As we’ve mentioned before, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster has a favorite quote that he’s delivered to his hometown paper all the way up to the New York Times:

"We're not going to have kids in Long Beach contract asthma so someone in Kansas can get a cheaper television set."

Now, citing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Coalition For a Safe Environment have told Foster and his port officials its time to make good on their words.

In a letter, the two groups demanded Long Beach reduce deadly pollution or face federal lawsuit in 90 days.

Mayor Foster expressed surprise in the press, but it comes as welcome news for South Bay residents who suffer from or are at risk for asthma, cancer and other respiratory illnesses.

As NRDC senior attorney David Pettit explained, “Both ports passed this thing called the Clean Air Action Plan but I don't think it's any exaggeration to say it’s all plan and no action.”

It actually may be an understatement. 127 people have died[1] due to port truck pollution alone since harbor commissioners adopted – and failed to implement crucial elements of -- that plan in November 2006.

The 710 corridor is dubbed the “diesel-death zone” for a reason. Now Mayor Foster and Harbor Commission President Mario Cordero can take this latest challenge and fix this crisis -- or face the consequences.

[1] Calculation based on CARB data and corresponds to port truck pollution two deaths per week in the South Coast Air Basin. See report page 24.