The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has provided new information about the Vessel Incident Event (VIE) and Terminal Incident Event (TIE) compliance option under its 2020 At Berth Regulation.
Emission reduction requirements began on January 1, 2025, for tanker vessel visits to Los Angeles and Long Beach and for roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel visits statewide. To ensure these fleets and terminal operators were ready for the regulations, CARB issued VIEs and TIEs via email prior to December 31, 2024, based on 2023 activity.
However, CARB has received multiple requests from tanker and ro-ro fleets and terminals to use the 2024 visit data for VIE and TIE calculations and has now agreed to that.
VIEs and TIEs allow for a limited number of visits each year where a vessel does not reduce emissions during a visit. The number of VIEs fleets receive equals 5% of their visits to a port, and the number of TIEs terminals receive equals 5% of the visits they receive, based on visits previously reported to CARB for the prior calendar year. When a VIE or a TIE is used during a visit, the vessel visit is compliant for both the vessel operator and terminal operator.
CARB will accept 2024 visit data up to February 14, 2025. For other vessel types, CARB will issue VIEs and TIEs by February 1, 2025.
The At Berth Regulation is designed to help achieve public health protection for Californians living nearby port communities, reduce exposure to toxic air emissions in disadvantaged communities and help meet state and federal air quality standards.