First Name | Will |
---|---|
Last Name | Brieger |
Email Address | wbrieger@surewest.net |
Affiliation | citizen |
Subject | Goods movement |
Comment | The three strategies considered for addressing emissions from the fleet of short haul trucks serving ports all share a stated assumption: that 12000 trucks serve the ports. I question the wisdom of simply accepting that state of affairs. Rail travel is far less polluting (including GHG emissions) per ton-mile of cargo. While recognizing that some cargo never leaves the central port area, shouldn't the ARB ascertain where the cargo is ultimately bound, and consider measures designed to encourage use of rail transport instead of trucks whenever possible? In the case of goods imported from Asia bound for the midwest or even eastern US, isn't rail transport essentially the BACT, rather than hoping to use newer trucks? Can't some warehousing and container unpacking be done far from the affected air basin? Perhaps central cargo facilities, with direct rail connections from the ports, in unpopulated areas could become the locus of container handling, unpacking, re-shipping, etc. In this age of computer sophistication, cannot cargo owners, ocean carriers, and stevedoring companies apply some sophistication at the packing/loading/shipping stage to maximize the number of containers that can be loaded directly onto trains? A transport fee assessed on trucks, but not trains, or simply assessed on total voyage emissions would force cargo owners to internalize the costs of air pollution when they are choosing the fastest and cheapest way to move goods. As things stand now, the dirty 40-year-old truck idling on a Long Beach offramp is the cheapest alternative only because our citizens are paying the health cost of some bad choices made by overseas cargo owners and their local agents. Assuming rail transport will reduce the health costs, traffic, and other societal impacts, why not pass those reductions on to shippers who make cleaner choices, and pass more of the health costs on to those who engage diesel trucks? Will Brieger 916.324.2512 |
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted | 2006-04-13 13:59:41 |
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