Ohio EPA issues pipeline permit for AquaBounty’s paused Pioneer salmon project.
AquaBounty has received a five-year Ohio Environmental Protection Agency permit allowing installation of two mile-long pipelines near Pioneer, Williams County, despite construction on the company’s genetically modified Atlantic salmon facility being on hold since June 2023.
The permit, granted on Sept. 12 and effective Oct. 1, authorises one line to draw groundwater from a local aquifer and a second to discharge treated wastewater into the east branch of the St. Joseph River. It runs through Sept. 30, 2030.
The Ohio EPA said no public notice was issued due to an internal oversight. Local campaigners criticised the lack of notification. AquaBounty has not said when or whether construction will resume and did not provide immediate comment.
