FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PORT OF LOS ANGELES RELEASES THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR A DEEP-DRAFT MARINE CRUDE OIL TERMINAL ON PIER 400 WITH STRICT ENVIRONMENTAL AND SECURITY MEASURES

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – May 29, 2008 – The Port of Los Angeles, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has released the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) for the proposed Pacific LA Marine Terminal LLC  Project on Pier 400, a facility that will help Southern California meet its rising demand for oil while conforming to environmental and security regulations that would be among the strictest ever imposed on an oil facility in San Pedro Bay. The release of the draft document begins a two-month public-comment period that will end at 6 p.m. on July 29, 2008. The Port will also hold a public meeting at the Port Administration Building in San Pedro on June 26, 2008 at 6 p.m., at which Port staff will present an overview of the proposed project and receive public comments.

The Draft SEIS/DSEIR shows that the project will directly generate approximately 700 construction jobs and approximately 55 permanent jobs while reducing emissions and risks to water quality. The marine crude-oil terminal is consistent with the California Energy Commission’s strategy to meet the energy needs of Southern California’s expanding population as the region’s consumers, businesses and local government agencies shift to using alternative fuels and transportation. 

The Pacific Los Angeles Marine Terminal project would include a new wharf at Berth 408 on Pier 400, along with two 250,000-barrel storage tanks nearby. Pipelines would connect this facility with a tank farm on Terminal Island that would have 14 additional 250,000-barrel storage tanks, giving the project a total storage capacity of 4 million barrels. Additional pipelines would connect the storage facilities to nearby refineries while avoiding residential areas. Pacific Los Angeles Marine Terminal, LLC -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of Plains All American Pipeline L.P. -- would operate the terminal under a 30-year lease with the Port of Los Angeles.

The new terminal would be the only crude-oil terminal in Southern California capable of accommodating fully-loaded, deep-draft very large crude carrier (VLCC) oil tankers  which deliver an increasing amount of oil from overseas to California, where oil production has long been decreasing. Currently, these large tankers must transfer their oil offshore to smaller ships that transport it to existing liquid-bulk terminals at the Port. The new terminal would enable the tankers to off-load their oil more efficiently, reducing impacts on air quality, water quality and marine transportation that these smaller ships could generate as oil imports grow.

Crude-oil deliveries to the new terminal would be restricted to double-hulled vessels to minimize the potential for a spill. Among many other environmental measures to be included in the project, the tankers would be required to burn low-sulfur fuel in their main and auxiliary engines; they would be required to use shore-based electrical power while at berth; and a LEED-Certified terminal administrative building in compliance with the U.S. Green Building Council for buildings constructed with environmentally friendly materials and features. The project also is being designed to minimize any potential impacts to endangered California Least Terns that nest on Pier 400.

Security issues would be addressed by a host of measures, including a designated security officer and annual security drills at the terminal, and security alert systems on board the tankers that deliver oil.

The June 26 public meeting is part of the Draft SEIS/DSEIR process. At the meeting, Port staff will describe potential significant environmental effects of the proposed project, along with project alternatives. The meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the Port’s Administration Building, 425 South Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro.

Copies of the Draft SEIS/SEIR for the Pacific Los Angeles Marine Terminal project are available online at the Port’s Web site, www.porfoflosangeles.org, or by calling (310) 732-3675. Anyone who would like to submit comments about the project can do so at the June 26 meeting, or by e-mailing them to ceqacomments@portla.org, or by mailing them in written form to the following addresses by 6 p.m. on July 29, 2008:

The Port of Los Angeles, also known as “America’s Port,” has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.

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