Page 25 - Port of Baltimore Magazine November/December 2016

and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 23,030 tons. It will reduce ozone precursors — oxides of nitrogen (NOx) — by 241.39 tons and hydrocarbons (HC) by 8.19 tons. Furthermore, the improvements will save an estimated 143,034 gallons of diesel fuel over its lifetime.
Diesel exhaust contributes to numerous adverse health impacts, including cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Many studies have linked traffic pollution, which includes diesel exhaust, to long- term health problems for children who grow up near major roadways.
Maryland Department of Environment Secretary Benjamin
H. Grumbles agreed it has been a collaborative effort between federal and state agencies, along with the private sector, to help lobby for and expedite environmental initiatives. Grumbles said collaborative efforts that bring about this very positive change underscore the overall economic plan by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration.
“It does take a team to really make progress in reducing threats to public health,” Grumbles said. “There’s nothing that makes
the Governor happier than being able to see in a totally bipartisan basis environmental progress and economic prosperity hand-in-hand.”
This funding is part of EPA’s DERA fiscal year 2016 allocation, which includes engine replacements, and idle-reduction and retrofit technologies to clean up a variety of older diesel engines. Including this latest grant, the Port has received $5.7 million in DERA funding during the past eight years, according to the EPA.
“This funding builds upon the
Port of Baltimore’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability,” said Shawn M. Garvin, the EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. “By installing clean diesel technology, the Port of Baltimore is doing more than just saving money — they’re creating cleaner, healthier air for their employees and communities nearby.”
The EPA has implemented
standards that make diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner than
in the past, but many older diesel vehicles and equipment remain in operation and emit large amounts of pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. These pollutants are linked to asthma, lung damage and other serious health problems.
“Through initiatives like our Clean Diesel and Dray Truck Replacement programs, we have been able to remove nearly 9,000 tons of air pollutants around the Port.” Maryland Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Charles Glass said. “When people think about the Port of Baltimore, we want them to think of our business successes and our environmental stewardship.”
Nate Loewentheil, head of President Barack Obama’s Task Force for Baltimore and senior advisor on the White House National Economic Council, has worked closely with officials in Baltimore to spur economic growth and stability in the city.
Loewentheil, a Baltimore native, said the Port can be a driver for the city and the region even while improving the surrounding parks and wildlife habitat.
“Baltimore was really born as a port city, and its future is as a port city,” Loewentheil said. “The Port is essential to the city’s economy today. It will be equally essential to the region’s economy in the future. When I look at the landscape [of the Port], I see jobs, I see progress, I see opportunity and potential for Baltimore. That’s why it is such an inspiring landscape.” 􏰀
Several officials lauded the decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide a $978,302 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant to Maryland Environmental Services. Speaking at a recent ceremony to discuss
the award were (top to bottom:) U.S. Senator Ben Cardin; MPA Deputy Executive Director Kathleen Broadwater; Maryland Department of Environment Secretary Benjamin H. Grumbles; Shawn M. Garvin, the EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator; Maryland Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Charles Glass; and Nate Loewentheil, head of President Barack Obama’s Task Force for Baltimore and senior advisor on the White House National Economic Council.