Port of Los Angeles commissioners doubt need for new oil terminals

Port of Los Angeles commissioners doubt need for new oil terminals Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners said it doubts the state of California's projected call for more oil import marine terminals.
   Commissioners for the board, which sets policy for the Port of Los Angeles, repeatedly interrupted the California Energy Commission's recent presentation to the board on projected demand for imported crude oil. The CEC believes that new oil import terminals are one solution to projected increases in petroleum demand.
   Commission President S. David Freeman pointed to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent executive order to reduce the consumption of petroleum. Freeman raised concerns that a new supertanker terminal could become little more than a white elephant to the port down the road.
   Commissioner Doug Krause pointed to actual crude costs being much higher than the state used to create its forecast. As the cost goes up, the demand will go down, he said.
   Freeman acknowledged the board's responsibility to ensure a fuel supply, but added that if calls for reductions in the use fossil fuel come to fruition, the need for additional refineries to produce petroleum products would disappear.
   Petroleum products are one of the leading bulk imports for the adjacent ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the world's fifth-largest port complex. The port complex has 14 petroleum-handling facilities.