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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
countys 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
Transportations 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 Marchs 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. "Ive been concerned that the recent run-up in
tonnage might not be sustainable, and clearly Marchs
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 Decembers
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
projects 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 nations 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
ports mobile harbor cranes 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
ports 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 worlds 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 ports 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 lines North America operation, was given the
Shipping Line of the Year Award by Lloyds 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 Nations 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
Bridges 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 companys
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 IMOs 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 Seattles 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 Universitys 500-foot Training
Ship GOLDEN BEAR. He assumes the position from Commodore John
Keever, who recently retired as the schools 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
Canals 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
waterways 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.coms 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 ACPs
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 countys
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 Roads 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 NorthernStars 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 ports 2007
business accomplishments and discuss 2008 priorities, challenges
and opportunities. Port commissioners plan to spotlight five key
community partnerships to focus on the ports 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 states 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. Theyre
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 ports 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 BNSFs 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 ports 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 AAPAs
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
Transportations 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
FALCONs Captain Tom McDorr at the 2008 Lloyds 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
Panamanianflagged 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 companys 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
ports 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 ports 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 ports
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 ports 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
canals 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 engineers
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 Fosss 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 nations 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 years 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 Portlands 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
Initiativea 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 ports 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 cranes $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.
Norths association with Matson dates back to 1967, when he
started with the company as a cargo planner in Hawaiis
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 Matsons 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. Norths 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 Matsons
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.