The Port of Los Angeles has received the Federal Maritime Commission Chairman's Earth Day Award for the innovation and environmental leadership involved with its Clean Truck Program.
This is the first annual award given by the FMC chairman, Richard Lidinsy, Jr., for the nation's top leaders on environmental issues in the ocean shipping industry.

Chairman Lidinsky noted that in the first year since the Clean Truck Program was launched in October 2008, it reduced truck emissions at the Port of Los Angeles by 70 percent. The 6,600 clean trucks, including 600 natural gas trucks, now operating at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will reduce particulate emissions by more than 30 tons per year.

"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz and their team have shown real leadership in developing a Clean Truck program that, as the centerpiece of the Port's Clean Air Action Plan, combines incentives with accountability to make our nation's busiest liner shipping port complex more sustainable," said Lidinsky.

"Cleaning the air around the Port has been and continues to be one of my administration's top priorities," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "The program - already a model for other ports around the country looking to go green - will provide the kind of long-term accountability and sustainability needed for continued success."

With the assistance of the Maritime Environmental Committee's leader, the chairman selected the Port based on the following criteria: innovation in design of sustainability-enhancing incentives, measurement, and accountability; effectiveness in increasing sustainability, efficiency, and reducing environmental impacts; and anticipated creation of green jobs through efficient ocean commerce that grows in a sustainable manner.