The United States is a major trading nation, and to a large degree its continued prosperity depends on maintaining and expanding international trade. The nation's seaports provide the key links to the world economy. Even so, the United States has no national plan for seaport development....

The Los Angeles metropolitan region has grown to be the second most populous in the United States, surpassed only by the New York City region. Forecasts are for growth to continue at a rate almost twice the national average. Estimates are the population will grow from 12.4 million people in 1984...