The Biden administration is allocating nearly $3 billion to enhance climate-friendly equipment and infrastructure at ports nationwide, including Baltimore. This initiative follows a tragic bridge collapse in March that claimed the lives of six construction workers and disrupted shipping routes along the East Coast.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Baltimore's main port to announce the grants, which aim to upgrade and electrify port infrastructure at 55 locations across the country. The funding is expected to support approximately 40,000 union jobs, reduce pollution, and address the climate crisis.
The Port of Baltimore, a key hub for importing and exporting motor vehicles and farm equipment, employs over 20,000 workers, including unionized longshoremen and truckers.
Among the grants being unveiled is $147 million for the Maryland Port Administration, which will facilitate the purchase and installation of cargo-handling equipment and trucks to transition the port into a zero-greenhouse-gas-emission facility, supporting over 2,000 jobs.
The Clean Ports Program, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, will distribute nearly $3 billion to 55 ports in 27 states and territories. Recipients include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority, and ports in Savannah, Brunswick, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Oakland.
The grants are made possible by Biden's landmark climate legislation, the largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history. The funds will also advance environmental justice by reducing diesel air pollution from ports, benefiting communities near these facilities.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan emphasized the importance of balancing economic growth with environmental protection, highlighting the interconnectedness of healthy communities and a robust economy. The grants come on the heels of a $31 million federal investment to rehabilitate a section of Baltimore's Dundalk Marine Terminal.
The Clean Ports funding is projected to cut over 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the energy use of nearly 400,000 homes for a year, and reduce harmful pollutants by 12,000 short tons.
These initiatives align with Biden and Harris' commitment to rebuilding infrastructure, addressing climate change, and supporting communities impacted by pollution. The grants have been well-received by environmental advocates, who view them as a significant step towards improving local conditions and people's lives.
