Early history (1911-1960s)
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| The Hanjin terminal at The Port of Long Beach. |
The Port of Long Beach was founded on 800 acres (3.2 km2) of mudflats on June 24, 1911 at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. In 1917, the first Board of Harbor Commissioners formed to supervise harbor operations. Due to the booming economy, Long Beach voters approved a $5 million bond to improve the inner and outer harbor. By the late 1920s, more than one million tons of cargo were handled along with construction of additional piers to accommodate the growing business.
In 1921, oil was discovered at the Long Beach Oil Field on and around Signal Hill. In 1932, the fourth-largest oil field in the United States, Wilmington Oil Field, was discovered; much of this field was underneath Long Beach and the harbor area itself. The hundreds of oil wells from Wilmington Oil Field provided oil revenues to the City and Port of Long Beach. The first offshore oil well in the harbor was brought online in 1937, shortly after the discovery that the oil field far extended into the harbor. In the mid 1930's, the port was expanded, largely due to the need to transport oil to foreign markets, as the immense output of oil from the Los Angeles Basin caused a glut in U.S. markets.
The extraction of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil caused concern for subsidence as the overlying land collapsed into the empty space over time. Engineers and geologists were promptly assigned to the problem, building dikes for flood control at high tide.
In 1946, after World War II, the Port of Long Beach was established as "America’s most modern port" with the completion of the first of nine clear-span transit sheds.
Concerns regarding subsidence increased until Operation "Big Squirt," a water injection program, halted any progression of sinking land in 1960.
Recent history (1970s-present)
With the rapid expansion of the port raising concerns of pollution, the Port of Long Beach instituted programs to prevent and control oil spills, contain debris and effectively manage vessel traffic. Due to its efforts, the port was awarded the American Association of Port Authorities Environmental "E" Award. Long Beach is the first harbor in the Western Hemisphere to receive such an award.
In 1980, with United States and China's improved relations, the Port sent officials to the People’s Republic of China for the first time. Less than a year later, the China Ocean Shipping Co. inaugurated international shipping and designated Long Beach Port as its first U.S. port of call. Relationships were forged with other international powers and South Korea's Hanjin Shipping opened a 57-acre (230,000 m2) container terminal on Pier C of the port in 1991. Following this, COSCO, a Chinese international shipping carrier, secured business with the Port of Long Beach in 1997.
From the late 1990s through 2011, the Port of Long Beach has seen increased traffic and growth with the leasing of terminals. In 1997, approximately one million containers were inbound to the Port. By 2005, it had tripled to nearly 3.3 million containers. The total amount of containers had also increased from three million containers in 1997 to nearly 6.7 million containers.
The surge in vessel traffic and cargo prompted the port's increased environmental efforts. In 2004, the Port of Long Beach reached compliance with an air pollution mandate by handling petroleum coke, one of the port's largest exports, in improved ways. By using enclosed conveyors and covered storage areas, the Port reduced the amount of dust emitted by the petroleum coke by 5 percent – down 21 percent in 1997.
In 2007, the seaport launched the first stage of its Clean Air Action Plan by approving a Clean Trucks Program which banned older diesel trucks from serving the Port.
On October 1, 2011, the Clean Trucks Program was launched by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The program served to set a goal to reduce air pollution from its truck fleet by 80 percent by 2012. Trucks built prior to 1987 that fail to meet the 2007 clean truck standards set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency are denied access to port terminals. In compliance with the clean truck initiative on October 1, all trucking companies conducting business with the Port must have a Port-approved concession outlining the regulations they must abide by. By September 23, 2011, nearly 500 trucking companies had applied for concessions, amounting to more than 6,000 trucks.
Economy
The Port of Long Beach imports and exports more than $100 billion worth of goods every year.[citation needed] The seaport is responsible for producing U.S. jobs, generating tax revenue, and supporting retail and manufacturing businesses. The port supports more than 30,000 jobs in the City of Long Beach; about 1 in 8 jobs.[citation needed] More than $800 million a year is spent on wholesale distribution services in the city.
In City of Los Angeles, port operations generate more than 230,000 jobs with more than $10 billion a year going to distribution services in the city.
On the state level, the Port of Long Beach provides about 370,000 jobs and generates close to $5.6 billion a year in state and local tax revenues.
Environment
Green Port Policy
The Green Port Policy was adopted by the Port of Long Beach in 2005.
The internationally-recognized Green Port Policy was adopted by the Port of Long Beach in 2005 in an effort to reduce pollution in the ever-growing region of Los Angeles/Long Beach. The Green Port Policy sets a framework for: enhancing wildlife habitat, improving air and water quality, cleaning soil and undersea sediments and creating a sustainable port culture. The four guiding principles of the Green Port Policy are to: Protect the community from the harmful environmental impacts of Port operations, distinguish the Port as a leader in environmental stewardship and compliance, promote sustainability, employ the best available technology to avoid or reduce environmental impacts, and engage and educate the community. Long Beach Harbor is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy.
Clean Air Action Plan
In 2007, the Port of Long Beach continued its environmental efforts by implementing the Clean Air Action Plan. The Plan is an air quality program adopted by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. In recognition, the Clean Air Action Plan was given the most prestigious award from the American Association of Port Authorities, the Environmental Management Award, in 2007.
The Clean Air Action Plan also included the use of trucks that were deemed excessively pollutant. The Port’s Harbor Commission approved a Clean Trucks Program that will ban old, diesel trucks by October 2008. The landmark Clean Trucks Program will dramatically modernize the port trucking industry and slash truck-related air pollution by 80 percent by 2012. The Clean Trucks Program is outlined in the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. Diesel-powered harbor short-haul (drayage) trucks are a major source of air pollution.
The Clean Trucks Program calls for drayage truck owners to scrap and replace old, polluting trucks working at the Port, with the assistance of a port-sponsored grant or loan subsidy. The Port of Long Beach program includes truck concession requirements to identify "clean" trucks, ensure reliable short-haul service, and improve air quality, security and safety. Trucks that meet the federal 2007 emission standard produce 80 percent less air pollution than older trucks. Most of these older, polluting trucks would remain on the public roadways for many years, even decades. Therefore the Port is offering generous financial incentives to encourage truck owners to scrap and replace the older trucks. The Port will provide one-time financial assistance to accelerate the transition to clean trucks, offering optional financing plans.
Green Flag incentive program
While clean trucks were a focus, the Port of Long Beach also turned its attention to ships. The Green Flag incentive program was set up to encourage ships to slow down in order to improve air quality. The Green Flag program provides approximately $2 million a year in discounts for vessel operators who slow their ships to 12 knots (22 km/h) or less within 20 miles (32 km) of the harbor. According to the Port, the Green Flag program reduced air pollution by 600 tons in 2007 and is expected to do better in 2008.
Contributions to protecting wildlife habitats
The Port of Long Beach also recognizes the impacts pollution can have on natural habitats. The Port has donated millions of dollars to select Southern California wetlands projects with the most recent donation of more than $50 million to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, California.
Recently, Port of Long Beach officials began reviewing the possibility of playing a key role in a proposed project to restore and revitalize the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
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