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AKG523000 – Offshore Seafood Processors Wastewater Discharge General Permit

PUBLIC NOTICE 
ALASKA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (APDES)
Draft General Permit
TO DISCHARGE TO WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES

Public Notice Review Period:  November 9, 2026 through December 9, 2026

A Draft Permit and Fact Sheet are available for review. The permit, fact sheet, and related documents can be accessed at the Department’s Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program website: https://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/. 

DEC Contact:
Anne Weaver, 907-269-7483, anne.weaver@alaska.gov

Permit:
AKG523000 – Offshore Seafood Processors Wastewater Discharge General Permit

Proposed Permit Coverage: 
DEC proposes to reissue APDES general permit AKG523000 to offshore seafood processing vessels and inland waters discharge vessels that discharge ground fish waste to waters of the U.S.

Description of Discharges: The pollutants of concern associated with seafood processing and ground fish waste discharges include: residues, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and non-petroleum oil and grease. These pollutants result from waste solids, body fluids, slime, stickwater, and oils and fats from cooking and rendering operations. Ammonia and residual chlorine may also be present. Other regulated parameters include color, turbidity, pH, and temperature.

The permit also authorizes the discharge of cooling water, boiler water, sanitary effluent and graywater, freshwater pressure relief water, refrigeration condensate, refrigerated seawater, cooking water, scrubber water, catch transfer water, drinking water backwash, and live tank water. Pollutants in these discharge streams may include TSS, BOD, fecal coliform, non-petroleum oil and grease, pH, residual chlorine, and temperature.

Mixing Zone: For each port/discharge pipe where a mixing zone is requested, a standard mixing zone sized as a circle with a 100-foot radius centered at the discharge terminus extending vertically up to the surface and down to the seafloor may be authorized. Applicants may also request non-standard mixing zones.

Zone of Deposit (ZOD): For a stationary processing vessel’s discharge of seafood processing waste to waters less than 120 feet deep mean lower low water (MLLW) in depth, DEC is proposing location-specific ZODs to allow deposits of seafood residues. The ZOD will limit seafood waste deposits (residues) coverage authorized per discharge location to 1.0 acre. ZODs may be authorized in marine and estuarine waters per 18 AAC 70.210 (June 26, 2003), which allows the water quality criteria of 18 AAC 70.020(b) and the antidegradation requirements of 18 AAC 70.015 to be exceeded.

Tentative Determination: 
DEC has tentatively determined to reissue the wastewater discharge permit. 

Public Comments: 
Comments or requests are due by the close of the comment period, December 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm AKST. Any person desiring to comment on the permit may submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site (preferred) at https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/.

Alternatively, you may direct written comments and requests to the attention of the DEC contact/permit writer at the email address or phone number identified above.

All comments should include the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the commenter and a concise statement of comment on the permit condition(s) and the relevant facts upon which the comment is based. Comments of either support or concern that are directed at specific, cited permit requirements are appreciated. Mailed comments and requests must be postmarked on or before the expiration date of the public notice.

DEC will consider all comments when making the final decision and will respond to the comments received in a Response to Comments document issued when DEC issues a final permit. The Response to Comments will be made available to the public.

Any interested person may submit a written request for a public hearing if no hearing has already been scheduled. A request for a public hearing shall state the nature of the issues to be raised as well as the requester's name, address, and telephone number. DEC will hold a public hearing whenever DEC finds, on the basis of requests, a significant degree of public interest in a draft permit. DEC may also hold a public hearing if a hearing might clarify one or more issues involved in a permit decision or for other good reason in DEC’s discretion.

DEC will transmit the final permit, fact sheet (amended as appropriate), and Response to Comments to anyone who provided comments during the public review period or requested to be notified of DEC’s final decision.

Administrative Record: 
The APDES preliminary draft permit, fact sheet, and associated documents may be viewed at the website above or at the DEC offices located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Please contact the office of your choice to arrange for hard copies of the documents to be available for your review. 

To receive email notifications about the APDES Program, including when permits are available to review, join the APDES email list.

555 Cordova Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-269-6285

610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709
907-451-2100

PO Box 1800
Juneau, AK 9811-1800
Location: 410 Willoughby Street, Suite 303
Juneau, AK 
907-465-5300

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice: 
The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation, complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Kristin Mabry, kristin.mabry@alaska.gov, 1-907-334-0884; or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 at least 3 days prior to the expiration/closure date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
 

Attachments, History, Details

Attachments

None

Revision History

Created 11/5/2026 8:34:49 AM by jrschlosser
Modified 11/5/2026 8:36:14 AM by jrschlosser
Modified 11/5/2026 8:38:55 AM by jrschlosser

Details

Department: Environmental Conservation
Category: Public Notices
Sub-Category:
Location(s): Statewide
Project/Regulation #: AKG523000
 
Publish Date: 11/9/2026
Archive Date: 12/10/2026
 
Events/Deadlines: