The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has agreed to allow Trident Seafoods to swap deadlines for when it needs to retire or retrofit large refrigerator appliances on two of its vessels after the company certified it had retired the system on one of its vessels four years earlier than scheduled.
The company first agreed to retire large refrigerator systems on five of its vessels as part of a 2019 settlement with the DOJ over Clean Air Act violations. According to the government, alleged leaks in the company’s refrigeration systems led to more than 200,000 pounds of coolants being discharged into the air. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed the leaks went on for years, despite the company being legally required to fix them within a month.
The DOJ sued, and as part of the settlement Trident Seafoods was required to pay USD 23 million (EUR 20.2 million) to fix its larger refrigeration appliances “that are more prone to significant leaks” and pay a USD 900,000 (EUR 794,336) fine. The settlement also set a timeline for when the company needed either retrofit or retire the large refrigerating appliances.
Late last year, however, Trident Seafoods asked the government if it could swap the deadlines for two of their vessels: the Independence and the Seattle Enterprise. While the appliances on the Independence was slated to be retired next year, the modification to the settlement would extend the deadline to retrofit or retire the large appliances on the vessel to 31 January 2030. In return, the company confirmed that it had recently retired the relevant appliances on the Seattle Enterprise – four years earlier than required under the current settlement.
“Defendants represent that switching the two vessels’ retirement dates is necessary because of additional necessary capital expenditures, issues relating to the company’s fishing seasons and repair schedule, and the unique aspects relating to each vessel and its ability to provide services to Trident’s greater fleet,” the department noted in its filing.
Because the government believes the swap could result in more refrigerants being released into the air than the current plan, the modification also includes additional inspections as well as comprehensive leak testing on the Independence.
The DOJ is accepting public comments on the proposed modifications through 10 October.
This isn’t the first time the company has sought a modification. In 2024, the DOJ agreed to adjust multiple deadlines. The settlement was first adjusted in June 2024 with the government agreeing to modify some deadlines.
