San Joaquin County Local News

A “significant threat” to the Delta has been discovered in the Port of Stockton. The golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), an invasive, non-native freshwater bivalve, was recently discovered in the port by California Department of Water Resources staff while conducting routine operations.

Three Bay Area ports have been awarded millions in federal grant funding to reduce emissions and improve air quality.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced grants of $322 million to the Port of Oakland, $55.4 million to San Francisco and nearly $2 million to Redwood City.“This federal grant is a giant leap toward reaching our goal of achieving zero-emissions operations at the Oakland Seaport,” said Port of Oakland executive director Danny Wan. “We are grateful for the continued advocacy for green technology, and we thank our community, labor, regulatory and elected partners who played a vital role in supporting this major decarbonization initiative.”Port of Oakland board president Michael Colbruno said California’s two Democratic U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla, and U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, played important roles in securing the funding.“This investment will protect Oakland from the damaging effects of fossil fuels and will move us faster toward a zero-emissions future,” Lee said. “Further, this investment will improve air quality and reduces pollution in local communities by cutting emissions from diesel-heavy port operations.”How the money will be spentIn Oakland, the money will be used to buy 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment, including 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment, according to port officials. Drayage trucks are used to move cargo containers short distances within the port.“I want to thank the Biden Administration for their continued commitment to the residents of Oakland and the creation of more green jobs for our working-class communities,” Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said. “This grant will enhance our multi-billion dollar hydrogen HUB, and as we reduce emissions in West Oakland, we’ll be reducing the risk of asthma, cancer, and other health concerns for our residents.”San Francisco will use its grant to convert ferry operations along the waterfront to zero-emission technology and Redwood City will use the money on planning for hydrogen-based fueling and other infrastructure.In addition to the Bay Area ports, the EPA announced millions more in funding for four other California ports, including the Port of Stockton, which received $110.47 million to convert its operations to zero emissions technology.The grants are provided through the EPA’s Clean Ports Program, authorized under the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed in 2022 and included $3 billion to fund zero-emissions technology projects around the country.The post Bay Area ports receive millions from EPA fund to trim carbon emissions, update equipment appeared first on Local News Matters.