Environmental groups to sue EPA on ship emissions

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two environmental groups are expected to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for delaying plans to regulate emissions for large oceangoing ships as planned in April, a spokesman for one of the groups said on Thursday.

Last week, Earthjustice and Friends of the Earth sent a 60-day notice to EPA, warning that they will sue the agency for failing to meet an April 27 deadline for introducing new emission regulations.

EPA recently postponed by 18 months its commitment to set standards for ship engines, until December 2009.

The federal government does not mandate the reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution.

"We have sent a notice to EPA. They could respond within the 60 days, but it looks like we will sue," Brian Smith, a spokesman for EarthJustice.

According to EarthJustice, ocean-going vessels are one of the largest mobile sources of air pollution in the world, generating 18 to 30 percent of global nitrogen oxide emissions that contribute to smog and 16 percent of sulfur oxide emissions from petroleum sources.

Late last year, Jerry Martin, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, said that about 1,500 lives are lost each year due to health risks linked to air pollution at the ports.

Apart from ships, trucks delivering containers to the ports also contributed to the air pollution problems.

Smokestack emissions from the global shipping fleet are projected to double in North America in the next decade, exposing communities to diesel exhaust that contributes to respiratory illness, cancer, heart disease and premature death, according to EarthJustice.

Ships burn dirty, asphalt-like bunker fuel that is thousands of times dirtier than diesel used by trucks or trains.

Just one ship pulling into port can pollute as much as 350,000 cars and major ports receive hundreds of ship calls a month.

Currently, the port of Los Angeles requires all terminal operators to use clean burning diesel in their ships' auxiliary and main engines within 24 nautical miles of shore if they seek to renew their lease contracts or permits for upgrading works.

The state of California requires all ships to use low-sulfur diesel only in auxiliary engines when approaching the shore.