Texas Clean Air Matters

The Important Role of Voluntary Efforts and Partnerships in Port Sustainability – a New Orleans Perspective

By / Published: August 31, 2015
Image credit: Tracie Morris Schaefer, courtesy of the Port of New Orleans

Image credit: Tracie Morris Schaefer, courtesy of the Port of New Orleans

By Amelia Pellegrin, Port of New Orleans Environmental Services Manager

The Port of New Orleans is working to shift the discussion from ports as sources of pollution, to ports as generators of solutions that engage not just the maritime industry and freight stakeholders, but the communities we border and the workers that make their living at the Port.

Most recently, our Port was recognized in the Green Marine certification program for making the commitment to improve environmental performance. Our efforts to date include creating an environmental management program that has made major strides in just two years, in large part due to working with partners to search for solutions. From launching the first public fleet of electric vehicles in the state to engaging our stakeholders in strategies for trash free waters, we are moving quickly to capture momentum from across Greater New Orleans and the global shipping industry for much-needed environmental progress. Read More »

Also posted in Environment / Tagged , | Comments are closed

New Drayage Trucks – at Half the Price (and the Pollution)? It’s True!

By / Bio / Published: October 27, 2014
medium_8758636226

Source: flickr.com/photos/truckpr

Calling all heavy-duty truck owners who work at the Port of Houston! Cold, hard cash is available for the purchase of new trucks that are more fuel-efficient and cleaner-burning, providing up to 80 percent of the cost of a new truck.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) will be hosting a Drayage Truck Event at the Port of Houston on Saturday, November 1, from 10:00am to 1:30pm, to share information about available grants and loans in order to help owners replace older, dirtier vehicles with new, cleaner ones (see how others have taken advantage of these opportunities in the past).

Why is funding like this available to help someone pay for a new truck? By replacing an older truck with a new one, we all benefit from improved air quality. These benefits include:

  • better health, since cleaner air reduces the onset of asthma and cancer and helps avoid the loss of work and schooldays, and
  • economic advancement, as these programs help the state and city progress towards meeting critical air quality standards. Read More »
Also posted in Air Pollution, Drayage, Goods Movement, Houston, Transportation / Read 2 Responses

EDF Highlights Clean Ports Progress – Starting with Houston

By / Bio / Published: September 18, 2014

This week, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) hosted the Energy and Environment Seminar in Chicago, an important event for environmental advocacy efforts with ports across the country. And Houston will take center stage in the ports world this November when the city hosts the AAPA annual meeting in conjunction with the Houston Ship Channel’s 100th anniversary.

EDF participated in this important seminar and discussed how ports can engage effectively with environmental groups to address environmental concerns. Our presentation focused on the “value add” that environmental organizations can provide to ports, specifically in three key areas:

  • research
  • grants & technology advancement
  • policy development

Some of the panels at this seminar included: Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Houston, Panama Canal, Transportation / Comments are closed

EPA Hosts National Summit to Address Environmental Concerns and Sustainability at Ports

By / Bio / Published: April 1, 2014
Source: Digital Vision

Source: Digital Vision

Every day, countless heavy duty diesel trucks and oil-burning cargo ships move tons of goods through U.S. ports, adding pollution to urban areas that may be suffering from poor air quality. As many ports across the nation are undergoing expansion projects and increased throughput of goods, environmental concerns have become a high profile issue. With the right tools and collaboration among stakeholders, however, ports have significant opportunity to lessen their environmental impact and improve local air quality.

Thankfully, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a National Port Stakeholders Summit next week, in Baltimore, Maryland to address challenges and advance sustainability at ports. The summit invites experts and stakeholders to share expertise, ideas, and actions to reduce the ecological impact of port operations. Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Environmental Protection Agency, Houston / Tagged | Comments are closed

Clean Air and Sustainability Are Important Topics for Transportation Researchers

By / Bio / Published: January 23, 2014
(Source: Texas Public Radio)

Source: Texas Public Radio

Air pollution and sustainability may not have been hot topics for transportation professionals in the past, but they were widely discussed during the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a conference that brings together transportation professionals from around the world. And as we have highlighted in the past, air emissions from the transportation sector are of particular concern in Texas, and many at the conference took note of the state’s progress.

For instance, one panel highlighted efforts to reduce costly cargo truck delays at various Texas-Mexico border crossings. These truck delays occur due to a myriad of reasons, including rush-hour transit times and customs issues, but a recently launched initiative known as the Border Crossing Information System, or BCIS, is aiming to shorten these delays through accurate monitoring and reporting of truck queues and, in turn, reduce harmful air emissions. Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Goods Movement, Houston, Transportation / Tagged | Comments are closed

“Think Local, Act Global” is a Win-Win for Texas

By / Bio / Published: December 5, 2013

Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí. 

Source: AmCham Colombia

Source: AmCham Colombia

Texas is a big player in international trade and leads the country in exports, sending over $260 billion worth of goods to overseas markets in 2012. While robust trade can bring many positives, it can also present challenges for local air pollution. As we have highlighted before, poor air quality is a growing concern as scientists learn more about the connection between air pollution and diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis and cancer.

What does that mean for a state trying to reduce the impact of freight transportation on urban air quality? As international trade growth continues to strengthen the Texas economy, EDF recognizes that diverse partnerships are pivotal to reducing air pollution here at home.

This week, we are pleased to share the latest of our outreach efforts targeting international freight shippers: our article was published in the AmCham-Colombia Spanish-language magazine Business Mail, in a special issue dedicated to corporate social responsibility. This trade publication reaches hundreds of leading companies engaged in international trade and will enable us to introduce EDF’s principles of green freight transportation to a new audience.

The Business Mail article considers the journey of Colombian coffee as it travels from the highlands of Colombia to stores in North America, transferring to various modes of transportation along the way. For each step of the journey, we highlight an approach that can improve efficiency and sustainability such as sharing container space or choosing fuel-efficient cargo ships. The bottom line of the story is that decisions about trucks, ships and trains made globally can directly impact the quality of air that we breathe in Texas.  Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, En Español, Transportation / Tagged , , , | Comments are closed