air filter

Photo courtesy of Port of Long Beach.

The Port of Long Beach has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to fund nine air filtration projects for area schools, youth centers and clinics affected by the port’s operations.

“The selected projects will provide high-performance air filters and heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades at facilities most impacted by port operations,” said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum in a statement. “We’ve made tremendous progress in reducing air pollution through our Green Port Policy, and these grants help us provide mitigation directly to our neighbors.”

The $743,631 is part of the $46.4 million Port Community Grants Program, which port officials say is the largest voluntary effort of its kind nationwide aimed at mitigating the impacts of goods movement.

“Added to the $18.2 million awarded during a previous program, the Port has committed $65 million to safeguard community health,” officials said in a release.

The air filters and HVAC systems were chosen as the first grant projects after a series of public meetings held to solicit priorities for the program, created in 2016, port officials said.

Port staff along with a five-member advisory committee appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia recommended the grant recipients to the Harbor Commission which then approved them.

The following grants were approved:

  • City of Long Beach Multi-Service Center – $104,498
  • The Vasek Polak Children’s Clinic Family Health Center, Long Beach – $5,859
  • Compton Unified School District – Kelly Elementary – $74,477
  • Compton Unified School District – Roosevelt Elementary – $133,652
  • Compton Unified School District – Whaley Middle – $103,322
  • The Children’s Clinic Family Health Center in Central Long Beach – $12,765
  • City of Paramount, Spane Park Learning Center – $4,549
  • Fairfield Family YMCA, Long Beach – $143,979
  • St. Lucy School, Long Beach – $160,530

“In total, the projects will improve air quality in facilities that see more than 2.2 million visits by students, seniors, patients and others each year,” the release stated.

The Port has scheduled meetings later this month to gather input for grants to be awarded for fiscal year 2018. Details can be found here. To learn more about the Community Grants Program, click here.

Stephanie Rivera is the community engagement editor. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @StephRivera88.