Court Orders City of Long Beach Pause Oil Storage Tank Expansion Project

Long Beach must halt the expansion of a polluting oil storage tank at its port, a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled, citing an inadequate environmental review of a project expected to emit cancer-causing chemicals like hydrogen sulfide, benzene, and other toxic chemicals near schools.

In the Monday ruling, the court said the City’s California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis failed to accurately describe the project and improperly rejected a feasible alternative. As a result, the City must invalidate its environmental review and project approval, and conduct a new environmental impact report (EIR). This ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice, representing and co-counseling with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) against the City of Long Beach over its approval of the World Oil Terminals project, which would add two massive oil storage tanks to a site that already has seven.

“The court’s decision is clear: the City’s approval of this project was unlawful,” said Esme Levy, attorney at Earthjustice. “Communities surrounding the Port of Long Beach are consistently targeted by polluting facilities. This decision recognizes the serious defects that underpinned the City’s project approval, and is a reminder that Long Beach decisionmakers cannot prioritize oil infrastructure over people.” 

The project, if completed, would bring the facility’s total to nine tanks with a combined capacity of over 23 million gallons of crude oil and petroleum products. This expansion would be located directly adjacent to the second busiest container port in the United States. The City Council approved the project in November 2024, despite significant community opposition. In response, community groups, alongside Earthjustice, promptly sued the City for violating CEQA. 

​“As a Long Beach resident that grew up in South Gate, a community highly impacted by environmental injustices, it is frustrating to see my elected officials attempt to carelessly and expeditiously expand crude oil infrastructure in severely overburdened communities, all while claiming to champion environmental policies,” said Dilia Ortega, SoCal Program Co-Director with Communities for a Better Environment. “Councilmember Suely Saro and Mayor Rex Richardson have an opportunity to stand up for public health and safety by halting harmful projects like this one. We urge them to stop this crude oil project, support a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure expansions at the Port of Long Beach, and to protect the health of the residents that elected them.”

The court also found that the original environmental review used inconsistent and misleading project descriptions, preventing a full analysis of its impacts. It also failed to disclose foreseeable consequences, including increased use of existing tanks and their emissions. Additionally, a viable alternative that could have reduced air pollution was discarded without explanation.

Residents in Wilmington, Carson, and West Long Beach already face:

• The highest cancer risk rates in the region.
• Frequent explosions, fires, and hazardous spills.
• Toxic air pollution from diesel trucks, trains, and California’s largest oil refinery.

Storage tank emissions from oil and gas are underreported to the public and regulators, according to studies, including one from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Besides the increased harms to air quality, these storage tanks also create hazardous conditions that threaten public health and safety. Crude oil from storage tanks creates toxic sludge that must be routinely monitored and removed from the tanks. This oily sludge contains heavy metals that are not degradable and cause serious health risks to people and the surrounding environment. Storage tanks are inherently dangerous and are prone to spills, explosions, and fires caused by malfunctions and natural disasters.