Upcoming Community Meeting:

• Wednesday October 15, 2025 - 6:00 p.m.
  Hybrid Meeting - Long Beach City College Liberal Arts Campus, Room T1200
  4901 East Carson Street Long Beach, CA 90808
  
  Parking vouchers will be provided for in-person attendees. The nearest parking structure is PS1, with entrance from Clark Avenue between East Carson Street and East Lew Davis Street.  
  
  Zoom Webinar Meeting ID: 915 4207 5443 (applies to all)
  Teleconference Dial-In: +1 (669) 900-6833
  One Tap Mobile +16699006833, 91542075443#
  
  Spanish Language Audience Zoom Meeting ID: 923 1741 8056
  Teleconference Dial-In: +1 (669) 900-6833
  One Tap Mobile +16699006833, 92317418056#

Recent Updates

South Coast AQMD along with the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles engaged in more than 15 meetings over the past 45 days of negotiations. South Coast AQMD wanted to ensure that the potential Cooperative Agreement addressed key issues such as development and implementation of a zero-emission infrastructure plan, enforceability, public process, and an oversight role for the agency.  The discussions over the past 45 days have resulted in a consensus on an updated draft Cooperative Agreement.  

The updated agreement:

• Outlines South Coast AQMD’s, and the Ports’ Roles.
• Focuses on the zero-emissions infrastructure plan development which is the key to facilitating future wide-spread emissions reductions at the ports and was the main focus of Proposed Rule 2304.
• Includes planning targets and project milestones for implementation of the Ports' zero-emission infrastructure plans.
• Highlights South Coast AQMD’s role to verify completeness of plans and milestones.
• Integrates a clear public process.
• Sets triggers for violations that include financial consequences.
• Establishes a process to determine use of funds collected from violations.
• Preserves South Coast AQMD’s ability to make decisions on rulemaking in the future.

This updated draft Cooperative Agreement was presented to South Coast AQMD’s Mobile Source Committee on September 19^th (recording available here). The committee directed staff to bring the updated Cooperative Agreement to the Governing Board for final approval in November, hold a public meeting and not release the Proposed Rule 2304 rule package.  A hybrid public meeting is scheduled on October 15 to provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the draft Cooperative Agreement and provide comments.

South Coast AQMD and the Ports have agreed to continue meeting to discuss other actions (Clean Air Action Plan measures) identified in the original draft agreement submitted by the Ports in July, including plans to address trucks, cargo handling equipment, ocean going vessels, and in-port switcher locomotives.

Staff was asked to provide an update on both the draft Cooperative Agreement and the Clean Air Action Plan measures at the October 3, 2025 Governing Board meeting. 

Background

The Cities and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles developed and proposed a draft Cooperative Agreement with South Coast AQMD. This proposal was submitted to the South Coast AQMD on July 18, 2025, intended by the Cities and the Ports as an alternative to Proposed Rule 2304 - Commercial Marine Ports. On August 1, 2025, the South Coast AQMD Governing Board directed staff to formally pause rulemaking until September 18 and during this period, negotiate with the Cities and the Ports on a potential Cooperative Agreement. If full consensus is not reached during the negotiation, South Coast AQMD staff is directed to resume rulemaking and release the "75-day rule package" for PR 2304 and its companion fee rule on September 19. South Coast AQMD and Ports staff began twice-weekly negotiation discussions from August 7, with representatives from the respective Cities also engaged in the process.

Available Documents:

• September 16, 2025 Updated Draft Cooperative Agreement
• July 18, 2025 Proposal by Cities and Ports
• Comment Letters
  

Written comments may be submitted to ports_comments@aqmd.gov. South Coast AQMD staff requests written comments be submitted by October 22, 2025.

Past Meetings:

• Public Update for Ports Potential Cooperative Agreement
  Thursday August 28, 2025 - 5:00pm
  Remote Meeting
  
  Presentation (English) - (PDF, 992KB, August 25, 2025)
  Presentation (Spanish) - (PDF, 1.01 MB, August 25, 2025)