Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
[STK]
[IN] ENV TRN AUT
[SU] ENI ENP NPT
-- WITH PHOTO -- TO ENVIRONMENTAL, NATIONAL, AND TRANSPORTATION EDITORS:
U.S. Port Officials, Environmentalists, Industry & Top EPA Officials
Meet In Baltimore to Advance More Sustainable Ports Agenda
BALTIMORE, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Proven and
potential solutions to improve the air quality and the environmental
profile of major U.S. ports is the focus today of a port stakeholder
summit organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A number of representatives from U.S. ports, national environmental
organizations, manufacturers, and state and federal agencies are
participating in the EPA's "Port Stakeholders Summit: Advancing More
Sustainable Ports" conference.
(http://www.epa.gov/otaq/ports/ports-summit.htm)
The EPA summit includes work sessions where participants are examining
the potential best practices in operational strategies, new
technologies - including engine and vehicle technologies -
and approaches to encourage local community engagement.
Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology
Forum, is scheduled to serve as the facilitator of the final working
group. (http://www.dieselforum.org/)
"Our nation's ports are the economic engines for the global economy,"
Schaeffer said. "They are also comprised of local businesses in local
communities that provide tens of thousands of jobs in the receiving,
moving, transferring and delivering the goods our economy demands.
"Diesel power is the engine for America's ports. Nationwide, 84
percent of all tonnage is moved by diesel powered vehicles, engines
and equipment. This national conversation on ports is valuable in
helping everyone learn more about how goods move in and out of ports
and the patterns of use of trucks, trains, boats and barges that move
and handle these goods.
New Diesel Engines & Equipment Have Near Zero Emissions "Diesel engine
and equipment manufacturers are now producing new clean trucks and
material handling equipment such as lifts and cranes that have
near-zero emissions. This coincides with the new generation of clean
diesel trucks that are emitting now near zero emissions. The expanding
deployment of these new technologies is driving further emissions
improvements and CO2 reductions across the United States and our ports
since 2007.
"And the beginning of this year marked the introduction of near zero
emissions off-road engines and equipment for material handling. New
marine and rail clean diesel technologies will be available in less
than 10 months.
Modernizing & Upgrading Older Diesel Engines Can Reduce Port Emissions
"Immediate improvements can be made at our ports today, through
Investments in new clean diesel technology. There is an increasing
expertise in modernizing and upgrading existing engines and equipment,
and the ports have been a real success story there.
"It's also good that EPA announced today $4 million in new Diesel
Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding for six ports in California,
Washington, Maryland and Virginia to upgrade and repower diesel
engines. To date, these federal retrofit efforts have in large part
been enabled by funding through the DERA.
(http://www.epa.gov/otaq/ports/ports-dera-rfp.htm)
"While there has been some question about the need for the DERA
program by EPA, recent statements by several of Members of Congress in
both the House and Senate have sent a strong and bipartisan message
about their view of the benefits and importance of the continuation of
the DERA program."
Clean Diesel Success Stories at the Port of Long Beach & Port of Los
Angeles Schaeffer pointed to the emissions reductions at the Ports of
Long Beach and Los Angeles as examples to two success stories.
"Thanks to the introduction of new clean diesel engines deployed in
the many applications in ports, along with retrofit activities to
install emission control technologies on older diesel engines, air
quality in ports is rapidly improving," Schaeffer said. "Nowhere is
this more evident than in Southern California. The Port of Los
Angeles estimates that between 2005 and 2012, particulate matter (PM)
decreased by 77 percent, or 645 tons per year, while Nitrogen Oxides
(NOx) was reduced by 56 percent, or 9,100 tons per year.
"Other ports have also reported similarly impressive emission
reductions. The overwhelming majority of these clean air achievements
are attributable to the introduction of clean diesel technology in
ports.
"Strategies to reduce emissions from ports have targeted three areas -
improving operational efficiencies at the port; programs to reduce
emissions from the trucks, trains and tugboats and other material
handling equipment servicing the port; and efforts to control
emissions from the ships and other vessels serving the ports,"
Schaeffer said.
"The Diesel Technology Forum is pleased to join in this national
conversation on ports. The Forum was invited and serves on EPA's
Executive Steering Committee with 10 other stakeholders representing
environmental, community and state and federal government agencies,"
Schaeffer said. "The Forum is committed to continuing to work with
national and local environmental and community groups, and state and
federal government agencies to further improve our port communities."
More information about EPA's National Conversation on Ports:
www.epa.gov/otaq/ports/
ABOUT THE DIESEL TECHNOLOGY FORUM The Diesel Technology Forum is a
non-profit national organization dedicated to raising awareness about
the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology, and working
with policymakers and other stakeholders on common solutions. Forum
members are leaders in clean diesel technology. For more information
visit www.dieselforum.org.
For the latest insights and information from the leaders in clean
diesel technology, join us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter
@DieselTechForum, or YouTube @DieselTechForum and connect with us on
LinkedIn .
(View this press release online here.)
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s),
click appropriate link. Allen Schaeffer
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=111282
Contact: Steve Hansen shansen@dieselforum.org 301-668-7230 (o)
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/MM46474LOGO
SOURCE Diesel Technology Forum
-0- 04/08/2014
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/MM46474LOGO
/Web Site: http://www.dieselforum.org
CO: Diesel Technology Forum
ST: Maryland
IN: ENV TRN AUT
SU: ENI ENP NPT
PRN
-- DC00850 --
0000 04/08/2014 16:13:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
