By Karen Robes Meeks
Harbor leaders at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have approved the latest version of the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) Update aimed at making the region air cleaner from port operations.
The blueprint calls for initiatives such as:
• Establishing a rate structure and incentives to create quicker turnover to near-zero and “zero-emission” trucks to reach the goal of becoming a zero-emission on-road drayage fleet by 2035;
• Creating more cargo flow efficiency and lower emissions with programs such as a universal truck reservation system, staging yards and intelligent transportation systems;
• Mandating terminal operators to use zero-emission equipment or the cleanest equipment available when buying new cargo-handling equipment starting in 2020, to reach a 2030 zero emissions terminal equipment goal; and
• Using more on-dock rail, with the long-term goal of moving half of all departing cargo by rail.
“The San Pedro Bay ports are the driving forces of our region’s economy – and they should also be global models for sustainability and clean air,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This update to the Clean Air Action Plan is an important step toward our ambitious goal of zero emissions landside goods movement by 2035, and I look forward to making even more progress with our partners in the months and years to come.”
