Design and Facilitation of a Stakeholder Involvement Process: Port of Oakland Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan (2007-2009)

Throughout 2007 and 2008, CONCUR facilitated the Port of Oakland Maritime Air Quality Task Force, a body created to engage stakeholders in developing the Port of Oakland’s Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan (MAQIP).

The Port of Oakland is the fourth-busiest container port in the United States and one of the nations’ gateways for trade with Asia. It is a major hub of the region and state’s economy, providing hundreds of jobs to longshoremen, truckers, and others. The ship, truck, and rail traffic associated with the Port are also a significant source of air pollution for the region. West Oakland residents have high risks of asthma and cancer, much of which is linked to the diesel emissions from traffic at the Port and surrounding areas.

The Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan was an effort to cost-effectively reduce air pollution from the port and CONCUR was unanimously chosen by a broad-based selection committee to design and facilitate the planning process. The Task Force that CONCUR facilitated included local residents, environmental groups, business interests, elected leaders, public agencies, and others. CONCUR worked in close coordination with the Port’s technical consultants to provide accessible technical information to a wide range of stakeholders and to provide opportunities for stakeholders to interact with the Port’s technical consultants.

After much collaboration with, and input from, the Task Force, the Port released its Final Draft Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan (MAQIP) on October 31, 2008. The MAQIP was presented to the Board of Port Commissioners’ Maritime Committee for review the following January 29th, 2009.   Staff then completed a final round of consultation with the Task Force Co-Chairs and with an interagency group. The final version of the adopted Plan references both the volatile US and global economies and its impact on the Port’s finances and overall business, as well as the aim to accelerate a suite of early implementation measures.

The Board of Port Commissioners approved the Plan in April 2009 and authorized two initial expenditures to begin implementation:

-                $2 million for Port-related truck retrofits

-                $154,000 for Port-owned truck retrofits (10 trucks)

The Port will be implementing a variety of other measures as well and adapting the plan over time as results of its implementation are evaluated.  Discussions regarding implementation strategies are ongoing as of June 2009.

Updates and documents relating to the planning process are posted on two websites:

1. CONCUR’s meeting documents can be found at http://www.concurinc.com/portofoakland/.

2. The Port of Oakland’s planning process documents are at http://www.portofoakland.com/environm/prog_04c.asp