Plans for L.A. Port Focus on Pollution

Port of Los Angeles officials unveiled an array of environmental initiatives Wednesday that could become part of the city’s bid to curb rising levels of air pollution at the fast-growing facility.

Among the measures are proposals to take aim at ship engines that belch high levels of toxic emissions, to convert the rail line from the port to electric power, and to replace older trucks with newer models with cleaner burning engines.

Environmentalists and local community representatives welcomed the suggestions, which were released at the same time new port calculations indicate recent antipollution efforts alone will fail to rein in pollution.

“These are all good,” said Noel Park, a San Pedro resident and longtime port critic who sits on the port’s Community Advisory Committee. “We believe that the survival of these communities as a viable place to live is in the balance.”

Representatives from the railroad and shipping industries said they would need more time to study the proposals. But they noted that port officials have yet to calculate the costs of the measures and said that legal obstacles might rule out some initiatives.

Sharon Rubalcava, who represents a prospective terminal operator, said she believed that requiring diesel-powered ships to add expensive new electric-powered equipment to use while docked could be challenged in court by ship owners.

“I don’t think it would survive a constitutional challenge,” she said.

Port staffers presented the proposals at a meeting in San Pedro of a task force appointed by Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn. Hahn has asked the 28-member team -- drawn from the ranks of industry, labor, community and environmental groups -- to deliver a blueprint to meet a pledge he made to keep emissions from the port at 2001 levels.

Hahn’s sister, L.A. Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who represents San Pedro, attended the meeting and praised the effort to put a lid on the region’s largest single source of air pollution.

“This is not just a harbor issue,” she said. “This is an issue for the entire L.A. Basin.”

The task ahead will not be easy. Port emissions have already risen beyond 2001 levels despite efforts to roll back pollution with measures such as encouraging shipping companies to use electricity for shipboard operations on docked vessels.

In 2001, the port produced nearly 20,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 1,000 tons of particulate matter -- specks of dust and soot that can be inhaled into the lungs and increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. By 2012, according to a draft report released by port officials Wednesday, nitrogen oxide emissions could increase by 8,712 tons and particulate matter could climb by 906 tons.

Port officials have yet to calculate how much the proposals would reduce pollution, but plan to do so in the next few weeks.

Hanh’s task force is scheduled to submit a draft plan to the mayor by the end of February.