Baltimore bridge

The Port of Baltimore could reopen in about six weeks (in May), a DHL executive tells Bloomberg. That's sooner than some feared. In the meantime, the bridge collapse could leave 2,400 longshoremen without work. More 

Coast Guard says 56 containers on cargo ship in Baltimore harbor have hazardous materials 

The Lever -The company that chartered the cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was recently sanctioned by regulators for blocking its employees from directly reporting safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard — in violation of a seaman whistleblower protection law, according to regulatory filings reviewed by The Lever.Eight months before a Maersk Line Limited-chartered cargo ship crashed into the Baltimore bridge, likely killing six people and injuring others, the Labor Department sanctioned the shipping conglomerate for retaliating against an employee who reported unsafe working conditions aboard a Maersk-operated boat. In its order, the department found that Maersk had “a policy that requires employees to first report their concerns to [Maersk]... prior to reporting it to the [Coast Guard] or other authorities.”Federal regulators at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which operates under the Labor Department, called the policy “repugnant” and a “reprehensible and an egregious violation of the rights of employees,” which “chills them from contacting the [Coast Guard] or other authorities without contacting the company first.”

Guardian - A top labor union for maritime engineers has sounded the alarm against corporate profiteering in the wake of Tuesday’s cargo ship crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, claiming the industry is “probably the worst offender” The Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association warned of the dangers of growing vessels and shrinking crews – claiming that those from overseas are “not up to the standards” required in the US. Roland Rexha, its secretary treasurer, argued that significant safety improvements and standards were required across the global maritime sector following the collapse of the Baltimore bridge earlier this week. Six construction workers were declared to be dead following the disaster, which brought one of America’s busiest ports to a halt.

Federal officials told Maryland lawmakers that it could cost at least $2 billion to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by a malfunctioning freighter, a source familiar with discussions said. Read more...

The recovery mission near the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is now a salvage operation, Maryland State Police announced yesterday, after two bodies were recovered.  The mission shifted, police said, because it is no longer safe for divers to operate around the debris and concrete in the port.