ILTA Environment, Health, Safety, and Security Committee Meeting Held in New Orleans

After pivoting to virtual meetings for the past two years, ILTA was excited to bring our EHSS committee back in person March 29-30. The committee met at the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Seventy people registered for the committee meetings, making it one of our most highly attended in-person events in recent years.

Beginning Day 1 as a full committee, participants heard a presentation from Janine Mansour, Commercial Director for the Port of New Orleans. Ms. Mansour gave an overview of the port’s operations and planned expansion projects. She discussed the opportunities created by the Build Back Better federal infrastructure package, and how New Orleans hopes to leverage those investments. She also spoke to the issues of supply chain challenges, and the competitive advantage the Port of New Orleans has over more congested ports. Typically, New Orleans port traffic is 70% exports and only 30% imports, which is the reason congestion has not been the issue for this port as it has been for more import-driven ports like those on the West Coast. New Orleans is seeking ways to serve more importing customers to take advantage of this opportunity.

The full committee next received a briefing on emerging trends in Environmental Justice policy and enforcement actions provided by Brian Burdorf of Trinity Consultants. Burdorf explained that EPA has had initiatives to reduce environmental and health disparities for minority, low-income, and tribal populations and improve the air, water, and land in these communities for over 30 years. Importantly, the Biden administration is heightening the emphasis on Environmental Justice (EJ), and terminal facilities will be well advised to increase their awareness of the definitions of EJ communities in their own states and localities. The emphasis on EJ impacts will likely influence enforcement policies by EPA officials going forward.

While EJ initiatives have been pursued for decades, recent legislative developments, changes in agency procedures, public participation, plus investor and external stakeholder actions are requiring regulators and the regulated community to apply significantly increased attention to potential EJ exposure and assure their actions are not causing disparate adverse environmental, health, or safety impacts on vulnerable communities. For example, recently proposed federal legislation could preclude authorization for new major sources and continued operation of existing major sources in overburdened areas.

Burdoff presented resources and tools for EJ assessments available both from EPA and from third-party sources. ILTA will offer a full day training on Environmental Justice Considerations, also led by Burdoff, as part of its post-conference training offerings in Houston in June. If you or a colleague would like to register for this training, please visit ilta.org.