Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 06/24/2011 9:37:42 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
More than half of oceangoing vessels serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been skirting traditional shipping lanes to avoid air pollution curbs, prompting California officials Thursday to extend the state's clean-fuel zone beyond the Channel Islands.
The unanimous vote by the California Air Resources Board came after strong protests from the U.S. Navy that the jump in commercial ship traffic across the Point Mugu Sea Range was "seriously jeopardizing successful completion of vital Department of Defense testing and training missions."
California's clean-fuel zone, which took effect in July 2009, is the toughest ship pollution rule in the world, requiring oceangoing vessels to substitute less-polluting oil for the bunker fuel they commonly use.
As originally designated, California's coastal zone encompassed a strip 24 nautical miles wide, including traditional shipping lanes between the Channel Islands and the shore.
But shippers began to travel beyond the islands — motoring through the 36,000-square-mile area where the Navy conducts tests involving missiles, ships, submarines and aircraft. Since the clean-fuel zone took effect, the number of ship transits through Navy waters jumped from an average of two a day to as many as 15 a day, according to the Navy.
The traffic delayed one major missile exercise, according to Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky, who testified before the board Thursday. He said delays can cost up to $30 million a day, and predicted that conflicts would increase with projected growth in commercial shipping.
More than 40% of U.S. imports travel through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Burning of bunker fuel has been a major contributor to asthma, cancer and other illnesses in neighborhoods around the ports. Between 2009 and 2015, the clean-fuel zone is expected to prevent 3,500 premature deaths, according to the air board.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
They should run their exercises anyway, the commercial shippers will be more careful next time.
How long until CA chases away all business in their state?
Why don’t they just close all the ports, that would really clean the air.
Ping.
How long until CA chases away all business in their state?
—
We can start a pool. :-)
It ain’t that far off at the rate econuts have infiltrated all levels of gubamint.
You are the poster child for insanity!
California is exporting these environmental costs to the rest of the country. The shippers will be forced to pass the costs to consumers unless the shippers can find alternative shipping ports. I understand there is a major effort to develop a port and linking rail lines to Ensenada. Shippers are caught in a vice between the dock workers cartel and CARB. I support the shippers and retailers in finding alternatives from these unaccountable cartels.
[Between 2009 and 2015, the clean-fuel zone is expected to prevent 3,500 premature deaths, according to the air board.]
I guarantee they pull these numbers out of their butts.
Democrats are on a roll. They are real close to their utopia, just a few more regulations and all will be perfect. /s
These people pushing these agenda think there are no choices. If they make it too difficult or too costly to bring freight into California, there is always Mexico to the south or Canada to the north.
How many jobs are they willing to see go away in the name of there religion, environmentalism?
A lot of jobs, once gone, will never come back. The only silver lining as far as I can see, most of these will be union jobs. /s
The railroads are going to lose a lot of jobs. They count on the North American land bridge for shipping containers. If CA keeps jacking up the costs, the all-water route will soon be a more economic choice.
Correct. The Far East<-->Europe shipping path is via ship and rail over the US. Going around the horn of Africa or via the Suez Canal or Panama Canal on ships will eviscerate the freight rail business across the U.S.
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