Politics & Government
EPA Grant May Reduce Air Pollution From LB Port
The second busiest port in the country is trying to reduce its pollution through a grant from the EPA, which will allow a new project to be put in action.
The U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA) has given the Port of Long Beach, the second busiest port in the country, a $1.34 million grant for a new venture that is meant to decrease the port’s diesel pollution.
The grant will help Piers A and J to receive cleaner cargo-handling equipment in the form of diesel particulate filters or exhaust treatment technologies. However, the total cost of the project is $3.98 million, leaving the port to take care of the $2.64 million deficit on the project, according to recent a press release from the port.
“This EPA grant will not only reduce diesel air pollution at the Port of Long Beach, it will help accelerate these projects and allow them to happen faster than they would without the grant,” said Port of Long Beach Managing Director of Environmental Affairs and Planning Robert Kanter in the press release. “We are also very excited that this grant will help one of our terminals make the change to zero emissions equipment.”
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The press release also stated that throughout the use of the equipment, the new technology is estimated to reduce 33 tons of particulate matter, 25 tons of nitrogen oxide and 733 tons of carbon dioxide. Many of these are contributors to smog and greenhouse gasses.
A recent blog post from the Natural Resources Defense Council said that this program is a great step in the right direction, but it also said that the port still has a long way to go in order to clean up its pollution.