The global supply chain and the U.S. goods movement or "logistics" industry are huge contributors to environmental pollution, especially in port and warehouse communities.

The Partnership is a core partner in the Campaign for Clean and Safe Ports, a national project to eliminate harmful airborne pollutants from the low-income minority communities that surround the nation’s major containerized port complexes. Around the ports, residents are exposed to diesel particulate matter concentrations that cause an extremely high rate of health problems, from asthma to heart disease.

In these regions, port trucking accounts for about 40% of the pollution generated by port complexes. The job status of the port truck drivers is a major cause of the extremely high levels of airborne pollutants in the nation’s ports. Many of the 100,000 port truck drivers are mis-classified as “independent contractors” and are responsible for all expenses associated with ownership of a truck. Because of low rates of pay, the drivers are unable to purchase clean trucks or properly maintain the trucks they already own. Moreover, because of operational disorganization at the ports, hundreds of trucks can be backed up awaiting pickup for hours, spewing dangerous emissions while idling in residential neighborhoods.

The policy framework to achieve the goal of cleaner air is based on establishing a contractual relationship between the port governing bodies and trucking companies so that the port will control which companies have access to port property. Requiring that trucks who are granted access meet the highest environmental standards and that companies are fully accountable for trucking operations will establish systems for managing the trucking that reduce idling time and route trucks away from residential areas. The systems will also include citizen participation in monitoring implementation and modifying policy.

Learn more about the Docks to Dumps campaign.