Remarks for the Clean Ports Event in Los Angeles, California, As Prepared for Delivery
Michael Regan
Los Angeles, CA
Thank you, Representative Barragán, for that introduction.
Thank you for inviting me to your district and for your leadership and unwavering commitment to your community.
Mayor Bass, it’s great to have you with us. Thank you for welcoming us to your city.
To the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade and the Port of Los Angeles, thank you for hosting us.
We’re also grateful for all the community members and local leaders joining us.
It’s my honor to be here.
Since my start as EPA Administrator, I’ve taken every opportunity to get from behind my desk in Washington, D.C., and out on the ground to meet with folks who are directly impacted by the work we do.
I’ve visited communities all across this country and joined people, on their front porches, in their churches, and at their schools.
And today is no different.
Earlier this afternoon, I met with local leaders who spoke to me about the air quality challenges impacting communities surrounding the Port of Los Angeles.
Whether it’s the pollution produced by the trucks, ships, and locomotives that enter and exit the port, or the diesel emissions coming from daily port operations—too many communities residing near or around our nation’s ports experience poor air quality.
Folks, from day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris made it clear that this administration is committed to ensuring all people have clean air to breathe—regardless of the color of their skin, the community they live in, or the money in their pocket.
And since day one as administrator, I’ve been laser focused on that commitment.
We know that hubs like the Port of Los Angeles are essential for commerce, and vital to our nation's economic growth and supply chain infrastructure.
But we also know that protecting people should never come at the expense of a booming economy.
In fact, healthy communities and a strong economy go hand in hand.
Just last month, EPA launched our $3 billion-dollar Clean Ports Program—that’s billion with a ‘B’—to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure upgrades, while supporting climate and air quality planning at our nation’s ports.
But this program is more than just an investment in cleaner ports—it's an investment in environmental justice.
For years, EPA has worked directly with communities across our country to improve air quality through both our Ports Initiative and Diesel Emissions Reduction Act programs, and our Clean Ports Program builds off the foundation those programs have established.
People who live in communities that grapple with environmental and air quality challenges know their experiences better than anyone else, which is why meaningful community engagement and air quality planning has been central to this program.
The Clean Ports Program lays the groundwork for transformational change in the port sector by enabling a transition to zero-emissions operations.
This transition will not only improve the health of the communities’ surrounding ports, but also the health of port workers—reducing the number of potential missed workdays due to illness, and increasing the effectiveness and resilience of the port workforce.
We are prioritizing projects that demonstrate collaboration with communities that bear the brunt of port-related air pollution and delivering on President Biden’s, and this agency’s, commitment to environmental justice.
Simply put, EPA’s Clean Ports Program is a game changer.
It’s a gamechanger for communities living near ports, who will benefit from cleaner air, and improved public health.
It’s a gamechanger for our workforce, who will benefit from new good-paying jobs created in our domestic clean energy sector.
And it’s a gamechanger for our nation’s ports, who will use these historic investments to upgrade and revolutionize their port infrastructure, helping ensure that America is not just globally competitive, but a global leader in developing critical clean energy technologies.
Because of President Biden’s historic investments in America, we are building a healthier, brighter future—a future where all people have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and a safe place to live, work, and play.
And we won’t stop until the job is done.
Thank you!