TITLE
Recommendation to respectfully request that the Board of Harbor Commissioners include the following Council priorities into the Port of Long Beach's oversight and construction of the Middle Harbor Project:
1. Research and implement progressive, groundbreaking environmental policy.
2. Provide the City Council with semi-annual reports with information regarding the "Community Health: Port of Long Beach Grant Programs" and the status of grant applications and funding allocations.
3. Review the need for additional grant allocations after fully allocating the $5 million in each of the three programs in the "Community Health: Port of Long Beach Grant Programs".
4. Begin outreach to stakeholders within 30 days and provide a transparent process for the "Community Health: Port of Long Beach Grant Programs" in order to further develop the Harbor's commitment to being a responsible community partner.
5. Incorporate the use of additional proven technologies such as electric trucks into the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project as they become available and prove feasible.
6. Incorporate necessary changes at the Middle Harbor Terminal to reflect alterations made to the draft San Pedro Bay-wide Standards, if needed, after the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resources Board and the US Environmental Protection Agency complete their review of the document and the Standards are finalized.
7. Continue to encourage and incentivize the use of alternative fuels as outlined in the Clean Air Action Plan.
8. Evaluate the benefits of a project labor agreement for construction contracts associated with the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project.
DISCUSSION
On April 13, the Harbor Department's Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was certified by the Board of Harbor Commissioners and consequently upheld by the Long Beach City Council on May 12. The Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project will combine two older, inefficient container terminals into one efficient terminal that, once complete, will use cold-ironing for all vessels at berth, increase the capacity for on-dock rail, utilize clean cargo-handling equipment, construct a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) administration building and create 14,000 new, permanent jobs.
While supportive of the Middle Harbor Project and its Final Environmental Impact Report, Councilmembers expressed the need to encourage the Harbor Commissioners to do more to offset the impacts of the project on the community and region. We believe the priorities listed above will improve the construction and operation of Middle Harbor terminal to the benefit of residents and businesses throughout the City of Long Beach.
We applaud the Harbor Commission's efforts to make Middle Harbor one of the greenest, most environmentally friendly terminals in the world and welcome their ongoing commitment to being a partner with the community.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER ROBERT GARCIA, FIRST DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER SUJA LOWENTHAL, SECOND DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER GARY DELONG, THIRD DISTRICT