EPA ships $3B in IRA grants to help ports clear polluted air

By Mike Lee | 10/29/2024 06:29 AM EDT

The funds are intended to cut climate-warming emissions and localized pollution that affects neighborhoods near ports.

Cargo containers sit stacked on ships at the Port of Los Angeles in 2021.

Cargo containers sit stacked on ships at the Port of Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2021, in San Pedro, California. The port will receive a $411 million grant for for electric cargo equipment, electric trucks and solar generation, among other projects. Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP

The Biden administration will distribute $3 billion to help ports cut emissions from trucks, cranes and ships.

The grants will go to 55 projects in 27 states and U.S. territories, paying for 1,000 electric trucks, 1,500 pieces of heavy equipment, 10 locomotives and 20 vessels. They are the latest in a flurry of funding announcements from the Biden administration, which is pushing out money from the 2022 climate law ahead of the presidential election.

EPA estimates the grants will support up to 40,000 jobs as the port equipment is designed, built and shipped over the next few years. The projects aim to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 3 million tons over 10 years, as well as slash 12,000 tons of nitrogen oxide and 200 tons of soot pollution.

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“Our ports are the backbone of our economy, critical hubs that support our supply chain, drive commerce, create jobs and connect us all. But we cannot overlook the challenges faced by the communities that live and work near these ports,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on a call with reporters. “Too often, these communities face serious air quality challenges due to diesel pollution from trucks, ships and other port machinery.”

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