Thousands attend Long Beach Green Port Fest

“Today is our chance to show you your Port of Long Beach,” said Richard Steinke, Port executive director, during a mid-day welcome from the entertainment stage. “We think this is a pretty amazing place. And we hope that after your visit today, you’ll agree.” Visitors filled boats that took them out on the water for 45- minute, narrated tours, taking them for close-up looks of giant ships loaded with cargo. Others boarded Metro link double-decker rail cars that took visitors into two cargo terminals – International Transportation Service and Pacific Container Terminal – to see the dock-side rail operations that divert cargo from trucks to trains. Many families with children rode Union Pacific’s to-scale mini-train ride. Others drove trains at the UP rail simulator. “Three years ago, we adopted a Green Port Policy to protect our community and protect the environment,” said Nick Sramek, vice president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. “We’ve worked hard the last few years to be a catalyst for a vibrant community, and Green Port Fest is just one of our efforts to show you our work.” Under white tents lining the Harbor Plaza roadway, more than 70 exhibitors, including many of Port customers and business partners, displayed green programs and projects. Others displayed giant cargo-handling equipment. The Port of Long Beach staffed its own Green Port displays to help residents understand the Port’s Green Port Policy initiatives to protect the waterfront environment. A highlight was a booth where visitors made pledges to help make the world more sustainability by promising to conserve and protect the environment. The Port Security Division and its agency partners demonstrated the latest in technology to Keep the waterfront safe and secure. The Long Beach Fire Department thrilled guests with a rescue demonstration in which a firefighter rappelled off the top of the even story Port headquarter building.