GPA Recognized for Environmental Efforts
The Georgia Ports Authority won recognition by the Environmental Protection Agency as a leader in reducing carbon emissions. The Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC), a public-private partnership formed by the U.S. EPA Region 4 office, named the GPA as a Community Leadership Award winner. “The GPA has voluntarily undertaken many projects to decrease diesel fuel consumption, resulting in improved air quality,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. In December 2012, the Georgia Ports Authority unveiled its first four electrified rubber-tired gantry cranes.
Georgia Ports Authority wins EPA Award
Christopher Grundler, director, office of transportation and air quality for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Stan Meiburg, acting regional administrator for the EPA’s Southeast Region, will visit the Port of Savannah on Friday, Jan. 17, to present an award to the GPA for environmental stewardship. Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 352,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $18.5 billion in income, $66.9 billion in revenue and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah was the second busiest U.S. container port for the export of American goods by tonnage in FY2011. It also handled 8.7 percent of the U.S. containerized cargo volume and 12.5 percent of all U.S.
Georgia Port, Emissions Reduction Grant
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has been awarded a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant. The $250k award will retrofit GPA-owned equipment with devices that reduce air emissions. “As an integral part of GPA’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, reducing consumption and emissions is a top priority,” said GPA’s Executive Director Doug J. Marchand. The engine exhaust enhancements will include diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase filtration systems installed on 80 units of GPA’s container handling equipment. “These equipment upgrades will reduce diesel emissions by 25 percent,” said GPA’s Director of Engineering and Maintenance Wilson Tillotson.
