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Greening The Port Of Los Angeles

Christine Detz |
September 14, 2011 | 10:39 p.m. PDT

Executive Producer

 

A green vehicle at the Port of Los Angeles
A green vehicle at the Port of Los Angeles
More than 100 people gathered at the 2nd Annual PortTechLA Expo at the Port of Los Angeles on Wednesday.  The expo, which brings together entrepreneurs, investors and companies doing business at the country’s largest port, had a definitively “green” feel.  

Much of the day was filled with breakout sessions extolling the virtues of this product or that product.  There was even a 2-hour session where entrepreneurs could pitch their company and projects to investors.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave the keynote speech, speaking on the importance of “greening” the port.

“Early on the environmentalists liked the greening part, they didn’t buy into the growing part.  The business community bought into the growing part but wanted to know how much the greening part would cost, but we were able to bring them together,” the mayor said.

Villaraigosa also praised area businesses.  “We have an enlightened business community that saw the green initiative as a win-win situation,” said Villaraigosa.

Harbor Commissioner Cindy Miscikowski told the crowd the process couldn’t be done single-handedly.   

“Grow the port.  Grow the city.  Grow them green, that’s our goal.  We need technology to do it and we’ve already seen the results in terms of air quality,” Miscikowski said.

According to the mayor and Miscikowski, there has been a 75 percent reduction in diesel particulate matter, or DPM, a 69 percent reduction in sulfur oxide and a 50 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide, or NOx, since 2005

The green theme was further pushed in an afternoon session on making the port a zero emissions zone.  So far the primary focus at the port currently is something called the “clean truck program” which strives to have all trucks operating at the port operating at zero missions – vehicles that don’t burn any fossil fuels or have a tailpipe.  

It’s an ongoing process and the port is far from being emissions free.  Shipping vessels are the biggest air pollution culprits.  Wednesday’s panel believes the port is probably at least 10 years away from any affordable and sustainable solution.  

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