Industrial Supplies In Los Angeles, CA

The sprawling Port of Los Angeles is situated on San Pedro Bay in Los Angeles, CA, about 20 miles away from the downtown area. Also known as the Los Angeles Harbor, it covers 7,500 acres of both land and waterfront. It is nearby the Port of Long Beach, and is the busiest port in the entire United States, with more than 16,000 employees.

The port is an independent, self-sufficient department of the city of Los Angeles. Oversight is provided by a five-member board of Harbor Commissioners that are appointed by the Los Angeles mayor and approved by the City Council, and is administered by an executive director.

The port is also the largest cruise ship loading point on the West Coast and has three berths for ships, which carry over 1 million passengers on a yearly basis. The cruise center is supposed to be the country's most secure cruise location. It has a security patrolled long-term parking lot that has over 2,500 spaces. When ships are in dock, shuttles move passengers and their belongings between the parking lot and the cruise ship.

Regrettably, with the massive volume of business that the port does, air pollution remains a big issue. Large container ships burning highly polluting bunker fuel idle at the docks because most have no ability to utilize shore-generated electricity. Diesel trailer trucks and locomotives idle while they sit and wait to be loaded and unloaded. An environmental regulatory agency did a study that ascertained that air pollution from the port is responsible for 2,000 cases of cancer per million people. The over 45 tons of nitrogen oxides generated daily by port vessels nearly matches the amount from the 350 largest factories and refineries in the region. That amount is expected to rise 70 percent by 2022.

Dealing with these environmental issues is a daily test for the port. Attempts are made to ameliorate the pollution problem through a variety of strategies that include cleaner-burning vehicles and more efficient cargo-handling.

Additionally, a 2.8 million dollar Clean Air Program initiative was initiated by the board of Harbor Commissioners in 2002, aimed at reducing polluting emissions from vessels and cargo-handling gear. To hasten the implementation of pollution reductions through the use of new, cleaner-burning equipment, 52 million dollars has been allocated through 2008.

Matt Paolini is an industrial industry writer for CityBook.com, the family-safe Online Yellow Pages, which carries an extensive directory on Los Angeles minerals and mining.