Pondering on What Next to Ponder

Two issues seem to have provided lives for themselves in the last several months and each one of them shows how San Pedrans can think so differently about things.


The two issues I am referring to is the proposed Kaiser Point outer harbor cruise ship terminal and the proposal to build a 1,215-seat senior high school on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur.


It would be incorrect for this blog to ponder either of these two issues before the issue of the China Shipping recirculation of its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) along with its Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is mentioned.


The combined reports are being recirculated and a public hearing on the reports is scheduled for June 5, 2008 at the Banning Landing Community Center in Wilmington.


China Shipping want to complete a process that began several years ago to expand its operations and berths usage where the Standard Oil Marine Terminal and Todd Shipyard once stood.


You probably know the area very well, with the four A-frame cranes and the giant mound of dirt near the Harbor Freeway. China Shipping wants to have many more cranes added and more berths for even more ships to come from China to San Pedro and back again.


China Shipping does use "Cold Harboring" which allows the engines of the ships to be completely shut off during port stays, and the electricity needed for the ship comes from land-based commercial power sources. This is a great way to ease pollution at the port, but it still involves a great expansion of all operations at that facility, if the expansion is ultimately approved.


This expansion has some similarities to the TraPac expansion and the DEIS/DEIR should be looked at carefully to see what is stated about increased pollution in OUR community.


The Port of L.A. is sponsoring a research of having electric-powered tractor-trucks used in the port. There is apparently one such truck being studied, and if contracts and start-up funding is found, the port may see 25 such trucks scooting around the port, in several years.


So now that this blog has addressed the China Shipping DEIS/DEIR recirculation hearing, the pondering of the next two hot issues can begin.