Opponents of a fish farm project in Jonesport have lost an appeal of one of its state permits.
The most recent challenge to the Kingfish Maine project claimed that the Board of Environmental Protection should have been required to assess the site's impacts under the Natural Resources Protection Act.
But a Kennebec County Superior Court judge ruled that the board had a choice of whether to conduct another study or rely on one used to issue another permit.
Attorney Elizabeth Boepple represents the two coastal conservation groups that brought the challenge. She says the ruling ignores the Department of Environmental Protection's primary role under the Protection Act.
"Well, if that's not what N.R.P.A. is supposed to do, if it's not supposed to mandate assessment of environmental impacts, then that basically means that the whole function and purpose of the department is meaningless," Boepple said.
Boepple says her clients have not decided whether to take their challenge to the Maine supreme court.
Kingfish Maine Operations Manager Megan Sorby says the ruling supports the work the company has done to meet state requirements.
"This is just a reaffirmation that we have gone to the lengths required by the state to meet all the permitting and licensing criteria. We're just ready to move forward," Sorby said.
A municipal appeal by the conservation groups against the town of Jonesport challenging its permits to Kingfish Maine is pending.
Kingfish Maine wants to build and operate a land-based recirculating aquaculture system facility growing yellowtail kingfish in Jonesport.
