Port of New Orleans Environmental Policy

Sustainable Development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Port of New Orleans strives to minimize impacts to the environment through education, management strategies and mitigation to protect natural resources, human health and climate future, while sustainably and efficiently fulfilling its mandate to promote maritime commerce in southeast Louisiana. Success may be achievable through strategies for continuous improvement, education and outreach, management of waste, water and air quality, and land resources, such as:

• Oversee Port Facilities, tenant operations, and construction projects with the goal of pollution prevention
• Implement responsible waste management and reduction strategies
• Provide educational opportunities about environmental regulations and best practices to Port employees and tenants
• Coordinate with regulatory agencies and stakeholders in response to situations with environmental impacts on Port properties and within the Port’s jurisdiction, as required
• Develop Port plans, training and environmental programs to reduce environmental impacts to air, water and soil
• Engage the public and stakeholders about Port NOLA’s environmental and sustainability initiatives
• Evaluate the feasibility of renewable energy, including non-traditional sources, and implement pilot and larger-scale projects where possible
• Utilize recognized sustainability and environmental guidelines in future developments and operations
• Seek out Local, State and Federal funding opportunities for projects that reduce pollutants and eliminate sources of pollution for innovations at Port NOLA, and support tenants, operators and port users, including local vessel and truck fleets
• Comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations

To download PDF version, click here.

Updated October 6, 2021

Green Marine Certification

Green Marine is a voluntary environmental certification program that is third-party audited and encourages continuous improvement in environmental performance and community impact management. Port NOLA joined Green Marine as a member in 2014 and earned certification in 2015. As part of Port NOLA’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, our President and CEO, Brandy D. Christian, serves on the Board of Directors for Green Marine.

Annual Evaluation: Green Marine is a comprehensive environmental program that provides frameworks for shipping companies, terminal operators and ports to voluntarily reduce their environmental footprints. The program requires participants to adopt practices and technologies that will have a direct impact on the ground. The progress that participants make in this respect is evaluated with the help of performance indicators, which are revised yearly, in the spirit of continuous improvement at the heart of the environmental program. For ports, Green Marine measures several performance indicators, including community impacts, environmental leadership, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, spill prevention and storm-water management, underwater noise, and waste management.

To maintain our certification, the Port provides annual evaluation reports and is audited by an independent party every other year.

Port NOLA Green Marine 2021 Results:
Greenhouse gases : 3
Waste management : 3
Community impacts : 5
Environmental leadership : 5
Spill prevention : 5
LAST VERIFICATION
2022

For more information on Green Marine's Scope and Criteria, click here.

Port Inner Harbor Economic Revitalization Plan (PIER Plan)

The Port NOLA Inner Harbor Economic Revitalization Plan (PIER Plan) is the result of a collaborative planning project with the City of New Orleans, our key partners, the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and a long list of many stakeholder organizations.

The PIER Plan focuses on the future development of the Port's Inner Harbor and surrounding communities. This planning effort was funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant.

The final PIER Plan was adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans on April 23, 2020 after years of rigorous analysis and stakeholder engagement. The final PIER Plan document is now available here.

By-You Drainscapes

The Port of New Orleans has provided leadership for this regional community initiative to install public artwork around storm drains and catch basins for clean water.

The purpose of By-You Drainscapes is to engage and coordinate citizens, artists, students, governmental agencies, businesses and community organizations in the Greater New Orleans Region to enhance public awareness and water literacy through highly visible storm drain artwork in public places.