Federal funding bill may aid Maine ports
File photo / Courtesy Maine Department of Transportation
A $1.4 trillion spending package approved by the U.S. House of Representatives includes $225 million for port improvements.
A transportation funding bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday and expected to pass the Senate on Thursday includes provisions that could benefit Maine's ports.
The bill, part of the $1.4 trillion appropriations package passed by lawmakers to prevent a government shutdown, provides $225 million to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of ports nationwide.
It also prioritizes small grant applications for Maine ports such as Portland, Eastport and Searsport.
“Maine’s seaports are utilized daily by businesses and customers across our state, helping to facilitate the sale of Maine products and creating jobs here in our state,” said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who chaired the negotiating committee that brokered the agreement between the House and the Senate for the Transportation and Housing appropriations bill.
“This funding ... will have a lasting impact on these economic engines along our coast," Collins said in a statement. "By helping to upgrade and improve the competitiveness of Maine’s ports, these investments will provide a boost for the entire state.”
Jon Nass, CEO of the Maine Port Authority, said that federal port infrastructure funding is critical to development maritime assets throughout the state, adding: "This type of grant funding secured by Sen. Collins in recent years has helped create and support ports across Maine’s coastline, stimulating its economy and making Maine competitive in a global economy."
He told Mainebiz in a recent interview that talks are continuing over opening a short-sea cargo shipping route between Maine and New York and New Jersey, and that a route could start "in a matter of months" if the negotiations are successful.
Eligible projects
Transportation projects eligible for the $225 million in new federal funding include road and rail connections, docks, wharves, piers and land-based structures.
Small grant applications, defined as those less than $10 million, are required to be prioritized for small ports, which will be beneficial to ports in Maine. Small grant applications are also eligible for a federal cost-share above 80%.
In Maine, the funding could be used to build infrastructure to support port growth and move freight more efficiently. Piers, warehouses, multi-modal connections and specialized infrastructure to handle new types of freight could all be supported under the approved grant program, according to Tuesday's announcement.
Collins has also asked the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Maritime Administration to provide technical assistance to Maine’s ports on developing grant applications to compete in the program.
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