Community advocates plan to pack a Port of San Diego meeting Tuesday in an effort to keep a port renovation project from generating more pollution in Barrio Logan.
The Port of San Diego is close to approving a renovation of the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal and that could generate more traffic through the facility.
Community activists say they are concerned that more diesel traffic means more pollution in neighboring Barrio Logan. Controlling pollution in Barrio Logan is important for a community that already has a higher than normal cancer risk rate.
"Of course, its not a surprise to the community that there is currently a health hazard coming to them from the terminal. That's why we're pleased to see the port committing to moving toward electrifying their equipment," said Joy Williams of the Environmental Health Coalition.
The port has agreed to make changes and talk about other strategies to reduce pollution, as the facility begins handling more cargo.
"They have agreed to get new cargo handling equipment that's electrified as the fuel source, instead of diesel," Williams said. "And they've agreed to do that by specified dates, so there would be, say, three new things by 2020."
Port officials said they may be able to significantly boost the amount of cargo coming through the port if they demolish two long warehouses near the ship berths. Officials say those buildings have outlived their usefulness and they get in the way of other cargo.
The 10th Avenue Marine Terminal is the only deep water port in San Diego. It handles fresh fruit, bulk cargo, like cement and large machines that don't fit well in a port like Long Beach that gets a lot of container cargo.
