Dutch Harbor, AK – A former maintenance engineer director at Unisea, a major seafood processing company operating in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, has been sentenced for his role in concealing significant environmental violations. Arthur K. Aliment, 60, was found guilty of failing to report hazardous substance discharges, a crime that coincided with a larger investigation into Unisea’s systemic pollution of surrounding waters.
The case, brought to light by a joint investigation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, revealed that Unisea discharged ammonia and other pollutants into the waters near Amaknak Island beginning in 2005, operating without the necessary permits. More critically, the company failed to report two substantial ammonia releases in December 2007, exceeding legally mandated reporting thresholds.
Aliment, as the designated Unisea employee responsible for reporting such incidents to federal, state, and local authorities, deliberately withheld information regarding the 17,000-pound ammonia releases. These releases, which significantly surpassed the 100-pound reportable quantity for ammonia, remained unreported for over a month, until mid-January 2008. This failure to notify authorities constituted a direct violation of both state and federal environmental reporting laws.
Corporate Penalties and Compliance
The fallout from the investigation extended beyond Aliment’s individual sentencing. Unisea itself agreed to pay a staggering $1.9 million in penalties to resolve both state and federal claims. This sum is broken down as follows: $133,250 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund), $975,000 under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), $297,000 under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and $504,125 as a state assessment. In addition to the financial penalties, Unisea is required to conduct a benthic survey and potentially clean up a fish waste pile, as well as implement a comprehensive environmental compliance plan to prevent future violations.
Individual Sentence and Legal Ramifications
On January 12, 2011, Aliment pleaded guilty to violating Alaska Statute 46.09.010, pertaining to the failure to report hazardous substance discharges. He was sentenced on March 9, 2011, to 45 days in jail (suspended), a $7,500 fine (with $3,750 suspended), 60 hours of community service, and a year of probation. The sentencing reflects the seriousness with which authorities are treating environmental crimes, particularly those involving deliberate concealment of hazardous releases.
GrimyTimes Investigation
GrimyTimes has learned that Unisea’s violations extended beyond ammonia. The company allegedly released anhydrous ammonia, elevated pH levels, propylene glycol, unscreened seafood processing wastewater, crab waste, stick water, fishmeal, and foam from its Dutch Harbor facility between July 2005 and February 2008, violating the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the EPA in 2003. The incident underscores the persistent challenges of balancing industrial activity with environmental protection in a region as ecologically sensitive as the Alaskan coastline.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Arthur K. Aliment
- Company Involved: Unisea
- Location: Unalaska, Alaska (Dutch Harbor)
- Year of Sentencing: 2011
- Statutes Violated: AS 46.09.010 (Alaska State Law), CERCLA, EPCRA, CWA
- Penalties (Unisea): $1.9 million in fines and required cleanup/compliance plan
- Penalties (Aliment): 45 days suspended jail time, $7,500 fine (partially suspended), 60 hours community service, 1 year probation
- Pollutants Discharged: Ammonia, propylene glycol, seafood processing waste, and more
Reporting by GrimyTimes Staff.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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