Throughout 2007 and into early 2008, you helped us keep the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach accountable to the promises made in their ports-wide Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) adopted in 2006. The “Clean Trucks Program” was the first CAAP initiative out of the gates, and we worked to ensure that it mandated cleanest available truck technology and an economically sustainable port trucking system. Close to 12,000 of you told the Ports that you supported an aggressive and sustainable Clean Trucks Program, necessary to protect public and environmental health.

In February and March 2008, the Ports passed Clean Trucks Programs both mandating a sizable portion of new trucks be alternative-fueled trucks. Notably, Port of Los Angeles passed an economically sustainable program while the Port of Long Beach did not.

Here’s some background on trucks and the petition we sent to the Ports of LA and Long Beach to adopt the cleanest possible Trucks Program:

The San Pedro Bay Ports recently proposed Clean Trucks Program is designed to reduce truck-related pollution by 90%, but is under attack by the large and very profitable goods movement industry. We need your help in reaching our goal of collecting 10,000 petition signatures.

Cleaning up the trucks is the quickest way to see a significant decrease in port pollution, its associated health effects, and the financial burden placed on California taxpayers. The 16,000 dirty trucks coming in and out of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach alone account for 30% to 40% of all port-related pollution -- including 34% of smog forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 23% of port-related diesel Particulate Matter (PM), a known contributor to higher cancer risks, lung disease and global warming.

In addition, the current system allows industry to continue using trucks that contribute to a broken underground economy and shockingly low wages for truck drivers (that don't allow drivers to finance alternative-fueled trucks and clean technologies).

Although we believe that the Clean Trucks Plan is a great start, we want it to be stronger. And under no circumstances should it be weaker (if industry has its way). Urge the Harbor Commissioners to adopt the strongest possible Clean Trucks Program that aims to replace the dirtiest trucks with cleaner alternatives, as soon as possible.

This petition is supported by the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports - a coalition of over 30 organizations representing labor, faith-based, environmental justice, community, public health and economic development leaders in the state.

Dear Harbor Commissioners, Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach:

Last year, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach formally promised to replace or retrofit the 16,000 dirty diesel trucks regularly visiting the Ports in order to reduce air pollution and its health effects (cancer, respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease and other health problems) which harm millions in Southern California, and cost all state taxpayers. But Californians are still waiting for clean trucks. And industry is lobbying to preserve the status quo – a broken system that contributes to more than 2,400 premature deaths a year.

For too long, the goods movement industry has profited while failing to do its fair share to clean up the pollution it generates. Meanwhile, industry continues to defend an underground economy and wages so low that drivers can’t afford the cleaner and alternative-fueled trucks and technologies that are required to cut deadly pollution by 90% and more.

We strongly support the most health protective and fair Clean Trucks Program – one requiring that all trucking companies doing business at the Ports meet the high environmental and fair workforce standards necessary to replace all dirty diesel trucks as quickly as possible. It’s a cost-effective, market-based solution that would reduce pollution, improve port security, increase efficiency and reliability, and provide decent working conditions. But a real Clean Trucks Program must include:

• A real “clean truck” standard, which means the cleanest available individual truck, at the time of purchase – based on the truck’s toxic, criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. (The Program should not rely on “averaging” or allow other loopholes.)
• Explicit criteria that ensures 50% of the trucks falling in the “frequent and semi-frequent” visit categories are replaced with clean alternative-fuel trucks as proposed in the Clean Air Action Plan.
• Employee status for truckers to ensure trucking companies are accountable for environmental and safety maintenance.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach affect us all, and the entire state continues to subsidize our nation’s trade through increased health costs. They are the largest single source of air pollution in Southern California – from Orange County to the San Fernando Valley to the Inland Empire – responsible for more deadly diesel soot and smog each day than all of the 6 million cars in the region. But as the nation’s busiest port complex, and the anchor of a profitable $300-billion-per-year business, the Ports must set a new direction for the entire goods movement industry in California and across the country.

So we join the environmental, public health, and community organizations in urging you to pass the strongest, most aggressive Clean Trucks Program – and to start replacing dirty diesel trucks now.