A bill proposed by California State Senator Alan Lowenthal that will levy fees on containers shipped into state ports to combat pollution passed the California State Senate today and will move on to the desk of Gov. Schwarzenegger. The Governor will have twelve days to sign the bill once it is received.
The bill, SB 974, will charge a $30 fee per shipping container brought into the Ports of Oakland, Los Angeles and Long Beach. Revenue gained will be spent to improve transportation infrastructure and reduce pollution caused by the incoming cargo ships. Together, the three ports handle just under 50% of the nation’s incoming goods, and the California Air Resources Board estimates that 3,700 deaths can be attributed to port pollution every year.
“This is a great day for California,” Senator Lowenthal is quoted in a press release today. “The Legislature has taken a stand. Our constituents have told us that we must deal with congestion and reduce pollution caused by the ports. Now the Governor can stand with the vast majority of Californians and sign this legislation.”
Backing up the Senator’s claims are reports from a Public Policy Institute of California survey that received a 61% “Yes” answer to the following question:
To help relieve traffic congestion at California’s major seaports, would you favor or oppose charging a container fee on owners of cargo moving around those ports?
Environmentalists approve of the measure while critics argue that it will drive business away from California ports.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor