The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted $1.1m to the South Jersey Port in Camden, New Jersey to reduce the emissions of fine particles hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide through the upgrade of 48 pieces of cargo handling equipments.
The South Jersey Port, an agency of the State of New Jersey that owns and operates the ports of Camden and Salem, overseeing the import and export of four million tons of international bulk and container cargos annually is a source of air pollution in Camden.
South Jersey Port will use the grant to install improved engines on port vehicles including forklifts, lift trucks, front end loaders and other types of port equipment to save over 64,000 gallons of fuel over the life of the equipments.
The project is expected to enable the port to cut the emissions of CO2 by 715 tons, nitrogen oxide by over 352 tons and particulate matter by over 34 tons during the lifetime of the equipment to yield up to $13 in public health benefits on every dollar invested in reducing diesel exhaust.
EPA regional administrator Judith Enck said that reducing air pollution from diesel engines will help communities like Camden that are already negatively impacted by air pollution.
“EPA has emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with overburdened communities. Addressing the local environmental impacts of shipping at the nation’s ports is a priority for EPA,” Enck said.