As Los Angeles prepares to defend itself against its Clean Truck Plan in federal court in coming weeks, the Sierra Club's executive director has posted a blog defending L.A. and asking Congress to amend federal law to prevent future lawsuits. The article was picked up on several news sites, including Huffington Post.
New York, Newark, Oakland and Port Everglades in Florida have indicated they plan to emulate Los Angeles' plan, which differs significantly from the Long Beach plan on several fronts, including the need for concessions and requirements that companies doing business on their waterfront own and maintain the vehicles they dispatch to the city's marine terminals.
Both cities banned pre 1989 model year rigs from entering terminals on Oct. 1, 2008, and the ban continues through 2012, when only 2007 model-year trucks will be granted access. New models are up to 90 percent cleaner than older trucks, and the plan is expected to cut diesel pollution from rigs 80 percent by 2012. Trucks account for about 20 percent of the pollution emitted by port industry, which is California's largest single fixed source of pollution. Ships, trains and other dockside equipment emit the rest.
Sierra Club Exec. Dir. Carl Pope wrote, in part, that "litigation by the trucking industry relies on obscure federal law that wasn't designed to restrict the right of local governments to protect their residents' health. That's why Congress should act now to clarify the right of states and municipalities to protect their citizens from the lethal byproduct of cargo transport."
The full article can be read here.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
politics. A newcomer to the Press-
Kris Hanson reports on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,
covering environmental issues, economic triumphs and
pitfalls and trade trends of America’s largest port.
He also writes a weekly column “On The Waterfront”,
appearing Tuesdays, and also produces an occassional video
and column titled “On The Job,” which follows the hard-working
men and women who keep Southern California’s economy humming.
Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
Somebody's finally thinking. To read the Port of Long Beach's stuff you'd think their settlement with the industry made the air cleaner. As if.