Biden Talks $147M In Port Upgrades, Key Bridge Rebuild In MD Visit

BALTIMORE, MD — President Joe Biden visited the Port of Baltimore on Tuesday afternoon to unveil $147 million in eco-friendly port upgrades in Maryland as part of a multi-billion dollar plan to revamp ports nationwide.

The pro-union program comes weeks after dockworkers went on a temporary strike, seeking better pay and job security from port operators and shipping companies. Biden said modernizing ports with green technology operated by humans, not computers, will benefit union labor nationwide.

"The middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class. Period," Biden said in his speech.

The president also reaffirmed his commitment to a speedy rebuild of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge. Biden urged Congress to fully fund the bridge's replacement, though out-of-state legislators want Maryland to cover 10% of the rebuild.

"As I promised last spring, we won't stop until the new bridge is finished completely," Biden said. "I'm calling on Congress to fully fund it this year."

The crossing, which carried Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River, was destroyed this March when the cargo ship Dali crashed into a bridge support column. The collapse killed six road workers.

Related: Photos Of President Biden Visit To Baltimore Port, Key Bridge Update

Baltimore Port Upgrades

The Port of Baltimore will buy zero-emission cargo handling equipment with the investment announced Tuesday.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) called the port an "economic growth engine" that "continues to rev."

"This is the port for the future," Moore told reporters after the event. "We can focus on clean energy [while also] supporting long-term economic growth."

Under Biden's plan, shipping terminals nationwide will get a slice of $3 billion through the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports grants, provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.

"[The funding] will cut ports' opening costs, strengthen supply chains, make America's businesses more competitive and keep consumer prices down while slashing cargo pollution," Biden said.

In Baltimore, $145 million will go toward the environmentally friendly cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks. Another $2 million grant will help the port plan for future emissions reductions.

"Addressing the climate crisis is not just an environmental issue, but it's an issue of justice and fairness for our most vulnerable communities," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. "It's an opportunity to rebuild and revitalize our nation's infrastructure, and it's an opportunity to grow the American economy, one that lifts up everyone."

Turner Station, Baltimore County's largest historically Black community, is one of the areas most affected by port pollution.

Turner Station Conservation Teams President Gloria Nelson said her neighborhood has "a legacy of many environmental injustice issues."

"Historically, our community has suffered and died from high rates of cancer and respiratory diseases. We are the next-door neighbors to the Port of Baltimore," Nelson said, noting that her team has partnered with the port since 2003 to restore local health.

The White House said Baltimore's port improvements will support over 2,000 local jobs, including more than 350 in manufacturing.

Those dockworkers went on a brief strike earlier this month as they fought for higher wages and less robotic automation in ports.

Maryland longshoremen were among the 45,000 nationwide who stopped work on Oct. 1, shutting down ports from Maine to Texas.

The International Longshoremen's Association accused the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents terminal operators and shipping lines, of negotiating in poor faith.

At the time, Biden urged the sides to get a deal done quickly to prevent supply chain snags and shortages in stores.

The ILA and USMX reached an agreement, and longshoremen returned to work on Oct. 4. Negotiators now have until Jan. 15, 2025, to strike a long-term contract.

"Ports are the linchpin, the linchpin to America's supply chain," Biden said, applauding the negotiations. "They keep goods moving, keep the economy strong and employ over 100,000 union workers, from Teamsters to longshoremen."

Biden expects the nationwide port enhancements to support "an estimated 40,000 new good-paying jobs at the ports in clean energy, manufacturing all across America."

Gwen Williamson, a longshoreman of 20 years, introduced Biden to the crowd. Williamson's father was a longshoreman, and her son is also a dockworker.

"President Biden's administration is the most pro-union and supportive of workers rights in this country's history," Williamson said. "President Biden signed the infrastructure legislation that made sure we had the support to do our jobs."

Rebuilding Key Bridge

The recent strike was the second work stoppage for Baltimore longshoremen this year.

The Key Bridge collapse snarled commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months before the channel fully reopened in June.

Rush-hour traffic is still nasty around Baltimore, as drivers are funneled into the over-capacity tunnels of Interstates 95 and 895. Drivers avoiding traffic and truckers carrying hazardous materials prohibited in the tunnels now snake through once-quieter neighborhoods like Turner Station.

"There are more trucks on the road in and near our community. That adds to the pollution we have experienced for decades," Nelson said. "However, the port has demonstrated its commitments to improve air quality in the Baltimore region and [to be] sensitive to community concerns about diesel emissions."

The owner and manager of the cargo ship that caused the Key Bridge collapse agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. This will recover money the government spent clearing underwater debris and reopening the port, which was closed for months.

The Justice Department alleged that the electrical and mechanical systems on the Dali were improperly maintained, causing it to lose power and veer off course before striking the bridge. The ship was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of the power loss.

The settlement does not include any damages for rebuilding the bridge. The construction project could cost close to $2 billion. The State of Maryland filed its own claim seeking those damages, officials said.

Biden visited the bridge collapse site in April and vowed that the federal government would pay for the entire bridge rebuild. Maryland's Congressional delegation is pushing to make that goal a reality, but some Capitol Hill colleagues only want to foot 90% of the bill.

"We're going to work together as a delegation ... the whole team to get 100% funding commitment from the federal government before the end of this year to rebuild the Key Bridge," U.S. Sen, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said.

The new bridge is expected to open by autumn 2028.

Biden said the new bridge would be "built with American steel and union labor."

"It's not enough just to rebuild America," the president said. "We have to build it back better and stronger than before."

Related:

• Key Bridge Collapse Survivor Relives Fall, Deaths Of Co-Workers, 'All The Time': Report
• Dali Blackout Caused By 2 Malfunctioning Breakers: MD Key Bridge Crash
• Port Of Baltimore Back To Full Force, MD Truckers Still Struggling
• 'You're Alive': Baker Among Last Drivers On Key Bridge Before Collapse