The small yet critically important Marshyhope Creek on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has been targeted for a massive facility that poses a serious threat to its water quality and its habitats. The state’s initial attempt to permit AquaCon’s massive Federalsburg facility is grossly deficient.
The start-up Norwegian company’s promises about sustainable indoor salmon farming and the economic benefits it would bring to Maryland have not panned out elsewhere in this industry.
Instead, the nascent indoor salmon farming industry has been plagued by mass die-offs of fish, lackluster consumer support, and in one case a catastrophic fire that destroyed an industrial salmon production facility in Demark.
Despite the industry’s problems, AquaCon is now proposing a 25-acre indoor salmon farm near Federalsburg, and a draft discharge permit for it has been issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment. As scientists and environmental advocates who have reviewed the proposed permit, we find it to be concerning and deficient. If AquaCon is allowed to operate under this permit, there are numerous risks to Eastern Shore ecosystems and the Chesapeake Bay.
Anyone concerned with this proposal should attend the in-person public hearing 5 to 8 p.m., Aug. 10 at Federalsburg Town Hall. MDE plans to accept written comments until close of business October 17,
AquaCon is proposing to produce about 35 million pounds of salmon per year at this facility in a series of tanks. Within these tanks, the water would be filtered and recycled to limit the wastewater that leaves the plant.
Yet AquaCon still proposes to dump 2.3 million gallons of wastewater into Marshyhope Creek each day. This amount of polluted water could overwhelm the narrow and mostly shallow tidal creek.
Federally and state designated as critical habitat, the Marshyhope is the smallest known river in the United States that’s home to the endangered Atlantic sturgeon. It’s also the only river in Maryland where the species is known to spawn. MDE has not addressed concerns expressed by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and scientists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science about how the pollution and coldwater discharges from the industrial salmon farm would affect Atlantic sturgeon.
This project represents the first experiment of its kind where fecal wastes, well exceeding those of the entire human population of Caroline County, are self-contained under a single roof.
Neither AquaCon nor MDE has provided assurances that the proposed technology, which has only been tested in small production units, will work to filter the feces from millions of large salmon grown in tanks. Maryland’s Eastern Shore already faces a severe overabundance of animal processing wastes.
In the U.S., there’s only one industrial salmon farm in operation that’s of a similar scale as what’s being proposed by AquaCon—a plant in Miami operated by Atlantic Sapphire. That plant, which first began producing salmon in 2020, suffered mass die-offs of salmon in 2020 and 2021 that killed more than 600,000 fish—equivalent to about 1,300 cattle being wasted. In September 2021, Atlantic Sapphire’s pilot plant in Demark, where it was testing technology to raise salmon indoors caught fire and destroyed the facility. The fire created a cloud of smoke that covered neighboring communities and caused a nearby waterway to turn red. Authorities warned citizens in the area not to enter the water due to excessive amounts of iron chloride spilling into the water next to the plant.
Despite these catastrophic events, MDE’s proposed permit does not address what AquaCon would be required to do in the event of loss of power, water supply interruptions, fish die-offs, debilitating storms, or devastating fire. Even if AquaCon were required to obtain a bond to cover operational failures, the environmental risks are too high to be mitigated by this kind of compensation.
The Marshyhope is already impaired by primary Bay pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, yet MDE’s permit doesn’t detail how the plant could ensure it doesn’t exceed the limits the agency sets for these pollutants.
The permit doesn’t address how stormwater runoff would be treated from the plant, which would be one of the largest buildings in the state—about the size of six Super Walmarts. An inch of rainfall on this facility could produce up to 750,000 gallons of runoff, which would create flooding and pollution risks.
AquaCon is also proposing to withdraw 2.3 million gallons of water per day from underground aquifers, yet MDE has failed to address whether groundwater supplies and existing uses can accommodate this level of withdrawal, or could cause nearby land to sink, as has happened elsewhere.
What MDE did do is compare this new permit with one issued in Belfast, Maine for a different indoor salmon farm. However, the comparison is less than apt. In Maine, the facility would drain into Penobscot Bay, a much larger, deeper, and colder body of water, whereas the Marshyhope at the proposed discharge location is only about 100 feet wide and wadable at low tide. And while Maine did grant a discharge permit for the facility, the plant has not been built so there’s no way to tell if the permit is appropriate or being met.
The indoor-raised salmon industry has struggled with an off-taste due to high levels of the compound geosmin being present in the salmon tanks. In Maryland, AquaCon is proposing to “purge” that geosmin from their fish straight into the Marshyhope. The effects of doing that to the fish already living in this sensitive waterway – from temperature and salinity imbalances, to chemical contamination, to excessive nutrient loads – are mostly unknown.
Taken together, the risks posed by this speculative business proposition are great. If Maryland is really interested in enabling farm raised salmon production on the Shore, state regulators need to do more to protect surrounding communities, guarantee pollution in local waterways won’t get worse, and find a site that doesn’t directly threaten the endangered Atlantic sturgeon.
Alan Girard, Eastern Shore Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Dr. Bradley Stevens, Professor Emeritus of Marine Science, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Dr. David Secor, Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Fred Pomeroy, President, Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth
Jay Martin, President, Friends of the Nanticoke River
Dr. Judith Stribling, Faculty Emerita, Salisbury University
Madeleine Adams, President, Wicomico Environmental Trust
Matt Pluta, Director of Riverkeeper Programs, ShoreRivers
Nick Carter, Retired Fisheries Biologist, MD Department of Natural Resources
John Dean says
Thank you for this information.
Anyone with doubt about the environmental risks of salmon farming should read “Salmon Wars: The Dark Underbelly of our Favorite Fish” by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins. While the proposed salmon farm here is on land, very significant environmental and health risks remain. I also don’t trust AquaCon to be honest about the risks and question whether Maryland will adequately police the operation. Red flags are in order.
Mike Allison says
It seems to me that MDE is not concerned with the environment at all. Other examples of not protecting the environment are approving a type of waste water treatment plant known for a high rate of failure for Lakeside at Trappe; allowing Valley Proteins in Linkwood to operate for years discharging pollutants into Transquaking River, and allowing waste water treatment plants all around the Bay Watershed to discharge untreated sewage. It’s not surprising the Blue Crab population is at a record low.
While millions of dollars are spent to try to cleanup the Bay, it’s all a waste of money until MDE does its job!
Tom Alspach says
MDE is in the business of issuing permits. Period.
Michael Davis says
Is the MDE run by appointees from Virginia governor Youngkin? Is our MDE where former land-abuse lobbyists who served Trump ended up? There is nothing about this Salmon farming operation that can explain how the MDE gave it a permit. We need a new administration for Maryland before the old one permanently destroys our environment.
Lyn Banghart says
What can we do to help stop them doing this to the Marshy Hope?
Alan Girard says
Anyone concerned with the industrial salmon farm proposed near Federalsburg should attend MDE’s public hearing on the draft discharge permit 5:00 pm Wednesday, August 10 at Federalsburg Town Hall, 118 North Main Street, Federalsburg, MD 21632.
Written comments are being accepted until October 17, by mail, Attn: Paul Hlavinka, Maryland Department of the Environment, Water and Science Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Ste. 455, Baltimore, MD 21230-1708, or via email to Paul.Hlavinka@Maryland.gov
Joy Sayles says
It seems like the Hogan administration is putting profits over the environmental impact that will be AquaCon. Usually the MDE is more proactive in the situations that involve Maryland’s most precious natural resources.
Gary Raynor says
Build this on Marley Creek in Anne Arundel County as it has no fish and is already polluted. This is too high a risk to place on the cleanest creek in Maryland, it defies all common sense.
Phillip LeBel says
This critique points straight to the downside risks of the AquaCon project. Absent any protections , it should not be authorized to go forward.
Nancy E. Frame says
We are facing a similar situation in Pioneer, Ohio. With a village population of about 1,300 a large salmon farm called AquaBounty has managed to acquire about 80 acres of land to build a large salmon farm to raise and process GMO salmon. The company already has an allowed permit to remove over 3 million gallons per day and is waiting on approval to up that to 5 million gallons per day. Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Agency appear to have no concern for the damage to the water supply (our sole source of water from the aquifer), environmental, etc. Money seems to be the only motivating factor. The company, state and local officials are all in and the local population is ignored. We need national attention to fight this unreasonable use of our water. If this company is allowed to come in, then the precedent is set for other company to establish business here. We are not against progress. We want to save our water and environment.
Charles Stegman says
A 21 acre building with its attendant runoff, housing an operation that dumps 2.3 million gallons of polluted effluent daily into Marshyhope Creek and thence to the Nanticoke River.
What could go wrong?
David Buell says
PATHETIC THAT WE ALLOW THIS
Tim Dean says
This sounds like one of those economic development ideas that could possibly rely on the nutrient trading program which is a total disaster ! Pollute one area excessively while another area remains marginal with just a promise ! Red flags galore !!! MDE under the Hogan administration should not be trusted and truly needs reform …
James formyduval says
We don’t need any. More polluters sending sewage
In the bay
WENDY ZNANIEC says
I’m a Federalsburg resident, and I just learned about this FOUR days ago. My neighbors are in the dark too. We don’t want all this risk to our creek for development by an unproven industry with a poor track record. Please everyone go to the hearing on August 10th, 5-8 pm at Federalsburg Town Hall. And make a public comment to MDE. Please!
Susan Catterall says
We are facing the same situation in northwest Ohio. A company called Aquabounty is proposing a land based GM salmon farm. They want to pump and dump up to 5 million gallons of water from a regional aquifer and dump it in a nearby river. They are also using the recycling claim but are not recycling. The local officials seem not to care. So far they are issuing permits to green light this project. It is sickening.
DANIEL HANELY says
yep and noone except the people affected even care
Tish O’Dell, CELDF says
The real question is “if the people who live in the community KNOW it will harm the environment and we KNOW that the government electeds and agencies will not stop it…then what are the people willing to do to stop it. This same story plays out over and over of the people knowing something is harmful but accepting the permits and the destruction. Is it any wonder the Earth is in the state it is and that our children will not stand a chance? Time to stand up and stop accepting the pollution and destruction of nature and work together to change a system that ignores nature and all of us for the profit of corporations. Please consider a new way….Google Rights of Nature. We have to stop looking at nature as mere property to be owned for corporate profit.
DANIEL HANELY says
Yep in Ohio the DNR gives this crap the greenlight
Joe Capozzoli says
Many excellent points made in all the comments prior to this. Unfortunately , when some entity promises 10 million in grant money all logic appears to get erased. So many politicians claim to want to “clean the bay” and restore its eco system. Well , all they have to do is say “no”. That does not cost anything and will be a very positive environmental precedent.
Ken Penrod says
MDE is being bought. Stop this flagrant plan now. An EIS is mandatory but someone in MDE is blocking it. Follow the money.