Port of Gulfport Awarded Green Marine Certification

After the BP oil spill damaged much of the environment on the Gulf Coast, the Port of Gulfport is taking steps toward protecting our natural resources.

Friday, News 25 was there when the port announced their Green Marine certification. Ports are often blamed for pollution, with a high volume of trucks, trains, and boats in one concentrated area, but the Port of Gulfport is proving ports can invest in environmentally friendly innovations.

Jonathan Daniels, Executive Director and C.E.O. of the Mississippi Port Authority, says, "We executed the contract to secure three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes. We’re going to move from our primary diesel mobile harbor cranes to three electric gantry cranes."

Daniels explains that individual tenants are crucial to the success of a green port. K.L.L.M. has taken steps to design aerodynamic trucks that maximize miles per gallon, reducing fossil fuel use. Russell Wooten, Account Manager for K.L.L.M., says, "The technology we invest in, it costs us about $200,000 for that truck trailer. That’s one of about 3,200 trucks."

Friday, the port commended tenants like K.L.L.M. and Crowley for their efforts in sustainability, but now the port will take on its own projects, like installing L.E.D. lights throughout the port.

Environmental experts say efforts like those at the Port of Gulfport are making an impact. Dallas Baker, an environmental engineer at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, says, "We’ve seen our ozone levels drop, we’ve seen our particulate matter, ambient air quality, continue to improve, and it is by no accident that this is happening, and we can’t pat ourselves on the back at D.E.Q. We have to recognize leaders who go above and beyond."

The Port of Gulfport is the first on the Gulf of Mexico to receive this distinction and hopes to continue improving their sustainability efforts.