Maritime Clean Air Strategy

The Portside Community has some of the poorest air quality in San Diego County. Polluted air can contribute to higher rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and a variety of other health related impacts. These health impacts are often exacerbated by socioeconomic factors, including poverty, educational attainment, unemployment, language barriers, and housing burdens—all of which are prevalent in the Portside Community. 

Multiple sources contribute to the Portside Community’s poor air quality, including freeway traffic, industrial/ manufacturing facilities, gas stations, and off-road mobile sources, such as oceangoing vessels and other diesel equipment. 

The Port is committed to reducing diesel emissions at its two marine cargo terminals in collaboration with tenants and other stakeholders. In effort to better understand the health risks presented by emissions emanating from the marine terminals, the Port prepared a Health Risk Assessment consistent with Health Objective 1 of the MCAS. Among the results of the assessment, the relative contribution of the various emissions sources (oceangoing vessels, cargo handling equipment, etc.) was estimated, which discloses those sources that present the highest public health risk. 

The Port has several tools to achieve the goals and objectives of the MCAS. Establishing voluntary programs, supporting regulatory efforts of other agencies, partnering on grant applications, providing financial incentives, and purchasing zero emission technology for its own fleet and equipment, as well as implementing emission reduction projects, are well established practices. 

From a technological and infrastructure perspective, the emergence of new technologies and understanding locational limitations for infrastructure development are key considerations when it comes to identifying potential projects that meet MCAS goals and objectives.  

Commercial Harbor Craft (Harbor Craft) includes a variety of vessel and boat types that serve many functions within and near San Diego Bay including crew and supply boats, charter fishing vessels, commercial fishing vessels, ferry and excursion vessels, pilot vessels, towboats, tugboats, barges, and work boats. During the next five years, the Port will research, propose, and implement, initiatives to assist vessel and facility owners and operators with the installation of zero and near zero emission infrastructure and equipment to meet or beat state goals. The Port is also committed to facilitating implementation of the first all-electric tugboat in the nation. 

Several shipyard facilities are located along the working waterfront. The California Air Resources board (CARB) regulates most off-road mobile equipment (sources) used at these facilities, and San Diego Air Pollution Control District (APCD) regulates stationary emission sources, such as emergency generators and welding and coating operations that result from ship-repair and construction related work. For example, APCD regulates abrasive blasting (Rule 71) and marine coating (Rule 67.18). 

Shipyards are subject to a number of Federal, State, and local regulations designed to reduce emissions. In California, the Clean Air Act compliance is a shared responsibility between the EPA, the California Air Resource Board (CARB), and the local air pollution control agency. Under this framework, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD) is the local agency with authority for issuing air pollution control permits to stationary sources.  SDAPCD also regularly inspects shipyards and other facilities holding air pollution control permits to verify compliance with permit conditions, emission limits, and applicable prohibitory rules. Since each shipyard may have different activities and equipment, and because they rely on variety of contractors and subcontractors to perform certain work, there is variation in the type of permits and regulations that may apply to each facility. 

The Port has worked, and continues to coordinate, with the shipyard tenants, as well as air pollution control agencies to identify additional projects and strategies that can further reduce shipyard air emissions and improve the air quality for the neighboring residents, the Tidelands, and the region.

Heavy duty trucks are used to transport cargo to and from the Port’s two marine cargo terminals. CARB recently adopted the Advanced Clean fleets Regulation which aims to transition heavy-duty trucks to zero emissions over the next two decades. The MCAS seeks to accelerate the transition to zero emission trucks by 2030—well in advance of state requirements.

The Port’s fleet of vehicles, equipment, and vessels are used by Port employees to carry out the management of the Port and the Tidelands.

Most vehicles operated by the Port are medium-duty vehicles such as typical work trucks. The MCAS aims to update its relevant purchasing and procurement policies to support investments in ZE/NZE emission technologies and create a ZE vehicle transition plan that identifies a long-term schedule to phase out current vehicles and equipment and replace with ZE alternatives. 

Leading by example, the Port’s long-term goal is to convert the entire fleet of vehicles to zero emissions (not including emergency vehicles). The Port will continue to partner with SDG&E to install charging infrastructure on Port Tidelands, regional destinations and other locations throughout the western United States.
 

Ocean Going Vessels (vessels greater than 10,000 gross tons or 400 feet in length), support the Port’s commercial maritime businesses at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, National City Marine Terminal and Broadway and B Street Cruise Terminal. In order to reduce emissions from these large vessels, the MCAS proposes to reduce in-transit emissions by facilitating the use of cleaner engines and fuels and recognizing participants in Port of San Diego’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program. 

The Vessel Speed Reduction Program is a voluntary strategy to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from cargo and cruise ships by reducing speeds in the vicinity of San Diego Bay. Studies show that reducing vessel speeds decreases air emissions which ultimately lead to better air quality. Reduced speeds can also reduce propeller noise, which benefits provides an added benefit to the marine eco system.

The Port asks cargo vessel operators entering or leaving San Diego Bay to observe a 12-knot speed limit. For cruise ships, a 15-knot limit is requested. The Vessel Speed Reduction zone extends 40 nautical miles seaward from Point Loma. 

Click for VOLUNTARY VESSEL SPEED REDUCTION PROGRAM PARTICIPATION SUMMARY REPORT

The Port will also expand shore power, and carbon capture capabilities at its commercial wharves to allow ships to emit less emissions while at berth.

Rail locomotives carry freight cargo between the Port’s two marine cargo terminals and regional destinations and/or to farther locations in the western United States. Freight rail service is provided exclusively by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, which has direct access to the TAMT and the NCMT. BNSF is not a tenant on either of the terminals, nor do they require a coastal development permit to operate, therefore the Port has no jurisdiction and limited influence over rail operations. Nevertheless, operational improvements, including rail reconfiguration at TAMT, and shifting from the Tier 0 railcar switcher at the railyard to a near-zero or zero emissions railcar switcher at the rail yard, would significantly reduce freight rail emissions. 

Rail upgrades will allow the Port’s existing facility to shift to cleaner operations. These upgrades have already begun with the completion of the rail lubricator and air compressor improvements on Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal as part of the TIGER Project. In addition, encouraging the use of cleaner switchers can also help reduce emissions associated with rail operations.

Due to the lack of direct control of freight rail emissions by the Port, close collaboration with BNSF and tenants that use freight rail services will be imperative to reduce emissions, absent new federal legislation.