Ports Primer: 6.3 Potential Community Interests
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Community interests in the impact of ports on the local and regional economy may include:
Post-Panamax Shipping
Many ports are facing pressure to expand their capacity to accommodate post-Panamax ships. This can impact near-port communities in a variety of ways including:
- New jobs created by port expansion and upgrades.
- Competing land use needs as ports seek room to expand.
- Environmental impacts related to construction and dredging.
- Increased shipping activity at the port.
- Loading and unloading larger vessels will require more trucks and rail usage, which could affect air emissions positively or negatively depending the technology used and related factors.
Labor and Working Conditions
Working conditions and wages at ports and port-related industries can impact the economic stability of workers and their families.
Jobs and Job Training Programs
Ports and port-related industries create jobs. Some ports have local hiring standards or agreements that reserve a percentage of jobs for residents of near-port communities. These ports may offer job training for residents who qualify.
Impacts on Goods Movement
Economic shifts in cargo traffic at ports can have ripple effects on other transportation sectors. As the traffic within these sectors rises and falls in response to port needs, near-port communities may be impacted by:
- Changes in traffic flow and congestion on truck routes.
- Changes in transportation infrastructure, including trucking routes and railways.
- Changes in diesel A type of fuel typically used in a compression-ignition engine. In common maritime use, diesel can refer to several varieties of fuels including Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) and Marine Gas Oil (MGO). Diesel may also be labeled by its sulfur content, such as the case of LSD (low sulfur diesel with less than 500 parts per million (ppm) sulfur) or ULSD (ultra-low sulfur diesel with less than 15 ppm sulfur). exhaust emissions due to traffic and use of different technologies.