Long Beach and Los Angeles: no let-up in environmental initiatives

EMISSIONS CONTROL

Clean trucks program marks first anniversary

At its one-year anniversary, the Port of Long Beach Clean Trucks Program is on track to achieve its goal of an 80 percent reduction in diesel truck pollution, two years ahead of schedule. The program, initiated in 2008, focuses on a progressive ban to phase out the oldest, most polluting trucks in favour of trucks that meet the tough 2007 federal emission standards.

In just one year the trucks program has been extraordinarily successful thanks to truck owners who have moved quickly to comply with looming deadlines, the program will prompt a near complete conversion to cleaner trucks by the next “ban” deadline, January 1st 2010.

Incentives expanded for vessel speed reduction

The Los Angeles Harbour Commission has approved an expansion of the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Incentive Program, allowing all ocean-going vessel operators to qualify for further financial incentives while saving fuel and reducing pollution. A Voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction Program has been in effect since 2001, in which vessels voluntarily reduce speed to a 12-knot speed limit within 20 nautical miles of Point Fermin. In June 2008, the Port of Los Angeles added a financial incentive, rewarding vessel operators whose fleets achieved 90 percent or better year-round compliance of the speed reduction program with a 15 percent discount on first-day dockage fees.

Ninety percent of vessel operators are participating in the current program. In addition, recent action by the Harbour Commission gives vessel operators the option of slowing down within 40 nautical miles of Point Fermin instead of 20 nautical miles. Vessel operators achieving 90 percent compliance at the 40-mile range would receive a 30 percent discount on first-day dockage fees. “We expect the air quality benefit to more than double in comparison to the current program,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “We have already eliminated hundreds of tons of pollutants and diesel particulates. Together with our shipping partners, we can do even better with these new incentives.”

Deadline extended for zero emission rail yard cargo mover submission

The Port of Long Beach has extended the date for the submittal of “concepts and solutions” for a pollution-free, cargo-moving system, to replace the diesel trucks that travel between port marine terminals and a local rail yard to October 23.

Shore-powered oil tanker berth wins award

Southern California regional air pollution authorities presented the Port of Long Beach and BP America with an award for becoming the first seaport in the world to construct an oil shipping terminal that offers clean “shore power” to improve air quality.

The Port of Long Beach outfitted BP’s oil tanker terminal on Pier T with the ability to allow tankers to safely “plug in” to the landside electrical grid for all power needs while docked and unloading crude oil. BP America retrofitted two of its Alaska oil tankers to plug in.

When it comes to the shore-powered oil tanker berth, it’s calculated that with visits from the first two Alaskan Tanker Co. ships equipped to plug in, 30 tons of air pollution will be eliminated per year. Plugging an oil tanker in during off-loading operations is the pollution-reduction equivalent of taking 187,000 cars off the roadways for a day.

The shore power berth on Pier T was built at a cost of $23.7 million, with $17.5 million from the Port and $6.2 million from BP America. It supplies up to 8 megawatts of power at 6,600 volts safely to docked vessels, allowing the ships to shut down their diesel engines that they formerly had to run to provide power to run on ship pumps, lights, communication and ventilation systems.

GRANTS

Air quality grants awarded by the EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have announced $26.5 million in funding for diesel emission reduction projects in the Southern California air basin, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. “Upgrading hundreds of vehicles and machinery to clean diesel technology will help create and save jobs and reduce health and environmental costs of dirty diesel emissions” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Of this funding nearly $2million has been awarded to the Port of Los Angeles. The funding will be used to replace, repower or retrofit a total of 27 pieces of equipment currently in operation at the Port. The types of equipment to be modified include trucks, forklifts, cranes and other cargo handling equipment. The emission reductions achieved from this project will improve air quality and health in the surrounding areas. “As we mark the one-year anniversary of the successful Clean Truck Program, we’re grateful that the EPA is assisting us in our efforts to reduce port air pollution on other clean diesel fronts,” said Dr. Knatz, Port Executive Director.

WATER

San Pedro Bay WRAPs up sediment quality

The Los Angeles and Long Beach Boards of Harbour Commissioners have jointly adopted an ambitious strategy to improve and maintain water and sediment quality in their ports with a collaborative, science-based approach.

The newly adopted Water Resources Action Plan (WRAP), include actions to zero in on litter, legacy sediment contamination, loose materials and other potential contaminants in the harbour area. The WRAP, designed with input from multiple stakeholders, outlines strategies designed to work in conjunction with regulations expected to be issued soon by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

BUSINESS GROWTH

Additional cruise ship facilities for Los Angeles

By certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and project entitlements, the Harbour Commission’s action moves forward the largest community-serving waterfront redevelopment initiative in the Port’s history.

The 400-acre waterfront infrastructure and revitalization initiative will extend from the Port’s inner harbour cruise facilities to Cabrillo Beach in the outer harbour, creating a worldclass waterfront. The project, expected to take a decade or more to complete, will include the expansion of cruise ship operations with a new outer harbour terminal that will provide more berth space and accommodate the largest ships that will call at the Port in the coming decades.

The Port anticipates funding approximately $900 million, largely for public infrastructure, and anticipates an additional $300 million will be raised through private investment through the board’s entitlement of up to 300,000 square feet of commercial-retail redevelopment and an additional 75,000 square feet of conference centre space. The project will create an estimated 5,000 permanent jobs serving cruise operations, waterfront related operations and new waterfront businesses; and provide more than 13,700 one-year-equivalent jobs during project design and construction.

China’s shipping terminal expansion contract approved

The Los Angeles Harbour Commission has approved a $47.6 million construction contract for the China Shipping terminal expansion, a project that will create more than 5000 jobs as well as significantly reduce air emissions in the region.

The project will increase container terminal capacity to accommodate an annual throughput of 1.5 million TEU. The facility, leased by China Shipping through to 2045, will expand from an existing 72 acres to 142 acres of backland and 2,500 feet of wharves served by 10 Postpanamax A-frame cranes.

A series of environmental measures are included in the project, including:

• The use of Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) by all cargo ships calling at the terminal by 2011; eliminating the release of a ton of emissions every 24 hours a ship is at berth.

• Use of low-sulphur fuel on container ships within 40 nautical miles of the Port.

• One hundred percent compliance with the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP) for ships transiting within 40 nautical miles of the Port, a measure that further reduces container ship emissions in the South Coast Air Basin

• Use of alternative-fuelled yard tractors and electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes.

• Diesel particulate filters for use on lower-emission switcher locomotives.

• A main terminal building constructed to “Gold” certification-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The China Shipping project also includes several community beautification initiatives, including the development of a new community park in San Pedro (Plaza Park), implementing a Beautification Plan along area corridors and landscaping along Front Street, which runs parallel to the terminal perimeter.

MOL renews longterm lease for LA container terminal

MOL’s terminal operator TraPac, Inc has renewed its long-term lease contract for a container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles. Under the new contract, the terminal’s total space will be extended to 1.3 times the current area. The number of berths will also increase. New on-dock rail facilities will be constructed on the terminal site, as well as multilevel additions to the existing terminal access roads, which will reduce traffic congestion in and around the terminal. The gate facility and terminal office will also be relocated to further enhance the terminal’s operating efficiency. Furthermore, the new contract also includes a provision for shore power to supply vessels berthed at the port, which will significantly reduce emissions of environmental hazardous substances such as NOX, SOX, and PM from the vessels’ exhausts, as they will not be required to operate engines for power purposes. The TraPac will proactively introduce new technologies to reduce the environmental burden, ensuring more environment-friendly terminal operation.

SOCIETY

Offsetting the port’s impact on the local community

A new Port of Long Beach grant program with $15 million in funding is set to be introduced in November. The grant programs are designed to offset the cumulative air quality, reduce greenhouse gases and noise impacts that future port projects will have on the surrounding community. The $15 million will be divided equally among three separate funds to assist schools and related sites, health clinics and senior centres, and greenhouse gas projects.

The Board of Harbour Commissioners approved the first funding, $15 million, as part of the Middle Harbour Redevelopment Project, a 10-year plan to remake two aging shipping terminals into one modern facility.

“While we build environmental improvements to Port terminals and equipment, the grants will go a step further to reduce those impacts that still exist,” said Dr. Robert Kanter, the Port’s Managing Director of Environmental Affairs and Planning. “Part of the funding will go directly to the areas of Long Beach most affected by the Port, and part will be used to reduce the gases linked to climate change.”

Record crowds at 5th annual Green Port Fest ‘09

More than 10,000 people filled the colourfully decorated roadway outside the Port of Long Beach administration building for the fifth annual Green Port Fest ’09. The waterfront street fair gives attendees a chance to learn more about the Port’s environmental programs such as the use of shore power and its Clean Trucks Program.