Maritime-related air pollution in the Puget Sound region has
decreased by as much as 40 percent between 2005 and 2011, according to a new
report released by a consortium of Pacific Northwest businesses and government
agencies.
Volatile organic compounds were reduced by 40 percent according to the study, which was conducted by the Puget Sound
Maritime Air Forum. Other pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides,
particulate matter, fine particulate matter and diesel particulate matter, were
all down between 14 and 16 percent.
The study area covered the U.S. portion of the Puget
Sound/Georgia Basin International Airshed, an area about 140 miles long by 160
miles wide.
The inventory, conducted by the Puget Sound Maritime Air
Forum, focused on pollutants related to ships, harbor vessels, cargo-handling
equipment, rail, heavy-duty trucks and other fleet vehicles associated with
maritime activities.
Much of the clean air progress is due to significant,
voluntary investments of the maritime industry and government agencies in
cleaner technology, cleaner fuels and more efficient systems of operation.
The maritime industry has adopted a number of voluntary
initiatives to reduce emissions, including switching to low-sulfur or biodiesel
fuels, using shore power, replacing or retrofitting older engines and improving
systems to use equipment more efficiently.
The Maritime Air Forum, a voluntary association of private
and public maritime organizations, ports, air agencies, environmental and
public health advocacy groups and other parties with operational or regulatory
responsibilities related to the maritime industry.
More than two-dozen entities are member of the Maritime Air
Forum, including the ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Olympia, as well as
the Union Pacific and BNSF railways and various state and federal government
agencies, including the Washington State Dept. of Transportation and U.S. Coast
Guard.
“The results of the 2011 Emissions Inventory are significant,
with substantial pollution reductions across the board for the Port of
Seattle,” port commission President Gael Tarleton said. “The Seattle Port
Commission has been committed to finding answers that will inform our decisions
for years to come.”
Regarding diesel particulate matter emissions, they were
down by 52 percent in heavy-duty vehicles, 47 percent in fleet vehicles, 40
percent in cargo-handling equipment, 24 percent in locomotives and 16 percent
in ocean-going vessels, according to the survey.
However, diesel particulate emanating from harbor vessels
actually increased seven percent, something the study say was likely due to a
12 percent increase in boat traffic, as well as an increase in the use of
larger engines, which have higher emissions.
