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Ships paid to slow in San Francisco Bay to save whales and cut pollution

A COUNTY environmental agency has been paying ships to slow down in the San Francisco Bay area to cut air pollution and save the whales reports American Shipper. 

Slow-down incentives come in payouts from a maximum US$2,500 for transits of 10 knots with more than $185,000 in funding planned for the slow-speed transits this year.



Starting July 1, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District's vessel speed reduction (VSR) voluntary incentive programme will for the first time include the San Francisco area. 



CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hamburg Sud, Hapag-Lloyd, Holland, "K" Line, Maersk, MOL, NYK Line and Yang Ming have participated.



The 2017 programme begins July 1 and will continue until November 15. Enrolment of ships in the programme is underway and continues through June 30.



Ships transiting a designated area earn incentives by slowing down to a designated speed in order to reduce emissions. 



Last year in the Santa Barbara Channel region, 50 ship transits were slowed to 12 knots or under, thereby reducing more than 25 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and more than 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, according to the Air Pollution Control District.



"We are excited to welcome new partners and expand this programme along the California coast," said Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District air pollution control officer Aeron Arlin Genet, of the county air pollution control office.
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