Following news that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Water Resources granted them a new withdrawal and consumptive use permit for necessary water use at the Company's farm in Pioneer, Ohio, AquaBounty has announced that it will relinquish the previous permit that was granted for a different well field earlier this year. CEO Sylvia Wulf, pleased with the ODNR's decision, thinks that the newly approved second option is a better long-term solution and reaffirms its commitment to the local community.
While announcing that the newly granted permit authorizes water withdrawals up to 5.25 million gallons per day (MGD) and the consumptive use authorized by the permit may not exceed 0.065 MGD, AquaBounty made public that it will relinquish the previous permit that was granted earlier this year for a different well field.
WeAreAquaculture has consulted with the company as to why it is waiving the permit and here is what CEO Sylvia Wulf had to say: "AquaBounty concluded the original wellfield provided a viable solution for our daily water requirements. Further review determined the second wellfield would be a better long-term solution. AquaBounty will relinquish the permit granted earlier this year and proceed with the latest permit issued by ODNR". Moreover, Wulf added: "We continue to evaluate technologies that may reduce our water consumption requirements while allowing our salmon to thrive".
Dedicated to improving productivity and sustainability through technology, AquaBounty is also committed to the community that hosts them in Pioneer, Ohio. The company chose this location for what will be its largest farm for, among other reasons, its access to quality and quantity of water. In the announcement of the Ohio Department decision, AquaBounty's CEO stressed that the company had carefully reviewed 263 community comments and had submitted a detailed request responding to all of them.
"Based on facts developed through extensive scientific investigation, analysis, testing, modeling, and review by experts and regulatory agencies, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to addressing the concerns of the local community. AquaBounty understands the importance of being a good neighbor and is committed to our role in providing economic support to Pioneer and Williams County", Sylvia Wulf stated. "We also appreciate the support we have received from numerous stakeholders in the community and look forward to our continued work with local, county and state agencies to bring sustainable land-based aquaculture to Ohio", she concluded.
AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. is a land-based fish farming expert raising Atlantic salmon to supply nearby markets. Its salmon is free of antibiotics and other contaminants and provides a solution resulting in a reduced carbon footprint and no risk of pollution to marine ecosystems. The company's current land-based fish farms are located in Indiana (USA) and Prince Edward Island (Canada). The one in Pioneer (Ohio, USA) is under construction and will be the company's first large-scale fish farm.
