AQMD Approves Port Zero‑Emission Pact — Critics Warn of 'No Clear Accountability'

AQMD Approves Port Pact, But Critics Say It Lacks Teeth

On Friday the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) governing board voted 9-1 to approve a cooperative agreement with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that commits the ports to install zero-emission infrastructure in phases through 2030. The measure gives the AQMD authority to levy fines if the ports fail to meet agreed deadlines and pauses formal rulemaking for five years.

The twin ports — known collectively as the San Pedro Port Complex — remain the region's largest source of smog-forming pollution, emitting more each day than the roughly 6 million passenger cars in the area. The complex handles about 40% of all container cargo entering the United States.

What the agreement requires

The agreement sets a phased timeline for installing zero-emission equipment: heavy-duty trucks and most cargo-moving equipment by 2028; smaller locomotives and harbor craft by 2029; and cargo ships and other large vessels by 2030. If the ports miss deadlines, fines of $50,000 to $200,000 would be imposed and placed into a clean-air fund to support communities harmed by port pollution. In return, the AQMD agreed not to adopt new port-specific rules for five years.

Supporters and critics

Port and shipping industry representatives praised the pact as a pragmatic, collaborative path to a zero-emissions economy. William Bartelson of the Pacific Maritime Association described the deal as “practical, inclusive and grounded in shared goals.”

“The give and take of ideas and compromises in this process — it mirrors exactly what a real-world transition to zero emissions looks like.” — William Bartelson, Pacific Maritime Association

Environmental advocates pushed back, saying the pact lacks concrete emission-reduction mandates and essential operational details — such as which energy sources will be prioritized and how many chargers or fueling stations will be required. Fernando Gaytan of Earthjustice called the deal “a stall tactic to make a plan for a plan.” Community members at the hearing demanded stronger accountability. Board member Veronica Padilla-Campos cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the agreement offered “no clear accountability” to affected neighborhoods.

“I urge you not to sign away the opportunity to do more to help address the region's air pollution crisis in exchange for a pinky promise.” — Kathy Ramirez, community speaker

Key procedural details and next steps

The pact includes a clause allowing either the AQMD or the ports to terminate the agreement with 45 days' written notice, a provision AQMD Executive Officer Wayne Nastri said preserves the agency's ability to resume formal rulemaking if progress stalls. The agreement also doubles penalty amounts from the ports' original proposal and shortens the non-regulation period to five years instead of the ten the industry had sought.

The plan still must be approved by the Port of Los Angeles commissioners and the Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission at separate meetings this year. If those bodies approve the pact, the AQMD and the ports will later publish operational specifics — including the types of fuels or energy used and the number of chargers or fueling stations required — which advocates say are crucial to ensuring real emissions reductions.

Why it matters: The agreement addresses the region’s single largest industrial source of smog-forming pollution and represents a major test of whether cooperative, phased strategies can deliver timely emissions cuts without prescriptive regulation.