Everyone is still reeling from the terrible tragedy of losing six people and our iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge, and searching for every possible way we can help. We are sad. We are reminded of how fragile life really is.
The families of the victims come first, and we want them to know our hearts are broken from the pain they are feeling today. We are also grateful for the efforts of our first responders, some of whom are part of the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Our emergency team responds to any events involving hazardous chemicals, including collisions on the roadway involving freight vehicles, train derailments, and even this bridge collapse. I received the call at 2 a.m. on March 26 that you never want to receive.
Our crews are responsible for identifying, containing, and mitigating spills resulting from these events. It could be diesel fuel or oil from a truck, train or ship. It could be smoke from a fire, like the incident we had recently at an asphalt plant in Montgomery County.
In this case, one bit of good news is that the disaster at the Key Bridge has not resulted in any major environmental impact to our waterways. The cargo ship that struck the bridge contained hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel and oil that did not release into the water. There were hundreds of cargo containers, many of which contained hazardous chemicals, but none of the damage to the containers created a public health risk.
Now we begin the long path to recovery, and the Maryland Department of Environment is already working alongside every agency of state government to restore this vital transit and commerce route in a way that avoids destruction of our natural resources. We are Maryland tough and Baltimore strong. We will get through this together.
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