PIONEER, Ohio (WOWO) — Controversy is swirling around AquaBounty Farms after the company quietly received approval for a new water pipeline system in Williams County, even though construction on its genetically modified salmon facility has been on hold for over a year.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted a five-year permit allowing AquaBounty to install two mile-long pipelines near Pioneer. One pipeline will draw groundwater from a local aquifer, while the other will discharge wastewater into the east branch of the St. Joseph River. The permit, officially granted on September 12 with an effective date of October 1, is valid through September 30, 2030.

According to WTOL — Local residents and environmental groups say they were blindsided. Williams County Alliance, a community advocacy group, said they were promised notifications for new permits, but the approval was never publicly announced on the Ohio EPA’s website, AquaBounty’s site, or the village of Pioneer’s page.

Ohio EPA acknowledged the lack of public notice, calling it “an internal oversight” and stressing that the permit prioritizes human health and environmental protection.

Sherry Fleming of the Williams County Alliance criticized the transparency lapse, saying, “This lack of a required simple notification to the public … illustrates how disconnected the state government is to the communities that will live with the impacts from this project every day.”

AquaBounty paused construction in June 2023, citing financial challenges and rising costs, and has not announced when or if work will resume.

The permit raises questions for residents and environmental advocates as the controversial fish farm project remains on hold.