Air
When it comes to air, the traditional frames of reference—ports, political boundaries, waterways—aren't meaningful. We understand the importance of working with others to improve and protect our region's air quality.
Our approach to air quality—as with other environmental issues—focuses on leadership instead of compliance.
Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy
The Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy (Strategy) is a collaborative effort between the Port of Tacoma, Port of Seattle, The Northwest Seaport Alliance, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in British Columbia to reduce air and greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and port operations in the ports' shared airshed.
First adopted in 2008, the Strategy was the first international strategy of its kind in the Port community. The original Strategy sought to encourage environmental action above competition and created a means for the four Northwest ports to work collectively and voluntarily to reduce air pollution. In 2020, the Northwest ports renewed the Strategy with a new vision to phase out emissions from seaport-related activities by 2050, supporting cleaner air for our local communities and fulfilling our shared responsibility to help limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Clean Truck Program
The Northwest Seaport Alliance, a partnership between the ports of Tacoma and Seattle to manage our marine cargo business and facilities, developed an integrated Clean Truck Program in 2019 to help meet the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy goals.
Learn more about the Clean Truck Program.
On-dock rail
The four dockside rail yards at the Port of Tacoma—North Intermodal Yard (Husky Terminal), Hyundai Intermodal Yard (Washington United Terminals), Pierce County Terminal Intermodal Yard, East Blair One Terminal—not only move cargo efficiently from container terminals, but these infrastructures also help reduce the number of trucks on city streets and highways.
Each full train that leaves the Port represents 250 to 300 trucks not on our roads, reducing roadway congestion and diesel emissions.