FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: Lisa Langone or Matt Brelis May 15, 2009 617-568-3100

MASSPORT RECEIVES $100,000 STIMULUS GRANT TO EXTEND SHORE POWER AT FISH PIER AND CUT VESSEL EMISSIONS

MassDEP Identifies Maritime Project for Its Merit and Shovel-Ready Status

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced today that it was selected to receive a $100,000 Stimulus package grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to further provide shore-to-ship power at the Boston Fish Pier. The money adds to a $400,000 EPA grant that Massport received earlier this year to allow fishing boats and visiting vessels the ability to “plug in” for electricity while tied up. The new funds will allow construction of up to six more electrified berths, and come under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The MassDEP grant is part of $1.73 million in stimulus funding by the EPA for diesel pollution reduction investments given to Massachusetts. Massport’s partially-funded berth electrification project was chosen to be included in MassDEP’s MassCleanDiesel stimulus package, based on its merit and shovel-ready status.

Massport currently maintains up to four electrified berths on the Fish Pier that supply shore-to-ship power for as many as four docked vessels, but more than a dozen fishing vessels regularly tie up at the pier. Most vessels use onboard diesel generators for power and heat. These generators release diesel fuel emissions and are expensive to run. In February, Massport received $400,000 through EPA’s 2008 Northeast Diesel Collaborative Emissions Reduction Grant Program to upgrade the existing berths and add 12 new ones.

“The additional grant money is terrific news for the ,” said Michael A. Leone, Massport’s Port Director. “With the new funds we can aim to equip the entire Boston Fish Pier with up to 22 electrified berths. Our goal is to provide our commercial fishermen with a more energy efficient and cost effective way to conduct their business, and make our maritime operation more environmentally friendly.”

“Under our MassCleanDiesel program, one of our goals is to protect sensitive populations in environmental justice communities and areas of high asthma rates,” said MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt. “We are already addressing diesel emissions from school and transit buses, construction vehicles, and with local anti-idling efforts. This grant brings waste and utility trucks, locomotive engines and fishing boats into our comprehensive initiative.”

The program, to be completed later this year, will significantly improve air quality because it is expected to produce a 95 percent reduction in engine idling and air pollution. Annual savings to fishermen varies based on ship size and usage but are estimated to be thousands of dollars per ship based on current average prices for electricity and diesel fuel. The total cost of the project is roughly $607,000 with the remaining costs funded by Massport through in-kind services including project design, construction, oversight and inspection, and reporting.

The electrification project is the most recent component in Massport’s effort to make green investments in the Port of Boston that enhance efficiency and productivity. In 2003, Conley Container Terminal became one of the first terminals in the nation to develop and implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) that has been certified to the ISO- 14001 standard. It has been successfully recertified every year since. The Port of Boston’s vessel and cargo activity support 34,000 jobs, and contributes more than $2 billion to the local, regional, and national economies through direct, indirect, and induced impact.

The Port of Boston is the oldest continually active major port in the Western Hemisphere and is the largest port serving New England. Top imports include: alcoholic beverages, frozen seafood, footwear and furniture. Top exports include: hides and skins, autos, logs and lumber, frozen seafood, paper including waste paper, and scrap metal. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) operates Boston Logan International Airport, the Port of Boston, Tobin Memorial Bridge, and Worcester Regional Airport. Massport is a financially self-sustaining public authority whose premier transportation facilities generate more than $8 billion every year and enhance and enable economic growth and vitality in New England. For more information you can visit massport.com.

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