A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Port of Los Angeles alleges that the port is polluting Los Angeles Harbor.
The suit, brought by nonprofit Environment California, accuses the port of violating national permit limits on discharges of enterococci bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, total coliform bacteria, copper and petroleum hydrocarbons. The port is violating the federal Clean Water Act, according to the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The port’s pump station allegedly discharges the polluted water into the Cerritos Channel of the
Los Angeles/Long Beach Inner Harbor, which is part of San Pedro Bay, a popular area for public recreation. Environment California says the port has illegally discharged pollutants more than 2,000 times over the past five years.
“As it relates to the Port of Los Angeles, the allegations in the lawsuit involve a pump station that discharges groundwater and stormwater in order to keep the roadway at a railway underpass located on Terminal Island dry,” a port spokesperson told FreightWaves.
The port has been working to address issues at the pump station and has spent $2.5 million over the past decade on improvements, with plans to spend $2.6 million over the next three years, the spokesperson said.
More on the Port of LA:
Port of LA opens promenade to connect community to waterfront
Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach receive $112M for maintenance, repair
25% more containers out of LA/Long Beach ports possible: ITS Logistics
The area in question is a 53-acre part of the port where the on-site treatment station is located. The port has paid $3,000 per violation, the nonprofit said in an announcement about the suit.
“This is a classic case of ‘pay-to-pollute,’ where the Port habitually violates its Clean Water Act permit, pays a slap-on-the-wrist-penalty, and then, undeterred, just goes right on polluting,” Laura Deehan, Environment California’s state director, said in the announcement.
The port, a city department, is the busiest container port in North America. The port handled about 4.1 million exports and 8.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units last year.
The city of Los Angeles and the board of harbor commissioners are also named in the suit.
Brokerage Compliance Symposium
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
F3 Awards Dinner
The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now