Port of Long Beach Awards Grants for Health

This week, the Port of Long Beach awarded $5 million dollars for health prevention and treatment.  This fund came about when environmental, environmental justice, and community groups advocated hard for this type of program during the Middle Harbor Project’s environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Finalized in 2009, the Middle Harbor Project will dramatically expand capacity at the Port of Long Beach.  Advocates argued that even with increased use of cleaner technologies at the expanded terminal complex, impacts from construction and the residual health impacts from port operations merited great attention.  Thus, they recommended a fund to provide community resources to address the serious health impacts from port operations.  

Long Beach suffers from some of the poorest air quality in Southern California.  The main culprit is the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which pump out tons of toxic pollution each day.  This pollution exacts a large toll on residents through increased risk of premature death, cancer, and a myriad of respiratory impacts.  The Port of Long Beach’s health program is designed to provide some interim relief to residents forced to breathe this foul air while the port transforms its operations into a more efficient and less environmentally destructive operation.

Now, the Port of Long Beach should not think that providing money for health clinics is all that it needs to do to address its impacts. Rather, the port needs to work quickly to reduce its emissions through enhanced technologies.  For example, the port needs to act quickly to test and deploy more electrified operations to minimize the impact it has on nearby residents and school children.  The health money simply serves as a band aid while the twin port works to clean up their acts.   

Overall, I am happy to see that the Port of Long Beach administered this money expeditiously.  People are suffering health impacts now, and it is good to see a public agency acknowledge this reality.  The port found several worthy recipients to promote health in the region, and I look forward to progress updates on the impact this fund will have in promoting better health in one of Southern California’s most toxic areas.  With many attacking CEQA in Sacramento, this fund provides a positive example of the importance of our environmental laws in protecting the health and welfare of Californians.  Without CEQA, this fund would not have existed.   

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