I'm sure that there's an entirely logical explanation, but, whatever it is, you'd think that the beneficiaries of Uncle Sam's munificence would, out of simple gratitude, do their best to comply with all environmental rules and regulations. But, you'd be wrong.

The Little Bay Seafood, LLC, doing business as Lordco Pier Associates, Inc, even though the Lord in the name left the organization in 2003, was cited and fined for significant violations of the Clean Water Act in 2007. After paying the fine, significantly reduced from the original $225,000, the new CEO, Craig Rief, proclaimed to the media that it wouldn't happen again. Yet, two years later, the New Hampshire DES had to send a Letter of Deficiency, outlining not just missing paper-work, but missing procedures to insure proper testing.

In case you're tempted to think Little Bay Seafood, LLC is just a small business incapable of meeting the stringent requirements of the EPA, consider the following:

In fiscal year 2000, when the company was known as Lordco Pier Associates, Inc. and ostensibly located in Exeter, the Department of Commerce granted a loan of $1,800,000 to

REFINANCE EXISTING DEBT FOR SHORESIDE FACILITY. ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WILL BE LESS BECAUSE OF LONGER TERM AND LOWER INTEREST RATE.

Then, in 2005, just before the environmental violations were cited, Johnathan Shafmaster, the principal owner since the Lord fellow had left in 2003, secured a loan of $3,750,000 to

REFINANCE A FISHING VESSEL. ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WILLBE LESS BECAUSE OF LONGER TERM AND LOWER INTEREST RATE.

And in 2006, the Department of Commerce came through again with a loan of $3,560,000 to Lordco Pier Associates, Inc for the purpose of again

REFINANCE A SHORESIDE FACILITY. ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WILL BE LESS BECAUSE OF LONGER TERM AND LOWER INTEREST RATE.

Does this mean that every time the Commerce Department changes its interest rates, the outstanding loans are re-negotiated and re-written? If so, that seem a bit inefficient.

But, that's not what caught my eye about these transactions in which the recipient name and the recipient city were never quite the same. Neither, for that matter, were the terms of the loans that were identified as "new assistance action," which varied from 15-20 years. But, what caught my attention was the entry

Congressional District NH90: New Hampshire unknown districts

Really, the Commerce Department was uncertain about how many Congressional Districts there are in New Hampshire and couldn't find out in six years of handing out $9,110,000 to a lobster company? No wonder Judd Gregg thought he ought to be Secretary of Commerce!

Perhaps Lordco Pier Associates is struggling and its claims to be the main supplier of lobsters (humanely caught and shipped) to Whole Foods in Texas is a sham. But, it seems to me that if Obama wants to freeze some programs, the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration might be a place to start. Why is NOAA financing fishing boats and docks?

Btw, since the Congressional Districts are "unknown," I'd bet even money that our Congresscritters had nothing to do with the bounty flowing out of Commerce.