Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

A $640 million project is coming to the Port of Oakland with the goal of accommodating larger ships and improving cargo efficiency. Port officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans Thursday to transform the port's turning basins by widening parts of the harbor. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are City leaders joined port and federal officials for the signing of a design agreement marking the start of the modernization effort. The Port of Oakland said the improvements will allow some of the world's largest and most environmentally advanced vessels to safely and more efficiently maneuver through the port's waterways. Oakland's mayor said the project will also help sustain the city's position as a "green innovation hub" as the port transitions toward zero-emissions operations.

The new air monitoring station on 35th near South Tacoma Way that will collect and monitor pollution, while increasing volumes of truck traffic serve the new Bridge Point warehouse. It’s common knowledge that more traffic means more air pollution, which is bad for our health. Diesel-fueled vehicles produce a significant portion of the particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution we breathe. These particles are so small — 2.5 microns or less in diameter, which is much less than the width of a human hair — that they are easily inhaled deep into the lungs where they increase the risks of heart and respiratory diseases, especially asthma, and cancer. Ecology, EPA, Tribes, and local clean air agencies maintain a network of air monitoring stations to measure air pollution across Washington. This network collects real-time monitoring data that shows when air pollution reaches unhealthy levels and can help guide decision-making about outdoor exposure. Because urban areas and roads with heavy truck traffic are particularly at risk of experiencing this kind of pollution, we recently launched a new air monitoring site in South Tacoma along the primary truck route that will serve the new Bridge Point warehouse facility. This new air monitoring site is one of many projects in South Tacoma being led by Ecology with funding from theBridge Point South Tacoma Warehouse Settlement. This work is in cooperation with community partners and local government, with input from the people most impacted living in the community near the truck routes. Over the past 50 years, hundreds of air monitors across the state have been installed as part of theWashington Air Monitoring Network. We monitor and track hundreds of different air pollutants with a focus on EPA’s six common “criteria” air pollutants, which pose the biggest threat to human health and include PM2.5. In fact, all monitoring sites in the network measure PM2.5. Our monitoring network ensures outdoor air quality in all parts of the state meets federal standards called theNational Ambient Air Quality Standards(NAAQS), and the information collected helps inform the public about local air quality. Anyone can view collected data on ourWashington Air Quality Mapand in the Air Quality Washington app, available in the Apple App store and Google Play. “Our goal is to provide people with information they can use to help protect their health. We provide all data publicly, updated every hour, and we’re always happy to answer questions about it,” said Jill Schulte, environmental scientist and air monitoring coordinator for Ecology. The Washington Air Monitoring Network is composed of both regulatory and non-regulatory air monitors. Regulatory monitors use federally approved equipment to collect regulatory data and show compliance with the NAAQS. Other monitors, like our ownSensWA devices, built and designed in-house, also provide reliable, high-quality data that helps inform public health and identify areas of concern. SensWA devices are also smaller, easier to maintain, and can be installed in more places, especially because they can use solar power. Ecology’s own “SensWA” air monitoring devices provide real-time air quality information about fine particle pollution. The data from all our air monitors informs our Washington Air Quality Map. Ecology’s own “SensWA” air monitoring devices provide real-time air quality information about fine particle pollution. The data from all our air monitors informs our Washington Air Quality Map. We have identifiedSouth and East Tacomaas one of 16 “overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution” meaning that it is overburdened with health, social, and environmental inequities and is highly impacted by air pollution. Although levels of PM2.5are below the federal limits within this community and have declined from 2022 to 2024, at times, PM2.5levels have risen above federal limits. Additionally, there are higher rates of asthma, death from cardiovascular disease, and lower life expectancy compared to areas not identified as overburdened by air pollution. At present, there are five air monitoring stations in Tacoma that are part of the Washington Air Monitoring Network (visible on the Washington Air Quality Map), with a sixth scheduled to re-launch soon by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in the Port of Tacoma. Three of these monitors are funded by the Bridge Point Settlement. One of these monitors — Tacoma-South Adams Street — is located near Oakland High School and has been operating for over a year. Another —Tacoma-South 56th Street — was recently installed on the roof of a local fire station in a part of town where residents had expressed some concern. Both of them are SensWA devices that run on solar power. An Ecology SensWA air monitoring device was recently installed at South 56th Street in Tacoma. Because SensWA devices are small and can run on solar power, there’s more flexibility where they can be placed. An Ecology SensWA air monitoring device was recently installed at South 56th Street in Tacoma. Because SensWA devices are small and can run on solar power, there’s more flexibility where they can be placed. The third and newest air monitor funded by the settlement is located near the future Bridge Point warehouse at South 35th Street. As a regulatory air monitor, it requires a larger space in a protected fenced-off area that meets all EPA monitor-siting requirements. Placing an air monitor depends on many factors. “We consider the nearby environment and make sure that obstructions like walls, trees, or exhaust vents don’t skew the data we collect,” said Schulte. “No matter what the objective of a monitor is, we need to be sure that the air we monitor is representative of the air people breathe.” Settling on the location of the South 35th Street monitor was different than usual. “Usually, when deciding where to put a monitor, we’re looking at where people are spending their time and where pollution levels are higher,” said Schulte. “This time, we’re looking ahead at the potential impact, and providing information to the community along this route for trucks serving this facility.” As an air monitoring specialist for Ecology and the primary coordinator for this new site Qianna Xu, Ph.D. knows how to navigate the many logistics required to install and maintain a site. She also knows the numerous benefits of these sites. “People can check their air quality at any time and decide whether they want to go out and jog or not. And on a larger scale, the data we collect from both kinds of air monitoring stations can be used for other research purposes. I think that’s very meaningful,” said Xu. Bridge Point Tacoma’s new warehouse is over 2.5 million square feet of industrial space spread across four buildings. The company purchased the land, located on a historically contaminated site, in September 2021 for $160 million. As part of a settlement agreement, the Bridge Point developer agreed to pay us $8.95 million to reduce impacts to indoor and outdoor air quality near their new warehouse. Bridge Point settlement area is outlined in red. The light blue shaded area is where the new warehouse will be located. Bright turquoise squares show neighborhoods potentially impacted by increased truck traffic. Bridge Point settlement area is outlined in red. The light blue shaded area is where the new warehouse will be located. Bright turquoise squares show neighborhoods potentially impacted by increased truck traffic. “Our goal with these settlement funds is to support the community’s priorities and facilitate actions that can provide meaningful outcomes,” said Meg Bommarito, Ecology regional planner and project manager. “Our initial focus is protective measures for the neighborhood most impacted by the primary truck traffic route, and then, as we progress, we’ll broaden resource access to the wider settlement area.” The new air monitoring station at South 35th Street is one of those protective measures. It launched on July 10, and is designed to monitor pollutants most associated with heavy duty diesel trucks, including PM2.5and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which are typically higher near roadways, as well as black carbon, which will indicate how much of the PM2.5is coming from diesel exhaust compared to other sources. In addition to the monitoring station, we are using settlement funds on a number of activities to improve indoor air quality. This includes partially weatherizing homes along the north warehouse truck route in partnership with the Metropolitan Development Council (MDC), providing portable air cleaners for homes along the truck route and near the new warehouse facilities, and planting trees in partnership with the City of Tacoma after conducting a tree planting study to see where trees could help reduce air pollution. “Partnerships, like the ones with MDC, the City of Tacoma, and community groups will strengthen our efforts — bolstering settlement funds and improving outcomes for the community. For instance, collaborating with Voice Tacoma Creative Media allowed us to connect directly with residents to get their input. All of this community feedback has influenced how we use settlement funds to best support South Tacoma,” said Southwest Region Director Bobbak Talebi. “We will continue engaging with the community as these projects progress.”

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes ThePort of Oaklandhas commissioned TraPac’s newLiebherrship to shore cranes, adding fully electric lifting capacity designed to handle the largest container vessels currently in service. The cranes stand more than 440 feet tall, roughly the height of a 40 story building. Their arrival givesTraPac Oaklandmore reach and lifting capability at the terminal, supporting larger ship calls and higher container volumes through the California gateway. For ports, crane height and outreach matter in a practical way. If a vessel is wider and stacked higher, the terminal needs equipment that can reach across the ship safely and efficiently. Without that reach, capacity on paper does not always translate into capacity at the berth. The new Liebherr cranes are intended to close that gap for Oakland. They expand the port’s ability to work bigger ships while keeping cargo moving for importers, exporters and inland supply chains across Northern California. The cranes are fully electric, which also places the investment within the port’s broader environmental direction. Electric cargo handling equipment can reduce direct emissions at the terminal, an important issue for nearby communities and port users facing tighter sustainability expectations. For shippers, the benefit is not only environmental. More capable cranes can support vessel productivity, reduce berth pressure and help terminals absorb peaks in container flow. Port CommissionersStephanie Dominguez WaltonandDerrick H. Muhammadattended the official commissioning ceremony, which included a ribbon cutting as the cranes joined active operations. Kristi McKenney, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland, andChristopher Lambert, Head of Operations at TraPac Oakland, also highlighted the investment as a step forward for the terminal’s operating capability. For California exporters and importers, the question is simple: can the port handle bigger ships without slowing the cargo chain? Oakland’s answer is now standing at the berth, in steel, cables and electric power. Go to top “Breakbulk.News publishes editorial content, including news, features and press releases supplied by third‑party companies, institutions and PR agencies. Third parties who submit material to us are solely responsible for ensuring that all text, images, logos and other content they provide are accurate and that they hold all necessary rights, licences and permissions for news use. By submitting content to Breakbulk.News, contributors represent and warrant that their material does not infringe the rights (including copyright and related rights) of any third party and agree to indemnify Breakbulk.News in respect of any claims arising from their submissions. If you believe any content on our site infringes your rights, please contact us at[email protected]with full details and we will investigate promptly..”

An air quality alert was issued for Monday in Metro Detroit, and another one for Tuesday in West Michigan, with elevated levels of ozone as the underlying cause. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy declared the Southeast Michigan alert at 9:18 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service in Detroit says. It will remain in effect throughout the day for Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, St. Clair and Wayne counties; including the cities of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Howell, Port Huron, Monroe and Warren. This is the first air quality alert for Southeast Michigan in 2026, issued at the start of adangerous heat wave. "Dewpoints above 70 hinder ozone development. So while today is hot and uncomfortable, it's still just below that to allow increased ozone levels," CBS Detroit chief meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey said. State officials have since invoked an air quality alert for West Michigan on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. The affected counties are Allegan, Berrien, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Van Buren. This includes the cities of Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, St. Joseph and Niles. "There is the potential for multiple high ozone days this week," said EGLE Meteorologist Alec Kownacki. "So, we will be diligently tracking weather patterns into the weekend and calling alerts as necessary." Ozone is a pollutant that can form in the atmosphere when various compounds mix in the air, EGLE said. Warm, sunny days contribute to harmful levels of ozone being created. During an air quality alert day, state environmental authorities recommend to avoid strenuous outdoor activities as much as possible, especially people who have existing health conditions such as heart disease or asthma. "Watch for symptoms that include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in nose, throat or eyes," the alert said. Activities that can lead to ozone formation, and should be avoided during an alert, include refueling vehicles, using gasoline-powered lawn equipment, and using charcoal lighter fluid. Activities that are encouraged include telecommuting, delaying or combining errands and using water-based paints. Michigan'sair quality monitoring networkincludes over 100 air monitors across 40 locations. Ahmad Bajjeycontributed to this report. In:

Residents of West Oakland, which suffers from toxic waste and high pollution rates, rally against a coal export facility West Oakland, aCalifornianeighborhood known for its rich history of Black activism from the Pullman Porters’ union to the Black Panthers, might not seem like the site of the country’s next great coal project. But that’s exactly what theTrump administrationis pushing for – withthe injection of $75mto build a sprawlingcoalexport terminal in the nearby port ofOakland. Last week, Donald Trumpannounced he was usingwartime powers to hand $700m to coal projects around the US, including the one in Oakland. The news has breathed renewed energy into a decade-long battle against the coal terminal, which Trump hopes will break ground as soon as this summer. Anti-coal activists were already planning a gathering about the project in Berkeley this month. ButTrump’s 4 June announcement“accelerated everything”, said Veronica Eady, executive director of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, a grassroots organization focused on environmental justice in West Oakland, which hasa high pollutionburden from the nearby port, highways and other industry. “Now there is even more urgency, particularly since President Trump said he wants it to start this summer.” Since the president’s announcement, Bay Area organizers with the No Coal inOaklandand Keep Coal Out of the East Bay coalitions have met to discuss strategies to continue their fight against the coal terminal, which has faced years of delays and lawsuits from the city, which has tried to ban coal storage. In a progressive city such as Oakland that has worked to remedy environmental disparities over the past decade, Trump’s investment in one of the dirtiest fossil fuels setsCaliforniaup for another clash with his administration. “By injecting millions of taxpayer dollars into a coal terminal that Oaklanders have fought for a decade to stop, this administration is sentencing West Oakland, one of the most pollution-burdened communities in California, to generational harm,” the California state assembly member Mia Bonta said ina statement. “The families who have fought the hardest to keep this terminal out of their neighborhood will bear the highest cost.” On Monday, Bontaintroduced a billinto California’s state legislature that would require a full environmental impact report before local agencies approve facilities that will handle, store or export coal. Plans over the coal terminal took shape more than 10 years ago, after the closure of a military base located in the port. The Oakland army base closed in 1999, and the site was eventually bought by a local developer named Phil Tagami, who signed a contract with the city allowing him to build a shipping terminal there. Tagami did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Although Tagami originally said he had no interest in shipping coal out of the terminal, he pivoted in 2015 when the state of Utah approached him with a deal to ship the state’s coal to oversea markets. The following year, the city of Oakland banned coal handling and storage citywide. Although Tagami sued, the terminal’s development stalled for more than a decade as challenges played out in local courts. Bordered by a major highway, the port of Oakland and logistics hubs, the neighborhood of West Oakland is filled with “pollutant-emitting industry and infrastructure”, according toan assessment for the Environmental Protection Agency, which cites a history of redlining and systemic racism in the area. Over the past decade, residents have fought to address issues fromthe toxic waste buried under their homesin the former industrial hub tochildhood asthma ratescaused by traffic-related air pollution. In their battle against the coal terminal, local organizers have cited fears that trains delivering shipments will coat the neighborhood in coal dust. After the California supreme courthandedTagami a win in September, ruling that the city of Oakland had violated his contract when it banned coal storage and handling in the city, organizers with the No Coal in Oakland and Keep Coal Out coalitions pivoted. The goal of their community meetings, including one planned for 25 June, became “to further our demand for action by state and local political and regulatory bodies”, the No Coal in Oakland coalition wrote ina blogpost. In April, organizerspetitionedthe Bay Area air district to impose stricter air regulations on the terminal. “There may have been a misperception that once the city of Oakland lost, then it was over,” said Eady. “We were getting out there to let people know: Hey, it’s not over. There are all these permitting decisions. “Not to mention that we have a new mayor,” she added, referring to Barbara Lee,the trailblazing former congresswoman. Although Lee has not yet released a statement on Trump’s announcement, shesigned a pledgeagreeing not to accept money from coal interests while running for office last year. “I strongly support Oakland’s ban on coal and will continue to fight against any attempts to bring coal shipments through our city,” shesaid at the time. Other California lawmakers have vowed to join in the fight, too. In an emailed statement to the Guardian, California the congresswoman Lateefah Simon said: “TheTrump administrationdoes not have West Oakland’s best interests at heart. I am committed [to] using every tool in our toolbox to stop this coal terminal and fighting on behalf of our residents. Oaklanders and our bodies should not have to pay the price for the administration’s illogical, backwards policies.” Meanwhile, organizers say they’re uncertain how soon construction could begin, but will use the coming months to rally community opposition. “This bad idea to build a dirty, polluting coal facility in an already overburdened community emerged more than a decade ago, and yet we still do not yet have concrete details on facility design or operations,” Colin O’Brien, deputy managing attorney of Earthjustice’s California regional office, said in an emailed statement. “The federal funding announcement is far from the final word because the project still needs dozens of permits, meaning close scrutiny by local regulators and opportunities for the public to weigh in.” Since Trump’s announcement, Margaret Rossoff, a member of NoCoalin Oakland, said the coalition’s coordinating committee and frequent collaborator, the Keep Coal Out coalition, had met to discuss tactics. “Our main strategy is about financing,” she said, pointing toestimatesthat the terminal will cost close to $400m to build. “$75m is not even a quarter of that,” she said. “Some investors need to decide to sink a lot of money into this. And our goal is to prevent them from doing that, prevent anyone from doing that, by making it clear that it’s a bad idea.” No Coal in Oakland has printed and distributed yard signs opposing the terminal in the past, “and we’re gonna distribute hundreds more”, Rossoff said. “So any potential investor who’s driving around the Bay Area is going to see evidence of the entrenched community opposition.” When organizers host the coalitions’ next community meeting on 25 June, they’ll gather in Berkeley – with the aim of involving residents from cities across the East Bay. While the coal terminal will be located in Oakland, the trains that will transport coal to itare set to run throughMartinez, Richmond, Berkeley and other East Bay cities. “Residents have fought for years to keep this terminal from being built in their back yard,” Sarah Ranney, director of the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay chapter, said ina press release. “Trump is using the [Defense Production Act], which is meant to mobilize industries during a genuine emergency, to override that opposition. This isn’t national defense; it’s an end run around local democracy.”

Pollution from the Port of Oakland and nearby freeways has long been a social equity issue for some residents – and now, there is a push for another freeway, Interstate 580, to shoulder some of that burden. But residents along that corridor are pushing back, saying the solution should be to reduce pollution, not spread it to other neighborhoods. The stretch of I-580 through Oakland has an unusual distinction: It is the only Bay Area freeway where big rig trucks are not allowed. Diesel pollution in neighborhoods near the Port of Oakland has been a point of contention for years. Activists say it has harmed the health of lower-income residents in the area. That stands in contrast to I-580, farther north, where a ban on large trucks has been in place since before the freeway was even built. In the early 1960s, California's freeway system was still being built – promising a path to a bright future. But large trucks were already unpopular in Oakland, where the city had banned them from MacArthur Boulevard. So, when construction began on I-580, it came with an agreement that semis would not be allowed on the freeway from Grand Avenue to the San Leandro border. The ban has stayed in place ever since and was eventually written into state law. "I believe when they made it, it was just a way to route our goods, right? And they chose one highway over the other," said Hector Chincilla with Caltrans. That history set the stage for a contentious public meeting Saturday at St. Jarlath Church, where Caltrans discussed a study looking at whether to eliminate the truck ban on I-580. "Have you ever sat in the row of trucks out there on 880 when it's packed with trucks everyday? All of us have. We don't want that in our neighborhoods up here," said Phillip Pease, who lives near 580. Officials say they are not taking a position and are only gathering data. "All we're trying to do is a technical analysis to see what kind of air quality and noise impact, as well as racial equity," said John Xu with Caltrans. The racial equity question may be what is driving much of the debate. Residents in West Oakland have complained for years that Black communities are being harmed by pollution from I-880 and the Port of Oakland. But the idea of introducing more truck traffic – and potentially more pollution – into the I-580 corridor in the name of equity has residents there up in arms. "The residents of 580 are also impacted and they haven't considered that, because if they lift the ban, who is that going to impact? The people who live along 580. And there are twice the number of people that live on 580 than live on 880," said Kerry O'Toole, who lives near 580. Neighbors along I-580 say that, despite Caltrans' insistence that it remains neutral, the issue is being driven by people who want the truck ban removed. They also point out that the Technical Advisory Committee formed to guide the analysis includes representatives from social equity groups, the trucking industry and the regional air quality district – but not anyone representing people who live along I-580. Because the I-580 truck ban is written into state law, it cannot be changed without a vote by the Legislature. Another public meeting is scheduled for next Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Jarlath Church in East Oakland. In: