Harbor Craft Targets of State Clampdown on Pollution

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State air regulators are clamping down on pollution from commercial fishing vessels, ferries and other harbor craft.


Next month, the California Air Resources Board will hold a workshop as its staff develops a rule to reduce diesel and nitrogen oxide emissions from commercial harbor craft. Currently, harbor tug boats, commercial fishing vessels, ferries and other commercial vessels spew an estimated 5 tons per day of diesel particulates and 100 tons per day of nitrogen oxide emissions into the air, most of that coming either from local harbors or just offshore. The goal is to reduce emissions from harbor craft 25 percent by 2010 and 30 percent by 2015. That would cost ferry and tug/tow vessel operators an estimated $200 million, much of that to replace some 1,600 engines.


Air Resources Board staff intend to go after ferry, tug and tow vessels first because they generate about 70 percent of the emissions. Also, board staff notes that fishing fleets are in rapid decline as fishing stock near the California coast is being depleted. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have hundreds of tug and tow vessels, as well as ferry vessels going to Catalina Island.


Among the steps that these vessel owners will have to take: comply with strict record-keeping requirements and replace older engines with newer ones that meet current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. The costs could range up to $8 million per ferry and $5 million per tug/tow craft.


In an earlier workshop last month, harbor craft vessel operators objected to the costs. They also expressed concern about the time that the craft would have to be in dry dock to switch out the engines.


Air Resources Board staff hope to have the proposed rule ready for presentation to the board in July.



Trade Metrics

It may seem arcane, but there’s a ruckus brewing between California businesses and the European Union over the issue of metric measurements.


Since 1979, the European Union has allowed both metric and non-metric measurements for all products sold within its member nation borders. Many California exporters have taken advantage of this, using all-purpose order catalogs and technical manuals that contain both inches and centimeters or pounds and kilograms.


Now, the Commission of the European Communities wants to require all products sold to contain only metric measurements, effective Jan. 1, 2010. The Commission has tried this twice before, only to agree to delay it each time.


This latest effort has generated opposition from the California Chamber of Commerce. In comments sent to the Commission earlier this month, the Chamber said this would place an undue burden on exporters.


“California industry will have to produce two versions of its packaging and technical documentation such as operating and training manuals, instructions for service, maintenance or repair manuals, brochures, etc a metric version and a U.S. version. This will involve significant extra costs to California businesses and make trade more difficult on world markets.”


Chamber spokeswoman Christine Haddon said that the state’s business community “hopes that the Commission would further extend the current status quo ideally permanently.”


According to U.S. Department of Commerce figures, California exports to the European Union totaled $24.5 billion in 2006. About 37 percent of this figure was in computers/electronics, 11 percent in various chemicals and 10 percent in transportation-related equipment.


However, it’s worth noting that this metric-only directive would not hit some industries as hard as others. For example, a quick scan of several wines from California wine makers on a local supermarket shelf showed that all use bottles and labels that contain only the metric measurement of 750 milliliters. Last year, California wine exports to the European Union exceeded $400 million, up 60 percent over the last decade.



Environmental Enforcer

L.A. city inspectors would have the power to issue cease-and-desist orders for certain environmental violations they find on their rounds of local businesses, under an ordinance proposed last week by L.A. City Councilman Greig Smith.


Currently, when inspectors encounter an environmental violation, such as excessive discharges onto streets or into local waterways, all they can do is issue a citation, except in instances where extremely hazardous waste is posing an immediate threat to public health and safety. Otherwise, they have to call in state or county regulators to actually get the company to stop the pollution.


Smith’s ordinance would create an environmental inspector position within the city’s Department of Environmental Affairs.


The council could vote on the matter within a few months.



Staff reporter Howard Fine can be reached by phone at (323) 549-5225, ext. 227, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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Howard Fine
Howard Fine is a 23-year veteran of the Los Angeles Business Journal. He covers stories pertaining to healthcare, biomedicine, energy, engineering, construction, and infrastructure. He has won several awards, including Best Body of Work for a single reporter from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers and Distinguished Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists.

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