Cooperative Agreement Addendum Between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District
2 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025110385
Public Agency
Port of Long Beach
Document Title
Cooperative Agreement Addendum Between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/11/2026
Document Description
The Cooperative Agreement between the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (AQMD), Port of Los Angeles, and Port of Long Beach was signed and executed by the parties in December
2025 and is effective through December 31, 2030. The Cooperative Agreement sets forth the requirements for implementation
of Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) Plus Measures through a three-phase process and schedule for the preparation and completion
of zero-emission infrastructure plans for cargo-handling equipment, switcher locomotives, drayage trucks, and ocean-going
vessels, with provisions for transparency and accountability with enforcement penalties if the ports do not adhere to the
identified schedules and requirements. The Cooperative Agreement Addendum adds new CAAP Plus measures to provide
incentives for the use of cleaner ocean-going vessels and drayage trucks and a mechanism to fund regional off-port truck
charging and fueling infrastructure. Development of the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive Program would enhance the existing
Green Ship Incentive Program to increase program participation with potential CAAP “plus-up” incentives for the cleanest
vessels, involving collection of information regarding the description of ocean-going vessels that typically call at the port,
annual visits by vessel type, engine tier level and fuel type, current participation levels, and a comparison of vessels that
participate in the current Green Ship Incentive Program, and those that do not participate by vessel type, engine tier, and fuel
type, as well as the participation goals anticipated for the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive Program based on available
information known at the time of the program’s development. The program is to be approved no later than 12 months after
approval of the update to the International Association of Ports and Harbors Environmental Ship Index Program. Each port
would evaluate and develop a Zero-Emission Truck Utilization Incentive Program to be funded by the Port’s established Clean
Truck Fund Rate to encourage the use of zero-emission trucks serving the ports involving development of the general
guidelines, incentive amounts, and mechanism of providing the incentive to participating truck fleets, with justification for the
incentive approach describing the consideration and factors taken into account to develop the program concept, which may
include port policies and goals, findings from technical studies, stakeholder outreach, software and hardware requirements,
and operational and financial considerations. The program shall also include anticipated participation goals, based on the
available information known at the time of concept development; justification for the participation goals (with understanding
that the participation goals are outside the control of the ports); anticipated program benefits; and metrics for tracking and
reporting of clean air benefits. The Zero-Emission Truck Utilization Incentive Program is to be approved no later than February
28, 2027. The details and anticipated cost for the Enhanced Clean Ships Incentive Program and Zero-Emission Truck Utilization Incentive will be defined through a public process and considered for approval by the Board of Harbor Commissioners. The Regional Off-Port Truck Charging and Fueling Infrastructure CAAP Plus Measure would allocate $20 million to the South Coast
AQMD to fund development of zero-emission infrastructure for drayage trucks outside of the ports. A memorandum of
understanding to transfer the funds is required to be approved and entered into no later than February 28, 2027. The
Cooperative Agreement Addendum also defines the South Coast AQMD’s role, the ports’ commitment to a public process,
involving release of draft materials for a period of at least 45 days for review and comment by the South Coast AQMD, one
public meeting to highlight key elements of the draft, and preparation of written responses to all comments received. If a port
defaults on the terms of the Cooperative Agreement Addendum by missing a deadline or failing to adhere to the public process,
the port will be subject to payment into a Clean Air Mitigation Fund in the amount of $50,000 and up to $100,000, depending
on the nature of the default. The Clean Air Mitigation Fund will be managed by the South Coast AQMD for disbursement to
projects within the Tidelands Trust area. The Cooperative Agreement Addendum also requires annual reporting by the ports
on progress of the incentive and funding programs during the 5-year term of the agreement. To support emissions reductions
from port operations, the preamble to the Cooperative Agreement Addendum identifies the concurrent activities that the
ports will conduct through a public process through the term of the original Cooperative Agreement. These activities would
consist of the development and implementation of a clean marine fuel assessment, a solicitation for a clean marine fuel pilot
project, a technical study on vessel emissions at low-speed operations, preparation of a clean truck rate spending plan, and
projection for zero-emission cargo-handling equipment deployments.
Contact Information
Name
Allyson Teramoto
Agency Name
Port of Long Beach
Job Title
Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Heather Tomley
Agency Name
Port of Long Beach
Job Title
Managing Director
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Long Beach
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Southern California
Other Location Info
Long Beach Harbor District
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15306 (Class 6. Information Collection).
Reasons for Exemption
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the project has been reviewed pursuant to State CEQA
Guidelines Section 15002(k) – General Concepts, the three-step CEQA process for determining the appropriate environmental
review documents for a project subject to CEQA and Section 15061 – Review for Exemption, the procedures for determining
if a project is exempt from CEQA. The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners’ approval of the original Cooperative
Agreement at their meeting on November 10, 2025 was determined to be exempt from CEQA in accordance with State CEQA
Guidelines’ Statutory Exemption Section 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies), Categorical Exemption Section 15306 (Class
6. Information Collection), and the common-sense exemption in Section 15061(b)(3). In light of the project’s “whole of the
action,” as defined in Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the requested action for approval of the Cooperative
Agreement Addendum has been determined to be a subsequent action for the project which continues to be exempt from
the provisions of CEQA.
The Class 6 Categorical
Exemption consists of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resources evaluation activities which
do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. These may be strictly for information gathering
purposes, or as part of a study leading to an action which a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded. The
Cooperative Agreement Addendum acknowledges the mutually-agreed upon activities to facilitate future air emissions
reductions from port-related operations, such as assessments and technical studies to increase knowledge and understanding
of emission reductions opportunities, demonstration and pilot projects to evaluate the application and performance of
technologies in port applications. Through the term of the original Cooperative Agreement, each port will, through a public
process, continue to develop and implement activities that support emission reductions through the development of a clean
marine fuel assessment, a solicitation for a clean marine fuel pilot project, a technical study on vessel emissions at low-speed
operations, a clean truck fund rate spending plan, and a projection of zero-emission cargo-handling equipment. The CAAP
Plus Measures – Port Emission Reduction Programs for the development of the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive and Zero-
Emission Truck Utilization Incentive – involve collection of currently available information regarding ocean-going vessels and
truck fleets calling at the port, as well as research to identify anticipated participation goals for each of the incentive programs.
The activities and research will not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15307 (Class 7. Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources).
Reasons for Exemption
The Class 7 Categorical Exemption consists of actions taken by regulatory agencies as authorized by state
law or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of a natural resource where the regulatory
process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The CAAP Plus Measures – Port Emission Reduction Programs
for the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive and Zero-Emission Truck Utilization Incentive – would facilitate air emission reductions
from ocean-going vessels and drayage trucks, respectively, to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of air
quality where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. Approval and implementation of
the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive Program and Zero-Emission Truck Utilization Incentive Program would require updates to
the Port of Long Beach Tariff No. 4 (Port Tariff), which provides the current rates, rules and regulations governing the Port of
Long Beach, including current incentive and rate provisions applicable to ocean-going vessels and drayage trucks serving the
Port of Long Beach for the purpose of the protection of air quality, a natural resource. Updates to the Port Tariff are subject
to passage of a local ordinance considered by the Board of Harbor Commissioners through the powers and duties granted to
it in Article XII (Harbor Department) of the City of Long Beach Charter.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15308 (Class 8. Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment).
Reasons for Exemption
The Class 8 Categorical Exemption consists of actions taken by regulatory agencies as authorized by state law
or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the
regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The CAAP Plus Measures – Port Emission
Reduction Programs for the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive and the Zero-Emission Truck Utilization Incentive – would facilitate
air emission reductions from ocean-going vessels and drayage trucks, respectively, to assure the maintenance, restoration,
enhancement or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the
environment. Approval and implementation of the Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive Program and Zero-Emission Truck
Utilization Incentive Program would require updates to the Port Tariff, which provides the current rates, rules and regulations
governing the Port of Long Beach, including current incentive and rate provisions applicable to ocean-going vessels and
drayage trucks serving the Port of Long Beach for the purpose of the protection of the environment. Updates to the Port
Tariff are subject to passage of a local ordinance considered by the Board of Harbor Commissioners through the powers and
duties granted to it in Article XII (Harbor Department) of the City of Long Beach Charter.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15061(b)(3). Common Sense Exemption
Reasons for Exemption
The purpose and intent of the Cooperative
Agreement and the Cooperative Agreement Addendum are to address planning for zero emission charging and fueling
infrastructure to directly reduce air emissions and/or facilitate future quantifiable air emissions reductions from port-related
operations for the protection of air quality and public health. The identification of additional CAAP Plus Measures for the
incentive and funding programs for ocean-going vessels and drayage trucks were developed in consideration of the mutual
interests and benefits of the South Coast AQMD, Port of Los Angeles, and Port of Long Beach, where, pursuant to State CEQA
Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) – Common Sense Exemption, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the
activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
The project does not propose or authorize any specific new development or construction. Appropriate environmental review
pursuant to CEQA, must and will be completed, if and before any commitment to a project or development occurs.
Furthermore, the Port has determined that none of the exemptions to the exceptions set forth in State CEQA Guidelines
Section 15300.2 foreclose the use of the categorical exemptions in Sections 15306, 15307, and 15308. Therefore, the project
is exempt from CEQA and no further environmental review is required.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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