POLB improves air quality

Air quality in the port has improved once more as airborne diesel particulates from ships, trucks, locomotives, tractors and cranes have decreased. Smoggy nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides have also been cut by 50% and 80% since 2005. Greenhouse gases have been reduced by 23% while containerised cargo activity fell by 10% in the same period. This comes after all oceanfront equipment switched to lower sulphur, cleaner fuels.

Susan E Anderson Wise, president of Long Beach Board of Harbour Commissioners, said: “Our clean air programmes are effectively reducing air pollution from port sources – the numbers clearly demonstrate that. But we’re not done. With cleaner fuels, more shore power and other programmes, we’re on track to continue to further reduce air pollution from the port.”

The port has also created the Green Ship Incentive Programme which offers shipping lines cash incentives for bringing the cleanest, newest cargo vessels to the Long Beach Port.

Information is collected each year to create an ‘emissions inventory’ to calculate air pollution and to monitor progress.