The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously approved a new cooperative agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), the Port of Los Angeles, and the Port of Long Beach. The agreement speeds up the deployment of zero-emission technology and infrastructure across cargo-handling equipment, harbor craft, trucks, trains, and ocean-going vessels.
Mayor Karen Bass praised the decision, saying it strengthens the City’s commitment to clean air and sustainability. “By working with South Coast AQMD and the Port of Long Beach, we move closer to cleaner air and healthier communities,” she said.
South Coast AQMD and the Port of Long Beach approved the agreement earlier in November. The agreement requires both ports to submit draft zero-emission infrastructure plans by May 2027, with final plans due by December 2029.
Councilmember and South Coast AQMD Board Member Nithya Raman emphasized the need for immediate action. “We must act now to deliver clean, breathable air for our communities,” she said.
Los Angeles Harbor Commission President Lucille Roybal-Allard said the agreement gives ports flexibility while ensuring transparency and accountability. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka added that it creates a “balanced, results-driven approach” to developing the infrastructure needed to reduce emissions.
South Coast AQMD will track progress through annual reports and regular updates to its Governing Board. Noncompliance penalties range from $50,000 to $200,000 per violation. Penalty funds will go toward projects that benefit communities near the ports.
The agreement expands on the ports’ Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), launched in 2006. Since then, the Port of Los Angeles has cut diesel particulate matter by 90%, sulfur oxides by 98%, and nitrogen oxides by 73%. Emissions per 10,000 containers have dropped even further.
Both ports continue working with South Coast AQMD on new “CAAP-Plus” measures targeting emissions from ocean-going vessels, the ports’ largest remaining pollution source. The South Coast AQMD Board expects to review these measures in Spring 2026.
