Harbour Commissioners at the Port of Long Beach have unanimously approved an extra six months of operation for the undeveloped ‘Pier S’ as a ‘storage zone’ in order to clear a backlog of cargo following the recent labour dispute.
The 30-acre site was opened in December to allow storage of loaded containers and chassis, in addition to the empty containers previously permitted.
At the time federal regulators permitted Long Beach and its neighbour, the Port of Los Angeles, to collaborate on congestion relief; private chassis fleets in the region also agreed to pool their resources. The initial period for the site’s use was due to expire at the end of this month (March).
Conditions have changed since a tentative agreement was reached on the dockworkers’ contract; however the ports continue to be in need of additional space as they try to eliminate congestion built up over several months. The Port of Long Beach will monitor the traffic, while Pasha Stevedoring & Terminals will continue to operate the depot.
