REPORT CARD
2005-2012
AIR QUALITY
OVERALL EMISSIONS
REDUCTIONS
PRIMARY POLLUTANTS DEFINED
POLLUTANT
CY 2005-2012
DPM - Diesel Particulate Matter
DPM
79%
706 tons
NOx - Oxides of Nitrogen
PM2.5
77%
645 tons
SOx - Oxides of Sulfur
PM10
79%
773 tons
PM2.5 - Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter
NOx
56%
9,154 tons
PM10 - Particulate Matter less than 10 microns in diameter
SOx
88%
4,675 tons
AIR QUALITY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE Port of Los Angeles related air pollution levels have plummeted to their lowest levels in seven years and are retreating faster than expected thanks to control measures and a commitment to public health, the latest data shows. New findings show a 79 percent drop in diesel particulate matter since the Port adopted a plan to reduce emissions in 2006.
“This past year, SOx emissions were cut in half. That and the major declines in diesel pollution show how far we've come and what ports, ocean carriers, regulatory agencies and others can do together.” – Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. Port Executive Director
In addition to dramatic gains against diesel soot, smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) have been reduced by 56 percent while sulfur oxides (SOx) have declined by 88 percent since 2005. Moreover, SOx pollution declined faster last year than any other previous year. The two pollutants are combustion products and contribute to ozone and haze. For SOx alone, 2012 marked the greatest reduction in a single year since 2005 thanks to cleaner ships and state requirements. "This past year, SOx emissions were cut in half," said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. "That and the major declines in 6
diesel pollution show how far we've come and what ports, ocean carriers, regulatory agencies and others can do together." The Port’s Inventory of Air Emissions tracks the progress of a comprehensive variety of clean air measures, requirements and incentives to reduce or eliminate emissions from ships, trucks, trains, cargo-handling equipment and harbor vessels. The latest findings are from 2012 compared with the baseline year of 2005. Even more striking, despite the recent global recession, shipping container volumes at the Port have increased 8 percent in seven years – underscoring the efficacy of control measures that knock down pollution as commerce grows. "In a matter of a few short years, communities adjacent to the Port are now breathing much cleaner air. This is the result of a very successful partnership combining the Port's commitment to the environment, the support of the South Coast Air Quality Management District and a host of new port-related clean air programs adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB)," said Stanley Young, spokesman for CARB. Among new and ongoing measures that contribute to air quality improvements, 2012 marked the first full year of California’s expanded low-sulfur fuel boundaries and the first full year of the Port’s Clean Truck Program, which bans pre-2007 engines from container terminals and was phased in over three years.
FALL 2013 | LA WATERFRONT AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES