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Council approves voluntary side letter with China Shipping; environmental groups urge stronger, enforceable mitigation
Summary
The council approved a voluntary side letter tied to a China Shipping terminal lease after public comment from environmental groups; the measure passed 11-1 and prompted calls for an independent task force and stronger enforceable pollution controls.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 11-1 to approve a voluntary side letter between the Port of Los Angeles and China Shipping Company that details mitigation commitments tied to a new terminal, after public hearing testimony from environmental groups and local council members.
Kavita Paul of the Natural Resources Defense Council urged the council to "reject the proposed side letter and require a side letter with meaningful mitigation commitments be drafted and resubmitted," saying voluntary language such as "encourage, participate, consider" was insufficient for communities already facing high cancer risk. Paul said the development involves a large terminal footprint, "hundreds of new large vessels," and "thousands" of diesel truck and tugboat trips that would significantly increase diesel emissions.
Councilmember Janice Hahn, who led the item, said the side letter included multiple mitigation commitments and that she had sought an independent monitoring role for the city's environmental affairs office. Hahn said she would press the Port to convene an independent task force and asked for a 90-day report after the terminal opens to assess whether the voluntary measures were being implemented.
Larry Keller, executive director of the Harbor Department, described the side letter as a voluntary agreement negotiated in addition to the lease and argued it secured mitigation measures other agencies "can't get" through regulation. When asked by Councilmember Herb Wesson about enforcement and penalties for lease violations, Keller acknowledged the side letter was not punitive law and said enforcement would involve coordination across agencies and the lease contract.
The council adopted the side letter with one member voting no; the record shows questions from council members about enforcement and accountability and calls from environmental groups for stronger, enforceable commitments and an ongoing task force to study port pollution impacts.
