USACE Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon views damage of the fallen Frances Scott Key Bridge that collapsed in Baltimore, March 26, 2024. In accordance with USACE’s federal authorities, USACE will lead the effort to clear the channel as part of the larger interagency recovery effort to restore operations at the Port of Baltimore. (Photo: USACE)
When a container ship struck a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and caused it to collapse, it claimed the lives of eight people and blocked Baltimore Harbor. The U.S. Coast Guard has established a safety zone for all navigable waters of the Chesapeake Bay within a 2,000-yard radius of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. As a result, vessel access to the CONSOL Marine Terminal, which is in the Port of Baltimore, has been temporarily delayed.
“We are working closely with the Coast Guard, transportation authorities and city officials to safely restore vessel access to and resume normal operations at our CONSOL Marine Terminal,” CONSOL Energy said in a press release. “We do not have a definitive timeline of when vessel access or normal operations will resume. We are looking at all available options to us to minimize or address direct and indirect impacts on the company and its operations.” The company said its thoughts and prayers go out to the Baltimore community, the emergency response teams and all of those impacted by this heartbreaking incident.
Last year, CONSOL Energy exported 15.7 million tons of bituminous coal or 60% of its product from the Pennsylvania Mining Complex through the CONSOL Marine Terminal.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District is coordinating the effort to clear the Federal channel as part of the larger interagency recovery effort. The USACE activated an Emergency Operations Center, clearing the way for more than 1,100 engineering, construction, contracting and operations specialists to provide support to local, state and federal agencies. All are working together to determine the actions required to remove the fallen debris resulting from the collapsed bridge.
