Current News Links Current news stories on trade, health and environmental impacts of ports and goods movement Click on the article title to read the entire story. |
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| Added May 30, 2013: | |||
Long Beach to sue L.A. over port projectLos Angeles will have a legal battle on its hands after approving a massive railyard project on Port of Los Angeles property that borders Long Beach neighborhoods.http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_23244057/long-beach-sue-l-over-port-project |
BNSF Rail Yard Project ApprovedThe Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a lease agreement with BNSF Railway Co. for the construction and operation of a controversial $500 million rail yard near the Port of Los Angeles. LA Business Journal.http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2013/may/08/bnsf-project-approved/ |
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Los Angeles City Council approves railyard project near Port of LA [updated]The L.A. City Council has approved a controversial $500 million railyard project near the Port of Los Angeles. The council voted 11 to 2 to in favor of the project, known as the Southern California International Gateway (SCIG). An environmental group is vowing a lawsuit to stop the project.
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Autism Linked to Environmental FactorsResearchers at an international conference on autism Friday presented three new studies lending strength to the notion that environmental influences before birth play a role in the risk for the condition. In one study, pregnant women who were exposed to certain levels of air pollution were at increased risk of having a child with autism.http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887324766604578460533650317520-lMyQjAxMTAzMDAwNDEwNDQyWj.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email |
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Coal Export Critics Ask: What About Pollution From Trains And Barges? The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fielded questions about coal exports from a room of about 800 people in Portland Thursday night. The agency held the last in a series of informational meetings on the air and water quality permits Ambre Energy needs to build a coal export terminal at the Port of Morrow in Boardman.
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Asthma in California: A Surveillance Report, May 2013 https://www.ehib.org/papers/Asthma_in_California2013.pdf |
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Progress and Pollution: Port Cities Prepare for the Panama Canal ExpansionEarly in the planning of the Panama Canal, Navy Commander Thomas Oliver Selfridge, Jr., wrote that “advantageous as an interoceanic canal would be to the commercial welfare of the whole world, it is doubly so for the necessities of American interests.” And indeed, since the Canal opened in 1914, it has been the main conduit for ocean-going ships carrying trade worldwide. Today the United States ranks number one in tons of cargo passing through the Canal (China ranks number two). In 2011 nearly 13,000 ocean-going cargo ships made the passage.
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L.A. harbor commissioners approve SCIG rail yard – Related stories:Environmental group to appeal planned rail yard near Port of L.A. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/12/local/la-me-rail-yard-20130313 L.A. harbor commissioners OK rail yard near porthttp://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/07/local/la-me-gateway-20130308Critics Warn Of Increased Pollution If Rail Yard Built Near Port Of LA http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/critics-warn-of-increased-pollution-if-rail-yard-built-near-port-of-la/ |
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| Added April 30, 2013: | |||
Freeway air pollution travels farther in early morningThe results confirmed that in the early morning, concentrated plumes of air pollution from freeways can travel more than a mile downwind, exposing more residents than previously thought to harmful pollution levels.http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-freeway-air-pollution-20130417%2C0%2C536917.story |
Supreme Court will hear truckers' challenge to Port of Los Angeles rulesThe case, brought by the American Trucking Associations, centers on provisions of the port's Clean Trucks Program that limits which trucking companies can serve the port. The program, designed to limit pollution, allows only truck companies with special licenses to haul goods into and out of the nation's busiest port. The lawsuit was filed in 2008.http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_23031136/supreme-court-will-hear-truckers-challenge-port-los |
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California pollution map: LA has 3 of the top polluted areasLos Angeles has three of the top 10 most polluted ZIP codes in California. The remainder are in the San Joaquin Valley, according to a new tool developed by state environmental officials to target communities for cleanup.http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/04/23/36934/map-3-los-angeles-neighborhoods-among-most-pollute/ |
MORENO VALLEY: Economist weighs in on World Logistics CenterMoreno Valley residents on Monday, Feb. 25, were told that the 41.6 million square-foot warehouse center that the city wants to develop could generate more than $2.4 billion annually and create more than 22,500 permanent jobs.http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/moreno-valley/moreno-valley-headlines-index/20130225-moreno-valley-economist-weighs-in-on-world-logistics-center.ece |
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Merced may soon see a Walmart distribution centerThe State Supreme Court has rejected a case that could have stopped the Walmart distribution center from coming to Merced. Now the city is one step closer to breaking ground for the facility at Gerard Avenue and Tower Road.http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=9025004 |
MORENO VALLEY: Planned warehouse complex would be major polluterThe World Logistics Center mega warehouse complex planned in eastern Moreno Valley would produce more air pollution than any other modern project east of the ports Los Angeles and Long Beach, regional air quality officials say.http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-environment-headlines/20130426-air-quality-moreno-valley-warehouse-complex-would-be-major-polluter.ece |
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| Added April 11, 2013: | |||
| Clear the tracks for new port rail yard
Benefits of the Gateway project are obvious, but so is the neeed to limit the effects on its neighbors. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-ports-20130408,0,5401694.story |
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| Added March 29, 2013: | |||
SCIG Protestors From Long Beach, L.A. Assemble Outside Villaraigosa's HomePhotos are beginning to appear of protestors in front of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's home as people--some of them members of a Long Beach-based group--go on a 24-hour hunger strike against the controversial proposed rail yard for BNSF's Southern California Gateway Project (SCIG). http://www.lbpost.com/news/2000002033-scig-protestors-begin-to-assemble-outside-villaraigosa-s-home#.UVX5-lKv86s |
From Racism to Lung Cancer, Workers Cope With Life in the Logistics Industry On Thursday April 28, 10 workers from a Kraft-Cadbury warehouse in the Chicago suburb of Joliet filed discrimination claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging race, gender and age discrimination. http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/7252/from_racism_to_lung_cancer_the_risks_of_the_logistics_industry/ |
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| Added October 30, 2012: | |||
Protesters rally against proposed railyard on Long Beach border In the latest confrontation over a proposed railyard on Long Beach's western border, more than 100 people rallied to oppose the project Thursday night before a public hearing. Press-Telegram http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_21806628/protesters-rally-against-proposed-railyard-long-beach-border
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Hayden terminal not healthy for neighborsThe Port of Portland’s proposed marine terminals on west Hayden Island are likely to increase already-toxic air pollution and reduce home property values on the populated east side of the island, according to a draft health analysis released this week. Portland Tribune http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/121360-hayden-terminal-not-healthy-for-neighbors |
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Storybus Tours: How the Environment Affects HealthA mother secures her food provisions by hanging them from the ceiling in the middle of the family’s apartment, safe from the cockroaches and rats. A scene from a developing country in an impoverished part of the world? No. South Los Angeles. Hollywood Health Society http://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/whats-new/storybus-tours-how-environment-affects-health |
Community members speak out against BNSF's proposed Los Angeles-area SCIG rail yard Clean air. Good jobs. I would bet that everyone living and working in the neighborhoods around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach wants both of these things. At least we can agree on that. The problem is that not everyone agrees on how we get there. NRDC Switchboard http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mwyenn/community_members_speak_out_ag.html |
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Pollution drop from building rail yard near L.A. harbor disputedPublic health and environmental experts dispute predictions that air pollution will be significantly cut if a giant rail yard is built in the L.A. harbor area. LA Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rail-yard-20121020,0,7931999.story |
In a sadly misunderstood and ill-grounded editorial, the Press-Telegram endorsed Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s (BNSF) proposed 153-acre railyard project west of the 710 freeway, the Southern California International Gateway (SCIG). The endorsement comes right before a public hearing featuring demonstrations from some 20 community organizations who will offer evidence denouncing the benefits of the project as well as proposals for a new site. LA StreetBlog http://la.streetsblog.org/2012/10/18/bnsf-falsely-claims-marginalized-communities-better-off-with-proposed-railyard-public-hearing-tonight/ |
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| Added October 16, 2012: | |||
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Nearly one in 10 children get asthma 'because they live near a busy road' Nearly one in 10 children with asthma get the life-threatening illness because they live near a busy road, according to a new study. Researchers found young sufferers living near traffic laden streets are also more likely to develop severe asthma and be hospitalised because of their condition. DailyMail, UK.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207707/Nearly-1-10-children-asthma-live-near-busy-road.html#ixzz29UvWgjS6 |
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In Southern California, warehouse workers who load goods for delivery to Walmart have reached a boiling point. For the first time in their history, they have walked off the job, even though their jobs are not protected by a union. Huffington Post .http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/13/walmart-warehouse-workers-pilgrimage-photos_n_1881306.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business#slide=more250465 |
Trucks Will Roll Down an E-Highway In California Test Los Angeles-area officials are betting that one route to cleaner air in the smog-choked region might be a so-called e-highway for commercial trucks. Within the next few years they plan to test a trolley-like system developed by Siemens that relies on overhead electric wires to power specially equipped freight trucks down roadways. The Wall Street Journal.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444506004577613523952540182.html |
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| Added September 20, 2012: | |||
Lawyers want Savannah River lawsuit decided without going to trialThe Huffington Post reports that lawyers on both sides of a lawsuit over dredging the Savannah River shipping channel "want a federal judge to rule in their favor quickly and without a trial."http://www.sandandgravel.com/news/article.asp?v1=16355 |
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Living in the shadow of the 710Now dozens of homes in Macias' neighborhood could be slated for demolition under proposed plans to expand the Long Beach (710) Freeway. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_21610788/living-shadow-710?source=jBar |
The 710: Spine of LA Freeway system and its missing link Local transportation officials know it as "The Missing Link." A dotted line on Los Angeles area maps since at least 1959, the 4.5-mile proposed stretch of the Long Beach (710) Freeway between Alhambra and Pasadena would complete a 22,000-mile Southern California transportation system that daily serves millions of travelers. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_21608426/710-spine-la-freeway-system-and-its-missing |
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| Added August 28, 2012: | |||
| White House announces accelerated port projects The Obama administration is speeding up expansion projects at five major U.S. ports, including two in politically important Florida, as part of a broader plan to accelerate public works projects across the country during a weak economic recovery. Business Week, Washington, DC.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-07-19/white-house-announces-accelerated-port-projects |
Train yard sought near Picacho Peak An on-again, off-again effort to build a massive rail yard along Interstate 10 near scenic Picacho Peak is gaining momentum. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/07/01/20120701picacho-peak-train-yard-sought.html |
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| Opposition Builds Over Port of LA's Rail Yard Analysis Strong opposition continues to mount over an impact analysis done by the Port of Los Angeles on a controversial project sought by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. http://lbbusinessjournal.com/long-beach-business-journal-newswatch/83-january-31st/326--opposition-builds-over-port-of-las-rail-yard-analysis.html | Suit Targets Dirty Air A growing body of science has confirmed common-sense instinct that dirty freeway air is seriously bad for health, and that research is now spurring Los Angeles activists and regulators to consider new ways of addressing pollution. http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19849738 | ||
| Diesel report’s publication delayed as industry demands to see documents first Publication of a landmark government study probing whether diesel engine exhaust causes lung cancer in miners — already 20 years in the making — has been delayed by industry and congressional insistence on seeing study data and documents before the public does. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/diesel-reports-publication-delayed-as-industry-demands-to-see-documents-first/2012/02/01/gIQA5wrFtQ_story.html | Activists push for highway air monitoring A growing body of science has confirmed common-sense instinct that dirty freeway air is seriously bad for health, and that research is now spurring Los Angeles activists and regulators to consider new ways of addressing pollution.http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_19754895?source=rss | ||
| Obama: Charleston deepening nationally significant The Obama Administration says that the $300 million deepening of the Charleston Harbor shipping channel is a nationally significant project and work to complete it will be expedited. ABC News, Charleston, SC.
http://www.abcnews4.com/story/19067299/white-house-announces-accelerated-port-projects |
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| Added June 12, 2012: | |||
The following three articles are about WHO's recent classification of Diesel engine exhaust as a carcinogen: This article features Andrea Hricko of The Impact Project- Diesel engine exhaust earns 'carcinogenic' labelhttp://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/06/12/9128/diesel-engine-exhaust-earns-carcinogenic-label |
Diesel exhaust fumes cause lung cancer, WHO says http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/12/us-cancer-diesel-who-idUSBRE85B0ZN20120612 IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans (PDF)http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Meetings/vol105-participants.pdf |
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| Added March 9, 2012: | |||
| Up in the Air: The Fight for Clean Air in Boyle Heights: IMPACT PROJECT FEATURED We take a look at something so basic, you probably don't even think about it — the air we breathe. But as you're about to see, not all air is equal, and one group of Angelenos is hit particularly hard by pollution. Is there anything they can do about it? Correspondent Vince Gonzales takes us to one neighborhood where just breathing can be hazardous to your health. http://www.kcet.org/shows/socal_connected/content/environment/up-in-the-air.html |
Bathed in smog: Beijing's pollution could cut 5 years off lifespan, expert says Earlier this month, a U.S. study on the economic impact of China’s air pollution was released with little fanfare. The study breaks down costs that result from the health impacts from ozone and particulate matter, which typically lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. MSNBC http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/24/10484609-bathed-in-smog-beijings-pollution-could-cut-5-years-off-lifespan-expert-says |
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| Long-delayed diesel study published A much-anticipated government study of more than 12,000 miners — whose publication was delayed by litigation from a group of mining companies — has found that exposure to diesel engine exhaust significantly increases the risk of lung cancer. iWatchnews. http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/03/02/8309/long-delayed-diesel-study-published | Rail project intends to raise the roof Freight trains heading west from the new railyard here carry double-stacked cargo containers. Heading east, that wouldn't be wise. They'd scrape up against the roof of Hoosac Tunnel in western Massachusetts and encounter similar problems in at least 18 other places along the route to the Boston area. Mechanicville, NY. Times Union. http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Rail-project-intends-to-raise-the-roof-3378263.php |
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| Railyards Judget throws out contempt attempt Railroad officials failed to have Southern California’s air quality chief Barry Wallerstein and other air district officials declared in contempt of court. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter in Los Angeles harshly admonished the railroads for seeking a contempt finding in the first place .Los Angeles, CA..Press-Enterprise. http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-environment-headlines/20120227-railyards-judge-throws-out-contempt-attempt.ece |
Railyard too noisy for neighbors From the deck behind Jeanette Anglin's townhome, the rail yard at the bottom of a steep ridge looks almost like a child's train set, with itty-bitty trucks and cute locomotives coming and going as if by remote control.But Anglin and her neighbors say there's nothing cute or entertaining about the impact the yard — a $40 million "intermodal" project — has had on their lives since it opened in January. Halfmoon, NY. Times Union. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Rail-yard-too-noisy-for-neighbors-3372116.php |
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| Daylight at Last for Study of Diesel Lung Cancer Risks After 20 years of research and almost as many years fighting industry groups in court for control of their data, government scientists can finally publish two papers showing that underground miners exposed to diesel fumes have a threefold increased risk for contracting lung cancer. The study could have a significant impact on an upcoming review of federal and international safety regulations for exposure to diesel fumes. ScienceMag. http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/03/daylight-at-last-for-study-of.html?ref=ra |
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Some of the linked articles hosted on newspaper websites may only be available within one week after posting. Search the archives of their website to find the article or contact us for further assistance. |
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Thanks to USC staff and faculty for finding these news citations, as well as to Environmental Health News, which has excellent media resources. |
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Maintained by the Trade, Health & Environment Impact Project |