Blunt Rochester Introduces Bill to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Air Pollutants at Nation’s Ports

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) introduced the Climate Action Planning for Ports Act of 2020. The Climate Action Planning for Ports Act of 2020 establishes a competitive grant program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that incentivizes ports to create and implement climate action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants at our nation’s ports.

“We know that ports across the country, like the Port of Wilmington, are vital cogs of our national economy. The Port of Wilmington, alone, is the gateway for around 4000 vessels annually, imports and exports over 6 million tons of cargo and employs more than 3000 people. We also know that emissions from the goods movement, such as ships, trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, and the emissions from stationary sources, such as cargo-handling equipment, are major contributors to air pollution, especially for the communities closest to a port,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, a member of the House Energy & Commerce Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee. “That’s why I’m so proud to introduce the Climate Action Planning for Ports Act of 2020 — giving our ports the resources they need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create good jobs, engage with local near-port communities, and reduce air pollution in those communities. This bill is an important step toward environmental justice, as a disproportionate number of low-income communities and communities of color live in near-port communities.”

The EPA estimates that around 39 million people live in close proximity to a port and that a disproportionate amount of those living close to ports are low-income communities and communities of color. With growing evidence that high levels of air pollution exacerbate the effects of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to find ways to decrease cumulative air pollution impacts for near-port communities.

The Climate Action Planning for Ports Act of 2020 will:

• Authorize EPA to award competitive grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants at ports.
• Require inventory practices to measure the progress of the climate action plans.
• Provide labor protections to ensure plans will not result in net job losses.
• Require near-port community and local environmental justice community stakeholder engagement on climate action plans.
• Give priority to climate action plans that take a regional approach, collaborate with near-port communities, or have offsite benefits, such as reducing pollutants at sites other than the ports involved.
• Authorize $250 million annually for Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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