Clean Water Projects Funded by Port of Long Beach
"As stewards of the port, the Board of Harbor Commissioners is dedicated to environmental sustainability and social responsibility," said Commission President Tracy Egoscue. "The Port Community Grants Program is a prime example of this commitment."
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners this week awarded more than $3 million to support four projects that will help improve water quality in and around Long Beach as part of the Port Community Grants Program. Now in its second year, the decade-long, $46.4 million program is the largest voluntary effort of its kind in the nation aimed at lessening the environmental impacts of goods movement.
The Port of Long Beach has committed a total of $65 million to improve the health of children, seniors, and other vulnerable populations living near the harbor.
The Port Community Grants Program identifies three funding programs: community health, facility improvements, and community infrastructure. This week's awards are from the Community Infrastructure program.
"As stewards of the port, the Board of Harbor Commissioners is dedicated to environmental sustainability and social responsibility," said Commission President Tracy Egoscue. "The Port Community Grants Program is a prime example of this commitment."
A five-person advisory committee appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia assisted Port staff in making funding recommendations to the Harbor Commission, which approved these grants:
- City of Long Beach Public Works Department: Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Project, $1 million
- Willmore City Heritage Association: Willmore Heritage Garden Biofiltration Swale, $440,000
- Rancho Los Cerritos: Looking Back to Advance Forward (permeable pavement and underground cistern), $1 million
- Camp Fire: Camp Shiwaka, Long Beach Eco Parking Lot, $603,441
Last year, the port granted $3.7 million from the program in two rounds. In October, commissioners awarded $743,631 to fund nine air filtration projects in Long Beach, Compton, and Paramount. The facilities receiving grants see more than 2.2 million visits annually. A second $3 million award in November helped fund health efforts benefiting people vulnerable to respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders and diseases.