Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach embrace water quality strategy

The Los Angeles and Long Beach Boards of Harbor Commissioners on Wednesday, August 12, jointly adopted an ambitious strategy to improve and maintain water and sediment quality in their ports with a collaborative, science-based approach.

Although San Pedro Bay water quality has seen dramatic improvement in recent years, the newly adopted Water Resources Action Plan, or WRAP, identifies and targets the remaining sources of water and sediment pollution in the Bay, for example zeroing in on litter, legacy sediment contamination, loose materials and other potential contaminants in the harbor area.

The neighboring ports’ harbor commissions came together for a rare joint meeting at Banning’s Landing in Wilmington to consider the WRAP.

In 2006, the two ports adopted a Clean Air Action Plan, after consulting with regulatory agencies. The Water Resources Action Plan outlines strategies designed to work in conjunction with regulations expected to be issued soon by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The ports began creating and designing the plan in August 2008, with input from multiple stakeholders, including regulatory agencies, the maritime industry, environmental groups and others. A draft WRAP was released at the end of April 2009 for a 30-day comment period.

Source: http://www.joc.com