Long Beach port concludes comment period on terminal project

The Port of Long Beach has concluded the public comment period on environmental documents detailing the impacts of a proposed $750 million container terminal development.

If the project moves forward, it would be the first such major development at Long Beach since concerns over environmental litigation halted development more than three years ago. The Long Beach port's self-imposed moratorium followed shortly after a 2002 lawsuit and subsequent settlement against the neighboring Port of Los Angeles that halted development in Los Angeles over fears of additional legal actions.

According to port officials, more than 60 written comments were received on the project and two public meetings on the documents attracted more than 200 people and drew more than 100 comments.

The port had extended the public comment period by several weeks and due to the volume of comments received, port officials estimate that the final version of the environmental documents will not be completed before December.

The $750 million Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project started life nearly 10 years ago as a major component of the port's multibillion-dollar mega-terminal development plan.

The plan calls for the consolidation of two adjacent terminals on the port's Piers D, E and F into a single 345-acre container terminal. The project will also include the creation of nearly 55 acres of new land through the use of landfill.

Though the environmental documents for the plan received approval in 2001, the port did not begin construction. New environmental guidelines for terminal development adopted since then required the port to update the project's environmental impact report. In addition to the state-mandated EIR, the project now requires a similar federal Environmental Impact Statement, which will be incorporated in the final port documents.