By Michael White
Over the past year, the GPA has made an impressively proactive effort in applying its visionary approach on environmental issues to the practical challenges of efficiently and economically meeting the diverse needs of the shippers who rely on its seamless operations.
A $250,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the spring of 2009 funded the GPA’s retrofitting of 80 pieces of port-owned cargo-handling equipment with engine exhaust enhancements including diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase filtration systems. The grant – distributed under the Diesel Admissions Reduction Act – also paid for the GPA-owned, diesel-powered cargo-handling equipped to be switched over to ULSD – or Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel – fuel, a move that decreased their noxious emissions by an impressive 34%.
TICO/Terminal Services, one of the vendors leasing jockey trucks to the GPA at its Garden City Terminal, has upgraded 15 fleet units due for replacement with Tier 3 engines. The new engines emit 57% less nitrogen oxide and more than 40% less particulate matter.
The GPA has modified the process of handling refrigerated containers to include the construction of 34 refrigerated cargo racks containing 816 container slots powered from the electrical grid. This has eliminated the use of close to three-quarters of a million gallons of diesel fuel due to the removal of 14 diesel-powered generators which has significantly reduced diesel emissions.
New wash pad areas consolidate the washing of refrigerated containers at designated areas. The water usage is monitored with the run-off water collected and processed at a nearby waste water treatment facility.
Twenty-one of the GPA’s 23 container cranes are powered using energy from the grid saving more than 1.7 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. The GPA’s four newest Super Post-Panamax cranes alone are expected to avoid the use of more than 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel during their first year of operation. All 21 of the electric powered cranes have regenerative breaking which generate approximately 30% of their total energy consumption via gravity and kinetic energy.
“In addition to our cargo handling operations, we’re constantly evaluating all of our activities including the recycling of demolition and construction materials, and waste materials from the maintenance group, waste oils or fuels, metals, the control of storm water run-off,” says Tillotson. “We’re absolutely committed to achieving an environmentally-friendly operation being responsible stewards.”
Georgia Ports Authority Environmental Policy
As an instrumentality of the State, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) mission states that the organization will develop, maintain and operate ocean and inland river ports within Georgia; foster international trade and new industry for state and local communities; promote Georgia’s agricultural, industrial and natural resources; and maintain the natural quality of the environment. To that end, the GPA is committed to conducting port operations in an environmentally sensitive and responsible manner to the extent feasible, practicable and consistent with the GPA’s overall mission and goals.
We will strive to:
- meet or exceed all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and other commitments;
- define and establish environmental objectives, targets and best management practices and monitor performance;
- minimize pollution from port operations;
- continually improve the port’s performance;
- ensure that the environmental management policy is available to staff, tenants, customers and the general public; and
- communicate our performance to the community.