Eureka’s Newest Stench
Outside Englund Marine, next to Pacific Choice, three men are walking past the bins of shrimp shells. They say they know nothing. As they move away, one of them jokes, “Heh, heh, I smell an environmentalist.”
So, it’s inside the blue door on the side of the building and up and down stairs to Pacific Choice Plant Manager Kirk Younker’s office. Where all is explained. The reek is related to a new organic fish fertilizer venture, in which Pacific Choice processes fish scraps — which used to head to a landfill — and trucks them to Gonzales, in the Salinas Valley, where they become either liquid or pellet fertilizer that another outfit, Converted Organics, then markets. The operation started up in April, and there have been some glitches.
“There’s going to be a natural fish odor from a fish processing plant,” says Younker. “But not that stench.”
Several things have caused it. Summertime, for one.
“We’ve been running a lot of shrimp — about a million pounds a month,” he says, adding that the shells, which become the pellets, have piled up faster than they can be trucked away.
Plus, they’ve had problems with the pump in the tank that prepares other scraps for the liquid product. It keeps plugging up with bones and choking to a halt. That stops the fish goop from circulating, which then ferments — stinking to high heaven.
“We fixed the bone problem,” says Younker. “Now, we just need to keep the stuff moving. We’re working on resolving it. Because I don’t like it either.”
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent short stories
June 11, 2009
Eye of the Beholder
June 11, 2009
Double Down
May 21, 2009
Pearls and Swine
Hank Sims
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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