Pres. Joe Biden (center) pays a visit to the Port of Baltimore to give an update on the state of the port following the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident in March. The President announced that his administration will be providing nearly $3 billion in infrastructure grants across the country. He was joined by Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) (left) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D). (Courtesy Photo/Mekhi Abbott)
By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com
Standing with cranes and shipment containers in the background, President Joe Biden announced roughly $3 billion in grants to support infrastructure and climate-friendly equipment at ports nationwide on Oct. 29. The Maryland Port Administration, specifically, will receive $147 million in grants and awards.
Biden was joined by major Maryland politicians and community members, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott.
“This is about environmental justice,” said Biden, adding that the funding “will cut port’s opening costs, strengthen supply chain, make American businesses more competitive and keep consumer prices down while slashing carbon pollution and support an estimated 40,000 new, good paying jobs.”
In Baltimore, the money could stand to significantly impact families that depend on the ports for survival. The Port of Baltimore is counted as one of the most active ports located on the East Coast– especially when it comes to vehicle shipments.
According to information released by the White House, “more than 20,000 workers support daily Port operations, including unionized longshoreman and truckers. Each day the Port’s economic impact represents $192 million or more than $70 billion a year, representing 13 percent of Maryland’s gross domestic product.”
Of the $147 million investment, White House officials say more than $145 million will be used “to purchase zero-emission cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks and facilitate the transition of the port to a zero-emission facility, as well as a nearly $2 million planning grant to help the port chart a path to greater emissions reductions in the future, delivering cleaner air for the port and neighboring communities.”
More than 2,000 jobs are expected to result from the money poured into the port. Of that number, roughly 350 positions are slated to be manufacturing jobs.
The ports in the United States are a huge economic driver, but they also pose a threat to the environment due to the pollution they produce. The Clean Ports Program will address such environmental issues by installing clean and zero-emission freight technology which is predicted to eliminate nearly 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the next 10 years.
The Maryland Port is one of 55 ports that will receive funding through the Clean Ports initiative, which is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Puerto Rico and 27 other states will also receive funding, including Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority, as well as ports in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
In addition to the funding announcement, Biden’s visit to the Port of Baltimore was also aimed at addressing the state of the port after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after being struck by a container ship on March 26. The incident led to six construction workers losing their lives, while also altering commutes to work, school and more for Baltimore residents.
“Some thought the city channel would be blocked for six months or more, but we did it in 78 days!” said Biden.
The president praised how quickly the Port of Baltimore resumed activity after the accident.
“Eight thousand workers are back on the job and over 100,000 tons of cargo passed through this port again on a daily basis,” he said. “As I promised last spring, we won’t stop until the bridge is finished completely.”
Sen. Van Hollen highlighted those who had a hand in the rebound.
“I want to thank Mayor Scott, [Baltimore] County Executive Johnny Olszewski and everyone who came together from the local and federal levels– volunteers from all over the city– helping in that hour of need,” said Van Hollen. “We’ve got the federal commitment of 90 percent funding to rebuild the Key Bridge…it supports 20,000 direct jobs, including 2,400 union longshoremen.”
Mayor Scott noted how the Biden Administration has been helpful to the people of Baltimore City in a myriad of ways.
“We are blessed to have President Joe Biden and his entire team here again,” said Mayor Scott. “Of course, he was one of the first people who called us following the Key Bridge tragedy. We’ve had the Biden-Harris administration partnership in investing in our young people like never before through the American Rescue Plan Act. We’ve had the Biden-Harris administration’s partnership in reducing gun violence in Baltimore at historic rates. We’ve had their partnership in investing in our infrastructure.”
Gov. Wes Moore, the first Black man to lead the state of Maryland, delivered strong remarks.
“It’s great to be in this moment,” said Moore. “The last time President Biden was here in Baltimore, he was here because of a tragedy– tragedy not just to our state, not just to the city of Baltimore, not just to Dundalk and Turner Station– but also tragedy to our entire country.”
“We’re here because of Marylanders all across the state, of both political parties and all backgrounds, who stepped up to serve when the people of our state needed it,” he continued. “When the story of the port is written, it won’t be about survival– it’ll be a story of renewal. The Port of Baltimore is the gateway to America, and we’re going to live up to that namesake.”
