The Port of Portland and Port of Tacoma have been named
among the recipients of the American Association of Port Authorities’
Environmental Achievement Awards for their efforts to better understand
initiatives and trends in environmental protection and enhancement at ports
around the globe.
The Port of Portland won in the Stakeholder Awareness,
Education & Involvement category after it teamed with the International
Institute for Sustainable Seaports on an initiative to increase awareness of
the role seaports around the globe play in implementing a broad array of
environmental initiatives at seaports across the globe.
The initiative’s resulting white paper, entitled Environmental Initiatives at Seaports
Worldwide: A Snapshot of Best Practices, was first released in
2010. It addressed the geographic, community, financial and regulatory drivers
that impact port decision-making related to sustainability through an
assessment of current environmental management initiatives.
In 2013, the port and I2S2 partnered again to create an
updated version of the white paper, adding new information about environmental
initiatives at seaports and assessing trends within the industry since the
first white paper was developed.
The Port of Tacoma received an award in the Comprehensive
Environmental Management category for its work that was detailed in paper
entitled Biofiltration:
West Hylebos Log Yard.
In 2010, the port was confronted with a dilemma: bring the
runoff from its log dock into compliance with stringent stormwater regulations
in a cost-effective manner, or risk shuttering its lumber operations and the 40
jobs it supports.
To meet the challenge, the port devised a plan to design and
create a $2.7 million treatment facility. The resulting treatment facility
delivered an innovative, economical solution by mimicking nature’s own
filtering processes which to date reduces pollution loads by 92 percent and
counting.
Portland and Tacoma were among four award winners, with the
others being Port Tampa Bay and the Georgia Ports Authority. The ports were
recognized Nov. 13 at AAPA’s 103rd Annual Convention and Exposition.
