California budget aims to clear up port congestion and pollution

California budget aims to clear up port congestion and pollution

Southern California Ports Work Through Night To Help Ease Congestion | Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s newly proposed budget includes plans to tackle pollution choking portside communities while also expanding the state’s capacity to accommodate the nation’s growing hunger for imported consumer goods. The proposal comes as pandemic-fueled supply chain problems have created a crisis at California’s ports, thrusting them into the national spotlight.

The draft budget released yesterday for the 2022–23 fiscal year proposes investing $2.3 billion in the state’s congested ports. That includes $875 million for zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure — with a majority earmarked for trucks. It also includes $1.2 billion for “port-related” projects, like rail yard expansions, meant to increase the flow of goods...

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