AAPA Hails EPAs Actions To Reduce Ship Emissions

American Association of Port Authorities praises U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's joint proposal with Canada to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to designate specific coastal water areas as an Emission Control Area, or ECA.

On behalf of its U.S. member ports, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) today praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's joint proposal with Canada to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to designate specific coastal water areas as an Emission Control Area, or ECA. Such action would reduce the allowable emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM) from ocean-going ships, most of which are registered outside of the U.S.

U.S. ports have encouraged an ECA designation for all three pollutants (SOx, NOx and PM) under the international MARPOL Annex VI treaty. "Considering that emissions from ocean-going ships are significant contributors to our national mobile-source emission inventory, it's imperative that, going forward, tighter emission controls be put in place," said Kurt Nagle, AAPA's president and CEO.

"Seaports, which support millions of jobs, deliver significant economic prosperity and serve as coastal environment stewards, are investing millions of dollars annually to significantly reduce the environmental impact on their surrounding communities and natural resources," he added.

The proposed area of the ECA includes waters adjacent to the Pacific coast, the Atlantic/Gulf coast and the eight main Hawaiian Islands. The proposed ECA would extend 200 nautical miles from the coastal baseline, except that it would not extend into marine areas subject to the sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction of any state other than the United States or Canada.

About AAPA

Founded in 1912, AAPA today represents 160 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 300 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. As a critical link for access to the global marketplace, each year, Western Hemisphere seaports generate trillions of dollars of economic activity, support the employment of millions of people and import and export more than 4.5 billion tons of cargo including food, clothing, medicine, fuel and building materials, as well as consumer electronics and toys.

The volume of cargo shipped by water is expected to dramatically increase by 2020 and the number of passengers traveling through our seaports will continue to grow. To meet these demands, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable.