Separate bus tours promoted clashing visions of the Port of Los Angeles on Saturday: One explored its historic path to success, the other decried its toxic sprawl.
A big blue bus chartered by social justice group Liberty Hill Foundation rolled through what organizers described as "sacrifice zones" of pollution and heavy industry. At the same time, a fleet of white buses led by port public relations officials celebrated the harbor's centennial this year with a tour called "Steppin' Back in Time."
Their paths crossed about 11 a.m. with a simultaneous stop at Banning's Landing on the Wilmington waterfront.
For Liberty Hill, it was a place to talk about the need to curb increasing diesel emissions, noise, and truck and train traffic. Under a blue tent a few yards away, the other group learned about Phineas Banning, called the "Father of Los Angeles Harbor" for his role in positioning the area for future success as one of the world's great seaports.
Nodding toward the blue tent where port officials were handing out centennial buttons, pens and "Steppin' Back in Time" pamphlets, Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill's director of special projects, said, "They're focusing on the sunny side of this economic engine in an effort to put a positive spin on its deleterious effects on air quality."
Arley Baker, head of public relations for the port, disagreed. "We just want to communicate that there is a major Pacific gateway in Los Angeles, an artery for wealth and commerce."
The Liberty Hill bus carried about 30 activists and half a dozen tour guides, including Andrea Hricko, an associate professor at USC's Keck School of Medicine. Its first stop was a working-class neighborhood of stucco homes adjacent to the Conoco Phillips Refinery.
Against a backdrop of refinery towers spewing white plumes of smoke into the air above the neighborhood where children rode scooters and skateboards, resident Ruben Mireles, 75, told those on the tour about a Christmas celebration "about 15 years ago when a big cloud of smoke came over and made us sick."
Speaking in Spanish into a portable public address system, Mireles added, "About seven years ago, there was an explosion and we felt the shock wave. The night before last, I was awakened by a bad smell and I couldn't breathe."
Nearby, port tour-bus guides showered passengers with cheery historical anecdotes and impressive statistics. Many of the passengers, who live in the harbor communities, said they enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the landmarks.
