Water and Sediment Quality Improvement Initiatives

Water Resources Action Plan (WRAP)
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are cooperating on an action plan with the mission to promote sustainable port operations by protecting and improving water and sediment quality in the harbors while allowing port development to continue.  The plan will integrate the ports’existing water and sediment quality programs but also identify and utilize innovative approach, including those that exceed regulatory requirements where feasible, to ensure the ports’ continue control of water pollution and sediment contamination.  Ultimately, the ports’ plans are to attain full beneficial use, non-impairment and non-degradation of the harbor waters.  Local communities, government agencies, NGOs, and Port tenants are invited to participate in the monthly Plan Advisory Committee meetings to help guide the development of this action plan. The anticipated completion date for this action plan is April 2009.  Click here for more information on WRAP.

Cabrillo Beach Water Quality Improvements
The Port of Los Angeles is one of the few industrial ports in the world that also has a swimming beach.  Inner Cabrillo Beach provides still water for families with small children.  However, in recent years, upland runoff has resulted in high levels of bacteria in shoreline waters.  The Port has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in water circulation/quality models and studies to investigate the problem. Recently, the Port repaired storm drains and sewer lines, in conjunction with aggressive sand management such as beach cleaning and sand replacement in this area as part of its commitment to make sure that Cabrillo Beach continues to be an important regional recreational asset.  

Clean Marinas Program
To help protect water and air quality in the Harbor, the Port of Los Angeles is developing a Clean Marinas Program (CMP).  The program advocates that marina operators and boaters use best management practices — environmentally friendly alternatives to some common boating activities that may cause pollution or contaminate the environment.  It also includes several innovative clean water measures unique to the Port.  The CMP features both voluntary components and measures required through Port leases, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) mitigation requirements, or established federal, state, and local regulations.

The Port is currently collecting information to help develop one component of the CMP, an Engine Exchange Program.  Click here to view a questionnaire for boaters who utilize Port marinas.

Consolidated Slip Remediation
The Port is working with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board to clean up the sediments of the Consolidated Slip, the only remaining toxic hotspot in the harbor.  This stretch of water at the mouth of the Dominguez Channel has been the recipient of contaminated runoff from upstream, including DDT traces.  Remediation, which may include capping sediment or the removal of sediment to a confined site, will help ensure that contaminants from this site are not swept to other portions of the harbor which it can compromise water and sediment quality. 

Oil Spill Prevention
Port customers participate in the California Clean Water program, a shared rapid response network/program.  In addition, the California State Lands Commission and the State Office of Spill Reduction (associated with the California Department of Fish and Game) inspect all Port-fueling facilities.

Sediment Quality Improvement Programs
Historical contamination of harbor sediments by stormwater and other inputs from surrounding industrial uses affect sediments and may constrain the ability of the Port to maintain and improve its navigation channel. Since the mid-1980s, the Port, through its maintenance and capital dredging programs, has remediated most contaminated areas in the Harbor by sequestering the contaminants in confined disposal facilities or removing them to a special upland disposal area. More recently, the Port has been working closely with the Los Angeles Region Contaminated Sediments Task Force to coordinate handling and disposal of contaminated sediments in the Los Angeles region.

Watershed and Stormwater Management
One of the more difficult environmental challenges for the Port is that of managing stormwater and urban runoff.  In 2005, the Port began a $1.5 million water quality modeling study focusing on storm water contamination from the Dominguez Channel, the major stormwater channel feeding into the Harbor.  The Port is a member of Los Angeles County’s Dominguez Watershed Task force, which is establishing a plan to curtail contaminated runoff of surrounding watershed from entering harbor waters. The Port of Los Angeles is the first port on the West Coast to implement a Stormceptor (storm water treatment) system at a container terminal.  As part of stormwater management, the Port established a Tenant Outreach Program-providing stormwater outreach materials and tenant facility site evaluations to help Port tenant facilities to better understand and comply with stormwater regulatory requirements.

Water Quality Monitoring
The Port has been monitoring water quality at 31 established stations in San Pedro Bay since 1967, and the water quality today at the Port of Los Angeles is the best of any industrialized port in the world. Samples are tested on a monthly basis for dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand and temperature.  Other observations are noted, such as odor and color, as well as the presence of oil, grease and floating solids.  The overall results of this long-term monitoring initiative show the tremendous improvement in harbor water quality that has occurred over the last four decades.

To further enhance the Port’s knowledge of harbor water quality, the Port has also recently embarked on a Port-wide Water Quality Study to identify the current state of the harbor, highlight any problem areas, and develop short and long-term solutions to improve harbor water quality.