Research¶
Active Research Programs¶
Port Health Watch conducts three interconnected lines of research on the health impacts and economic costs of port pollution in American communities.
The Regulatory Gap →¶
California is the only U.S. jurisdiction with mandatory at-berth emissions controls. EPA authorized other states to adopt California's standard in October 2023. None have done so. We map the legal pathways, preemption risks, and political landscape for each priority port state.
The Carbon Credit Gap →¶
Verra's CCS methodology framework (VM0049) has zero maritime capture modules. The fuel-switching methodology (M0191) is at final review — meaning ships can earn credits for switching fuels before they can earn credits for capturing emissions. We document this gap and the methodology development underway to close it.
Air Quality Health Units →¶
No standardized framework exists for quantifying and trading the health benefits of port pollution reduction. We are developing the Air Quality Health Unit (AQHU) — one avoided DALY from verified emissions reduction — for submission to Verra's SD VISta program.
Data & FOIA¶
Port Health Watch maintains an active FOIA campaign targeting federal agencies (EPA, USACE, MARAD), state agencies (CARB, state environmental agencies), and port authorities at priority ports. Results are published as they are received and analyzed.
Priority Ports¶
Our research currently focuses on ICCT-identified priority ports — see the Priority Ports overview → for the full list and selection criteria.