Port of Baltimore gets O.K. for development

Port of Baltimore gets O.K. for development    Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and the state’s Board of Public
Works Wednesday approved a license that allows the Maryland Port Administration to use dredge spoil to construct a wetlands and space for a new terminal in the Masonville area of Baltimore over a 20-year period.
   The Port of Baltimore said the area is one of the most contaminated areas of Baltimore and that the new wetlands will benefit wildlife, the local citizenry and the port industry.
   Dredged material placement is expected to begin in late 2009 and be completed around 2039.    Once completed, over 16 million cubic yards of dredged material will be placed.    Each year one-half million cubic yards of dredged materials will be placed at the site. The cost to construct the project is $130 million.
   “This project is a win for everyone — the communities of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay, the environment and the Port of Baltimore,” said O’Malley.
   The first step in this project will be to clean up approximately 22 acres of shoreline along Middle River. The MPA said ten of these acres have already been cleaned, with the port removing about 8,000 tons of trash and debris.
   The site is the former home of Kurt Iron and Metal and the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Besides trash, there are also 27 abandoned vessels located in the water at the site.
   Some of these ships will be disposed of, while others will be covered by the dredged material.
   Long range plans call for a portion of this site to eventually be developed as a marine terminal.