The Carlsbad Desalination Project overcame its second-to-last hurdle when the California Coastal Commission approved its development permit Nov. 15 with a 9-3 vote.
The project is set to go before the State Lands Commission the first week of December for final approval. In a statement issued by Stamford, Conn.-based Poseidon Resources Corp., the proposed plant’s developer said it was “grateful” for the panel’s approval.
The $300 million plant would produce 50 million gallons of drinking water per day, or about 10 percent of the region’s water supply.
The hours-long meeting was held at a Sheraton hotel in Mission Valley in a room packed with hundreds of people, including supporters wearing “got desal?” pins as well as opponents from organizations such as the Surfrider Foundation that have argued the plant will cause environmental damage.
A tentative timeline shows that construction is scheduled to begin in the middle of 2008 with drinking water available by 2010.
, Jaimy Lee
