April 26, 2012
A Tale of Two Ports
As part of our 495 experience we were able to see the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on way to Catalina Island. Despite a lack of natural beauty, the sheer size of the ports, from the cranes to giant tankers and racks on racks on racks, can be awe-inspiring. Los Angeles would not exist in its current form if the LA River had not been supplemented with “sweet water” from the Owens Valley. Arguably, the port has had a similar effect on the development of Los Angeles, which was accounted for by early city planners. However, at what cost has this economic development affected the residents and environment surrounding the ports?
Ports can have large effects on air and marine ecosystem quality due to heavy industrial use in the area. Both boats and trucks travel to and from the ports regularly and have emissions, which are much less regulated than personal vehicles in California.
(Mueller et al, 2011)
These types of emissions, especially the ultra-fine particulates, are known to cause various illnesses related to cardiac and respiratory systems (Dominici et al., 2006). The gaseous emissions are well known and contribute to the amount of ground-level ozone, acid rain and the greenhouse effect. Unfortunately, it is difficult to contain air pollution within the confines of the port and has effects on residents in San Pedro, Wilmington and West Long Beach (Waldie, 2012), residents that live along highways with increased traffic due to port trade and the workers of the port.
Ports also contribute a whole range of contaminants into the marine environment. Ships often introduce contaminants by using anti-fouling chemicals, spilling oil/gas/diesel into the water during refueling and operation or as paint breaks down to name a few. Many of these pollutants affect the health of marine organism and humans’ enjoyment of the resource (people recommend against going swimming at the beach near downtown Long Beach). A breakwater is an important structure near ports and harbors, as they reduce wave action allowing for easier docking and unloading of ships (E.B., 2012). Unfortunately these structures intensify issues regarding marine pollution by reducing water exchange between port and ocean, which has been demonstrated to concentrate marine pollution. “ This factor [limited water exchange], combined with sewage runoff from the coast and intensification of activity in the commercial port, accounts for significant water eutrophication and accumulation of pollutants in bottom sediments” (Selifonova, 2009).
Another significant source of port pollution, although not as common in the United States as developing nations, is the business of ship building/repair/recycling. However, I felt it particularly relevant as the last time I returned from Catalina the smell of burning steel was wafting Miss Christi’s way from Al Larson’s Boat Shop. Pollution from this activity is well documented (Chang et al., 2010; Coffin, 2003) and measures are taken to reduce its effects where the activity is practiced. For example, the boats at Al Larson’s were dry-docked and their ramps were surrounded with floating booms, although somewhat haphazardly. However, were there to be a rain event most of the wastes would be washed into the water and the boom would limit pollution that floats but does little for heavy metals, one of the most common pollutant from boat repair, many of which are more likely to be deposited as sediment or become aqueous than remain on the surface (Maata & Singh, 2008).
These factors are related to the volume of traffic that the port receives. Both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have historically been some of the highest volume ports in the United States.
While the economy has certainly been stimulated by this activity, Los Angeles and Long Beach have endangered the health of their and surrounding communities, reduced recreational opportunities and altered the ecology and coastal morphology of the region.
In an attempt to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with ports, the Ports of San Pedro have developed plans focusing on reducing pollution. The Port of Long Beach adopted a Green Port Policy in January 2005 while the Port of Los Angeles initiated an Environmental Management System in 2003. These environmental management policies aim to engage the community, the port staff, and the customers, all while promoting sustainability, employing the best available technology and practices, monitoring performance, and complying with all environmental regulations. Some of the specific goals of the Green Port Policy are protecting wildlife, reducing harmful emissions, improving the quality of the water, and removing and treating the soils and sediments in the harbor.
One of the biggest accomplishments achieved under these environmental management plans is the Clean Air Action Plan. This plan focuses on reducing emissions from all five main port sources; trucks, vessels, cargo handling equipment, harbor craft, and rail. Highlighted in these plans are two long-term goals:
- By 2014, reduce port-related emissions by 22 percent for Nitrogen Oxides, 93 percent for Sulfur Oxides, and 72 percent for Diesel Particulate Matter.
- By 2023, reduce port-related emissions by 59 percent for Nitrogen Oxides, 92 percent for Sulfur Oxides and 77 percent for Diesel Particulate Matter.
The four main programs initiated under the Clean Air Action Plan are the Technology Advancement Program, the Alternative Maritime Power program, the Green Flag Program, and the Clean Trucks Program. Under the Technology Advancement Program, technology that has a high probability of reducing pollutants are researched and tested for commercial success. One of these new technologies is the hybrid tug boat system, which pulls larger vessels and container ships into docks in order to prevent them from running their larger, and higher polluting engines. Additionally, through the use of Alternative Maritime Power, container ships can use shoreside power at the terminal to unload cargo rather than continually running their energy intensive diesel engines.
Hybrid Tug Boat System
The Clean Trucks Program is attempting to improve air quality in the community and for the greater Los Angeles area through easing into a ban of older, dirtier trucks. All trucks manufactured before 2007 are not permitted to operate within the ports. Both Ports expect that the use of newer and more efficient trucks will eliminate a large percentage of air pollution. The last Clean Air Action program is the Green Flag Program, which focuses on vessels coming into the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of San Pedro. Basically, this program ensures that emissions are reduced within a 40 mile limit from the ports by restricting ships from traveling faster than 12 knots. A speed reduction means a reduction in energy used by the ships and ultimately reduces fuel and therefore pollutant emissions as well.
Since the adoption of the Clean Air Action Plan in 2006, both Ports have compiled an Emissions Inventory to calculate emission levels by year from 2005 to 2010, all of the main air pollutants from port sources were reduced. At the Port of Long Beach, in addition to a 72% decline in diesel particulates from 2005 to 2010, sulfur oxides fell by 73%, smog-forming nitrogen oxides lessened by 46% and greenhouse gases dropped by 18%. At the Port of Los Angeles, diesel particulates declined by 39% from 2009, NOx emissions were down by 25% and SOx emissions fell by 45%.
These numbers reflect not only a significant change in port impacts, but an overall change in goals and progress for the future. In previous decades the surrounding communities have had to suffer and bear the burden of port pollution. This community found it difficult to challenge the San Pedro Bay Ports due to their importance to the regional and national economy. Now and looking into the future, the San Pedro Ports have promised to work together with the community to clean up their acts and encourage cleaner proposals and development.
Authored by Dan Kasang, ’12 who is graduating with a BS in Environmental Studies, and Patrick Talbott, ‘12 who is graduating this spring with a BS in Environmental Studies and is pursuing a Progressive Master’s in Environmental Studies and a certificate in Sustainable Cities.
Works Cited
Chang, Y-C. et al. 2010. Ship Recycling and Marine Pollution. In Marine Pollution Bulletin. 60: 9. Pages 1390-1396.
Coffin, B. 2003. Ghost Fleet Underscores Ship Recycling Hazards. In Risk Management. New York. 50: 12. Page 10.
Dominici, F. et al., 2006. Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Hospital Admission for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases. In Journal of the American Medical Association. 295: 10. Pages 1127-1134.
breakwater. 2012. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com.libproxy.usc.edu/EBchecked/topic/78522/breakwater
Maata, M. & Singh, S. 2008. Heavy Metal Pollution in Suva Harbor Sediments, Fiji. In Environmental Chemistry Letters. 6: 2. Pages 113-118.
Mueller, D. et al. 2011. Ships, ports and particulate air pollution – an analysis of recent studies. In Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. 6: 31.
Selifonova, J. P. 2009. The ecosystem of the Black Seaport of Novorossiysk under conditions of heavy anthropogenic pollution. In Russian Journal of Ecology. 40: 7. Pages 510-515.
Waldie, D. J. 2012. Competition and Environmental Risks in Ports’ Future. In KCET’s SoCal Focus Blog. Web. http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/where-we-are/competition-and-environmental-risks-in-ports-future.html
2010 UPDATE SAN PEDRO BAY PORTS CLEAN AIR ACTION PLAN. Publication. San Pedro Bay Ports. Web. 5 Mar. 2011. http://www.cleanairactionplan.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2485.
Braathen, Nils Axel. Environmental Impacts of International Shipping: The Role of Ports. Paris: OECD, 2011. Print.
“The Port of Los Angeles | Maritime.” The Port of Los Angeles: America’s Port. City of Los Angeles, 2012. Web. Feb.-Mar. 2012. http://www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/growth.asp.
“San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan – Emissions Inventories.” San Pedro Bay PortsClean Air Action Plan. Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, 2012. Web. Mar. 2012. http://www.cleanairactionplan.org/reports/emissions.asp.
Besides polluting ports, one of the main problems I see with continuing to using fossil fuel powered ships is how negative of an effect oil can have in the oceans if spilled. It is imperative that companies take a strong stance on environmental corporate sustainability to promote a sustainable economy especially in light of the recent gulf coast oil spill. Albeit an extreme example of environmental irresponsibility on behalf of the companies maintaining the rig, this disaster highlights one of the main problems impeding business from achieving a sustainable economy. For hundreds of years our relentless use of finite natural resources has remained unchecked, and only recently have people started to realize that the sustenance of earth’s ecosystems and natural resources contained therein provides greater value than their immediate use. However understanding the necessity to preserve ecosystem value requires a shift in mentality away from the self interested economic actors of the past in search of unlimited growth and capital wealth towards more precautionary economic actors that weigh out the cost benefit of using a resource now or preserving it for the future. In the same sense, would BP the company with a 65% sharehold in the rig that exploded have benefited from more precautionary approach to designing the rig? Considering the fact that “the cost of the oil spill could exceed $14 billion,” Its pathetic that such a large company whose business is so heavily regulated could allow a pipe malfunction such as this one to occur considering the regulations are in place to prevent such spills from occurring. This spill should serve as a wake up call to ensure companies are following strict environmental law and making a concerted effort to achieve economic sustainability through internal environmental policy. It is interesting to note how disasters such as this one can change public perception to support green initiatives as reflected in the stock market. Immediately after the spill the stock price of BP the company running the oil rig dropped 20 points resulting in a loss of 6 billion, whereas the companies who are expected to clean up the spill such as surfrider and wave rider raised stock prices by 20 points each. It is unfortunate that such a disaster is necessary for people to realize they need to stop investing in cheap non renewable resources such as oil and start investing in green tech companies focused creating a sustainable infrastructure and economy It is time for the private sector, along with governmental aid and environmental law, to lead in innovating green technology and the eco mindset due to the fact that the private sector is much more efficient than the heavily regulated government.
It seems interesting to me that although the Ports of LA and Long Beach are so close to each other, they have separate policies.
Also, under Alternative Maritime Power plan, not having the ships burning their diesel engines right at the port is really important considering the bad air quality the Ports are known for having. However, in a broader scheme of things, won’t that pollution just be put elsewhere? I think that it’s important to make sure the “Alternative Maritime Power” is really an alternative form of energy, such as wind/solar/geothermal.
I think this post was very well written and articulated an important issue in Los Angeles. Since LA is so huge, if you don’t travel to a certain region, you almost forget its there. Its easy to forget the immense scale of the port of LA and the port of Long Beach, the top two largest container shipping ports in the country, and how much pollution they are able to contribute. Both ports are among the leading contributors of air pollution in the city, if not the top. The details on the different mitigation programs seem to bring hope to the situation, but we shall see if they have any real lasting effect to combat the industrial giants and their harmful environmental effects.
As an employee of the Air Quality Division at the Port of LA, I can provide some inside information as to what is being done to implement changes in environmental policy and how POLA is improving the air and water quality surrounding the area.
Recently, POLA introduced a Vessel Speed Reduction program that provides incentives to boat owners to slow down 40 nautical miles from the port. Due to the speed reduction, the emissions the vessel produced is drastically reduced saving not only the air quality directly, but also the water quality indirectly, when the pollutants are washed down in the rain. From this program the air quality in San Pedro has been greatly reduced.
In addition to this program, I am managing a program that will come into effect later this summer which replaces old, dirty engines in the POLA marinas. These small boats are the main source of water and air pollution in the marinas. Even though they are small in size, they are very large in number. What this program does is replace the dirty old engine with new CARB 3+ rating engines paid by up to 75% by the Port. These new engines pass all state and federal regulations of clean engines and provide a huge incentive for boat owners to replace their engines with cleaner burning ones. As the annual number of vessels coming/going in the POLA, more environmental measures are going to be implemented to keep their competitive edge with the Port of Long Beach.
Because most Southern California air pollution comes from shipping transportation, it is crucial that steps continue to be taken to mitigate pollutants, and the Clean Air Action Plan seems to be a step in the right direction. I feel that including more electrical power sources on docks to supply shoreside power could be one of the greatest solutions. With more electrical sources, ships would have few excuses to run their diesel engines while docked. With such a great concentration of ships requiring energy in California ports, the ability to shut off their auxiliary engines is desperately needed. These engines typically run communications, lighting, ventilation, and pumps, all of which require consistent energy usage. With shoreside power, these functions can instead run on electricity.
Issues with implementation will stem from determining where the money will come from to set up the shoreside power stations. After these stations are available, vessels must be outfitted to utilize the electricity source. While this may be difficult for owners of current vessels, builders of future vessels must take these new technologies into account and slowly control air pollution from shipping.
http://www.polb.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5878
Great blog Dan and Patrick! You guys really put a lot of work into this blog and the quality definitely shows. I am actually happily surprised to see the efforts being taken to reduce impact in these two ports. I think that a lot of this can be attributed to how much attention has been given to the issue. There has been a significant increase in public awareness and I think this has applied the necessary pressure on these cities to do something about it. I find it interesting that simple things like the overall reduction of boat speeds can have a significant cumulative reduction in emissions. Even very simple ideas like the tug-boat plan seems so simple but so fantastically effective. I hope these areas are able to accomplish their goals and I think with continued education and awareness they will.
While your comments and presentation of facts are well grounded, I feel that the overall operation of modern ports in developed countries, including the port of Long Beach are run rather efficiently and focus on minimal environmental impact and strict adherence to port regulations, especially those involved with pollution control. Rather than presenting documented factual support (which I have) I will keep this posting in a casual format and speak from my experience.
I served in the Navy for eight years, five of those years were spent onboard a ship; a large 509ft vessel that weighed 9,200 tons and could carry at any given moment 450,000 gallons of high-octane jet propulsion fuel. While on this ship I eventually qualified for Engineering Duty Officer and Engineering Officer of the Watch, meaning that when it was my day for duty in the watch rotation I was in charge of the entire engineering plant operation. Being in charge of the engineering plant I was directly responsible to the Commanding Officer for the safety and adherence to port regulations, and it was my responsibility to know, understand and follow every rule in it’s entirety, this included during the entering and exiting of port and while in port. Thankfully there was never an oil spill or hazardous contamination from our ship into the water on my watch, but even when it was not my day of watch being an engineer, and more importantly a crew member of the ship, it was all of our responsibility to report any possible diversion from port regulations and assist in the clean up of any spill, contaminations, etc. if one were to have occurred.
Enough of the background, now I will get to my point. While the port I was stationed at, 32nd Street Naval Base San Diego, was not a full blown import export port, there was fair amount of goods transfer involved in this port and we worked along side oil and goods tankers everyday, and while the nature of a port may not be more favorable than say an open recreational beach, none the less, these ports are run efficiently, follow the most strict guidelines, and are constantly finding ways to improve function and provide relief to any impacts they may inflict of the environment.
The oceans and waterways have been the most efficient method of goods transfer for centuries, and while the industrial revolution gave birth to mechanized ways of travel, the dominant use of fossil fuels as an energy source, urbanization, and population growth, the worlds ports have been bloated to accommodate all of these advances and growth.
So again, while the information you presented is well founded, I find that given the nature of today’s world ports like the Port of Long Beach have done a great job and have come a long way to minimize their impact on the environment as a whole and that most people who sail the water ways and work the ports truly do care and follow the regulations in place to ensure minimal impact of these areas.