Port Project Threatens Charleston Air

Traffic from cargo ships and trucks at a proposed container terminal project at the Charleston Navy Base could push Charleston out of compliance with EPA's health-based soot standard - marking the first time in the city's history it would fail to meet federal health standards for air pollution. In addition to threatening public health, failure to meet the federal standard puts the region at risk of losing federal highway and transportation dollars. The Army Corps of Engineers is meeting today to discuss transportation implications of the terminal project.

"Charleston does not want to join the dirty air club," said Blan Holman, attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, who is representing the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League in monitoring the project. "We need to examine every possible alternative for reducing air pollution and avoiding traffic gridlock on the Neck."

The project's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) reveals that increased ship and truck traffic around the Charleston Harbor would increase the region's level of fine particulate matter, commonly called soot. This increased soot level would push Charleston over the federal government's recently proposed 24 hour standard for soot pollution. In addition, Charleston would be at serious risk for violating the annual standard for the pollutant. When an area violates the standard, highway projects must be reviewed to ensure that they are consistent with a plan to improve air quality to meet health standards.

Particle pollution, which comes primarily from diesel engines and industrial sources, consists of tiny solids and liquid droplets of acids, chemicals, metals and dust suspended in the air. The tiniest of these, those less than 2.5 micrometers, are called fine particles and can penetrate deeply into lungs. Studies show that for people living in nonattainment regions, the increased risk of dying of lung cancer is on par with being frequently exposed to second-hand smoke.

The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League and members of the Charleston County Council are pushing the Corps and the State Ports Authority to lead a comprehensive study of port-related traffic and ways of solving the coming transportation crunch on the Charleston Neck before moving forward with the project. -more- "With the large volume of traffic from this proposed port expansion and all the other significant growth planned for this area, a comprehensive transportation study is essential if we are to have a chance at avoiding gridlock," said Nancy Vinson, Director of the Water Quality Program with the SC Coastal Conservation League.

County Councilman Henry Darby, representing the community near the proposed port project said, "The blockage of the access road proposed today by the SPA is too small a victory. I think the community is now to the point where it wants to stop this port project completely given its huge impacts to the health and quality of life of long-time residents."

To increase its container shipping capacity, the South Carolina State Ports Authority is pursuing construction of a large marine container terminal at the south end of the Charleston Naval Complex in North Charleston along with an access road, which is the subject of today's hearing. The proposed facility would increase the port's throughput from roughly 2.6 million containers per year to 4 million.