Steps urged to battle port’s dirty air

Re “Pollution solution,” editorial, June 10

As a resident of the harbor area, not-so-affectionately known to locals as “The Diesel Death Zone,” I am thrilled to see some attention given this huge and chronic problem. As a social worker serving families, I have known many children in West Long Beach, Wilmington and San Pedro who suffer from severe asthma. Just about every family in some areas of Wilmington has at least one person with a lung disorder. I am so pleased that the Danish shipping firm Maersk Inc. is voluntarily stepping forward to take some responsibility to reduce harm to our local community. It would be much easier if all the shipping lines abandoned the attitude that it’s OK to increase their profit margin off our backs -- and lungs.

ANDREA L. BELL

Long Beach

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I moved to Long Beach in the early ‘70s to enjoy the clean air and ocean breeze. I have developed pulmonary problems from breathing the dirty air. My husband and I worked years preparing for a comfortable retirement. Now that we have reached our goal, we are being told to move because of the effects of the container ships burning the cheap “bunker” fuel. Is anyone at the port being held responsible for allowing this situation to occur? Since when did life become so cheap that port and city officials ignore the effect this has had?

LINDA MERRILL

Long Beach

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We will never see a real difference in our air quality until every ship that comes into the Port of Los Angeles plugs into electricity. We have the technology to plug ships into electricity, called Alternative Maritime Power, which the port was the first in the world to use. Every day that a ship is plugged into electric power, emissions equivalent to 16,000 trucks are prevented from entering our air. Until the port requires every ship to do so, we will never see real benefits to the air we breathe.

COUNCILWOMAN JANICE HAHN

Los Angeles