We’re at the Port of Hueneme, where some big rigs are pulling in to pick up fruit from a cargo ship. The port is as busy as usual, but it’s also dealing with a crisis.
The huge December storm which hit the Tri-Counties destroyed the port’s cutting edge system which allowed docked ships to turn off their polluting diesel engines and plug into much cleaner electric power.
"We were one of the first ports to go fully electrified," said Jason Hodge, who is an Oxnard Harbor District Commissioner. The District oversees the port. "Our system was completely inundated during the December 21 heavy rainfall, and it literally destroyed the entire system."
It’s a major blow for the port. It was a national leader in the technology, adding it a decade ago, long before it was required. The Shoreside Power System is credited with reducing air pollution from docked ships by more than 80%.
We’re in a fenced in area surrounded by giant electrical boxes. They were part of the heart of the system.
"You're looking at a substation that has the power to enable our ships to plug in while they are docked," said Kristen Decas, who is the Port of Hueneme’s CEO and Port Director. The boxes are mounted on a raised slab of concrete. But, it wasn’t enough to keep the electronics from being flooded by a combination of record rain, and runoff from nearby areas.
"They're calling it a 10,000 year storm, where literally three inches of rain came down in an hour," said Decas.
Despite the flooding, port workers reached the area in time to shut down the system to prevent major explosions. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Experts say estimate it will cost $32 million to replace it. Port officials say they don’t have that kind of money available, and are hoping to get state and federal disaster aid for the project.
Democratic State Assemblyman Steve Bennett of Oxnard says they are working on help for the port. "It's a terrible setback. The port has really been an industry leader," said Bennett. He said he'll do everything possible to get funding at the state level to help rebuild the system.
Decas said even when the get the money, it could take one to two years to actually replace it. What happens until this is an issue. The ships which normally use the two electrified docks will have to return to using their diesel engines, which will mean a spike in the county’s air pollution.
The port official said in the interim, they are looking at alternative technology to help reduce pollution. One is something called a bonnet, which captures and cleans polluted air coming from the ships.
Officials say keeping the port operating is critical to the region’s economy. It has a $2.8 billion dollar annual economic impact.
The Port will eventually be working on two parallel electrification projects. The existing system, which serves ships with produce will be replaced. It also has $80 million dollars in grant money to electrify its two other primary docks, which are used by ships carrying vehicles. More than 340,000 vehicles are shipped through the port annually.
