WASHINGTON, Oct 29, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - US President Joe Biden is expected to 
unveil a $3 billion investment towards port infrastructure Tuesday, the White 
House said, as he travels to the port of Baltimore a week before Election 
Day.

Biden's visit to the port, a key hub for the auto industry, comes as Vice 
President Kamala Harris -- the Democratic candidate in the election -- 
remains in a close race with Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The latest announcement involves $3 billion in grants funded by the Inflation 
Reduction Act, a major package of energy transition policy and social 
reforms.

The funds will go towards improving and electrifying port infrastructure, the 
White House said in a statement.

This involves supporting purchases of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered 
equipment, including those used to handle cargo, alongside charging and 
fueling infrastructure.

The full sum of grants goes to recipients across 27 states and territories, 
including $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration.

US ports hire more than 100,000 union workers across the country.

And as Election Day draws close, both Harris and Trump have been fighting to 
win over blue-collar workers, especially in swing states.

On Tuesday, the White House noted that "our nation's ports are a major source 
of pollution for workers and surrounding communities."

The grants announced Tuesday come under a "clean ports" program that 
authorities hope can improve air quality at the ports by installing "clean, 
zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated 
infrastructure."

The aim is to eliminate more than three million metric tons of carbon 
pollution over 10 years, the White House said.

The efforts align with the Biden-Harris administration's "goal for a zero-
emission freight sector."

Biden's visit also comes months after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key 
bridge in March, which closed ship traffic in and out of the port of 
Baltimore and killed six workers.

The White House said that the Biden-Harris administration "remains committed" 
to working with Baltimore and the state of Maryland to help with the city's 
long-term recovery.