Page 18 - Port of Baltimore Magazine November/December 2016

PORT ENVIRONMENT
Diverse Roundtable Shares
Ideas for Reducing Air Pollution
concerns and interests. We look forward to continuing the conversation to discuss ways to further reduce diesel emissions while recognizing the economic importance the fuel has in freight transportation.”
Rebecca Ruggles, Director of the nonprofit Maryland Environmental Health Network, which co-sponsored the roundtable, said, “We saw that there were a lot of people who had
a stake in diesel emissions, but
they were coming from a variety of sectors. We just really wanted to see if we could bring people together and see where Maryland would benefit the most.”
Bob Hoyt, a founding partner of Ecologix Group, an environmental strategy company that co-sponsored
the Association of Maryland Pilots assured no interruption of service with the movement of cargo.
Construction of the CAD cell
was initiated on Sept. 5, 2016 and was completed in early October. The CAD cell will be filled with material from the Army Corps of Engineers’ maintenance dredging of the Ferry Bar Channel in the winter of 2016/2017. Sand that was excavated during the
A diverse group of about 30 community, business, state agency, health, union and environmental representatives shared their perspectives on reducing air pollution from diesel emissions during a multi- stakeholder roundtable discussion that the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) helped organize.
“We are committed at MPA to minimizing our environmental impacts as we maximize our economic impacts,” said Barbara McMahon, MPA’s head of Safety, Environment, and Risk Management. “Reducing
diesel emissions has been a top priority for us, and we thought it would be good to talk about our successes, challenges and future initiatives with others who are in similar situations or are otherwise interested in improving air quality.”
Listening to one another’s perspectives proved powerful for the participants.
Louis Campion, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association Inc., which hosted the roundtable, praised the opportunity, saying, “It was a chance to explore challenges,
MPA Looks at More
Options for Dredged Material
The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) has undertaken a Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) demonstration project, at the recommendation of the Harbor Team.
The purpose of the project is to demonstrate whether CAD is feasible as a management technique for dredged material. Participants on
the Harbor Team represent a broad spectrum of community, business, local government and environmental interests from around the harbor.
The demonstration project
involves dredging clean sand from an underwater site and moving it to a staging area for reuse. The resulting underwater cell or pit will be filled with dredged material. The underlying layer of clay and the sides of the pit serve as a barrier that prevents sediments deposited in the cell from spreading to adjacent water or aquifers.
The demonstration project is
located directly adjacent to the Masonville Dredged Material Containment Facility (DMCF) in the Masonville Vessel Berth between Piers Three and Four. Close coor- dination with MPA Operations and
[16] The Port of Baltimore ■ November/December 2016