Port of Los Angeles Hosts EPA Administrator (USA)

The Port of Los Angeles welcomed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson Thursday as part of her visit to Los Angeles to celebrate Earth Day and commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EPA’s Clean Water Act. During her visit to the Port, she observed fifth-grade students aboard a “floating environmental science lab,” a boat tour program facilitated by the Think Watershed Partnership.

“I’m excited to be here to see the great things the Port of L.A. is doing to protect the waters of this community, and to open up opportunities for environmental education to the next generation,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Even as we mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we know there is work left to do. These students know that this is their water, and they’re taking an active role in its protection.”

The Port of Los Angeles is a sponsor of Think Watershed, a collaborative partnership whose mission is to educate students about the watershed’s impact on the marine environment and to inspire them to become stewards of the environment. The centerpiece of Think Watershed is the Marine Science Floating Lab Program, which has been operating in Los Angeles Harbor since 1974 through the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

The Port of Los Angeles formally adopted an Environmental Management Policy in 2005, honoring a commitment to implement programs and take actions that will protect and improve the quality of the harbor environment with respect to water resources. The policy included provisions aimed at protecting and improving water and sediment quality, and the adoption of the WRAP in 2009 was a direct outcome of this policy.

Water and sediment quality in San Pedro Bay has improved greatly over the last 40 years through increased monitoring, more aggressive regulation by state and federal agencies, better pollution source control and dredging that has removed accumulated contaminants in harbor sediment.

The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates more than 830,000 regional jobs and $35 billion in annual wages and tax revenues.

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Dredging Today Staff, April 23, 2012; Image: portoflosangeles