Cooperative Agreement Between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and the South Coast Air Quality Management District

The Cooperative Agreement between the Port of Long Beach (POLB), Port of Los Angeles (POLA), and South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) sets forth the process and requirements for the implementation of a Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) Plus measure for the ports' development of Zero Emissions Infrastructure Plans (ZE Plans) for the implementation of zero-emission charging and fueling infrastructure on port managed property for all port sources. The Cooperative Agreement defines the roles of each the ports and the South Coast AQMD; the Cooperative Agreement requires the POLB and POLA to respectively develop zero emission infrastructure plans (ZE Plan) in phases, by port source(s), commit to a public process; identifies provisions in the event the Port defaults on a requirement, and requires annual reporting on progress during the term of the Cooperative Agreement. During development of the ZE Plans, the South Coast AQMD will be consulted at least 30 days prior to release of the draft ZE Plans. The ZE Plans are subject to public review for at least 30 days, during which the Port will hold one public meeting. Following the public review period, the South Coast AQMD will be able to review the draft ZE Plan along with all public comments received for an additional 30 days. Public comments received will be considered and the POLB will prepare a revised draft ZE Plan to be reviewed by the South Coast AQMD for completeness. The final ZE Plans are subject to approval by the Board of Harbor Commissioners (Board). In Phase 1, the ZE Plan for container terminals and drayage trucks will be released by May 30, 2027, a revised draft ZE Plan released by September 30, 2027, and the Board's adoption of the final ZE Plan by December 31, 2027. In Phase 2, the draft ZE Plan for non-container terminals, harbor craft, and in-port locomotives will be released by May 30, 2028, a revised draft of the ZE Plan released by September 30, 2028, and the Board's adoption of the final ZE-Plan by December 31, 2028. Phase 3 involves the preparation of the draft ZE Plan for ocean-going vessels released by May 30, 2029, release of the revised draft ZE Plan by September 30, 2029, and adoption of the final ZE Plan by the Board by December 31, 2029. If the POLB or POLA fails to meet a ZE Plan submittal date, an implementation milestone, or fails to adhere to the public process, the POLB or POLA will be subject to payment into a Clean Air Mitigation Fund in the amount of $50,000 up to $200,000, depending on the nature of the default. The Clean Air Mitigation Fund will be managed by the South Coast AQMD for disbursement to State Tidelands-compliant projects. POLB and POLA will also reimburse the South Coast AQMD for staff costs associated with review of the ZE Plans and annual reports. Under the Cooperative Agreement, the South Coast AQMD agrees to evaluate and potentially support funding efforts for the CAAP Plus Measure; monitor, assess, and verify the implementation of the CAAP Plus Measure based on information provided by the ports, and make accessible to the public, any pertinent data and information related to the implementation of the CAAP Plus Measures. The South Coast AQMD, POLB, and POLA also agree to continue discussions through Spring 2026, related to additional clean air strategies for potential enhancements to the Cooperative Agreement. The term of the Cooperative Agreement will be effective as of the date of the last party's signature through December 31, 2030.