Takes Your Breath Away: Cargo Ship Congestion Brings More Dirty Air To SoCal

(Los Angeles, CA) — Not only could it impact your holiday gift-giving, cargo-ship congestion is bringing more dirty air to Southern California. According to state regulators, the ships are driving a spike in dirty exhaust that threatens the health of vulnerable communities nearby. Yesterday, 62 container ships were anchored a few miles off the coast of Los Angeles and Long Beach, up from a pre-COVID average of roughly a single ship. While the logjam first emerged last fall as a result of pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, the situation continues to worsen, especially as the holiday shopping season approaches. California port executives say supply chain blunders, worker shortages, and little space in warehouses could entangle container shipping through next summer.