Port of Portland joins diesel emission reduction group

Port of Portland joins diesel emission reduction group    The Port of Portland on Thursday joined a diverse group of stakeholders in committing to tackle diesel emission issues when Executive Director Bill Wyatt signed a declaration of cooperation as part of the North Portland Diesel Emission Reduction Project, the port said.
   Project members — including private entities such as fuel providers, trucking companies, and garbage and recycling haulers, and public entities such as the port, the Oregon departments of Environmental Quality and Transportation, the City of Portland — are committing to take voluntary efforts at reducing diesel emissions.
   The declaration is a “written handshake,” the port said, putting forth solutions agreed by the group. The proposed solutions will focus on voluntary actions that can be achieved without regulatory intervention, with government agencies and community groups supporting the diesel reduction efforts by securing grant money from federal and state programs and participating in outreach efforts.