EPA proposes $5,859 Clean Water Act settlement with UniSea over Iliuliuk Harbor violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a $5,859 civil penalty settlement with UniSea, Inc. over Clean Water Act violations at its Dutch Harbor seafood processing facility. The public can comment through August 19. Iliuliuk Harbor, where the violations occurred, is used by Unalaska residents for subsistence harvests.

The Violations

EPA Region 10 alleges UniSea failed to eliminate non-stormwater discharges into Iliuliuk Harbor, failed to update its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan annually, and failed to include required contents in the plan's site map under its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Multi-Sector General Permit, number AKR06AC21. The case is being handled through an Expedited Settlement Agreement, a streamlined enforcement tool EPA Region 10 uses when a respondent has returned to compliance. UniSea has certified that all violations have been corrected.

The Stake for Unalaska

Iliuliuk Harbor is used by Unalaska residents for subsistence harvests. The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska has said industrial discharges contribute to cumulative contamination risks. "Our community depends on clean water and healthy marine ecosystems in Iliuliuk Bay and surrounding areas. We urge regulatory agencies and industrial operators to take all necessary steps to prevent pollution and to address cumulative impacts on subsistence resources," the Tribe said in a 2024 statement.

How to Comment

Comments must be submitted by August 19 by email to [email protected], referencing docket CWA-10-2026-0190.