EPA selects Charleston for port emissions reduction

The air emissions inventory estimates the amount of air pollutants generated by activity through the Port of Charleston’s public marine terminals in 2005 and provides useful information on air quality for the Port of Charleston’s customers, environmental regulators and neighbours. Moffatt & Nichol of Long Beach, Calif. assembled the inventory, which covers emissions related to ships, trucks, trains, harbour craft and cargo handling equipment all the way from the sea buoy outside Charleston Harbor throughout the tri-county region. “As better jobs come to the Charleston area through port development at the former Navy Base, the Ports Authority remains committed to protecting the environment and being a good neighbor,” said Groseclose. “We’ve accomplished much to improve air quality over the past 18 months, and this inventory will help us to focus our future efforts.” Specifically, the new Baseline Air Emissions Inventory will:

• Allow the community to more accurately understand emissions sources related to port activities, including their relative contribution to overall regional emissions;

• Establish a baseline of emissions for the SCSPA and the community to track progress over time as new technology and efficiency improvements are implemented; and

• Help the Port, its customers and other transportation companies target future emissions reduction efforts.

An air emissions inventory is essentially an estimate of the amount of pollutants that a group of sources produces over a defined period of time in a particular area. In the Port of Charleston’s case, the emissions inventory presents estimated amounts of five different pollutants in 2005: particulate matter (PM) smaller than 1 microns and a subset smaller than 2.5 microns, oxides of nitrogen (NOX), total organic gases, carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). The key finding, as expected, is that trucks and ships constitute the majority of each pollutant related to port operations. Port-related emissions today are already lower than the report’s findings. Since 2005, the SCSPA has taken on numerous projects to reduce port-related air emissions, including:

• Replacing diesel-fuelled cranes and equipment with electric cranes and cleaner fuels. Just this spring, four giant diesel container cranes left the port after being replaced by all electric models, eliminating their diesel emissions.

• Along with nine other transportation firms, switching to ultra-low sulphur diesel with 15 parts per million (ppm) sulphur content, instead of fuel containing as much as 500 ppm. This voluntary move came more than two years ahead of a federal mandate for non-road diesel equipment.

• Reducing truck idling, decreasing truck trips on local roads and lessening construction impacts

• Being one of five U.S. ports selected for the national Environmental Management System project.

While the latest available inventories for the region indicate that port-related emissions account for 5% or less of total pollutants in the tri-county area, the SCSPA is moving ahead with other measures to reduce emissions. “Everyone has a role in our region’s air quality,” said Groseclose, “and we should all do our share to keep our air clean.” For the 2005 Port of Charleston Baseline Air Emissions Inventory and more information the SCSPA’s air quality initiatives, visit the SCSPA’s Pledge for Growth website

www.scspa.com