Mitsubishi terminal expansion gets key backing, USA

Long Beach City Council has rejected environmentalists’ attempts to block Mitsubishi Cement Corp’s plans to reactivate and expand its Port of Long Beach Terminal in California, USA.

The council voted 6-2 on Monday night to reject the attempts of the Coalition for a Safe Environment and Earthjustice to appeal the Harbor Commission’s approval of the project’s environmental impact report. The groups objected to Mitsubishi Cement’s plans, in part, on the basis of their views that the company’s plans failed to include the best possible technology to protect air quality, the Press-Telegram reports.

The terminal has been out of service since 2010, according to port officials as a result of reduced demand due to the global economic downturn. With market recovery now well underway, Mitsubishi is looking meet increasing regional demand for cement more efficiently.

The company is proposing modifications including construction of 40,000t of additional storage capacity consisting of storage and loading silos on vacant Port property adjacent to Mitsubishi’s existing facility. The existing site would increase in size from 4.21 acres to 5.92 acres. It would also include installing an emission control system (Dockside Catalytic Control System) to capture and reduce NOx emissions from ship auxiliary generators at berth, as well as upgrade ship unloading equipment and land side structures.