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HANDBOOK 

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,for Materials AcconntiD.g'.A.udits and 

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Best'Managem�"nt Practices Pla'ns 

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Prepared by: 

Peter M. Nicklason 

Bottornline Performance 

6759 21st Street NW 

Seattle, WA 98117" 

H. Burney Hill . 

.. , 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Region 10 ' , �". .' .' 

1200 Sixth Avenue (OW,,135)' 

Seattle, WA 981Ot/> '," 

,:' � '":' " 

.• .. '> ' . : ' 

October 13, 1995,>< 
PREFACE 

This document is the secon d draft of the Seafood 

Processing Handbook for Materials Accountin g Audits and Best 

Managemen t Practices Plans. The handbook is intended as 

advisory guidance to Alaska's seafood processing industry in 

developin g approaches to pollution prevention, materials 

accountin g audit, and BMP plans. Compliance with 

environmental and occupational safety and health laws is the 

responsibility of each individual business and is not the 

focus of this document. 

. 

Peter M. Nicklason, President 

Bottoml�ne Performan ce 

6759 21st Street NW 

Seattle, WA 9811 

telephone (206) 783-6719, 

is the primary author of the handbook. Pete received 

undergraduate degrees in both microbiology and engineering 

from the University of Washington. He completed a Masters 

in Food Science at the University of Washington with studies 

focused on seafood and surimi. Mr. Nicklason has been 

involved with the fisheries of Washington, Alaska, and 

Oregon for 15 years, with the pa,stl0 years committed to 

surimi. 

H. Burney Hill, Aquatic Environmental scientist 

NPDES Permits Unit (OW-135) 

EPA Region 10 

1200 sixth Avenue 

Seattle, WA 98101 

telephone (206) 553-1761, 

is the second author and project officer of the handbook. 

Burney received his undergraduate degree in biology and 

psychology from Harvard College. He completed his masters 

degree in marine stUdies at the University of Hawaii with 

stUdies focused on marine ecology and SUbsistence fisheries. 

Mr. Hill has been involved in aquatic ecology and fisheries 

management for 25 years , with the past 3 'years committed to 

Alaskan seafood processors. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites your 

review of this h�ndbook. In particular, the Agency seeks 

information which will improve the quality of the handbook 

and make it a more useful resource for the public. Please 

submit your comments and any supporting documentation to 

Burney Hill at the above address. 

i 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTI ON 1 

MATERI ALS ACCOUNTING . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

What Is the Law of Cons ervation of Mass 4 

How to Define Process Boundarie s and Develop 

Flow Diagrams . . . . . . . . . .. 4 

Which Information Is Needed . . . . . . 8 

How to Take Good Measurements . . ....• 9 

A Summary of Materials Accounting Princ iple s 10 

CONDUCTING A MATERIALS ACCOUNTING AUDIT . . . .. 11 

How to organiz e and Ma intain Good Records . . . 11 

What Are Good Records and Forms . ... . .. 12 

Wh i ch Mate rials and Methods Supp ort Good Measurements 13 

A Recap of II How To" . . .... •....•.•. . 15 

What about I nstruments and Computer Data C o llection 

Systems 

, MATERI ALS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 

How to Ach i eve Water Conservation 

How to Control and Reduce Waste 

How to Convey Waste .... 

How to Cleanup Your Facility 

DEVELOPI NG A B EST ��ll�l\TAGEMENT PR�CT I CES PL. • 

How to I dentify and Evaluate Pollutant Dis charges 

What Is a Mater ials Account ing Aud it • . . . . . . 

How to Rank and Prioritize Proce ss Stre ams • • . 

Why Establish Prelimi nary Improvement G oals .. . 

What Is Meant by Methods of Operation .... . 

Completion of BMP Plan . .. . . • .. . 

END-OF-P I PE TREATMENT OPTIONS . . .. ... 

Wh i ch Pollut ant s Occur in Seafood Processor Wastes 

Hgw to Measure Efflu ents . . . . • .. . • .. 

End-af-Pipe Treatment Techno l ogies 

ii 

15 

16 

17 

18 

18 

19 

20 

20 

22 

23 

23 

23 

24 

24 

24 

25 

28 
INTRODUCTION 

Th is handbook is designed to help seafood processors 

increase producti on and reduce waste. The goal is 

increas i ng product recovery and profits wh ile r educing 

pollution and water discharge. 

Th is handbook supports general National Pol lutant 

Discharge El imination System (NPDES ) permit no. AK-G52 -0000, 

whi ch author izes seafood process ors to discharge pol lutants 

to the surface waters of the united states in and continuous 

with the state of Alaska. The 1 9 95 general NPDES p ermit for 

s eafood processors in Alaska requires the management and 

accounti ng of waste generated in seafood process i ng p lants. 

The united states Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

offers th is handbook 'as practical guidance in meeting the 

requ irements for a best management pract ices ( BMP) plan 

supported by an accurate materials accounting audit. An 

accounting aud it of the inputs and outputs of s eafood, 

seafood waste, water, and chemical contaminants that are 

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�or managing the mater i�ls of production. 

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Tne BMP p lan is 

an in�plant program that has the dual goals of maximizing 

production efficiency and minimizing waste. 

The handbook addresses three areas of environmental 

concern. The first concern is the wasteful use of fresh 

water in process i ng seafood . Th is concern is a ddres s ed by 

managing and accounting the flow and use of water throughout 

a plant . The s econd concern is the excessive g enerati on of 

suspended and solid wastes. This concern is addressed by 

managing and accounting seafood to maximize the r ecovery of 

raw products as marketable primary products, by-products, 

and secondary products. The third concern is the excessive 

generation of dissolved wastes. This concern is addressed 

by managi ng and accounting w�ter and seafood to minimize 

contact time wh i ch converts s olid wastes to dis so lved 

wastes. 

EPA expects that the t ime, energy, and expense of 

conducting a materia ls accounting audit and developing a BMP 

p lan wi ll vary in direct proport ion to the s ize and 

complexity of a seafood process ing faci l ity. Relat ively 

sma l ler operati ons may have a materials audit and BMP plan 

of as few as three pages. Relat ively l arger fac i lities may 

have a mater ials audit and BMP plan of as much as twentyfive pages. The size and complexity of the materia ls audit 

and BMP plan will ref lect the s ize and comp lexity of the 

seafood process i ng facil ity. 

Ultimate ly the plant manager is responsible for 

ensur ing an accurate materials accounting audit and 

1 
establishing an effective BMP plan. However, in medium and 

large facilities the plant manager will rely upon quality 

control, production, and engineering personnel to conduct 

the audit and assist in developing the plan. Ideally, 

trained lead people and processors will be included in the 

implementation phase. The understanding, participation, and 

support of these key members of the processing team is 

fundamental to achieving the dual goals of increased 

production and reduced pollution. 

since the whole of materials management is a 

measurement and accounting exercise, some algebra and math 

skills will be needed to calculate flow rates and 

concentrations and to convert measurement units. There will 

be examples included in the handbook. Through training 

programs, each plant manager can develop good support staff 

who understand both the objectives and the methods of the 

materials audit and BMP plan. In time personnel will become 

comfortable with taking measurements, making calculations, 

and using that information to make decisions which will 

increase product recovery and income which reducing 

pollution and water use; 

Handbook sections include (1) materials accounting, 

l�} conducting a materials accounting audit, (3) materials 

management practices, (4) developing a best management 

practices (BMP) plan, and (5) end-of-pipe treatment options. 

Materials Accounting � This section portrays seafood 

processing facilities as model systems with boundaries 

within which material inputs, flows and uses, and material 

outputs are governed by the law of conservation of mass. In 

fact, "materials accounting" is also known as "mass 

balance!" The handbook will consider which information is 

important in materials accounting and describe how to take 

good measurements to develop this information. 

Conducting a Materials Accounting Audit - The goal of 

this section will be to show you how to measure the parts of 

the seafood that aren't making money. It will also address 

the water wastage which is costing money. Good materials 

accounting audits can guide a processor in getting an extra 

1% to 3% increase in product recovery and a 10% to 30'% 

reduction in-water use. This means increased revenues and 

reduced expenses. 

Materials Management Practices - This section will 

describe management practices which can increase production 

and .decrease waste ... wasted product and wasted water. 

Management practices considered may be a process step, a 

material stream, or an individual job and responsibility. 

The methods and technologies presented in this section have 

2 
proven s ucces s ful in r educing waste and water in other 

seafood proces sing plant s . 

D evelopi ng a BMP Plan - This s ection will descr ibe how 

to make a BMP plan for a seafood proces�ing fac ility. The 

different aspects of a BMP p lan-wi ll be d i scus s ed and an 

example of a BMP p lan w i ll be laid out (Append ix D) . S ample 

l anguage wi ll be provided which may be used as appropr iate. 

The goa l here is to help you develop the best BMP plan for 

your operation while meeting the requ irements for 

authorizati on to discharge process ing waste sol ids and 

wastewater . 

End-of-Pipe Treatment Options - This fina l s ection is 

f or fac i l ities that can direct wastes to treatment processes 

above and beyond grind-and-discharge. The goa l of such 

treatment is to r educe the organic and chemical l oad in the 

dis charged wastewater. Much of the i nformati on in this 

sect ion wil l c over equ ipment and technology that can c l ean 

up waste sol ids and wastewate r . Descripti ons of the 

differe nt major pol lutants wil l be included a long with some 

simple tests to determine the ir amounts. 

MATERIALS ACCOUNTING 

Materials accounti ng is used to trace the infl ow and 

outfl ow of c omponents in a process s tream and to estab l ish 

the qua ntities of these components . Th is information can 

then be used to eva luate yields and efficiency of the 

process i ng operation as a who le and as parts. For high 

value or high volume seafood products the ability to 

eff iciently i nventory the process ing operat ions using 

materials accounti ng principles has high payback potent ial. 

The three things you, as a plant manager, should expect 

from a good materials accounting audit are : 

1) a method to determine processing efficiency and 

materials use for any t ime p eriod greater than two 

hours, 

2) a method to identify areas that f a ll bel ow expected 

performance standards, and 

3) comp l iance with reporti ng requirements of the 

discharge permit. 

Des cr iptions of the basic principles f or doing materia ls 

accounti ng audits are presented below. 

3 
What Is the Law of Conservation of Mass 

In a nutshel l, the l aw of conservation of mass states 

that mass is neither created or destroyed. What goes in 

comes out ... s omewhere! Mass i s' conserved. This can be 

expressed in pretty s imple arithmetic as a summation . 

INFLOW = OUTFLOW + ACCUMULATION 

Bel ow are two examples of how the above equat i on may 

apply to a seafood process ing p lant. There are other ways 

to ass ign materials to the flows, but what goes in must 

a lways e qual what comes out . 

Example 1: Entire Plant 

n INFLOW = Seafood cat6h, fresh water, salt water, 

cleaning chemical s, process ing additives, bo i ler or 

cook water. 

ACCUMULATION = Product 

e OUTFLOW = INFLOW minus PRODUCT 

Example 2: Process step of Head-and-Gut 

• INFLOW = Who le seafood, clean ing water 

• ACCUMULATION = Headed and gutted seafood (to next 

process step) 

• OUTFLOW = He a.gs , guts , b lood , s l ime, sca les, 

trimmings, unusab le seafood , water 

As can be s een f rom the above examples, the flows can 

be broken down into c omponents . Ident i fying and mea suri ng 

the key components fOr a process is the bas is for doing 

materials accounti ng aUd it s. 

How to Def ine Process Boundaries and Develop Flow Diagrams 

To begin , a process f low diagram is needed to def ine 

what process and c omponents are to be measured . Below are 

d iagrams based on the two examples in the previous 'section. 

The defining plant boundary in Figure 1 encompasses a l l 

the process ing steps in the butchering operation . The 

materials accounting audit for this flow diagram would only 

deal with the t otal inf low, outfl ow, and accumulation that 

enter and exit this defining box. Measuring these major 

s treams would give information on over a ll product recovery 

and water use , but would not give any information on the 

contri but i on from the individua l steps . Ident ifying and 

4 
Ul 

Flow Diagram for Rocky' Cove Processors 

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Salt Water Fresh Water 

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Fish, 

Ice 

and 

Water 

Water & Ice 

Unusable Fish 

Fish Pieces 

Blood & Slime 

process / 

Boundary 

) 

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·' �= � �-U r--, .... �. --., 

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Holding 

Tank 

1 Drain ' 

Belt 

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Water 

Fish Pieces 

Blood & Slime 1�vater 

H[eads, Guts 

Freezer 

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Product 

To Fresh 

Market 
Process Flow Diagram for a 

Unit Step Operation in a 

Fish Butchering Plant 

Salt Fresh 

Water Water 

6 
measuring the individual processing steps would define and 

rank their contribution of product and waste to the total 

processing operation. 

The process step boundary in Figure 2 defines a box 

around just the butchering step. The measured flows in and 

out of this box can be compared with the overall flows from 

Figure 1 to determine their contribution to the total 

out flow. From a production point of view the efficiency of 

this step translates directly to product and money. 

Thus, the first step in an audit is to draw a flow 

diagram of the process or process step that is to be 

measured. Next, a boundary box needs to be drawn around 

each process or process step that you want to measure. 

Having done this, you are prepared to identify the flows and 

components that you want to measure entering and leaving the 

boundary box. You have a non-quantitative "model" of your 

processing operations which can be evaluated and quantified. 

Except for very simple processes, materials accounting 

audits should be planned in steps. start with the big 

picture of the entire plant and build good solid information 

of the overall process flow. The initial overall 

measurement will be the foundation f or a l l of the following 

steps. A materials accounting audit step is complete when 

you can measure the inflow, outflow, and accumul ation for a 

def ined box and get them all to add up. Inflow should equal 

out flow plus accumulation. 

The goal of a materials accounting audit is to have a 

basis for reducing waste and wastewater. For a producer the 

components of interest are seafood in, accumulation of 

product, and water use. For authorization to discharge the 

components of interest are al l waste and wastewater streams. 

Once the flows to be measured have been selected a 

units system and tie material can be decided. The units 

system is probably best decided by whatever the product is 

weighed as. The major units used will then be either 

pounds, feet, and gallons, or kilograms, meters, and liters. 

A conversion table for these units and other useful 

measurement units is provided in Appendix A. 

A tie material is a component used to relate the 

quantity of one process stream to the quantity of another. 

A good tie material is the amount of product produced in a 

given time period. The relation of any other component or 

flow to product is a direct measure of efficiency. 

7 
Which Information Is Needed 

The goal of a materials accounting audit is to develop 

a good set of these relationships and then to control them 

in order to increase efficiency. Measurements taken during 

steady production and steady flow can be directly linked to 

product output. The information needed is the relation of a 

measured flow stream or component to product recovery for a 

unit of time. In some situations these relations will help 

identify and recover significant losses. In other 

situations measuring and minimizing waste in one process 

step may produce a very small improvement, but when added to 

other steps the total savings can be significant. Once a 

measurement program has been set up and initial 

relationships have been established, goals to improve 

product recovery and reduce water use can be set and 

production efficiency can be-improved. 

A key trait of a good measurement system is that it 

must consist of s imp I'e , repeatable procedures. A good 

example is a "qrab" sample of a materials stream, one 

literally grabbed with a hand, a bucket or a shovel. Being 

able to grab a measurement easily and accurately has the 

following advantages. 

1) The procedure can be taught to other workers so 

production line efficiency can be checked 

regularly. 

2) There is less chance of error and confusion. If 

the data measured differs from the typical or 

standard data then it's much easier to .. check the 

collection procedure. There's always the chance 

that the data which differs significantly is 

actually showing an inefficient process step. 

3) You' can take more measurements easily and quickly. 

It is important to take measurements under steady flow 

conditions to establish relationships between different 

processing steps. If you can get five or six different 

measurements quickly then you have information to support 

five or six solid processing relationships. It is also 

possible to take some measurements simultaneously. Good 

steady flow is not the rule in most operations so taking 

lots of measurements throughout your line or system when the 

steady flow opportunity arises is important. Once relations 

between processing steps and flow streams have been 

established at a steady flow, measurements can be taken at 

any time for comparison. 

8 
How to Take Good Mea surements 

Even people who are experienced with conducting 

materials accounting audits may come up with unbelievab le or 

unusab le data when they add up flow stream measurement s . 

The end result is confu sion and wasted time. The s olut ion 

is to know what information to collect and when to measure 

and to use simple pro cedures to collect this informat ion . 

A good way to s tart is to measure any easily accessi ble 

str e am or component and calculate the flow rate. 

When to Measure? The be st information is taken when 

proces sing is at a smooth consistent rate or flow. These 

s itua tions can u sually be recognized by experienced plant 

p ersonnel. Most often s t eady plant flow o ccurs when 

operations' are running at 100% and s teady feed-in is ke eping 

the plant humming. It is also important to look for 

oppo rtunities to take measurements if there is a s teady pace 

at 50% to 75% capacity.! This is how to build good relat i ons 

betw een different flow streams. 

Here is �n example of how steady s tate information 

could be us ed. 

On Monday a full load of s eafood c omes in' and after two, 

hours of proces sing the first product is going in the 

box and the crew and machinery have a good pace set up. 

Foreman Bob goes down to the packing table and sees 

that they're getting a twenty pound case out every 

60-70 seconds over the c ourse of about ten m inutes . 

Bob grabs a five gallon bucket and walks up to where 

the fresh water spray is rinsing the c l eaned s eafood on 

the conveyor . He fills the bucket three times in an 

average t ime of 28 seconds per bucket. From this he 

calculates that he �ses about 0.6 gallons of fresh 

water spray for every pound of product. This 

information can n ow be used to control water use . 

First , water flow can be checked dur ing slower 

production periods so the ratio of 0.6 gallons per 

pound of product is not exceeded . S econd , a flow ratio 

of 0.3 or 0.4 gallons per pound of product could be 

tried to determine what the minimum water requirement 

i s . 

The example above is fa irly s imple , but is typical of 

many measurements that can be made in d ifferent proces sing 

plants. The result of 0.6 gallons of fresh water spray per 

pound of product.is now a s olid number and a reference 

standard for th is one step. Over the c ours e of t ime more 

relati ons hips can be e stablished . 

9 
The above example has s ome elements wh i ch you may not 

h ave not i ced but wh i ch ensure the qua l ity and va l id ity of 

the mea surement s . Fir st, a s ingle individua l took the 

measurement s ... thus avo iding differences whi ch might ex ist 

b etween how different people would t ake a measurement . 

S econd, the person taking the samples was Bob, a 

knowledgeab le and tra ined f oreman ... thus avo iding the 

probl ems of s loppy s amp l ing techni ques and bad data . 

Third ly, Bob co llected Gat l east ) three samples ... thus 

achieving a l eve l of repli cation wh i ch shou ld ensure pre c ise 

data . 

A Summary of Materials Accounting Pr inciples 

Here is a s ummary of materials account ing ( a .k.a. mass 

ba lance) . 

1) Law of conservat ion of ma ss - Th is refers to the 

imag i nary boundary boxes that are drawn around a 

proces s i ng p lant or a processing step . The amount 

of mater ial that c ros ses over the boundary (water 

and seafood especially) must equal the amount that 

comes out . In a nutshel l: "What goes in mu st come 

out ." You can actua l ly model your plant and 

process steps and a ccount for the input , 

uti lizati on , and d ischarge of both water and 

seafood . 

2) B oundarv boxes - Draw a boundary box around the 

process or process steps that are to be mea sured . 

3) Flows to be measured - Identify the flows in and 

out of each boundary box that are to be measured . 

Start big , with good sol id data for over a ll process 

and recovery for the entire f acil ity . 

4) Flow d iagrams - Thi s refers to flow mea surements of 

volume or we i ght within a proces sing plant or a 

process i ng step . Draw a flow d iagram show ing all 

proces s ing steps and all mater ial flow s treams in 

________ 

5) 

� 

Measure

a.nd .out 

ment 

of-

system - Choo

ss 

se 

step

between 

�.- 

metric and 

English units based upon what you c�stomari ly use 

in measur ing product wei ght . Choose a tie mater i al 

such as product ion rate or product recovery to 

compare all other measurements to . 

6) T aking good measurements - Identify and build a set 

of mea surements and r e lat i ons that can be u sed to 

mon itor and change i neff iciency and waste . Devel op 

s imp le measurement techn iques to get more 

i n£ormation a nd more dependable informat i on . Build 

10 
r eliable information through procedures whi ch 

a s sure qual ity . Trained pers onnel u sing des cr ibed 

s ampl ing procedures with adequate repl icat ion wi ll 

produce information whi ch is accurate and prec ise 

and capable of s aving you money . 

CONDUCTING A MATERIALS ACCOUNTING AUDIT 

How to Organize and Maintain Good Records 

Developing a materi als accounti ng audit program 

involves two stages . The f irst stage is l earning and 

experimentation. The second stage is def in ing a set 

mea surement routine that is eventua l ly determined to work 

the best for your facil ity and your personnel. 

High value should be placed on a ny and all mea surements 

and informat i on . Often a random mea surement may not s eem 

imp ortant at the time, but a month or a year l ater it may 

show you how f ar you have progressed. It is important to 

set a s ide space in your office for all work as s oc i ated with 

doing a materials accounti ng audit so that all records can . 

be kept organized and usabl e . Do th is right aw�y. 

Generally you wi ll col lect four types of informat ion. 

1) Learning and experimentation - When start i ng out 

the va lue and accuracy of ·me asurements will not be 

obvious . The measured streams and c omponents w i ll 

also change as part of your development of the b�st 

daily approach 'for your p lant . Save all of this 

information . It wi ll be very useful in the future. 

2) Set measurement r outine - These are the 

measurements that can be taken on a regul ar basis 

to check the eff i ciency of the process ing 

o'perat ion . A manager may .want this information 

col lected f our to s ix t imes a day in order to run a 

t ight operation . You will need to s et up a good 

records system to stop these records from becoming 

'a useless paper pile . 

3) Random ,measurements - There could be a relationship 

between two diffe rent steps that, are not in a flow 

diagram . An example would be a machine speed 

versus a water flow rate . S ometimes the 

opportunity arises to measure a diff icult stream at 

a rare steady flow. Many t imes these measur ements 

are not p lanned and end up written on matchbooks or 

scraps of cardboard . The informati on is sti ll 

valuable and should be kept and organi z ed. 

11 
4) Calculations and records - These could include a 

large flow diagram with measured ratios entered for 

different streams and the current target goals for 

those streams. Also included could be the 

calculation methods for determining different flows 

and concentrations, and up to date graphs, totals, 

or averages of key streams that would give a 

measure of efficiency. 

communication is much easier with a well-organized 

system. In larger operations measurement responsibilities 

will be part of the foreman's and leads I jobs. They will 

need to·understand the goals and results of the input they 

are providing. If a manager sets up a system that only he 

can understand then.he cannot use his hands-on production 

staff to full advantage. A well-organized system with plant 

floor involvement. helps �et measurable goals for the crew to 

aim for. There's nothing better for production than two 

good foreman trying to outdo each otherl 

What Are Good Records and Forms 

In order to stay organized a standard measurement form 

should be developed and used. If information is from the 

experimental period before a form has been developed or is a 

random measurement then the information should be 

transferred to a regular 8.5" by 11. 0" sheet of paper. The 

goal is to be able to· arrange the records in order so that 

you can easily flip through them. It is assumed that a 

regular form would be copied on a standard sheet size. 

Don't limit the space for information on a form by 

drawing too many boxes or lines. Keep it as simple as 

possible. Leave space for making notes on what the process 

or seafood condition is like at the time. Design your form 

so you can locate the numbers and information you want 

instantly. If possible use "write in the rain" waterproof 

paper-and a pencil. 

Most importantly, always have a time and date 

associated with every measurement or note. Placing the date 

in the upper right hand corner is easiest for flipping back 

to check past data. Time should be recorded in 24-hour 

military format (e.g., 1:30 P.M. = 1330). Most information 

can be recorded as a shift total so that the time would be 

consistent with· shift change. Some information, such as a 

water side-stream measurement, may be checked periodically 

so the time of the measurement would need to be recorded. 

An example of how this works refers back to foreman Bob 

who wonders two days after making his initial measurement 

what the relation of fresh water spray to whole seafood is. 

His notes say that he made his measurements at 02:37 and 

12 
02:45 (pretty e arly in the morni ng! ), so he checks the 

sorted s eafood feed ta l ly and f inds that two 1,000 p ound 

totes were run that hour . From this he can figure a 

recovery and also predi ct how to adjust his fresh water 

spray based on seafood coming in. 

If a good materials account ing aud it program can be 

deve loped for a l arger facil ity it may have up to ten points 

that can be easily measured in order to rout inely check 

e fficiency . A computer running a spreadsheet program is the 

best way to handle more than f ive or six data points. with 

a good program set up the computer can make all cal cu lations 

of i nteres t, graph the data for compari son to previ ous 

product ion periods, and even g ive ,a rel at ive p erformance 

rating . This is a little s ophisticated for most faci litie s , 

but a good computer s etup can he lp squeeze the most out of 

an operat ion . Another advantage is that all of the 

information can be s aved on a floppy disk . The information 

can then be eas i ly copied, stored, or distributed to other 

company off icers. 

v-lhich Materials and Methods Support Goon Mea�11rpmAnt� 

A good start f or a recording k it is the a luminum 

bi-fold c l ipboard that s naps clos ed and is about one inch 

thick . In addi t ion to waterproof paper, pencils, and a 

watch, s ome other useful items to include would be a plast�c 

English/metric rul er , Engl ish/metric t ape measure, s mall 

flashlight, four function calcu lator, and waterproof marker . 

Nearly all measurements of int erest w i ll be either a 

volume or wei ght per unit t ime . Most of the t ime you will 

be measuring how l ong it takes to fill a bucket with 

something . Even though this is pretty basic the f irst step 

is to assure that good weights and mea sures can be made and 

the people taking" them understand exactly what the procedure 

i s . The a bility to use the tools at hand and i nnovate w ith 

them wi ll s implify things and increase the chance f or 

succes s. 

For weighing , the first step is to f ind the l oc ation 

and c ondit ion of all s cales in the plant . The qua l ity 

control department may have a good scale that is a ccurate 

for one pound and below . There may be a s pare product s cale 

that can be used for weights in the 10-50 pound range . A 

300 pound platform scale may be handy f or putting a large 

box on a nd diverting a whole stream t o . Checking the weight 

gain every f ew minutes would give a very accurate f low 

measurement . Th� number and type of scales 'available will 

det ermine what measurements can be done and if they can be 

done s imultaneously . The next s tep is to check the accuracy 

of the s cales and reca l ibpate them if neces sary. If weight 

standards are not available then set volumes of water can be 

13 
used. (The density of water is included in Appendix A.) 

Finally, the buckets or containers to be used can be weighed 

and the net weight written on the side. 

For volume measurements the tool of choice is a five 

gallon plastic oil or chemical bucket. To calibrate a 

bucket pour in a set amount of water and draw a line with a 

waterproof marker at each fill line. The bucket can be 

marked off in increments of gallons, quarts, or liters. 

Measuring pitchers will be needed for this. If none are 

available some options are to weigh out the water, borrow a 

measuring pitcher from the cook, or buy some calibrated 

juice pitchers from the local dry goods store. The volume 

can also be calculated by measuring. the bucket dimensions 

and using the formula for a cylinder volume in Appendix B. 

other volume measurements may.be a holding tank, bin, or 

forklift tote and timing how long it may take to fill or 

empty them to a certain depth. Formulas for different tank 

geometries are also in Appendix B. The dimensions for tanks 

and equipment can be gotten from blueprint drawings. These 

are usually in the plant office or with the plant engineer. 

Some streams of interest can't be easily measured so a 

best guess or estimate is the only approach. with a little 

planning and practice this technique can be very easy and 

helpful. Two examples are provided below. .. . 

Example 1: Troughs or flumes 

An example would be a floor drain carrying waste and 

process water to a sump. There are two ways to 

estimate the flow rate. The first would involve 

measuring the depth of the flow, the cross section of 

the trough, and the speed of material in the trough. 

The second method would be to measure the volume of the 

flume, block it off, and time how long it takes to 

fill. 

Example 2: Seafood washing 

Another example is from a seafood washing step where 

all wastewater was collected in catch-pans and piped to 

a sump. The sump had high and low level float switches 

that turned the sump pump on and off.. The sump was 

square and the depth between the high and low marks was 

consistent. The fill volume could then be calculated 

and the time to fill the sump between pumpings could be 

easily timed. The flow rate could then be calculated 

and the time.between pumpings was a very easy relation 

to check'water use at this process stage. 

As shown above there are other ways to get useful 

information than by direct volume or weight measurement. It 

14 
, . 

may be the t ime required to fi ll a tank , bin, or sump. It 

may also be an equipment speed s ett i ng such as a who le 

s eafood pump or a meat. pump. The advantage to f ind ing these 

types of measurements is that they are easy , qui ck , dry , and 

can be performed by anyone with a watch. 

Deve l oping a good materials accounti ng audit and the 

measurement techniques to increase effici ency and i ncome 

takes t ime. �xper imentation and innovation are both keys to 

your success. It takes practice to identi fy what 

,measurements and calculations wi ll work the best. start by 

measuring the s implest streams possible even if they do not 

s eem important. Th is wi ll g ive a way to eva luate the ski ll 

level of the people involved. The goal is to bui ld 

confidence and f ami liar ity with the process and avoid 

. confusion. 

A Recap of "How To" 

After a flow d iagram has been made and the different 

flow streams ident ified, check the fol lowing �ements of 

your materials account ing before any measurements are takenQ 

1) Long t erm goa ls - start out s imple and bui ld 

conf idence and skil l. Developing solid techniques 

and proc edures wi ll ensure progress and results 

over the l ong term. 

2) P ersonnel - I dentify the people who wi ll be 

i nvolved and make sure that everyone understands 

the goals ,' measurements, and procedures. 

3) Ava i lable measur ement tools and cal ibrat ion - Hold 

a s cavenger hunt to f ind all volume and wei ght 

measuring items that may be us ed. Cal ibrate these 

items and f ormulat� a plan to regularly check their 

c al ibration. 

4) Organ izati on - Thi nk through a system of how to 

keep measurements and records in order. 

What abo'ut Instruments and Computer Data Col le ction Systems 

The eas iest way to do a job is have a r eliable 

instrument do it! Instrument s or meters installed at key 

measurement po ints often pay for themse lves in a very short 

time by providing informati on f or better control and 

efficiency. Flow meters in major water l ines will help 

def ine and c ontrpl water use very quickly. Other meters c an 

indicate equipment use and speed , or product flow. 

There are three main benefits of having a key 

ins trument or meter in a vis ible l ocati on. F irst is the 

15 
ability to chebk a key measurement and ma inta in the des ired 

s etting. Second is assuring that those in charge are making 

use of the information and ma i nta ining the des ired setting 

or rate . Third is a method to set new goa ls and incentives 

to ach ieve the optimum operati ng rate for that measured 

quantity . 

Instruments and meters can also be. s et up to 

electron i cally communicate the measured values to a 

computer . These systems are very us eful in l arge seafood 

process ing facil ities (e .g., surimi p lants) where there are 

many str eams and a very high vo lume of processed s ea food . 

The c omputer can qui ckly graph all measurements and make it 

easy to p inpo int operations which are out-of-l ine. A good 

real-time instrumentation and data acqui s it ion system can 

outperform any human and increase plant operations to a 

maximum . (Experi enc e in the surimi industry has shown these 

instrument and computer systems to pay for themse lves in 

les s than ten days! ) 

• 

��TERIALS ��AGEMENT PRACTICES 

Management and style are often linked together because 

OI the personal style and experience brought to the j ob . 

The different and diffi cu lt nature of seafood processing in 

Alaska makes a manager's fob pretty hard to def ine . 

However , the one th i ng that good managers share in any 

business is that they make it look easy while be ing 

s uccess ful. This is due in part to min imi z ing e ffort 

through good organ i z ation and prepa rat ion . 

The most important benefit of organ i z ation is having a 

program that can be expla ined readi ly to a ll suparvi s ors and 

personne l . Havi ng a clear description of what i s wanted and 

expected makes it easier to involve more peop le and 

d istribute effort. The goa l is to increase e fficiency by 

measuring and contro ll ing more process poi nts. This 

requires good communication so that all production personne l 

know what is going on and what their respons i bi l ities are. 

Using materials accounting pri nc ip l es, key process 

steps can·be def ined in terms of the f low of waste , water , 

and ·produc t . Once these h ave been def i ned the j ob 

responsibi lity of the people in these areas should include 

meeting the goals set by management. This requ ires a c l ear 

descr iption and communication of the goa ls. Trained workers 

can recogniz e what is right a nd act to c orrect it if ne eded. 

In additi on to d emand i ng more respon s ibi l ity, 

incent ives can also be used ef fectively . If sp eci al 

treatment or rewards bring higher ef fic iency , then new 

per formance benchmarks are establ i shed that can be used as 

16 
goals . Once e stabl i shed these new l eve ls should be 

mainta i ned. This is where a s imp le measurement p rocedure is 

helpful in check i ng performance both by supervisors and 

workers. 

The best way to create an efficient process ing 

operati on is to e stabl i sh a steady rate of operations so 

that all streams and proces sing steps can be adjusted to 

that r ate. This must be done f or long enough so that the 

s eafood catch entering the process has determined the output 

at the packing tabl e . Once this pace is s et 'up all the 

steps in between can be adjusted. If there is an up or down 

production change then all new adjustments can be in 

proportion to the change. .Ma intaining steady flow allows 

producti on p ersonne l to know where th ings are at and contro l 

where they are go i ng. 

How to Achieve Wat er Conservation 

Water c onservation is ach ieved by peop l e, mechanical 

modifi cat i ons, and instruments or meter s . 

Ultimately it is the people who will control the water 

use. Manual water adjustments should be the respons ibility 

of individuals who are familiar with water-use goals and 

proper s etti ngs for p lant operation. Unauthorized people 

need to know that they �re not allowed to adju�t water use. 

However, mechanical modif ications a�e g enerally needed 

to achieve water conservation. Below are s ome s imple 

mechanical modif ications that will help min imize water used 

in a process. 

1) T anks - Float va lves wi ll prevent overflows in 

hold ing or washing tanks. 

2) Hose Nozzl es - Any style of nozzle that r equires 

hand pres sure will prevent waste at unattended 

hoses. Th is can be pistol grip sty le or the more 

rugged rubber types f ound in the dairy i ndustr y. 

3) Spray Tips - Spray t ip performance is determined by 

pressure, volume, and area. Spray t ips provide 

impact for c lean ing with e ither pre ssure or vo lume. 

The e f fective distance and area of spray on a 

target also determines the efficiency. Technical 

sales people can greatly help in providing th� 

correct applicat ion. 

4) Brushes - Good design and adjustment of r otary 

brushes are very e ffective in reduci ng spray 

clea ning water. 

17 
5) Hoses - Smaller hoses wi ll require lower flows. 

6) Pressure Regu lation - Lower pre ssure produces l ower 

flow. 

7) Instruments and Meters (a two-sided appl icat i on) -

The primary functi on here is to provide a tool to 

g ive personne l the informati on to make good 

a djustments of key flows or equ ipment in the p lant. 

The other function is to check and ensure that 

r espons ible personnel are meeti ng the goals set. 

How to Control and Reduce Waste 

This section discus ses handling methods for �aste that 

is being dis charged or collected f or treatment. The primary 

goal is to e l iminate leaks and assure that all waste is 

d ispos ed in the manner cons i stent with your permit. The 

s econdary goal is to reduce water us e in conveyi ng waste 

material. 

Where pos sible, consolidating waste streams reduces the 

chances f or spi l ls and overflows. For f lume conveyance the 

ratio of waste to water can be increased with the higher 

flow volume of comb ined str�a�s. Having a h igher waste to 

water r atio also decreases s eparat i on of waste in hol ding 

areas. Less s epar ation helps to control o il and fat 

dispers ion at discharge points and also l imits the 

possibil i ty of creating hard-to-break foams. 

How to Convey Waste 

The fol lowing methods of movi ng waste are d irected at 

reduc ing the use of· high volume hoses and flumes. 

1) Solid Belt Conveyors - This is appl icable to hand 

cleaning l ines where waste and offal can be put on 

the belt. 

2) Pumps - Progress ing cavity or pi s ton type pumps do 

not need added water and can move waste with very 

l ittle damage. 'Undamaged waste is eas i er to handle 

and has less chance f or s eparat ion and foaming 

problems. 

3) Vacuum - This is the s ame as a vacuum c leaner 

except the material of interest is seafood 

proces sing waste. 

4) Elbow Grease - S coop it up and put it in the 

c onveying system or tote boxes for waste. Don't 

use a hose to wash it away when a litt le elbow 

grease wi ll do as wel l! 

18 
· . 

How to Cleanup Your Facility 

The difficult part of cleanups is motivating and 

training people to do a good job quickly. There is much 

information available from state and federal agencies on how 

to conduct a good cleaning program. The basic steps of a 

cleanup are below. 

1) 

2) 

3) 

4) 

Remove all heavy solids or deposits. Doing this by 

hand, using brushes or scrapers, reduces water use. 

High pressure spray may be needed for some 

deposits. 

Apply cleaners where necessary and scrub with scrub 

brushes and other cleaning tools. 

Rinse and spray off all cleaned equipment and 

surfaces. 

Apply sanitizer. 

The keys to any good cleanup are elbow grease , a bucket 

of cleaning solution, a scrub brush, and specific cleaning 

tasks outlined for individuals. water sprays should only be 

used at the beginning of cleanups to remove heavy deposits 

and to rinse cleaning chemicals from equipment. 

A way to decrease water used for cleaning and increase 

production time is to clean as much as possible during 

production. Identify areas and procedures for cleaning 

during a slowdown or when other opportunities arise. This 

can extend periods between total stoppage of the plant for a 

major cleanup. 

Cleanups are the most difficult part of an operation to 

make efficient. To reduce water use and cleanup downtime 

the first step is to define what needs to be cleaned, how it 

will be cleaned, and who will do it. 

What: 

1) The processing and contact surfaces that determine 

°the health, quality, and nutritional value of the 

finished product, 

2) Areas and machinery that are important to safety, 

3) Buildup that affects machinery operation and 

service f" and 

4) Walls and other surfaces. 

19 
D epending upon the operat i on , items #3 and #4 may not 

need to be cleaned every cleanup . They do not contr i but e to 

the income of the plant and are usually a distraction , water 

waster , and labor wa ster . Thou s ands of do l l ars in potent ial 

r evenu e have been lost dur ing good harve st periods from 

d ownt ime used dur ing p oor ly p l anned cleanups . 

How : 

2) Determine the best procedure f or a spec i fic j ob, 

2) Determine the t ime needed , 

3) Ass ign and c ommuni cate steps 1 & 2 to an 

individua l, and 

4) Inspect and check-o f f . 

Who : Spec ific peop le need to be respons ible for the areas 

or equ i pment associated with the ir pro duction work . 

Except i ons wou ld be ab i l ity to f inish qu ickly and assist in 

other area s , unskilled with equipment or proc edUre s , ad 

phys ical l imitat i ons for the def ined j ob. 

DEVELOP ING A BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES PLAN 

This section will cover inf ormat i on and topics that 

will f orm the bas is for Best Management Pract ices ( BMP ) 

plan s . The goa l here is to descr ibe what s pecific 

information will be needed and how to present it . Th is will 

help you to s ave t ime and effort in deve l op ing a BMP p l an 

and to d eve l op a BMP p lan that w i ll l ead to better waste and 

water handl ing practi ces . S ince th is is a p l ant-wide e f fort 

a cOmF,ittee of key p l ant personnel should be invo lved in the 

d eve lopment of the BMP plan . 

The key words are management , p l ann ing , and 

organization . The NPDES permit w i ll requ ire that each 

facil i ty document the how , what , and why of any process 

streams that are be ing put back in the environment . In 

addit ion , there wi ll also be the need to ident i�y potent ial 

reduct i ons in pol lution and propose poss ible s o lut i on s . 

How to Ident i fy and Eva luate Pol lutant Discharges 

The f irst step is to identify what is be ing discharged 

and to recognize the effect it may have on the env i ronment . 

B elow is a l ist of process streams that c ontr ibute to 

discharges and their potential environmental impact s. 

20 
Ground Seafood waste : 

Particles and pieces - Deposition and bur ial of mar ine 

l ife . Reduct ion of dissolved o xygen in receiving 

water s and s ed iments . I ncrea se in turb i d ity and color 

of the water column . Nutr i ent enr i chment of rece iving 

water and s ed iments . 

S o lub les - Reduct i on of disso lved oxygen in receiving 

waters . Increase in turb i dity and color of the water 

c o lumn . Nutr i ent enr i chment of rece iving water and 

sed iments . 

oil and grease - Effects on the a esthet ic qua l ity of 

s ea surfa ce I shore l ine , water column and sea f l oor . 

Reduct ion of dissolved oxygen in receiving water and 

s ed iment . I ncrease in turbid ity and co l or of the wat er 

c o lumn . Nutr i ent enr i chment of receiving water and 

sed iments . Oil i ng of s eabirds . 

Bone and she ll - Depo s ition and bur ial of mar ine l i f e . 

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sediment s . Increase in turbidity and color of the 

water column . Nutrient enri chment of receiving water 

and s ed iment s : 

Heated Process Water: 

Cook water - Wide range of solid partic les and s o luble 

protein depena lng on species and proces s. Depos it i on 

and bur ial of mar ine l ife . Reduct ion of dissolved 

oxygen in rece iving waters and sediment s . I ncrease in 

turbidity and color of the water column . Nutrie nt 

enr ichment of receiving water and s ed iments . I ncrease 

in temperatur e . 

Retort condensate and water - Moderate protein from 

canning proces s . Reduction of dissolved oxygen in 

receiv ing waters and sediment s . Increase in turbid ity 

and c o lor of the water column . Nutr i ent enr i chment of 

receiv ing water and sediment s . 

F i shmeal stickwater - Very h igh in protein and oil . 

Reduct ion of dissolved oxygen in rece iving waters and 

s ed iments . Increase in turbidity and color of the 

water c o lumn . Nutri ent enr i chment of receiving water 

and sed iments .' 

Other Proc ess wa.ter 

Re frigerated seawater Moderate seafood pieces and 

s o lub les . Depos it ion and burial of mar ine l ife . 

21 
Reduct i on of dissolved oxygen in rece iv ing waters and 

sed iment s . 

Br i ne f reezer - S ome seafood pieces and s o lub les . 

S aturated salt s o lut ion . . Reduct i on of disso l ved oxygen 

in rece iving waters and sed iments . 

Glaze water - Moderate seafood p i eces . Glaze addit ive . 

Reduct i on of disso lved oxygen in rece iving waters a nd 

s ed iment s . 

Cleanup water - Moderate to h igh se�food pieces and 

so l ubles . Clean ing chem icals . D epo s i t i on and burial 

of mar ine life . Reduct i on of d i s s o lved oxygen in 

receiving waters and sediments . Increase in turb i d ity 

and co lor of the water column . Nutr ient enr i chment of 

rece iving water and sed iments . Chem i cal ha z ard . 

Seafood Hand l i ng Water 

Seafood hold and pump water - Moderate to high s ea f ood 

p ieces and s o lub l e s . Depo sition and bur ial of mar ine 

lif e . Reduct i on of dissolved oxygen in rece iving 

waters and sediments . Increase in· turb id ity and c o lor 

of the water column . Nutr i ent enr i chment of receivi ng 

water and s ed iment s . 

Ice and s lush - Low to moderate seafood pieces and 

s o luble s . Reduct ion of 

waters a�d sed iment s . 

rece lvlng 

Sea food wa sher - Low to moderate s eafood pieces and 

s o lubl e s . Reduct i on of dissolved oxygen in rece iving 

waters and sediment s . 

The streams above are general operations that can be a 

part of mo st s eafood pr ocess ing f ac�l ities and contr ibute 

eff luent . The rema i n ing proces s streams for a lmost all 

plants should only invo lve fresh water , salt water , and 

seafood waste that are u nique for each process and 

contr ibute to the ground seafood waste that is dis charged . 

What Is a Mater ials Account i ng Aud it 

The init ial materials account ing audit should inc lude a 

product recovery r ate on wh i ch to base waste d is charge 

estimates and an overa ll water use rate est imate . If other 

chemi cals and waste components can be estimated then they / 

should be inc l uded . For mater ials account ing aud its that 

are not a ccurate or requ ire more info rmat ion on ma j or 

process s treams , a p lan and t imetable should be inc luded on 

how th is inf o rmat ion wi ll be gotten . 

22 
How to Rank and Pr ioritize Process streams 

Ass ign each and every process stream a rank based on 

contributi on to overall discharge . If a stream is too 

difficult to measure or has not been f ini shed for the 

materials a ccounting audit then make you� best estimate and 

ass ign it a rank . 

Why Establish Pre l iminary Improvement Goa ls 

This is the initial p lan that expres ses goa ls and 

improvement of discharge effluent bas ed on rank of the 

stream and practical modif ication of equipment or 

. procedures . 

What Is Meant by Methods of Operat i on 

Th is part of the BMP p lan will inc lude operations 

policies that cover da i ly or periodic pract ices and 

documentation �o s upport control of eff luent discharges. 

Good nQus ekeep.ing · - This is directed at ITta inta ining an 

orderly work environment in regard to chemicals a nd waste 

that may enter the discharge stream . Use and storage of 

chemica l c leaners and process additives should be described . 

A policy describing the amounts of chemicals used and the 

steps taken to assure the proper use of chemicals shou ld be 

includeq . The other part of good housekeeping is 

eliminating spills and assuring that waste and process 

streams follow the flow p aths out l ined in the p l ant flow 

d iagram. Examples would be a system that assures that a 

proper number of waste totes and removal t ime are avai lable , 

or periodic checking of areas where waste flow may back up . 

Equipment Mai ntenance and Repair - Th is part of the 

plan would demonstrate that respons ible product ion and 

engineering personne l are aware of the proper operation and 

ma intenance of key equipment used for conveying proces s ing 

wastes . Procedures for r epair of equ ipment and preparedness 

would a lso be included . 

I nspecti ons and Records - These records wi ll be of the 

specific measurements or estimates . that track the 

performance of dis charge goals . They wi ll cover set 

producti on periods and demonstrate the effectiveness of the 

BMP p lan for the facil ity . They wi ll also descri be any 

improvements or problems associated with that production 

period and any action taken . 

Employee Training - Much of this information would be 

inc luded in the j ob descriptions and safety trai ning f or the 

maj or ity of the proces s ing crew . The spec ific i nformation 

wanted here is related to those respons ible p ersonne l that 

23 
are tra ined to recognize and control generat i on of wa ste and 

water . This informat ion would describe the key streams of 

i nterest , the people £ amiliar with the contro l of those 

s tream s , the methods to contro l those streams , and the 

communi cation of methods and procedures to respons ible 

personnel . Th is program should also a ssure that the se 

s e lected people are fami l i ar with both hands on a nd wr itten 

procedures . 

Completion of BMP Plan 

Upon completi on of the BMP p lan it wi ll be r eviewed by 

the facil i ty manager and members of the committee . The 

facility manager w i ll s ign off to acknowl edge that the 

c ommittee of key exp er ienced p l ant personne l and / or 

technical people approve of the BMP, . This step is important 

to a ssure that the BMP plan is r eali�tic and within the 

capabil ities 6f the people and physical l ayout of the plant . 

Refer to the example in Appendix D to h e lp f orm an 

approach to makina a ma t�r i rl l f':

 r1 r-r-nllnt- i na ;:mn i t-. r\nn 'RMP �.. --- - - ---- J -- --- ---- - ---- -- - - - -- - - --- ;;

 - - - - - ---� - - --

plan . Much of the informat ion in th is handbook w i ll be new 

to some operator s . Hopefu l ly , it wi ll help make the 

permitt i ng process eas ier . Much of the informat ion and 

pres ent at ion us ed in a mater ials account ing audit and BMP 

plan w i ll be useful for other government pr ograms . Finally, 

approaching th is j ob with the goal of hi gher recovery , 

better qua lity , l ower overhead , and increased income in the 

next one to two years w i ll make the e f fort nlore worthwhile . 

END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT OPTIONS 

Th is s ect ion addresses the treatment options whi ch are 

avai lab le to r educe the pol lutant loading of your eff luent . 

It is s imply an ' overvi ew of the pol lutants f ound in seaf o od 

processor discharge s and s ome of methods of �reat ing the se 

wastes 

Wh i ch Pol lutants O ccur in Seafood Processor Wa stes 

BOD - Biochemical Ox idat i on Demand . It is the amount 

of dis s olved oxygen required in the decomposition of the 

discharg ed e ffl uent s . In discharge areas where wa ste i s not 

well di spers ed , the oxygen in the water may be used up in 

the decompos ition of the wastestream and thus be unava i l abl e 

to aquatic l ife . Th is wi ll l ead to a ccumulation of waste 

and also eliminate many of the plants and an ima ls that r e ly 

on oxygen . The BOD is the ma in indicator of pol lut ion 

l evels from s eafood proces s ing eff luents . 

24 
TSS - T ota l Suspended Sol ids . These are the particles , 

such as muscle f ibers and bone fragments , that are suspended 

as sol ids in the l iquid effluents . These suspended solids 

are the product of mechanical gr inding or shear f orces 

bre aking tissue into fine p ieces . 

oil and Grease - Although this is usu al ly a minor 

const ituent, its chemical nature make it more troubles ome. 

oil and grease will emuls ify with prote in ( making s eparation 

very difficu lt ) , cata lyze r eacti ons that cause odor and 

f ormati on of unwanted byproducts , and form visible s cum and 

foams . 

Solubles - These are the water-soluble proteins that 

are contained in the c ells and b loodstream of the seafood. 

These prote ins greatly affect the BOD s ince they are the 

f irst metabolized by micro-o�gani sms and cause the greatest 

dep l etion of oxygen . 

TRC - T ota l Res idual Chlorine . This is the amount of 

free ch lorine in the water . S ources are from chlorinators 

fnr - - nn��hl c hl� � cr � n � � � l� hl� � c r � n � frnm � l o � n � "N - r - - ---- ... - - -- _ ... - --.-. - .... - --- I _ .... - - - - ..

 �, - .. -_ .... .... .. .. 

chemicals . Chlorine is a very " react ive " chemica l � break i ng 

down mo lecul es, which is why it is such an effecti ve 

saniti z er. It is also why TRC is high ly toxic to aquatic 

life . 

How to Measure Eff luents 

Th is s ecti on outl ines s ome methods to measure s ome of 

the above discharge components . The informat ion from these 

measurements can be comp ared to any l aboratory ana lysis to 

compare their a ccuracy . These measurements can also be used 

to gain informat i on that can used by engineers or techn ical 

support people to make prel iminary estimates for any 

separation equipment that may be cons idered . with practi ce 

and good scienti f ic technique these s imp le tests c an 

approach the accuracy of laboratory tests . The practical 

use of these tests is to establ i sh a measured point and then 

compare future tests to see - if the different components are 

h igher or lower than the previous test. This s ection may be 

of the most use to sur imi producers , but may also be 

applicable to other processes and seafood species . 

Particle S i ze and Suspended Sol ids - Th is is s imply 

taki ng a s et vo lume of waste and water , running it through a 

screen , and seei ng how much doesn 't go through . start ing 

with a large mesh and running the f i ltrate through 

success ive ly sma + ler mesh size wi ll g ive you an idea of the 

part icle size d istribut i on. I deal ly, having a set of 

diffe rent mesh s i z es of sta inless steel Screens is the best 

approach. Rea l istically, this type of measurement w i ll 

probably be done with whatever is at h and . Some common 

25 
s ources of me sh a�e· expanded metal and wire mesh from the 

ma intenance department , anyth ing the cook is w i lling to 

loan , and anyth ing that is aVa i lable from local supp ly 

houses or dry goods stores . ( For example , women 's ny l ons or 

cotton gauze work we ll f or remov ing much of the finest 

sol ids .) Th� mesh size w i ll need to be measur ed or 

estimated for the f i lter i ng steps to aid in any pre l iminary 

designs of equ ipment . other informat i on that can be gotten 

from f i ltering tr ials are obs ervat ions on dra in t imes , 

clogging of the dif f erent screens , and c leaning 

requirement s . 

Tota l Res idua l Ch lor ine - I nexpens ive and s impl� test 

kits are available f rom chemical and scientific supp ly 

hous es to check TRC . 

. Solub le Protein Measurement - Both of the two methods 

descr ibed be l ow w i ll work for m ixtures of solubles and f ine 

suspended sol ids if the means to remove all the particles 

are not available . These measurements are bas ed on two 

d ���e:e nt

_

treatment s f or mak ing s o luble prote in lose its 

a r r lnlty t or water a nd become insolub le particles that can 

be separated and mea sured . 

Heat Denaturat i on and Free zei Thaw S ett l ing is most 

app l icable to sur imi wastewater s i nce stickwater has ' already 

been c o oked and the stickwater s o lubles may not all s eparate 

out . The items needed are some containers and tUbi ng . F ive 

gal lon buckets and the l arge clear two l iter p l ast ic 

beverage bott les work we l l . _ Cut the t ops off the p op 

bott les and s ave the l ids for the bucket s . Below is the 

s eparat ion and measurement procedur e . 

1} Take a s ample of wastewater in the f ive gal lon 

bucket or s ome of the pop bottles . Two to f our 

ga l lons is a good samp le s i z e . 

2) The next step is to heat the wastewater to cook out 

the prote in . " This is very s imi l ar to poach ing an 

egg . " The goa l is to heat the water 70 C. to 80 C. 

as qu i ck as possible to prevent enzyme breakdown of 

the prote i n . 

3) After cook i ng put the conta iner (s) of cooked 

wa stewater in the cold storage freezer . 

4 ) The next day put the s amp le containers in a warm 

p l ace to thaw where they will not be moved or 

disturbed. When the cooked wastewater thaws all of 

the protein will be s ett l ed out on the bottom . Be 

careful not to stir it up . 

26 
, , 

5) Make' a mark showing the depth of the prote in in the 

container . ' This can be used to compare with future 

measurements . Now the c le ar top l iquid can be 

s iphoned off with the tUbing . 

6) The watery protein s lurry that is left can be put 

in a smaller container (s) and the freez ing , 

thawing , and s iphon steps can be done again to ' 

remove more water . The f inal vo lume here can be 

measured and compared with the beginni ng volume . 

It may be poss ib le to do a moisture content on this 

material and then calculate the a ctual protein 

content of the beginning wastewater . 

7) If the protein is still too wet f or mo i sture 

measurement it should be thi ck enough to filter out, 

water ' us ing nylons or even an old tee shirt . 

Getting a f ina l wet weight and moi sture content 

wi ll provide the informati on f or ca l culating a 

wastewater protein concentration . 

The informati on from the above procedure can be 

abs olute or relative . If a good f inal measurement can be 

made through to step (7) then it shou ld be relat ive to the 

mark made in step (5) . This wi ll g ive a good estimation 

technique in the future by doing j ust the f irst 

cook / freeze/thaw cycl � . The other a lternativ� is to j ust go 

to step (5) and use the mark established there to determi ne 

if the amount of protein is increasing or decreasing . 

I�, heating is done qui ckly to l imit enzyme breakdown of 

protein �n the cooking step then this technique wi ll extract 

90% to 95% of all protein in the wastewater . 

Acid/ Base S eparations change the pH of a wastewater 

sol ut ion and cause s oluble protein to s eparate out . The 

procedure described here covers only an acid method that 

uses low pH . If strong acid is used then proper safety gear 

and trai ned people should only conduct this test . This test 

c�n be done with approximately a one gallon s ample s i ze. 

The conta i ners to use would be the pop bottles or s omething 

s imilar . 

1) D i stri bute the wastewater sample to the containers 

to be used . On ly fill the c ontainers 1/2 to 2/3 

f u l l . C lear containers are the best to use . 

2) Adj ust the pH to 3 .0 - 3 .5. Vinegar conta ining 5% 

acetic acid can be used . It is safer , eas i er to 

get , but takes more to l ower the pH . As the pH 

drops the s oluble protein will turn white and the 

mixture wi ll look mi lky. Let the mixture s it f or 

f ive or ten minutes . 

27 
3) Get a stick that is l ong enough to r ea ch the bottom 

of the cont a iner . Wet the s t i ck with water and 

coat it with a thin l ayer of baking s od a . 

4) Put the s t i ck with bak ing s oda in the conta iner all 

the way to the bottom , g ive it a f ew sw irls , and 

pu ll it out . The ga s generated from the reaction 

w i ll f l oat all the protein to the surface . Don 't 

breath the gas . It may conta in irr itating 

substance s . 

5) After a f ew minutes the foam can be s craped off or 

the l iquid can be s iphoned off . P r ime the s iphon 

tube by filling w ith water , not by mouth suction. 

6) The s eparated pr otein can be measured at th is p o int 

for a relative mea surement or can be concentrated 

further by free ze/thaw and f ilter i ng . Determining 

the wei ght and mo isture content of the s eparated 

protein can then be used to ca lcu l ate the 

concentration in the orig inal wastewat er. Th is 

method should cause about 95% of the protein to 

s eparate out. 

What Are S ome of the End-ot-P ipe Treatment Technologies 

This section covers equipment and treatment 

technologies that have potent al u se for removing protein, 

oil, and grease from se�food process ing wastewater . The 

descriptions will be brief. More deta i led inf ormation has 

been published from other studies that c an better describe 

the procedures and equipment. The references for these 

studies are contained in Appendix c. 

Screening - This is a simple and very effective way to 

remove ins oluble meat and protein partic les. The equ ipment 

and concept is simple, but good design is difficult. Very 

good flow and particle size data are needed to determine an 

effective design. 

Sedimentation - This is collecting the waste stream in 

a tank or pond and letting material settle out. 

Centrifugation - Decanter type centrifuges are very 

effective at removing particles .. Models' are available that 

can s eparate fine suspended particles. Centrif ugation is 

also used to separate oil and water m ixtures. 

Heating and Centrifugation - This uses heat to 

coagulate protein and centrifugation to separate the 

mixture. The protein is very high quality and the water can 

be recycled and used in the plant .. Vis cosity and flow 

28 
characteri stics of the waste streams o ften require s ome 

equipment modification . 

Dis solved Air F loatation - Th is is a common technique 

that is used in s ome seafood process ing p lants and other 

food process ing f aci l ities . The bas ic mode of operation is 

s im i lar to the acid s eparation descri bed earl ier . There are 

a number of variations that use di f fe rent chemicals and ways 

to introduce gas bubble s . 

U ltraf i ltrati on - This uses very fine fi lters that can 

be s ized down to r emove many of the s o luble prote ins . 

E lectrocoagulation - Th is uses an electro-chemica l 

react ion to start the coagulation of prote i n . 

Ozonati on - This process generates o z one wh i ch acts as 

the prote in " coagulating a gent . The clar i fied water may be 

r ecyc l ed for plant use depending on its chemica l content. 

29 
APPEND IX A 

UNITS AND CONVERSIONS 

COMMON UNITS OF MEASUREMENT AND EQUIVALENTS 

1.0 kil ogram = 1000 grams = 2 . 2046 pounds 

1.0 pound = 454 grams = 0 . 4 5 4 ki l ogram = 16 ounces 

1.0 ounce = 2 8 .3 grams 

1.0 metric ton = 1000 kil ograms 2204 .6 lbs . 

1.0 short ton = 2000 lbs . = 9 0 7.2 kilograms 

1.0 l ong ton 

1.0 meter = 100 centimeters = 1 0 0 0 mi l l imeters = 3.2 8 feet 

1.0 foot � 0 . 3048 meters = 3 0 . 48 cent imeters 

1.0 inch 2.5 4 centimeters 

1.0 l iter = 1000 mi lli lters 

1.0 l iter 1 . 0567 quarts 

1000 cubic centimeters 

1.0 quart 0.9 46 l iter = 5 7 . 7 5 cubic i nches 

VOLUME AND WEIGHT OF FRESH WATER 

1.0 cubic centimeter H20 = 1.0 gram 

1.0 l iter H20 = 1000 grams = 1.0 ki l ogram 

1.0 gal l on H20 = 8 . 34 pounds 

1.0 quart H20 = 2.0 8 pounds 

1.0 cubic foot H20 = 6 2 . 43 pounds 

1 . 0 short ton H20 = 240 gallons 

1.0 l ong ton H20 = 264 g a llons 
APPENDIX B 

MENSURATION FORMULAS FOR AREA AND VOLUME 

H 

B 

RECTANGLE 

f\1 

I 

I .l \ __ �.lL-_ 

B 

TRIANGLE 

AREA BAS E X HE IGHT 

AREA = 1/2 X H X B . 

"IT = 3 . 14159 

AREA = 3 . 1 4159 X R X R 

CIRCLE 

L 71 AREA "= B X H 

B 

PARALLELOGRAM 

A 

B 

TRAPEZOID 

t 

1 AREA = 1/2 x H x ( A + B ) 
VOLUME L 

w 

RECTANGULAR SOLID 

VOLUME H 

H 

A 

CYLI�DER 

VOLUME 1/3 H 

PYRAMID OR CONE 

PYR.A.M:ID CAN HAVE ANY NUMB ER OF SIDE S _ 

THE LENGTHS OF THE BOTTOM EDGE 9F 

EACH SIDE MUST BE EQUAL _ 

AREA 1 

w . :x H 

VOLUME = 1/3 X H X ( Al + A2 + 

AREA :2 

SECTION OF PYRAMID OR CONE 

.J Al X A2 ) 
H 

t 

CIRCLE SECTION 

TABLE OF RATIOS FOR CALCULATING CIRCLE SECTION AREA 

RATIO OF H/R 

0 . 008555 

0 . 015 192 

0 . 023704 

0 . 034074 

0 . 046283 

0 . 060 307 

0 . 0 7 6121 

0 . 093 692 

0 . 112 989 

0 . 133 975 

0 . 156 609 

0 . 180848 

0 . 206647 

0 . 233956 

0 . 2 6 2723 

0 . 292893 

0 . 324410 

0 . 3 5 7212 

0 . 391239 

0 . 426424 

0 . 4 6 2700 

0 . 5 0 0000 

0.5 38251 

0.577382 

0 . 617 317 

0 . 657 980 

0 . 699294 

0.7 4118 1 

0 . 7 8 3560 

0 . 826352 

0 . 869474 

0 . 91284 4 

0 . 9 5 6381 

1 . 000000 

RATIO OF AREAfRADIUS SQUARED 

0 . 0014901 

0 . 003 5229 

0 . 006 8570 

0 . 0117993 

0 . 0186444 

0 . 0 2 76720 

0 . 0391 456 

0 . 053 3 100 

0 . 0703895 

0 . 0905860 

0 . 1140780 

0 . 1410188 

0 . 1715355 

0 . 2057277 

0 . 243 6676 

0 . 2853982 

0 . 3 3 09339 

0 . 3802606 

0 . 4333 348 

0 . 4900846 

0 . 5 5 04103 

0 . 614184 7 

0 . 6812546 

0 . 7514417 

0 . 82454 37 

0 . 9003667 

0 . 9785754 

1 . 0589969 

1 . 1 4 13210 

1 . 2252 533 

1 . 3 1 04871 

1 . 3967057 

1 . 4835852 

1 . 5 7 07963 
APPENDIX ·C 

TECHNICAL REFERENCES 

197 1 Ut iliz at i6n and Disposal of Crab and Shrimp Was te s . 

Un iver s i ty of Alaska Marine Advisory Bulletin No . 2, Fa irbank s , 

Alaska . 

1979 Rea s sessment of Eff luent L imitations Gu ide l ines and New 

S ource Performance Standards for the Canned and Preserved Seafood 

Process i ng Po int S ource Category . Prepared for the U . S. 

Environmental Protection Agency by Edward C. Jordan Co . , Inc . of 

Portland , Ma ine . 

1992 Ways to Reduce , Reus e , and Recycle Solid Waste Generated by 

S ou thwest Alaska 1s Fish Process ing Industry . S outhwest Alaska 

Municipa l Conference , 33�0 Arctic B lvd . , suite 2 0 3, Anchorage , 

Alaska , 99503 . Telephone ( 9 0 7) 562-7 3 8 0 . 

1993 Recoveries and Yields from Pacific Fish and Shellfish . 

Chuck Crapo , Brian Paust , and Jerry Babbitt , Alaska Sea Grant 

College Program , Univers ity of Alaska , Fai rbanks , Alaska , 

9 9 775-5 0 40 . Telephone (907) 47 4 -67 0 7 i FAX ( 9 07) 474-62 8 5 . 

1993 Po l lut ion Prevention Opportunities in the Fish Proces s ing 

I ndustry . Pacific Northwest Pol lut i on Prevention Research 

Center , 1 3 26 Fi fth Avenue , suite 650 , S eatt le , Washi ngton , 981 0 1 . 

Telephone (20 6) 223-l151 i FAX ( 2 0 6) 223 -1165 . 

1993 Wastewater Hand l ing Practices in Selected Fish Process ing 

P lants in Northern Europe . Report to the Fisheries Counc il of 

British Co l umbi a . Prepared by NovaTec Consultants , I nc . , 224 

West Eighth Avenu e , Vancouver , British Columbia , V5Y 1N5 . 

1994 Proceedings of the Wastewater Techno logy Conference and 

Exh ibit i on . Fisheries Council of British Columbia , 1188 West 

Georgia street , Suite 140 0 , Vancouver I British Co lumbia ,. V6E4A2 . 

Telephone (60 4) 6 8 6-645 4 ; FAX ( 6 0 4 ) 684-5109 . 

1994 How to Do a Seafood Process ing Plant Wate r , Waste , and 

wastewater Audit . Prepared by Alan I smond , Aqua �Terra 

Consultant s , Vancouver , British Columbia for the Province of 

Briti sh Columbia , Ministry of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food 

( Attn : John Wi l low , I ndustry Development Officer ) , 808 Douglas 

street , Victori a , British Co lumbia , V6A2 Z7 . Telephone ( 6 0 4 ) 

3 56-2 167 ; FAX (60 4) 953 -5162 . 
" 

APPENDIX D 

EXAMPLE 

OF 

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES PLAN 
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES PLAN 

FOR 

ROCKY COVE FISH PROCESSORS, INC . 

SUBMITTED TO : 

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION X 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Table of contents ...... . . ........ .... ..... ....... 1 

s ignature and Rev i ew P l ate ...... ...••.. ..•. ...• .. 2 

BMP Cornrni tte Members ......... .... . . ..•. ...• · • .••.. 3 

Description of the Facil ity ........ ...•. . . ....... 4 

Map of Facil ity and Location .... � .••• •.. • • •.•••.. 5 

Process Flow Di agram .•.••....•.. •.. .•• ••• ...•. •.. 6 

Waste Discharge I dentification ..•.. .••.. . • •.. G ••• 7 

Mass Bal ance Audi t .... .......... . . ............... 7 

Process Stream Risk . . . . • • • . . . • . . • . • • • . • • • • . • . • • •. 8 

Improvement Goa l s ... ... .......... ..... . .... ....... 8 

Good House Keeping Policy ....•.... •••.• •••..•••.. 8 

Equipment Maintenance and Repa ir .•• .•• •••• ..•••.. 8 

Inspections and Records • . . . . • . . . . • • . •••• . . •••.• . • 9 

Employee Training .• , ....•••...•. 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 9 

Spi ll Preparednes s ......•.. .•••... •••.. • • •..•••.. 10 

Secur i ty . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • • • . • • . . . • • • • . . • . . •••. 10 
The. enclos ed Best Management Practices Plan has been 

reviewed and accepted as reasonabl e by committee members of 

Rocky Cove Fish Processors . 

Date ____________ __ 

Plant Manager 
BMF COMMITTEE MEMBERS 

The fol l owing peop le have prov i ded i nput to the BMP p l an for 

Rocky Cove Fish Processors and agree that the goals and 

content are reasonable for operat i on at this t ime . 

NAME POSITION EXPERI ENCE 

Factory Manager 7 yrs . 

Chi ef Mechanic 3 . 5 yrs . 

Foreman 3 .0 yrs . 

Foreman 2.5 yrs . 

Master Fi sherman 2 1 .0 yrs . 
DESCRIPTION OF THE FAC ILITY 

�ocky Cove Fish Processors is located on the S outheast 

s hore of Rocky Cove . Rocky Cove , i s a small inlet that 

empties dire ctly i nto Snively Channel one m i le from the town 

of Redbank . The proces s ing p l ant was bui lt in 1948 and has 

o perated every year on a seasonal basis . The f acil i ty 

c onsists of the main process i ng p l ant, a refrigeration p l ant 

and ice room , cold storage, storage warehous e , phys ical 

plant and erigineering , offices , and a l arge dock that can 

accomodate three f i shing ves sels . 

For the past eight years the main products have been fresh 

and frozen fish and f i sh fillets . Dependi ng on ava ilabi l ity 

of fish and market demand products range from cuts of 

individual servings to whole frozen fish . Over 60% of all 

fish processed is usual ly salmon . This takes plac e over a 

two and a half month period with one month be ing the pe ak o f 

the season. During the rest of the year there is some 

s teady and periodic processing of other f infish and f latfish 

depending on fishing and weather . This work is done by 

employees that l ive in the town of Re�hank . 

The fish waste from the Rocky Cove plant consists of heads , 

guts , frames , trimmings , and unusable fish . All this waste 

is flumed or conveyed to a grinder and pump . The ground 

fish waste is pumped through 'a 400 foot pipe out to Snively 

Channel where the discharge is located at the ten fathom 

mark . 
OFFICES 

W 

0. 

a: 

w 

l!> 

Ii: 

« 

:r: 

u 

(J) 

o 

n ,.- 

IZ ::

 

IAREHOUSE I j >< 

: UTILITI ES yS 

COWl 

. STO RAG E \ 

I 

SNIV E LY C HAN NEL 

W 

I S� \ 

\ 

N ) 

ROC KY C OVE 

U N O FFI C IAL LO CATI ON MAP FO R ROCKY C OVE PRO C ESSORS 
OFFICES 

w 

Dc;: 

w 

C> 

� 

:z: 

u 

!! 

o 

SNIVELY C HAN NEL 

D ,-

 

ROC KY C OVE 

UNO-FFI CIAL LOCATI ON MAP FO R ROCKY C OVE P ROCESS O RS 
FISH , ICE 

;0;. 

AN D WAT ER 

t 

co 

SC 

A 

SO 

RSE 

EEN 

W 

RT 

1 

� 

WAT ER AN D ICE 

FLOW D IAGRAM FOR ROCKY C OVE PROC[SSORS 

SALT WAT E�R FRESH WATER 

J 

HOLDING � 

TANK 

l----,l 

[DRAIN ' 

BELT 

-+ 

--�r CL��.�!�G I�I FREEZERI�I G LAZ I N G --"";::::- ..

 PROD U CT 

PORTI ONING 

WAT ER 

fiSH PIEC ES 

BLOOD &: SLIME 

I I I =-

TO F R ESH 

WAT ER 

Kem!l. C UTS. 

fRAMES, TRIMMINCS. 

+ 1 - MAR I< ET 

UNUSABI.E FISH 

�I 

BLOOD &. SLIME 

.< 

__

 U SED G LAZ E FI SH. P I ECES 

BLOOD AND SLlt.4E 

--

 ALL WASTE TO GRIND AND DISCHARGE 
,� J J '11 

streams . Al l the s treams are acces s ible . If this does not 

g ive good results the installation of a f l ow meter on the 

sal t wat e r l i ne wi ll be investi gated . 

RI SK OF PROCESS STREAMS 

Almost a l l of the fish waste is from the area where the 

fish are cut and c l e aned . Most of the remaining waste is 

from the course s creening step . Anything else would be in 

the drain water from the ho lding tank . It is estimated that 

these stre ams account for 96% , 3 % , and 1% of the fish waste. 

IMPROVEMENT GOALS 

In o rder to increase recovery and reduce waste the 

number of sample weighings on fish being processed wi ll be 

increased . The goal is to try to achieve and maintain a 

higher recovery rate . 

GOOD HOUSE KEEP ING POLICY 

Chemicals and tools used for clefuling are kept in a 

separate storage area away from the process ing floor . 

Foremen and selected people are trained in handling , use , 

and proper di lution of chemicals during cleaning . - They are 

the only ones authori zed to do this . 

To keep bui ldup of waste on the f loors and grating to a 

mini�u.

 there is one person from each pro·cessing area that 

is ass igned to regularly clean and assure that waste streams 

are flowing . 

Al l used ice is run through the screeni ng step so it is part 

of the overal l waste stream . If this is not possible it is 

set aside in tote boxes unti l it can be disposed of . 

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR 

All fish and waste are moved by conveyor belts , water 

troughs and flumes , or by hand . Worn or j ammed conveyor 

belts are usually repaired by the shift mechanic in ten to 

twenty minutes . Replacement may take up to one hour 

depending on the amount of damage . These are the only 

mechanical devices in the process l ine that can fail and 

cause a backup . This is a common enough occurance that the 

parts and procedures for repair are well known . 

In the event that the main grinder and discharge pump needs 

repair or s ervice the following provis ions have been made . 

- Spare parts and a motor are located nearby in a storage 

locker . 

. 

- Lift points and hoi sts are s et up to remove the entire 

motor , grinder , and pump . 
- To unc log the pump requi res approx imate ly one h our . 

- To replace the grinder and pump impe l l er requires two to 

three hours . 

- Rep lac i ng the entire un it would require f our to f ive 

hours . 

INSPECTIONS AND RECORDS 

A new dai ly production report is b e ing drawn up that 

wi ll include the fol l owing information . 

. 

- Weight of f i sh processed , wei ght of product , amount of 

f ish waste , and recovery rate . 

- Water use based . on measurements or best estimate . 

- Any cleanups and amount of chemi ca ls used . 

- Mechani cal fai lures , repairs , and modif ications . The 

estimated e f fect on plant �ffici ency and waste streams . 

EMPLOYEE TRAINING 

The are respons ible for overs e e 1ng 

training selected processi ng pers onnel in the proper 

operation and goals set for di f ferent process f low streams . 

The control points and procedures are covered below. 

SCREEN AND SORT - Salt water spray should be s et to a 

l evel to c le an the f ish being run . Reduce the flow rate if 

there is over spray or waste that is not entering the catch 

pan . The water should be s hut off when no f ish are be ing 

was hed and sorted . If used ice is be ing discarded enough 

water flow must be provided to prevent blockage of the waste 

flume . Large unusable fish may need to be cut up before 

entering the waste f lume to prevent blockage . 

HOLDING TANK - The ratio of water or s lush to fish 

should be about one to one . A high l evel mark one foot 

bel ow the top of the t ank is not to be exceeded . This high 

level mark would indicate a vo lume of about twenty tons of 

fish and water . 

DRAIN BELT - The spray here should be adj usted to rinse 

the fish clean and also keep the belt clean . If the belt 

becomes c logged and dirty the spray may need to be turned up 

or the belt stopped and hand cleaned . A clean be lt is 

needed to keep waste from being carri ed to other process i ng 

steps or outsi de the 4rain system at this step . 

FISH CLEANING, AND PORTIONING - There are a number of 

di f f erent stati ons and individuals that hand le cutting , 

cleani ng , and trimming tasks . Al l emp loyees have been s hown 

the water shutoffs for the hoses supplying the ir s tation and 

have been instructed to shut off any water that is not being 

used in the processing steps or when there is a break or 

stoppage . As out l ined in the good hous ekeep ing section a 
person has been assigned the duty of regularly pO l i ci ng this 

area to cleanup small s pills and bui l dup , and make s ure 

was te is f l owing in proper channe l s . This person also 

mo n i tors the use of water . 

S P ILL PREPAREDNESS 

Duri ng ve ry heavy f i shi ng periods there is too much i ce 

to d i spose o f . Thi s ice wi ll be d i�posed of by dumping off 

the West end of the dock on outgoing tides . The amount of 

dumped ice wi ll be recorded . In the event that the main 

grinder and discharge pump is down , waste wi ll be dumped 

down the old flume that empties directly into Rocky Cove . 

Past exper ience has shown that this can be done for up to 

twe lve hours with no vis ibl e material deposited or left 

onshore after one daily cycle of tides . The amount of waste 

diverted wi ll be recorded along with notes on any effect on 

beaches and wi ld l ife . 

SECURITY 

The entire waste s ystem including collection in the 

plant I gri nder , pump , and disharge pipe are a l l very 

vi s ibl e . Any operation or tampering by unauthorized people 

could be s een by foremen and other workers . The pipe l ine is 

above the ground and parallels a well trave led path to the 

beach . Any leaks or damage to the pipe can be eas i ly 

detected . 
APPENDIX E 

AGENCIES AND ORGAN I ZATIONS 

Pacific Northwest Po l luti on Prevent i on Research Ce nter 

1326 F ifth Ave . suite 650 

Seattle , WA 98101 

United states Environmenta l Protecti on Agency 

1200 sixth Ave . 

Seattle , WA 98101 

National Mar ine Fi sheries Servi ce 

Northwest Fisheries Science Center 

2 725 �ontl ake Blvd . E. 

Seattl e , WA 98112 

Mini stry of Agriculture , Fi sher ies , and Food" 

Aquacul ture and Commercial F i sher i es Branch 

808 Dougl as street 

Victori a, B.C. V8W2Z7 

Fisheries Counc il of B.C. 

1188 West Georgia street su ite 1 400 

Vancover , B.C. V6E4AZ 

Washington Dept . of Ecol ogy 

POB 47696 

Lacey , WA 98504-7696 

Industry Canada 

9 00-650 West Georgia Street 

Vancover , B.C. V6B5H8 

B�C. Envi ronment 

1106-1175 Dougl a s Street 

Victoria , B.C. V8V1X4 

Environment Canada 

224 West Espa lnade 

"North Vancover , B.C. V7M3H7 

university of Alaska 

Fishery Industrial Techno logy Center 

Kodiak , Al aska 99615 

Institute for Food Science and Technology 

Col lege of Ocean and Fishery Sci ences 

University of Washington HF- IO 

Seattle , WA 98195 

oregon State Univers ity 

Seafood Laboratory 

250 3 6th Street 

Astori a , OR 97103