Judge OKs port plan

A federal judge rejected imposing an injunction that would have stopped the ports of L.A. and Long Beach from launching their Clean Trucks Program on Oct. 1. The American Trucking Association had sought to halt the program (the group said that the ports were imposing restrictions in violation of federal law). No word yet on an appeal, but it's a pretty good bet. From the Business Journal:

As of Oct. 1 all trucks built in 1988 or prior will be prohibited from carrying goods in and out of the ports. Also, the ports will begin assessing a fee of $35 per 20-foot-long cargo container to fund a financial assistance program that will help truck owners buy cleaner trucks. By 2012, all trucks entering port terminals must have engines that meet 2007 federal emission standards, which are 80 percent cleaner than today’s engines.