In early 2008, the ports of Tacoma, Seattle and Metro Vancouver, B.C., adopted goals to reduce seaport-related air emissions in the region as part of the ground-breaking Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy. The strategy marks the first such international cooperative effort in the port community. It builds on early environmental efforts at each port, and establishes short- and long-term performance measures for reducing emissions from cargo-handling equipment, rail, harbor craft, ocean-going vessels and trucks. Maritime-related air pollution has decreased—as much as 40 percent, depending on the type—since 2005, according to the 2011 Puget Sound Maritime Air Emissions Inventory. The report provided an update to the 2005 baseline inventory. The inventory estimated greenhouse gases, diesel particulate matter and a number of other pollutants. It focused on pollutants related to ships, harbor vessels, cargo-handling equipment, rail, heavy-duty trucks and other fleet vehicles associated with maritime activities. See results for the Puget Sound region and Port of Tacoma (PDF). These results will help guide and focus future emissions reduction investments. Learn more. Three years into the strategy, results are promising. The 2010 results mark the end of the strategy's first milestone and show progress in reducing maritime-related emissions in the Puget Sound and Georgia air basins. The 2010 implementation report calls out the improvements achieved by all three ports through their cooperative relationships with customers, tenants, and air and environmental regulatory agencies. Read the 2010 implementation report online or download a PDF (682 kb). | Ships: | 35 percent of ships calling frequently used low-sulfur fuels or electrical shore powerto meet the performance measure. | | Cargo-handling equipment: | 77 percent of diesel-powered equipment met the performance measure through retrofits, replacements or use of low-sulfur fuels. | | Trucks: | 94 percent of drayage trucks met the measure through outreach, engine retrofits or incentive programs. Learn more about our Clean Truck Program and read the Port's 2010 Drayage Truck Fleet Study. | | Rail: | Tacoma met the measure through replaced engines, idle- and friction-reduction technologies and low-sulfur fuels, as well as partnering on other innovative technological advances. | | Harbor craft: | Despite technical challenges, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and harbor craft operators made progress through replaced engines, shore power connections, resurfaced hulls and low-sulfur fuels. | | Administration: | Made progress through conservation programs, hybrid vehicle fleets and commute-trip reductions. |
Short term - Designed to establish a bar and be attainable by 2010 Long term - Raises the bar to a “reasonably achievable” level by 2015 based on available technology, economic feasibility and regional needs
We don’t prescribe specific technologies to meet the goals, but we have listed available options that could be used. The Port of Tacoma is focusing on activities that benefit the most people right away: cleaner fuel in cargo-handling equipment and ships at berth, as well as partnering with lessees on other environmental initiatives. Read the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy (PDF). | | |