Meeting_Body
FINANCE, BUDGET, AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING
OCTOBER 21, 2021
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS DUTRA AND HAHN
Support for I-710 Clean Truck Program
Whereas, communities along the I-710 South Corridor are confronted daily with unacceptable public health conditions, created in part by diesel emissions generated by heavy duty trucks, especially Diesel Particulate Matter;
Whereas according to the December 2020 South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Southeast Los Angeles Community Emissions Reduction Plan, the Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES IV) showed Diesel Particulate Matter as the air pollutant that contributed most to the air toxics cancer risk in the South Coast AQMD region, with the Southeast Los Angeles community having higher air toxics cancer risk compared to the overall average;
Whereas, this week President Biden announced a series of public and private commitments to move more goods faster by moving towards 24/7 operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are the point of entry for 40 percent of containers to the U.S., and are on track to reach new highs in container traffic this year;
Whereas, the Metro Board of Directors approved the 2021 LA County Goods Movement Strategic Plan in January 2021, which included support for a Countywide Clean Truck Initiative, an Equity for Goods Movement Initiative, and a Logistics Workforce and Competency Initiative;
Whereas, both the Metro and Gateway Cities Board of Directors have voted to comprehensively reassess the I-710 South Corridor project, including actions to address the range of safety, mobility, public health and air quality issues;
Whereas, the Metro Board of Directors on May 27, 2021, voted to “immediately suspend further work to advance the current 710 South Corridor Project EIR/EIS;”
Whereas, the Metro Board of Directors demonstrated a strong commitment to take actions supporting the deployment of a phased-in Zero Emission (ZE) Truck Technology Development Program, also called the “710 Clean Truck Program” on April 23, 2020, as part of Agenda Item 10, Response to Motion 8.1 - 710 Clean Truck Program, including approval of $50 million of “Metro-controlled funding sources” as seed funding for the $200 million 710 Clean Truck Program, contingent upon a Record of Decision issued by the Federal Highway Administration for the Interstate 710 South Project;
Whereas, Governor Newsom and the State Legislature have taken strong actions and approved funding in the most recent state budget to substantially increase support for deploying zero emission vehicles, including the deployment of 1,000 ZE heavy-duty drayage trucks, over the next three years;
Whereas, Metro and the Gateway Cities COG sent a letter in September to chairs of the California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission requesting a cooperative approach to deploy the maximum possible number of heavy-duty ZEV trucks operating in and around the Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles, and along the I-710 South Corridor;
Whereas, the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles are pursuing an aggressive clean trucks program and the South Coast Air Quality Management District is in the process of implementing a new battery electric truck program known as the “Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative” (JETSI) in Southern California fleet operations; and
Whereas, it is essential that the Metro Board continue to demonstrate leadership and a sense of urgency in directly addressing the diesel emission related public health crisis confronting the residents of the I-710 South Corridor, in particular the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Long Beach, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, Signal Hill, South Gate, and portions of LA County Supervisorial Districts 1, 2 and 4.
Subject
SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR I-710 CLEAN TRUCK PROGRAM
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE Motion by Directors Dutra and Hahn that directs the CEO to consider the following actions as part of the I-710 Metro Task Force:
A. Pursue an I-710 Clean Truck Program that prioritizes the elimination of all diesel truck operations in the I-710 Corridor as soon as possible to reduce public health impacts on local communities caused by Diesel Particulate Matter and other diesel truck-related emissions. Metro should consider the following goals:
1. Seek the deployment of zero emission trucks and infrastructure to the greatest extent feasible.
2. Where not yet feasible due to constraints of fueling/charging infrastructure, commercial viability, or other reasons, deploy the cleanest possible trucks available in the I-710 Corridor to ensure that community health needs are met through the immediate removal of diesel trucks from the corridor.
B. In partnership with the Gateway Cities COG, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, and regional stakeholders, conduct aggressive federal and state advocacy to secure funding for an I-710 Clean Truck Program.
C. Pursue an agreement with the State of California to ensure that a share of the 1,000 zero emission trucks included in the FY 21-22 California State budget be deployed along the I-710 corridor, commensurate with the region’s needs for equity, public health, air quality, and freight outcomes.
D. Recommit the $50 million from I-710 South Corridor Project funds (as provided in the response to April 23, 2020 Agenda Item 10. Response to Motion 8.1 - 710 Clean Truck Program) as initial Metro “seed funding” for a $200 million 710 Clean Truck Program.
E. Report back to the Board in February 2022 and April 2022 with progress.
Additionally, consider the following tasks as part of the I-710 Metro Task Force:
F. Seek collection of data and research that will provide information on truck ownership and opportunity to convert to ZE/near zero emissions (NZE) technology, origin and destination of truck movements, and the status of ZE/NZE technology including barriers to implementation;
G. Consider the timetables for truck fleet turnover that are established by CARB’s Advanced Clean Truck Rule;
H. Explore a cooperative arrangement with CARB, AQMD, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, and other organizations for truck GPS data, information sharing, and scaling associated with JETSI and other zero emission and battery electric trucks pilot projects;
I. Identify equity and workforce development needs of owner-operators and related businesses in the Gateway Cities subregion and prioritize the needs of those that are individual owner-operators and small businesses and those that are minority and/or women-owned; and
J. Explore a Memorandum of Understanding including, but not limited to, Metro, Gateway Cities COG, the Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles, SCAG, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District in order to secure funding to incentivize the transition from diesel to zero emission trucks.