Page 21 - Port of Baltimore - May/June 2019

Securing the Port...
Line handling and Security
Office: 410-808-1050
Fax: 410-569-5342
Email: batamarine@comcast.net website: www.batamarineinc.com
24 HOUR OPERATION BONDED AND INSURED
VW Settlement Will Deliver Cleaner Equipment to Port
LOWer NOx emissions
Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) will see
the benefits of more than $5
million from the Volkswagen (VW) Environmental Mitigation Trust fund
to replace trucks and diesel equipment to reduce air pollution.
Two different projects, both improving vehicles at the Port of Baltimore, will be funded through
this portion of the VW settlement allotted to Maryland as a result of the automaker’s nationwide violation of the Clean Air Act by installing software
that circumvented emissions controls in its diesel vehicles. About 16,000
of those vehicles were delivered in Maryland, which in turn received a total of $75.7 million in the settlement to improve air quality, especially to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
The highly successful dray truck replacement program is slated to received $2 million to continue helping short-haul truck owners replace their older, less efficient models with new, cleaner vehicles. This program has already helped truck owners replace nearly 200 trucks since 2009, reducing approximately 2,300 tons of NOx emissions.
An additional $3.28 million from
the VW settlement is earmarked to replace cargo-handling equipment and other diesel engines owned by MDOT MPA. This includes heavy-duty trucks, forklifts and terminal tractors, for a total of 21 pieces in all. Most of these will
be replaced with newer, cleaner diesel equipment, but the Port is also planning to replace some diesel terminal tractors and forklifts with electric versions. This project will reduce NOx emissions by 11.6 tons per year.
MDOT MPA expects the funds
to be released this summer, so they can begin to replace equipment in the fall. 􏰀
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