Sen. Lowenthal Honored By Maritime Industry For Environmental Efforts
(SACRAMENTO) -- Senator Alan Lowenthal, a leading environmental voice in the State Legislature for nearly 14 years, has been named the 2012 California Maritime Leadership Symposium "Honoree of Merit."
In announcing the prestigious maritime industry honor, the symposium organizers cited Sen. Lowenthal for his long commitment to raising awareness of the importance of public ports within the Legislature and generating a collaborative spirit throughout regulatory agencies, private industry and local communities in regard to environmental stewardship issues.
As the 2012 Honoree, Senator Lowenthal is also being recognized for his "significant and demonstrable contribution" to the Maritime Transportation System in the state of California. The MTS is a federal program coordinating the development of national maritime policy between maritime-related government agencies.
"Senator Lowenthal has been strongly committed to a robust, safe and green port industry in California throughout his tenure in state government as an Assembly Member and Senator,” California Marine and Transportation System Advisory Council Chairman Robert Dockendorff said. “His mark on California's maritime industry is deep and lasting. He is more than deserving of this honor."
Sen. Lowenthal will accept the award at a Feb. 1 ceremony in Sacramento hosted by symposium organizers which include the California Association of Port Authorities, California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference, California Marine and Intermodal Transportation System Advisory Council, California Maritime Academy, Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce, and the Propeller Club of Los Angeles - Long Beach.
"I take great pride in accepting the symposium's Honoree of Merit award, not so much for myself, but for the recognition it brings to my long-held belief and commitment to successfully addressing problems through cooperation," Sen. Lowenthal said.
"This award is also testament to the idea that a greener environment and a growing economy are not mutually exclusive."
Senator Lowenthal, highly respected within the Legislature as a voice of reason able to work across party lines, was one of the primary architects of the maritime industry's growing acceptance of environmental stewardship.
Sen. Lowenthal's environmental efforts began almost the day he joined the Assembly in 1998, when he pushed for legislation to cover open petroleum coke piles at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Eventually signed into law, the bill not only virtually eliminated the coke dust that had been impacting port communities for years, but also sparked a growing realization in the port industry about the need for greater environmental stewardship.
Only two years later, Sen. Lowenthal put forward AB2650 which set limits on how long diesel trucks servicing the two Southern California ports could idle outside marine terminals. This bill, also later signed into law, led to the first major reduction in port diesel emissions from trucks.
To address the problem of so-called legacy pollution at the state ports, the Sen. first proposed a surcharge on cargo containers moving through the state to help pay for mitigation in 2005. Despite passing the Legislature twice, the bill was vetoed in both cases by the Governor. The near-passage of the bill helped lead to a significant change in the environmental mindset of both Southern California ports.
Sen. Lowenthal was also instrumental in securing more than $1 billion in funding to address air quality problems related to goods movement and another $2 billion in goods movement infrastructure that would reduce congestion-related pollution.
