Lawsuit Seeks to Block Shipping Terminal Plan

A coalition of community and environmental groups filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday challenging plans by a Chinese shipping firm to build a 110-acre terminal at the Port of Los Angeles.

The project was approved by the Los Angeles City Council a month ago without adequate environmental reviews, despite its potentially adverse impacts on health in nearby communities already suffering one of the highest concentrations of diesel emissions in the region, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit filed against the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Harbor Department and China Shipping Holding Co. Ltd. seeks to assure that all environmental reviews are properly completed and that impacts of the development are mitigated.

Under the $650-million lease agreement it won from the council in May, China Shipping aims to build and operate two wharves, each of which will accommodate 200 to 300 container vessels a year.

Julie Masters, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the project also would introduce more diesel tugboats, diesel equipment and trucks into San Pedro and Wilmington.

“It’s time for the port to consider the needs of local communities before it approves a massive expansion in their backyard,” Masters said. “The port needs to mitigate the impacts of the hundreds of new diesel ships and thousands of diesel trucks this project will bring to their neighborhoods.”

Harbor-area organizations, including those endorsing secession from the city of Los Angeles, were irate over the council’s unanimous approval of the project.

Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, who strongly supports the China Shipping project, said failing to act on the company’s request for a lease and permit would have meant risking loss of the deal.