Ever Forward owner required to pay $676K to restore oyster habitats after container ship grounding

Matt Small | msmall@wtop.com
January 5, 2023, 12:33 PM

Maryland officials approved a measure Wednesday requiring the owner of the container ship Ever Forward to help restore natural oyster habitats as compensation for the effects of the vessel’s in the Chesapeake Bay last year.

The Maryland Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved a wetlands license that requires the shipping company Evergreen Marine Corporation to pay $676,200 for the seeding and enhancement of the bay’s oyster bars to mitigate the effects on the aquatic habitat caused by the container ship M/V Ever Forward’s grounding and refloating.

Ever Forward ran aground March 13 north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge while it was traveling from the Port of Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia. ... An emergency wetlands license was issued last year after the grounding to allow for dredging to refloat the vessel.

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Fourteen acres of Chesapeake Bay bottom, including 11.5 acres within the boundary of a natural oyster bar, were impacted by the grounding and dredging of the container ship, as detailed in a Maryland Department of Natural Resources report. ... Evergreen Marine will pay the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for its enhancement and reseeding of 41 acres of oyster bars to satisfy the mitigation requirement.

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Matt Small
Matt joined WTOP News at the start of 2020, after contributing to Washington’s top news outlet as an Associated Press journalist for nearly 18 years.

msmall@wtop.com