LONG BEACH, CA – Long Beach’s Harbor Commission passed final components of its Clean Trucks Program in the face of protestors seeking even tougher regulations, according to the Web site www.gazettes.com. A plan to eliminate dirty diesel engine trucks in the next five years has been a major component of the port’s Clean Air Plan, created in partnership with the neighboring Port of Los Angeles. The two ports have taken different approaches to implementing a truck plan — part of the reason for a recent protest.

The Clean Truck Program will begin on Oct. 1, with a ban on all pre-1989 trucks. On Jan. 1, 2010, the ban moves to all trucks built before 1994. The final goal, and the time when the cargo fee is expected to be lifted, is Jan. 1, 2012, when all trucks must meet 2007 federal emission standards.

Long Beach’s enforcement plan would license all trucking companies, then allow those companies to decide whether to use employee drivers, independent contract drivers, or a combination of both. When the Clean Truck Program was introduced a year ago, and when it passed last November, the plan was to deal only with companies using employee drivers, simplifying financial assistance to replace older trucks — a plan Los Angeles commissioners say they will continue to follow.

The American Trucking Associations (which represents independent owner-operators) has threatened to sue if the employee-only plan is implemented, contending that it is a restriction of trade in violation of federal regulations. The shipping industry also has opposed the plan, saying it would drive prices higher than necessary.

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has yet to set a date for its vote, which also must be approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

In December, both ports approved a $35 per 20-foot-equivalent container fee as part of the clean truck program. That money is designed to both finance the truck replacement and provide an incentive to trucking companies — one of the elements passed offers exemptions to those using clean trucks acquired without port financing, according to www.gazettes.com.

The Long Beach plan will provide the same financial incentives to companies and independent truckers. The options include a lease-to-own program, grants to retrofit with clean diesel engines, and grants to help purchase new trucks. The $35 cargo fee is expected to raise up to $2 billion over time.