Smart Ports Act Will Improve Air Quality and Create Good Jobs

By Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán

In many ways, the Port of Los Angeles is the economic engine of our community. It provides many jobs for our neighbors and the goods that pass through it help power the entire American economy.

Unfortunately, the port is also a major source of air pollution, with serious public health consequences, particularly for communities of color who live nearby. The people in these neighborhoods live close to working diesel trucks, ships, trains and cargo-handling equipment spewing poisons into our air and water. And we’ve paid the price. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause lung cancer, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes and may impact pregnancy.

Even though air pollution from the ports has been cut in recent years, the nearby neighborhoods in my district still have our region’s highest cancer risk from air pollution and they have much higher rates of asthma than other areas of California.

This week I reintroduced the Climate Smart Ports Act, a bill that would reduce the pollution that severely harms the people in our neighborhoods. It would combat environmental injustice and fight climate change by creating the first federal program to green our nation’s ports. The Climate Smart Ports Act would invest in zero-emissions technology and infrastructure, protect dockworkers, fight climate change, address a source of environmental injustice and create good-paying green jobs.

The Climate Smart Ports Act would create a $1 billion-a-year zero-emissions ports infrastructure program to assist ports and port users with the following:

• Replacing diesel-burning cargo handling equipment, port harbor craft, drayage trucks and other equipment with zero emissions equipment and technology

• Funding the installation of shore power for docked ships, and electric charging stations for vehicles and cargo equipment

• Developing clean energy microgrids onsite at the ports to power their facilities

• Authorizing an additional $50 million a year for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, specifically for reducing emissions at ports.

Implementing strong labor provisions to protect dockworkers from automation, require a prevailing wage for installation work generated through grants, and encourage the use of union labor and local hiring.

This past year, the Climate Smart Ports Act passed the U.S. House as part of the Moving Forward Act, legislation that invests in the country’s infrastructure. I am optimistic we can build on that momentum and pass it into law this year.

We are often given a false choice between a clean environment and a strong economy. With the Climate Smart Ports Act, we don’t have to choose.

Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington.