L.A. air officials approve port pollution agreement

Lack of specifics in pact committing to zero-emission equipment leads environmental advocates to warn of 'no clear accountability'

- BY TONY BRISCOE

GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times A WIND SURFER and fishing boat maneuver in the surf with the Port of Los Angeles in the background.

Southern California air officials voted overwhelmingly Friday to give themselves the power to levy fines on the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach if they don't fulfill their promises to transition to cleaner equipment.

The ports remain the largest source of smog-forming pollution in Southern California — releasing more emissions than the region's 6 million cars each day.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District's governing board voted 9 to 1 in favor of an agreement that commits the ports to installing zero-emission equipment, such as electric truck chargers or hydrogen fuel pumps, to curb air pollution from the heaviest polluters. The plans will be submitted in three phases: heavy-duty trucks and most cargo-moving equipment by 2028; smaller locomotives and harbor craft by 2029; and cargo ships and other large vessels by 2030.

If the ports don’t meet their deadlines, they would be fined $50,000 to $200,000, which would go into a clean-air fund to aid communities affected by port pollution.

The AQMD, for its part, forgoes imposing new rules on the ports for five years.

ALLEN J. SCHABEN Los Angeles Times THE DEAL allows air quality officials to impose fines on the ports of L.A., above, and Long Beach.

Many environmental advocates voiced disappointment, saying the agreement doesn’t contain specific pollution reduction requirements.