Program Associate, Kim, highlighted in Clean Truck Plan victory video
Candice Kim gives remarks about the Port of Los Angeles’ Clean Trucks Plan. The video was compiled by the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports.
Project Overview
The highly polluting diesel ships, trucks, trains, cranes and forklifts used to get products to
market – collectively referred to as the “goods movement system” – have a tremendous impact
on air quality and public health. Ports are a major culprit since they are arguably the most poorly
regulated source of pollution in California. Port operators and regional planning agencies are
projecting that the amount of goods coming in through California’s ports will triple by 2025.
Without action, this increase will mean more ships belching harmful pollution, more diesel
trucks and trains moving all that cargo, more traffic, and more diesel exhaust spewing into our
air and impacting the health of communities across the state. California can grow our economy
and our ports while reducing pollution, or we can let the system and the pollution grow
unchecked and pay for it with our lungs and lives. The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) is leading a
multiyear effort to reduce air pollution at California’s ports and throughout the goods movement
system.
The Problem with Ports
The fifth largest U.S. port, the Port of Oakland is responsible for roughly 10% of the Bay Area’s
air pollution and over 10,000 diesel trucks visit the port daily. The Ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach are the two largest ports in the nation and together they generate 20% of the diesel
particulate pollution and almost 25% of the nitrogen oxides (a key ingredient of smog) in the
South Coast region.
Statewide, goods movement pollution already accounts for a quarter of the diesel pollution in the
air. In twenty years, with increased trade and pollution reductions from other sources, goods
movement statewide is expected to account for over 50% of the diesel pollution in the air. The
Air Resources Board recently estimated that, if left unregulated, ports alone will constitute the
largest source of pollution in the state by 2020—larger than the combined impact of every car on
the road in California. Accordingly, controlling pollution from ports and the rest of the goods
movement system is vital to the state’s ability to attain federal and state health-based air quality
standards.
Background on CCA’s Preventing Port Pollution Campaign
In the late 1990’s the Coalition for Clean Air started our work on the Goods Movement System
by monitoring, analyzing and ultimately litigating against very large distribution centers. These
distribution centers had between 600 and 1,200 diesel trucks passing through their facilities
every day. Through settlement negotiations, we succeeded in getting these facilities to use lesspolluting
equipment, reduce truck idling, and improve notification to their neighbors. We also
raised awareness statewide about the serious environmental and health impacts these facilities
can have.
In 2001 we shifted our focus to the diesel pollution coming from California ports. At the Port of
Los Angeles we worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council and local residents to
enforce the California Environmental Quality Act and compel the Port to initiate several
pollution reduction strategies. As part of that settlement, the Port of Los Angeles developed the
world’s first electrified container ship terminal in 2004. “Plugging in” a ship while in port (where
it generally idles for two to three days), rather than letting it run on heavily polluting diesel,
could reduce as much as three tons of smog-forming emissions from each ship. Another way to
think about it is every day a ship is idling in port it is polluting more than 5 diesel school buses
pollute in a whole year. In Long Beach we have worked with the media to greatly increase
awareness about the impacts of the Port of Long Beach among local residents and local, regional,
and state officials.
In 2004 we also published two “Harboring Pollution” reports: “Strategies to Clean Up U.S.
Ports” and “The Dirty Truth About U.S. Ports”. In these report CCA’s science and policy staff
analyzed the most effective mitigation measures for ports, described model programs at ports
around the world, and highlighted the worst offenders among ports that have refused to address
pollution issues. The reports and the media attention they generated led to the appointment of a
task force by the Mayor of Los Angeles, which recommended a plan to cut port pollution in half.
Known as the “No Net Increase” plan, it shows the viability of reducing pollution at the Port of
Los Angeles to 2001 levels by 2010, without blocking the projected increase in trade. This
proposal has set the stage for action under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that could establish Los
Angeles as a world leader in the greening of this global industry. In addition, the measures in
this plan have been repeatedly referenced in statewide planning efforts to clean up the goods
movement system.
During the last two years we have expanded our Preventing Port Pollution work to advocate for
California-wide changes to the ports and goods movement system to reduce pollution and protect
public health. We have pushed for public funding and regulation to address these sources of
pollution. We helped secure a permanent increase in the Carl Moyer program which helps fund
the clean up of dirty diesel engines. In December we worked with organizations around the state
to get the Air Resources Board to adopt regulations for cargo handling equipment and ship
auxiliary engines.
We have made significant progress in raising awareness about and beginning to reduce pollution
from the goods movement system, but there is still a lot to do. More Californians are aware of
the impact of the ports and goods movement system than ever before, and thus we have a great
opportunity to achieve significant policy changes in the next few years.
Goal
The goal of our Preventing Port Pollution campaign is to secure strong state laws, regulations
and funding to reduce pollution from the goods movement system which includes ships, cargo
handling equipment and diesel trucks and trains. This pollution reduction will benefit all
Californians since there are rail and truck corridors throughout the state that move cargo. Those
who will especially benefit from a reduction of port pollution are the lower income communities.
Tactics
For each of the tactics listed below, CCA staff will monitor various policies, attend public
hearings, provide comments, and meet with policy staff. In addition, we will provide updates
and information to other interested organizations and advocates and solicit their participation in
hearings, meetings and submitting comments. Our media team will execute a strategy for
increasing public awareness of port pollution. And through mail and community outreach and
mobilization, we will raise the level of public demand to control pollution from our ports and
goods movement system.
