Aliso Canyon Disaster Studied; New LBPD Deputy Chief; New Trans-Pacific Green Shipping Corridor

Researchers Called to Lead Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Study

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health Jan. 18, announced the release of a Request for Proposals or RFP to solicit independent researchers to conduct the Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study or Health Study. The purpose of the Health Study is to evaluate the short and long-term health impacts of the 2015-2016 Aliso Canyon Disaster on people living in the surrounding communities. Public Health has been charged with facilitating the search for independent third-party researchers under the oversight of a Scientific Oversight Committee or SOC.

The gas blowout and disaster, the largest in the history of the United States, occurred six years ago at the Southern California Gas Company’s Aliso Canyon gas storage facility located in the Santa Susana Mountains in Los Angeles. More than 109,000 metric tons of methane gas was released into residential communities surrounding the facility for 111 days. Thousands of residents were displaced from their homes, schools were relocated, and many people reported illness and acute health symptoms during and following the disaster.

Since the blowout, Public Health has conducted numerous community outreach efforts and solicited input from the impacted communities. This input was fundamental in the development of the RFP under the guidance of the independent SOC. Once the researchers are selected, community input will continue to remain an essential part of the Health Study process.

After completing the vetting and RFP process, the aim is for the Health Study to commence by the fall of 2022. 

Submissions are due April 12. For information contact AlisoStudy@ph.lacounty.gov.

Details:  http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/healthresearch/.

LBPD Commander Patrick O’Dowd Promoted to Deputy Chief

LONG BEACH —  Deputy Chief O’Dowd Jan. 29, assumed command of the Long Beach Police Department’s Support Bureau, which includes the jail, training, port police, and security services divisions.

Deputy Chief O’Dowd began his career with the Long Beach Police Department in 1993 as a clerk typist in the Records Division. He was promoted to records supervisor where he worked until being hired as a police recruit in 1995. He promoted to Sergeant in 2011, Lieutenant in 2015, and Commander in 2018. Deputy Chief O’Dowd has worked a variety of assignments throughout his career, including patrol, special enforcement section, gang investigations detail, financial crimes, homicide, internal affairs, and administrative lieutenant for the Patrol Bureau. Prior to promoting to deputy chief, he led the East Patrol Division as a Commander and was then assigned to the Office of the Chief of Police, where he served as chief of staff.

POLA, Port of Shanghai and C4 Cities Form Partnership in First Trans-Pacific Green Shipping Corridor Between US and China Ports

Los Angeles and Shanghai Jan. 28, announced a partnership of cities, ports, shipping companies and a network of cargo owners to create the first green shipping corridor on one of the world’s busiest container shipping routes. 

Convened by C40 Cities and the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles, including maritime stakeholders, this partnership has agreed to create an initiative establishing a green shipping corridor to decarbonize goods movement between these ports. The partnership will achieve these goals by developing a “Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan” by the end of 2022.

Key decarbonization goals for the Green Shipping Corridor include:

• The phasing in of low, ultra-low and zero carbon fuelled ships through the 2020s with the world’s first zero carbon trans-Pacific container ships introduced by 2030 by qualified and willing shipping lines.
• The development of best management practices to help reduce emissions and improve efficiency for all ships using this international trade corridor.
• Reducing supply chain emissions from port operations, improving air quality in the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles and adjacent communities.

The City of Shanghai, the City of Los Angeles, the Port of Shanghai (through the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission) the Port of Los Angeles and C40 Cities initiated this partnership. Participating partners include A.P. Moller – Maersk, CMA CGM, Shanghai International Ports Group (SIPG), COSCO Shipping Lines, the Aspen Institute’s Shipping Decarbonization Initiative, facilitators of Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV), and the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre in Asia.