Poseidon Resources received a green light Tuesday night from the Carlsbad City Council on the company’s proposed 50 million gallon per day seawater desalination plant.

In a meeting that ran late into the night, the council voted unanimously (4-0) to approve Poseidon’s environmental impact report, or EIR, and all of the related development agreements for the construction of the plant, according to Scott Maloni, spokesman for Poseidon.

The desalination project’s environmental review process began in May 2004.

“The city of Carlsbad has done an excellent job of examining every facet of this project down to the very last conceivable environmental impact,” said Peter MacLaggan, senior vice president for Poseidon Resources, in a press release. “It has been a lengthy and inclusive process, and it’s been very gratifying to watch the community support for the project build over time.”

Poseidon has been working with the city of Carlsbad since 1998 to construct a seawater desalination plant at the site of the Encina Power Station. The plant is scheduled to be completed by 2009, and is expected to produce enough drinking water to serve 300,000 residents per year.

In October 2004, Poseidon and the city of Carlsbad entered into a water purchase agreement. Under the agreement, Poseidon will provide the city of Carlsbad with its entire daily requirement for water, up to 25 mgd.

Poseidon met with the Regional Water Quality Board on Wednesday to obtain a water discharge permit, according to Maloni. The board is scheduled to take action later this summer on Poseidon’s application, which will constitute the last local permit the project will require, he said.