Will Nordic Aquafarms have the $500 million it needs to build its land-based Atlantic salmon farm in the US state of Maine? How much water will it use? How will it deal with pollutants? Can it import its salmon eggs?

Those were a few of the many tough questions the Norwegian company was asked during a four-day hearing called last week by the state’s Board of Environmental Protection in the town of Belfast, where it plans to build its facility. The outcome of the event could determine whether the Norwegian company -- the first of several to announce plans to build a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for salmon in the US northeast -- receives all of its necessary state permits, including those related to discharge, site development, natural resources and air emissions [...]