filtered through activated carbon, pushed at high pressures through reverse osmosis membranes multiple times, cleansed with an oxidizer like hydrogen peroxide and beamed with high-intensity UV light. Valuable minerals, such as calcium, that were filtered out will be restored. And then, finally, the wastewater will be subjected to the regular treatment that all drinking water currently undergoes.

California will be following Colorado, which already has regulations, and Texas, where the nation’s first direct potable reuse plant was built a decade ago. Rules are in development in Florida and Arizona, as well.

Nothing will go into effect immediately; the regulations must undergo a final review by the Office of Administrative Law before being implemented, likely next summer or fall. The first facilities are several years away.

“A city produces wastewater during a drought, and having that source available to augment other (drinking water) supplies can be critical,” said Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the state water board’s Division of Drinking Water.

The water is expected to be more expensive than imported water, but also provide a more renewable and reliable supply for California as climate change continues.

The expense of the treatment and monitoring means that it will likely be limited to large urban water providers, Polhemus said.

“It will offer a resilient source in drought times for large water systems to be part of their portfolio. It’s not going to be a singular water source for some small community on the coast — that’s just not going to work out well the way these regs are written,” Polhemus said.

A panel of independent experts determined that the regulations “adequately protect public health,” but reported that some requirements, such as for removing disease-causing germs, might be on the more conservative side, driving up costs.

This could “push utilities toward less environmentally desirable alternatives, such as extracting groundwater without replenishing it,” the panel said in a memo to the state board in September. It could also “limit the ability of smaller communities to use” the recycled water as drinking water.

“I don’t think anyone should be surprised that a water board regulator would choose to err on the side of public health,” said Kevin Hardy, executive director of the National Water Research Institute, a non-profit that coordinated the expert panel.

The Metropolitan Water District, the giant agency that imports water to Southern California, is already on its way to being among the first to directly use recycled water for drinking supplies with Pure Water Southern California, a multi-billion dollar project with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.

By 2032, the plant is expected to produce about 115 million gallons of recycled water a day, enough for 385,000 Southern California households. Most will replenish groundwater, but some is expected to be added to drinking supplies upstream of Metropolitan’s treatment plant for imported water.

Mickey Chaudhuri, interim chief of operations at Metropolitan, applauded what he called a historic milestone.

“This marks a pivotal moment in California’s water management history,” he said at the public hearing today.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for increasing recycled water use in California roughly 9% by 2030 and more than doubling it by 2040.

Most treated sewage — about 400 million gallons a day in Los Angeles County alone — is released into rivers, streams and the deep ocean.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Sen. Lena Gonzalez represents an industrial district that includes Long Beach, where poor neighborhoods suffer from pollution. She has a 100% rating from environmental groups that praise her for taking on the Big Oil lobby in Sacramento.

It was surprising for her, though, when the state’s powerful building and construction trades unions allied this year with the oil lobby to kill three of her bills aimed in part at protecting the health of vulnerable communities.

“A lot of folks said to me, ‘Sorry, but I made my promise to the building trades that I wouldn’t vote for another environmental bill,’ ” Gonzalez said. “And so straight out of the horse’s mouth, that’s what I had gotten, which was really, really hard to hear.”

The dirty little secret about green California, a global leader on climate policies, is that Big Oil still wins a lot of its political fights.

Its trade association, the Western States Petroleum Association, and Chevron Corp. spent a combined $15.3 million on lobbying this year, more than any other lobby groups. The oil industry as a whole also donated more than $427,000 to legislators’ campaigns this year and more than $3.5 million to legislative candidates since 2019.

But it’s oil’s alliance with the powerful State Building and Construction Trades Council of California that often makes the biggest difference, forcing the Democratic supermajority to choose between the environment and oil industry jobs. The building and construction trade unions also have long bankrolled California’s labor-friendly Democrats. So far, the council has donated at least $157,000 to the campaigns of California’s legislators this year and more than $1.9 million to legislative campaigns since 2019.

“In California, our best (environmental) bills are being blocked by the oil industry using the building trades as ventriloquist dummies,” said RL Miller, a Democratic activist and environmental advocate at Climate Hawks Vote.

Of at least 21 bills the oil and gas industry opposed this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed only seven. Half of the bills the oil industry opposed also faced opposition from the building trades union, according to interviews and a CalMatters analysis of legislative testimony and written opposition to bills.

Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association, said the stalled bills reflect Democrats questioning how a transition to green energy will play out in practice. Moving too quickly would kill tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, harm California’s already fragile energy grid and could lead to a repeat of the 1970s fuel crisis that saw massive lines at gas stations as the economy tanked, she said.

“That’s why I think these questions are coming up now,” she said, “because people (in the Legislature) are beginning to go, ‘OK. Wait a minute. How is this really going to work?’ ” 

This year’s biggest battle

There has long been tension between California’s reputation for environmentalism and its role as the nation’s seventh-largest oil producer and the third-largest refiner of crude oil. California is also one of the top consumers of gasoline on the planet, even with a special blend of gas that requires a more expensive refining process.

That tension erupted into a war last year under the Newsom administration, which adopted policies to ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035 and go carbon neutral by 2045, with a goal of dropping gas consumption by 94%.

The biggest battle was fought early this year after gas prices spiked to record levels and Newsom demanded a windfall tax on oil company profits.

“Nothing justifies these outrageous and unconscionable prices,” Newsom said in October 2022 as he called a special session of the Legislature. “This is just price gouging. They can’t get away with it. They’re fleecing you. They’re taking advantage of you, every single one, every single day. Hundreds of millions of dollars a week they’re putting in their pockets.”

Meanwhile, the governor hinted at the power of the oil lobby in California when he said that many of his fellow Democrats are “wholly-owned subsidiaries of the fossil fuel industry.” 

In the end, Newsom claimed victory for the bill that Democrats passed during the special session. “We proved we can actually beat Big Oil,” Newsom said in March during a ceremony under the state Capitol rotunda.

But the law was significantly watered down amid opposition from the trades unions and the oil industry. In the end, it called for a new watchdog division of the California Energy Commission to monitor prices and possibly apply penalties. But it could take years to develop the rules determining unfair profits. 

Even with the modified law, the oil industry and the building trades council made a last-minute attempt to dilute it even more. 

They turned to Sen. Steven Bradford, the Democratic chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications committee, whose Southern California district includes three oil refineries. Bradford’s campaigns received $687,600 from the trades unions and at least $155,969 from the oil and gas industry since 2006, according to a CalMatters analysis of data collected by Open Secrets, a non-profit group that tracks campaign donations. 

Environmental advocates in 2022 ranked him in the bottom fourth of California’s Democratic senators. As the special session on gas prices was gearing up, Bradford reminded his colleagues that they “must be strong advocates for every Californian who still needs reliable and affordable gasoline,” and he urged them to tread carefully and “not make the situation worse.”

Just days before the Legislature went into its fall recess, Bradford used the secretive process known as “gut and amend” to turn a bill on homelessness into legislation that required the energy department’s new division to consult with the Department of Industrial Relations, oil industry stakeholders and labor groups “to avoid any adverse impacts to the safety of employees and surrounding communities, labor and equipment availability, other market impacts, and cost.” 

Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 842, but not before it passed unanimously out of the state Assembly. Only six senators voted against it, including Malibu Democrat Henry Stern. He told his colleagues on the Senate floor that “creative lawyers” could exploit bill language that seemed counter to the goal of the oil profits bill. 

“The point of our oil price-gouging regulations is to have market impacts, is to stop the market from being manipulated,” he said.

In an interview with CalMatters, Bradford said the Legislature lacks the expertise to understand the consequences of its regulations, risking the kind of cost and supply crisis that caused blackouts statewide when the electric power industry was deregulated in 1996.

“The same thing is going to happen with the gas industry,” said Bradford, a former public affairs manager for Southern California Edison. “We don’t have experts in this industry … And that’s what my bill was about. Simply making sure that those experts who do this job on a daily basis had a voice in and consulted with the commission.”

Bradford at first didn’t deny the bill’s intent was to slow down the regulation.  

“There’s some truth to that,” he said, though he later clarified, “We just want to do it right. And that’s all we were doing. Not necessarily slow it down.” 

Bradford insists he had the blessing of his Democratic colleagues and the Newsom administration to push the bill through to ensure the safety of workers and communities next to refineries.

“You don’t do a gut-and-amend at the last minute without signoff,” he said.

Newsom’s office declined to comment for this story.

The alliance plays hardball

The politics of the oil profits bill also seemed to impact another oil-friendly legislator, Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains. Bains, a family doctor, was elected in 2022 to a Kern County district that is home to much of California’s oil production. She was the lone Democrat to vote against Newsom’s watered-down oil profits bill.

“Stand alone if you must, but always stand for the truth,” Bains wrote on Twitter after the vote. “As the lone Democrat to oppose the new gas tax, I will never throw my constituents under the bus. I will continue to fight for lower gas prices and a stronger Kern County.”

Newsom’s chief of staff, Dana Williamson, tweeted back, “Alone and confused you shall likely remain.”

Soon afterward, then-Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon temporarily removed Bains from her assignment on the Business and Professions Committee for siding with Republicans on a procedural vote during the special session.

She may have irked her Democratic colleagues, but sticking up for oil jobs benefited her reelection campaign. The building trades council has since donated $21,800 to her campaign. A spokesperson declined to comment. 

The trades council also has been known to punish lawmakers who go too green. One example was when the trades council aggressively targeted former Democratic Assemblymember Cristina Garcia for pushing to include pollution protections for vulnerable communities in California’s cap-and-trade program. The unions opened a campaign account to fundraise for her opponents, and they took out newspaper and television ads attacking her.

“Garcia has been targeting our workers and our jobs,” then-council president Robbie Hunter told its members in a bulletin shared by Garcia’s campaign team. “We in the Building Trades will vigorously oppose her.”

Garcia, who won reelection anyway, declined to discuss the conflict on the record.

Chris Hannan, the new president of the building trades council, doesn’t deny that the council plays hardball with lawmakers. Too many union jobs are at stake, he said. 

“If any time we come across as going hard for fighting for our members, you know, it’s true,” Hannan said. “We do come across strong for our membership, because our membership is strong, and that’s what they deserve.”

Hannan insists that the council isn’t trying to block California’s green-energy transition, and the council supports well-paying union jobs in California’s growing green energy sector. But the union commissioned a study in 2020 that said fossil fuel jobs pay about $30,000 more per year than the solar industry — and that a 50% reduction in fossil fuel consumption could eliminate 57,000 jobs.

Hannan, whose council’s 450,000 members include Teamsters, boilermakers and iron and electrical workers, said the oil industry can operate “safer, cleaner and create better jobs here in California than any other place in the world, including any other place in this country. If we’re using the products, you know, we should capture the jobs here in California.” 

Petroleum association president Reheis-Boyd said it’s natural for companies and the unions representing their workers to team up to oppose legislation when it aligns against their interests.

“You (can call) it a coalition, an alliance; it’s people coming together to talk about common interests and deciding what to do about them,” she said. “We don’t agree on everything. … But you would imagine that anything that has to do with jobs is going to be a topic of discussion.”

Sen. Gonzalez, whose three bills stalled out this year, said she has nothing against the trades unions. After all, her father was a Teamster, and she co-authored legislation that aims to get more union workers good, high-paying jobs in the green-energy sector. The trades organization has donated $27,800 to Gonzalez’s campaigns since 2014, according to OpenSecrets.

But she said that all too often it feels like oil is winning with the unions’ help in the Legislature. She sees it in the thousands of oil wells pumping away in Southern California and in the pollution that smudges the skyline and fills her constituents’ lungs. 

“I see them winning every single day,” Gonzalez said. “So I’m just wondering when California, the greenest state, is actually going to finally put our foot down in a more significant way.”

Gonzalez’s district stretches from the Long Beach ports north to Compton, and it shares a border with Bradford’s. She may have a less friendly view of the oil industry than her neighboring senator, but she used the same gut-and-amend tactic on a bill to start a fight with oil and the trades council. Voters will decide its fate next year.

Five days before the 2022 session adjourned, Gonzalez, at the request of the Democratic leadership, changed a bill on detention centers into one that prohibits new existing oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, jails and hospitals and adds restrictions on existing wells. 

The oil industry and its allies in labor were furious. They said that earlier efforts to pass similar legislation through the regular legislative process failed for a reason: 15,500 existing wells are threatened, and preventing new ones would exacerbate California’s high prices at the pump. Importantly for the trades unions, the restrictions could eliminate jobs for 55,000 high-paid workers in the oil industry, according to the California Independent Petroleum Association. 

Opponents of the new law quickly gathered 1 million signatures for a referendum. Voters in November will decide whether to overturn the law that’s on hold pending the results of the initiative. They’re sure to face a barrage of campaign ads, putting the jobs vs. environment fight in the mailboxes of millions of Californians and on their televisions, phones and computer screens.

Groups hoping to keep the law in place say they have internal polling showing California voters siding with them, but it’s no sure bet. Last year, Ventura County voters sided with the oil and gas industry and the building trades unions when they overturned similar restrictions the county board of supervisors had placed on local oil wells that support thousands of jobs. The oil industry raised more than $8 million on the campaign, vastly outspending environmentalists.

Gonzalez is hoping voters don’t overturn her bill, saying it provides protection for impoverished communities in her district. But even she is worried about getting on the labor council’s bad side. 

After doing an on-the-record, recorded interview with CalMatters for this story, her spokesperson requested that her remarks not be used if the article would paint the building and trades council in a negative light. CalMatters declined the request.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Donald V. Evangelinos, a dedicated and beloved member of the Eureka community, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 10, at the age of 90. Don was preceded in passing by his infant daughter, Jayna Marie, and son, George. Born in Troy, Montana in 1933, Donald was a cherished husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, leaving behind a legacy of love, service, and athletic prowess.

Donald was a longtime resident of Eureka, where he made an indelible impact on the community through his passionate involvement in youth sports. For years, he served as the President of the Eureka Junior League Football organization and devoted over four decades of his life to coaching youth football, baseball, and basketball. His commitment and leadership were instrumental in the development of countless young athletes who went on to excel both on and off the field.

In the early 1980s, Donald took his passion for basketball to new heights by founding the Eureka Hoopsters basketball program which continues to flourish to this day. His dedication to fostering a love for the sport among local youth has endured, as the program continues to thrive and inspire generations of students.

Donald’s athletic prowess extended beyond coaching; playing for the semi-professional football team, The Foresters, he left an indelible mark on the local sports scene. Remarkably, he remained active on the softball field well into his 80s, showcasing a lifelong commitment to the sports he loved.

Beyond his athletic achievements, Donald was a devout member of the Eureka First Baptist Church, where he served as a mentor in the Men’s Prayer Group. His faith and leadership were a source of inspiration to many in the community.

Donald was an active thespian throughout his life and performed in several local productions and skits in the community and at church. He was also a 35-year realtor and employee of Ming Tree Reality, where he earned realtor of the year.

Donald is survived by his loving wife, Barbara, and his children Cheryl, Diana, and Kevin. He will be deeply missed by his grandchildren Jerrad, Jennifer, Colby, and Ashlee, as well as his great-grandchildren, Chase and Knightlee. His memory will live on through the countless lives he touched, the teams he coached, and the spirit of sportsmanship and community he instilled in all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Stacy V. Ripple (54) of Blocksburg, passed away on December 14, 2023, surrounded by friends and family. Stacy was born to William (Bill) and Hazel Ripple on July 10, 1969 in Fortuna. After graduating from Fortuna Union High School, he spent the next 36 years honing his skills as a jack of all trades training horses, managing cattle, driving trucks, building fences, along with many other occupations. 

Stacy is survived by his son and his wife, Andrew and Ashley Ripple, his grandkids Wyatt, Rhaynnia, and Hazel, his daughter Lana Ripple and boyfriend Levi Humphrey, and daughter Ashley Ripple. He was also survived by his brother William (Willie) Ripple, his aunt Deanne Simmons, and his wife Jenny Ripple. Not to mention the rest of his family and many friends he made throughout his life. 

Stacy fought his battle against gastric esophageal cancer for almost three years. Despite spending that time through chemo and radiation treatment, he never wavered. Even to the end, he maintained his determination and positive outlook on life. He was very passionate about his family, his cows, and the Blocksburg community. Family time was very important to him, whether that was spent fishing, hunting, ranching, or keeping up the Blocksburg town hall traditions. As long as he was with family it was time well spent. In his later years, he became the president of the Blocksburg Town Hall Association and took that role seriously. With the help of the association and locals, he ensured that the historic cemetery, church, and town hall were well taken care of and maintained the happenings of the traditional events that took place over many years. 

Stacy’s family will host a celebration of life on Friday, December 29, 2023 at 3 p.m. The service will be held at the Blocksburg town hall. The service will be a potluck, so please bring your dishes and plenty of memories to share.

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Gary Lee Hover
August 8, 1946 - December 7, 2023

Gary’s home and heart has been in Hydesville for the past 40 years. He passed on to a better place December 7th 2023, at Timber Ridge, Eureka. He was 77 years old. 

Gary grew up in Eureka he graduated from Eureka High, and went on to Santa Rosa J.C where he played football and studied forestry. Growing up Gary and his family spent the summers at the family ranch in Orleans. That was the start of his lifelong love of anything outdoors. He was proud of being a member of the Karuk Tribe in Orleans. 

Throughout his life Gary wore many hats. He was a cowboy, a firefighter, a commercial fisherman (on the Eddie & Rod among other boats) a timber faller (his passion), and ended retiring from Humboldt Redwood Company in 2013 (Fortuna).

Gary is proceeded in death by his folks Lee and Helen Hover, his only brother, Paul Hover and many other family and friends. Gary leaves his loving wife and partner of 37 years Melanie and his children Jesseca, Ryan,  Adam (Chere) who he was so proud of and,  his grandkids Austin and Liana, who held a special place in his heart, and his cousin Patty(Ken) who he shared a birthday with 8/8.

Gary was a mountain man at heart but the most sentimental (besides myself) person I’ve ever known. He made friends wherever he went. He was full of life stories and loved to share them. He had a ‘winning’ grin and a twinkle in his eye that could draw you in…

Throughout his life he had a great love of hunting( here and out of state), fishing, endurance riding (how we met), camping, packing into the Trinity Alps, The Marbles, The Yolla Bollies and any other place the horses would take him. Gary took me on adventures I would have never had without him. I will be forever thankful for those times. 

Gary was a kind and good man who loved the simple things in life; sunny days, my calico beans and flatbread, Gram’s pies, his 73 Ford truck, his bear tooth necklace (always worn) all his dogs, our feline fur-person, Simon, a good steak, making firewood, working around our property and a scotch at days end.

I’d like to thank all his friends and staff at Timber Ridge for the love, care and friendship they showed Gary while he was there. A special thank you to all his “buddies” Paul, Joe, Karl, Jim, Mike, Scott for all their visits to watch some games (Go 49ers) or just shoot-the-breeze about past good times. Know you always made his day. He loved you guys!

I’m so happy for the 40 years you chose to spend with me and will love and miss you forever. I can still feel your love tho my heart aches… Gary, we had a great ride together! 

            Happy trails and sweet dreams 

                  Always ‘your’ Mel 

                  ”SÚVA NÍK NUPMÁNEESH”

                         “I’ll See you again”

There will be no service, per Gary’s wishes. Remember your times with him and smile.

Ride free, my friend.

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Carol Ann Haffner (Conversano)
April 14th, 1952 - November 26th, 2023

Carol Haffner went home to Heaven on November 26, at the age of 71.

Carol was the first of five children born to Guy and Pauline Coversano. She was born in Newark, New Jersey on April 14, 1952. When Carol was two years old the family moved to Eureka.

Carol graduated from St. Bernard’s High School in 1970. Shortly after high school she married Tom Gomes. They had two children together, Dan and Tony Gomes. Carol became a cosmetologist, starting her own hair salon in Loleta. She was very proud of owning her own salon, she was able to make many friends throughout the years cutting hair for everyone in town.

In 2005, Carol remarried Dennis Haffner where they resided in Willow Creek and Ferndale. Carol took painting classes and fell in love with it, she made many paintings for family and friends. Carol loved the Seattle Seahawks; she enjoyed talking Seahawks football with her two boys. She enjoyed the large family gatherings during the holidays and playing poker with her family. What Carol enjoyed most was watching her grandkids sporting events. She would often drive hours to watch them play football, basketball, softball, baseball, rodeo and cheer. She was incredibly proud of all of her grandkids.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents Guy and Pauline Conversano. Carol is survived by her Husband Dennis Haffner, son Dan Gomes (Jennifer) and grandkids Lane, Lucas and Camryn, son Tony Gomes (Amanda) and grandkids Landon, Ethan and Claire, stepson Jason Haffner (Raquel) and grandkids Vivian, Jason Jr., Christopher and Violet, stepson Matthew Haffner, stepson Andrew Haffner (Kelly) grandkids Alex, Anduary, Austin, Aaron, Abilene, Anderson and Ace and stepdaughter Terrha Haffner (Willie) and grandkids Allah and Airanna. She leaves behind her siblings, Guy and Becca Coversano, Donna Troyer, Sandra and Jim Vance, and Lisa Denny-Brill and many nieces and nephews who she adored.

Carol will be sorely missed by many. A celebration of life will be held in at a later date.

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Last week the California Coastal Commission unanimously denied five separate appeals challenging permit approvals for Nordic Aquafarms’ big onshore recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) planned for the Samoa Peninsula. 

Appellants, including the Redwood Region Audubon Society, Salmonid Restoration Federation, 350 Humboldt, and local residents Alison Willy and Scott Frazer, argued that the permitting agencies didn’t adequately account for a variety of potential environmental impacts to the climate, marine resources, dune habitat and public access.

But Coastal Commission staff pointed to the fact that the onshore fish farm, now slated to produce thousands of metric tons of yellowtail per year for distribution up and down the West Coast, will be constructed on a designated brownfield. The property formerly housed the Samoa Pulp Mill, which left behind millions of gallons of toxic pulping liquors. 

At last week’s meeting, Melissa Kraemer, coastal program manager for the Coastal Commission’s North Coast District, said, “While the approved development is a relatively large project, its footprint and scope are limited to brownfield lands and redevelopment of areas that historically were developed with industrial uses. Given the high degree of factual and legal support for the county’s decision, and its required conditions of approval, staff believes that the consideration of the five factors together support a conclusion that no substantial issue is raised.”

The commission agreed, much to the delight of Nordic Aquafarms, which today issued the following press release:

Last week, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously in alignment with the staff recommendation finding “no substantial issue” raised in the five appeals, upholding the County approval for Nordic Aquafarms’ terrestrial Coastal Development Permit (CDP). This step of checks and balances acknowledged the concerns raised in the appeals and indicated that the scope of those concerns fell outside the realm of the coastal development permit. 

The California Coastal Commission, known for its rigorous evaluation process, thoroughly examined Nordic Aquafarms’ proposal and the issues raised in the appeals over the last year, and found it in alignment with the Local Coastal Plan, the Coastal Act, and environmentally sustainable goals. The “no substantial issue” recommendation not only recognizes the scope of the appeals as they relate to CDP, but also reflects the project’s adherence to stringent environmental regulations. 

Nordic Aquafarms’ innovative approach to sustainable seafood production embraces cutting-edge technology and leading environmental practices. Overall, the approved terrestrial Coastal Development Permit is a significant stride towards creating a model for sustainable aquaculture that meets the growing demand for seafood without compromising the delicate coastal environment. 

“We are glad for the California Coastal Commission’s unanimous decision, and the support of the community for Nordic Aquafarms,” said Brenda Chandler, US CEO of Nordic Aquafarms. “This approval not only underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship, but also highlights California’s role as a leader in addressing challenges related to sustainable food production.” 

The CDP approval helps to solidify Nordic Aquafarms as a key player in the emerging landscape of onshore sustainable aquaculture. By embracing forward-thinking initiatives, and environmentally friendly practices, Nordic Aquafarms is contributing to the broader solution for responsible seafood production, aligning with California’s dedication to the highest environmental standards and finding solutions to global issues. 

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Massive New Fish Farm in the Works for Samoa Peninsula; Harbor District Expected to Bless Project Helmed by Norwegian Firm at Special Meeting Monday
• Humboldt Baykeeper Says: Samoa Fish Farm Proposal Looks Good So Far, But the Devil Will Be in the Details
• Let’s Take a Closer Look at This Big Fish Farm Proposal for the Samoa Peninsula
• In a Surprise Move, Nordic Aquafarms Agrees to Conduct Full Environmental Impact Report for Its Land-Based Fish Farm on the Samoa Peninsula
• Planning Commission Set to Consider Permits for Nordic Aquafarms Project Tonight
• Fishermen and Conservation Groups Appeal Nordic Aquafarms’ Environmental Report Certification to Humboldt County Supervisors
• Nordic Aquafarms Celebrates ‘Monumental Step Forward’ After Supes Deny Project Appeal
• Salmon OUT, Yellowtail IN: Nordic Aquafarms Announces Species Switch-Up at its Planned Humboldt Facility
• Water Quality Board Awards Wastewater Discharge Permit for Nordic Aquafarms’ Planned Peninsula Facility
• Coastal Commission OKs Water Discharge Permit for Nordic Aquafarms’ Onshore Fish Farm