Long Beach Port OKs Truck Ban

0

The Long Beach Harbor Commission unanimously approved Monday a ban on dirty diesel trucks as part of a wide-ranging effort to clean up the air at the nation’s largest port complex.


The move comes after the Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved an identical proposal last week to restrict the trucks, which carry imported and exported goods to and from local destinations.


Both measures restrict all trucks manufactured before 1989 from the ports starting in October 2008. Ultimately, all trucks manufactured before 2007 will be banned by 2012.


“Pollution from port activities needs to be cleaned up,” said Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Nick Sramek. “Pollution from the trucks is affecting the health of our residents.”


Nearly one year ago, the ports jointly adopted a Clean Air Action plan to reduce pollution from the ports, which together are the single largest contributor to dirty air in Los Angeles.


The timeline adopted Monday would affect roughly all of the 16,000 short-haul diesel trucks with cleaner-burning models in order to reduce truck emissions by 80 percent. Diesel trucks are a primary source of tiny particulate matter, which can lodge deep in lungs and cause or aggravate chronic conditions such as asthma.


The $1.8 billion Clean Trucks Program has been met with fierce resistance from the trucking industry, retailers and shippers, as studies have shown the program would sharply increase the cost of transporting goods.


Motor carriers, in particular, are angry over a requirement that would require drivers most of whom are independent owner-operators to become employees, saying it could drive hundreds of trucking companies out of business.

No posts to display