First clean trucks distributed to drivers

The new office in west Long Beach, at Anaheim Street and Santa Fe Avenue, coordinates the sale or lease of the vehicle. The Clean Trucks Program will slash port-related trucking pollution by 80 percent by 2012, through the phasing out of thousands of trucks that do not meet 2007 federal standards. In addition to helping to improve air quality, the sales and leasing office will generate more than $2.5 million in sales tax revenue in the next few years for the City of Long Beach, since the office is located in Long Beach. On October 1, the oldest trucks, 1988 and older, were banned from Port service. By 2012, all trucks must meet 2007 emission standards. To assist truck owners with the cost of replacing their vehicles, the Port has established a cargo fee, paid by cargo owners. The fee will generate revenue to subsidize truck replacement. The fee ($35 for cargo containers that are 20-feet-long or smaller, and $70 for all other containers) will be assessed beginning in the coming weeks. Additional funding is coming from the Port and the state, through Proposition 1B and the California Air Resources Board. Replacing an old diesel truck with a new diesel truck eliminates nearly 100 pounds a year of diesel particulate matter (soot), while replacing it with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) rig will cut more than 135 pounds of soot a year.