The Port of Long Beach has awarded more than $2.7 million to community-based projects since 2021 as part of its Community Grant Program to reduce its environmental impact.
Under the programme, the port is planning to invest $46.4 million over the next 12 to 15 years toward community-based projects that reduce impact on air quality, traffic, noise, and water quality.
“We are proud to have the nation’s largest seaport environmental mitigation effort, the Port of Long Beach Community Grants Program,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Sharon L. Weissman.
“One project at a time, we are reducing the health effects of our operations in neighbourhoods close to goods movement corridors and cutting greenhouse gases.”
READ: New Long Beach Harbor Commission President outlines port goals
“Cleaning the environment for our communities takes many forms,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.
“It can be as large as our goal of becoming a zero emissions port by 2035 or as targeted as a bioswale project at a local park that filters pollution in stormwater. We are proud of the Community Grants Program and the benefits this funding has for the public.”
Amongst the awardees, three parks and open space projects, totalling $837,645, were approved by the Harbor Commission last year.
The projects include fruit trees, security lighting, fencing, bioswales, landscaping, and irrigation and they all aim to provide buffers between sources of port-related impacts and the surrounding communities.
The awardees were:
- City of Long Beach – $462,645
- City of Paramount – $200,000
- Conservation Corps of Long Beach – $175,000
READ: Port of Long Beach welcomes LNG-powered containership
Five solar power generation and two solar water heating projects were also approved, totalling almost $1.9 million.
Environmental benefits produced by these projects include greenhouse gas emission reductions and decreased energy consumption.
The awardees were:
Solar Power Generation:
- City of Long Beach Public Works – $121,084
- First Congregational Church – $328,660
- Long Beach City College (Liberal Arts Campus) – $415,398
- Long Beach City College (Pacific Coast Campus) – $625,398
- Memorial Medical Center Foundation – $310,787
Solar Water Heating:
- Long Beach City College (Liberal Arts Campus) – $30,000
- Long Beach City College (Pacific Coast Campus) – $60,000
The Port of Long Beach witnessed its busiest July on record despite curbed consumer spending.
Container throughput reached 785,843 TEU in July, a slim 0.13 per cent increase from the previous record in the same period a year ago.
