LA-LB Ports Honor Environmental Efforts

Southern California’s ports recognized a trucking company, a scrap recycler, a marine terminal operator, a tugboat company and a port pilot service this week for taking extraordinary steps to reduce pollution.

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which have made strong strides in reducing harmful air emissions and greenhouse gases, each year recognize industry firms that have taken steps under the ports’ joint Clean Air Action Plan.

Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said the efforts by the companies helped the ports secure approval for environmental impact reports that are required for port expansion projects. “We wouldn’t have gotten the projects approved without their cooperation,” Knatz said.

California Cartage received the award for air quality leadership at the corporate level. Cal Cartage operates some 400 drayage trucks powered by liquefied natural gas. They represent nearly half of all LNG trucks in Los Angeles-Long Beach harbor.

LNG trucks reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 83 percent and greenhouse gases by 23 percent compared to 2010 model clean-diesel trucks. Also, LNG trucks have no diesel particulate matter emissions.

Matson Navigation also received an award for air quality leadership at the corporate level for voluntarily retrofitting one of its ships so it can plug into shore-side electrical power when the electrical infrastructure is in place later this year.

Also, Matson vessels switched to low-sulfur fuels within 24 miles of shore before it was required by regulation, and Matson achieves at least 90 percent compliance with the Port of Long Beach vessel speed reduction program requirements.

Jacobsen Pilot Services received the innovative air quality improvement through technologies award for its Altair innovation. Altair is the first and only outboard-powered boat operating on the West Coast.

The boat’s engines reduce emissions by 84 percent compared to a conventional outboard motor, and they emit no diesel PMs. Jacobsen designed, funded and introduced Altair as a voluntary effort.

Crowley Marine Services, moving in advance of regulatory requirements, replaced four main diesel engines and eight diesel auxiliary engines on four vessels, at a cost of about $1 million per tug.

Los Angeles assisted Crowley with funding under the port’s Air Quality Mitigation Incentive Program. The repowered tugs are expected to reduce PM emissions by more than three tons per year and NOx emissions by more than 100 tons per year.