The Port of Long Beach has awarded grants totaling $743,631 to fund nine air filtration projects aimed at improving the health of children, seniors and other vulnerable populations who live near the port.

The funds are part of the port’s $46.4 million Port Community Grants Program for mitigating the impacts of goods movement. Added to the $18.2 million awarded during a previous program, the port has committed $65 million to safeguard community health.

Air filters and HVAC systems were selected as the first grant projects following a series of public meetings held to solicit priorities for the program, created in 2016.

According to the port, the projects will improve air quality in facilities that see more than 2.2 million visits by students, seniors, patients and others each year.

 

"The selected projects will provide high-performance air filters and heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades at facilities most impacted by port operations," said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. "We’ve made tremendous progress in reducing air pollution through our Green Port Policy, and these grants help us provide mitigation directly to our neighbors."