Long Beach port serves up environmental awards to shipping lines
The Port of Long Beach Wednesday presented awards for environmental compliance to a dozen major shipping lines.
The voluntary Green Flag program offers flags for individual ships and discounted dockage fees to vessel operators who consistently slow down ship speeds as they enter and exit the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor. The program claims that the speed reduction cuts pollution.
The program, which relies on the cooperation of vessel operators and ship captains, has been in place for several years. Vessels with more than 20 calls per year at Long Beach achieved an 82 percent compliance rate in 2006. More than half of the eligible ships, 507, were 100 percent compliant. Just over 40 percent of all fleet operators calling at Long Beach, 120, were 90 percent compliant in 2006 and qualified for the discounted dockage fees.
The companies honored Wednesday, with compliance rates and number of 2006 Long Beach calls, were:
* Alaska Tanker Co., with a 100 percent compliance rate and 53 vessel calls.
* BP shipping, 96 percent compliance rate, 26 vessel calls.
* Carnival Corp., 93 percent compliance, 157 vessel calls.
* China Shipping, 96 percent, 59 vessel calls.
* CMA CGM (America), 93 percent, 28 vessel calls.
* COSCO, 92 percent, 127 vessel calls.
* Hanjin Shipping, 97 percent, 206 vessel calls.
* Hyundai Merchant Marine, 96 percent, 56 vessel calls.
* 'K' Line America Inc., 99 percent, 173 vessel calls.
* Mediterranean Shipping Co., 97 percent, 128 vessel calls.
* Mitsui OSK Lines, percent, 23 vessel calls.
* Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL), 100 percent, 61 vessel calls.
