洛杉磯和長灘港的「潔淨卡車計畫」，在實施不到一個月的時間遇上了另一個法令障礙。由三名委員組成的聯邦海事委員會中上週在華府舉行閉門會議，以2比1的票數決定尋求法院對計畫關鍵部份發出禁令。環保人士鼓勵支持這計畫多年，如今十分不滿。「在華府的兩位委員不應該關起門做決定，毀掉南加州的清淨空氣。」山巒協會執行長波普（Carl Pope）如此表示。
卡車更替計畫是希望在10月1日之後，讓老舊、污染程度嚴重的貨櫃卡車淘汰，以新式較潔淨的車種替換，永久減少南加州因柴油引起的空氣污染。大概有15000台柴油貨櫃卡車計畫在未來五年中慢慢地淘汰，取而代之的是符合美國環保局2007年標準的卡車。希望更新的卡車在2012年前可以減少80%的空氣污染。
兩位投票贊成禁令的委員表示，潔淨卡車計畫將會削弱競爭力和增加成本，他們特別反對在計畫中強制雇用駕駛員的規定。
三個環保團體表示，聯邦海事委員會的舉動可能會延遲南加州數百萬居民享受清淨的空氣。
根據自然資源保護委員會、清淨空氣聯盟、山巒協會的上訴中指出，委員會推行禁令的舉動也違反了幾個聯邦環境法。
山巒協會執行長波普表示「港口貨櫃司機、社區居民的肺與生活環境，已長期付出代價。公司有辦法購買我們所需要的潔淨卡車，以及負責維修，但是工人沒有這個能力。為了長遠的空污改善效果，我們需要有保障駕駛員的規定。」
環保團體希望能在本週對委員會的決定提出訴訟。
Less than one month old, the Clean Trucks Program at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has run into another legal roadblock. In a closed-session meeting in Washington on Wednesday, the three-member Federal Maritime Commission voted 2-1 to seek a court injunction against key components of the program.
Environmentalists who have encouraged and supported such a program for years, were indignant. "Two commissioners in Washington, DC should not make a decision behind closed doors to ruin clean air for all southern Californians," fumed Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope.
The fleet turnover program that took effect October 1 is intended to permanently reduce diesel air pollution in southern California by retiring older, polluting cargo trucks and replacing them with newer, cleaner trucks.
About 15,000 diesel cargo trucks are scheduled to be phased out during the next five years and replaced with EPA 2007 compliant trucks. Replacing the port truck fleet is expected to reduce truck-produced air pollution at the ports 80 percent by 2012.
The two commission members who voted to seek an injunction say the Clean Trucks Program would reduce competition and increase costs. They particularly objected to a requirement that mandates exclusive use of employee-drivers in the program.
Three environmental groups say the Federal Maritime Commission's move could delay clean air gains for millions of southern California residents.
The commission violated several federal environmental laws by pursuing the injunction, according to an appeal to the commission filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for Clean Air, and Sierra Club.
Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope declared, "Port drivers and the community have been paying the price with their lungs and livelihoods for too long."
"Capitalized companies can afford to buy and maintain the clean trucks we need - individual workers cannot. And that's why we need the employee requirement to sustain clean up in the long run," Pope explained.
The environmental groups intend to file further litigation against the commission this week.
