Proposed EPA rule would exempt most offshore seafood processing vessels from reporting their pollution discharge

The Starbound, a 300-foot catcher-processor in port in Unalaska in February 2022. (Theo Greenly/KUCB)
The Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed rule on Sept. 4 that would de-regulate pollution released by certain offshore seafood processing vessels.
Under the proposal, a vessel that’s more than three miles from shore in federal waters and not attached to the seabed would be exempt from the Clean Water Act’s pollution discharge permitting requirements.
That means that