Port of Los Angeles terminal fails to meet air quality standards

Construction and congestion issues resulted in fewer ships using shore power at the TraPac Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles, according to Executive Director Gene Seroka.    The TraPac Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles did not meet air quality improvement measures adopted by the city, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times citing documents released last week under the California Public Records Act.    The report says the documents revealed ships used shore power only 53 percent of the time in 2015 instead of the required 80 percent. It also said only 105 of 135 pieces of equipment used Tier 4 diesel engines.
   The Times said Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director, told it the failure could be attributed to temporary issues, including construction work at TraPac preventing some ships from “cold ironing” or use of shore power, and congestion that developed at West Coast ports during and after the 2014-15 labor negotiations with longshoremen, which resulted in more ships not capable of using shore power calling at the terminal.
   TraPac is one of the port’s most sophisticated terminals and is in the midst of a terminal electrification process.
   A report last year found diesel particulate matter mass emissions in the port have been reduced 85 percent since 2005 and that the port had already met a 2020 health risk reduction standard in 2014.