Ports Extend Public Comment Period Deadline

The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are extending the public comment period for the San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan by 30 days, to August 28, to ensure adequate time is allowed for the public to thoroughly review, evaluate and develop constructive comments to increase the effectiveness of the strategies outlined in the Plan. Because of the deadline extension, the final Plan will not be completed until October. So, the Ports are pushing back adoption of the Plan, rescheduling action by the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbor commissions for late October or November. The extension will not delay the ports from moving forward with programs to improve air quality. The ports are currently developing, and expect to implement the following strategies prior to formal adoption of the Plan: • Expansion and coordination of the ports’ air monitoring network, in support of the San Pedro Bay action plan standard, • Release of a joint Request for Proposals (RFP) for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) heavy-duty vehicle fleet, • Release of a joint RFP for development of LNG fueling infrastructure and heavy-duty vehicle maintenance facility, • Continued implementation and coordination on expansion of the Vessel Speed Reduction program, • Port of Long Beach’s completion of an environmental review of an Alternative Maritime Emission Control System (AMECS), which will test whether a “sock” and shore-side “scrubber” technology can reduce emissions from vessels at berth, • Planning and construction of shore-side electrical infrastructure, • Working with Pacific Harbor Line on the technology evaluation and purchasing of new switcher locomotives, • Technology advancement activities, including evaluation of LNG-fueled yard hostlers, design and development of diesel-electric hybrid yard hostlers, and participation in a vessel emission reduction project to evaluate the effectiveness of slide valves and on-board fuel emulsification, • Release of an RFP to evaluate a green container transportation system, • Inclusion of environmental covenants in new and modified lease negotiations. Additional strategies and programs are under development and will be released soon after adoption of the Plan.