ABSTRACT
With the advent of major federal and state environmental legislation in the early 1970s, the urban waterfront took on a whole new meaning to the community of users and regulatory agencies that surround it. There are a variety of ways that Ports are taking on this new set of concerns. In the United States, the most comprehensive approach has been that of the state of California. Under the provisions of the California Coastal Act of 1976, the four Southern California Ports are required to prepare a Port master plan that includes, in addition to proposed uses of land and water areas, an estimate of the environmental effects of the planned uses, together with a mitigation plan for unavoidable impacts. Upon approval of the master plan by the California Coastal Commission, the Port is then delegated authority for implementation of the plan. Under this approach, the role of the Port has been expanded to encompass all facets of environmental management.
