Port of LA air emissions fall to historic lows despite record cargo traffic

Calendar year 2016 marked the Port of Los Angeles’ highest reduction yet of three key air pollutants: sulfur oxides, diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, according to the port’s latest air emissions inventory.    Cargo throughput at the Port of Los Angeles keeps going up, but emissions from port-related operations keep going down, according to the findings of a new port-commissioned study.
   Calendar year 2016 marked the Southern California port’s highest reduction of three key air pollutants, according to the 2016 Inventory of Air Emissions, which the port released Aug. 18. Since 2005, the year of the port’s baseline inventory, sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions have dropped 98 percent, while diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions have fallen 87 percent, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have dipped 57 percent, the study found.
   From 2015 to 2016 alone, DPM pollution fell 13 percent, while NOx dropped 10 percent and SOx fell 14 percent.
   The air emissions inventory, which is produced annually, also shows that the port has surpassed its goal for reducing the health risk of emissions from port-related activity by 2020. The port met the goal in 2014 when it lowered DPM emissions 85 percent. The latest inventory shows an 87 percent reduction in 2016.
   “We’re proud of the extraordinary progress we’ve made reducing emissions since 2006, and we’re determined to do more in the years ahead,” Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka said.
   The Port of Los Angeles achieved its record clean air gains while moving more cargo than ever.  During calendar year 2016, LA terminals moved about 8.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), surpassing the port’s previous record of about 8.5 million TEUs, set a decade earlier, in 2006.
   The 8.9 million TEUs represents an 18 percent increase in cargo 2005’s baseline inventory, statistics show.
   For every 10,000 TEUs handled at the port, SOx emissions are down 98 percent, DPM emissions are down 89 percent, and NOx is down 63 percent, data show. Greenhouse gas emissions are also at their lowest – down 28 percent – for every 10,000 TEUs, the study found.
   The inventory is a detailed report card documenting the impact of all strategies employed for curbing the five sources of port-related emissions: ships, trucks, cargo handling equipment, harbor craft and locomotives.
   According to the port, significant progress in curbing emissions from ships played a key role in the 2016 results. Among the factors were the trend of fewer vessel calls due to bigger ships carrying more cargo; fleet compliance with California’s shore power regulations; and increased use of alternative emissions capture technology when plugging into shore-side electricity isn’t an option.
   Other factors in the pollutant reductions, according to the port, were higher compliance with cleaner vessel fuel regulations; continued participation in the port’s Vessel Speed Reduction incentive program.
 Also cited was growing participation in the port’s voluntary Environmental Ship Index, which incentivizes vessel operators to bring their cleanest ships to Los Angeles and implement new onboard pollution reduction technology.