MPA Safe Passage (for pda/handhelds)

Port of Baltimore Harbor Safety and Coordination Committee

The Harbor Safety and Coordination Committee coordinates interagency actions and activities on issues related to navigation, safety and logistics. The group meets quarterly, in March, June, September, and December and is staffed by the Maryland Port Administration.

The Harbor Safety and Coordination Committee took shape in the 1980s, when the Port of Baltimore was improving its navigation system to accommodate the larger cargo vessels. The Maryland Port Administration recognized that the success of these projects would depend on the cooperative efforts of several agencies and organized a committee with representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Port Administration, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Baltimore District and Philadelphia District), United States Coast Guard, and the Association of Maryland Pilots. 

By 2001, participants also included the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Baltimore Maritime Exchange, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, tugboat operators, dredging companies, and other state agencies responsible for water safety and security. 

The collaborative effort of this committee was instrumental in obtaining authorization and appropriations for the straightening of the Tolchester Channel S-Turn for safe and efficient navigation, widening of the Brewerton Extension to the authorized width of 600 feet, and advocating for improvements to the Baltimore Harbor Anchorages in order to reduce delays.

To contact committee members, send an e-mail to mpasafepassage@marylandports.com or call the Maryland Port Administration at 410-385-4438.

Membership

Meeting Schedules and Summaries