Ports reveal unprecedented surge in harmful emissions; officials blame COVID-19 logjam
The ports of New York and New Jersey have been overwhelmed by a surge of traffic that will cost the state billions of dollars in lost cargo and damage to cargo businesses, according to officials.
The surge means that the ports are now the most crowded in U.S. history, and that New Jersey will have to spend millions of dollars on temporary shoring systems at the Garden State. It’s the second such shoring system ever implemented at the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Officials with the Port Authority and the Port of New York and New Jersey declined to offer an estimate of the cost of the shoring and other measures they are using, or to offer a prediction on when they might be able to get the system in place.
The situation is so dire that Gov. Tom Wolf is looking to send two additional ships to New Jersey to help with the situation.
The situation is so dire that Gov. Tom Wolf is looking to send two additional ships to New Jersey to help with the situation. The Port Authority has said it is working with the federal government to figure out how to get ships in as quickly as possible.
All this despite the fact that the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has made it impossible to clear the way for trucks and equipment moving goods to and from the ports.
“Ports are the lifeblood of every region in the United States,” said Peter W. Rodino, chief executive officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “In times of need, ports are at the core of our ability to help and support communities.”
The New York Times reported that the New Jersey ports are expected to be hit the hardest, due to heavy traffic from New York City, where at least 60,000 people have been infected.
The report said that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the federal government and individual port operators are scrambling to meet the needs of the ports.
The biggest concern is getting trucks into the ports for the crucial moving of goods into and out of