Ports announce $2 billion plan for pollution cleanup.The ports of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and Long Beach haste unveiled a sweeping 10-year clean air plan for the nation's busiest port complex. The plan, estimated to cost $2 billion over the next five years, is intended to address rising concerns from environmental and community groups over cancer-causing and toxic air emissions from port operations. Taken together, the two ports are by far the most serious polluter in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ; emissions from the ports are blamed for dozens of cancer deaths each year. Port officials said that when the plan is fully implemented, it would reduce diesel particulate emissions by 1,200 tons per year and nitrogen oxide Noun 1. nitrogen oxide - any of several oxides of nitrogen formed by the action of nitric acid on oxidizable materials; present in car exhausts pollutant - waste matter that contaminates the water or air or soil emissions by 12,000 tons per year from current levels. In order to minimize disruptions to port operations and the region's transport economy, the steps outlined in joint plan from the two ports are to be phased in over the next 10 years. Various measures Under the plan, all major container cargo and cruise ship terminals must be equipped with onshore electric power hookups so that ships can turn off their diesel engines while docked at port. Ships would also be required to use low-sulfur fuels and to reduce their speeds when entering or leaving the harbor area The Harbor Area is the area along the Port of Los Angeles. It contains neighborhoods of Los Angeles (including Wilmington & San Pedro). Los Angeles City neighborhoods in the Harbor Area
On the land side, all diesel trucks operating at the ports would have to be retrofitted with cleaner burning engines or use cleaner burning fuels in five years: the South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange county. would kick in $200 million over five years to help terminal operators and truck owners offset the conversion costs. Also, all locomotives entering or leaving the port region would have to meet strict Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and emission standards, which means they will have to shift to cleaner fuels and install exhaust control equipment. A series of public hearings on the plan will be held over the next 30 days. Revisions to the plan are expected to be completed this summer; a fully revised plan is scheduled for hearings at commissions of both ports in late September. Port officials have voiced support for a massive infrastructure bond measure scheduled for the November ballot. Funding will be an issue if the measure doesn't pass. BY HOWARD FINE Howard Fine (November 28, 1958) is an American acting teacher, the founder of the Howard Fine Acting Studio in Hollywood, CA, and also a theatre director. Early Life Howard Fine was born on November 28, 1958 in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the youngest of 5 children. Staff Reporter |
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