REEDVILLE, Va. (AP) — Virginia and federal regulators are investigating allegations that the nation's top menhaden processor has been dumping oxygen-choking fish waste into the Chesapeake Bay.
The Southern Environmental Law Center accuses Omega Protein Corp. of routine discharges comparable to a large wastewater-treatment plant. Excessive nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, create "dead zones" that kill blue crabs and other marine life.
Omega spokesman Ben Landry denies the claims.
The Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Quality said they will review Texas-based Omega's water-pollution permits to determine if the company is in compliance.
