SACRAMENTO — Saying California children shouldn't breathe soot so people across the country can buy cheap televisions, legislators voted Tuesday to impose a fee on every container moving through the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland.
The money -- at least $400 million a year -- would be used to ease the traffic congestion and air pollution generated by the ports, which handle more than 40% of the nation's goods. Similar bills were vetoed or failed in the last two years, but this measure's author, Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), said he was optimistic that his legislation would be signed into law soon.
"We have built a statewide coalition to support the container fee," he said.
SB 974 would impose on shippers a fee of $60 for every typical-size cargo container leaving or entering the ports. The money would be used across Southern California and in the Bay Area for such projects as installing cleaner-burning truck and train engines and building roadways under or over railroad tracks to avoid long lines of idling vehicles.
The Assembly voted 45 to 24 to pass Lowenthal's bill. The Senate, which passed the legislation earlier, is expected to give final approval to amendments soon. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has offered no official position on the bill but said through spokeswoman Rachel Cameron that "we do support finding a solution to ensure California's air quality is protected while facilitating the movement of goods throughout the state."
Democrats praised the measure as a smart way to try to mitigate the foul air and clogged roads that are a byproduct of the ports' immense economic activity.
Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) estimated the total value of goods shipped through the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports at $378 billion and the total that would be generated by the fee at $500 million a year.
"So you're going to add on 0.13% to somebody's cheap TV in Peoria, Ill. Big deal," he said.
Assemblywoman Betty Karnette (D-Long Beach) said that people are dying of pollution in her district and that shippers bringing in cheap imports from China and elsewhere should pay.
"Who is profiting? I don't think it's our workers profiting from all these imports," she said. "Other countries are profiting at our expense."
A few other California cities, including Stockton and San Diego, have ports, but most cargo containers are unloaded in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland.
