| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Port of Long Beach to study electric power for ships at berth
Wednesday April 16, 2003LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) A Harbor Commission committee has authorized a feasibility study on powering ships berthed at the Port of Long Beach with electricity instead of more polluting internal combustion engines.
``Emissions from ships at berth are a major source of air pollution, and using electricity to power those ships holds great potential as a way to reduce those emissions,'' said Richard D. Steinke, port executive director.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District reports that about one-third of all vessel emission in the region occur while the vessels are at berth. Ships at port use auxiliary diesel and steam engines to produce power for refrigeration, lighting, pumping and other functions.
On Monday, the commission's Development Committee selected Environ International Corp. Inc., which has an office in Los Angeles, to conduct the yearlong $350,000 study. Results will be made public.
``This study is consistent with our ongoing practice of operating the port in an environmentally friendly manner,'' Steinke said.
Shoreside electrification of ships, called ``cold-ironing,'' is part of the city's Healthy Harbor program to improve air and water quality and wildlife habitat. The program was launched last month urging all port-owned or port tenant-operated land vehicles to cut back on diesel emissions.
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