LB LNG EIR is Explosive!

The Environmental Impact Report for the proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in the heart of Long Beach is stirring emotions.

Opponents of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Beach lambasted a newly released environmental review at a public hearing Monday, calling the project too dangerous to build near the center of the region's second-largest city.

But union representatives and other project supporters contended that such safety concerns are exaggerated. And others called the plant a source of cleaner-burning fuel that would help combat air pollution.

More than 150 people attended the first of four public hearings on the project's draft federal and state environmental impact report. A total of 36 people spoke, divided almost evenly between supporters and critics.

The $450-million liquefied natural gas terminal has been proposed by a Mitsubishi Corp. subsidiary and ConocoPhillips for a pier at the Port of Long Beach, less than two miles west of the city's newly gentrified downtown and tourist attractions such as the Queen Mary.