Air Quality & Emissions¶
NY/NJ Port Complex Emissions Analysis¶
The air quality analysis for the Port of New York and New Jersey examines emissions from ocean-going vessels at berth — the dominant source of port-attributable air pollution affecting 3.2 million below-median-income residents across two states. With approximately 2,600 tonnes of criteria pollutants emitted at berth annually and zero mandatory controls, the NY/NJ port complex represents the highest-priority intervention target on the U.S. East Coast.
No Mandatory Controls
The Port of NY/NJ has zero mandatory at-berth emissions controls. California's CARB At-Berth Regulation — in effect since 2014 and strengthened in 2020 — has no equivalent in New York or New Jersey. The technology exists; the mandate does not.
View Live Air Quality Dashboard →
Data Sources¶
| Source | Publisher | Data Provided | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirNow / AQS | EPA | Real-time and historical PM2.5, PM10, ozone, SO2, NO2 from regulatory monitors | aqs.epa.gov |
| National Emissions Inventory | EPA | Port-area emissions from mobile and stationary sources | epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories |
| Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) | EPA | Facility-level chemical releases | epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program |
| AIS Vessel Data | MarineCadastre | Vessel position reports for call identification and dwell time | marinecadastre.gov |
| goPEIT | ICCT | Vessel-level emission estimates by port and operating mode | theicct.org |
| InMAP | ICCT / UMN | Reduced-complexity air quality model for health impact assessment | theicct.org |
| ICCT Electrifying Ports Study | ICCT | Electrification scenario modeling for NY/NJ (February 2023) | theicct.org |
Monitoring Stations¶
The Newark Liberty International Airport monitoring station provides continuous air quality data for the western (New Jersey) side of the port complex:
| Station | Location | Pollutants | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Liberty Airport | Adjacent to Port Newark / Elizabeth marine terminals | PM2.5, NO2, O3 | NJ DEP |
Emissions Inventory¶
At-Berth Vessel Emissions — ~2,600 tonnes/yr Total Criteria Pollutants¶
The Port of NY/NJ handles over 7,500 vessel calls annually, including container ships, tankers, bulk carriers, and roll-on/roll-off auto carriers. While docked, these vessels run auxiliary diesel engines that emit fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into adjacent residential neighborhoods.
| Pollutant | At-Berth Emissions (tonnes/yr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | ~780 t | Fine particulate matter — primary driver of mortality and cardiovascular disease |
| NOx | ~1,400 t | Nitrogen oxides — respiratory irritant and ozone precursor |
| Other criteria pollutants (SOx, CO, VOCs) | ~420 t | Balance of the ~2,600 t total |
| Total criteria pollutants | ~2,600 t |
Health Impact Modeling — ICCT goPEIT + InMAP¶
Using the ICCT's Port Emissions Inventory Tool (goPEIT) and the EPA's Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP), health outcomes attributable to at-berth vessel emissions are modeled along with the benefits of their reduction.
The scenario below models outcomes using the performance of currently deployed, CARB-certified barge-mounted capture systems (99% PM2.5, 95% NOx removal — independently verified by Yorke Engineering LLC):
| Health Outcome | Current Annual Burden | With At-Berth Capture |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 emissions at port (tonnes/yr) | ~780 t | 69–99% reduction |
| NOx emissions at port (tonnes/yr) | ~1,400 t | Up to 95% reduction |
| Premature deaths from port PM2.5 | Estimated 50–130/year | 35–125 lives saved/year |
| Cardiovascular & respiratory hospitalizations | Estimated 200–500/year | 140–480 avoided/year |
| Childhood asthma ED visits | Estimated 300–700/year | 210–670 avoided/year |
| Monetized public health benefit (EPA VSL) | $150M+/year | $105M–$148M saved/year |
Methodology Note
Premature death estimates use EPA's concentration-response function for PM2.5 (Krewski et al. 2009, ACS CPS-II) and EPA Value of Statistical Life ($11.8M, 2024-adjusted). Hospitalization and ED visit rates scaled from NYC Health Department air quality surveillance data and ICCT InMAP modeling. Ranges reflect uncertainty in dispersion modeling and exposure assumptions. All estimates are conservative — they exclude SOx and secondary PM2.5 formation, which would increase totals.
Wind Patterns & Community Exposure¶
NOAA climatological data from Newark Liberty International Airport shows prevailing winds from the northwest and west (approximately 37% of days), with an average wind speed of 9.3 mph — the highest of any port in this assessment.
| Wind Parameter | Value | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Prevailing direction | NW/W | Pushes emissions from Port Newark and Elizabeth terminals toward Ironbound and downtown Newark |
| NW/W frequency | ~37% of days | Over one-third of days direct emissions into densely populated neighborhoods |
| Average wind speed | 9.3 mph | Highest of any port assessed — efficient pollutant transport across densely populated metro area |
| SW flow impact | Secondary pattern | Emissions move toward Kearny and North Arlington under southwest flow |
Newark's high average wind speed means efficient pollutant transport across a densely populated metropolitan area. The 9.3 mph average — the highest of any port in this assessment — disperses emissions over a wider area but at concentrations sufficient to produce measurable health effects across the 3.2 million exposed residents.
ICCT Electrification Footprint¶
The ICCT's 2023 electrification study found that full electrification at the Port of NY/NJ would reduce the total area affected by port emissions from 292 km2 to approximately 55 km2 — an 81% reduction in the geographic footprint of port pollution.
Comparison Benchmarking¶
| Port | Vessel Calls | At-Berth Emissions (t/yr) | Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York/NJ | 7,500+ | ~2,600 | None |
| Los Angeles/Long Beach | 8,000+ | ~3,200 | CARB regulated |
| Houston/Galveston | 8,500+ | ~1,000 | None |
| Duluth-Superior | 687 | ~190 | None |
The NY/NJ port complex is the highest-emission unregulated port in the United States — emitting more than 2.5 times the at-berth pollutants of Houston/Galveston with zero mandatory controls.
Last updated: April 2026
Data sources: ICCT goPEIT, ICCT InMAP, ICCT Electrifying Ports Study (2023), EPA AirNow/AQS, EPA NEI, EPA TRI, MarineCadastre AIS, NOAA climatological data (Newark Liberty Airport), EPA BenMAP methodology