Photo credit: Mirko Harnisch

Federal and state government agencies and economic analysts all agree: By reducing long-haul truck traffic, intermodal short-sea shipping plays a significant role in reducing air pollution, and alleviating highway congestion and the accompanying environmental degradation. (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

1. Increase Air Quality: Marine vessels are not emissions free; in 2005, marine traffic in the US was the source of about 8% of certain types of air pollution in major ports. (vii) But in an I-SSS scenario, marine vessels produce as much as 30% less air pollution — specifically hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide — then trucks or trains. (ii) (iii) Additionally, transporting freight by water in a major river scenario uses five times less fuel then by truck. (iii) Our intermodal Marine Highway service calculates a 3.5x better fuel efficiency compared to an equivalent trucking scenario, equating to an anticipated annual fuel savings of over 3.84 million gallons of diesel equal to a CO2 emissions savings of over 38,000 metric tons per year.

2. Decrease Highway Congestion: The transitioning of freight from highways to alternative modes such as rail or intermodal coastal shipping removes the congestion impacts that pass through freight causes as it passes through unintended regions in route to final destinations. Freight moving between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California impacts several communities, such as Sacramento, causing congestion and localized pollution when it could be diverted to intermodal short-sea shipping, burning less fuel and taking up less freeway space. Operating at capacity HML’s intermodal service will eliminate approximately 40 million traveled truck miles, saving communities millions of miles of congestion related impacts.

3. Reduce Environmental Degradation: Public agencies such as the California Department of Transportation use the conversion that 1 truck does the equivalent damage of 9600 cars. Transitioning freight to a waterborne mode not only saves goods movement related fuel but also asphalt repair related oil and road repair related consumption, both saving GHG emissions and bettering air quality for us all. Our intermodal service at capacity will transition over 97,000 long-haul truck moves off our highways eliminating the accompanying repair related fuel & oil consumption and emissions.

4. Further the Green Business Movement: Sustainability, defined as “[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” represents the global movement in which communities and government agencies are demanding from businesses more and more each and every day. (viii) Recognition and promotion of fuel efficient transportation such as our waterborne intermodal freight programs will help solidify the West Coast’s leadership role in the green business movement and will help the business community embrace responsible business practices.

Sources

i U.S. Government Accountability Office. Short Sea Shipping Option Shows Importance of Systematic Approach to Public Investment Decisions. July 2005
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ii Pacific Northwest Waterways Association and the Center for Economic Development Education and Research. Columbia Snake River System and Oregon Coastal Cargo Ports Marine Transportation System Study; Appendix C Short Sea Shipping in the Columbia/Snake River System. June 2005.
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iii U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. Environmental Advantages of Inland Barge Transportation. August 1994.
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iv Clean Energy Act of 2007, H.R.6, 110th Cong., 1st Sess. (2007). Sections cited: T. XI 55602 (b); T. XI 55601 (e) (f)
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v Hanh Dam Le-Griffin and James E. Moore, II. Potential Impact of Short Sea Shipping in the Southern California Region. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California. February 2006.
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vi California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Goods Movement Action Plan. January 2007.
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vii U.S. Federal Highway Administration and ICF Consulting. Assessing the Effects of Freight Movement on Air Quality at the National and Regional Level. April 2005.
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viii United Nations General Assembly, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Transmitted to the General Assembly as an Annex to document. 1987.