Oakland port approves truck retrofit funds

Oakland port approves truck retrofit funds The Port of Oakland’s governing board voted Tuesday to approve a major step in the port's efforts to clean up pollution generated by drayage trucks servicing the port's facilities.
      The Oakland port commission voted to provide $5 million to a $15 million Bay Area Air Quality Management District program to retrofit 1,000 drayage trucks with pollution filters. An additional $5 million for the plan will come from the state's Proposition 1B infrastructure bond fund and the Bay Area AQMD will provide the remaining $5 million.
      Air Quality Management District Executive Officer Jack Broadbent told commissioners Tuesday that he believes the retrofit program 'will make a serious dent in improving public health in West Oakland.'
      Studies cited by the ports and environmental groups claim that diesel emissions from port drayage trucks are two to three times higher in West Oakland than the rest of the Bay Area.