Post by foodstampxpress on Oct 4, 2008 15:37:48 GMT -5
Old Diesels Banned at Ports
By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
Article 10/02/2008
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach formally launched a $1.6 billion initiative Wednesday,
"Today, the children of Los Angeles and the South Bay are breathing easier," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who called the program his "most significant environmental achievement" since taking office in 2005.
"People said it couldn't be done," he said. "They said the fight would be too hard, with too many obstacles in our way and too many special interests aligned against us. But we kept on trucking because we knew the people of our port communities needed relief."
The first phase of the Clean Trucks Program immediately bans about 2,000 diesel trucks built before 1989, comprising 10 percent of the rigs that haul goods to and from the nation's busiest port complex. The move is expected to remove 350 tons of harmful diesel emissions, which make up about 30 percent of the pollution generated by trucks each year.
Truck traffic dropped by up to one-third at some terminals on Wednesday morning, but operations gradually picked up by midafternoon, according to officials at both ports.
Additionally, about 5 to 10percent of the trucks trying to enter port terminals were turned away for failing to comply with the program.
"It could be because some of the trucking companies were waiting to see if there were any issues as we start the program," said Arley Baker, director of communications and legislative affairs at the Port of Los Angeles. "We have to watch this trend for a few days, but I think the big positive point is that we have plenty of trucks registered to move the cargo."
The Clean Trucks Program requires freight haulers to obtain so-called concession contracts to access port terminals.
So far, nearly 600 trucking companies with more than 20,000 trucks have applied for concessions with the Port of Los Angeles, while the Port of Long Beach collected applications from more than 750 motor carriers with about 15,000 trucks.
Police officers from both ports stood at the gates of terminals Wednesday to ensure truck drivers were complying with the plan. Drivers prominently displayed orange windshield stickers to access the Port of Long Beach, while a purple decal was emblazoned on trucks entering the Port of Los Angeles.
In the meantime, officials are still developing an electronic system capable of reading identification tags affixed to preapproved trucks. The system is expected to be ready for tests within two weeks and in effect by November.
"Trucks that don't have a sticker are being turned around and denied access, but we're not seeing too many problems with that," said Robert Kanter, managing director of environmental affairs and planning at the Port of Long Beach.
To illustrate that pre-1989 trucks are no longer welcome in the twin ports complex, one was destroyed Wednesday at the SA Recycling plant near the Port of Los Angeles.
Trucker Jorge Sibrian quietly watched as his 1985 big rig was ripped apart like an aluminum soda can. A large metal claw attached to a crane tore into the old truck, which was crushed into hundreds of pieces no bigger than a fist.
Afterward, Sibrian stared at the heap of metal, shook his head and stuck a piece of the debris into his pocket.
"I've been everywhere with that truck for the last 12 years and it never broke down on the road and there were a lot of good memories," said Sibrian, a port trucker since 1992. "I'm looking forward to getting a brand-new truck from the company I work for, but I'm going to miss this one"
(but then I thought, I just got five big one$ from Mayor Villaraigosa for a truck I was gonna scrap anyway, what a deal ;D)
The Clean Trucks Program is part of the larger Clean Air Action Plan that was adopted by both ports as a way to reduce harmful emissions by 45 percent by 2012.
Diesel truck emissions account for 20 percent of the pollution generated at the ports. The program required all trucks to meet 2007 vehicle emissions standards by 2012.
Each year, about 1,200 deaths across the region are attributed to diesel emissions from port trucks, according to the California Air Resources Board.
Additionally, asthma rates among children in port-area neighborhoods are double the national average, while dock workers and truck drivers face higher risks in developing lung and throat cancer, according to several studies cited by Villaraigosa's office.
"We are a long way from finished," said Martin Schlageter, advocacy director for the Coalition for Clean Air.
"There were many naysayers who said Oct. 1 is too soon, but community members said that Oct. 1 should have come quicker."
art.marroquin@dailybreeze.com
By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
Article 10/02/2008
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach formally launched a $1.6 billion initiative Wednesday,
"Today, the children of Los Angeles and the South Bay are breathing easier," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who called the program his "most significant environmental achievement" since taking office in 2005.
"People said it couldn't be done," he said. "They said the fight would be too hard, with too many obstacles in our way and too many special interests aligned against us. But we kept on trucking because we knew the people of our port communities needed relief."
The first phase of the Clean Trucks Program immediately bans about 2,000 diesel trucks built before 1989, comprising 10 percent of the rigs that haul goods to and from the nation's busiest port complex. The move is expected to remove 350 tons of harmful diesel emissions, which make up about 30 percent of the pollution generated by trucks each year.
Truck traffic dropped by up to one-third at some terminals on Wednesday morning, but operations gradually picked up by midafternoon, according to officials at both ports.
Additionally, about 5 to 10percent of the trucks trying to enter port terminals were turned away for failing to comply with the program.
"It could be because some of the trucking companies were waiting to see if there were any issues as we start the program," said Arley Baker, director of communications and legislative affairs at the Port of Los Angeles. "We have to watch this trend for a few days, but I think the big positive point is that we have plenty of trucks registered to move the cargo."
The Clean Trucks Program requires freight haulers to obtain so-called concession contracts to access port terminals.
So far, nearly 600 trucking companies with more than 20,000 trucks have applied for concessions with the Port of Los Angeles, while the Port of Long Beach collected applications from more than 750 motor carriers with about 15,000 trucks.
Police officers from both ports stood at the gates of terminals Wednesday to ensure truck drivers were complying with the plan. Drivers prominently displayed orange windshield stickers to access the Port of Long Beach, while a purple decal was emblazoned on trucks entering the Port of Los Angeles.
In the meantime, officials are still developing an electronic system capable of reading identification tags affixed to preapproved trucks. The system is expected to be ready for tests within two weeks and in effect by November.
"Trucks that don't have a sticker are being turned around and denied access, but we're not seeing too many problems with that," said Robert Kanter, managing director of environmental affairs and planning at the Port of Long Beach.
To illustrate that pre-1989 trucks are no longer welcome in the twin ports complex, one was destroyed Wednesday at the SA Recycling plant near the Port of Los Angeles.
Trucker Jorge Sibrian quietly watched as his 1985 big rig was ripped apart like an aluminum soda can. A large metal claw attached to a crane tore into the old truck, which was crushed into hundreds of pieces no bigger than a fist.
Afterward, Sibrian stared at the heap of metal, shook his head and stuck a piece of the debris into his pocket.
"I've been everywhere with that truck for the last 12 years and it never broke down on the road and there were a lot of good memories," said Sibrian, a port trucker since 1992. "I'm looking forward to getting a brand-new truck from the company I work for, but I'm going to miss this one"
(but then I thought, I just got five big one$ from Mayor Villaraigosa for a truck I was gonna scrap anyway, what a deal ;D)The Clean Trucks Program is part of the larger Clean Air Action Plan that was adopted by both ports as a way to reduce harmful emissions by 45 percent by 2012.
Diesel truck emissions account for 20 percent of the pollution generated at the ports. The program required all trucks to meet 2007 vehicle emissions standards by 2012.
Each year, about 1,200 deaths across the region are attributed to diesel emissions from port trucks, according to the California Air Resources Board.
Additionally, asthma rates among children in port-area neighborhoods are double the national average, while dock workers and truck drivers face higher risks in developing lung and throat cancer, according to several studies cited by Villaraigosa's office.
"We are a long way from finished," said Martin Schlageter, advocacy director for the Coalition for Clean Air.
"There were many naysayers who said Oct. 1 is too soon, but community members said that Oct. 1 should have come quicker."
art.marroquin@dailybreeze.com