Emissions could cost Charleston $81m a year

The dollar amount could increase to $81 million when the new North Charleston terminal opens in six years. The Coastal Conservation League commissioned consulting firm Abt Associates of Cambridge, MA to conduct the study, costing $32,000. “I think it’s one of the first done in the Southeast. It puts a dollar figure on health impacts,” League representative Nancy Vinson told local media. The Abt report indicated when the new terminal opens in North Charleston emissions from vessels and trucks would release particles into the air. Some claim these particles have a link to health problems, including asthma, stroke, cancer, heart disease and premature death. Newspaper reports say the Charleston County Medical Society, a group of local doctors, reviewed the study and said it was accurate. The CCL says that stricter measures need to be put in place to reduce claimed port pollution. Some of the suggestions include requiring ships to shut down while idling and to use low sulphur diesel, utilising railways to haul port cargo, and requiring trucks to use special filters to reduce emissions. A South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) spokesman said steps are already being taken to reduce pollution. SC SPA already uses ultra-low sulphur diesel for all off-road equipment on port terminals, 20 percent of port cargo in Charleston moves by rail and right now 200 trucks are being out fitted with filters to cut down on emissions.