7:00am | The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles approved an update to their joint San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) on Monday, allegedly strengthening the plan to reduce pollution produced by ships, trucks, rail and other machinery that operate at the harbors. Together, the two ports handle an estimated 40% of the nation’s incoming goods.
First enacted in 2006, the CAAP was hailed in the industry as a preemptive environmental step to improve local air quality, which is historically very poor. On Monday, harbor commissioners from both ports approved an update that further strengthens some requirements and sets new eco-friendly goals.
The updated agreement could prove very important in the near future, as the Port of Long Beach recently approved a project that aims to double its cargo handling capacity; which means more ships, trucks and locomotives on a daily basis. With an estimated massive increase in harbor activity, strict and clear environmental requirements are vital to ensuring local air quality.
In a press release, President of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners Cindy Miscikowski claimed that a 33-percent reduction in air emissions from the ports had been achieved since 2005. It was not immediately clear how this number was calculated as it is normally very difficult to measure such air quality improvements. Generally, statistics such as this are based on predictions and estimates and not exact air quality measurements. The Long Beach Post will be reviewing both the updated CAAP and claims such as President Miscikowski’s thoroughly and reporting them here.
“Today’s action builds on the CAAP’s success, with updated goals for further curbing port-related pollution in the decade ahead,” Miscikowski said.
Officials say that the CAAP update aims to work with shipping lines on methods to use cleaner ships and possibly retrofit existing vessels to make them more environmentally-friendly. There are also new goals to increase the use of clean locomotives and near-dock rail.
“These two ports are making good on their pledge to improve air quality, even as we modernize and redevelop facilities to accommodate business and job growth. The reason we can do that is the CAAP,” said Nick Sramek, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, in a press release. “The CAAP Update now will take us to the next level, showing that we remain committed to finding the best ways to clean the air.”
You can read more about the CAAP update and even view the massive document in its entirety at cleanairactionplan.org or polb.com/caap.