PORT OF LOS ANGELES, SA RECYCLING MOVE FORWARD WITH EMISSION-REDUCING CRANE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — March 17th, 2016 — The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners has authorized plans by SA Recycling to replace an older diesel mobile crane with a new mobile crane that will initially be operated with a cleaner Tier 4 diesel engine and then transition to an all-electric mode when an electrification project is complete before the end of January 2017. After January 2017, it will run solely on electricity except for no more than 12 hours per year for standard maintenance. The crane will be used at SA Recycling’s scrap metal recycling, processing and export operations at the Port of Los Angeles.
The project is being funded in part by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) $1.3 million Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant to the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department. The remaining cost of the $5 million crane replacement project is being funded by SA Recycling, which will own, operate and maintain the crane at the Port. This project is in alignment with EPA’s plan to reduce emissions from diesel fleets and thereby reduce the local air pollution.
“In light of SA Recycling's continued contributions toward preservation of the environment we are pleased to take this positive step forward,” said Terry Adams, executive vice president of SA Recycling. “Our investment in this crane is an investment in the community and our employees, which we celebrate.”
“Replacing older equipment with new greener technology is one of many strategies that the Port and our customers are pursuing to improve air quality in our surrounding communities and greater Los Angeles air basin,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This project is also a great example of how public-private partnerships can be leveraged to make air quality improvements happen.”
The new crane will be used to load processed metals onto vessels to be shipped overseas. Replacing a 950-horsepower diesel-powered “Tier 2” crane, the newly installed “Tier 4” engine will eliminate 74 tons of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), three tons of particulate matter (PM), three tons of hydrocarbons (HC), and 14 tons of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions over the life of the equipment. The electric engine will also result in additional reductions in both greenhouse gases (GHG) and noise.
The Board’s action included adoption of the Final Initial Study/Negative Declaration that determined that there were no adverse impacts associated with the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Board also approved issuance of a Coastal Development Permit needed to move the project forward. The permit approval followed the close of a public comment period in which no negative comments were received about the proposed project.
The Port of Los Angeles was one of four U.S. ports to receive a DERA grant last year aimed at reducing diesel emissions and improving air quality, particularly for communities near port operations.
Setting new standards for quality and environmental leadership, SA Recycling is an industry-leading metal recycler. In addition to its operations at the Port of Los Angeles, which have been in operation since 1962, the company operates more than 60 recycling facilities throughout California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. As North America’s leading seaport in terms by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $290 billion in trade during 2014. Port operations and commerce facilitate more than 148,000 jobs (about one in 12) in the City of Los Angeles and 531,000 jobs (or one in 16) in the five-county Southern California region. The San Pedro Bay Ports support more than 1 million California jobs and 3.1 million nationwide.