Truck group sues ports

The nation’s largest trucking association filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday alleging that portions of a landmark program to upgrade a fleet of 17,000 old trucks servicing the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach place an “unreasonable burden on interstate commerce” and could harm the U.S. economy.

Port authorities said they intended to proceed with the air quality initiative.

“Truck pollution is a serious threat to public health, including the health of truck drivers,” said Richard D. Steinke, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. “We need to move forward without delay.”

The lawsuit was filed by the American Trucking Assn., which represents 37,000 licensed motor-carriers.

It aims to block plans allowing freight hauling companies to access port terminals only if they have permits called “concession contracts.”

Such restrictions, according to the lawsuit, violate federal laws that prohibit state and local governments from regulating motor-carrier routes and services.

In the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the association requests an injunction against the restrictions, which are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

In a prepared statement, Bill Graves, president and chief executive of the association, said “the litigation is not aimed at and should not interfere with the ports’ clean air efforts.

“We are challenging only the intrusive and unnecessary regulatory structure being created under the concession plans,” he said.

Together, the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports serve as the gateway for 40% of the goods imported into the United States.

Pressures to grow -- and to clean the air of noxious diesel emissions -- prompted the ports to develop a joint clean-truck program to replace high-emission cargo trucks with new or retrofitted models by 2012.

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louis.sahagun@latimes.com