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DEQ rulemaking cited as reason several Brookings processors are exiting harbor
Summary
Commissioners and local officials warned that a DEQ rulemaking (referred to in public as '900J') is forcing fish processors to leave Brookings Harbor, potentially costing jobs and local economic activity; commissioners proposed stakeholder workshops to coordinate a response.
Commissioner Carson Coker told the Curry County Board of Commissioners on April 21 that state Environmental Quality (DEQ) rule changes — described in public comments as '900J' — are imposing new on‑site water treatment requirements that have prompted fish processors to cease operations in Brookings Harbor.
Why it matters: Pacific Seafood, Hallmark Fisheries and Bornstein Seafoods were named as firms that can no longer operate under the current requirements, raising concerns about local employment and port activity.
Coker said the rule has effectively "pulled out from underneath" some processors the regulatory ability to operate and urged the county to convene key stakeholders, including the ports and affected businesses, to workshop possible responses and identify state‑level options. "We need to know a lot more about it and have an action plan to help," he said.
Board members said they would pursue a coordinated outreach with state agencies and port managers to better understand DEQ's implementation timeline and technical requirements. Commissioners emphasized that local dredging, site infrastructure and available funding will influence any potential mitigation.
What happens next: The board discussed organizing a stakeholder meeting to gather port managers, processors, DEQ contacts and legislative representatives to map remediation steps and possible legislative advocacy.
Limitations: The meeting included a description of the problem from commissioners and public comment; DEQ did not appear at the session and no formal DEQ response was recorded.
