Tacoma liquid gas plant gets go-ahead from state pollution board

TACOMA — A Washington energy utility’s liquified natural gas facility in Tacoma has cleared another legal hurdle — this time getting a green light from the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board.

The News Tribune reports the board in a ruling Friday wrote that it “affirms the permit and supplemental environmental impact statement” for the Puget Sound Energy project.

But the board also added a condition in the permit to install a continuous emission monitoring system to monitor sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds emissions from the plant’s enclosed ground flare.

The Puyallup Tribe and environmental groups had filed challenges with the board against the facility. The 14-story-tall concrete cylinder, already built, would store 8 million gallons of gas at extremely cold temperatures for fueling ships and other uses, KUOW reported.

Opponents appealing Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s approval of the facility’s construction application in 2019 had argued that the agency underestimated the volatile organic compounds, particulates, nitrogen and sulfur dioxides, and toxic air pollutants that the plant would emit. And they argued that the agency failed to formally consult with the government of the Puyallup Tribe.

In a statement after the ruling, the tribe said: “We are pleased that the board required detailed monitoring of certain emissions, and our legal and technical teams are evaluating what that means for future operations. However, we are profoundly disappointed the board upheld the remainder of the permit.”