Page 16 - Port of Baltimore Magazine May/June 2011

[16] The Port of Baltimore ■ May/June 2011 To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com
GREENPORT
EMS Identifies Significant
Environmental Impacts
When digging takes place around the Port of Baltimore —
whether it’s for construction, repair work or some other
purpose — Barbara McMahon wants to know what
happens with the pile of dirt next to the hole.
McMahon, MPA Manager for Safety, Environment & Risk
Management, is concerned that the dirt could wash into
the harbor, turning into sediment pollution. To prevent such
occurrences, she uses a powerful tool: the Environmental
Management System (EMS).
The EMS is much more than just paperwork that sits in a file;
it’s actively used to identify aspects — meaning the products,
services or activities associated with Port operations — that are
most likely to significantly impact the environment.
Every 18 months, aspects are identified or reevaluated.
Particular attention is paid to new activities undertaken by
the MPA, whether it’s simple maintenance, a new process or
the addition of a piece of equipment. McMahon reviews work
orders and gathers input from various departments to create a
significant aspects list.
“People from various departments meet quarterly; we talk
about MPA maintenance activities and categorize them by their
impact,” McMahon said. “We ask, ‘Is there a legal mandate to
manage them?’ We catalog them and address the most critical
first.” Using the EMS, a core team of MPA employees — both
management and labor — can demand additional review from
managers and supervisors.
Non-hazardous soil management recently made the
significant aspects list, as did trash and litter prevention, fueling,
and oil and water separator operations and maintenance. Some
of the fixes are easy, such as installing trash cans on cranes at
the Dundalk Marine Terminal. The core team also evaluates more
expensive or complicated solutions: Would a vacuum truck be
effective for cleaning storm drains?
Some of the core team’s work is extremely detailed, such as
when it comes to evaluating all fueling operations at the MPA
and developing and implementing procedures that encompass
everything from standard operating procedures to work orders.
The significant aspects list is just one piece of the overall
coordinated strategy created by the EMS to improve operations
from an environmental standpoint.
“It’s the backbone of what we do on the terminals for the environ-
ment — everything emanates from the EMS,” McMahon said.
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
Mid-Atlantic Region
recently honored the MPA with a
2010 Environmental Achievement
Award. The award recognized the
MPA’s role in several environmental
programs, including Dredged Material
Management, Clean Diesel and
Schoolyard Greening.
“The MPA is very honored to
receive this national recognition
for our environmental programs,”
said MPA Deputy Executive Director
M. Kathleen Broadwater, who was
joined by MPA Deputy Director of
Harbor Development Frank Hamons
when accepting the award during a
reception in Philadelphia. “From rebuilding islands and wetlands in Maryland waters
using dredged material, to helping to reduce emissions in and around the Port of
Baltimore, the MPA, under the leadership of Gov. Martin O’Malley, will continue
looking for additional ways to minimize our carbon footprint, improve air and water
quality, and protect the health of our Port workers, neighboring communities and
Chesapeake Bay.”
When announcing the award, EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin noted,
“Over the past several years, while managing millions of cubic yards of dredged
material taken from the bottom of the Baltimore Harbor and Chesapeake Bay, the
Maryland Port Administration has improved water quality, reduced air emissions,
created wildlife habitat and become the largest creator of wetlands in Maryland.
The Port Administration’s contribution is improving the environment in the mid-
Atlantic region.”
WWL Earns Green
Shipping Award
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics
(WWL) received a prestigious
Green Shipping Award in February.
Christopher Connor, President of WWL
Americas and Deputy CEO of WWL AS,
accepted the award during the Panama
Maritime X Conference & Exhibition in
Panama City.
Presented by the Panama Maritime
Authority, the award recognizes companies
that are outstanding performers based
on several criteria: the development of
environmental security and protection
plans on an international, regional
and/or national level; implementation
of technology to reduce maritime
and atmospheric contamination; and
establishment of emergency strategies.
WWL’s environmental initiatives
in North America are spearheaded by
Michael S. Derby, General Manager, North
Atlantic Operations, Ocean, Terminal and
Environmental Affairs, Region Americas.
Derby’s office is based at the Port of
Baltimore. “That’s a big feather in the
Port’s cap,” said Richard L. Sheckells, Jr.,
Chief of Environmental Initiatives for the
MPA. “Mike is a very humble guy who does
hard work; he’s very influential in terms of
environmental leadership.”
EPA Honors MPA with Regional Award
COURTESY OF U.S. EPA
At the Environmental Achievement Award
presentation were, from left, EPA Regional
Administrator Shawn M. Garvin, MPA
Deputy Executive Director M. Kathleen
Broadwater and MPA Deputy Director of
Harbor Development Frank Hamons.