Rose Foundation Awards Major Research Grant to UC Riverside: Tackling Port Pollution in San Pedro
Photo Courtesy of Port of Los Angeles
Oakland, CA — The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment has awarded a $3.5 million grant to the University of California, Riverside (UCR), launching a groundbreaking research initiative to address dangerous air pollution in San Pedro and surrounding neighborhoods near the Port of Los Angeles—areas long referred to as part of the “diesel death zone” due to the health impacts of port-related emissions.
UC Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the Bourns College of Engineering has been awarded the grant to lead this research project. As UCR’s largest research center, CE-CERT brings over 30 years of expertise in clean transportation, sustainable energy systems, and air quality innovation. Nationally recognized for turning cutting-edge science into real-world impact, CE-CERT will work in close partnership with communities to investigate the impact of Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs) on near shore air pollution.
The research is focused on measuring and understanding the air pollution and health impacts caused by OGVs operating in and around the Port of Los Angeles by measuring emissions of up to 100 vessels using drones and on-board instruments. Ground-based monitoring will complement these measurements, focusing on hazardous air pollutants such as carbonyls, PAHs, black carbon, and sulfates among others. Backed by CE-CERT’s expertise in diesel emissions, goods movement, and advanced air quality modeling, this approach will allow researchers to directly trace pollution from freight operations to ithe nearshore communities. The long-term outcome is that the data generated will help implement mitigation strategies and enhance regulatory enforcement through innovative monitoring methods.
“This research will help close critical knowledge gaps and gives frontline communities and regulatory agencies the information they need to advocate for public health and make policy decisions relating to the impacts of port activities,” said Dr. David Cocker, lead researcher at CE-CERT.
“This grant represents a significant milestone in our mission to work with community litigants on implementing their goals for mitigation funding,” said Aiko Pandorf, Interim Executive Director of the Rose Foundation.
A Victory Decades in the Making
This initiative is rooted in a long and hard-fought environmental justice struggle. In 2001, the Port of Los Angeles approved construction of a terminal for China Shipping—one of its largest tenants—without first preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In response, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in partnership with community allies such as East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Coalition for Clean Air, San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United, and San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowners Coalition, filed a lawsuit that led to a landmark settlement. The court sided with the plaintiffs, requiring the Port to prepare a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Yet over the years, the Port repeatedly backtracked on its promises, prompting renewed legal action. In 2022, a trial court found a “profound violation of CEQA,” and by December 2023, the California Court of Appeal ordered immediate corrective measures. In May 2024, the San Diego County Superior Court ruled that the lease between the Port and China Shipping must include enforceable pollution-reduction measures, including the use of cleaner cargo-handling equipment and Alternative Maritime Power, requiring ships to plug in at berth instead of burning diesel. This led the parties to settle the remaining case issues which led to the creation of a mitigation fund, housed at the Rose Foundation, aimed at finding projects that would help reduce port-related air pollution. This legal victory stands as a powerful testament to the tireless commitment of community-driven leadership in the fight for environmental accountability and justice.
“This project stands on the shoulders of a community-led legal battle that proves what is possible when community-based organizations join forces with residents to demand justice” said Jodene Isaacs, our Director of Grantmaking at the Rose Foundation. “Community partners are using settlement funds from the Port of Los Angeles to harness scientific research that can be used by regulators to shape a cleaner, more equitable future.”
Media Contact:
Amy Holland, Communications Manager
Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment
Email: Rose@rosefdn.org
Tel: (510) 658-0702
www.rosefdn.org