FMC CHAIRMAN LIDINSKY TOURS PORT OF LOS ANGELES, LAUNCHES NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — NOVEMBER 18, 2009 — Richard A. Lidinsky Jr., Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), toured the Port of Los Angeles Tuesday and announced the formation of an FMC Maritime Environmental Advisory Committee to provide leadership in identifying and supporting the creation of green jobs in the maritime industry.
“The FMC under the Obama Administration is committed to a new, proactive relationship with our nation’s ports,” Chairman Lidinsky said. “We want to be a positive force for them as they recover from the worst maritime economic crisis since the Great Depression by restoring and creating new jobs. We want to stand side by side with ports as they use their expertise to fashion responses to the 21st Century’s environmental and public health challenges.”
At the Port of Los Angeles, Chairman Lidinsky met with Port executives, toured the Port and had a chance to see the newest truck technologies operating under the Clean Truck Program.
“I am pleased to see firsthand the promising results of the Clean Truck Program and am encouraged to hear that all parties in our maritime transportation chain are moving ahead and putting past adversarial relationships behind them since all of us want the same goals of public and economic health for these and other ports.”
Chairman Lidinsky said the new Maritime Environmental Advisory Committee signals the FMC’s commitment to a new, proactive relationship with the nation’s ports. The Committee will work closely with the FMC to identify current or proposed environmental initiatives by the ports and shipping industry.
“We want to provide a clearing house for ports, terminal operators and other shipping interests to review agreements and other operational initiatives, and to discuss how commercial efforts can be enhanced by adopting certain environmental and energy efficiency standards consistent with the shipping acts and regulations administered by the Commission,” Lidinsky said.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. 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.