| Port Exports Set Record
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In the April 23rd Baltimore Sun article "80%
increase in autos leads way", Laura McCandlish reported on the record exports at
the Port of Baltimore.
"Propelled by a weakening dollar, a surge of
exports - especially autos - drove the value of cargo moving through the port of
Baltimore last year to a record $41.9 billion"
Additional statistics
highlighted in the article include:
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The gain of more than 13 percent overall was a
$5 billion increase over 2006, according to the annual report released by the
MPA.
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An 80 percent increase in autos, to nearly
294,000, made Baltimore the top vehicle exporter in the nation, eclipsing
Jacksonville , Fla.
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The port ranked 12th nationally for total
dollar value of cargo and 13th for cargo volume, up from 14th for freight volume
in 2006.
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| New Regulations for Rail
Shipment of Hazardous Materials |
 Railroads annually carry over 1.7
million shipments of hazardous materials including explosive, poisonous,
corrosive, flammable and radioactive materials. The need for hazardous
materials to support essential services means transportation of hazardous
materials is unavoidable.
However, these shipments frequently move through densely populated
or environmentally-sensitive areas where the consequences of an incident could
be loss of life, serious injury, property damage, and/or significant
environmental damage.
To protect communities across the country, the
current regulations for transporting hazardous materials by rail are being
updated. The new proposed regulations "Hazardous Materials: Enhancing Rail
Transportation Safety and Security for Hazardous Materials Shipments" go into
effect on June 1, 2008.
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| Fuel Prices for the week
of June 30, 2008 |
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The Department of Energy provides weekly updates on fuel prices
at the gas pump. Here are some highlights from June 30, 2008.
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| Freight Academy
Immersion Program |
 The I-95
Corridor Coalition Freight Academy, a unique freight immersion program designed
to efficiently train public sector agency staff whose planning, operational,
and/or management work impact goods movement decisions, investments, and
interactions is now accepting nominations. All nominations are due by
July 11, 2008.
The Academy will be held October 26-31, 2008.
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| U.S. Dot Wants Your Take
On Region's Planning Process |
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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to know how well the
Baltimore region conducts its transportation planning process.
The effort by U.S. DOT is part of the quadrennial federal certification
process of the Baltimore region's metropolitan planning organization
(MPO).
As the local MPO, the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board
(BRTB) is responsible for several key products as part of a continuing,
comprehensive and coordinated (3-C) process. These products include a long-range
transportation plan, a short-range program or implementation plan, an annual
work program, air quality assessments, and a congestion management process. The
BRTB undertakes this work in coordination with state agencies and other
partners. An important part of the planning process is providing for public
participation.
If you're interested in how transportation investment
decisions are made in the Baltimore region, visit our web site using the link
below for more information or to submit a comment. Comments may be submitted by
mail, fax, e-mail, or online using the public comment form through
Wednesday, July 9th.
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| Draft EIS for AES
Sparrows Point LNG Now Available |
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AES Sparrows Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) proposes to site, construct
and operate a new LNG import terminal with an initial capacity of 1.5 billion
cubic feet per day of natural gas. The proposed terminal would be located on an
approximately 80 acre parcel located at the Sparrows Point industrial complex
situated on the Sparrows Point peninsula extending into the Chesapeake Bay east
of the Port of Baltimore, in Baltimore County, MD.
The terminal would receive LNG from ocean-going ships (approximately 120 to
150 ships per year), store the LNG onshore in full-containment tanks,
re-vaporize the LNG as needed, and then deliver pipeline quality gas to the
Mid-Atlantic Express pipeline.
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The 
