| The sprawling Port of Los Angeles is located on San | | | | at the docks because most have no ability to utilize |
| Pedro Bay in Los Angeles, CA, about 20 miles south | | | | shore-generated electricity. Diesel trailer trucks and |
| of the city's downtown. Also called the Los Angeles | | | | locomotives idle while they sit and wait to be loaded |
| Harbor, it spreads over 7,500 acres of both land and | | | | and unloaded. An environmental regulatory agency did |
| waterfront property. It is nearby the Port of Long | | | | a study that found that air pollution from the port is |
| Beach, and is the busiest port in the U.S., with more | | | | responsible for 2,000 cases of cancer per million |
| than 16,000 employees. | | | | people. The more than 45 tons of nitrogen oxides |
| The port complex is an independent, self-sufficient | | | | generated on a daily basis by port vessels nearly |
| department of the city of Los Angeles. Oversight is | | | | matches the amount from the 350 largest factories |
| provided by a five-member board of Harbor | | | | and refineries in the area. That amount is expected to |
| Commissioners that are appointed by the Los Angeles | | | | rise 70 percent by 2022. |
| mayor and approved by the City Council, and is | | | | Coping with these environmental issues is a daily test |
| administered by an executive director. | | | | for the port. Attempts have been made to ameliorate |
| It is also the largest cruise ship hub on the West Coast | | | | the pollution problem with a variety of strategies that |
| and has three berths for ships, which carry more than | | | | include cleaner-burning vehicles and more efficient |
| 1 million passengers on an annual basis. The cruise | | | | cargo-handling. |
| center is posited to be the country's most secure | | | | In addition, a 2.8 million dollar Clean Air Program initiative |
| cruise location. It has a security patrolled long-term | | | | was initiated by the board of Harbor Commissioners in |
| parking lot that has over 2,500 spaces. When cruise | | | | 2002, aimed at reducing polluting emissions from |
| ships are in dock, shuttles move passengers and | | | | vessels and cargo-handling gear. To hasten the |
| luggage between the parking lot and the cruise ship. | | | | implementation of emission reductions through the use |
| Regrettably, with the huge volume of business that the | | | | of new, cleaner-burning equipment, 52 million dollars has |
| port does, air pollution remains a big issue. Large | | | | been allocated through 2008. |
| container ships running on highly polluting bunker fuel idle | | | | |