Oakland to ban dirty trucks to cut diesel pollution

OAKLAND's port authority plans to ban trucks that do not meet higher pollution standards on diesel fuel exhaust emissions.

"We are taking an aggressive position - that only cleaner trucks will serve our seaport," said Victor Uno, president of Oakland's Board of Port Commissioners.

"The Port of Oakland is balancing its economic responsibility as a global gateway with its social responsibility to reduce air pollution and improve the trucking system at the Oakland seaport," he said.

Mr Uno's statement came with the announcement of the launch of the US$15.2 million Comprehensive Truck Management Plan (CTMP) to amend the port tariffs at marine terminals and ban trucks that do not meet standards.

Its move to prepare ordinance to enforce a truck ban will demonstrate that the port is very serious about reducing diesel pollution, said the board.

Its CTMP "will address air quality, safety and security, business and operations, and community issues related to drayage trucking at the Oakland seaport and is developed within the port's master plan framework of the Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan (MAQIP) which aims to reduce seaport diesel pollution by 85 per cent by the year 2020."

"The CTMP will also improve the flow of commerce through operational efficiencies and reducing traffic and congestion," added the board's maritime director James Kwon.

(Source: News and Data Online)