&EPA
EPA-420-F-21-027
March 2021
Case Study of the San Pedro Bay Ports9
Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP)
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY CONCLUSIONS
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About the Case Study
The Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, collectively
known as the San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP), is a groundbreaking program. The Case Study of
the Sari Pedro Bay Ports' Clean Air Action Plan 2006-2018 provides a summary of the CAAP's
background and history followed by three focused discussions on environmental justice and
levers of community influence; technologies and practices for development and deployment; and
the 2017 Clean Truck Program. Best practices and lessons learned presented in the case study
include the importance of community-port collaboration, conducting emission inventories, setting
quantified emissions targets, supporting technical innovations, and developing partnerships with
industry and government.
CAAP Origins and Background
The San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP) are the entry point for up to 40 percent of U.S. containerized
cargo imports. As the SPBP capacity to transfer cargo expanded with the rapid growth of
international trade in the early 2000s, so did diesel-powered vehicles and equipment, that
continued the ports' role as being a large contributor to the region's poor air quality, in 2000, the
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) published a study that reported a high
risk of cancer resulted from air pollution from diesel exhaust. The study raised public awareness
of the health effects of air pollution, and near-port communities began mobilizing to oppose the
Ports' expansion and demanded action to improve air quality. SPBP leaders were also becoming
increasingly aware of a trend toward stricter environmental regulations and saw potential cost
savings in taking pre-emptive environmental action. In response, the ports and partners developed
the CAAP in 2006, with subsequent revisions in 2010 and 2017. The CAAP reflects a process
of continuous stakeholder engagement that can serve as a roadmap for other port operators
considering air quality actions and for near-port communities interested in advocating for their
health and wellbeing in partnership with ports.
The full case study is on the EPA Ports Initiative website..
For more information on the case study, contact talkaboutports@epa.gov.

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Case Study of the San Pedro Bay Ports* Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP)
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY CONCLUSIONS
CAAP Development and Implementation
The Ports developed the CAAP to be a living
document: each update includes new data
and strategies as information and technology
became available. Each version of the CAAP
addresses the "fair share" of the Ports' pollutant
emissions that were contributing to regional air
quality problems; tailors control strategies to
specific emission source types (i.e., vessels,
heavy-duty trucks, cargo-handling equipment, etc.);
and reflects the most recent, accurate annual
emissions inventories and estimates. There were
two updates to the original 2006 CAAP: 2010 and
2017. Key elements and outcomes of each version
are presented below.
2006 CAAP
Emission reduction
strategies for nitrogen
oxide (NOx), sulfur oxide
(SOx), and diesel particulate
matter (DPM).
Clean Truck Program (CTP)
applied tariffs to oldest/
dirtiest trucks and set a
timeframe for banning them
from the Ports.
Technology Assessment
Program (TAP) fast-
tracks low-pollution
equipment technologies
through demonstrations,
evaluations, assessments,
and incentives.
2010 Update
¦	New quantitative emission
reduction targets based
on progress from the 2006
targets and refreshed
implementation strategies.
¦	Health risk standard of
reducing population-
weighted cancer risk from
port-related DPM by 85
percent by 2020.
2017 Update
¦	Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emission reduction targets
(aligning with state and
regional programs and
regulations).
¦	New and updated
implementation strategies.
¦	Formalized public
involvement process to
ensure local concerns are
heard and addressed.
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Case Study of the San Pedro Bay Ports' Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP)
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY CONCLUSIONS
Lesson Learned: Community-Port Collaboration
Built on engagement, collaboration, and information sharing, productive community-port
working relationships are fluid, time-intensive, and essential to the success of port environmental
programs. Community-port collaborations do not need to start with a fully comprehensive clean
air plan, and ports just beginning outreach and communication efforts will likely need to take
incremental steps.
Ports can:
¦	Make participation easier for community
members by offering flexible meeting
times, food, childcare, and other
measures.
¦	Utilize existing processes such as
regional air quality and/or transportation
planning to encourage port-community
engagement.
¦	Incorporate community representation
during the implementation phase, not just
the development phase.
Communities can:
¦	Build relationships with local
policymakers, environmental NGOs, labor
organizations, and port staff.
¦	Form alliances with other communities
to elevate common issues and amplify
environmental justice perspectives on
ports and freight movement nationwide.
¦	Continue to exert strong pressure on
ports, regulatory agencies, and industry to
quickly develop and deploy low-polluting
equipment technologies.
# Lesson Learned: Emission Inventories, Quantified Targets, and Technical
Innovations
Developing emissions inventories can help ports set quantitative targets and determine
where to reduce emissions, while also providing timely information to demonstrate the
effectiveness of clean air efforts to the surrounding community. Technical innovations, including
through technology demonstrations and changes to operational practices, can support emission
reductions while maintaining a balance with economic viability.
Ports can:
¦	Create emission inventories and provide benchmarks for measuring progress toward a port's
emission reduction goals. If ongoing emission inventories are not possible, port authorities
can use other metrics and indicators to set goals and track progress toward lower emissions.
¦	When combined with equipment replacement and/or remediation cost information, inventory
data—or alternative metrics such as vessel and truck counts, vessel speeds, and gate
management system data—can point toward cost-effective emission reductions.
¦	Leverage technology demonstration initiatives to signal interest in various pollution reduction
technologies, evaluate proposals from technology developers, and support the development
and demonstration of such technologies with local funds and available resources.
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Case Study of the San Pedro Bay Ports* Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP)
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY CONCLUSIONS
Lesson Learned: Partnerships with Government and Industry
Collaboration with state and local governments, along with the shipping industry and
technology developers and manufacturers, were crucial for CAAP development and
implementation. Governments can direct money toward port projects that reduce emissions,
develop voluntary incentive programs, partner with port entities to obtain additional resources,
and—when appropriate—develop cost-effective regulations to reduce emissions.
Ports can:
¦	Coordinate with local, state, and federal governments and planning agencies to help
secure funding and develop infrastructure conducive to emission reductions.
¦	Work with government agencies to create programs that complement clean air action
plans and provide ports and industry with economic incentives for creative emission
reduction strategies.
¦	Coordinate with industry partners to evaluate new freight technologies and to test and
demonstrate emerging technologies.
Communities can:
¦	Show support for government initiatives, regulations, and incentives that support clean air
action plans by giving testimony at public hearings and sending letters of support.
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