Punta Colonet Baja California Mexico
Proposed International Port
Preliminary
Public Health, Public Safety, Environmental, Economic
Assessment Report
( With Similar Impacts To The Port Of Ensenada & Other Potential New Locations )
November 14, 2005
Prepared By
Coalition For A Safe Environment
140 West Lomita Blvd.
Wilmington, California USA 90744
www. cfase. org 310-704-1265
Table of Contents
Part I
Coalition For A Safe Environment Information
Punta Colonet Project Mission
Punta Colonet Project Goals
Punta Colonet Project Objectives
Punta Colonet Port Community & Public Impacts
Public Health Impacts
Public Safety Impacts
Air Quality Impacts
Water Quality Impacts
Land Quality Impacts
Community Aesthetics Impacts
Traffic Congestion Impacts
Negative Economic Impacts
Part II
Planning Recommendations, Alternative Technologies & Mitigation
Public Health
Ship
Port
Truck
Train
Container Intermodal Facility
Public Safety
Environment
Air
Water
Land
Biological Wildlife Habitats
Noise
Light
Population, Housing & Public Services
Cultural Resources
Transportation Corridors
Land use & Planning
Negative Economic Public Impacts
Coalition For A Safe Environment
The Coalition For A Safe Environment (CFASE) is a non-profit Environmental, Public Health and Public Safety advocacy community organization. CFASE specializes in the evaluation of Port, International Trade, Goods Movement Industry, Transportation Corridors, Distribution, Retail, Petroleum Industry and Energy Sources business negative impacts on the Environment, Public Health, Public Safety and Economy.
The Coalition For A Safe Environment is headquartered in Wilmington in the City of Los Angeles an Environmental Justice Community which borders the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach and four major Oil Refineries.
An Environmental Justice Community (EJ) is a community which is typically poor, ethnic minority, low income, foreign or indigenous language speaking and with little politically power or representation which has an over abundance of business facilities which cause significant negative environmental, public health, public safety and economic impacts. These impacts when added together are called cumulative impacts and have a significant disproportionate or unequal impacts on an Environmental Justice poor community as compared to wealthy rich communities. EJ Communities typically have higher rates of cancer, asthma, respiratory health problems, diseases, higher premature death rates and exposure to more toxic and hazardous chemicals. They also have the least community economical development, least available public health services, lowest education growth opportunities, most dangerous and lowest paying jobs.
CFASE currently has members in twenty cities in Southern California and is growing in membership every month as new communities recognize the significant negative impacts of International Ports on local communities and public health. CFASE has been effective in evaluating business project proposals, determining negative public impacts, researching alternative technologies, proposing appropriate mitigation for all negative public impacts, participating in legal law suits, evaluating and participating in new rules, regulations and laws.
Punta Colonet Project Mission
It is the mission of the Coalition For A Safe Environment on the Punta Colonet trip to conduct a preliminary environmental, public health, public safety and economic survey of the Punta Colonet community and Baja California Mexico region to assess the impact of a new International Trade Sea Port.
Punta Colonet Project Goals
It is the goals of the survey to collect sufficient information and photographs in order to prepare a report and presentation in English and Spanish that will be distributed to the Punta Colonet and Baja California communities that will discuss the potential devastating environmental, public health, public safety and economic impacts.
Punta Colonet Project Objectives
It was the objectives of the survey to interview residents, business owners, land owners, collect geographic information, document GPS & mapping data, photograph the local area, assess the environmental, public health, public safety and economic impacts of the new proposed Punta Colonet International Port and to prepare a report.
Part I
Punta Colonet International Port
Community and Public Impacts
Public Health Impacts
When Ports are relatively small they do not pose significant public health impacts unless a Port worker, truck driver or local resident is exposed to significant smoke fumes or toxic chemicals from ships, trucks, container handling equipment and power plants. However, when Ports begin to handle millions of containers a year the amount of air pollution increases tremendously.
As an example, the Port of Los Angeles is the # 1 largest Port in the United States and the # 5 largest in the world, it is also the # 1 largest air pollution source in Southern California. The communities of Wilmington and San Pedro which are part of the City of Los Angeles and the westside community of the City of Long Beach which border the Port of Los Angeles have the highest risk of cancer and some of the highest rates of asthma and respiratory health problems.
The Coalition For A Safe Environment has found through our experience that you can not trust any local, state, regional, state or federal government agency or any international trade business related industry to tell the public the truth of the significant public health problems caused by the international trade and goods movement industry.
The Coalition For A Safe Environment has also found that no government agency, port, international trade company, shipping company, transportation corridor authority, distributor, distribution center or retailer will pay or provide for public medical treatment and long term public health care.
Hundreds of environmental organizations, environmental justice organizations, homeowner associations, community organizations and public health advocacy organizations in Los Angeles, in the State of California and in the United States are currently fighting U.S. Ports which are Government Agencies and the International Trade related industries demanding that they pay for public health care problems they have caused.
Dr. John G. Miller, MD member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition For A Safe Environment has identified 31 public health illnesses and diseases caused by Port and International Trade Industry air pollution. Two major universities in the City of Los Angeles, the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and hundreds of other international universities have completed hundreds of medical and scientific studies that prove that air pollution from Ports and the Goods Movement Industry causes significant, permanent and life threatening illnesses, diseases and death.
Ships, trucks, handling equipment, electric generators, power plants and construction equipment use diesel fuel and the smoke from diesel fuel causes cancer, causes numerous respiratory health problems, causes heart attacks and causes premature death.
Public Safety Impacts
Ports, the International Trade Industry, Goods Movement Industry, Distributors and Retailers priority is to make maximum profits not protect public health or public safety. Public Safety can be impacted from the following categories:
Lack Of Enforcement Laws, Inadequate Budget & Police Support Staff
Lack Of Fire Department & Hazardous Materials Handing Department Budget & Services
Failure To Have Emergency & Evacuation Plans
Failure To Incorporate The Best Available Control & Safety Equipment
Truck & Train Accidents While Moving Due To Illegal Pedestrians & Vehicles
Truck & Train Accidents Due To Human Operator Error
Trucks & Train Accidents Hitting Pedestrians & Vehicles At Crossings
Train Derailment Accidents
Truck, Train & Ship Accidents While Carrying Explosive Fuels & Gases
Truck, Train & Ship Accidents While Carrying Toxic Chemicals
Ships Crashing Into Piers & Other Ships Due To Human Error
Ships Crashing Into Piers & Other Ships Due To Ship Equipment Malfunction
Ships Crashing Into Piers & Other Ships Due To Fog & Extreme Weather
Accidents Such as Fires & Explosions At Bulk Loading Facilities
Accidents Such as Fires & Explosions At Oil & Gas Terminal Storage Tank facilities
Hazardous Materials Handling Accidents
Truck & Equipment Accidents At On-Port & Off-Port Inspection Facilities
Explosions At On-Port & Off-Port Inspection Facilities
Increased Terrorist Attack Risk
Air Quality Impacts
Communities must understand that no air pollution is acceptable when there are existing technologies to eliminate all environmental air pollution or keep it to a minimum level that is safe and harmless. Failure of Government Agencies, the International Sea Ports, International Trade Industry, Goods Movement Transportation Industries, Distributors, Distribution Centers and Retailers to share in making these technologies mandatory to use will result in permanent long term devastating environmental and public health impacts.
The government must have strict air pollution standards to protect the environment and public health. Air pollution and smog will increase every year as an International Trade Sea Ports, Goods Movement Industries, Transportation Corridors, Distributors, Distribution Centers and Retailers expand. Air pollution will also contaminate the water and land at the Port, everywhere bordering the Port and all water and land for hundreds of kilometers away.
Air Pollution will contaminate agricultural farms crops and animal food sources causing higher crop losses, lower animal yields and lower quality. It will increase diseases, fungus, viruses and require more artificial fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics to be used. This will also significantly increase production costs and cause higher food prices.
The Port of Los Angeles in the United States is the # 1 largest stationary air pollution source in Southern California and the Port of Long Beach is the # 2 largest air pollution source. Environmental Organizations, Environmental Justice Organizations, Community Organizations, Religious Organizations and Homeowner Associations are currently fighting every proposed Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach and Port of Oakland new and expansion project until they address all the negative environmental and public impacts.
The Port of Los Angeles recently lost the largest lawsuit filed by homeowners and environmental organizations. They are now forced to have to incorporate the best available air pollution control technologies at the China Shipping Terminal at a cost of over $ 50 million. $ 20 million must also be spent for mitigation in the two communities that border the Port of Los Angeles, Wilmington and San Pedro.
Water Quality Impacts
Pollution from an International Port will contaminate all ocean water at the Port and all nearby ocean waters, fresh drinking water rivers, lakes, springs and underground water aquifers near a Port. Contamination will come from air pollution, illegal ship dumping, fuel & oil spills, toxic chemical spills and Port Terminal rain water and cleaning run-off.
Port construction and pollution will destroy all local ocean water and tidelands food resources such all shell fish habitats, all local ocean fishing, ocean kelp beds and local fish habitats within a ten kilometer radius.
Land Quality Impacts
Pollution from an International Port will contaminate all Port land, all bordering land and all land for hundreds of kilometers. Contamination will come from air pollution, ship bilge dumping, fuel & oil spills, toxic chemical spills, silt that is dredged from making the Port deeper, Port Terminal rain water and cleaning run-off.
Silt that is dredged will be dried and used as land fill for Port Terminal and container storage back-lands construction. The entire Port area will be subject to liquid faction and will cause the foundations to shift, move and fall apart when a major earthquake occurs.
Community Aesthetics Impacts
An International Sea Port facility will destroy the natural beauty of the location, coast, tidelands, wetlands, ocean and surrounding area and will be irreversible. There will be no natural scenic vista from the shore line when there is a Port. There will only be an industrial facility.
Traffic Congestion Impacts
Truck and traffic congestion will increase every year as the Port expands. Trucks and trains will operate 24hrs a day-seven days a week. Typically construction of a new railroad lines and truck highways will follow existing highway and road car routes, which means that the best route will be alongside the existing highways and roads. This means that they will be constructed right threw the middle of every town and city.
Governmental transportation agencies will typically want to expand existing streets and highways to include four or more truck lanes rather than build new separate truck routes. Normal public traffic will face congestion at every intersection, bridge, highway and road entrance and exit. A ten million container a year Port facility will generate over 40,000 truck trips a day. The current Port of Los Angeles annual container volume is 13 million containers and truck traffic is 43,000 truck trips per day and it is proposed to expand the Port capacity to 49 million containers annually which would increase truck traffic to over 121,000 truck trips a day. The average container size in the future will be 45' and larger, they will hold over 40% more cargo, increasing from the standard 20' and 40' length.
Negative Economic Impacts
What will not typically be put to a public vote will be the approval of funds for Port construction, operation, transportation infrastructure and related public utility incurred costs. Governmental agencies and private business do not state that the billions of dollars for Port, intermodal and transportation infrastructure support projects will normally be paid by the public not private business.
Government agencies will also not disclose all the other costs that the public is being forced to pay via increased taxes, fees, tolls and bonds. Other funds will be diverted from other public service programs. The following is an example of other costs:
Law Enforcement
Freeway, Highway & Street Construction Costs
Freeway, Highway & Street Maintenance, Repair & Replacement Costs
Increased Freeway, Highway & Street Truck & Train Law Enforcement Costs
Increased Freeway, Highway & Street Truck & Train Public Accident Costs
Air, Land & Water Pollution Prevention Technology Implementation Costs
Air, Land & Water Pollution Mitigation Costs
Public Health Care Costs
Agricultural Crop Damage & Loss Costs
Fishing Industry Destruction & Loss Costs
Animal Farm Food Damage & Loss Costs
As an example, the State of California claims that Ports generate $ 200 billion annually in state revenues, however, they never include all public incurred or subsidized costs. It is estimated that the public health care costs in California due to air pollution alone is approximately USD$ 50 billion annually. They never include the hundreds of millions in transportation infrastructure costs, utility infrastructure costs, environmental mitigation costs etc.. In the case of California there has also been a loss of hundreds of manufacturing companies, business tax revenues and loss of employment due to increasing foreign made goods.
Part II
International Port * Train-Container Intermodal Facility * Transportation Corridors
Public Health - Public Safety - Environmental - Economic
Planning Recommendations, Alternative Technologies & Mitigation
Public Health
Ships
- 1. Require domestic and foreign flag ships to use the lowest available international low sulfur diesel fuel when they enter Mexican territorial waters.
2. Require domestic and international foreign flag ships to be retrofitted to plug-in electrically when the dock at the Port.
3. Require domestic and foreign flag ships which are not retrofitted to plug-in electrically to use a smoke stack fume capture technology. This system uses a vacuum technology which places a hood over the smoke stack to suck in all smoke and then filters it until clean.
4. Require that all ships and containers be sanitized immediately upon arrival and before leaving Port facilities. The current West Nile Virus epidemic in California and the United States is due to an Asian mosquito arriving on a ship or container. There have been hundreds of innocent public deaths and is costing millions of dollars in medical costs.
Port
- 1. Port location be a minimum of 10 km from any residential community, hospital, public school or child care center.
2. Require all Port berths to be designed to have electrical connections for ships.
3. Require the Port to have dock-side and barge smoke stack fume capture technology.
4. Require all Port yard container moving equipment to use the cleanest non-polluting fuels. The first choices are LPG, CNG, LNG gases and the second choice low sulfur diesel fuel. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
5. Require all Port electrical power plants and generators to use the cleanest non-polluting fuels. The first choices are LPG, CNG, LNG gases and the second choice low sulfur diesel fuel. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
6. Require Port be designed to include solar energy panels to decrease petroleum fuel use and dependency.
7. Require the Port be prohibited from building off-port container storage facilities, equipment storage facilities, petroleum storage facilities and inspection facilities.
8. Require the Port, International Trade, Goods Movement Industry, Distributors and Retailers to create a Public Health Care Mitigation Fund.
9. Establish a Port Community Advisory Committee similar to the Port of Los Angeles, California, USA.
Trucks
- 1. Require the newest trucks to use the cleanest non-polluting fuels. The preferred choices are LPG, CNG, LNG gases and the second choice low sulfur diesel fuel. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
2. Require older trucks be retrofitted to have an oxidation catalyst and/or particulate trap to prevent polluting smoke.
3. Establish a truck standard that prohibits the use of diesel fuel polluting trucks that do not meet the best available non-polluting technology fuel and equipment.
Trains
- 1. Require all trains to be electric. The second choices are for trains to use the cleanest non-polluting fuels such LPG, CNG, LNG gases and the third choice low sulfur diesel fuel. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
2. Require trains that use LPG, CNG, LNG gases or low sulfur diesel fuel to have restricted idling time of no more than fifteen minutes.
3. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
Container Intermodal Facilities
- 1. Require facilities to use preferably electric cranes or use the cleanest non-polluting fuels. The second choices are LPG, CNG, LNG gases and the third choice low sulfur diesel fuel. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
2. Require container moving equipment to use the cleanest non-polluting fuels. The preferred choices are LPG, CNG, LNG gases and the second choice low sulfur diesel fuel. If no low sulfur diesel fuel is not available than it must be prohibited from being used.
3. Require container moving equipment that uses LPG, CNG, LNG gases or low sulfur diesel fuel to have restricted idling time of no more than fifteen minutes.
Public Safety
- 1. Require the Port to have a Worker and Community Emergency Information & Evacuation Plan.
2. Require the Port to prepare worst case emergency and disaster scenario study that recommends appropriate actions to protect the public and workers.
3. Require Port to have sufficient fire department and hazardous material department budget, personnel and equipment to address every type of equipment breakdown, power failure, fire, storm, emergency and disaster.
4. Require Port to have the capability to service a major explosion and fire from gasolene, diesel fuel, jet fuel, LPG, CNG and LNG gas. Some gases such as LNG Liquified Natural Gas are cooled hundred of degrees below Celsius temperature and if there was an accident could cause death by the coldness of the gas and suffer cation.
5. Require the Port to have emergency worker and public safety equipment such as respiratory masks, protective eye goggles, first aid treatment kits and stations.- Require that a Port container fee to pay for all law enforcement and public safety costs.
Environment
Air
- 1. Require the Port to develop an Air, Land & Water Environmental Quality Plan.
2. Establish laws, rules, regulations and an enforcement program to control air pollution.
3. Require the Port to use the best available technology and non-polluting energy source to prevent air pollution from Port construction, operation, ships, tug boats, trains, trucks, vehicles and equipment.
4. Require the Port, International Trade, Goods Movement Industry, Distributors, Distribution Centers and Retailers to create an Environmental Clean-Up Mitigation Fund.
5. Require a Port container fee to pay for all environmental impacts and mitigation.
Biological Habitats
- 1. Require the Port to mitigate the loss of tidelands by investing in the restoration of lost tidelands and wetlands at another coastal location.
2. Require the Port to finance a salt water fishery to restore lost salt water fish, fish habitats and the public’s access to free food sustenance.
3. Require the Port to finance a shell fish relocation project to restore lost clam and shell fish habitats and the public’s access to free food sustenance.
4. Require the Port to conduct a bird, animal and plant survey to determine endangered species habitats on the proposed site. Any endangered species and habitat found must be protected and where possible a secondary habitat location selected to begin breeding of the endangered species.
5. Where train track railways and freeways are built, they must have numerous locations where wildlife may travel to the other side without restrictions. Bridges and grade separations must be included in the project design. Many animals have migratory paths, hunting areas, feeding areas, summer/winter habitats and breeding locations.
6. Require the Port, International Trade, Goods Movement Industry, Distributors and Retailers to create a Biological-Wildlife Mitigation Fund and establish wildlife protected sanctuaries.
Water
- 1. Require domestic and foreign flag ships to use the lowest available international low sulfur diesel fuel when they enter Mexican territorial waters. Smoke from ships pollutes ocean and surrounding waters.
2. Prohibit domestic and foreign flag ships from dumping bilge, trash and human wastes into the ocean within Mexican territorial waters.
3. Require Port facilities to be designed to prevent storm water runoff from entering the ocean, bordering tidelands, watersheds and land areas.
4. Require Port to have a storm and surface runoff water recycling system.
5. Establish anti-dumping enforcement program, penalties and fines.
Land
- 1. Require that all Port, International Trade Industries, Transportation Corridors, Distributors, Distribution Centers and retailers adopt non-polluting policies, plans and utilize non-polluting vehicles and equipment.
2. Require the preparation of a 100-year flood hazard plan.
3. Require that the project evaluate all potential worst case seismic, earthquake, landside, dam or levee break, hurricane, tsunami and liquefaction scenarios.
4. Require that the project evaluate all potential worst case flooding scenarios, erosion, top soil loss and including global warming impacts.
5. Require the project to establish a toxic and hazardous material disposal plan and prohibit the dumping of toxic and hazardous substances on public lands or near populated communities, farming areas and underground and above water resources.
Noise
- 1. Require the Port and related facilities equipment, cranes, trucks, vehicles, trains and train railway tracks to have noise suppression muffler equipment and prevent groundborne vibration and noise.
2. Require Port to install sound wall barriers where needed to protect surrounding animal habitats or population areas.
3. Require hearing protection equipment for workers and soundproofing of buildings and any nearby public residential areas, schools and hospitals.
Light
- 1. Require the Port and related facilities to have all of its light focused on Port facilities and not in surrounding animal habitat or population areas.
2. Require Port to install light shields and wall barriers.-
Population, Housing & Public Services
- 1. Require that any resident and arm owners relocated must be compensated at the future value of the developed property that the owner would have realized had they not been relocated. In most cases payments made to the public are so low that they can not afford a similar home or property at another location or near where they lived
2. Require that the government pay for all relocation expenses and personal property losses.
3. Require the government to construct all public facilities and provide public infrastructure services similar to or better than then location moved from or future planned. In many cases people are relocated and there are no public schools, hospitals, parks, recreation, roads, police protection, fire protection, trash pick-up, electrical or fresh water resources available.
Cultural Resources
- 1. Require the government to conduct an archaeological survey to assess any cultural resources that should be preserved, studied and documented before any construction begins.
2. Require the relocation and preservation of artifacts found in a local museum.
Transportation Corridors
- 1. Require a transportation construction and maintenance master plan for the Port area and region to prevent traffic congestion, destruction of public highways, streets and bridges and robbing of limited public transportation funds for private Port business use.
2. Require all truck and train transportation corridors to be located a minimum of 10 km from any residential community, hospital, public school, child care center or endangered animal species habitat.
3. Require the Goods Movement Industry to use specified transportation corridors and not public paid and used highways, streets and bridges.
4. Require the payment of container fees to pay for transportation infrastructure construction and maintenance costs.
Land Use & Planning
- 1. Require that if a Port is to be built that a new local and regional master land use plan also be prepared.
2. Port and related business industries must not be allowed to be near residential communities, public schools, hospitals, parks, recreational facilities, endangered animal habitats, underwater aquifers, fresh water lakes, rivers, dams and reservoirs.
3. Transportation corridors such as train routes and truck highways should not be planned to cut through the middle of communities, cities and farm lands.
4. Toxic, Hazardous and Explosive chemicals and fuel storage facilities must not be built bordering populated communities or public transportation routes.
Negative Economic Public Impacts
- 1. Request that the Mexican government not subsidize the construction or operation of costs of Ports, intermodal facilities, transportation corridors, railways and power plant facilities etc.. The International Trade, Goods Movement Industry, Distributors, Distribution Centers and Retailers Private Business Industry must pay their fair share of all construction and operation costs as their normal cost-of-doing-business. We recommend a container fee. It is estimated that a container fee should be calculated sufficient to pay all costs of construction and operation of the Port and its related business operations. The current estimates in the United States range from USD $ 196 - $ 400 per container as an example.
2. Require every Port and related business project have a cost-benefit analysis to validate the profitability and non-negative public economic impact.
3. Public job creation financial benefits must be compared and assessed against any proposed long term public debt, public taxes or loss of other governmental agency public services.
4. The government assure any lost employment caused by the Port will give the worker a priority at the new Port facility and the necessary technical training to be eligible for the new employment positions.
5. Government allow the opportunity for organized labor to form a union to protect worker rights and benefits. United States Longshoremen dock workers are the best paid worker in the United States, however, shipping companies have managed to eliminate most union truck drivers and now pay independent truck drivers the lowest salaries, no health insurance and no retirement benefits.
6. Require that the government also invest in the economic development of local neighboring residential communities that border Ports.