Port partner says Terminal 1 set to handle soda ash; maritime academy opens for high school students

Clark County’s port is preparing to handle a new commodity — soda ash — and has opened a small maritime academy for high school students, a county port partner said at the Sept. 8 neighborhood meeting.

Julie, identified at the meeting as the county partner for port matters, said the port is converting an area to receive soda ash, which she described as “a very benign product. It's almost like baking soda.” She said the commodity arrives by train, will be stored in an enclosed warehouse and be shipped by vessel to overseas markets for use in glass manufacturing and solar panels. “It comes by train … it's unloaded and goes into a big dump pit … then there's a conveyor belt system that puts it in a big warehouse, and it's stored there until a ship comes,” Julie said.

Julie also said the port has opened a maritime academy in a converted building with Cascade Tech Academy, an affiliate of…