Sunday, November 17, 2002 Port pollution nets grim protest   By Wendy Thomas Russell, Staff writer Mock funeral casts blame for toxin-related deaths; facilities point to efforts to abate emissions LONG BEACH - For the cargo truckers slowly rolling by, the environmental protest at the Port of Long Beach on Saturday morning looked uncannily like a funeral. About 50 activists and residents clustered under black umbrellas and stood behind white crosses made to resemble grave markers. Solemn and silent, they listened to a lineup of speakers, including a robed preacher who led the group in prayer. The mock funeral, which included a 35-car procession across the Vincent Thomas Bridge and into the Ports O' Call Village, aimed to memorialize those who have died of pollution-related causes in the Long Beach-San Pedro area and to focus blame for the pollution on the ports. "I call it murder, and I call it a crime,' said Gordon LaBedz, M.D., of the Sierra Club, which sponsored the event. "It's an environmental crime.' It's unknown how many people may have died from port-generated toxic pollution, but statistics show that the number of deaths due to airborne toxins is far higher around the ports than in other areas of Southern California. A recent study by the South Coast Air Quality Management District found that diesel particulates are the region's primary toxic air pollutant and identified the emissions as an important cancer risk factor. Still, representatives of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles on Saturday defended the ports, saying they have reduced and continue to reduce emissions themselves. "We respect their right to protest,' said Port of Long Beach spokesman Fausto Capobianco. "However, we would like it to be known that the Port of Long Beach is not just simply sitting on its hands doing nothing. We're quite proactive.' Port operators pointed to their efforts to cover coke piles and slow ships as they enter the harbor a change that has reduced emissions by two tons per day. And they say they strongly back numerous air quality improvement programs. In fact, the Port of Los Angeles' Julie Nagano said that port has so far switched 35 per cent of its own vehicles and machinery to natural gas and electric fuel sources. As it stands, port-related activity spits more than 60 tons of small particulate matter into the air every day. An estimated one- third of the emissions come from tankers and container ships, but the majority is generated by the diesel trucks that carry the cargo containers away from the ports. Don May, of California Earth Corps., urged port operators to demand that shippers and truckers switch to low-sulfur or bio-diesel fuel relatively costly ventures. "This is not something we just have to live with,' he said. "This is something that is being done because it's inexpensive.' The ports already encourage their clients to be more environmentally friendly, Capobianco said, but it would be almost impossible to mandate clean-air fuels from shippers and trucking companies because they could simply choose to go elsewhere. "What they're essentially saying is, 'Close down the port,' and you've already seen what happens when the ports close down.' But activists on Saturday said something has to be done. The pollution is out of control, they said, and will only get worse when the ports expand. According to Dr. John G. Miller, an emergency room physician at Kaiser Permanente, diesel emissions can cause cancer and cardio- pulmonary disease, exacerbate asthma, cause bronchitis and lead to low birth weight, birth defects and miscarriages, among other things. He said he often has to walk the "long hall' from the emergency room to waiting families of people who have just died of cardio-pulmonary disease, cancer or asthma. "I'd like to face less of this task in the future,' he said. "And that's why I'm here today.' Jody James, who wore a black dress and hat for the demonstration, said she felt compelled to join the voices against diesel fuel. "I live in San Pedro, and I am concerned about the lack of good air,' she said. "A lot of people are getting sick. I feel like our health and safety and quality-of-life issues should not be trumped by money, greed and foreign interests.' She pointed to her handful of white lilies, which were beginning to brown around the edges. "Almost dead,' she said. "Very appropriate."