Port of Long Beach Makes Air Filter Grants
"The selected projects will provide high-performance air filters and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades at facilities most impacted by port operations," said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. "We've made tremendous progress in reducing air pollution through our Green Port Policy."
The Port of Long Beach on Oct. 10 announced it has awarded $743,631 in grants to fund nine air filtration projects that will improve the health of children, seniors, and others who live near the port. The money is part of the $46.4 million Port Community Grants Program, the largest voluntary effort of its kind in the nation aimed at mitigating the impacts of goods movement; including $18.2 million awarded during a previous program, the port has committed $65 million to safeguard community health.
"The selected projects will provide high-performance air filters and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades at facilities most impacted by port operations," said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. "We've made tremendous progress in reducing air pollution through our Green Port Policy, and these grants help us provide mitigation directly to our neighbors."
Air filters and HVAC systems were selected as the first grant projects following public meetings to solicit priorities for the program, which was created in 2016. With a five-member advisory committee appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia, port staff made recommendations for funding to the Harbor Commission, which approved nine grants this time, including $104,498 to the City of Long Beach Multi-Service Center and $133,652 to the Compton Unified School District's Roosevelt Elementary, located in Compton, Calif.
The projects will improve air quality in facilities that see more than 2.2 million visits by students, seniors, patients, and others each year, according to the port, which has scheduled meetings later this month to get input for grants to be awarded for fiscal year 2018.