The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach was honored Foss Maritime Company, calling its innovative approach to reducing air pollution in southern California an outstanding example of corporate leadership.
Among Foss’ initiatives: Developing the world’s first hybrid tug, the Green Dolphin, a low-emission vessel that company officials expect to deploy in San Pedro Bay by the fall of 2008. Earlier this year, the federal Environmental Protection Agency gave Foss and the Green Dolphin its Clean Air Technology Award, the first time a marine operating company has ever received the honor.
Susan Hayman, vice president for environmental and corporate development, accepted the award for corporate level leadership at the First Annual San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan – Clean Air Excellence Awards.
Foss announced in March 2007 that it was collaborating with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to build the Green Dolphin, part of the ports’ ongoing efforts to clean air in the region.
Industry analysts and environmental officials alike have praised the low-emission Green Dolphin. It reduces nitrogen oxide, particulate emissions, sulfur dioxide and carbon emissions and will exceed the EPA’s Tier 2 emissions requirement for marine engines.
Examples of other Foss environmental initiatives recognized by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach include minimizing waste streams on harbor tugs by using a vacuum truck service for their oily waste removal; and, completing an energy audit and developing an energy management plan to manage Foss vessels. Foss also uses vapor recovery systems on all of its ship bunkering barges in Southern California. Between mid 2003 and January 2008, the vapor recovery system on the Foss barges captur ed 38.6 short tons of volatile organic compounds that would have otherwise been released to the atmosphere in the Los Angeles/Long Beach basin.