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425 S. Palos Verdes Street,
San Pedro, California USA 90731
Phone: (310) 732-3508
Email: community@portla.org

CHINA SHIPPING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT COMMENCES SECOND MAJOR
CONTAINER TERMINAL EXPANSION PROJECT AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES

WILL CREATE JOBS, HELP IMPROVE ENVIRONMENT

SAN PEDRO, Calif. — September 4, 2009 — The Los Angeles Harbor Commission Thursday approved a $47.6 million construction contract for the China Shipping terminal expansion, a project that will create more than 5,700 jobs as well as significantly reduce air emissions in the region.
The contract was awarded to Griffith/Dutra Joint Venture of Sante Fe Springs, Calif., which will construct wharfing, provide additional berth space and pave backland  at the China Shipping terminal.
“In a difficult economy, this contract puts people to work and will ultimately create one of the world’s most modern and environmentally friendly container terminals,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.
China Shipping’s expanded terminal operations will create approximately 1,643 construction jobs and 4,065 jobs during operation. The project will increase container terminal capacity to accommodate an annual throughput of 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, or 20-foot containers). The facility, leased by China Shipping through 2045, will expand from an existing 72 acres to 142 acres of backland and 2,500 feet of wharves served by 10 Post-panamax A-frame cranes.
A series of environmental measures are included in the project, including:

  •   The use of Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) by all cargo ships calling at the terminal by 2011. AMP eliminates the release of roughly a ton of ship emissions every 24 hours a ship is at berth. 
  • Use of low-sulfur fuel on container ships within 40 nautical miles of the Port.n  One hundred percent compliance with the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP) for ships transiting within 40 nautical miles of the Port, a measure that further reduces container ship emissions in the South Coast Air Basin.
  • Use of alternative-fueled yard tractors. 
  • Use of electric rubber-tired gantry cranes.
  • Diesel particulate filters for use on lower-emission switcher locomotives.
  • A main terminal building constructed to “Gold” certification-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The China Shipping project also includes several community beautification initiatives, including the development of a new community park in San Pedro (Plaza Park), implementing a Beautification Plan along area corridors and extensive landscaping along Front Street, which runs parallel to the terminal perimeter.
Last month, the Los Angles Board of Harbor Commissioners approved a long-term lease for the TraPac, Inc. container terminal. The agreement paved the way for the completion of the TraPac five-year, $245 million terminal expansion project, which will create 300 new terminal jobs, 2,800 construction jobs and as many as 5,433 regional jobs annually that will be related to terminal operations at full build-out.
The Port of Los Angeles, also known as “America’s Port,” has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.