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News Links Archive Archived news stories on trade, environmental health, ports and goods movement | ||
July 2009 Archive |
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| Added July 29, 2009: | ||
| Glen Avon residents get a new park on Saturday. After nine years of discussion, planning and construction, Heritage Park will debut Saturday with music, food, a car show and a blessing of the grounds. The 13-acre facility has a Victorian garden with a fountain, playgrounds accessible to the disabled, a bandstand gazebo, basketball and volleyball courts and a soccer area. A BMX track is still under construction. The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California. http://www.pe.com/localnews/corona/stories/PE_News_Local_W_wheritage17.457a911.html | ||
| As Congress Debates Transportation Bill, New Study on Port Trucking Shows Need For New Regulations For Clean Air, Worker Safety, And Economic Stability. As the United States Congress considers the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009, which aims to establish national regulatory reforms for American ground transportation, a newly published study details the widespread failures of port trucking deregulation. Port Trucking Down the Low Road: A Sad Story of Deregulation , published by Demos, a national public policy research center, chronicles the industry's downslide since the Federal Motor Carrier Act of 1980. Demos, New York, NY. http://www.demos.org/press.cfm?currentarticleID=9DE5AF80-3FF4-6C82-5CA1DDA9689952D6 | ||
| Law center files motion to halt terminal construction in North Charleston. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a motion today asking a federal judge to halt construction of the S.C. State Ports Authority's terminal in North Charleston. SPA interim CEO John Hassell said the motion, "while not unexpected, is unfortunate." The law center, along with the S.C. Coastal Conservation League, says the construction project should wait for additional traffic studies to determine whether Interstate 26 can handle the truck traffic that a new terminal would generate, and to study rail options that could help prevent interstate gridlock. Charleston Regional Business Journal, Charleston, SC. http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/28630-law-center-files-motion-to-hal | ||
| Study downplays environmental impact of proposed Johnson County rail hub The proposed BNSF rail hub near Gardner won't significantly hurt the environment, a new report concludes. The sprawling rail center would have some moderate to significant adverse effects on air quality, traffic and streams, but the railroad has plans to reduce any impact, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The report found that a person has a better chance of contracting cancer in a typical lifetime than from pollution from the rail yard. Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO. http://www.kansascity.com/news/neighborhood/olathe/story/1331323.html | ||
| Added July 13, 2009: | ||
| UD, RIT study looks at ship fuel, human health Most oceangoing ships use high-sulfur fuels, which emit particles into the air that can cause lung and heart disease and harm the environment. International policymakers concerned about the effect of those fuels on human health are seeking solutions. But which approach would be the most effective? A new study from the University of Delaware and Rochester Institute of Technology will help shape their answer to this question. UDaily, University of Delaware. http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2010/jul/shipemissions070809.html | ||
| Ports of LA and Long Beach can cruise into prosperity Despite rough seas in recent months for a cruise-ship industry battered by the ailing economy and swine flu scares, long-term growth in Southern California appears strong enough that Los Angeles officials are considering building a $1-billion terminal to handle an expected explosion in the number of passengers in the coming decade. A new report analyzing trends in cruise-ship travel originating out of San Pedro Bay contends that despite strong competition and a highly saturated market, the region has rapidly emerged as one of the nation's fastest-growing and most lucrative ports of call. Daily Breeze, Long Beach, California. http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_12825486 | ||
| Added July 8, 2009: | ||
| Slight rise in cargo predicted by 2010. After a three-year slump, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach should see a slight increase in cargo shipments by 2010, according to a forecast released Thursday. Despite the optimistic outlook for next year, the national recession is expected to significantly slow the rate of growth at the twin ports for decades to come, said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. Daily Breeze, Long Beach, California. http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_12744016 | ||
Bad Breath: Studies are homing in on which particles polluting the air are most sickening — and why. Tasteless. Invisible to the eye. Air contaminants less than a tenth the size of a pollen grain are nevertheless dangerous. Even on a clear, sunny day, many tens of thousands — and potentially millions — of tiny particles cloud every breath you take. Some are nearly pure carbon. But reactive metals, acids, oily hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals jacket most of these motes. Science News. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/45186/title/Bad_Breath |
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| California's ports: transportation leadership at work Oakland's port commissioners recently approved a Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan to reduce diesel pollution from port sources by 85% by 2020. As we seek to reduce emissions and energy use in transportation--whether on water, land, or in the air--this is an important step. Welcome to the Fastlane, Washington, DC. http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/07/californias-ports-transportation-leadership-at-work.html | ||
| Port of Oakland votes to ban dirty diesel trucks. People living near the Port of Oakland may soon breathe easier after the Port Commission on Tuesday voted to ban trucks that burn dirty diesel fuel. The ban, part of a $15.2 million comprehensive truck management program for the port that takes effect Jan. 1, 2010, restricts truck models older than 1994, as well as models from 1994 to 2006 not equipped with soot filters. Later-model trucks have much cleaner emissions technology than those of previous years. Contra Costa Times, East Bay, CA. http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_12604910?IADID | ||
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