Pollution Plan on Haulers Nears OK

The California Air Resources Board today is expected to approve an ambitious plan to reduce pollution from the state’s booming goods-movement industry. Targeting cargo ships, tractor-trailer trucks and freight trains, the plan calls for reducing total emissions from those sources to 2001 levels by 2010, and for cutting diesel emissions by 85% by 2020.

More than 40% of imported retail goods pass through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and are shipped via rail and truck containers through the state. The amount of goods is expected to triple by 2020.

“There’s no question this expansion is happening, whether we want it to or not, because of emerging economic powers in the East -- China and India, also Singapore and the Philippines,” said air board spokesman Jerry Martin. “We need to prepare for ... the added pollution that will come from more ships, more trucks, more trains.”

But critics say there is no guaranteed funding for the plan, which would cost $6 billion to $10 billion, and no mandatory controls on polluters. Without more teeth in the plan, critics say, it won’t eliminate deaths and illnesses attributable to emissions from commercial transportation.

“Well hip, hip hooray,” S. David Freeman, president of the Port of Los Angeles, said sarcastically of the scheduled vote. “Are they ordering people to do things? No? Then what the hell good are they? The problem, if you believe the reports that they and others put out, is that people are dying from this pollution, and we [port officials] feel a huge sense of urgency.”

The Coalition for Clean Air and 13 other environmental groups wrote the air board this week urging it to add mandatory regulations and require polluters, not the public, to pay the billions of dollars in costs.

“Even if you implement this plan as outlined, you’re still left with over 800 premature deaths annually from the sources of pollution driving the transport of consumer goods,” said Tom Plenys of the Coalition for Clean Air.

“This industry has been flying under the radar screen and not doing its fair share for a long time,” Plenys said. “You could have a $30 per container fee ... that would add a few pennies to the price of a DVD.... With the revenue streams that they have, they can afford to pay, given the heath consequences.”

More than $359 billion in goods moved through California ports in 2004, according to trade reports, creating nearly 1 million jobs, a $34-billion payroll and $3.6 billion in tax revenue.

Spokesman Martin said the board could strengthen the plan at its hearing today at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Some parts will be implemented by future rules, he said, but the board cannot legally regulate vessels at sea and interstate rail traffic.

The plan’s goals include replacing dirty marine vessel fuel, “scrubbing” ship smokestack emissions, requiring ships to switch to electrical power while in port rather than idling auxiliary engines, replacing 12,000 aging, short-haul diesel trucks, and retrofitting locomotives.

Marine, rail and trucking officials said the plan is a good first step. They said their industries are already spending millions on cleaner equipment and will do more. But they said they would fight any efforts by the state to impose regulations that would disrupt global trade. They said they preferred market-based efforts to reduce emissions using public and private funding.

“The goal here is to achieve the air quality levels that will ensure public health, and to us it makes a lot more sense to ... allow for industry to figure out the best methods to get there,” said T.L. Garrett, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Assn., whose members transport 90% of the cargo that comes into West Coast ports.