Public Resources Code section 35640
(a)
California’s seaports are North America’s primary intermodal gateway to Asia and Transpacific trade. Maritime industry activities at California’s public seaports are responsible for employing more than 500,000 people in the state. Nationwide, more than 2,000,000 jobs are linked to maritime industry business conducted at California’s public seaports, contributing to California having the largest state economy in the United States.(b)
Every year, the oceangoing vessels make thousands of transits along the California coast, with an estimated 162 tons per day of nitrogen oxides, an ozone precursor, being emitted along the coast. These emissions negatively affect the public health of coastal communities and contribute to causing some areas of the coast to be in nonattainment with the national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter.(c)
Since 2014, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, and the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District, with the federal Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, marine sanctuary foundations, and environmental groups, have administered and promoted the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, a voluntary vessel speed reduction program off the San Francisco Bay, central coast, and south coast to encourage transit speeds of 10 knots or less to reduce air pollution, the risk of harmful whale strikes, and the level of ocean noise.(d)
Since its inception through 2024, the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program has provided small incentives and publicity to program participants and has achieved 1,596,008 slow speed miles, a reduction of 5,903 tons of nitrogen oxides, a reduction of 204,661 metric tons of regional greenhouse gas emissions, a reduction of more than 35 tons of toxic diesel particulate matter, and an estimated 50 percent decreased risk of whale strikes during prime migration season in the affected coastal areas.(e)
This highly cost-effective voluntary pollution reduction program benefits public health, protects the marine ecosystem, and showcases the beneficial partnership between shipping companies, public health agencies, marine sanctuaries, and environmental organizations.(f)
Expansion of the vessel speed reduction program to other areas of the California coast, including the San Diego coast and the North Coast, would yield additional public health and ecosystem benefits.
Source:
Section 35640, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PRC§ionNum=35640. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
