The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday 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. Combined with $18.2 million given during a previous program, the Port has committed $65 million to improve the health of children, seniors and other vulnerable populations who live near the harbor.
 
The Port Community Grants Program identifies three funding programs: Community Health, Facility Improvements and Community Infrastructure. Monday’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.”
 
For decades, the Port of Long Beach has been taking aggressive action to manage stormwater and improve water quality in San Pedro Bay. The Port’s Water Resources Action Plan, which addresses the various sources of water pollution affecting the harbor, has resulted in continual improvements in the marine habitat and water quality.

A five-person advisory committee appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia assisted Port staff in making funding recommendations to the Harbor Commission, which approved the following 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.

Find out more about the Community Grants Program at www.polb.com/grants.

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-­Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $194 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.