Port of San Diego Invests $480,000 in Air Filtration Devices for Portside Community Schools and Homes

The Port of San Diego will contribute an additional $480,000 from its Maritime Industrial Impact Fund (MIIF) to the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD) who will provide air filtration devices to portside communities. The funding will provide approximately 500 air filtration devices to residents and up to 300 devices to schools, helping reduce exposure to air pollution and create healthier indoor environments for residents, students and staff.

"The Port of San Diego is proud to invest in the health and well-being of our Portside communities," said Chair Ann Moore, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. "Every family deserves clean air at home, and every child deserves a healthy place to learn. This partnership is one more way we're listening to our communities, being a good neighbor and working together to create healthier air for all who live, work and play on and around San Diego Bay."

"Providing these air filtration devices will bring much-needed relief to the Portside Communities that have long faced higher levels of air pollution," said Paula Forbis, Air Pollution Control Officer for the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District. "This distribution continues the work of our Portside Air Quality Improvement & Relief Pilot, which received strong positive feedback from participants. We are grateful to the Port of San Diego, for their partnership and shared commitment to improving public health for the Portside Communities."

The Port created the MIIF to help mitigate the effects of maritime industrial activities on nearby communities. Eligible projects can address impacts including diminished air quality, heavy movement of vehicles and equipment, and other effects associated with maritime industrial operations.

The Portside Community includes the neighborhoods located near the Port's maritime and industrial operations, including Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights and West National City. Residents and schools in these communities can experience increased exposure to air pollution, making access to air filtration an important tool for improving indoor air quality.

The Port of San Diego has long prioritized environmental sustainability, balancing its role as an economic engine with efforts to reduce emissions, protect public health, and enhance quality of life across the region. This investment reflects the Port's ongoing commitment to support cleaner, greener infrastructure, especially in the areas that experience the greatest impact from maritime and industrial operations.

This latest investment is just one of several projects the Port has funded through the MIIF. Other recent projects include:

• Logan Heights Library Air Filtration Project - $800,000

• Free Ride Around National City (FRANC) Program - $400,000

• Residential Air Filters Portside Community - $103,000

• Air Filters for Perkins Elementary - $488,000

• Bayshore Bikeway (National City segment) - $1.5 million

• Freight Signal Prioritization Demonstration on Harbor Drive - $66,000