Not running on empty says LA

An article in the

LA Times

said that the port was running out of money to fund its promised support of new, clean-air trucks through a $20,000 per truck incentive scheme. The paper went on to say that more than seven times the 1,000 expected trucks have been bought on this basis, requiring grant money over the next year.

However, the port responded by saying that it has put in $44m of its own money to back the project so far, and that the project is rolling forward.

“We do have enough funds to pay each of the approved program applicants the $20,000 per-truck incentive for every qualifying truck they put into port service,” said Geraldine Knatz, chief executive. “Trucking companies that applied for the incentive by the program deadline and have since completed their paperwork have received cheques. We are fully committed to paying these funds out,” she added.

However, although dozens of applications are presently being processed, the port said it must ensure that each applicant’s paperwork is in order and all the program requirements are met before paying out.

And there is a funding stream from an electronic gate fee of $70 for every 40-foot container due to come in February 18 – from which the cleaner trucks would be exempt. Both Los Angeles and Long Beach had planned to put this into effect in October last year, but the fees were blocked by the Federal Maritime Commission, which also filed a federal lawsuit against parts of the clean-truck plan, claiming the ports had overreached their authority and were interfering with interstate commerce.