Clean diesel grant to drive down LA emissions

The Port of Los Angeles will use the grant, which was given by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to replace a 950-horsepower, diesel crane. The new electric 110ft crane will be used to unload and process scrap metal on and off moving containers for overseas shipments.

“Forty percent of the nation’s total imports come through the San Pedro Bay ports,” said Jared Blumenfeld, regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest, EPA. “Replacing cargo equipment with zero emissions alternatives will not only help overall air quality in Southern California, but directly benefit fence-line communities living near the port.”

The EPA says emissions from diesel exhaust contribute to serious health conditions such as asthma, and can worsen heart and lung disease. This project will benefit the nearby communities as well as the larger Los Angeles air basin, which does not meet the current federal health-protective standards for smog or soot.

Grants totalling US$5m were also awarded to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Port of Houston Authority for projects aimed at significantly reducing diesel emissions and improving air quality.

The grants are funded through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) and target ports located in communities that have poor air quality. Since 2008, EPA has awarded around US$17m in DERA funding and leveraged $16m from public and private partners to clean up diesel vehicles, vessels and equipment at the San Pedro Bay ports. Additionally, since 2008 EPA has awarded more than 700 grants across the country, and 150 DERA grants have been targeted to improving air quality at or near ports, with about $175m in funding.