F O C U S : T O X I N S

September 2017

CONNECTS

3 Clean Air: Putting Aspirations into Action at the Port of Los Angeles

2 Message from Our CEO

10 Award-Winning Work

11 New Faces

12 We’ll See You Around

7 A Public Health Framework for Mitigating Climate Change

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“Superfund”—interesting term. It conjures up images of a bank vault full of gold bars ready and able to sustain funding for a long-term endeavor.TheU.S.Superfundwasestablishedin1980,whenthenpresident Jimmy Carter signed the “Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation,andLiabilityAct(CERCLA)of1980”intolaw.CERCLAauthorizedfederalagencies,includingtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),torecoverandrepairareasof the United States that had been contaminated by hazardous substances and pollutants.

In1983,406sitesacrossthecountrywereaddedtoaNational Priorities List (NPL),andin1985,asuper-sizedtrustfundof$1.6billionwassetasideforthecleanupefforts.Soontheprojectsslatedforcleanupwereknownas“Superfundsites,”makingthetermsynonymous with dirty land and water contaminated by hazardous wastefrommanufacturing,mining,oilandgas,farming,andotherindustries.

As a way to measure their ongoing Superfund site cleanup progress andsuccess,theEPAhastrackedthenumberofprojectscompletedeachfiscalyear.Theyweremakingsteadyprogressuntil2001,whenfunding moved from taxes on the petroleum and chemical industries thatreflecteda“polluterpays”principlestothetaxpayers,andsincethentheso-calledSuperfundhassufferedfromunderfunding.Throughthe1990s,theEPAcleanedupabout80siteseachyear,whichthendwindledtoabout40,untilithitalowofjusteightprojectsin2014.

“Hazmat cleanup” was the dominant environmental issue and programacrosstheUnitedStatesinthe1980s,andIassumedthatby now we had worked through the majority of sites on the national list.Nottrue.Today,thereare1,343sitesidentifiedontheNPL,withthe majority of them dipping into the current annual Superfund budgetof$1.1billion.TheTrumpadministrationhasproposeda30percentcutfortheprogram’spreliminary2018budget.NewJersey currently has the highest number of Superfund sites with 150NPLprojects,andCaliforniaisaclosesecondwith112NPLsitesscatteredupanddownthestate.OtherstateswhereESAhasofficeslandfartherdownthelist—Floridawith54sites,Washingtonwith51,andOregonwithasignificantlylowercountofjust13sites.

Message from Our CEO

Inshort,theUnitedStateshasalongwaytogoto“recoverandrepair”ourcontaminatedlands,watersandcommunities.A study completed by Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh confirmedthatonceasiteisremovedfromtheNPL,nearbypropertiesexperienceasignificantincreaseinvalue,whichresultsin increased local tax revenues that can be reinvested in the community.In2014,theEPAtookalookat450sitesthatwererepurposedaftercleanupeffortswerecompleted,andfoundthattherewere“ongoingoperationsof3,400businesses,generatingannualsalesofmorethan$31billionandemployingmorethan89,000people.”

Beyondthecleareconomicbenefitsarethehealthbenefitsthataccrue to our local communities from this work. The toxins being addressed in the Superfund site remediation work include chemicals andheavymetalsthatcontaminatewatersupplies,soil,andairandcontributetoincreasedriskofhealthissues,includingcancer,asthma,andotherailmentsparticularlyforthemorevulnerableinourcommunities—theyoungest,theelderly,pregnantwomen,andthose with existing health issues. Superfund treatment programs work to remove and/or contain toxins so that sites can be restored andreusedinasafemannerthatcontributetooureffortstobuildhealthy communities and sustainable economies.

ESAhasbeenworkingonSuperfundcleanupeffortsformanyyears,with projects including Topock Compressor Station,SantaSusanaFieldStation,theASCONLandfillEIR,theExideresidentialcleanup,theFormerKastTankFarm(alsoknownasthe“CarouselTract”),andmore.Theseeffortsareimportantandmustkeephappeningforhealthy communities.

Butinadditiontocleaningupthepast,wearealsoworkingwithclients who are looking ahead and developing policies and practices to prevent toxic pollution. It’s about getting it right today for a better tomorrow. This issue of ESA Connects highlights a couple stories where folks are doing just that. Enjoy.

Clean Air: Putting Aspirations into Action at the Port of Los AngelesAninterviewwithChristopherCannon,DirectorofEnvironmentalManagementatthePortofLosAngeles,ontheimportanceofcleanairandhowindustrytechnologywillgetustonet-zero.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach released a draft Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) Update in July, which details short- and long-term strategies to reduce air pollutants and harmful toxins for all port-related activities. The ambitious and forward-thinking CAAP outlines how the ports would switch to zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment by 2030, and zero-emissions trucks by 2035, among other goals.

The Port of Los Angeles recognizes its role as a significant source of emissions as well as a large source of commerce. With 40 percent of all imported goods coming through the San Pedro Bay, the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports support the largest volume of container cargo in the Western Hemisphere.

How does the Port of Los Angeles see the CAAP goals becoming a reality when zero-emissions technology carries a large price tag? ESA’s air quality and toxin cleanup specialists—Deanna Hansen and Heidi Rous—had an opportunity to find out during an exclusive interview with Chris Cannon, the Port of Los Angles director of environmental management.

ESA: What does the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update mean to you personally?

Christopher Cannon: It means we have a lot more work to do. We’ve had a lot of success over the last 11 years with the Clean Air Action Plan. It has produced dramatic reductions in emissions. We’ve also contributed to the development of new emissions control technologies and we’ve worked closely with agencies, the community, and industry in a partnership to have a lot of success. But we realize that we can’t rest on our laurels and that we have to continue to keep pushing to reduce emissions. We’re still the largest collection of related sources of emissions in South Coast Air Basin. We need to keep pushing.

The new focus for the Clean Air Action Plan this time is NOx reduction, climate change, and greenhouse gas reductions. I think that climate change is probably the single most important environmental crisis facing the world today. It’s no joke. It’s something that we have to be very serious about. Most of us

Q A &

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“We have to reduce our environmental impact. We have to reduce our carbon

footprint. We have no choice. People are going to demand it of the world we

live in.”

in our own lifetimes can see the change in weather. So when you see it changing, we have to do our part. It’s not just buying a hybrid or electric personal vehicle; it’s changing the way we think about how we live and work each day, with an eye toward reducing our carbon footprint.

ESA: It sounds like you get some personal satisfaction from your work on this issue. Like you said, it’s more than driving a hybrid or electric personal vehicle, which is a nice way for people to do their part, but your work at the Port plays an even a larger role in making a difference.

CC: I hope so. What we do here has an impact on the region, and we certainly take our role as leaders in the port industry seriously as far as emissions reduction and environmental stewardship. So we believe that what we do is important, and I’m honored to be a part of it. I think it is a very, very important thing that we have to do going forward.

And I should point out that it’s not just pushing to reduce emissions without thinking about the other side of the equation. We are one of the biggest job producers in Southern California. One in nine jobs in the region comes from this San Pedro Bay Port Complex. And we have an extraordinary impact on the economy, and people’s livelihoods. Over 40 percent of cargo imported in the United States comes through the San Pedro Bay ports. So we have to reduce our impact on the environment, but we have to do it in a way that allows us to continue to grow and thrive, because there are a lot of jobs and a lot of livelihoods that rely on us.

We asked Chris what his favorite new technological improvements that he sees at the port are, and while he has many, his answer was clear: the mighty hybrid rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes, also known as “eco-cranes.”

The Port of LA developed and tested a technology that cuts the size of the standard RTG engine in half, and supplies power to supercapacitors (they store energy like a battery), which also allows the load on the engine to remain more constant. Typically, a crane or forklift would need increased engine power to lift and less to put it down. The new RTGs run at a steady state to power the supercapacitors, and then the supercapacitors provide energy back to the crane to do the work.

While the new cranes cost 10 to 15 percent more, it’s not a lot when considering the amount of fuel that is being saved, the reduction in ongoing maintenance, and up to 75 percent reduction in emissions. And the best part? “It’s no longer just a prototype. The terminals that are using them now love them,” says Chris.

Outside of the Port of LA, you can find these new hybrid RTGs in China—they are just getting started since they’ve only become commercially available within the last 18 months. The Port of LA worked with Mi-Jack for almost a decade to run demonstrations at the terminal, but other crane companies are also making them now.

Mi-JackmanufacturestheTranslift(above)whichistoutedasanultra-efficientelectric/hybridRTG-anewtechnologyatthePortofLosAngeles that is already reducing their carbon footprint. (Photofromwww.mi-jack.com-clickitformoreinformation.)

ESA: What surprised you about getting the first Clean Air Action Plan developed?

CC: I think the biggest surprise was that it all happened so quickly. I think we all believed it would work and that people would do it. But industry really embraced it and they were able to incorporate it into their business plans. They marketed the fact that they were part of a “green” supply chain. Industry recognized that this is important, and spent billions of dollars to upgrade equipment and reduce environmental impacts. They participated in testing of new equipment with open arms. So, through their work and their cooperation and partnership with us, we reduced a lot of emissions. We developed new technologies that now, through their help with testing, are in the world and in the marketplace.

ESA: By working with the industrial manufacturers, you open up a world of possibilities. There is so much potential for the future. What’s the next step?

CC: We have to reduce our reliance on combustion-based engine technologies, but I think the movement toward zero emissions is going to go in steps. It’ll be near-zero emissions and hybrid technologies to start and then eventually full zero tailpipe emissions. It’s kind of cool to watch, to participate and be a part of that. It’s a challenge to figure out how to do it and still be productive economically.

I’ll give you an example. If you were going to catch a cab from this building and go somewhere, what kind of vehicle would pick you up?

What’s Chris’ Favorite New Green Technology at the Port?

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ESA: It would be a hybrid.

CC: Right. And the reason is that now, all of a sudden, the economics work. The environmental part works and the economics work. And it all came together and now: boom—the majority of taxis are now hybrids.

At some point there will be a coming together of the business case and the environmental case. And when those two come together it’ll take off. And it’s fun to watch it, to see it, because it has to happen. We have to reduce our environmental impact. We have to reduce our carbon footprint. We have no choice. People are going to demand it of the world we live in.

ESA: According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Port had a record-breaking July and you’re up since the pre-recession numbers.

CC: We have been really very fortunate over the last couple of years. Our cargo volumes have grown. We had the largest 12-month cargo volume from last July through this past June of any port ever in the Western Hemisphere—9.2 million 20-foot-equivilent units (TEUs). And we’ve been doing all this and reducing emissions at the same time, which is a tough task.

We’ve had a lot of success. A lot of it can be attributed to our executive director. Gene Seroka is a real expert and veteran in the shipping industry, and he has brought great leadership to the Port of Los Angeles as far as business development. I’m happy to say from my perspective that in addition to being very focused on increasing our cargo volumes here, Gene’s also very, very interested in maintaining our environmental focus and our environmental stewardship. And so he has been very supportive of our work here, and I’m very thankful for that. He’s been a great, great executive director. He’s been here for three years now, and he’s been doing an outstanding job. And I think those cargo numbers that you see are the result of his hard work, and others who are part of the team.

ESA: You’ve got the CAAP. You’ve got big targets out there. What excites you about going forward, or what worries you a bit about being such a large source for both commerce and emissions?

CC: The worry is that we’ll have less grant money. A lot of the programs that we’ve done, certainly the ones involving testing of new equipment and development of new technologies, occur with the help of grant money. So, to the extent that federal grant money dries up or is less available, that’s a worry. Nonetheless, we’re going to do what we do. It’s not going to change. We work closely with industry partners, the local community, and the environmental agencies and our goals are not going to change. We have to do what we do in a way that’s sustainable and that is able to work for not just the environment and our community and agency partners, but also our industry partners.

We take our responsibility as environmental stewards very seriously, and we’re not going to change. We’re not going to be deterred by any ebbs and flows in political winds in Washington, DC.

Climate change is something we can’t ignore. We have to be able to focus on climate change in a responsible way and in a way that doesn’t hurt our business and hurt jobs. We’ve been very successful in reducing criteria pollutants and health risk here. And we have to continue to do that. We can’t stop moving to do those things.

An increased focus on climate change and greenhouse gas is critical, and that’s something that you’ll see us pay a lot of attention to over the next few years. I can’t say enough how important that is.

“We take our responsibility as environmental stewards very seriously,

and we’re not going to change.”

With air quality in particular, higher temperatures and a changing climate are expected to result in more wildfires, more allergens, and an increase in conditions conducive to formation of ground-level ozone formation—a major component of smog. As described in California’s statewide adaptation strategy Safeguarding California, air pollution due to increased wildfire smoke, ozone, and allergens can aggravate a wide range of health problems, including asthma and other debilitating and costly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Often these health impacts fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations that include the poor, the elderly, and young children, as well as communities in highly industrialized areas that are already burdened by environmental pollution and other hazards that contribute to negative public health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation.

The WHO has conducted several studies on the environmental determinants of health, including a 2016 publication Preventing Disease through Healthy Environments – A global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks, which draws undeniable connections between negative health outcomes and air pollution (directly), as well as climate change (indirectly), especially when looking at industrialized, economically prosperous countries such as the United States. It validates the notion that people of lower-income countries are more susceptible to environmentally mediated disease burden, however “…with the exception of certain noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, where the per capita disease burden is greater in the developed world.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO),“Althoughglobalwarmingmaybringsomelocalizedbenefits,suchasfewerwinterdeathsintemperateclimatesandincreasedfoodproductionincertainareas,theoverallhealtheffectsofachangingclimate are likely to be overwhelmingly negative.”

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A Public Health Framework for Mitigating Climate Change

Heidi Rous, CPP Jeff Caton, PE, LEED AP

It is estimated that by 2050 two-thirds of the world’s population will reside in cities. As the WHO points out, “cities have the potential to concentrate several modern risks, such as ambient air pollution, low physical activity due to poor urban planning and sedentary work.” About 90 cities worldwide, representing more than 650 million people and 25 percent of the global GDP, have joined the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, vowing to monitor and mitigate carbon emissions, and to plan for the effects of climate change. The 12 American cities include not only obvious environmental stewards such as San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles but also Austin, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. In the wake of the current Administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord, hundreds of American cities are committed to taking climate action.

Increasingly, policymakers are recognizing that protection of public health—and, in particular, air quality—is a critical factor in developing rules for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to climate change. Taking action to reduce GHG emissions, particularly when it means cutting back on fossil fuel combustion, typically leads to a reduction in smog and toxic air contaminants. Legislative and planning trends are making this connection explicit.

With the passing of Assembly Bill (AB) 398 in July, California continued its global leadership role in fighting climate change by extending its cap-and-trade program for reducing industrial GHG emissions while including provisions that ensure the

proceeds will provide environmental benefits to disadvantaged communities. This was no easy feat, as the environmental justice community has long lobbied against what it perceives as cap-and-trade’s propensity to allow local industrial emitters to meet their GHG reduction obligation by purchasing allowances that represent reductions occurring elsewhere. Cap-and-trade targets refineries and large industrial sources of GHGs that in many cases represent our largest sources of toxic air contaminants. With cap-and-trade, however, the physical location of GHG reductions is not important—it’s the cumulative cutting of emissions across the entire state that matters. Thus, the local air quality benefits may not materialize if a regulated facility purchases emissions allowances from another facility or it meets its obligation using carbon offsets.

To address these concerns and garner the political support needed to pass AB 398, California lawmakers passed companion bill AB 617 to ensure that emissions of criteria air pollutants and toxic air contaminants from industrial facilities will be tracked more carefully by regulators, especially in communities with the worst problems. The pairing of these bills reflects the growing awareness among the state’s policymakers that climate change poses serious risks to public health, and to the health of disadvantaged communities in particular.

California is ensuring an equitable distribution of cap-and-trade funds by requiring that at least 25 percent of cap-and-trade funds benefit disadvantaged communities (Senate Bill 535, 2012). The state scores and ranks the most disadvantaged

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communities using CalEnviroScreen, a screening tool that uses twenty-one indicators to locate communities most burdened by pollution from multiple sources as well as most vulnerable to its effects, taking into account the communities’ socioeconomic characteristics and underlying health status. These areas tend to have high concentrations of people with low income, high unemployment, low levels of home ownership, high rent burden, health sensitivities, and low levels of educational attainment.

Many disadvantaged communities are located nearest to our major transportation corridors and infrastructure, such as freeways and highways, rail lines and rail yards, and ports (see related story on the progress the Port of Los Angeles has made implementing its Clean Air Action Plan). Groundbreaking studies, such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES), which combines measured and modeled airborne emissions of over 30 toxic air contaminants throughout the South Coast Air Basin, verify the connection of localized health risk impacts with high-carbon-emitting activities such as transportation/goods movement and energy production.

At the federal level, the Department of Energy has been supporting research and innovation that makes fossil energy technologies cleaner and less harmful to people and the environment. The SuperTruck initiative, for example, promotes the research, development, and demonstration of technologies

to improve heavy-truck freight efficiency. Many of these technologies would result in the co-benefit of reducing emissions of harmful diesel soot.

Proactively addressing climate change provides an opportunity to improve public health and reduce health inequities, especially for vulnerable populations. We are seeing an increase in local and regional climate action plans that integrate health, equity, and GHG reduction, including a climate action plan that ESA recently completed for the industrialized city of Richmond. ESA is also leading a multijurisdictional climate action plan framework project in the southern portion of Los Angeles County, an area where approximately three-quarters of the residents live in census tracts designated by CalEnviroScreen as “disadvantaged communities.” This multi-objective project seeks to advance local economic development, improve air quality and public health, and increase resilience to climate change while simultaneously reducing GHG emissions.

As we are seeing with similar projects throughout the state and the nation, emphasizing the public health co-benefits of GHG reduction and climate change adaptation helps build stakeholder support for climate action plan implementation and strengthens its performance across the triple bottom line of economic, environmental, and social metrics. If you would like to learn more on the topic, please email hrous@esassoc.com or jcaton@esassoc.com.

It is estimated that by 2050 two-thirds of the world’s population will reside in cities.

As the WHO points out, “cities have the potential to concentrate several modern

risks, such as ambient air pollution, low physical activity due to poor urban

planning and sedentary work.”

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National Recognition for Local Demolition

The National Highway Administration has recognized the San Francisco–Oakland Bay BridgeProjectPierE3DemonstrationProjectwith the prestigious 2017 Environmental Excellence Award.

This national award program recognizes stellar environmental stewardship for transportation projects. ESA played an integral role as part of the Kiewit/Manson JVteamprovidingfisheriesexpertiseandpermitting support.

Congratulations to everyone involved!

Water Quality Improvements in Old Tampa Bay

The Old Tampa Bay Circulation and Water QualityEnhancementProject,forwhichESAwas in charge of environmental services asasubconsultant,wasrecognizedbytheFlorida Institute of Consulting Engineers as an Outstanding Environmental Project.

Theprojectnotonlyaddressesthespecificwater quality problem in this part of Tampa Bay,thealternativesolutiondevelopedforthisareasavestaxpayersabout$80million,compared to more traditional approaches that wouldn’t actually alleviate the primary water quality concerns in that part of the bay.

We are proud to be a part of this innovative engineering solution.

Award-Winning Work

Seagrassmeadows,withareasingreenbeingmorepersistentandareasinredbeingmoreephemeral,areunderseamarineplantcommunitiesthatprovideimportanthabitatforfish,crabs,andshrimp.Thesecommunitiesaresensitivetothingslikepollutionand(inthecaseofOldTampaBay)artificiallylow and highly variable salinity.

The demolition took a total of six seconds to complete and years to prepare for. The entire story can be read in a past issue of ESA Connects by clicking here.

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Kristin BlacksonCEQA Project Manager San Diego, CA | kblackson@esassoc.com

Kristin has been an advisor and consultant for private entities and local jurisdictions for the past 17 years. Since joining ESA in May, she has been leading clients through complex CEQA documentation and regulatory processes, often in highly controversial settings. Her experience allows efficient and effective client support with a unique understanding of agency values and perspectives. Outside of the office, Kristin is a lecturer at UC San Diego Extension for the CEQA certificate program.

ESA continues to strategically add expertise and resources to better meet our clients’ needs. Join us in welcoming the latest

additions to our growing team!

New Faces

Olivia Chan Managing AssociateCommunity Development | Irvine, CA ochan@esassoc.com

Christy DawsonAssociate IIIBiological Resources | Sacramento, CAcdawson@esassoc.com

Emily DorranceAssociate IBiological Resources | Sacramento, CAedorrance@esassoc.com

Ariel FrinkSenior Associate IWater | San Francisco, CAafrink@esassoc.com

Alyssa GalarceOffice ServicesAdministration | San Francisco, CAagalarce@esassoc.com

Joseph HaliskyAssociate IAirports | Tampa, FL jhalisky@esassoc.com

Justin HallAssociate ICommunity Dev. | Los Angeles, CAjahall@esassoc.com

Lisa MaierAssociate IICommunity Dev. | San Diego, CAlmaier@esassoc.com

Travis MarellaSr. Associate IIBiological Resources | Camarillo, CAtmarella@esassoc.com

Jessica MaresOffice ServicesAdministration | Santa Monica, CAjmares@esassoc.com

Julie McNamaraAssociate IIIBiological Resources | Petaluma, CAjmcnamara@esassoc.com

Jessica SmithOffice ServicesAdministration | Petaluma, CAjsmith@esassoc.com

Tingzhi “Tina” Su, Ph.DManaging AssociateCommunity Dev. | Irvine, CAtsu@esassoc.com

Evan WassermanAssociate IIICommunity Dev. | Sacramento, CAewasserman@esassoc.com

Mandy YangAccountantFirmwide Services | San Francisco, CAmyang@esassoc.com

Susan YogiSr. Managing AssociateCommunity Dev. | San Francisco, CAsyogi@esassoc.com

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See our experts at these upcoming events!

We’ll See You Around

October November

December

Groundwater Resources Association Conference 2017 Conference and 26th Annual Meeting Sacramento, CA

American Association of Airport Executives and Airport Council International - North America AAAE/ACI-NA Airport Noise Conference Savannah, GA

Steven Alverson: Moderator for “Evolution in Metroplex Processes”

River Restoration Northwest (RRNW) Stories of Our Watersheds Film Event Northwest Film Forum Seattle, WA

Yosemite Environmental Law Conference 26th Annual Conference Yosemite, CA

Urban Land Institute Fall Meeting Los Angeles, CA

American Shore and Beach Preservation Association National Coastal Conference Fort Lauderdale, FL

Florida Airports Council 2017 FAC Specialty Conference Orlando, FL

Focus on the Future 28th Annual Conference San Francisco, CA

Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference Alpine, CA

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19-22

19-22

24-27

25-27

29-31

30- Nov 2

Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Annual Conference Providence, RI

West Florida Regional Planning Council Emerald Coast Transportation Symposium Panama City, FL

ACWA 2017 Fall Conference & Exhibition Fall Conference & Exhibition Anaheim, CA

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28-Dec 1

Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit 9th Annual Meeting Broward, FL

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ESA is a leading environmental planning

and design firm committed to the

principles of sustainability. We specialize

in environmental and community planning,

ecosystem restoration design, technical

studies and investigations, environmental

impact assessment and documentation, and

environmental compliance.

Learn more about us at:

www.esassoc.com

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news@esassoc.com

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