Chesapeake Bay oyster trains complete

During the past year, CSX transported about 100,000 tons of the fossilized shell to help rebuild habitat in two Maryland oyster sanctuaries.    CSX Transportation said Monday that a year-long partnership between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and itself has come to a close with delivery of the 22nd and final freight train filled with fossilized oyster shells from Florida to the Chesapeake Bay.
   During the past year, CSX transported about 100,000 tons of the fossilized shell to help rebuild habitat in two Maryland oyster sanctuaries. Trains carrying the shells were delivered to CSX’s Curtis Bay ore pier once every 10 to 14 days; the shells were then transferred to barges for depositing at sanctuaries on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The shells provide a habitat where young oysters can thrive.
   The fossilized oyster shells were acquired by the state of Maryland from Gulf Coast Aggregates near Carrabelle, Fla., at a cost of about $6.3 million.