The Port of Los Angeles is the leading U.S. container port and a critical hub in the international supply chain. It encompasses 7,500 acres, 43 miles of waterfront, and features 26 cargo terminals. Last year, the port moved 7.3 million TEUs, establishing a new national container record - again.

Overseeing the port's operations is Geraldine Knatz, the port's new executive director. Knatz, who was appointed to the post in December 2005, was previously managing director of the Port of Long Beach.

Her extensive port experience is paired with a deep understanding of environmental issues. She earned her doctorate in biological sciences from the Univ. of Southern California and has a master's degree in environmental engineering.

The TQ editorial staff asked Geraldine to share some of her thoughts about upcoming challenges and priorities for the port and how her comprehensive background and experiences influence her work.

TQ: How has your knowledge of environmental engineering and biological sciences been useful in operating a port?

Knatz: It has been very useful because, believe it or not, the environmental issues come into almost everything we do. Even if you're sitting down with a customer trying to negotiate a lease, the one section that is always problematic is the environmental part. So having that background is good. I also think it gives me credibility with the regulatory agencies we deal with because they know that I understand what they're talking about.

TQ: What do you consider to be the biggest environmental challenge facing the Port of Los Angeles?

Knatz: The one that stands out above all the others is the health risk associated with diesel particulates. Not only is it difficult to deal with from a technical sense - how can we do it, it's going to cost a lot of money, it's going to change the way we do business - the balancing is hard, too.

When you deal with environmental impact boards, they do a lot of balancing. A decision making body has to balance the positive things, like jobs, against environmental impact. It happens all the time. But balancing with the health risk issue is hard to do. You can't go out to the community and say: "Oh, we're going to approve this project and we're going to accept an additional cancer burden on the community." That's a non-starter.

TQ: What is the port's capacity to absorb the influx of traffic and handle new super container ships (e.g., 10,000 TEU capacity) coming from Asia?

Knatz: One of our challenges, once we resolve the health risk issue, is to get the port's capital program back on track. We have a number of customers who need more space. We have some customers who don't have good rail access. We need to deal with that, and we need to deal with the regional infrastructure. If we do all those things, we can accommodate a lot more growth.

I believe we can reduce the emissions levels and improve the health risk situation at the same time as growing the port. We've got a major dredging project that is almost complete. We're okay for the 8,000 TEU vessels. For the 10,000 TEU ships, I don't know yet. We'll have to see and find out where those efforts are going. Even when I was at Long Beach, getting those larger ships in was tough.

TQ: What are the limits of the regional infrastructure to handle the increased demand that is being forecast?

Knatz: I think there's a lot of capacity out there. It just happens to be in the middle of the night. One of the thingshelping us is the Pier Pass Program, which has enabled us to shift about 35 percent of our containerized movements to the nighttime hours so we can use some of that available capacity. I can't give you a number and say the regional infrastructure will be full at a certain level of

TEUs because we're always going to be looking at innovation. We're looking right now at creating a virtual container yard to eliminate the unnecessary hauling back down to the port of the empty containers and to try and do a direct interchange between an importer and an exporter.

TQ: What is the most significant initiative or project that you're working on right now?

Knatz: The Clean Air Plan. When I started this job, the port was already working on a plan. I suggested that it be a San Pedro Bay plan and that the two ports [L.A. and Long Beach] ought to be working together because the air knows no city boundaries. Working with the agencies [the Air Quality Management District and the Air Resources Board] was also important. We brought both agencies together, along with the EPA, so that the five of us could take a lot of the work that had been done previously by Long Beach, in its Green Port Policy, and L.A., in its No Net Increase Plan, and turn it into an action plan. We're releasing it next month.

TQ: What is the most challenging aspect of your job? What is the most rewarding aspect?

Knatz: Internally, L.A. is a little more bureaucratic than Long Beach. I tease the people around here that we have so many forms to fill out. Just hiring a consultant takes a lot longer, and I'm used to working fast. It's not that difficult, but I feel like I'm working at a slower pace now than I normally do. The most rewarding aspect of my job has been the look of joy on some of the employees' faces when I tell them: "Yeah, you can do that. That's a great idea!" That's what it's all about.