The Port of Kalama and Cowlitz County announced today they have completed the scoping process for the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Northwest Innovation Works, LLC—Kalama (NWIW)’s proposed natural gas to methanol production plant and storage facility.
The Port and county are “co-lead agencies” overseeing environmental review of the proposal under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
During the scoping period, which extended between January 30 and March 1, 2018, the public, parties who commented on the EIS being supplemented, government agencies, tribes and interested parties were invited to submit comments about the issues they wanted to see studied in the SEIS.
“The Port appreciates the comments received from everyone,” said Liz Newman, Port of Kalama Marketing and Communications Manager. “The comments help to ensure the analysis in the SEIS is robust and thorough. We look forward to moving ahead with a review of the issues.”
The scoping report and comments received during the scoping process are available for public review on the project-specific SEPA website: http://kalamamfgfacilitysepa.com/. The previously prepared EIS and technical appendices also remain available at this website.
The SEIS will include a greenhouse gas (GHG) life cycle analysis to address findings by the Washington State Shorelines Hearings Board in its September 15, 2017 decision.
The SEIS will specifically cover:
• GHG emissions attributable to project construction;
• On-site direct GHG emissions from operation of the project;
• GHG emissions from purchased power;
• GHG emissions potentially attributed to the project from natural gas production, collection, processing and transmission;
• GHG emissions from the shipping of methanol product to Asia;
• GHG emissions associated with changes in the methanol industry and related markets that may be induced by the project’s production.
A public comment period will be held when the Draft SEIS is complete.
NWIW is proposing to develop and operate a natural gas-to-methanol production plant and storage facility on approximately 90 acres at the Port of Kalama.
