Head start on plan that ends in 2020, targets diesel/greenhouse gas emissions
Oakland, Calif. – A seminal document guiding Port of Oakland environmental policy since 2009 is about to be overhauled. The Port announced last night that it would produce an updated Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan next fall. The plan’s purpose: reduce emissions from containerized cargo operations over the next decade.
Port officials said they‘d convene a task force this winter to revamp the existing plan that expires in 2020. They told the governing Board of Port Commissioners that the new plan would address two key objectives:
- Extending the Port’s long run of success in reducing diesel particulate matter emissions
- Developing a greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy
“Over nearly a decade, we’ve made significant progress in curbing emissions, improving air quality and protecting the community’s health,” said Richard Sinkoff, the Port’s Director of Environmental Programs and Planning. “But we can’t stop now – we’ve got to have a new plan in place well before the old one expires.”
The Port said diesel emissions have fallen 76 percent since Oakland adopted its influential air quality plan eight years ago. Truck emissions are down 98 percent while vessel emissions are off 76 percent. Diesel emissions have been shown to have a significant impact on public health.
The new plan can further curb emissions by emphasizing emerging technology, the Port said. Examples could include zero-and-near zero-emissions cargo handling equipment. The Port said government grants could help in the quest to identify useful technology.
The Port said its air quality task force would include transportation officials, civic leaders, community activists and environmental experts. They’ll be expected to produce a document for Port Commissioners to vote on in the third quarter of 2018.
The plan should have added significance because the state of California is developing its own rules for freight transport. Those rules are expected to severely limit emissions from trucks and ships. Port officials have said they intend to align Oakland policies with the state's.
