According to Los Angeles Times, two of the busiest ports in the U.S have developed a plan to go zero- emissions by 2030. These are the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.
International trade has nearly tripled the volume of shipping containers moving through the ports, since the mid-1990’s, which is reflected in more smog and emissions. Despite the efforts to reduce diesel emissions during the last decade, both ports remain Southern California’s largest single source of air pollution.
In this sense, the port authorities have designed the Clean Air Action Plan, which aims to further reduce health-damaging and planet-warming emissions at the ports, with a cost over $14 billion in public and private funds.
Based on what we’ve already accomplished to promote healthy, robust trade through our gateway, we’re ready to make history again, looking at a new array of technologies and strategies to further lower port-related emissions in the decades ahead,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.
Daniel Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis said that with this plan, the port of L.A is sending a clear message to all the freight industry about zero emissions: “When a place like L.A. says this is our plan, this is our goal, it sends a signal to a lot of other ports, to policymakers elsewhere.”
At the same time, other groups of the sector have expressed their concern about the rise of prices, and if the huge investment will be operationally and commercially viable since 96% of trucks serving the complex are diesel-powered.
Source:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ports-clean-air-20170719-story.html
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