Port of Baltimore Magazine Jan/Feb 2014 - page 18

[16] The Port of Baltimore ■ January/February 2014 To subscribe or renew, visit www.marylandports.com
Even Trash Can Benefit
from Technology
T he idea behind a trash compactor is simple; more
trash can be stored in less space, reducing the
amount going into landfills and the manpower needed
to empty the trash.
The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) is experimenting
with an idea that’s even more environmentally friendly: solar-
powered trash compactors that also prevent animals and birds
from raiding the trash and spreading debris.
As part of a pilot program, the MPA has purchased three BigBelly, solar-powered
trash receptacles that look like mailboxes, made by a company called BigBelly Solar.
The receptacles are in use in cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, as well as on college
campuses and in the Harbor East neighborhood of Baltimore.
The waste receptacles resemble mailboxes, with a solar panel on the top. The door
opens like a mailbox so that trash can be deposited but birds and rodents can’t get in
— and forgetful humans don’t have to worry about putting the lid on tight. A BigBelly
receptacle has a sensor that tells it when to compact the trash, and those sensors also
notify whoever is responsible for emptying them when they are filling up.
The BigBellies are stationed at Berth 11 and at Block House 12 and 13, spots chosen
because they have plenty of foot traffic.
The pilot program is part of the MPA’s Clean Port initiative, which focuses on litter
prevention and street sweeping, an important initiative since litter dropped at marine
terminals is likely to be blown into the harbor.
T he Baltimore Port Alliance (BPA)
recently participated in a national
webinar coordinated by the Office
of Transportation and Air Quality at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). This was the second in a series of
three webinars that focused on Goods
Movements and Ports; Community
Impacts; and Collaborative Solutions.
Through its Ports Initiative, the EPA
explores effective partnerships with port
stakeholders to identify opportunities
and find solutions that create more
sustainable ports systems. Partnerships
are designed to:
❯ encourage environmental progress at
ports and reduce climate risk
❯ support operational and technological
improvements to increase efficiency
❯ improve community health and air quality
❯ encourage sustainable economic
development that supports the
economy and jobs
Delegates
Get an Up-close
Look at Port
M embers of the Maryland
General Assembly’s
House of Delegates
Economic Matters Committee
learned more about the
importance of dredging and the
Port of Baltimore’s operations
when they toured the Port in
late October.
The Committee had requested
the tour, and the Maryland
Port Administration (MPA) was
pleased to host them. The House
Economic Matters Committee
plays a key role in helping the
MPA and the Port of Baltimore
secure legislation to stimulate
the flow of waterborne commerce
through the State of Maryland.
The group of delegates
included Dereck E. Davis, Chair
of the Committee; David Rudolph,
Vice Chair of the Committee;
Richard K. Impallaria ; Brian K.
McHale; Joseph J. Minnick;
Benjamin F. Kramer ; and Michael
L. Vaughn. They began their
tour at the Masonville Cove
Environmental Education Center
with welcoming remarks from
James J. White, MPA Executive
Director. The delegation heard
about the programs and activities
at the environmental center and
then went to the Masonville
Dredged Material Placement Site.
A landside tour included stops at
the Dundalk and Seagirt marine
terminals and concluded with a
harbor tour.
Baltimore Port Alliance
members Capt. Eric Nielsen,
President of the Association of
Maryland Pilots, and Andy Nixon ,
Vice President of Rukert Terminals
Corporation, conducted the
harborside tour.
GREENPORT
Community Engagement
Considered as National Model
A focus of the BPA Environmental
Committee is to act as a liaison with
various government agencies as well
as local environmental and community
organizations. In July, the BPA hosted
a tour of the Port of Baltimore that
including EPA staff. An outcome of this
meeting was an opportunity to present
a case study of community engagement
in the Port’s award-winning Masonville
Dredged Material Containment Facility
and Masonville Cove Restoration Project.
The case study outlined: the
Port’s ongoing need to find suitable
dredged material placement sites, the
development of the Harbor Team and
other advisory committees to recommend
sites, the collaborative process of
engaging local community organizations
to provide input that was incorporated
into the project scope, and the resulting
relationships of trust that have resulted
from the process.