The emissions control company reports more than 7,000 hours of tanker-specific service as the Senate considers overturning the EPA authorization supporting the regulation
STAX System Connected to a Tanker
STAX Captures Tanker Emissions at Berth
STAX Emissions-Control Barge at Port
LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Sept. 15, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J.Res. 210, voting to withdraw the EPA federal waiver supporting California’s authority to reduce pollution from ships while they are docked. The measure now moves to the Senate, which could vote as early as Tuesday, Sept. 22.
During last week’s House debate, Representative Vince Fong of California said, “There isn’t a viable solution for tankers.” Existing emissions-control operations show otherwise: STAX Engineering has already provided more than 7,000 hours of emissions-control service to tankers since Southern California tanker requirements went into effect at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in January 2025.
STAX provides emissions capture and control services for ships docked at port. Its mobile system connects directly to the ship’s exhaust stack, removing up to 99% of particulate matter (PM) and 95% of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Designed around tanker safety protocols, the system enables operators to affordably comply without vessel retrofits or operational downtime. STAX systems are third-party validated and CARB-approved emission control systems (CAECS) for container ships, auto carriers (ro-ro) and tankers.
“California set a clear standard, and American companies got to work,” said Mike Walker, CEO of STAX Engineering. “We’ve grown to nearly 200 employees, built infrastructure, and signed long-term contracts. Ports and maritime operators invested hundreds of millions into compliance, and our technology is out on the water doing that work every day. It’s backwards to change the policy once we’ve made such important progress.”
Ships run diesel-powered engines for hours, emitting more than 20% of their total trip emissions while docked, exposing nearby communities to carcinogenic exhaust. California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) expanded At-Berth Regulation is designed to reduce those emissions at the source, cutting pollution from vessel visits by 90%, lowering potential cancer risk by 55% for nearby communities, and delivering an estimated $2.3 billion in public-health benefits.
Beyond ro-ros and container ship customers, STAX provides recurring emissions-control service to some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. Publicly announced tanker customers include Shell, Olympus Terminals and MOL Chemical as well as signed agreements to service tankers at IMTT’s Richmond terminal and TransMontaigne’s Richmond and Martinez facilities.
STAX is prepared to meet the increased demand from tankers with an experienced team and the largest fleet of treatment barges. Across vessel types to date, STAX has provided more than 51,000 hours of service across 3,172 vessel calls, capturing and treating nearly 400 tons of pollutants.
“We’ve moved past the question of whether this can work,” Walker continued. “The question now is why we would reverse course when companies have built working, affordable solutions, created American manufacturing and union jobs, and are already reducing pollution and health risks for the people who live and work around our ports and beyond.”
STAX designed its emissions-control systems specifically for the safety and operational complexity of tanker vessels. Development, testing, and validation began through CARB’s “Capture and Control System for Oil Tankers Project.” The work was completed in partnership with South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Bay Area AQMD, Center for Environmental Research and Technology at UC Riverside, Tesoro Logistics Operations LLC, a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corp., Coalition for Clean Air, Montrose Environmental, Q Corporation, Carbon America, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and ABB Inc.
CARB’s original At-Berth Regulation took effect in 2009, with its first compliance requirements beginning in 2014 — years before California’s more recent, more contested passenger-vehicle and EV waivers. At-Berth is a local air-quality regulation that reduces exposure to toxic diesel exhaust for human health, not a mandate on what vehicles or products Americans can buy or drive. Compliance has remained affordable even as cargo volumes have grown: the Port of Long Beach handled nearly 920,000 TEUs in August 2026, its busiest August on record. CARB also reported more than 95% compliance statewide for regulated vessel visits in 2025.
H.J.Res. 210 passed the House by a vote of 216–211 and is now pending in the Senate. STAX supports preserving California’s At-Berth Regulation and opposes H.J.Res. 210.
About STAX Engineering
STAX’s patented, flexible exhaust capture system is designed to fit all ships without modification, even in the most congested ports. Known as the ‘Original Green Clean Machine,’ the STAX system captures exhaust, funnels it through its filtration system, and removes 99% of particulate matter (PM) and 95% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) before being released as purified gas. To date, STAX has treated 3,172 vessels for 51,000+ hours, capturing nearly 400 tons of pollutants—and counting. In 2024, STAX was named a winner of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech, recognizing its innovative contributions to emissions reduction and clean-air solutions. Learn more at www.staxengineering.com.
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