Seattle, Tacoma get EPA grants for clean diesel initiatives

The ports of Seattle and Tacoma received nearly $2 million In grants under a new Environmental Protection Agency initiative that recognizes U.S. ports for improving environmental performance and sustainability.

It’s a great move because port areas generate some of the worst diesel emission problems in the nation, whether it’s from the cargo ships that dock at terminals without powering down their engines, the terminal equipment that services the ships, or the hundreds of trucks moving to and from terminals to load and unload the cargo.

Seattle City Council: Thumbs down on PNW coal-export terminals

Seattle’s City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the development of coal-export terminals in Washington State, but what does it really mean? Actually not much – it’s a victory, sort of, for environmental activists that are fighting proposals to transport coal on 1.5 mile-long trains through the region for eventual export to China.

But the city council has no real say on what happens with this issue; it was an easy vote for the council members. But it is a clear message from a city and port that prides itself on its greenness. (Regarding the Port of Seattle: the port’s opposition to a new sports arena in the SoDo district for NBA-starved fans because of “traffic” is both heartless, tone deaf, short-sighted and incredibly lame – but I digress.)

100 years on: Happy Birthday Port of Seattle!

A little hometown cooking today: Here’s to the Port of Seattle on its 100 birthday!

Some of us are lucky to live and work in their favorite city (and port) either by happenstance or design. I count myself among those persons, having lived here since 1994 through pain, loss, success, fun, tugboat races, seafood, Seafair pirates, the Seattle Mariners and, well, living. There’s no place quite like Seattle for all of that.

Governor Gregoire has declared today “Port of Seattle Day” in Washington, marking the centennial of the port, which has served as the region’s major economic engine. The port generates nearly 200,000 jobs across the state and $867 million in state and local tax revenues. For more, visit the centennial website at www.portseattle100.org.

Seattle port gets scrappy

Not scrappy in the way one might think—this is Seattle after all and this town is anything but scrappy even on a bad day. But the Port of Seattle is going scrap-happy about trucks.

The port launched its on-line program aimed at registering newer, cleaner drayage trucks that access its container terminals on Jan. 1. As of that date all port drayage trucks entering Seattle’s terminals must adhere to new Clean Truck Program Guidelines.

Requirements include:

– All trucks must have model-year 1994 or newer engines.

– All trucks must be registered in the Port’s Drayage Truck Registry and display the Green Gateway sticker on the driver’s side door.

The program is designed to support the goals of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, which aims to lower emissions from all sectors of maritime operations. So far, the port says more than 5,929 trucks and over 1,100 trucking companies and truck owners are registered in the Drayage Truck Registry (DTR).

Registration can be done online or in person at the Port of Seattle’s Drayage Truck Registry office located at the Terminal 5 CFS Building, 3443 West Marginal Way SW. Hours are 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Drayage trucks with engines older than model-year 1994 may be eligible for a $5,000 “bounty” through the ScRAPS Program (Scrappage and Retrofits for Air in Puget Sound). For more information, contact: Cascade Sierra Solutions, 200 SW Michigan Street, Seattle, WA 98108, 206-988-8893. Since the program began in 2009, 269 trucks have been scrapped.

The Port of Tacoma has a similar clean-truck program and scrapping plan in place. Tacoma maintains a database of trucks serving its port, with information on truck age and owner information. Tacoma’s drayage fleet numbered nearly 3100 at the end of 2009.

Although fairly new, the programs at Tacoma and Seattle, including the idea of incentive payments to get the older drays off of port roads, shows that a market-based, collaborative approach to cleaning-up truck emissions makes good and sustainable business sense.