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April, 2008

NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Ship brings windmill blades
to Port of Olympia terminal

OLYMPIA — The INDUSTRIAL DESTINY arrived at the Port of Olympia April 22, 2008, to discharge a cargo of windmill blades destined for wind energy projects in the western U. S. This is the fourth wind energy vessel to call in Olympia since May 2006, and the port anticipates additional shipments later this year. Crews worked about three shifts to unload the vessel, including one night shift. The vessel was in port about three days. The vessel discharged about 150 two-part sets of windmill blades manufactured in Brazil for GE Wind Energy that is supplying them to various wind energy projects in Oregon, South Dakota and Wyoming.
The blades are about 125 feet long and weigh on average about 35,000 pounds each. They will be stored at the port for 30-45 days prior to being loaded on trucks for shipment. The vessel was built in 2006 in Portugal and is registered in Antigua and Barbuda. It was chartered for this cargo by General Electric.


WSDOT changing gears
on choice of new ferries

OLYMPIA — Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has announced that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will move forward with construction of two 64-car Island Home style vessels and will not build a smaller 50-car vessel. WSDOT no longer plans to build a 50-car Steilacoom II style vessel, which was originally intended to fill the gap in service until the two Island Homes were built. Instead, WSDOT reached agreement with Pierce County to extend the lease on one of the county’s ferries until new vessels can be built for the route. The STEILACOOM II will return to Pierce County in September 2008 and its sister ship, the 50-car CHRISTINE ANDERSON, will serve the Port Townsend/Keystone route until the first new Island Home style ferry is ready for service in spring 2010.


Port Seattle joins HAL
in community-giving program

SEATTLE — Holland America Line and the Port of Seattle have announced Ship to Shelter, an innovative new community-giving program that is the first of its kind in the nation. Holland America Line will collect valuable and reusable goods from their ships sailing from Seattle this summer, and donate them to Seattle area charities serving people in need. The Port of Seattle, partnering with United States Customs and Border Protection, Cruise Terminals of America and Northwest Harvest, will work with the Seattle-based cruise line to donate items from the ships weekly and the goods will be distributed to shelters and homeless programs throughout Washington State. In addition to the weekly donations of individual-sized toiletries, Holland America Line will periodically provide items such as towels, linens, dishes, cookware, silverware, televisions and mattresses.


Panama Canal Authority
extends pact with VPA

PANAMA CITY — In a strategic move, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) have reaffirmed an alliance that will help to increase growth and trade, facilitate the flow of information sharing and promote the “All-Water-Route” (the route from Asia to the U.S. East Coast via the Panama Canal). During an official ceremony in Panama, ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta and VPA Executive Director Jerry A. Bridges solidified their partnership by signing another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement further enforces the alliance between the canal and the port authority, first initiated in June 2003. Sharing information and best practices related to modernization and improvement are key benefits of this agreement. Both the ACP and the VPA continue to implement measures to increase capacity and spur growth. Expansion will build a new lane of traffic along the Panama Canal through the construction of a new set of locks, which will double capacity and allow more traffic and longer, wider ships.


APL earns AFSCA award
as top Transpacific carrier

SINGAPORE — Global container shipping line APL, has been named Best Transpacific Shipping Line at the 22nd Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (AFSCAs). The AFSCAs are annual event organised by Hong Kong-based shipping and supply chain newspaper Cargonews Asia. More than 12,200 readers of the paper were polled to select best-in-class companies in 42 categories. Award winners are regarded as industry benchmarks of excellence. APL received the award at gala ceremony in Singapore attended by several hundred industry figures. APL also collected the award for Best Shipping Alliance on behalf of the New World Alliance, which also includes Mitsui OSK Lines and Hyundai Merchant Marine. APL and its sister company APL Logistics were also top-three finalists in seven other award categories.


NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 28, 2008

Department of Transportation
awards grants to small shipyards

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has announced $9.8 million in grants to 19 small shipyards in the United States. The grants are part of the new Assistance to Small Shipyards program, set up under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. The purpose of the grants is to make capital and infrastructure improvements that facilitate the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality of domestic ship construction, conversion or repair for commercial and federal government use. The grants cover a maximum of 75percent of the estimated cost of improvements. The companies are responsible for the remainder. Some recipients, amounts, and purposes of grants are as follows:
Alaska Ship and Drydock of Ketchikan, Alaska, was awarded $615,805 to upgrade its metal equipment, machine shop, and painting equipment.
All American Marine, Inc., of Bellingham, Washington, was awarded $285,000 for the acquisition of metal cutting machinery and boat transfer equipment.
Everett Shipyard, Inc., of Everett, Washington, was awarded $297,036 for work stations and an overhead crane.
Safe Boats of Port Orchard, Washington, was awarded $579,084 for the acquisition and installation of router tables, information technology system upgrades and other machinery and equipment.
Todd Shipyards Corporation of Seattle, Washington, was awarded $358,515 to enlarge and renovate their main assembly building.


Unknown substance causes stir
at Coos Bay Coast Guard station

COOS BAY — A bag containing a strange substance caused a stir last week, at Coast Guard Station Coos Bay. A man in his late 50s to early 60s brought the bag to the station at approximately 4 p.m. saying he found it on a nearby beach. He then departed leaving four crewmembers to discover a white, powdery substance and strips of wrapping material covered in an unknown language. Local HAZMAT and emergency services were called and the four members were quarantined to the station. A decontamination zone was erected by the HAZMAT team upon their arrival and the four Coast Guard members were cleaned off, checked by medical personnel and allowed to leave the area after the substance was identified as some sort of cloth. The writing on the wrapping material was determined to be unintelligible gibberish and not a real language. Station Coos Bay remained operational during the entire ordeal with a smallboat crew ready to respond to any maritime emergency reported to the command center in North Bend, Ore. Station Coos Bay is located in the seventh largest port on the West Coast. The bar, when breaking, is narrow and dangerous, but is a short transit before entering the sheltered area of the jetties. The port accommodates large bulk carriers and Charleston hosts a large commercial fishing fleet. Station Coos Bay conducts search and rescue operations from the Coos River to Cape Blanco.


Steel imports up
during month of March

WASHINGTON, DC — The International Trade Administration reports that preliminary data show that overall steel imports in March 2008 increased 1.2 percent from February 2008. The marginal change in March’s total amount of steel imports was due to an decrease in some goods, such as blooms billets and slabs (-19 percent) and hot rolled sheet (-24 percent) and an increase in other goods such as oil country goods (48 percent) and plates in coils (32 percent). There was a notable 69 percent increase in standard pipe. Similarly, stainless imports increased 1.11 percent resulting from mixed increases and decreases in individual stainless products. February 2008 imports of steel mill products were down 17.4 percent compared to February 2007.


New carrier mix forms service
calling South/North America

SEOUL — Hanjin Shipping has announced the launch of the new SNA (South and North America) service with K-Line, Yang Ming and CSAV effective from end of April. Replacing the current NSA (New South America) service, which is operated by Hanjin Shipping, K-Line, Yang Ming and Hyundai Merchant Marine with four 1,800TEU class ships, the new SNA service will be jointly operated by a new line of partners including Hanjin Shipping, K-Line, Yang Ming and CSAV with five 2,500TEU class vessels covering even wider range of ports in South America East Coast and the U.S. East Coast. SNA (South North America) Service Port Rotation: New York – Baltimore – Norfolk – Charleston – Sao Francisco – Santos – Rio de Janeiro – Salvador - Puerto Cabello – New York * HJS, KKL, YML not calling Puerto Cabello


Torm announces sale
of bulk vessel TORM MARLENE

HELLERUP, Denmark — TORM has entered into an agreement to sell the Panamax bulk carrier TORM MARLENE (built in 1997). The vessel has been sold for a total consideration of USD 70 million and is expected to be delivered in May 2008.As a result of the sale, TORM adjusts the guidance for the 2008 result before tax to USD 250-270 million from the previous forecast of USD 210-230 million. The sale of the vessel is a consequence of the company's strategy "Greater Earning Power 2.0" according to which older vessels are sold as part of the planned fleet renewal in the Bulk Division. Following the sale of the vessel, TORM's owned fleet consists of 56 product tankers and six dry bulk vessels.


NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 25, 2008

Crowley marks christening
of new Alaska tug VIGILANT

HOMER, AK — Crowley Maritime Corporation's Z-Drive tugboat VIGILANT, providing an added measure of safety and environmental protection for tankers entering and leaving the Tesoro Alaska Company's Nikiski refinery in Cook Inlet, was christened on April 23, in Homer, Alaska. During the afternoon ceremony, Dori Hansen, wife of Steve Hansen, the manager of Tesoro's Kenai, Alaska refinery, christened the VIGILANT. More than 60 people, including five Alaska state representatives, attended the celebration. Crowley's contract services business in Cook Inlet chartered the tug from BayDelta Maritime, Inc. Built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Inc., in Langley, Wash., the VIGILANT is the second tug acquired by Crowley in the last year for use in its Pacific Northwest and Alaska operations. While the VIGILANT looks very similar to its sister tug VALOR, which Crowley acquired last year, the 100-foot boat has been modified for use in the harsh Alaskan waters. The hull was strengthened for use in ice, and boasts a 3/8-inch belt of steel along the hull, which adds 80 additional tons of steel to the boat. The vessel's decks are also heated, along with some of the tanks, for added protection and improved winter operation. The VIGILANT also boasts several other noteworthy features including 6770 horsepower engines, a bollard pull in excess of 90 tons, and a speed of 14 knots. The horsepower ratings are among the highest among Z-drive tugs, with 92 metric tons forward and 90.5 metric tons astern.


ATA truck tonnage index
falls during month of March

ARLINGTON, VA — The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 3.3 percent in March 2008, after remaining unchanged in February. The not seasonally adjusted index increased 3.8 percent from February to 113.2. The seasonally adjusted tonnage index equaled 113.4 (2000 = 100) in March, its lowest level since November 2007. Additionally, tonnage contracted 0.2 percent compared with March 2007, marking the first year-over-year decrease in the index since October 2007. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the latest tonnage reading was a significant setback. "I’ve been concerned that the recent run-up in tonnage might not be sustainable, and clearly March’s figures confirmed that apprehension," he said. The 3.3 percent drop was the largest month-to-month contraction since August 2006. ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around the 10th day of the month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons, and key financial indicators.


Intermodal count leads way
to mixed week for rail freight

WASHINGTON, DC — Intermodal volume was up while carload freight was down during the week ended April 12 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports. Carload freight in the week ended April 12 totaled 329,508 cars, down 2.9 percent from last year. Volume was down 0.4 percent in the West 6.1 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 227,366 trailers or containers, up 1.9 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was up 3.6 percent, while container volume gained 1.5 percent. Total volume was estimated at 34.2 billion ton-miles, down 1.4 percent from the 15th week of 2007. Among the five carload commodity groups registering gains from last year were grain, up 15.1 percent; metals, up 4.2 percent; and food and food products, up 2.8 percent. Fourteen carload commodity groups declined from last year, with lumber and wood products off 18.9 percent, metallic ores down 18.8 percent and motor vehicles off 15.3 percent. Cumulative volume for the first 15 weeks of 2008 totaled 4,832,845 carloads, up 1.0 percent from 2007; 3,263,070 trailers or containers, down 3.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 500.0 billion ton-miles, up 2.2 percent from last year.


Coast Guard Cutter STEADFAST
returns to homeport in Astoria

PORTLAND — The United States Coast Guard Cutter STEADFAST (WMEC 623) returned to its homeport of Astoria, earlier this month from a successful 52-day deployment. The 210' cutter and its 75-person crew conducted Living Marine Resource enforcement off the Washington and Oregon coast. During the patrol, STEADFAST conducted at-sea boardings of 30 commercial fishing vessels, enforcing the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act and federal law. STEADFAST also assisted in the enforcement of state fisheries regulations. STEADFAST is a Reliance Class cutter, one of 14 in the Coast Guard fleet and one of only three based on the West Coast. It was commissioned in 1968 and has been home ported in Astoria since January 1994. The cutter earned the nickname "El Tiburon Blanco," or "White Shark" from drug smugglers while based in St. Petersburg, Fla., for its notoriously effective law enforcement operations in the Caribbean. It was the first cutter to be awarded the gold marijuana leaf, indicating one million pounds of marijuana seized.


Cargill completes expansion
of Wroclaw, Poland wheat facility

COBHAM, UK — Cargill has expanded its wheat processing facility in Wroclaw, Poland, with the addition of a flour mill and development of its existing ethanol line. The expansion represents a total investment of US$35 million. The expansion, the first since the plant was built in 1996, allows Cargill to grind wheat on-site, which will then be used to produce sweeteners such as glucose and fructose, as well as vital wheat gluten for the food and animal feed industry. Meanwhile the ethanol line expansion will increase existing production, while allowing room for further expansion in the future. Cargill established its operations in Poland in 1991 and now has nearly 800 employees in 10 locations in the country.


NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 24, 2008

Seattle Port Commission
Oks Sea-Tac recycling program

SEATTLE — The Port of Seattle Commission has approved the design of an incentive recycling program for off-aircraft trash by partnering with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport airlines, thus reducing waste sent to landfills and saving over $250,000 each year. With an estimated 40 percent of off-aircraft waste identified as recyclable, the Port of Seattle is leading the way nationally to expand the airport's recycling program. The new centralized trash handling and recycling method will expand current Sea-Tac efforts to the airfield, where trash comes directly off aircraft. In addition to cost savings, the program will improve ramp safety, decrease air emissions and fuel consumption. Several airlines at Sea-Tac, including Alaska Air Group, have recently announced plans to participate in the off-aircraft recycling campaign. The project is expected to reduce the overall operating costs of the airlines and provide a more efficient and effective waste handling system compared to the current manually operated open-top dumpsters. Closed compactors with automatic doors prevent birds and rodents from extracting foreign objects that can be scattered across the ramp, reducing the risk of ingestion into aircraft engines.


Corps seeking public comment
on Coos Bay jetty improvements

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking comments on a draft Environmental Assessment for interim repairs to the north jetty at Coos Bay, Ore. Three damaged areas on the north jetty are in need of repairs to strengthen the jetty structure and extend its functional life. Last December’s storms impacted the jetty to the extent that jetty failure could occur by next year. The proposed action will prevent jetty failure, which, if it occurred, would have a substantial impact on marine use of the area. The major impacts of a jetty failure would be as a result of sediment moving into the navigation channel and blocking commercial
navigation travel as well as recreational use of the channel. The project’s pre-solicitation information is available to interested contractors at https://www.fbo.gov/. Search for solicitation number W9127N-08-B-0005 to access the synopsis and project details. The draft Environmental Assessment addressing the impacts associated with this project has recently been updated with information regarding the closure of a parking area on the North Spit beginning Aug. 21, and the closure of Foredune Road from Sept. 16 until completion of the project, or March 15, whichever is sooner. Due to these changes, the initial 30-day comment period that began March 24 has been extended by 15 days to May 8. In addition to this public review process, the Corps will hold a public information meeting in Coos Bay prior to construction. The draft EA is available for public review and comment on the Corps’ Environmental Resources Branch website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/en_plan_assess.asp. Questions or comments regarding the environmental documents should be directed to Wendy Briner,
Environmental Resources Branch, (503) 808-4781, or at the address below. Comments on this notice must be mailed by Thursday, May 8 to:
District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Portland
Attn: CENWP-PM-E
P.O. Box 2946
Portland, Oregon 97208-2946
In your response, please refer to the public notice number, title and date, which are CENWP-PM-E-08-02, Coos Bay North Jetty Interim Repair, March 24, 2008.


WSF deputy director
announces plans to resign

SEATTLE — WSDOT Ferries Division Assistant Secretary David Moseley has announced the resignation of his second in command, Traci Brewer-Rogstad. Ms. Brewer-Rogstad rose through the ranks at the ferry system and has served the past two years as deputy director and chief of staff. “Traci has been a real super-star at the ferry system during her tenure,” noted Mr. Moseley, “and she has helped me immensely during my first few months on the job. Traci is the kind of leader who sets a standard by which we all hold ourselves to, and she will be missed.” As Deputy Director, Ms. Brewer-Rogstad has had overall responsibility for maintaining and ensuring a safe and reliable level of service for the nation’s largest ferry system. Other positions she held at ferries since she first began in 1997 are: director of operations; assistant director of operations; regional manager; and area terminal manager. “It has been a great decade during intense and ongoing change. I am very proud of the fact that I served as second in command during some of the greatest challenges facing the ferry system. It is a good time for me to transfer my watch to others and I look forward to a new chapter in my life. I wish my colleagues at the ferries all the best,” said Ms. Brewer-Rogstad.


NZS partner carriers plan
upgrade of Australia/New Zealand run

TOKYO — Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced that NZS partners MISC Bhd., MOL, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), and Pacific International Lines Ltd. (PIL) will combine the current NZM and NZS services into a single loop, NZX. The upgrade is designed to offer higher quality service with coverage of five ports in New Zealand plus Brisbane, Australia. The service is slated to begin with a vessel departure from Singapore on June 2. The service will be operated with five 2,800 TEU vessels (two from PIL and one each from MOL, NYK, and OOCL). The new rotation includes fixed-day weekly port calls at Singapore - Port Kelang - Brisbane - Auckland - Lyttelton - Wellington - Napier - Tauranga - Brisbane - Singapore. MISC will retain its participation in this service.


Port of Tacoma places
2007 Annual Report online

TACOMA — Documenting a year of investment and planning for the future, the Port of Tacoma has published its 2007 Annual Report. The 2007 Annual Report focuses on the people of the port and their connections to customers and the Tacoma-Pierce County community. In addition, the Annual Report details the following:
Vision of the port's growth plans;
Stewardship of the environment;
Vitality gained through cargo diversity;
Partnerships with customers and stakeholders;
Teamwork with the community that supports the port's business; and
Integrity of the port's financial planning.
To view and read the Port of Tacoma 2007 Annual Report online, click www.portoftacoma.com.
After viewing the 2007 Annual Report online, readers are encouraged take a few minutes to complete a short survey for the opportunity to win a $50 gift certificate at the Port Pavilion online store. Subscriptions to port publications, such as the annual report and the Pacific Gateway magazine, are free of charge. To subscribe, please click www.portoftacoma.com.


NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Agreements inked in Tacoma
for Blair Waterway marine terminal

TACOMA — At a special Port of Tacoma Commission meeting April 22, officials representing the Port of Tacoma Commission, SSA Containers Inc., the Puyallup Tribal Council and Marine View Ventures (MVV), the economic development arm of the Puyallup Tribe, signed four key agreements that focus on cooperation and coordination of marine terminal developments on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula. Following port commission approval, Port of Tacoma Commission President Dick Marzano, Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Herman Dillon, SSA Containers President Ed DeNike, MVV Chief Executive Officer Chad Wright and Port of Tacoma Executive Director Timothy J. Farrell signed the agreements that will focus on redeveloping industrial lands for marine terminal use along the 2.65-mile (4.3-kilometer), deep-water Blair Waterway.


Winter Olympics shipments
coming through Port of Vancouver, USA

VANCOUVER, USA — Vancouver, B.C. might be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, but Vancouver, Wash. (USA) plays a key role in making a part of the Olympic construction happen. The Port of Vancouver USA, which owns the largest mobile harbor crane in North America, will discharge critical elements of the record-breaking sized ski lift at Whistler Resort because of the port’s mobile harbor crane’s capacity and ability. Included among the cargo that will transit the Atlantic Ocean from the Swiss factory in which it was manufactured to the Port of Vancouver USA are four spools of cable that each weigh more than 100 metric tons, and one smaller spool of cable. Omnitrans of New York is working with its European partner General Transport in arrangements of the entire move. The two partners have coordinated the logistics from collection at the factory through delivery to the job site. Logistics include the barge move from the factory down the Rhine River to Vlissengen; the overseas move on the Star Indiana to Vancouver USA; the port’s movement on to rail cars; the rail move to Canada; the move from rail to truck; and the move from the rail yard to the job site at Whistler. The finished product will connect the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, and will be the longest free-span lift in the world. It will also be recorded as the world’s highest detachable lift and the only gondola of its kind on the continent.


China Shipping Lines boosting
container service at Port of Seattle

SEATTLE — The Port of Seattle has announced that China Shipping Lines will expand its Seattle container service, calling at the port’s newly reconfigured Terminal 30 beginning in the spring of 2009. China Shipping currently calls at Terminal 18 under an agreement with SSA Terminals. Under the terms of the new agreement, China Shipping Terminals (USA) will be an equity partner with SSAT Terminals (Seattle) which will lease and operate the renovated container terminal.
China Shipping began calling at the port in 1999. China Shipping Lines’ current volumes total over 97,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) into the Port of Seattle each year. CSCL, the shipping line’s North America operation, was given the Shipping Line of the Year Award by Lloyd’s Loading List for 2006, underscoring the respect the company enjoys among its peers.


AAPA schedules seminar
in Panama City, Panama

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Since its opening 94 years ago, the Panama Canal has contributed significantly to increasing world trade. In preparation for a third set of locks that will double the capacity of the canal by 2014, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) will host its biennial Harbors, Navigation and Environment (HN&E) seminar in Panama City, Panama, May 20-22. Alberto Alemán Zubieta, the Panama Canal Authority's administrator, will deliver the seminar's keynote address, "Economic impact of the Panama Canal expansion to Panama, Latin America and the Western Hemisphere," following opening remarks by AAPA President & CEO Kurt Nagle and HN&E Chairman Sebastian Degens.More information about AAPA's Harbors, Navigation and Environment seminar is available at www.aapa-ports.org (click on the "Programs & Events" tab) or by calling AAPA's Meredith Martino at 703-706-4718.


Trailer Bridge supporting
IMO vessel air emissions scheme

JACKSONVILLE, FL — Trailer Bridge, Inc. commemorated Earth Day by expressing its full support for the recent recommendations by the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) aimed at improving vessel air emissions through the use of cleaner fuel. With a regulatory framework now beginning to form on how to best address vessel emissions, the company is focused on educating shippers on the less harmful effects of cleaner fuel like the distillate fuel used all the time in Trailer Bridge’s vessels. Trailer Bridge also announced that it has been notified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that it found no conflicting marks related to the company’s application to trademark “Breathe Easy”. Trailer Bridge believes that a trademark related to its application will be issued by mid-year 2008. The “Breathe Easy” term is used to recognize and award customers with certificates that disclose the amount and percentage reduction in particulate matter emissions that can be associated with their shipments with Trailer Bridge. On April 4, 2008, the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) approved far reaching new standards that it hopes will sharply reduce vessel particulate matter and sulfur oxide emissions. Vessels represent a disproportionate share of those emissions, sometimes even a majority, in many coastal areas around the world due to the heavy residual fuel presently used by most vessels. The IMO has come out with a new single long-term global standard calling for no more than 0.5 percent sulfur content for all vessel fuel by 2020, a dramatic reduction from the current 4.5 percent IMO standard. In Emission Control Areas (ECAs), IMO has called for no more than 1.0 percent sulfur content by 2010, reducing to 0.1 percent by 2015.


NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 21, 2008

Port of Newport applies
for Marine board grant

BELLINGHAM — The Port of Newport has applied for a grant from the Oregon State Marine Board to replace the existing marine sewage pump out system at the South Beach Marina. the project, when complete, will relocate the pump out facility to a more convenient location for boaters and provide easier access and help reduce maintenance and repair costs. The grant application is for $87,300 with an non-cash match of $11,822 by the port.


Customs officials discover
harmful pests in Seattle shipment

SEATTLE — Three potentially destructive pest species were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists recently on the Seattle waterfront. Several ocean containers arriving from China were targeted by CBP for an intensive agriculture examination for potential foreign pests, specifically wood-boring insects. These insects, most notably the Asian Long horned Beetle, have frequently been intercepted in ocean cargo from Asia imported into Seattle. The shipments, destined for an auto glass importer in Cleveland, were offloaded from the vessel Hanjin London at Seattle’s Pier 46 and examined on March 24th at a container examination station. Three different types of insect larvae were discovered in the three shipments and identified by USDA as bark beetles (Scolytidae), long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) and wood wasps (Siricidae). All three species can pose a significant threat to hardwood trees in the U.S. The long-horned beetle has the potential to cause more damage than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight and the gypsy moth combined if established in the U.S. All three shipments were denied entry into the U.S. and ordered for immediate export.


New Coat Guard cutter
completes acceptance trials

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Coast Guard's first National Security Cutter, BERTHOLF, completed five days of acceptance trials in Pascagoula, Miss., April 11, 2008. Acceptance trials culminate many months of preliminary tests and evaluations before a new ship can be delivered to the government by its contractors. The U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) said, "(BERTHOLF) was found to be a unique and very capable platform with great potential for future service...Board recommends the USCG Commandant authorize acceptance, provided all (8) starred deficiencies are corrected or waived..." More than 80 representatives of INSURV tested shipboard equipment, assessed the quality of BERTHOLF's construction, and evaluated the cutter's compliance with contractual specifications m and requirements established by the Coast Guard. The 418-foot BERTHOLF is the lead ship in the new Legend-class of cutters designed to be the flagship of the U.S. Coast Guard's more modern fleet. Capable of executing the most challenging maritime safety and security missions around the globe, BERTHOLF is the first of eight national security cutters planned to be built under the Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program. BERTHOLF was christened on Veteran's Day in 2006 and is named after Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf, the first commandant of the modern-day Coast Guard.


New captain for Cal Maritime's
GOLDEN BEAR training ship

VALLEJO, CA — Captain Harry Bolton, a 1978 deck-officer graduate of the California Maritime Academy, has accepted the position of master of the University’s 500-foot Training Ship GOLDEN BEAR. He assumes the position from Commodore John Keever, who recently retired as the school’s vice president for Marine Programs. He will join the University in May and assume command of GOLDEN BEAR for the first time when the vessel calls Tahiti at the mid-point of its first of two two-month 2008 training voyages to the Southern Pacific. Captain Bolton has over three decades of maritime experience and 21 years in vessel command, having worked through the American Maritime Officers (AMO) organization and for companies including Bay Tankers, and General Dynamics/American Overseas Marine. In the latter position, he served for nearly two decades as master of a U.S. Maritime Preposition Ship, home-ported in the Western Pacific and the Middle East to deliver humanitarian assistance and support for the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars.


US executive pleads guilty
to fixing marine hose prices

WASHINGTON, DC — A former U.S. executive of Manuli Rubber Industries SpA, a Milan, Italy-based marine hose manufacturer, has agreed to plead guilty and serve jail time for participating in a conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices and allocate market shares of marine hose in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced. A one-count felony charge was filed today in U.S. District Court in Houston against Charles J. Gillespie. Gillespie is a former regional manager responsible for the sale of marine hose of Manuli Rubber Industries SpA's U.S. operations based in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. area. Under the terms of his plea agreement, which is subject to court approval, Gillespie has agreed to serve 12 months and one day in jail, pay a $20,000 criminal fine and cooperate fully in the Department's ongoing investigation.


NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 18, 2008

Horizon Lines confirms
Puerto Rico investigation

BELLINGHAM — Horizon Lines, Inc has confirmed federal agents have served search warrants and a grand jury subpoena relating to an investigation of pricing practices of ocean carriers operating in the Puerto Rico trade. Horizon Lines says it is cooperating fully with the government officials. The company has not been informed of the specific subject matter of the inquiry, being conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. Horizon Lines does not expect the government inquiry to impact the service levels provided to its customers.


TSA member carriers
inking new contracts

OAKLAND — The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) says that Transpacific container lines say they are now seeing the first wave of service contracts signed by U.S. importers of Asian goods, in what has been by most accounts a relatively slow contracting season. TSA carriers report that initial contract signings in recent weeks have included significant rate increases, as well as staged increases in bunker surcharges to bring them closer to full TSA formula levels, and provisions allowing for monthly surcharge adjustments to match marine fuel price movements on world markets. Individual carriers have begun to advise customers that rate and surcharge provisions in current contracts are not sustainable, making it impossible to extend contracts beyond their April 30 expiry dates in order to complete negotiations or allow for additional shipments. In those cases, cargo tendered by customers on or after May 1 will begin moving at tariff rate levels. Shipping lines remain convinced of the need for meaningful revenue improvement, and substantial fuel cost recovery through a full, floating bunker fuel surcharge adjusted monthly with fluctuations in world fuel prices.


US rail freight traffic
posts gains during week

WASHINGTON, DC — Thanks to gains in carload freight total freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the first week of April was up in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports. Carload freight in the week ended April 5 totaled 330,371 cars, up 3.6 percent from last year. Volume was up 7.5 percent in the West but down 1.3 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 216,609 trailers or containers, down 1.1 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume edged up 0.7 percent, while container volume declined 1.6 percent. Total volume was estimated at 34.3 billion ton-miles, up 4.6 percent from the 14th week of 2007. Eleven of 19 carload commodities registered gains from a year ago with grain climbing 27.1 percent, food and kindred products gaining 19.8 percent and metallic ores rising 10.8 percent. On the negative side, motor vehicles and equipment fell 18.5 percent; primary forest products fell 17.9 percent; and lumber and wood products dropped 15.8 percent. Cumulative volume for the first 14 weeks of 2008 totaled 4,503,337 carloads, up 1.3 percent from 2007; 3,035,704 trailers or containers, down 3.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 465.8 billion ton-miles, up 2.5 percent from last year.


CKYH members meet
to discuss future goals

TOKYO — CKYH (COSCON, K-Line, Yang Ming, and Hanjin Shipping) Alliance announced that they held the 2008 Summit Meeting on April 9th, 2008 in Okinawa, Japan. The summit was attended by the senior management staff of each line. The alliance stated that the major goal of the 2008 CKYH Summit Meeting was to strengthen the cooperation among the alliance partners in order to enhance service competitiveness and improve customer service on the East and West trades and also to enlarge service coverage. In order to overcome the current challenges in the shipping industry, such as the unprecedented escalation of bunker and operation costs, the CKYH Alliance partners agreed to proceed various strategies; rationalization of services in the Trans-Pacific and European trades, development of regional feeder network, cooperation of terminals and chassis, etc. Furthermore, in recognition of the importance of global environment, CKYH Alliance also agreed to make efforts to protect the environment by reducing bunker consumption through service rationalization, minimizing the emission of CO2 through vessel speed control and by using environmentally-friendly equipment for both vessel and terminal operations.


New safety rules going online
for hazmat shipments by rail

WASHINGTON, DC — Railroads will be required to route every train carrying the most toxic and dangerous hazardous materials on the safest and most secure route under a new federal rule announced by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters. The secretary explained that beginning June 1, the rule requires railroads to conduct a comprehensive safety and security risk analysis of its primary route and any practicable alternative routes over which it has authority to operate. The analysis must consider information provided by local communities and a minimum of 27 risk factors like trip length, volume and type of hazmat being moved, existing safety measures along the route, and population density, she said. Railroads must implement their routing decisions based on these analyses by September 2009. In addition, the rule includes several rail security provisions designed to guard against tampering with the rail hazmat car during transportation, the Secretary said.


NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 17, 2008

Allegiant Air adding flights
at Bellingham International Airport

BELLINGHAM — Low-cost airline Allegiant Air, LLC, has announced new, nonstop jet service to the California coast from Bellingham International Airport for the summer. The new seasonal service will begin with low-fare flights to San Francisco June 6 and to San Diego June 12. This announcement comes after Allegiant's recent launch of a new base in Bellingham March 1. The airline now bases two 150-seat, MD-80 series jet aircraft at the airport and employs more than 80 team members to support the operation. With the addition of service to both San Diego and San Francisco, the carrier now provides nonstop service to a total of six destinations including Phoenix-Mesa, Reno-Tahoe, Nev., Palm Springs, Calif. and Las Vegas. Allegiant began service to Bellingham with low-cost flights to Las Vegas Aug. 5, 2004.


Crowley's West Coast tugs
using ultra low sulfur diesel

SEATTLE — With ultra low sulfur diesel fuel now being offered by Rainier Petroleum in Puget Sound, Crowley Maritime Corporation announced that its entire fleet of West Coast harbor tugboats is now utilizing the more environmentally friendly fuel. Ultra low sulfur diesel, while about four cents more per gallon than regular diesel, has a much lower sulfur content (less than 15 parts per million [ppm]), as compared to the 500 ppm diesel previously available. The reduction in sulfur content should result in an approximate 16 percent reduction in particulate matter emitted out the stacks of the tugs. Crowley's switch to ultra low sulfur diesel is a component of its Safety, Quality & Environmental (SQE) certification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Having achieved its environmental
certification in late 2007, Crowley is one of the few tug companies to be fully SQE certified.


NASSCO lays keel
for newest T-AKE ship

SAN DIEGO — General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has laid the keel for USNS WALLY SCHIRRA, the eighth dry cargo-ammunition ship in the U.S. Navy's T-AKE program. Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter recently named the ship in honor of the late Navy captain and original NASA pioneer. The WALLY SCHIRRA is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the third quarter of 2009. On April 21, NASSCO will begin construction of the ninth ship of the Lewis and Clark (T-AKE) class. The ship will be named later and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the first quarter of 2010.


Mitsui inks deal
for new LPG carriers

TOKYO — Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced that MOL has signed a time charter agreement with Gulf LPG Transport Company W.L.L. (Gulf LPG) of Qatar for the first, in a series of four Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) carriers currently being built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries yard in South Korea. the BU SIDRA (82,000m3) was delivered to Gulf LPG earlier this month. The second vessel, the UMM LAQHAB(82,000m3) will be delivered in July of this year and will also be chartered to MOL, with the third and fourth vessels due in late 2008 and early 2009 respectively, being run under a joint operating venture between the companies. Gulf LPG is a jointly established limited liability company in Qatar between Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (NAKILAT) and Qatar Shipping Company (Q-ship).


Panama Canal web site
back on line with upgrades

PANAMA CITY — Accessing information on the new Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Web site, www.pancanal.com, is now easier than ever. The ACP officially re-launched its site which features a new design, new content and even more interactivity. The new Web site provides faster navigation and allows users to track the Canal’s historic expansion. With portals for students and researchers, press, the maritime industry, clients and the general public, www.pancanal.com hosts content dating from the waterway’s initial construction period to recent projects and the latest updates on the Expansion Program. The expansion section has been revamped with detailed information on the project, its progress and bidding opportunities, as well as a live Web cam that features one of the excavation sites. Potential contractors and suppliers will easily find information on upcoming tenders and online bids. Watch a ship passing through the Miraflores Locks or check out the latest pictures, videos or animations in www.pancanal.com’s extensive multimedia section. Users can read up-to-date news and releases and have the option of subscribing to a Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feed for automatic news updates. Visitors also can access the ACP’s most recent financial information and annual reports, content about the ACP, its maritime operations, human resources department and facts on Panama.


NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Corps eyes mitigation land changes
for Columbia River channel project

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has considered a new proposal presented by the Colf family regarding the acquisition of land in Woodland, Wash. for mitigation as part of the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project. During a meeting earlier this week, the Corps and the four Washington port sponsors reviewed the proposal presented by the Colf family on April 3, and explained what was allowable based on the public laws that each entity is bound by.
The Colf family was presented the updated appraisal for their 447-acre Martin Island property. This appraised amount could be met with cash and/or exchanged for a parcel purchased by the ports for the project in 2005, if the values are comparable. If accepted, there will be no mitigation lands acquired for the project within Woodland Bottoms, and the Colf family would retain ownership of their 105 acre parcel in Woodland Bottoms. This change increases the Corps' mitigation on Martin Island from 234 acres to 447 acres, and shifts the mitigation planned for Woodland Bottoms to an Oregon site. The Corps believes Martin Island, in its entirety, provides more ecological benefits than converting lands in Woodland Bottoms due to its existing uninhabited condition and its proximity to the Columbia River. The Corps' willingness to eliminate Woodland Bottoms from its mitigation plan in substitution for all of Martin Island could end nine years of discussions with the family regarding acquisition of their lands for mitigation. The Corps has planned for Martin Island and Woodland Bottoms to be part of the mitigation for the project since before the Colfs purchased the lands in 1999.


Proposed Oregon LNG facility
nets go-ahead for road improvements

PORTLAND — During an April 14 meeting, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners approved NorthernStar Natural Gas’ proposed upgrades to Clifton Road, the access road to the Bradwood Landing LNG terminal site from U.S. Highway 30. In a 3-1 vote, the Commission approved a variance to the county’s code that will allow needed upgrades to be made without substantially extending the right of way of Clifton Road. Clifton Road is about three miles long and provides access from U.S. Highway 30 to several private properties and ends at the Bradwood Landing site. It is the original access road during the heyday of the Bradwood Landing lumber mill, port and mill town. The upgrades to Clifton Road will enhance the safety of the road for the public, including first responders, employees and local residents. As part of the project, Bradwood will widen Clifton Road to a 24 feet wide paved surface (12 feet wide in each direction) with two-foot shoulders on each side along all of Clifton Road’s length and also increase the existing curve radii of several curves. As a result of the improvements, the existing 15-mile-per-hour speed limit will be increased between Bradwood Road to Highway 30 and travel time will be reduced by at least 35 percent. On March 20, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners approved NorthernStar’s consolidated land use application after a nine month public process. The Bradwood Landing LNG terminal would provide a new source of natural gas directly into the Oregon and Washington natural gas market and would create more that 450 jobs over three years of construction and 65 permanent jobs while contributing more than $7.8 million annually in taxes to Clatsop County.


Horizon Lines executive
backing US marine highway

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charles G. (Chuck) Raymond, Chairman, president and CEO of Horizon Lines, Inc. has outlined a road map for developing a U.S. marine highway that will ease congestion around gateway trade corridors and improve the overall efficiency of America's transportation system. Mr. Raymond told attendees at North America's Marine Highways Conference that Horizon Lines is working with maritime unions to design a viable labor model for a coastwise container feeder network. The feeder service will act as a safety valve moving containers from congested gateways to smaller ports closer to destination with better intermodal connections. Mr. Raymond called for the creation of a National Port Development Plan within the context of the National Freight Transportation Program recommended by The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. The national port plan would prioritize federal funding of port projects, such as dredging and inland infrastructure construction according to a port's role in global supply chains.


Crowley wins contract
for Nea Bay response tug

OLYMPIA — A state-funded emergency response tug will be stationed at Neah Bay, Wash., ready to prevent oil spills 365 days a year under a contract extension agreement signed between the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Crowley Maritime Corporation. (Crowley). The extension agreement marks the first time that a response tug will be stationed at Neah Bay for a full year of service. During the 2008 legislative session, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and lawmakers provided $3.7 million for emergency response tug service. Under the contract, Crowley will station a high-horsepower, ocean-going tug at Neah Bay from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.


Port Tacoma breakfast will discuss
2007 accomplishments, 2008 priorities

TACOMA — In partnership with The World Trade Center Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma will present a breakfast program April 23 to provide the Port of Tacoma Update 2008. Port Executive Director Timothy J. Farrell is scheduled to review the port’s 2007 business accomplishments and discuss 2008 priorities, challenges and opportunities. Port commissioners plan to spotlight five key community partnerships to focus on the port’s relationships with its business customers and community members. The event is scheduled for 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, at the Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway Plaza, in Tacoma. Tickets, $20 each, are available from the World Trade Center at (253) 396-1022 or manderson@wtcta.org. Reservations are required by Thursday, April 17, for this limited-seat event.


NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 14, 2008

City, Port of Tacoma
starting up Fuzhou project

TACOMA — The City of Tacoma and the Port of Tacoma recently announced the launch of the Fuzhou Pilot Project. The 18-month project, jointly funded by the city and port aims to expand trade, primarily exports to China and to attract foreign direct investment to the Tacoma-Pierce County region. Fuzhou, a Chinese port city with a population of more than six million, is the capital city of Fujian Province. Tacoma, the largest city in South Puget Sound in Washington state, features one of North American's largest container ports. Fuzhou and Tacoma have been Sister Cities since October 1994. On Friday, April 18, 2008 the Fuzhou Pilot Project will officially be launched at a breakfast event that is open to the public. The event will feature Yuan Rongxiang, chief executive of Fuzhou Municipality and chairman of the Fuzhou People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and top city, port and other local government officials. The event is jointly sponsored by the City and Port of Tacoma with the support of the World Trade Center-Tacoma.
Fuzhou Pilot Project Launch
9 a.m., Friday, April 18, 2008
Tacoma Club
1201 Pacific Avenue #1601
(Cost is $15 per person and includes continental breakfast. For reservations or more information, contact Mariam Anderson at 253-396-1022, manderson@wtcta.org)


Oregon governor eyeing
greener transportation plan

SALEM — Building on his State-of-the-State address where he highlighted climate change and transportation as priorities, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski presented his vision for how Oregon can incorporate policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the state’s transportation plan. “Transportation and climate change are critical to our success in the global marketplace – and to our quality of life,” Governor Kulongoski said. “We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the trap of thinking transportation and climate change are conflicting policy priorities. They’re not. We can – and must – do both.” Addressing business leaders and members of the Oregon Environmental Council at a forum on business and the environment, entitled “Transportation and Sustainable Communities”, the governor charged his transportation vision committee to approach the improvements needed to our transportation system with a climate change lens. Specifically, the Governor asked his transportation committee to incorporate climate change into transportation planning in four areas: 1) low carbon fuels; 2) vehicle technology improvement, including the shift to plug-in and electric cars; 3) reducing the vehicle miles traveled; and 4) improving transportation system efficiency.


General Dynamics NASSCO
launches newest T-AKE vessel

WASHINGTON, DC — General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics , has launched the U.S. Navy's newest resupply ship, USNS AMELIA EARHART (T-AKE 6). The ship is named in honor of the record-setting woman aviator. The April 6 ceremony took place at the NASSCO shipyard. Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.) was the ceremony's principal speaker. Amy Morrissey Kleppner, Amelia Earhart's niece, christened the ship with the traditional bottle of champagne. More than 2,000 people attended the ceremony, including Amelia Earhart's stepson, George Putnam Jr USNS AMELIA EARHART is the sixth ship of the Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo-ammunition ships for the Navy. NASSCO began constructing the ship in December 2006 and is scheduled to deliver it to the Navy later this year. The T-AKE class incorporates international marine technologies and commercial ship-design features, including an integrated electric-drive propulsion system, to minimize operating costs over its projected 40-year service life. When the Amelia Earhart joins the fleet, its primary mission will be to deliver more than 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at sea.


Boeing begins final assembly
of new 777 cargo airplane

SEATTLE — Mechanics at The Boeing Company began final assembly work on the first 777 Freighter at the company's Everett, Wash., facility last week. The new cargo airplane will roll out of the factory later this month, and work will begin to prepare the airplane for flight test this summer. The 777 Freighter will fly farther and provide more capacity than any other twin-engine cargo airplane. Boeing will deliver the first 777 Freighter to its launch customer Air France in the fourth quarter of 2008. The 777 Freighter is based on the 777-200LR Worldliner passenger airplane and is built using the same production line as all other models of the 777. Eleven customers around the world have ordered 78 777 Freighters.


Shipper pleads guilty
to dumping contaminated waste

WASHINGTON, DC — PACCSHIP, the operator and manager of approximately ten ships that regularly carry goods between Asia and ports in the United States, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $1.7 million fine for crimes related to improper transfers and discharges of oil-contaminated waste from two of its ships, announced Ronald J. Tenpas, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division and George E. B. Holding, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Specifically, PACCSHIP pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and for using falsified records that concealed improper transfers and discharges of oil-contaminated waste. The company was also sentenced to serve a four-year term of probation during which it must implement and follow a stringent environmental compliance program that includes a court-appointed monitor and outside independent auditing of its ships. The company will also pay a $400,000 community service payment.


NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 11, 2008

Crowley Maritime buying
Jensen Maritime Consultants

SEATTLE — To further build its marine technical services business, Crowley Maritime Corporation has announced the acquisition of Seattle-based Jensen Maritime Consultants, a naval architecture and marine engineering firm with more than 45 years experience designing and engineering a variety of different commercial vessels. Jensen, which has 19 employees, will remain an independent company with their offices in Seattle, and will continue to serve their current clientele while supporting Crowley. Jensen Maritime's experience spans all aspects of boat and vessel design and engineering. The company has designed fishing boats, fireboats, patrol boats, ferries and tugboats. Jensen also has extensive experience with vessel modifications, such as lengthening, deepening, and sponsoning.
Onsite consulting services are provided anywhere in the world, and Jensen can also assist with project management, price negotiations, feasibility studies, surveys, reports, contract negotiations and design regulatory agency representation.


Vancouver USA port board
approves list of action items

VANCOUVER, USA — During its April 8 regular meeting, the Port of Vancouver USA Board of Commissioners approved five action items that included a lease, access to a small parcel of port property, and three project action items. The commission approved a lease of nearly 12,000 square feet in the port’s building 2100 (near Panasonic) to Boise Cascade Trucking Inc. (BCT). The one-year lease – with three one-year renewals – will provide $46,800 in income to the port for the first year. BCT, Inc., will also pay leasehold excise tax and common area maintenance fees. Renewals will be subject to fair market value. BCT, Inc. will use the facility for storing massive rolls of paper which will be delivered for commercial printing projects. The commission also approved an agreement that will allow BNSF Railway Company access to the property and the soil, with the stipulation that it is BNSF’s responsibility to remove and properly dispose of the dirt removed from the property located along the BNSF mainline north of Fruit Valley, which is a remnant from the purchase and subsequent sale of port land to Frito Lay. In terms of project actions, the commission approved an action item to authorize staff to move forward on rail infrastructure construction within the secure area of the port. The commission also voted to approve the port’s entrance into a new Agreed Order with the Washington Department of Ecology to reflect the change in responsibility at the Cadet Manufacturing facility, which would allow the port to complete an interim action. Finally, the commission authorized Executive Director Larry Paulson to sign an interlocal agreement with the City of Vancouver to use a portion of a stormwater discharge line owned by the city in order to discharge clean, treated water from the pump-and-treat system.


Grand Alliance lines
add new European service

TOKYO — The Grand Alliance has announced the implementation of a new EU5 Service and updates to its dedicated Far East service. Eight vessels with an approximate capacity of 5,500 TEU will be deployed in EU5. The first sailings of the EU5 service are scheduled for week 16 westbound and week 20 eastbound. The service will operate on a weekly basis with the following itinerary: Amsterdam - Hamburg - Southampton - Singapore - Shanghai - Ningbo - Xiamen - Singapore. When the EU5 service commences, the EU3 service will omit Xiamen, and the EU4 service will omit Ningbo. Both calls have been transferred to the EU5 service. The Grand Alliance, formed in 1998, is an integrated consortium in global container shipping. Its members are Hapag-Lloyd (Germany), MISC Berhad (Malaysia), NYK (Japan) and OOCL (Hong Kong).


US rail freight traffic
sees down month of March

WASHINGTON, DC — Both carload and intermodal freight were down on U.S. railroads during March, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports. Railroads originated 1,308,482 carloads of freight in March 2008, down 0.1 percent (1,467 carloads) from March 2007, the AAR said. U.S. intermodal rail traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, totaled 856,404 units in March 2008, down 5.7 percent (51,705 trailers and containers) compared to March 2007. For the first three months of 2008, total U.S. rail carloadings were up 1.1 percent (46,756 carloads) to 4,172,966 carloads, while intermodal traffic was down 4.1 percent (119,944 units) to 2,819,095 trailers and containers. Total volume was estimated at 431.5 billion ton-miles, up 2.3 percent from last year. Of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR, 12 saw carload declines in March. Coal and grain were the bright spots for U.S. rail traffic in March 2008. Carloads of coal were up 5.9 percent (32,369 carloads) to 582,574 carloads, while carloads of grain were up 13.9 percent (12,055 carloads) to 98,650 carloads. Carloads of chemicals in March were up 0.6 percent (695 carloads) to 125,391 carloads. On the down side, a strike at a key automotive parts supplier, as well as reduced sales in the auto sector, helped pull down rail carloads of motor vehicles and equipment by 19.4 percent (17,859 carloads) in March. Carloads of crushed stone, sand, and gravel were down 13.4 percent (11,301 carloads) in March to 73,029 carloads.


AAPA supporting
Colombia free trade deal

WASHINGTON, DC — After participating in the official transmittal ceremony of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement with President Bush at the White House, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) President and CEO Kurt Nagle announced the association's full support of this accord, noting that free and open trade is vital to the well-being of the United States and its ally countries. The agreement now goes to the U.S. Congress for consideration and approval before being adopted. AAPA represents 160 public port authorities in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, all of which have a public mandate to facilitate waterborne commerce and contribute to local, regional and national economic development. Last September, AAPA's member seaports reaffirmed resolutions favoring policies which enhance rather than restrict free and open trade in the Western Hemisphere, citing free trade's significance for economic well-being and its contributions toward employment.


NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 10, 2008

Port of Seattle meeting eyes
new Central Procurement Office

SEATTLE — Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani recently announced the creation of a Central Procurement Office and appointment of an acting Chief Procurement Officer. At an April 8 public meeting, Seattle Port Commissioners heard the details of how the centralized procurement department will function within the organization. The Chief Procurement Office will oversee all procurement for the port, including construction contracting and professional and personal service agreements. The CPO will also be responsible for implementing the changes included in HB 3274, legislation which clarifies some procurement authority for ports in Washington State. The department will be supervised by a recently created Managing Director position. A 2007 performance audit provided several recommendations to the port for improving contracting and procurement processes, and increasing commission oversight. The port's Audit Response Action Plan,
which clarifies how the organization will implement each of the audit recommendations, is available on the port's website.


Port of Everett completes
environmental program

EVERETT — On April 1, the Port of Everett has accepted a certificate of completion from the Environmental Management System (EMS) Assistance Project. This program is administered by the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), working in voluntary partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve the environmental performance of its member ports. The EMS, among other things, is a management system that sets the processes and procedures that allow an organization to analyze, control and improve the environmental consequences of its activities. For its successful work in completing this program, the Port of Everett received its program completion recognition in a ceremony in Washington, DC during AAPA’s Spring Conference. The port received accolades from Kathleen Bailey with EPA and from Kurt Nagle, the head of AAPA.


Freight Transportation Index
holds steady during February

WASHINGTON, DC — The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) was unchanged in February from January, following a 2.4 percent monthly increase in January, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reports. Since dropping to a recent low in September, the freight index has increased in three months, declined in one month and has been unchanged in one month. At 111.5, the freight TSI is down 1.5 percent from its peak of 113.1 achieved in November 2005 but up 3.2 percent in the five months since its recent low of 108.0 in September 2007. The 2.4 percent increase in the freight index since December was the largest in the first two months of the year in at least a decade. It was the first December to February increase since 2005. The freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by the for-hire freight transportation industries. The index consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight. The February freight TSI level of 111.5 was 2.7 percent higher than the February 2007 level. The index is 1.1 percent above the February 2006 level but 0.4 percent lower than the February 2005 level. Despite declines from recent February levels, the freight index has increased 9.2 percent in five years and 13.7 percent in 10 years.


The New World Alliance
plans joint Mediterranean run

TOKYO — The New World Alliance (TNWA) carriers - APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) - and CMA CGM have announced a new joint West Mediterranean (MED) service starting April 26. The new service offers shippers access and fast transit times to the growing Middle East and Mediterranean regions. Eight vessels will be deployed on the service. TNWA will operate six vessels while CMA CGM will operate two vessels. Capacity for these eight ships will be between 4,000 and 4,500 TEU. Port rotation for the MED service is: Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Singapore, Port Klang, Damietta, Genoa, Barcelona, Fos, Damietta, Jeddah, Port Klang, Singapore, Chiwan and Shanghai. TNWA member lines APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), serve more than 40 ports using in excess of 100 containerships in the major East-West container trades.


Horizon Lines vessel
earns sea rescue award

CHARLOTTE, NC — Horizon Lines, Inc., received the AMVER-Assisted Rescue at Sea Award for the extraordinary courage and seamanship of the HORIZON FALCON crew. AMVER Program Director Captain Christopher Hall presented the award to the HORIZON FALCON’s Captain Tom McDorr at the 2008 Lloyd’s List London Awards on April 2nd. Captain McDorr and the crew of the HORIZON FALCON, one of the vessels in the Horizon Lines fleet, courageously assisted in the rescue of Chinese crewmembers of the Panamanian–flagged ship, HAI TONG No. 7, after it sank in typhoon-heavy seas 300 nautical miles northwest of Guam last July.


NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Cruise ship engine fire
forces evacuation of passengers

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard, state and local authorities offloaded the passengers and non-essential personnel from the Majestic Cruise Line passenger vessel, QUEEN OF THE WEST, after it suffered an engine fire yesterday morning. The QUEEN OF THE WEST was beached in a controlled manner in the vicinity of Maryhill State Park, where the passengers were offloaded safely over the vessel's bow ramp. The 124 passengers were transported by bus to Skamania Lodge, Ore. One crewmember became wet while fighting the fire, and was taken to a local hospital after exhibiting signs of hypothermia. Three of the crewmembers were checked and released on scene for smoke inhalation. The vessel owner plans to tow the QUEEN OF THE WEST to the Port of Klickitat, Wash., just upstream of The Dalles Dam, with a crew of 26 essential personnel. There they will prepare the vessel for a further tow to Sundial Marine in Troutdale, Ore., for repairs. Klickitat County emergency services personnel managed the disembarkation and processing of passengers. The Washington Department of Ecology organized precautionary shoreline protection operations along the river to address the risk of any oil pollution from the disabled vessel. The cause of the engine room fire is under investigation.


Greenbrier buying assets
of Roller Bearing Industries

LAKE OSWEGO, OR — The Greenbrier Companies has announced that it has acquired substantially all of the operating assets of Roller Bearing Industries, Inc. ("RBI") from SKF USA Inc. RBI has been a supplier of reconditioned wheelset roller bearings to the rail industry for nearly 30 years. Greenbrier will immediately assume the operations of the RBI facility in Elizabethtown, Kentucky with a current workforce of about 50 employees. With the addition of RBI, Greenbrier's refurbishment & parts business now operates from 39 locations in the U.S. and Mexico, providing an end-to-end shop network for wheel replacement, replacement parts and railcar repair.


Sears honors Crowley
for sixth year straight

JACKSONVILLE, FL — Crowley Maritime Corporation's Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner services group was recognized by Sears as a Partner in Progress for the 6th consecutive year during a formal awards ceremony at the Normandy Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico last week. The award recognizes Crowley for its first-class domestic ocean transportation services provided from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico for Sears. Crowley also handles transportation services for Sears in Central America and other Caribbean markets. The prestigious Partner in Progress awards are presented annually to a select group of companies that have provided transportation and logistics support to Sears Holding Corporation stores. More than 10,000 vendors compete for the annual award.


Horizon Lines announces
interest rate swap

CHARLOTTE, NC — Horizon Lines, Inc. has announced it has entered into an interest rate swap, which effectively converts $122 million of the company’s existing floating rate term loan debt to a fixed rate of 4.52 percent. The interest rate swap is effective March 31, 2008 and has a term extending through the August 8, 2012 maturity of the term loan. In addition, the notional amount of the swap will decline each calendar quarter in tandem with the amortization of the term loan. With the execution of this swap, Horizon Lines’ fixed-to-floating ratio is now 71.7 percent to 28.3 percent. The term loan and accompanying $250 million revolving credit facility component of the senior credit facility bear interest primarily at LIBOR-based rates plus a current 1.50 percent spread, which ranges from 1.25 percent to 2.0 percent based on the ratio of total secured debt to EBITDA. Under the swap agreement Horizon Lines pays fixed rate interest to the swap counterparty and receives back from the swap counterparty floating rate interest based on the three month LIBOR. Horizon Lines will continue to pay floating rate interest based on the three month LIBOR under its senior credit facility, leaving the net payment of fixed rate interest.


Port of Everett begins
commission meeting pod-casts

EVERETT — In an effort to promote increased participation and access to Port Commission meetings, the Port of Everett began pod-casting its commission meetings starting April 8 via the port’s web site at www.portofeverett.com. The main benefit of podcasting is that listeners can sync content to their media player and take it with them to listen whenever they want to. Because podcasts are typically saved in MP3 format, they can also be listened to on nearly any computer. The Port of Everett began looking into the use of this technology at the request of the community. Currently, Port District residents or interested parties must file a records request to obtain the audio files from the meetings, and/or wait until the meeting minutes are adopted by the commission. This new feature will provide interested parties with the information on the web within 24-hours of the meeting, Marion said. Up to eight meetings will be stored on the port’s web site at any given time. The Everett Port Commission meets the first and second Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m. in the Port Commission room, located at 2911 Bond Street, Everett, WA 98201; Ste. 109.


NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 7, 2008

Corps finds General Construction
exceeded Port of Seattle dredge work

SEATTLE — In March, the Port of Seattle alerted the Army Corps of Engineers to a possible violation of the port’s permit for navigational dredging at Terminals 30 and 91. Last week, the Corps of Engineers issued letters to the port and its contractor, General Construction, confirming that the contractor dredged material outside the scope of the permit. Preliminary indications are that the over-dredged material is clean sediment, but prior to receiving the violation letter, the Port of Seattle voluntarily agreed to test the surface at Terminal 30 to ensure that no contaminated sediments were released. The port received permits to perform navigational dredging at Terminal 30, so that it can be used again as a container terminal, and at Terminal 91, which will be used to support the port’s growing cruise business. The permit allowed 9,400 cubic yards of dredge material to be removed at Terminal 91 and a final depth of 35 feet; records show that the contractor dredged a total of 10,768 cubic yards to a depth of approximately 36 feet. At Terminal 30, the contractor dredged to 51.5 feet, violating the depth permit by six inches. The port will work closely with the Corps of Engineers, providing any information necessary and ensuring that General Construction complies with any necessary remedies.


Longshore worker dies
at Port of Long Beach terminal

LONG BEACH, CA — The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reports that cargo handling at the Port of Long Beach stopped last Friday following the dockside death of Carlos Rivera, 73, a longshore worker with more than 40 years experience on the waterfront. The ILWU says that more than a dozen longshore workers have been killed on the west coast during the past six years. This is the second fatality in Southern California since 2005. Mr. Rivera was working against a ship at the California United Terminal (CUT) at the Port of Long Beach when he was struck and killed. Details on the cause of death are being investigated. Union leaders met Friday with officials of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the Port of Long Beach, and California United Terminals (CUT). The union is seeking an immediate investigation of the death and halted cargo handling at the CUT facility in Long Beach for 24 hours. The union is currently negotiating a new contract with the Pacific Maritime Association that covers 25,000 longshore workers at 29 west coast ports in California, Oregon and Washington.


Greenbrier completes deal
for rail equipment company

PORTLAND — The Greenbrier Companies has announced that it has closed on the acquisition of substantially all of the operating assets of American Allied Railway Equipment Company and its subsidiaries (American Allied). The purchase price of the acquisition of $83 million in cash, plus working capital adjustments, was paid from Greenbrier's existing cash balances and credit facilities. American Allied Railway Equipment Co., Inc and its subsidiaries American Allied Freight Car Co., Inc. and American Allied Railway Equipment Co., South L.L.C. have been an innovative supplier to the rail industry for over 40 years, with a strong reputation for customer service. Operating from two strategically located wheel facilities in Washington, Illinois and Macon, Georgia, American Allied supplies new and reconditioned wheelsets to freight car maintenance locations as well as new railcar manufacturing facilities. American Allied also operates a parts reconditioning business in Peoria, Illinois, where it reconditions railcar yokes, couplers, side frames and bolsters. American Allied's final calendar 2007 financial results were about $95 million in annual revenues and $15 million in annual EBITDA, with a work force approaching 130 employees.


ACP selects contractor
for canal dredging project

PANAMA CITY — The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has awarded the third and largest expansion contract to dredge the Pacific sea entrance. On March 19, three bidders from two countries submitted proposals to dredge the Pacific sea entrance. After a thorough review of the lowest priced proposal, the ACP awarded the contract to Dredging International of Belgium with at bid of $177,500,676.78. Dredging work in the Pacific sea entrance is expected to begin during the third quarter of this calendar year. When expansion concludes, the dredging project will widen the canal’s approximate nine mile-long (14 km) navigation channels to a minimum of 715 feet (218 meters) and deepen them to a maximum level of -51 feet (-15.5 meters) Mean Low Water Springs (MLWS).


Coast Guard warns boaters
to be wary of passenger vessels

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard is reminding mariners and recreational boaters to avoid approaching large passenger vessels (LPV), such as cruise ships and Washington State Ferries, whether these vessels are underway, moored or at anchor. An LPV is defined as any cruise ship, auto ferry or passenger ferry over 100 feet in length, carrying paying passengers. The security zone enforced by the Coast Guard is a 500 yard radius around all LPV's and are necessary to enhance public and maritime safety. These safety and security zones are in effect at all times whether or not the Coast Guard is present. Specifically the Code of Federal Regulations states that: When within a large passenger vessel security and safety zone all vessels must operate at the minimum speed necessary to maintain a safe course and must proceed as directed by the on-scene official patrol or large passenger vessel master. No vessel or person is allowed within 100 yards of a large passenger vessel that is underway or at anchor, unless authorized by the on-scene official patrol or large passenger vessel master. No vessel or person is allowed within 25 yards of a large passenger vessel that is moored.


NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 4, 2008

Washington ferry contract
goes back to bidding process

SEATTLE — The Ferries Division of the Washington State Department of Transportation has announced that it is rejecting a $26 million bid from Todd Pacific Shipyards to build a 50-car ferry. At the March 27 bid opening Todd was the sole project bidder. Its bid was higher than the WSDOT engineer’s estimate of $16.8 million. After reviewing the bid to understand discrepancies between the two amounts, WSDOT determined that it was too high and decided not to award a contract. One source of a portion of higher costs is state specifications for the vessels have been strengthened since Nichols Brothers constructed the Pierce County-style vessel three years ago. The changes to the specifications include improved safety, security, and quality. WSDOT engineers plan to talk with representatives of local shipyards about how the bid can be better defined before advertising again for the contract. Changes could include providing incentives to shipyards for completing the vessel ahead of schedule without jeopardizing ferry safety and extending construction time if it would result in cost savings. The WSDOT expects to re-bid the 50-car ferry contract in the next few weeks and award a contract by mid-May.


First cruise ship of 2008
calls at Port of Vancouver, BC

VANCOUVER, BC — Vancouver's 2008 cruise season began on April 2, with a call by the MERCURY, sailing from San Francisco on a 7-night Pacific Coastal Cruise. The port will welcome approximately 850,000 passengers on 252 sailings during the 2008 season, including the two largest cruise ships, the DIAMOND and SAPPHIRE PRINCESS, who will continue to call on Vancouver throughout the season. These sister ships can carry more than 3200 passengers each. The season kicks into high gear on Friday, May 9, when the NORWEGIAN SUN, VEENDAM, GOLDEN PRINCESS and the CELEBRITY INFINITY call on Vancouver. Approximately 13,000 cruise passengers will be embarking or disembarking, marking the start of the peak cruise season. The cruise sector creates 13,500 jobs annually at the port. Every time a Vancouver-based cruise ship sets sail from our harbour, it represents $2 million to the regional economy.


Agencies eye partnership
for Budd Inlet restoration

OOYMPIA — By mid-April, five agencies are expected to formalize an agreement to work as partners to develop an action plan for Budd Inlet restoration. The agencies are: the City of Olympia, Port of Olympia, Thurston County, LOTT Alliance, and Washington State University Thurston County Extension. The consortium grew from a joint meeting held in 2007 between the Olympia City Council and the Port of Olympia Commission. At business meetings during April, elected officials from the local government agencies are expected to consider an interlocal agreement establishing the partnership. WSU Extension has agreed to serve as the coordinating agency on behalf of the partners. Once the interlocal agreement is approved by each group, WSU will apply to the State Department of Ecology (DOE/Ecology) for funding to develop the unified action plan for Budd Inlet cleanup and restoration.


Schnitzer Steel breaks records
with second quarter numbers

PORTLAND — Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. has reported net income of $36 million, or $1.25 per diluted share, for the fiscal 2008 second quarter ended February 29, 2008. The earnings per share was a second quarter record and quarterly revenues of $751 million were the highest ever. Compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2007, revenues increased 24 percent and earnings per share increased 34 percent.


US rail freight traffic count
delivers mixed bag during week

WASHINGTON, DC — Intermodal freight was up but carload volume was off slightly from last year on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 15, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports. Carload freight totaled 328,690 cars, down 0.2 percent from last year. Volume was up 4.2 percent in the West but down 5.8 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 216,412 trailers or containers, up 1.4 percent from a year ago. Container volume rose 2.4 percent while trailer volume was off 1.9 percent. Total volume was estimated at 34.0 billion ton-miles, up 0.9 percent from the 11th week of 2007. Nine of 19 carload commodities registered gains from a year ago with metallic ores jumping 97.5 percent, grain rising 15.9 percent and farm products other than grain up 17.7 percent. On the negative side, lumber and wood products dropped 21.7 percent, stone, clay and glass products fell 16.6 percent and nonmetallic minerals were off 9.1 4.0 percent. Cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks of 2008 totaled 3,516,497 carloads, up 1.2 percent from 2007; 2,385,454 trailers or containers, down 4.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 363.6 billion ton-miles, up 2.3 percent from last year.


NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 3, 2008

Tidewater buying equipment
from Foss Maritime Company

VANCOUVER, USA — Tidewater Holdings Inc. has announced an agreement to acquire all upriver equipment from Foss Maritime Company. The purchase, which is expected to be completed within the next two months, includes two tugboats and 20 barges. Tidewater anticipates hiring a portion of Foss’s workforce, as appropriate, following a review of the needs of the combined operations. Tidewater and Foss personnel will work together through the transition to ensure uninterrupted service to the customers served by both companies. Tidewater transports and stores petroleum products, bio-fuels, grain, fertilizer, export and solid
waste containers, wood and paper products, and more, to and from the upriver Ports of Lewiston, Id., Pasco, Wash., and Umatilla and Boardman, Ore., as well as numerous grain elevators along the river system.


Port Tracker report finds
business picking up at box ports

WASHINGTON, DC — Traffic at the nation’s major retail container ports is starting to build back up again after its traditional winter lull, but will still show weak increases or fall below last year’s levels over the next several months, according to the monthly Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Global Insight. Meanwhile, negotiations on a new longshore labor contract have begun, but disruptions that closed West Coast ports in 2002 are not expected to be repeated when the current contract expires this summer. With the West Coast labor contract negotiated in 2002 set to expire July 1, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association sat down March 17 to begin negotiations on a new contract.


Federal grant dollars will fund
Port of Portland security upgrades

PORTLAND — A $220,000 federal grant will help enhance security fencing at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 4, on the Willamette River. Port officials say that this funding will help deter individuals attempting to access the terminal by circumventing controlled access points and other terminal security measures. The grant is funded by the Department of Homeland Security through the Urban Area Security Initiative—a federal program that helps fund large, complex homeland security projects that benefit an entire urban region, such as response vehicles or region wide communications. The new fencing project is funded in full, supplementing an additional $3 million in security upgrades already made and in progress at the marine terminals over the past couple of years. This investment has included cameras integrated with analytics, networking infrastructure, additional fencing, new gatehouses and access controls. There have also been training and equipment enhancements. Since September 2006, the port has increased from 19 to 26 marine security officers while adding a second marine security superintendent.


Evergreen Line adding
US West Coast/Japan run

TAIPEI — Evergreen Line has announced a new service linking Japan and the U.S. West Coast, called the Japan-America Shuttle service (JAS). The fixed-day weekly service will link key ports in Japan and utilize four 2,800-3,000 TEU vessels. Sailings will commence on May 14, 2008, when the first departure from Osaka will be made by TRIESTE. Ports of call on the 28 days rotation are as follows: Osaka - Kobe- Nagoya - Shimizu - Tokyo- Los Angeles- Osaka.


Crowley Maritime makes donation
to famous Puerto Rican golfer

JACKSONVILLE, FL — Crowley Maritime Corporation's liner services group donated $5,000 to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Children's Foundation Fund during a ceremony on March 20, 2008. The ceremony came during the week-long PGA Puerto Rico Open, honoring Mr. Rodriguez. Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico/Caribbean and Roberto Lugo, vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico, presented the check to Mr. Rodriguez. With its donation, Crowley contributed to the foundation's efforts to help youth who come from abusive homes, live in single-parent homes, have academic challenges or have gotten in trouble with authorities, among other circumstances.


NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Giant new container crane
heading to Port of Portland

PORTLAND — With its arrival at the mouth of the Columbia River expected as soon as today, the Port of Portland's new post-Panamax container crane is nearing the end of a month-long, 5,800-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean. Completed on budget and on schedule, the crane was constructed by Zhenhau Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) in Shanghai, China. ZPMC previously delivered the port’s third such crane in May 2006. Standing 16 stories tall, as wide as two city blocks, and weighing in at 1,400 tons, the new crane is capable of spanning the largest vessels that call Portland, referred to as “post-Panamax.” Each crane can handle about 30 containers per hour. Having four cranes available to load and unload larger vessels makes the port more efficient and competitive. Funding for the fourth crane’s $7,862,400 price tag came from two sources. In July 2006, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski presented the port with a $7.5-million check from a $100-million CONNECTOregon non-highway transportation infrastructure funding initiative passed by the state legislature. The port is paying for the remainder of the purchase price from its general fund. The total project budget, including construction of an electrical substation to power the crane, engineering oversight and inspection, is $10,478,000.


Oregon governor begins
trade mission in Europe

SEATTLE — Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski began his business development mission March 31, with a meeting with APM Terminals executives in Amsterdam to advance the container terminal development project in Coos Bay, and then traveled to Brussels to meet with European Union (EU) officials and industry representatives to discuss carbon cap and trade. The Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a regional climate change effort comprised of seven states and two Canadian provinces, is tasked with completing a design of a regional cap and trade program. The group is currently meeting with stakeholders to help develop the system and is on track to have its work completed by the end of August 2008. The cap and trade program will help Oregon reach its greenhouse gas emission reduction goal of 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, set during the 2007 legislative session. After the WCI completes its work, the proposed design will be further shaped by the legislature for consideration in the 2009 Oregon legislative session to ensure the program works for Oregon.


Matson Navigation executive
retiring following lengthy career

OAKLAND — After a maritime career that spanned four decades, including 27 years with Matson Navigation Company, Gary North, senior vice president, Pacific retired on April 1. Mr. North’s association with Matson dates back to 1967, when he started with the company as a cargo planner in Hawaii’s freight department. In the 1970s and early ‘80s, he held management and later executive posts with Seatrain Lines and U.S. Lines. He rejoined Matson in 1987 as vice president, area manager, Hawaii. In 1989, he was promoted to vice president, operations, and transferred to the Matson’s headquarters, which were then in San Francisco. In 1991, he was assigned the additional responsibility of serving as president of Matson Terminals, Inc. He was promoted to senior vice president of Matson in 1993. He relocated to Honolulu as senior vice president, Pacific, in 2003. Mr. North’s community service efforts have included posts on the Boards of the American Red Cross of Hawaii, Hawaii Food Bank and Aloha United Way. He will continue to serve as chair of HHUG and will have a consulting role in various key initiatives involving Matson’s operations in the Pacific.


Mitsui plans to add
new trans-Pacific services

TOKYO — Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) - has announced two new direct shuttle services linking China, Japan and Los Angeles on the US West Coast. Beginning in mid-May, the current PS3 service will be divided into two services. For Central China, where the market is experiencing significant growth, MOL will offer the PS3, a direct service between Ningbo, Shanghai and Los Angeles. This enhancement will provide one of the fastest transit times in the industry; 11-day direct service from Shanghai to Los Angeles. MOL will also launch a new the Japan-America Shuttle (JAS). The JAS will provide additional stops in Shimizu and Osaka along MOL's Trans-Pacific network. Both the PS3 and the JAS service will be launched in mid-May, beginning with four 2,800-3,000 TEU vessels on a weekly service with a 28-day rotation, subject to regulatory filings and approvals as necessary.


Port of Seattle celebrates
start of Lufthansa flights

SEATTLE — With a water cannon salute, a children's chorus and a festive atmosphere, on March 30, the Port of Seattle has welcomed Lufthansa's first flight to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport marking new daily international nonstop service between Seattle and Frankfurt, Germany. Lufthansa is the largest carrier of international passengers in the world and Frankfurt is the eighth largest airport in the world. Lufthansa's service not only will connect Seattle to Germany, but also will allow their passengers to make connections to Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and India. Lufthansa's flight service between Seattle and Frankfurt will be a daily service aboard a 221-seat Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Including upcoming service to China, this is the fourth new airline to debut nonstop service to Sea-Tac in the past 12 months: In 2007, Air France started nonstop service to Paris and AeroMexico started non-stop service to Mexico City. Hainan Air will debut nonstop service to Beijing, China in June. And, Northwest Airlines begins new nonstop service to London in June. The addition of Lufthansa brings the total number of European service routes at Sea-Tac to six: British Airways to London, Northwest Airlines to Amsterdam and London, SAS to Copenhagen, Air France to Paris, and Lufthansa to Frankfurt. Other international service from Sea-Tac includes six airlines serving Asia, two serving Mexico, and four airlines providing service to Canada.