Earth News from TerraDaily.com
Biden to unveil $3 bn to boost US port infrastructure
Washington, Oct 29 (AFP) Oct 29, 2024
US President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a $3 billion investment towards port infrastructure Tuesday, the White House said, as he travels to the port of Baltimore a week before Election Day.

Biden's visit to the port, a key hub for the auto industry, comes as Vice President Kamala Harris -- the Democratic candidate in the election -- remains in a close race with Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The latest announcement involves $3 billion in grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, a major package of energy transition policy and social reforms.

The funds will go towards improving and electrifying port infrastructure, the White House said in a statement.

This involves supporting purchases of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered equipment, including those used to handle cargo, alongside charging and fueling infrastructure.

The full sum of grants goes to recipients across 27 states and territories, including $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration.

US ports hire more than 100,000 union workers across the country.

And as Election Day draws close, both Harris and Trump have been fighting to win over blue-collar workers, especially in swing states.

On Tuesday, the White House noted that "our nation's ports are a major source of pollution for workers and surrounding communities."

The grants announced Tuesday come under a "clean ports" program that authorities hope can improve air quality at the ports by installing "clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure."

The aim is to eliminate more than three million metric tons of carbon pollution over 10 years, the White House said.

The efforts align with the Biden-Harris administration's "goal for a zero-emission freight sector."

Biden's visit also comes months after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in March, which closed ship traffic in and out of the port of Baltimore and killed six workers.

The White House said that the Biden-Harris administration "remains committed" to working with Baltimore and the state of Maryland to help with the city's long-term recovery.





Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Space agencies track rare 3I/ATLAS interstellar object near Mars
Space Force awards launch missions to SpaceX, ULA
Rocket test proves bacteria survive space launch and re-entry unharmed

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Gold tops $4,000 for first time as traders pile into safe haven
Tesla shares fall on doubts that latest autos will boost sales
In Simandou mountains, Guinea prepares to cash in on iron ore

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
EU 'must respond' to Russia's 'hybrid warfare': von der Leyen
Russia says missile strike kills three in Belgorod region: governor
Trump unlikely to win Nobel Peace Prize, but who will?

24/7 News Coverage
No peace: Trump's smoldering Nobel obsession
Virtual Jesus? People of faith divided as AI enters religion
New species of poisonous frog discovered in Amazon; Snakebite surge as Bangladesh hit by floods


ADVERTISEMENT



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.