Freshly retired Port of Los Angeles Director of Environmental Management Dr. Ralph Appy and Port of Long Beach Director of Environmental Planning Rick Cameron were together again at the joint International Business Association-Propeller Club luncheon last week. The two men - who have spent most of their last four years planning, implementing, promoting and defending the San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan - spent much of the meeting talking about what went right during the past four years.
Although both pointed out to an audience that was already well aware of the challenges that it was a hard road with a huge amount of contention, they were also happy to note the numbers on how much the environment had been cleaned up along the way.
Last week's release of the Port of L.A. and Port of Long Beach emissions inventories showed that harmful air emissions dropped an average of 47 percent from 2005 to 2009 in L.A. and 44 percent in Long Beach. When adjusted for the decline in cargo, the drop in emissions averages more than 41 percent - just shy of the five-year goal.
Appy called the last four years a "rigorous time" with significant accomplishments that "we now take for granted."
He said the two ports worked together in a huge partnership and that the "planets were aligned" to produce the political will to get things done. Appy praised both L.A. Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz and Long Beach Port Executive Director Dick Steinke for their leadership and said that the entire industry "stepped up to the plate to make it all happen."
"And it wasn't always easy," he said.
Cameron said that the team approach that brought together all stakeholders was responsible for the successes of the program, along with two harbor commissions that made commitments and "stuck it out through the tough times."
"I hate to say this," he said, "but we have to add the environmental groups to the list. They kept us honest and on the right path."
Appy said that technological methodology "not just hugging trees" was responsible for the progress in cleaning up the air. And the emissions inventories are proof.
Cameron pointed out that the first inventory took two years to produce, while the 2009 inventory took only six months. The ports are hoping to take only a couple months to produce the next inventory. The inventories are both "art and science," he said.
He said that the inventories assess down to the equipment level and use true data, rather than generic assumptions. Cameron also pointed out the data is so refined that agencies such as the EPA are using it.
Appy added that the inventories are being used by other ports and other countries, and that he'll be happy to have all ports use the same standards.
Both men agreed that there are still big challenges ahead.
"We've picked the low-hanging fruit," Appy said, and now it's getting more difficult - especially with the ocean-going vessels."
Cameron said that the AQMD-proposed backstop rules that set unrealistically high standards and threatens the ports with of fines propose a "daunting task."
"We couldn't satisfy all needs and wants with the original CAAP, and that's why there's a CAAP update and enhancement." He said it was "unfortunate" that the AQMD came up with the backstop.
Appy said that the ports need to be economically feasible in order to be environmentally clean. "We had a healthy environmental fund, and that's why we could pull off what we did."
Both men favor national regulations, so that customers won't avoid the L.A.-Long Beach port complex. Cameron said that the industry needs to think how it will clean up the environment - not just in the South Bay, but across the nation.
-- The Cunningham Report
