Posted on 06/29/2006 1:05:05 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Truck, ship and cargo-handling equipment pollutants would be reduced 50 percent in five years under a clear air proposal for the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors.
Cleaner vehicles and shore-side electrical outlets so vessels can shut down diesel engines while dockside are key elements of the plan unveiled Wednesday.
"This is an action plan, this is not a study. The days of yakkin' are coming to a screeching halt," harbor commission president S. David Freeman said.
Proposals also include retrofitting and replacing cargo-handling equipment and locomotives. The plan, which now enters a 30-day public review period before approval by the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbor commissions, calls for a mixture of incentives and requirements.
The Port of Los Angeles committed $177 million and Long Beach $181 million to put the anti-pollution measures into place. The regional South Coast Air Quality Management District pledged $36 million for the conversion of older diesel trucks.
But $1.6 billion is still needed. Officials hope to collect money from federal and state sources, including funds in the state infrastructure bond measure on the November ballot.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board participated in drafting the twin ports clean air plan, so port officials are optimistic state and federal money will come.
John McLaurin, president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, said the organization needs to study the plan but "generally supports the broad goals" of the proposal.
Freeman cited the recent decision by shipping company Maersk to cut pollution by switching to lower sulfur diesel fuel as a precedent that other companies should follow.
Yes, let destroy more CA business. Now wonder why they are building a huge port facility and a super highway from there to Kansas.
A lot of shipping is still on N6 fuel oil. This is not a problem at sea but in port a lot of idling engines can be particularly sooty.
Many will NOT realize that the combined Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor is the largest shipping port in the country.
And expanding, in order to bring folks all the fine goods from China that they crave and buy.
(technically, the harbors are two separate entities, yet they are side by side.)
Quite a lot of energy consuming machinery involved with moving the vessels and the goods. Probably a good place to search for ways to reduce pollution.
Mexican Port Gets American ConnectionIt has also been reported that the new planned port at Punta Colonet (150 miles south of Tijuana) "would initially attract one million containers a year, with capacity to handle as many as five million after just five years of operation", ultimately growing to seven million
A U.S. railway is linking with a Pacific coast harbor to move freight faster to the Midwest.
Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2006(snip)
Moving cargo
The harbor of Lazaro Cardenas on Mexico's Pacific coast ranks 34th among North American cargo container ports (2005 ranking*):
1. Los Angeles, 7.5 million
2. Long Beach, 6.7 million
3. New York/New Jersey, 4.8 million
4. Oakland, 2.3 million
5. Seattle, 2.1 million
6. Tacoma, Wash., 2.1 million
7. Charleston, S.C., 2.0 million
8. Hampton Roads, Va., 2.0 million
9. Savannah, Ga., 1.9 million
10. Vancouver, Canada, 1.8 million
34. Lazaro Cardenas, 0.1 million
*in 20-foot-equivalent containers
Source: American Assn.of Port Authorities
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