Community Corner
Port Gets Rid of Old Rigs
The Port of Long Beach has met its goal of reducing truck related pollution by 80 percent through the Clean Truck Program.
The Clean Truck Program has been successful in updating the entirety of the truck fleet at the largest port complex in the country, and to signify the final chapter, the Port of Long Beach will begin eliminating the last of the oldest, most polluted rigs from entering its gates on the first day of the new year.
On January 1, the Port of Long Beach will begin its final phase and ban some 280 older container trucks and another 800 older non-container trucks from its terminals.
However, the reduction in truck related pollution began long ago.
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By the end of 2011, nearly every trucked container moves at the Port are being completed by rigs with engines no older than four years. And in 2012, all 11,000 trucks servicing Port terminals will be at least 2007 models.
The Port's goal was to reduce truck related pollution by 80 percent and that was reached two years ahead of schedule. Progress was evident in 2010, where close to 90 percent of trucks at the Port were newer, with the oldest being a 2007 model — most were low emission liquefied natural gas rigs.
According to a press release, under the Clean Trucks Program, Port of Long Beach terminals began barring older rigs on October 1, 2008.
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“The first ban included trucks with 1988 or older engines,” the release stated. “On January 1, 2010, the Port banned most 2003 and older trucks. Neighboring Port of Los Angeles had the same bans under its Clean Truck Program.”
Not only does the program provide rules and regulations, but the Port is also enforcing it. All drayage trucks doing business at Port must register under the Clean Trucks Program.
“Container trucks are inspected and equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Only trucks meeting the Port’s environmental, safety and security standards get a green light to enter shipping terminals. Non-container trucks receive stickers,” the release stated.
In 2006, the ports took an unprecedented joint action to improve air quality in the South Coast Air Basin by adopting the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), a sweeping project aimed at significantly reducing the health risks posed by port-related air pollution from ships, trains, trucks, terminal equipment and harbor craft.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world's premier seaports and the second largest by volume in North America. The Port of Long Beach along with neighboring Port of Los Angeles handle nearly half of all imports into the U.S.