After the Clean Trucks Program: Creating a post-2011 Strategy for Clean Air at the Port of Long Beach
As the two busiest seaports in the United States, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles facilitate the transport of cargo that emits large amounts of pollution into local air. To address this problem, the ports recently launched the Clean Trucks Program that bans all pre-2007 trucks from entering their gates after January 1, 2012. Diesel trucks that meet 2007 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards release 90% less particulate matter (PM) and 45% fewer oxides of nitrogen (NOx) than 2004 model trucks, pollutants the California Air Resources Board (CARB) determined to increase cancer risk and cause respiratory illnesses.
