Known as the Morrow Pacific project, it is also seeking permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Department of State Lands, and is projected to be operational by the beginning of 2015, Marrow Pacific project CEO Clark Moseley said.

“As we’ve said all along, we are committed to meeting the high environmental standards set by the state of Oregon,” he said.

“By issuing these three permits after a rigorous process, the Department of Environmental Quality has affirmed that the project complies with environmental rules and regulations of the state of Oregon.”

The corps has indicated that a permitting decision will be forthcoming in the spring of 2014.

“We are committed to doing business the Oregon way, and working with local companies to strengthen our economy,” Moseley said.

“We’re ready to start work just as soon as we receive permits from the corps and Oregon DSL.”

The Morrow Pacific project will ship low-sulfur coal by rail from Intermountain states to the Port of Morrow. There it will be transferred to an enclosed storage facility and loaded onto covered barges through an enclosed conveyor.

The coal will then be shipped down the Columbia River to Port of St. Helens’ Port Westward Industrial Park.

There, enclosed transloaders will transfer the coal onto covered oceangoing Panamax ships bound for US trade allies such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

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