Diesel particulate matter, smog-forming nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and greenhouse gases have all declined significantly in the past 11 years, according to the Southern California port’s latest annual emissions report.
The Port of Long Beach, pictured above, said that it has reduced the harmful diesel emissions that it generates by nearly 90 percent since 2005.
There has been an 88 percent reduction in diesel particulate matter at the Port of Long Beach since 2005, according to the results of the latest annual emissions study commissioned by the port.
The Southern California port’s annual emissions inventory, which was conducted by an independent consultant and completed late last week, found that port actions to cut pollution have not only lowered diesel particulate matter by 88 percent since 2005, but that smog-forming nitrogen oxides were down 56 percent, sulfur oxides were 97 percent lower and greenhouse gases fell 22 percent during the same time period.
Helping to drive down the air pollution tallied in the inventory was that the first phase of the zero-emissions Long Beach Container Terminal opened on Pier E in 2016. With the opening of the LBCT, 11 percent of the port’s fleet of cargo-handling equipment is zero-emissions.
“We have a greater percentage of our cargo-handling equipment operating at zero emissions than any other seaport in the country,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said. “As we chase our goal of becoming a zero-emissions port, it’s important for us to increase that number to help make the technology more commercially viable.”
The Port of Long Beach, which has been monitoring its air emissions since 2005, adopted its first Clean Air Action Plan in 2006, which includes air quality improvement efforts like the Clean Trucks Program, low-sulfur fuel regulations for ships, increased use of shore power for container ships and a vessel speed reduction program. Long Beach and the adjoining Port of Los Angeles say they expect to finalize an update to the Clean Air Action Plan this fall.
The Port of LA released its own annual emissions inventory earlier this month showing that it saw emissions fall as cargo throughput increased. From 2015 to 2016 alone, diesel particulate matter pollution fell 13 percent, while NOx dropped 10 percent and SOx fell 14 percent, according to the data.
“The Port of Long Beach, in partnership with the Port of Los Angeles, has been a global leader in reducing pollution associated with goods movement,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “We’re committed to a zero-emissions future and our port continues to prove that you don’t have to sacrifice the environment for a strong economy.”
The port’s annual emissions inventories are available on its website at http://polb.com/environment/air/emissions.asp