County Executive James T. Smith Jr.
400 Washington Avenue
Old Courthouse Mezzanine
Towson, Maryland 21204
410-887-2450
E-mail Address: jimsmith@co.ba.md.us
Dear Friends of Baltimore County,
In the last four and a half years, few issues have been as heavy on the minds of Americans as domestic security and counter terrorism efforts. At the national level, a new department was created specifically to organize and oversee our security. Air travel is more securely monitored, as are visitors to the United States.
For local governments, our priority has been—and remains—training and equipping first responders to ensure that local law enforcement can be an effective deterrent and that our response to a disaster will be swift and efficient.
For the most part, this division of labor is working, and cooperation between jurisdictions and levels of government has been outstanding. But sometimes there are differences of opinion regarding the best way to secure our communities. Still, the people of Baltimore County can rest assured that county government is committed to working with our regional, state and federal partners to resolve those differences and keep Baltimore County safe.
I am sure that many of you are familiar with the proposed takeover of operations at the Port of Baltimore by a company owned by a foreign government. As you have likely seen in news reports, many members of Congress and nearly every state and local elected official have voiced serious concerns about the wisdom of this decision. The Port of Baltimore is a vital economic asset to the entire region, a potential target for terrorism and a place where people who wish to do Americans harm could bring weapons into the country.
The security of the port is essential for the security of our communities, and I don’t believe it serves our interests to have a foreign government control operations at the port. As our Congressional delegation takes on this issue in Washington, I have pledged to join the Mayor of Baltimore and the Governor in offering whatever support we have to give.
The second significant security issue for Baltimore County is a proposal for a new liquified natural gas terminal at Sparrows Point. On Monday, February 27, I stood with members of the Baltimore County Council to express our opposition to this proposed facility.
LNG may be an excellent fuel source, but it brings with it safety, security, and environmental concerns. The public safety of our communities and waterways is the most important function of government, and the protection of the environment is our legacy.
Numerous reports indicate that LNG can be highly flammable. We know for a fact that an explosion in Algeria in 2004 was responsible for the death of 27 people and is reported to have shattered windows as far as five miles away. In the post 9/11 world it is impossible to talk about an LNG facility without thinking of a potential terrorist attack. Former United States Counter Terrorism official Richard Clarke has indicated that LNG terminals and tankers present “especially attractive targets” to terrorists. We can’t dismiss that kind of analysis.
To bring almost daily shipments of liquefied natural gas up the Chesapeake Bay, under the Bay bridges, into one of the busiest ports in the United States and into a major population center raises serious questions. It is counter intuitive to believe that a major LNG facility at Sparrows Point, or anywhere near population centers, can be done without creating a new and significant threat to public and environmental safety.
The location of an LNG facility also raises serious concerns regarding the ability of a major new terminal facility to attract high value cargo, and it would impact other shipping operations. Other harbor shipping, which is confined to specific channels, and the thousands of recreational boaters traveling to and from the Inner Harbor and our many marinas could also be affected.
In both of these cases, I am committed to using every available course of action to best protect the environment, homes and lives of Baltimore County citizens. I know that other elected officials have the best interests of our communities at heart, and I am confident that we can work together and find solutions to new and emerging security challenges.
James T. Smith, Jr.
Baltimore County Executive
Revised February 27, 2006
Courthouse 