Port of San Diego Celebrates Environmental Achievements During 17th Annual Green Port Month

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Port partners, tenants, and staff accept Michelle White Environment Awards.

The Port of San Diego celebrates its 17th annual Green Port Month throughout the month of September. Since 2008, the Port has used this month to highlight its environmental accomplishments and the people that make these successes possible.

“As environmental champions, the Port of San Diego is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the air, land, water, and wildlife of San Diego Bay,” said Chairman Frank Urtasun, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “Green Port Month is a great opportunity to show off what we’ve accomplished, what we are planning for years to come, and to celebrate the hard work of our employees, tenants, and partners. A big thank you to everyone who plays a part in taking care of our incredible San Diego Bay.”

During September’s Board of Port Commissioners meeting, three Port employees, two Port tenants, and one regional partner were recognized as awardees for the Michelle White Environmental Awards. Michelle was a beloved Port employee who made numerous and significant contributions to the Port’s environmental legacy. Every year since the creation of the Michelle White Environmental Awards in 2016, the Port commemorates her dedication and commitment to the Port’s environmental efforts by nominating and then selecting employees, tenants, and regional partners who support the Port’s environmental initiatives. This year’s recipients are:

Tenants:

• Crowley Maritime – Pioneers of the eWolf, the first all-electric, zero-emissions ship assist tugboat in the United States. The first-in-class, state-of-the-art tug is a historic milestone for the maritime industry and was specifically designed to support operations at the Port of San Diego.

• SSA Marine – Introduced in 2024 the first of six pieces of zero-emissions cargo handling equipment at the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Port of San Diego with the Michelle White Environmental Award, which represents their strong legacy of environmental stewardship. This award is a meaningful acknowledgment of Crowley’s commitment to innovation and maritime industry decarbonization,” said Coulston Van Gundy, vice president of Crowley’s engineering services. “The eWolf embodies the strong partnership among Crowley, the Port, and our federal, state and local government partners to create a ship assist tug that provides world-class performance while helping to support a cleaner, healthier San Diego.”

“All of us at SSA Marine are thrilled to be named a winner of the Michelle White Environmental Award for our advancements in demonstrating the potential of zero emission cargo handling equipment at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal,” said Bill Fitz, Senior Vice President of SSA Marine’s conventional division. “Our partnership with the Port of San Diego and the Port’s proactive approach to electric infrastructure development has been critical to our success in this area. We look forward to continuing to work together to bring additional pieces of zero-emissions cargo handling equipment to the terminal in the years ahead.”

Community Leader:

• Southern California Caulerpa Action Team – For their rapid response and leadership in managing the highly invasive algae Caulerpa prolifera in San Diego Bay.

Port employees:

• Christopher Brooke, Engineering & Construction – Integral in the update of the Best Management Practice Design Manual at the Port, which outlines the Port’s post construction stormwater requirements.

• Gabriella Rodriguez, Marketing & Communications – Ambassador and media liaison for environmental projects garnering local, national, and international media attention.

• Lourdes Sherman, General Services – Member of the Port’s Green Team and stellar sustainability advocate.

Another exciting feature of Green Port Month is the release of the annual Green Port Year in Review and annual Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS) Highlights reports, which highlight the Port’s many environmental successes over the last year. Some of those achievements include:

• Pioneering research on blue carbon and environmental DNA (eDNA).

• Being ranked among the top one percent of ports and seaways in the Green Marine environmental certification program.

• The launch of the first two cohorts of the Portside Community Academy, a Port initiative that provides structured education on zero-emissions technologies and clean air projects being pursued by the Port.

• Doubling the amount of funds allocated annually to the Maritime Industrial Impact Fund (MIIF).

• An expansion and enhancement of park and open space around San Diego Bay with the addition of Sweetwater Park, the future expansion of Pepper Park, and groundbreaking of the future Freedom Park at Navy Pier.

• The launch of the 10th Blue Economy Incubator pilot project.

The full Green Port Year in Review report can be viewed here and the MCAS Highlights report can be viewed here.