Thanks to Brad Kerr of the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association for keeping us up to date on the port pollution issue. The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports has posted this damning report on the Port Authority's failure to spend the 33 million appropriated to their clean truck program. Here's the full article.
http://www.cleanandsafeports.org/2011/08/the-price-tag-for-the-port-authority%E2%80%99s-clean-truck-boondoggle/
“Replacing 11 trucks out of a fleet of more than 7,000 does nothing to reduce diesel pollution, eliminate childhood asthma, prevent heart disease and clean the air in New York and New Jersey and it certainly didn’t create any jobs for our residents – instead it created more hardships for the drivers who are already overburdened by debt and low wages. This is an environmental injustice for both the drivers and community residents impacted by port pollution every day.” - Ana Baptista with the Ironbound Community Corporation in Newark
Amen to that.
2 comments:
I didn't know the PA owned the trucks. I went to the its website for more information and the program sounds more like a grant and financing opportunity to the actual owners of the trucks. Can someone please clarify?
Yes, it's a grant and financing program.
Basically, the PA banned pre-1994 trucks from the ports. This program aimed to help approximately 1/4 of the drivers buy post-2003 models.
Port drivers are considered -- well, I'd say misclassified -- as independent contractors. So, they're responsible for buying their own trucks, instead of the trucking companies that employ them.
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