The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to improve the quality of air by banning polluting vehicles from operating in the Port of Long Beach.
“Today is an important day for Southern California,” Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster wrote immediately following the vote. “It takes courage to take a stand for clean air and the health of our children and I applaud the Ports for their respective votes over the past week. We have begun the process of linking growth at these ports with real progress on clean air.”
The tariff matches one enacted last week by the Port of Los Angeles, and is expected to cut air pollution from short-haul trucks working in the harbor by nearly 80 percent within five years.
Steps will progressively be taken over a timeline of five years.
October 1, 2008: All pre-1989 trucks will be banned from Port service.
January 1, 2010: 1989-1993 trucks will be banned along with unretrofitted 1994-2003 trucks.
January 1, 2012: All trucks that do not meet the 2007 federal standard will be banned.
An electronic identification system will be used to enforce the ban, as special tags will be placed inside trucks deemed suitable for access. Tag readers will be installed at Port terminal gates and can be read instantly to ensure that only the proper vehicles gain admittance.