The Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy (NPCAS), developed jointly by the three port authorities and adopted in early 2008, includes long- and short-term programs to address and reduce air pollution from cargo-handling equipment, harbor craft, ocean-going vessels, rail, and trucks servicing the ports.
The newly released implementation report details the improvements achieved by all three ports through their NPCAS programs as well as their efforts to achieve the NPCAS goals by working with customers, tenants, and air and environmental regulatory agencies.
According to the three port authorities, the 2010 implementation report results mark the end of the NPCAS's first milestone, "showing progress in producing cleaner air for the communities that surround our harbors."
The 2010 results contained within the implementation report include:
- Cargo-handling equipment: Approximately 62 percent of diesel-powered yard equipment met the NPCAS performance goal through retrofits, replacements and/or use of low-sulfur fuels.
- Harbor craft: Despite technical challenges, made progress through replaced engines, shore power connections, resurfaced hulls and/or low-sulfur fuels.
- Ocean-Going Vessels: Approximately 44 percent of frequently calling ocean-going vessels used low-sulfur fuels or electrical shore power to meet the NPCAS performance measure.
- Trucks: Approximately 98 percent of ports-servicing drayage trucks met the NPCAS goals through outreach, engine retrofits or incentive programs.
- Rail: Partner agencies replaced rail engines, added idle- and friction-reduction technologies and used low-sulfur fuels.
The 46-page implementation report, available at each port authorities' website, outlines detailed results for each port. The report also details efforts under way to meet the NPCAS' more stringent 2015 standards.
