Port Launches $5 million Grant Program for Schools
Funds to address air quality; call for applications coming by April 26

April 20, 2010 

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday, April 19, voted to launch the first round of Port Grant Programs designed to address community health impacts from port-related air and noise pollution. The first round of grants, tapping a $5 million fund, will be aimed at schools and related sites, such as day-care centers.

The Port expects to issue a call for applications by April 26 for its “schools and related sites” grant program, one of three Port Grant Programs designated for funding last year by the Harbor Commission. Two workshops will be held in May to help people and organizations apply for the schools and related sites funds. The deadline for grant applications is June 14.

“While we continue to work very hard to address Port-related air pollution at the various sources, these grants give us additional ways to minimize the overall environmental impact of goods movement on the community,” said Nick Sramek, President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners. “These grants are designed to help those in our community who are the most vulnerable to the health risks from pollution.”

The Port Grant Programs were established in 2009 to address the cumulative environmental impacts from redevelopment and modernization projects at the Port of Long Beach. After the approval of the Port’s Middle Harbor Redevelopment project also in 2009, the Harbor Commission agreed to set aside $15 million for the Port Grant Programs to be divided evenly among the programs for schools and related sites, health-care and senior facilities, and a third for greenhouse gas reduction.

With the approval by the Harbor Commission of the grant program guidelines and schedule, the schools and related sites program becomes the first of the Port Grant Programs to move forward. Next, the Port expects to move forward with the health-care and senior facilities program. And then the greenhouse gas program.

The Port has set two workshops to help schools and related sites apply for the grant funding:

• 4 p.m. May 6, at Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St., Long Beach, 90810.
• 7 p.m. May 11, in the Main Library Meeting Room, 101 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, 90822 (parking in Broadway Parking Structure, enter from Broadway, between Cedar and Pacific avenues).

Once the proposals have been submitted, a five-member advisory committee consisting of three community members appointed by the Long Beach mayor, a representative of industry and a representative of regulatory agencies, will review the requests and make recommendations to Port staff. Port staff will then make recommendations for funding to the Board of Harbor Commissioners, which will make the final decisions on the grants.

For more information, as well as updates and application forms, go to the Port Grant Programs website at: www.polb.com/grants.
 

Media Contact: Art Wong, Port of Long Beach Assistant Director of Communications/Public Information Officer, (562) 590-4123, (562) 619-5665 (cell), or wong@polb.com.