Mayor Ronald Dellums Letter to Mary Nichols

Mayor Ronald Dellums steps up on behalf of the Port of Oakland truckers and their families.

CITY OF OAKLAND 1 FRANK H. OGAWA PLAZA 3RD FLOOR OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612 Office of the Mayor (510) 238-3141 Ronald V. Dellums FAX: (510) 238-4731 Mayor TDD: (510) 839-6451 December 23, 2009 Mary Nichols Chair California Air Resources Board 1001 "I" Street P.O. Box 2815 Sacramento, CA 95812 Jack Broadbent Chief Executive Bay Area Air Quality Management District 939 Ellis St. San Francisco, CA 94109 VIA MAIL AND EMAIL Dear Ms. Nichols and Mr. Broadbent; As you know, I am firmly in support of the new California Air Resources Board’s emissions regulation for Port trucks which embraces Oakland’s goals of reducing environmental impacts, while we work to sustain Port operations in Oakland. At the same time, we need to support the truck drivers who are trying to comply with the new regulations but facing financial barriers to doing so. I understand that funds from the regulatory agencies to assist truck owners, especially small businesses, in complying with the new environmental regulations are insufficient to meet the needs. I am writing to request your assistance in preventing economic harm to impacted Port of Oakland truck drivers and their families and to the City and Port of Oakland. I am also offering my assistance to secure additional funding resources for the truck retrofit and replacement program. I commend your efforts to secure the funding resources needed for the Port truck retrofit program. The City of Oakland, along with the Port of Oakland, have been very supportive of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) grant applications to the federal government. The $22 million in funds secured for this air quality enhancement program is unprecedented and reflects a committed partnership between your organizations, the City and Port of Oakland, and the State and Federal governments to balance environmental standards with Port economic development needs. However, based upon the reports we have received, it appears that about 1,200 truck drivers who service the Port of Oakland applied for funding support and were denied based upon insufficient funding availability. There is likely to be significant hardships for these truck drivers and their families, and attendant negative impacts on Oakland’s economy. With Oakland’s current unemployment rate at 17%, it is imperative that we focus our efforts on increasing employment opportunities and prevent the significant loss of jobs. I am asking you to consider granting an extension of time to Port of Oakland truck drivers who applied for the BAAQMD truck retrofit program on time and were denied funds based upon insufficient funding resources. I understand that the truck drivers whose applications were accepted have been given until April 30th to implement their retrofits. I am requesting that you consider a similar extension for the drivers whose applications were denied while balancing the environmental and public health impacts of delaying the enactment of the new regulations. We also need to be mindful of the individual, family, and community health impacts associated with unemployment stressors. This extension would have to be coupled with a collective commitment from your organizations; federal, state, regional, and local political offices; and community and business stakeholders to secure additional resources to fund the truck retrofit and replacement program. I am committed to working with you to advocate for additional federal support and will follow up with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on his commitments made to me and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. As the BAAQMD is the administering agency for the truck retrofit program, I am requesting that you work with my office in the development of a written proposal for federal officials. In addition, I understand that there are efforts underway to secure potentially available existing State resources to fund the Port truck retrofit program. I have also directed my staff to work with our partners to find ways to secure job training and employment services for truck drivers affected by the January 1st compliance deadline. In addition, I am requesting that you work with my office in convening key stakeholders involved in the Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan’s Inter-agency working group to develop the details for a smooth transition that protects the health and well-being of residents and workers, preserves jobs, and secures more funds for the truckers who will be affected by the new regulations. Please contact Marisol Lopez, my Chief of Staff, at 510-238-3120 and/or Margaretta Lin, my senior advisor on the stimulus and other initiatives, at 510-238-4906 to work on next steps. I look forward to our continued partnership to make Oakland a model and healthy city. Sincerely, Ronald V. Dellums Mayor Cc: Cynthia Marvin, California Air Resources Board Jean Roggenkamp, Bay Area Air Quality Management District Omar Benjamin, Port of Oakland Executive Director Victor Uno, Port of Oakland Commission President James Head, Port of Oakland Commission Margaret Gordon, Port of Oakland Commission Anthony Batarse, Port of Oakland Commission Pamela Calloway, Port of Oakland Commission Gilda Gonzalez, Port of Oakland Commission Ken Katzoff, Port of Oakland Commission Barbara Lee, U.S. Congress Loni Hancock, State Senate Sandre Swanson, State Assembly Keith Carson, Alameda County Board of Supervisors Nate Miley, Alameda County Board of Supervisors Anita Siegal, Alameda County Public Health Department Sandra Witt, Alameda County Public Health Department Richard Grow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

CITY OF OAKLAND 1 FRANK H. OGAWA PLAZA 3RD FLOOR OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612 Office of the Mayor (510) 238-3141 Ronald V. Dellums FAX: (510) 238-4731 Mayor TDD: (510) 839-6451 December 23, 2009 Mary Nichols Chair California Air Resources Board 1001 "I" Street P.O. Box 2815 Sacramento, CA 95812 Jack Broadbent Chief Executive Bay Area Air Quality Management District 939 Ellis St. San Francisco, CA 94109 VIA MAIL AND EMAIL Dear Ms. Nichols and Mr. Broadbent; As you know, I am firmly in support of the new California Air Resources Board’s emissions regulation for Port trucks which embraces Oakland’s goals of reducing environmental impacts, while we work to sustain Port operations in Oakland. At the same time, we need to support the truck drivers who are trying to comply with the new regulations but facing financial barriers to doing so. I understand that funds from the regulatory agencies to assist truck owners, especially small businesses, in complying with the new environmental regulations are insufficient to meet the needs. I am writing to request your assistance in preventing economic harm to impacted Port of Oakland truck drivers and their families and to the City and Port of Oakland. I am also offering my assistance to secure additional funding resources for the truck retrofit and replacement program. I commend your efforts to secure the funding resources needed for the Port truck retrofit program. The City of Oakland, along with the Port of Oakland, have been very supportive of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) grant applications to the federal government. The $22 million in funds secured for this air quality enhancement program is unprecedented and reflects a committed partnership between your organizations, the City and Port of Oakland, and the State and Federal governments to balance environmental standards with Port economic development needs. However, based upon the reports we have received, it appears that about 1,200 truck drivers who service the Port of Oakland applied for funding support and were denied based upon insufficient funding availability. There is likely to be significant hardships for these truck drivers and their families, and attendant negative impacts on Oakland’s economy. With Oakland’s current unemployment rate at 17%, it is imperative that we focus our efforts on increasing employment opportunities and prevent the significant loss of jobs. I am asking you to consider granting an extension of time to Port of Oakland truck drivers who applied for the BAAQMD truck retrofit program on time and were denied funds based upon insufficient funding resources. I understand that the truck drivers whose applications were accepted have been given until April 30th to implement their retrofits. I am requesting that you consider a similar extension for the drivers whose applications were denied while balancing the environmental and public health impacts of delaying the enactment of the new regulations. We also need to be mindful of the individual, family, and community health impacts associated with unemployment stressors. This extension would have to be coupled with a collective commitment from your organizations; federal, state, regional, and local political offices; and community and business stakeholders to secure additional resources to fund the truck retrofit and replacement program. I am committed to working with you to advocate for additional federal support and will follow up with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on his commitments made to me and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. As the BAAQMD is the administering agency for the truck retrofit program, I am requesting that you work with my office in the development of a written proposal for federal officials. In addition, I understand that there are efforts underway to secure potentially available existing State resources to fund the Port truck retrofit program. I have also directed my staff to work with our partners to find ways to secure job training and employment services for truck drivers affected by the January 1st compliance deadline. In addition, I am requesting that you work with my office in convening key stakeholders involved in the Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan’s Inter-agency working group to develop the details for a smooth transition that protects the health and well-being of residents and workers, preserves jobs, and secures more funds for the truckers who will be affected by the new regulations. Please contact Marisol Lopez, my Chief of Staff, at 510-238-3120 and/or Margaretta Lin, my senior advisor on the stimulus and other initiatives, at 510-238-4906 to work on next steps. I look forward to our continued partnership to make Oakland a model and healthy city. Sincerely, Ronald V. Dellums Mayor Cc: Cynthia Marvin, California Air Resources Board Jean Roggenkamp, Bay Area Air Quality Management District Omar Benjamin, Port of Oakland Executive Director Victor Uno, Port of Oakland Commission President James Head, Port of Oakland Commission Margaret Gordon, Port of Oakland Commission Anthony Batarse, Port of Oakland Commission Pamela Calloway, Port of Oakland Commission Gilda Gonzalez, Port of Oakland Commission Ken Katzoff, Port of Oakland Commission Barbara Lee, U.S. Congress Loni Hancock, State Senate Sandre Swanson, State Assembly Keith Carson, Alameda County Board of Supervisors Nate Miley, Alameda County Board of Supervisors Anita Siegal, Alameda County Public Health Department Sandra Witt, Alameda County Public Health Department Richard Grow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency