The 'Diesel Death Zone' of Los Angeles
LA communities bearing the burdens of port pollution
Introduction
The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States, handling more than 40% of all containerized cargo in the West Coast, and at least 17% of all containerized cargo nationwide. In 2020, the port handled over 9.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), valued at over $250 billion. In June 2021, the Port of Los Angeles became the first port in the Western Hemisphere to exceed 10 million TEUs over a 12-month period as a result of the pandemic-induced online shopping surge that began in the summer of 2020.
Aerial view of the Port of Los Angeles (Port of Los Angeles)
While these numbers equate to monumental economic and logistical achievements, they come at a heavy price to local communities. Wilmington and San Pedro residents, many of whom are already burdened by poverty and social inequality, are disproportionately exposed to port pollution on a perpetual basis. Harmful diesel emissions from the thousands of trucks, trains, and other port-related activities present a myriad of health risks, particularly for children and older adults living in these communities.
California Safe Schools
Founded by Robina Suwol in 1998, California Safe Schools (CSS) is a children’s environmental health and environmental justice coalition. CSS achieved national prominence by spearheading the Los Angeles Unified Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy, the most stringent pesticide policy in the nation for K-12 public schools and the first to embrace the “Precautionary Principle” and “Right to Know”. The success of the policy led to California’s Healthy Schools Act. Today the LA Unified IPM policy serves as an international model for school districts and communities.
On October 6, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 405 (Montanez) sponsored by California Safe Schools. The bill bans experimental pesticides, whose health effects are unknown, from California K-12 public schools. As a result, more than six million California children and hundreds of thousands of school children are protected from experimental chemicals, whose health effects are unknown.
CSS continues to be a leader on children’s environmental health, with an emphasis on schools and environmental justice communities. Under Robina’s leadership, CSS has facilitated changes at the policy level as well as at the grassroots, which creates a lasting institutional protection.
Objective
In alignment with California Safe School's mission, our objective was to identify environmental stressors around schools in Los Angeles, examine the cumulative impacts of those stressors on local communities and provide a basis for guiding public policy.
What is a "Diesel Death Zone"?
The term "Diesel Death Zone" has been used by journalists, physicians, and community leaders to describe communities that are exposed to disproportionate volumes of diesel pollution . In Los Angeles, the Diesel Death Zone includes Wilmington and San Pedro. Residents in these communities are among the most impacted by diesel pollution stemming from the Port of Los Angeles and other port-related activities.
Smog over the Port of Los Angeles (Universal Cargo)
Diesel Pollution
Cargo ships, handling equipment, trucks, trains, and nearly every piece of machinery in and around the port operates on diesel fuel. Diesel engines emit numerous pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other hazardous air pollutants. Exposure to these pollutants can lead to various heart and lung diseases. Diesel emissions can also damage plants, animals, crops, and water resources. ( EPA )
Trucks waiting in queue at the Port of Los Angeles. (Nick Ut, Associated Press)
Diesel engines emit a specific category of pollutants, diesel particulate matter (diesel PM) , which is composed of hundreds of different chemicals and volatile organic compounds. Diesel PM is a subset of PM 2.5, which has an increased ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing a cascade of physical ailments. These ailments include irritation of the eyes, throat, and nose, heart and lung disease, birth defects and premature death. Exposure to PM can also affect cognitive functions, leading to behavioral issues and neurological impairment.
Health effects of particle pollution ( NASA.gov )
More information about particulate matter can be found in our previous story, Asthma Alley, CA .
Vulnerabilities in Children
Children are more susceptible to air pollutants, as they take in more air per unit of body weight than adults, are more physically active than adults, and can develop adverse health effects that persist into later life. Diagnosing children is difficult because children show fewer symptoms or don’t recognize symptoms themselves. Long-term exposure to air pollutants can also lead to cognitive or behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, prolonged physical impairment, higher school absenteeism, and decreased earning potential in later life. ( World Health Organization )
Truck passing by a playground in LA (Don Bartletti, Los Angeles Times)
Key Facts
- The South Bay Port Complex (Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach) is the single largest fixed source of air pollution in Southern California. ( South Coast AQMD )
- The ports produce 100 tons of smog every day, more than the daily emissions from the 6 million cars in LA County combined. ( South Coast AQMD )
- Children living in poverty have the highest rates of asthma (over 10%). ( LA County Department of Public Health )
- Children highly exposed to traffic pollution are 30-40% more likely to report wheezing and 15% more likely to be diagnosed with asthma. ( CARB )
Port Communities
The Port of Los Angeles spans 7500 acres, including parts of Wilmington and San Pedro.
Over 130,000 people reside in these communities, including 36,000 under the age of 18. Over 70% of these residents are people of color. (U.S. Census)
Certain racial and ethnic groups face higher exposure to pollutants and experience greater responses to such pollution. ( American Lung Association )
Schools
This map shows 37 schools across Wilmington and San Pedro. These schools include elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and private/charter schools.
Many of these schools operate as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Rail Network
The port uses a network of railways to transport cargo by train. About 30% of all cargo entering the port is transported along this network. On average, over 30 trains transport cargo through San Pedro and Wilmington every day. ( HCBF )
This rail network includes intermodal terminal facilities, where cargo is transferred from trucks to trains and vice versa. These facilities serve as frequent destinations for trucks.
As trains move along this network, they force intersecting traffic to stop at railroad crossings. Idle vehicles at these crossings contribute significant volumes of emissions in Wilmington and San Pedro. Railroad crossings also impact walkability and pedestrian safety.
Truck Routes
Cargo trucks use specific routes based on height and weight requirements set by CalTrans. ( CalTrans )
Truck routes stemming from the port include major freeways and highways, notably CA-47, the 110 Freeway, the 710 Freeway, and Pacific Coast Highway. These routes also include various surface streets in and around Wilmington and San Pedro, as trucks must first pass through these surface streets before they can enter the freeway and highway network.
Container Yards
Empty containers are brought to container storage yards where they are fumigated and fitted for reuse. These yards represent frequent destinations for cargo trucks in Wilmington. Many yards are located near densely populated residential areas, represented by the shaded regions in this map.
Container yards usually hold anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred containers at a time, and represent a significant portion of off-port traffic. Trucks typically use surface streets to access these yards.
Containers are commonly fumigated with methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride. Exposure to these fumigants can lead to respiratory diseases, neurological impairment, eye and skin irritation, kidney damage, and other adverse health effects, especially for children. ( HCBF )
Pollution Drift
Winds can cause traffic pollution to drift up to 650 feet or more depending on weather conditions and traffic volumes. This map applies a 650-foot buffer around the established truck routes to show areas likely affected by diesel pollution drift.
California law prohibits the construction of new schools within 500 feet of freeways and certain "busy traffic corridors", with certain exceptions. ( CA Senate Bill 352 )
This map shows six schools (in yellow) in the affected areas.
Pollution Drift (Night)
Cooler temperatures force traffic pollution to stagnate, allowing it to drift up to a mile during the night and early morning hours. This problem persists during cold winter months. ( UCLA )
This map applies a one-mile buffer around established truck routes throughout the region, indicating areas likely affected by nighttime diesel pollution drift.
Cargo operations typically maintain a 24-hour schedule.
Diesel PM
This map shows relative volumes of diesel particulate matter (diesel PM) emissions from on-road and non-road sources, measured in tons per year. Darker regions indicate areas with relatively high volumes of diesel PM emissions based on a statewide average. ( CalEnviroScreen )
Diesel PM is ultrafine, travels longer distances, and penetrates deep into the lungs. Children and older adults are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of diesel PM exposure. ( OEHHA )
Asthma
This map shows asthma rates measured in cases per 10,000 residents. Darker regions indicate relatively high rates of asthma-related hospitalizations based on a statewide average. ( CalEnviroScreen )
Asthma rates in Wilmington and San Pedro are among the highest in the state. Living near ports is associated with higher asthma rates. ( USC Center for Health )
Poverty
This map shows poverty rates across parts of Wilmington and San Pedro. Darker regions indicate areas with relatively high percentages of residents living below the federal poverty line. ( CalEnviroScreen )
Income is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of health and disease. A working-age adult earning less than $15,000 is 3.6 times more likely to die prematurely than those making at least $70,000 per year.
Pollution Burden
This map shows CalEnviroScreen scores assigned to individual census tracts. These scores represent the cumulative impacts of pollution exposure, accounting for sensitive populations and socioeconomic factors. Areas in red indicate populations that are most impacted by pollution. ( CalEnviroScreen )
Areas in Wilmington and San Pedro receive some of the highest scores in the state (90-100), indicating that these communities are among the most impacted by pollution exposure.
Policy Recommendations
- Invest in mitigation efforts with emphasis on schools, community spaces, and residential areas near the Port.
- Increase neighborhood resources and benefits in Wilmington and San Pedro.
- Incorporate local and independent community impact studies when ports propose large infrastructure projects.
- Include Wilmington and San Pedro surface streets when accounting for truck traffic volume and impacts.
- Invest in electrification of trucks, trains, port equipment, and infrastructure.
- Embrace the "Right to Know" Principle by educating community members, leaders, and stakeholders about the impacts of port pollution.
Truck traffic on Pacific Coast Hwy at Henry Ford Ave. (David McNew, Getty Images)
