Southern California ports to release clean air plan

Southern California ports to release clean air plan    The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles said Monday they will announce a sweeping port clean air action plan Wednesday.
   The plan, according to the ports, will propose 'hundreds of millions of dollars in investments by the ports, the state, air quality regulatory agencies and port-related industry to cut air pollution and dramatically reduce health risks over the next five years.'
   In the last five years environmentalists have called the ports the single biggest stationary polluter in Southern California, prompting the ports to respond by mitigating harmful air emissions from the ships, trucks and trains that use harbor areas to move goods through the region. Though the ports often have limited jurisdiction to require any clean air measures, they have taken a more active role in the last two years by encouraging tenant carriers and terminal operators to clean up their operations.
   The cooperation between the two ports has also been ratcheted up since Geraldine Knatz took over as executive director for the Los Angeles port. She had previously been second in command at Long Beach.
   Along with announcing the clean air plan, which has also been developed by the U.S. EPA and California air regulators, the document will also be released for public comment beginning Wednesday.
   In separate Port of Long Beach news, James Hankla was named the port's new harbor commission president. The title is passed year-to-year among the commission's five appointed members.