The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved a US$474m spending plan that reflects the Port of Long Beach’s increased commitment to environmental stewardship, security and community partnerships. The port’s proposed budget for the 2006/07 fiscal year (commencing October 1) increases spending by US$63m, or 15%, from the current budget.

Long Beach commits to environmental spending

Port environmental programmes will receive about US$90m of the budget, while US$35m will be allocated to enhance security. The budget also includes a transfer of US$14.2m to the City of Long Beach tidelands fund to pay for marina and beach programmes. According to port officials, the budget is designed to further the goals outlined in the port’s 2005 Green Port Policy and the recently released San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan.

Among specific pledges in the budget is an additional US$20m for clean-truck replacement programmes, the first part of a five-year, US$181m commitment by the port under the Clean Air Action Plan. It also includes shoreside electricity (‘cold-ironing’) projects, soil clean-up efforts, increased use of alternative-fuel vehicles, and installation of air-monitoring stations, among a raft of other initiatives.

Operating revenues, mostly from the port’s terminal leases, are expected to increase by 5% over the previous fiscal year to US$375.3m, mainly due to increases in its container cargo trade. Operating expenditures for 2007 are expected to increase by 39% to US$269.7m, while the capital project budget is US$205m, a decrease of 6% from last year.