Port of NOLA Needs to Catch Up to Meet Clean Ports Standards

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Port of NOLA Needs to Catch Up to Meet Clean Ports Standards

October 2, 2025

NEW ORLEANS - The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) earned a low score in a new national Clean Ports Report Card Projectreleased today, receiving a "Preparing to Launch" grade. While the Port NOLA touts sustainable advancements that would surpass its Gulf Coast counterparts,the newly released Clean Ports Report Card reveals it has actually fallen behind nationally on key measures like emissions tracking, electrification, and meaningful community engagement.

While the Port has joined voluntary sustainability programs like Green Marine, secured federal grants for electric cargo-handling equipment, and pledged to prioritize sustainability in its proposed Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), advocates say these efforts have been too sparse and fragmented to meaningfully improve the lives of surrounding port communities. Without a comprehensive clean air plan and a baseline emissions inventory, Port NOLA cannot measure its pollution accurately or demonstrate verifiable progress.

For surrounding communities, the stakes are high. Residents near Port NOLA face cumulative impacts from port operations alongside other industrial sources, leading to poor air quality and serious health burdens. Advocates emphasize that the ports in Louisiana shape every part of daily life - from the economy to culture - but that growth must not come at the expense of public health and community safety.

"The ports in our region are part of our identity, but they've also burdened our families with pollution," said Shamell Lavigne, COO of RISE St. James. "We believe port growth can support jobs and protect our health - but that means investing in clean practices and listening to local voices."

A Critical Moment forAction

In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency received $3 billion in federal funding to transition U.S. ports to zero-emission equipment, infrastructure, and air quality planning, also known as the EPA Clean Ports Program. Through this program, Port NOLA was awarded $1 millionto develop a Sustainability Management Plan for the proposed Louisiana International Terminal.

Advocates warn that unless Port NOLA embraces transparency and genuine collaboration with communities, its projects - including the proposed Louisiana International Terminal and the grain terminal at Alabo Street Wharf - will exacerbate harm to already overburdened neighborhoods rather than provide shared prosperity. Centering the voices of residents, they stress, is essential to creating a system that protects health, supports jobs, and preserves Louisiana's cultural identity.

Port facilities, states, and regions with ports should act on their own to require cleaner shipping and trucking operations to protect vulnerable communities from pollution. Ports need to be "good neighbors" and collaborate with communities most impacted by their operations to help clean up their ports. The report cards provide a roadmap for constructive stakeholder collaborations with transparency around operations and the implementation of the EPA's Clean Ports Program Funding. Without urgent federal, state, and port actions, we risk squandering this once-in-a-generation funding opportunity to reduce deadly pollution and deliver healthier, more prosperous communities.

Grading Ports: From Rising Star to Preparing to Launch

The Clean Ports Report Card evaluates ports in four categories:

• Emissions Inventory- Port NOLA has no emissions inventory, leaving communities in the dark about the scale of its pollution.
• Clean Air Planning- No comprehensive clean air plan exists; instead, there are scattered sustainability pledges.
• Emissions Reduction Actions- Some early investments in electric equipment, but not yet scaled or backed by enforceable commitments.
• Community Engagement and Collaboration- Engagement has improved in recent years but remains insufficient, often excluding the communities most impacted by port operations.

With an overall score of 20.6%, Port NOLA falls far behind other major U.S. ports. Yet advocates stress that it still has a chance to turn the corner by developing a comprehensive emissions inventory, setting ambitious and enforceable clean air targets, investing in zero-emission technologies across all sectors, and establishing authentic partnerships with residents. This report card sets out a roadmap for Port NOLA to realize itself as a sustainable port leader in the Gulf region, made possible through federal funding and collaboration with local advocacy groups.

"Ports have fueled economic growth, but our communities are paying the price with their health," said Terrance L. Bankston, Senior Ports and Freight Campaigner at Friends of the Earth. "Through the Clean Ports Report Card campaign, we're empowering frontline groups across the country and pushing port leaders to adopt zero-emission solutions so families living near these facilities can finally breathe clean, healthy air."

A Tool for Accountability and Action

Communities are demanding that ports use new federal funding to deliver real, measurable cuts in deadly pollutionwhile creating economic opportunity. The Report Card reveals that many ports can make significant progress with easy-to-implement actions such as consistent air monitoring, comprehensive emissions inventories, measurable clean air plans, and authentic community engagement.

The Report Card is designed to be replicable by advocates across the country, with a template toolkit available to help communities evaluate and grade their own local ports. The Clean Ports Report Cardequips residents and advocates with transparency tools to hold ports accountable and push for stronger public health protections.

The full Clean Ports Report Card, including grades for San Diego, Houston, and New York/New Jersey, is available at cleanportsreportcard.org.

About the Clean Ports Report Card Project
The Clean Ports Report Card Project is a collaborative national initiative led by Better World Group, in partnership with Environmental Health Coalition, Rise St. James, Environmental Community Advocates of Galena Park, South Ward Environmental Alliance, Parents Engaging Parents New Jersey, Friends of the Earth, Pacific Environment, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, and local environmental justice organizations nationwide. Together, these partners developed a replicable scoring framework to track port performance on pollution reduction, transparency, and community engagement-paving the way for cleaner, healthier port operations across the U.S.

Contacts:
Gary Watson, [email protected], Rise St. James
Terrance Bankston, [email protected], Friends of the Earth

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