AIR POLLUTION AROUND THE PORT
Communities adjacent to seaports tend to face environmental burdens exacerbated by seaport operations. Most notably, diesel particulate matter created by combustion of fuel in the engines of cargo ships, heavy duty machinery, and trucks tends to affect neighborhoods near the seaport most severely. The following discusses how the air around the Oakland seaport is managed, the main pollutants and their sources, as well as a history of air pollution in West Oakland.
See the Policies page to learn how the Port intends on reducing air pollution around the port.
Regulated air pollutants around the seaport.
Hover over graph for more information
Particulate matter of all sizes present in diesel engine exhaust. Accounts for the greatest air pollution-related health concern in West Oakland due to increased cancer risks.
Diesel
Particulate
Matter
Particulate matter emissions less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, and a subset of PM10. PM 2.5 has especially adverse effects on health due to the fact that the small size of the particle allows it to cross blood barriers in the body.
Particulate
Matter 2.5
Solid or liquid particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter that form from a variety of chemical reactions during the combustion process or during activities that involve abrasion or friction, such as brake and tire wear. Often appears as soot. At high concentrations, PM 10 has adverse health effects on the respiratory system.
Particulate
Matter 10
Gases with sulfur molecules, primarily sulfur dioxide (SO2), that form during combustion of a fuel that contains sulfur. Sulfur oxides have adverse health effects at higher concentrations and participates in the formation of sulfate particulate matter in the ambient air.
Sulfur
oxides
Generally colorless gases that are emitted during combustion or through evaporation. They react with other chemicals in the air to form ozone or particulate matter, both of which can have adverse health effects at high concentrations.
Reactive
organic
gases
A colorless gas that is a product of incomplete combustion; has an adverse health effect at higher concentrations.
Carbon
monoxide
Nitrogen oxides include nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide is a light brown gas formed during combustion from reactions with nitrogen in the fuel or the combustion air. Nitrogen dioxide has adverse health effects at higher concentrations. Both nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide participate in the formation of ozone and particulate matter in the ambient air.
Nitrogen
Oxides
Hover over icons for more information
OCEAN GOING
VESSELS
Deep draft vessels that carry containers and equipped for travel across the open oceans.
HARBOR CRAFT
Tug boats, dredging boats, and other smaller vessels used for support operations.
CARGO HANDLING EQUIPMENT
Equipment used to move cargo or containers in a marine terminal or rail yard.
ON-ROAD HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS
Vehicles that transport cargo and containers to and from seaport facilities, called drayage trucks.
LOCOMOTIVES
Trains that carry cargo to and from the port rail yards.
OTHER OFF-ROAD EQUIPMENT
Construction and maintenance equipment operated at Port of Oakland terminals and the rail yards
Who regulates these pollutants?
The EPA sets the maximum amount of pollutants (above) that are allowed in any CBSA across the United States. These levels are called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and are the minimum air quality standards that virtually every place in the US must meet.
The CARB helps enforce the standards set by the EPA and is responsible for regulating mobile pollution sources like cars and trucks.
The BAAQMD can establish and enforce more rigorous air quality standards than those set by the EPA and is also responsible for regulating point sources of pollution like factories and refineries.
Since West Oakland has historically been burdened with more air pollution than most places throughout the Bay Area and the state of California, BAAQMD and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project created the West Oakland Community Action Plan to regulate pollutants specifically in West Oakland.
Air Pollution in West Oakland over time.
The graphs below show air pollution based on PM2.5 concentrations in West Oakland since 2013. PM2.5 is Fine Particulate Matter, which is a dangerous pollutant that comes from various sources, including fires, vehicles, and power plants. Particulate matter is linked to heart and lung diseases, and other respiratory problems. According to the BAAQMD, the federal standard is "35 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over a 24-hour day."
From 2013 to 2016, the concentrations are shown to decrease, but the sudden increases in 2017 and 2018 are due to the fires during those years.
The number of days each year PM2.5 concentrations are above the federal and CA standard for one day (35 micrograms per cubic meter).
The highest recorded PM2.5 concentration over a period of 24 hours for each year. This is compared to the 35 micrograms per cubic meter federal and CA standard.
The yearly average PM2.5 concentration in West Oakland compared to the federal standard, which is a yearly average of 12 micrograms per cubic meter.
Source: Bay Area Air Quality Management District