We are a broad alliance of environmentalists, labor and public health advocates, truck drivers, faith and community organizations. We see an undeniable link between poverty and pollution at the New York and New Jersey ports and support a cleaner, more efficient, 21st century business model for port trucking.
Environmental Groups Blast Port of Seattle CEO Yoshitani for Attempts to Tank Congressional Clean Air Efforts
Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani, is taking on a large national coalition of environmental groups, labor unions, the mayors of New York, Los Angeles, and Oakland, and many Democratic leaders in a fight over proposed environmental legislation in Congress. Insiders say Yoshitani is asking the policy committee of the American Association of Port Authorities to formally oppose legislation that would empower ports to set environmental, safety, security and operational standards for port trucking companies doing business on their property.
"This is unconscionable," said Brady Montz, Chair of the Seattle Group of the Sierra Club, "For years, the Port of Seattle has claimed that our outdated federal laws limit their ability to protect Seattle's neighborhoods from polluting trucks; and now it turns out that Tay Yoshitani is working behind the scenes to prevent the Port from even having the option to enforce environmental standards for trucking companies." (Click here to read more.)
NOT JUST A CALIFORNIA PROBLEM
New Report Links Poor Industry Standards in Port Trucking to Public Health Crisis on Both Coasts
Diesel Pollution Claims More Lives Each Year Than New York and New Jersey Homicides Combined
A major new report by the Coalition for Healthy Ports finds mounting evidence that lax regulation in the national port trucking system has triggered a broad public health crisis similar to that in the California port communities of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland. The release of the report precedes an expected announcement from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey banning old trucks at the region’s ports.
View the Press Release here.
Click here to download the full PDF version of the report.
Media Coverage
New Report Says Port Trucking Causing Public Health Crisis
Jersey City Independent, December 9th, 2009
99.5 FM Evening News
WBAI/Pacifica Radio, December 9th, 2009
**For more information contact Paul Karr at 917-208-5155 or paul.karr@changetowin.org
NPR: Activists, Union Fight For Cleaner Trucks In Newark
Why the L.A. clean truck program is worth fighting for
by Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles
Just over a year ago, the Port of Los Angeles started the Clean Truck Program (CTP), a groundbreaking initiative designed to take the truck pollution issue head-on, once and for all. Prior to the implementation of the CTP, pollution generated by port-related sources (trucks, trains, ships, etc.) was such an issue that mounting health concerns and legal threats paralyzed port expansion efforts and threatened Southern California's future viability as the nation's largest cargo gateway.
click here to read the full article
Mayors Bloomberg and Booker Support the Clean Truck Program
- Ramon Colón, port truck driver and 33 year Newark resident, at press conference with Mayor Bloomberg, Mayor Booker and Teamsters President James Hoffa.
Against the backdrop of the East Coast’s largest trade complex, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Newark Mayor Cory Booker on Sunday jointly announced their support of the Port of Los Angeles’ Clean Truck Program, the nation’s most successful program ever for reducing toxic truck emissions. Their endorsement before dozens of local port drivers, community residents, environmental advocates and labor leaders included a call for Congress to ensure an obsolete law cannot be used to roll back LA’s clean-air progress or deter other ports from following suit.
Coalition for Healthy Ports Press Release
Latest News
Truckers scrambling after grant money dries up
By Cecily Burt
Oakland Tribune, November 3rd, 2009
Starting Jan. 1, all diesel drayage trucks serving the Port of Oakland — from 2,000 to 3,000 — must comply with strict air quality regulations enacted by the state Air Resources Board. Trucks with engines manufactured before 1994 are banned.
When Blue Meets Green
By Ethan Goffman
The Environmental Magazine, November 2009
Perhaps it began in Seattle in 1999, with the epic “Teamsters and Turtles” alliance to protest a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Unions and environmentalists, at the time seen as an unlikely pairing, united against a version of globalization that, they argued, spurs a “race to the bottom,” encouraging corporations to undercut both worker rights and environmental standards.
Cleaner-Trucks Mandate Will Create Hardships at Port of Oakland
By Frances Dinkelspiel
New York Times, Bay Area Edition, October 30th, 2009
“This is straight-out slavery, only modern,” said Mr. Zerfiel, 49, a native of Eritrea. “The companies tell you to keep your mouth shut, take what they give you, and don’t say anything because if you say anything there’s always another guy who can do it.”
Driving Toward Clean Air at Our Nation’s Ports
By Peter Lehner and Carl Pope
Huffington Post, October 28th, 2009
"Cancer alley." That's what many Southern Californians call the 23-mile rail and truck corridor connecting our nation's largest seaport to massive distribution centers east of Downtown Los Angeles. In California alone, diesel air pollution from ships, trucks and trains kills more than 3,700 people every year -- more than died in the 9-11 attacks.
One Year Anniversary of the Clean Trucks Program
October 1st, 2009 marks the one year anniversary since the landmark Clean Truck Program was enacted at the Port of Los Angeles. To date this program has removed more than 2,000 dirty rigs from the road, put nearly 6,000 clean-burning trucks in service and reduced more than 30 tons of diesel particulate matter in the air Southern Californians breathe each year. This is equivalent to removing the particulate matter emissions of nearly 200,000 automobiles!
Unfortunately the American Trucking Association has challenged the Clean Truck Program in court, which risks its long-term success and creates legal doubt for other port cities seeking to enact similar life-saving efforts.
In celebration of the first anniversary of the LA Clean Truck Program, and in solidarity with more than 100 environmental, public health, community, labor and faith-based organizations in our national alliance, several partners in the Coalition for Healthy Ports released statements today calling on Congress to update federal law so local officials have the ability to clean the air and ensure green economic growth for our communities.
The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports
Garden State Alliance for a New Economy
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Ironbound Community Corporation
New Jersey Environmental Federation
Latest Research
"Driving on Fumes: Port Truck Congestion Exposes the High Cost of Doing Business in Newark"
by the Coalition for Healthy Ports, Spring 2009
A broken business model at the Ports of Newark and Elizabeth has a choke hold on port truck drivers and the residents of the surrounding communities. The Ports of Newark and Elizabeth are the nation's third largest trade hub, but port-adjacent communities have not benefited from the billions of dollars generated by port commerce.
Click here to access a full list of research.
Latest Video
On October 18th, 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, NJ stood alongside Teamster president James P. Hoffa, port-adjacent community residents and port truck drivers to declare their support for the Clean Truck Program and call on Congress to amend federal law.
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