LA, LB port commissions to conduct joint hearing on clean air plan update

The update was developed over the past two years by the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, incorporating input from dozens of meetings with industry, regulatory, community and environmental stakeholders.    A proposed update to the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan will be the subject of a joint meeting between the governing boards of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles during a Nov. 2 public meeting.
   The harbor boards will consider approving the CAAP 2017 Update, which builds upon the ports’ joint 2006 emissions reduction strategy with more approaches to further reduce air emissions.
   The clean air plan, which was jointly adopted by the ports in 2006, is a raft of programs and initiatives aimed at reducing pollution from ships, drayage trucks, trains, harbor equipment and other sources. Since its implementation, the CAAP has led to significant emissions reductions, even as trade volumes have increased 7 percent at the port complex over the past decade, according to the ports.
   According to the latest annual inventories, the two ports have eliminated 87 percent of diesel particulate matter, cut nitrogen oxides by 56 percent, reduced sulfur oxides by 97 percent and decreased greenhouse gases more than 18 percent over the past 12 years.
   The update aims to reduce emissions from all sources that move cargo, including through the deployment of near-zero emission trucks and cargo-handling equipment and the expansion of programs that reduce ship pollution.
   The update was developed over the past two years by both ports, incorporating input from dozens of meetings with industry, regulatory, community and environmental stakeholders.
   The joint meeting of the two harbor commissions is scheduled for 8:30 am Thurs., Nov. 2 at the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro, 90731. It will also be broadcast live online at polb.com/webcast and portoflosanangeles.org.
   The ports say the final CAAP document will be available at least a week before the joint board meeting; it will be posted on both ports’ websites, as well as at cleanairactionplan.org.