Clearwater Port Voluntarily Accepts Stricter Air Pollution Emissions Standards
NorthernStar Natural Gas announced Tuesday in letters to the EPA and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) that it would not request permitting agencies to treat the Clearwater Port project as if it were part of the “Unclassifiable / Attainment” area associated with the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast, despite the proposed terminal’s distance from shore. Clearwater Port will also use Ambient Air Vaporizers, which NorthernStar says require 80% less heat energy than traditional regasification units, and will not include any on-site storage or processing equipment. Clearwater Port’s offer follows the controversy over the EPA’s decision to review BHP Billiton’s Cabrillo Port proposal under more lenient air quality standards. Platts LNG Daily [subscription required] provides additional details.