STATEMENT: EPA is Putting California’s Air Quality Protections on the Chopping Block

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency sent California’s clean shipping waivers to Congress for review, effectively putting the state’s At-Berth Rule and Commercial Harbor Craft Rule on the chopping block. The waivers give California the authority to enforce the two rules, which reduce pollution from ships at port and require cleaner harbor craft vessels in California waters, helping to reduce air pollution, climate pollution, and harmful diesel emissions. The rules have been protecting port communities for almost 20 years, and recent updates would have resulted in a 55% decrease in cancer risk near major California ports between 2021-2032 and reduced cancer-causing pollution by 89% by 2035. Additionally, the At-Berth Rule would save the state $2.2 billion in health care costs between 2021- 2032 alone and the Commercial Harbor Craft Rule would save over $5.25 billion between 2023 and 2038. Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy’s senior U.S. policy manager for climate, issued the following statement in response: 

“At this point every American knows all too well the impacts of poor air quality, thanks to this summer’s wildfires. But for port communities exposed to dirty shipping fumes, this is a year-round reality. They always have to worry about the air they’re breathing. Removing these protections is illegal and guaranteed to make air quality worse.“

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