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April, 2009
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Port of Seattle hands out
Sea-Tac Fly Quiet Awards
SEATTLE A new airline and a veteran winner of the program
have been honored by the Port of Seattle Commission as winners of
the 2009 Fly Quiet Awards for their efforts in 2008 at
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Virgin America, who began
service at Sea-Tac just over one year ago, was named the Quietest
Passenger Airline, while Federal Express won as Quietest Cargo
Airline, their fourth award in the five years of the program. Air
Canada Jazz was also recognized as honorable mention in the
passenger category, the first time award for the airline. The Fly
Quiet incentive program was designed to honor airline companies
that work to reduce the impacts of jet noise on the region.
Evaluations include measuring each airline on its compliance with
noise abatement flight paths, overall noise level of its
operations and compliance for testing engines on the ground. The
annual awards were established by port staff and a citizen
advisory committee to increase airline and pilot awareness to
benefit local communities. Both Virgin America and Air Canada
Jazz scored well due to their jets following noise abatement
flight paths and through operation of quieter aircraft; Virgin
America with its Airbus 319/320 fleet and Air Canada Jazz with
its fleet of Bombardier CRJ's (Canadian Regional Jets). Federal
Express scored the highest in noise abatement procedures and had
no engine run-up violations.
Port Metro Vancouver
releases trucker strike info
VANCOUVER, BC Port Metro Vancouver reports that a Journal
of Commerce article published on April 27th indicated that a
possible trucking strike by CAW Local 2006 members affecting Port
Metro Vancouver could occur as early as Monday, May 4. The port
says the following will clarify the situation: Port Metro
Vancouver is open for business, and will remain so. Truck
operators serving the port have individual permit agreements with
Port Metro Vancouver. These agreements allow operators to access
the port's container terminals. A limited number of CAW truck
operators and owner/operators have voted to potentially go on
strike. They have an outstanding issue with three out of 196
local licence holding trucking companies doing business with Port
Metro Vancouver. If owner/operators strike Port Metro Vancouver
property, they will be in non-compliance with the port's Truck
Licensing System and the port will cancel their Permits. Truck
operators and owner/operators represented by CAW Local 2006 may
strike their employer. Should picketing occur, it would be at
their place of work, not port facilities.
Federal Maritime Commissioner
announces plans to step down
WASHINGTON, DC Federal Maritime Commissioner Harold J.
Creel, Jr. has announced that he will be leaving the agency at
the end of his term on June 30, 2009. Commissioner Creel was
first nominated by President Clinton in 1994, and was
re-nominated by President Clinton and President Bush. He served
as chairman from 1996 to 2002 and was the longest tenured
Chairman in the agency's history. "I have thoroughly enjoyed
my time at the Federal Maritime Commission and working with my
esteemed colleagues and staff," Commissioner Creel said.
"I know that I leave the agency in good hands to carry out
the important mission of the Federal Maritime Commission. I look
forward to pursuing new challenges, including those in the
maritime sector. " Commissioner Creel will be joining the
government relations firm of Alcalde & Fay in Arlington, VA.
Hamburg Sud joins Grand Alliance
as Atlantic Express Service member
TOKYO Grand Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, Nippon Yusen
Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), together
with ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, report they will cooperate
with Hamburg Sud on the Atlantic Express Service (ATX). The ATX
service is currently operated by the Grand Alliance and ZIM. Port
rotation will remain the same Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le
Havre, Southampton, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Rotterdam.
Initially chartering slots, Hamburg Süd may provide a vessel to
the service at a later stage. The agreement is still subject to
FMC approval which is expected to be received by mid-June. The
cooperation is aimed at addressing the declining volume in the
Transatlantic.
Coast Guard warns boaters
to follow rules when approaching LPVs
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. This includes
Washington State Ferries and Alaskan Marine Highway ferries. 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 security and safety 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 100 yards of a large passenger vessel that is moored. To
request authorization to operate within 100 yards of a large
passenger vessel that is underway or at anchor, contact the
on-scene official patrol or large passenger vessel master on
VHF-FM channel 16 or 13.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Coast Guard makes decision
on Oregon LNG facilities
PORTLAND The Coast Guard reports it has completed its
actions as a Cooperating Agency to the Federal Energy Regulatory
Committee (FERC,) who are responsible for authorizing the siting,
construction and operation of onshore Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)
facilities. The FERC is required to complete an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating issues ranging from air quality
and biological impacts to cultural and socioeconomic impacts as
well as safety and security impacts. As a Cooperating Agency, the
Coast Guards role is focused on the safety and security of
the waterway. The Coast Guard received official notification from
Northern Star Natural Gas LLCs of their proposal to build
an LNG terminal in Bradwood, Ore., at mile 38 on the Columbia
River, in January 2005. Jordan Cove Energy Project provided their
official notice to build an LNG terminal in Coos Bay, Ore., in
April 2006. Oregon LNG provided their official notice to build an
LNG terminal in Warrenton, Ore., at mile 8 on the Columbia River
in May 2007. Since their respective filings, Coast Guard Sector
Portland has worked with each applicant, port and community
stakeholders and state and local emergency response providers to
assess the safety and security issues associated with LNG tankers
traveling on the Columbia River and in Coos Bay. Based upon this
review, the Captain of the Port of Sector Portland has determined
that the applicable portions of the waterways are not currently
suitable but could be made suitable for the type and frequency of
LNG marine traffic associated with each project. The Letter of
Recommendation and related documentation is available through the
Coast Guards Home Port web site or Sector Portlands
web page at http://www.uscg.mil/D13/portland/. Many of these
documents will also be available through the FERCs E-Library at
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp.
Port of Tacoma places
2008 Annual Report online
TACOMA Reflecting a year focused on the long-term success
of its customers, the Port of Tacoma has published its 2008
Annual Report. The average container volume fell 8.8 percent at
U.S. West Coast ports in 2008. The Port of Tacoma, however,
captured a larger share of this declining market with a container
volume drop of 3.3 percent. "The global economy is forcing
us all to recalibrate our business models and concentrate on the
core needs of our customers," said Port of Tacoma Commission
President Clare Petrich, explaining her Port's market share gain.
"In good economic times, Ports require sound management. In
challenging times, success requires focus at all levels of the
organization." The 36-page 2008 Annual Report highlights the
port's focus on customers, cost-effective operations, efficiency
and reliability, supply chain choices, sustainability and
community vitality. To view this publication online, click
http://www.portoftacoma.com/page.aspx?cid=411. Subscriptions to
all Port of Tacoma publications, including the Annual Report and
the Pacific Gateway magazine, are free of charge.
Truck Tonnage Index
sees big drop during March
ARLINGTON, VA The American Trucking Associations
advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index
fell 4.5 percent in March, marking the first month-to-month
decrease of 2009. The gains during the previous two months, which
totaled 4.5 percent, were erased with Marchs drop.
(Februarys increase was revised down to 1.5 percent.) In
March, the SA tonnage index equaled just 101.4 (2000 = 100),
which is its lowest level since March 2002. The fleets did report
higher volumes than in February, as the not seasonally adjusted
(NSA) index increased 10.2 percent, but that is well below the 15
to 20 percent range that NSA tonnage usually rises from February
to March. In March, the NSA index equaled 104.7. Compared with
March 2008, tonnage contracted 12.2 percent, which was the
second-worst year-over-year decrease of the current cycle. In
December 2008, the largest year-over-year contraction, tonnage
dropped 12.5 percent from a year earlier.
Panama Canal Authority
upgrades tugboat fleet
PANAMA CITY The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has announced
that it has introduced five new tugboats to its fleet, increasing
the availability of these essential vessels used to assist ships
transiting the waterway. The new units, purchased from Cheoy Lee
Shipyards, Ltd., have an output capacity of 4,800 horse power and
a bollard pull of more than 60 metric tons. Additionally, the
canal has made some operational changes that increase efficiency
and streamline operations. The ACP moved the management of its
shipyard to the canals Maritime Operations Division, led by
ACP Executive Vice President of Operations Manuel Benítez. The
canal has also instituted a more regular and systemized process
of tug maintenance, allowing proper availability of the fleet at
any given period. An additional 13 tugs, also purchased from
Cheoy Lee Shipyards, Ltd, are scheduled to begin arriving in
September 2010.
Puget Sound Safety Committee
looking for possible candidates
SEATTLE The Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee is seeking
candidates for its environmental representative position. The
committee is composed of non-compensated representatives from
most of the marine community stakeholder groups including a
currently empty position for a member representing the
environmental advocacy community. The environmental
representative/member should be a person interested in and
concerned with maritime safety and marine affairs, with
experience in the maritime domain. Letters of interest should be
submitted via email addressed to jeveentjer@marineexchangesea.com
no later than May 25, 2009. Attach resume or otherwise describe
background and reason for your interest. Questions should be
directed to John E. Veentjer, Executive Director, Marine Exchange
of Puget Sound, Executive Secretary to the Harbor Safety
Committee, 100 W. Harrison St, Suite S-560, Seattle, WA 98119.
The Executive Committee of the PSHSC may choose to do interviews
of one or more final candidates for the position. The EXCOM will
likely make its recommendation to the full PSHSC membership at
the October 7 meeting, if not by the August 5 meeting.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 27, 2009
Port of Olympia wants input on
commission compensation increase
OLYMPIA The Port of Olympia Commission is again seeking
public input on a compensation increase for port commissioners
that would take effect in 2012. The matter is on the advisory
calendar of the port commission meeting scheduled for today, at
5:30 p.m., in the LOTT Board Room, Market Centre Building -2nd
Floor, 111 Market Street NE, Olympia. The commission also heard
public comment on the compensation increase at their meeting of
April 13, 2009. For more information visit:
http://www.portolympia.com/uploads/Commission_Compensation.pdf
Puget Sound safety board
calling for new candidates
SEATTLE The Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee is seeking
candidates for its environmental representative position. The
committee is composed of non-compensated representatives from
most of the marine community stakeholder groups including a
currently empty position for a member representing the
environmental advocacy community. The environmental
representative/member should be a person interested in and
concerned with maritime safety and marine affairs, with
experience in the maritime domain. Letters of interest should be
submitted via email addressed to jeveentjer@marineexchangesea.com
no later than May 25, 2009. Attach resume or otherwise describe
background and reason for your interest. Questions should be
directed to John E. Veentjer, Executive Director, Marine Exchange
of Puget Sound, Executive Secretary to the Harbor Safety
Committee, 100 W. Harrison St, Suite S-560, Seattle, WA 98119.
The Executive Committee of the PSHSC may choose to do interviews
of one or more final candidates for the position. The EXCOM will
likely make its recommendation to the full PSHSC membership at
the October 7 meeting, if not by the August 5 meeting.
Horizon Lines reports
first fiscal quarter numbers
CHARLOTTE, NC Horizon Lines, Inc. has reported results for
the fiscal first quarter ended March 22, 2009. On a GAAP basis,
the company reported a net loss of $(10.0) million, or $(0.33)
per share, on revenue of $272.4 million. The adjusted net loss
totaled $(4.7) million, or $(0.15) per share, after excluding a
restructuring charge and anti-trust related legal expenses. Net
income for the first quarter of 2008 totaled $0.7 million, or
$0.02 per diluted share, after applying required retrospective
changes in accounting for the treatment of convertible debt and
restricted stock share-based payment awards. Revenue for the
first quarter of 2008 was $305.9 million.
Bellingham cruise terminal
earns environmental rating
BELLINGHAM Labeling storm drains, posting clean boating
signage, educating people about marine invasive species and
protecting natural habitat are some of the actions that earned
the Port of Bellingham's Bellingham Cruise Terminal a Five Star
rating from EnviroStars. Alice Cords, who operates the Whatcom
County EnviroStars program, presented the award to the Port of
Bellingham. She also said that the Bellingham Cruise Terminal is
now certified as a Washington Clean Marina, having adopted Clean
Marina standards. Each year more than 23,000 Alaska Marine
Highway passengers use the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, which also
is the homeport for Victoria-San Juan Cruises and several charter
boats. Cruise Terminal staff also worked with the Bellingham Bay
Community Boating Center on Clean Marina boater education. The
Bellingham Cruise Terminal is the third port marine facility to
earn the highest EnviroStar Rating. In 2004 Blaine Marina was
awarded the Five Star rating and in 2008 Squalicum Marina earned
it. EnviroStars is a joint effort of the Whatcom County Health
Department and the Regional EnviroStars Cooperative.
MAERSK ALABAMA crewmember
files lawsuit against employers
HOUSTON MAERSK ALABAMA crewmember, Richard E. Hicks, is
filing a lawsuit against his employer, Waterman Steamship
Corporation and Maersk Line, Ltd. for knowingly sending him into
pirate-infested waters near Somalia without adequate protection.
Mr. Hicks was taken hostage by Somali pirates April 8 while
working as chief steward preparing food for crewmembers. When Mr.
Hicks heard over the loudspeaker that pirates were on board, he
and other crewmembers gathered in the engine/steering room for
nearly 12 hours. "The engine room was dark and hot, maybe
130 degrees," Says Mr. Hicks. "We were all cramping up
with heat stroke symptoms when we were able to take a pirate
hostage and tried to negotiate the return of our Captain."
Pirates promised to exchange the ship's Captain for the pirate
hostage but instead escaped with the Captain and their pirate
crewmember. Mr. Hicks, attorney, Terry Bryant says the ship
owners' knowingly exposed their employees to imminent danger and
took no steps to provide appropriate levels of security and
safety for its employees.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 24, 2009
Port of Vancouver, BC
welcomes 2009 cruise season
VANCOUVER, BC April 24th marked the beginning of the 2009
cruise season in Vancouver, BC. The first cruise ship to call on
Port Metro Vancouver this year was the Balmoral, operated by
Norwegian company Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, on what is also its
first visit to Vancouver. The 2009 cruise season will be a busy
one for Vancouver, with 35 vessels making a total of 253 calls,
bringing approximately 875,000 passengers to the city through the
ports Canada Place and Ballantyne cruise terminals. This is
an increase from the 855,000 cruise passengers that came through
the Port in 2008. 2009 will also mark the introduction of shore
power at the Canada Place terminal. This will be the first use of
shore power in Canada, and only the third installation of its
type in the world. This environmentally innovative technology
allows cruise ships that have been adapted for its use to
completely shut down their engines and connect to shore-based
electrical power while docked, saving tonnes of fuel and reducing
marine diesel and greenhouse gas emissions. Shore power will be
operational for the 2009 cruise season, and there will be
approximately 60 vessel calls utilizing the system.
Port of Portland arms truckers
with green information book
PORTLAND On any given weekday, nearly 800 trucks roll
through the gates of the Port of Portland's Terminal 6 loaded
with containers either arriving from or bound for Oregons
international trade partners. Thats what made it the
perfect location on Earth Day for the Port of Portlands
marine environmental team to equip truckers with information
about emissions and air quality. Every driver who came through
the gate April 21, received a copy of Cascade Sierra
Solutions Guide to Saving Fuel and Reducing
Emissions. The nonprofit entity offers information and
assistance programs for retrofitting and upgrading older trucks
and guidance for the selection of new trucks. Cascade has Oregon
outreach centers in Portland and Coburg, and its overall efforts
are aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing pollution.
Weather woes again hit
weekly rail traffic numbers
WASHINGTON, DC Bad weather in the Upper Midwest, the slow
economy and the Good Friday holiday all combined to produce
another down week for U.S. rail freight traffic during the week
ended April 11, the Association of American Railroads reports.
U.S. railroads originated 248,391 cars during the week, down 24.5
percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 22.5
percent in the West and 27.3 percent in the East. The comparison
week from last year did not include Good Friday, which is
observed as a holiday on most U.S. railroads. Intermodal volume
of 178,283 trailers or containers was off 21.6 percent from last
year, with container volume falling 17.7 percent and trailer
volume dropping 35.7 percent. Total volume was estimated at 26.4
billion ton-miles, off 23.7 percent from 2008. For the first 14
weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of
3,770,207 carloads, down 17.2 percent from 2008; 2,606,619
trailers or containers, down 15.9 percent; and total volume of an
estimated 400.1 billion ton-miles, down 16.1 percent.
Grand Alliance wins
top container shipper award
TOKYO Grand Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, MISC Berhad,
Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line
(OOCL) have announced they have been awarded Best Container
Shipping Alliance at the Asian Freight and Supply Chain
Awards (AFSCAs), held in Hong Kong on April 22, 2009. The AFSCA
event is one of the highlights of the Asian freight industry
calendar. More than 12,500 readers of CargonewsAsia were polled
in an online voting process to select the best service providers
in the award categories. Readers were asked to select winning
organizations demonstrating qualities such as consistency in
service, continuous innovation and customer relationship
management. The Grand Alliance, formed in 1998, is a global
container shipping consortium.
TITAN Salvage reports
active first quarter
POMPANO BEACH, FL With the arrival of calmer springtime
weather, TITAN Salvage has resumed wreck removal operations in
Gibraltar on the NEW FLAME following a busy first quarter in
which the company successfully responded to eight salvage
opportunities. Among them were the re-floating of the bulk
carrier FEDRA's forward section in Gibraltar, the re-floating of
a general cargo vessel grounded on environmentally-sensitive
coral reefs of southern Belize; and the safe delivery of a tank
ship involved in a collision and fire off the coast of Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. TITAN, a wholly owned Crowley subsidiary,
is a worldwide salvage company based in Pompano Beach, Fla. The
company also has offices and equipment depots in Newhaven, UK and
Singapore. Over the past 28 years, TITAN has performed more than
300 salvage and wreck removal projects worldwide.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Port of Seattle set for
start of 2009 cruise season
SEATTLE The 2009 cruise season gets underway April 24 with
the arrival of Holland America Line's ms AMSTERDAM at the new
Smith Cove Terminal located at the Port of Seattle's Pier 91. A
record 211 vessels are expected this season, bringing an
estimated 801,000 passengers to Seattle. The port's cruise
business creates thousands of jobs and millions in revenue while
using new technology to lessen its environmental footprint. Per
an agreement between the port and the cruise lines, all cruise
ships that homeport in Seattle will use shore power or low-sulfur
fuel while docked, eliminating the need to run ship engines to
generate onboard electricity. That agreement is similar to one
between the cruise lines, the port, and the Washington State
Department of Ecology that governs wastewater discharges.
Seattle's cruise industry is responsible for more than 3,700
jobs, $312 million in annual business revenue, and $16 million in
state and local tax revenues.
Port of Vancouver, USA
already working at Terminal 5
VANCOUVER, USA It has been less than a month since the
Port of Vancouver USA took ownership of the properties formerly
known as the Alcoa/Evergreen Aluminum properties, and yet the
port's new Terminal 5 is already accepting cargo. At 9 a.m.,
Monday, April 13, crews from International Longshore &
Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 4 began moving wind energy cargo on
to the new terminal, unloading Vestas tower sections from the
vessel Makiri Green at Terminal 3 and moving them across Terminal
4, through the TriStar Transload leasehold and onto Terminal 5
where they will be stored until delivery to the wind farm
development takes place. Between Monday and Thursday, April 16, a
total of 72 Vestas tower sections were discharged from the ship
and moved to Terminal 5.
Boeing converted freighter
delivered to Air China Cargo
XIAMEN, China Boeing, Air China Cargo and TAECO (Taikoo
Aircraft Engineering Co.) have celebrated the redelivery of the
carrier's first 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter, the first of
three 747-400BCFs ordered by the airline. The airplane is
converted from an Air China 747-400 Combi. Air China Cargo is
receiving the 37th 747-400BCF redelivery and the eighth
conversion from a combi model. The airplane is also the 29th to
be converted at the TAECO facility. The second conversion for Air
China Cargo also is under way at TAECO. Nine carriers have
ordered 49 747-400BCFs. Modifications for the combi-to-freighter
conversion include a strengthened main-deck floor, full main-deck
lining installation, provisions for a new cargo handling system
and complete revisions to the airplane systems. The 747-400BCF
has positions for 30 pallets on the main deck -- volume which is
comparable to the 747-400 production freighter.
Ship management firm
slams HEBEI SPIRIT ruling
LONDON InterManager, the international trade association
for in-house and third party ship managers, has expressed concern
at initial reports emerging from Korea which indicate that the
Korean Supreme Court has not exonerated the Master and Chief
Engineer of the HEBEI SPIRIT. Early indications are that the
Supreme Court appears to be unwilling to reverse the Appeal
Court's guilty ruling on pollution charges even though the
Primary Court judged them to be innocent. Other charges look set
to once again be referred to an appeal court. It is not yet clear
whether the seafarers must remain in Korea pending this further
appeal. The 1993-built HEBEI SPIRIT was at anchor waiting for a
berth when a crane barge broke its tow in stormy weather and
smashed into the vessel's side, holing three cargo tanks. About
10,500 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea, causing Korea's
largest ever oil spill. Two South Korean tug masters were jailed
for their part in the incident but the two HEBEI SPIRIT officers,
Indian nationals Capt. Jasprit Chawla and Syam Chetan, were
cleared of all charges last June. However, they were subsequently
jailed after a retrial returned a guilty verdict. Following
international outcry at the inhuman conditions the men faced in
jail they were released at the end of last year but ordered to
remain in Korea pending the Supreme Court ruling.
Border Patrol agents
take tips for charity
BELLINGHAM On Saturday April 18, Blaine Sector Border
Patrol agents and Bellingham Police officers traded their
handcuffs and badges for aprons and menus. The agents and
officers served tables at the Bellingham Red Robin Restaurant
from noon until 8 p.m. More than $3,000 in tips and donations
were collected for the Special Olympics Washington. Tip a
Cop is an official statewide fund raising event sponsored
by the Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign. Enforcement officers
and agency personnel volunteer their time as Celebrity
Waiters at local Red Robin Restaurants to collect tips and
donations to support the Special Olympics.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Waterfront planning efforts
making progress in Bellingham
BELLINGHAM The Bellingham City Council and Port Commission
have voted to move forward on joint waterfront planning efforts.
In a joint meeting on April 20, 2009, the two governing bodies
voted to adopt the proposed Planning Framework and Planning
Assumptions as a basis to move the waterfront redevelopment
master planning process forward for further development and
public review, including referral to the Waterfront Advisory
Group. They also agreed that final decisions will be made only
after publication of the final Environmental Impact Statement. A
joint public information session on the Planning Framework and
Planning Assumptions will be at 6:30 p.m., April 29, at the
Bellingham Cruise Terminal 355 Harris Avenue in Fairhaven. In
addition to the staff presentation, there will be opportunities
for people to ask questions and share ideas. The Waterfront
Advisory Committee also will review these planning documents at
its regular meeting on May 13. In March 2009, the Bellingham City
Council and Port of Bellingham's Board of Commissioners were
presented a report by a group of local volunteer architects
regarding waterfront redevelopment concepts. Since that time,
city, port, Western Washington University, members of the local
volunteer architect group, and others have discussed priorities
and options that would support finalizing a waterfront master
planning process.
Port of Seattle eyes
ethics compliance program
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle has developed a preliminary
work plan for establishing a comprehensive ethics compliance
program. Such a program is directly responsive to one of the
eight recommendations contained in the Special
Investigative Committee Report prepared by Mike McKay and
others, dated December 3, 2008. It also addresses CEO Tay
Yoshitanis commitment to improving the ports culture
both in terms of how employees behave in the workplace toward
each other and how they behave as community citizens and stewards
of the publics resources. In his presentation to the port
commission on December 9, 2008, he made a commitment to develop a
comprehensive workplace responsibility awareness and training
program using the principles expressed in six existing policies,
including: the Ethics Policy for Employees, Ethics Policy for
Consultants, Fraud Awareness and Prevention, Anti-Harassment
Policy, ICT Appropriate Use Policy and Whistleblower Policy. (See
Workplace Responsibility diagram.) The Work Plan includes
specific projects and a schedule, including robust and regular
training and communication elements for employees. The Interim
Report on this program, the Program Planning Committee, and all
accompanying documents created as part of it will reside on the
port's Web page, http://www.portseattle.org.
ARRA funding headed to
series of Coast Guard projects
WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced that a series of U.S.
Coast Guard projects designed to provide critical improvements
and create jobs will be funded by an infusion of $240 million
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA,
signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 19, committed more
than $3 billion for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) and General Services Administration (GSA) in support of DHS
programs. A total of $240 million was provided by ARRA to the
Coast Guard. $142 million will be used to fund bridge alterations
projects on the Mobile Bridge in Hurricane, Ala., the EJ&E
Bridge in Devine, Ill., the Burlington Bridge in Burlington,
Iowa, and the Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge in Galveston,
Texas. In addition, $88 million in ARRA funds will allow for the
construction of buildings to house Coast Guard Sectors in Corpus
Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, Fla., as well as shore
infrastructure projectsconstruction of personnel housing,
boat moorings and other improvementsin Oregon, Washington,
Alaska, North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware. Finally, $10
million will help upgrade or replace worn or obsolete components
on the Coast Guard's fleet of 12 high-endurance cutters,
including upgrades to boiler controls, refrigeration systems and
automatic bus transfer switches, and replacements of fire pumps,
fire and smoke detection systems and auxiliary saltwater pumps.
The 40-plus-year-old cutters benefiting from the ARRA-funded
projects are homeported in Seattle, Alameda, Calif., Kodiak,
Alaska, Honolulu, San Diego and Charleston, S.C.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines installs
reefer box monitoring system
TOKYO Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced the
installation of an automatic monitoring system for reefer
containers at the Tokyo International Container Terminal (TICT).
MOL and Wilco Inc. jointly demonstrated the system, which
automatically monitors the temperature in each reefer container.
Based on the results of the demonstration, MOL decided to
introduce the system at TICT, the first full-scale system
installed at any Tokyo Bay container terminal. The system relies
on power lines to automatically transmit information from modems
on containers to monitors in the terminal office. The signals
travel over the same power lines that supply electricity to the
reefer containers. Until now, the temperature in the reefer
container was controlled by connecting a special cable for
monitoring or by periodic visual checks.
NYK plans to develop
new super eco vessel
TOKYO NYK has released an initial exploratory design for
its NYK Super Eco Ship 2030, an energy-efficient ship expected to
emit far fewer CO2 emissions
than current vessels. The design was created by MTI, a wholly
owned NYK subsidiary charged with making use of advances in
technology, along with Garroni Progetti s.r.l, an Italian
designer of ships, and Elomatic Marine, a Finnish
marine-technology consultant. NYK Super Eco Ship 2030 will make
use of progressive technologies that have the potential of being
realized by 2030. The power needed to propel the ship can be
lessened by decreasing the weight of the hull and reducing water
friction. Propulsion power can be increased through use of
LNG-based fuel cells, solar cells, and wind power, all of which
will lead to a reduction of CO2 by 69 percent per container
carried.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 20, 2009
Editor,
An evaporating small sheen in the water that poses no risk is
disappointing but not as note worthy as a fisherman loosing his
life. Your article (April 16) Agencies work to clean sheen
from overturned fishing vessel is a skewed view of a
tragedy involving a capsized vessel that resulted in the loss of
life.
Patrick Boyle
Cap Sante International
Editor's note: Thank you Mr. Boyle. Here is more information on
the RENEE MARIA capsizing.
SEATTLE One of two men pulled from the waters near Cape
Elizabeth, Wash., by the Coast Guard died at the Aberdeen General
Hospital in Aberdeen, Wash. April 14. Coast Guard units in Port
Angeles, and Astoria, received a mayday from the 31-foot fishing
vessel, RENEE MARIA, at 7:20 p.m. Tuesday. An HH-60 helicopter
crew from Air Station Astoria was immediately launched along with
a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Quillayute River,
Wash. Using directions provided by the Coast Guard's Rescue 21
system, the helicopter crew was able to fly directly to the scene
of the overturned vessel where they found Weston Fowler of Port
Orchard, Wash., tangled in crab fishing gear. "The Rescue 21
system got us within yards of the vessel," said Lt. Robert
Potter, a Coast Guard pilot who responded to the scene. A rescue
swimmer was lowered to retrieve Fowler and Coast Guard personnel
administered CPR to him until they reached medical personnel on
shore. Mr. Fowler was taken to Aberdeen General Hospital where he
was later pronounced dead. Two Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter crews
from Air Station Astoria, Ore., two 47-foot motor lifeboat crews
from Stations Quillayute River and Grays Harbor, Wash., and two
commercial fishing vessels searched the waters eight miles west
of Cape Elizabeth for the second man, Jeremy Brown of Port
Orchard, who was found in a liferaft at 11:20 p.m. after a
helicopter crew spotted a flare. The 47-foot motor lifeboat crew
from Quillayute River rescued Mr. Brown and transported him to
Grays Harbor where it was determined he was well enough to return
home. "Mr. Brown's presence of mind helped a great deal to
increase his chances of survival," said Lt. Potter. "He
managed to stay focused enough to get the raft inflated and those
flares shot off. The third flare he fired perfectly illuminated
the raft he was in, and all our resources headed straight for
him." Lt. Potter also praised the commercial fishermen who
aided in the search when they heard the mayday transmission. The
RENEE MARIA is homeported in Chinook, Wash.
Neptune Orient Lines
promotes two executives
SINGAPORE Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) Group President &
CEO Ronald D. Widdows has announced new senior management
appointments to head the groups APL Logistics business unit
and its South Asia Region organization. Jim McAdam has been
promoted and assumes the position of president, APL Logistics,
the unit of the NOL Group that provides international supply
chain capabilities for customers globally. He replaces Brian Lutt
who recently left the Group to pursue other opportunities. Mr.
McAdam is currently APLs president South Asia Region and
prior to that was president of the Asia/Middle East Region from
2006. Goh Teik Poh has been selected to replace Mr. McAdam as
president South Asia Region. He will lead APLs business and
operations across 27 country markets in Southeast Asia, West
Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
UK Ship Register
welcomes giant container ship
LONDON The UK ship register officially welcomed CMA CGM
ANDROMEDA to the UK Ship Register earlier this month, when the
vessel docked at Southampton. The vessel is the largest container
ship on the UK register at 131,332 GT, 11,356 TEU. Overall the
ship is the second largest vessel on the register with the QUEEN
MARY 2 being the largest at 148,528 GT. CMA CGM ANDROMEDA, owned
by CMA CGM, 3rd worldwide shipping group, is also the world's
first containership to be equipped with the "Fast Oil
Recovery System" designed to help prevent marine pollution.
The vessel was built in by Hyundai Heavy
Industries Co Ltd, Ulsan, South Korea and delivered on March 18,
2009. The UK Ship Register has 1,557 vessels and GT now stands at
16,482,171. CMA CGM currently has 31 ships registered with the
UKSR, equating to just under 1.4 million GT and is the 3rd
largest fleet flying the UK Flag.
Crowley ships 'safe boats'
for use in Americas Summit
JACKSONVILLE, FL Crowley played a behind-the-scenes role
in assuring Heads of State had safe transportation during the
Summit of the Americas event held in Trinidad and Tobago last
weekend. The company successfully transported two Interceptor
vessels or "Safe Boats" to Trinidad for U.S. Customs
and Border Protection. The vessels will be used to ensure the
security of visiting dignitaries. The U.S. government agency
thanked Crowley for coordinating and assisting in this important
task The Summit of the Americas brings together the Heads of
State and government representatives from the Western Hemisphere
to discuss common concerns, seek solutions and develop a shared
vision for the future development of the region, be it economic,
social or political in nature. U.S. President Barack Obama
arrived in Trinidad to attend the summit, following his visit to
Mexico.
Department of Commerce
rules against LNG project
WASHINGTON, DC The Department of Commerce has issued a
decision upholding New York States objection to the
proposed construction and operation of a floating liquefied
natural gas (LNG) terminal and subsea pipeline that would be
located in the New York waters of Long Island Sound. Broadwater
Energy LLC, and Broadwater Pipeline LLC proposed constructing the
terminal to which tankers would deliver LNG. At the terminal, LNG
would be regasified and then transported to shore by way of a new
21.7 mile subsea natural gas pipeline that would tie into the
regional network. New York objected to the project under the
Coastal Zone Management Act, asserting that the proposal was
inconsistent with the Long Island Sound Coastal Management
Program. Broadwater appealed the States objection to the
Department of Commerce on June 6, 2008. The Department of
Commerce concluded that the projects adverse coastal
impacts outweighed its national interest, in part because its
location in an undeveloped region of the sound would
significantly impair its unique scenic and aesthetic character
and would undermine decades of federal, state, and local efforts
to protect the region. The decision was based on the appeal
record, which includes information developed by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), additional briefs and
documents offered by the parties, the views of interested federal
agencies, as well as a friend of the court brief
filed by the Attorney General of Connecticut. The ruling prevents
the issuance of any federal permits necessary for the
construction and operation of the project. It does not, however,
prevent Broadwater from developing alternate proposals for
federal and state review.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 17, 2009
Maersk, CMA CGM to begin
Port of Seattle calls in June
SEATTLE Maersk Line and CMA CGM have confirmed that they
will begin calling with a combined service at the Port of
Seattle's Terminal 18 in June. Ships from the two lines will make
weekly calls in Seattle. Fourteen vessels, each with a capacity
of 6,500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), will be deployed on
the joint service. Maersk and CMA CGM will use the dockside
intermodal yard at Terminal 18 to move containers between ships
and trains. Maersk Line, based in Denmark and CMA CGM, based in
France, are among the world's largest container lines.
Longview Port Commissioners
seek bids on sand removal work
LONGVIEW The Board of Commissioners for the Port of
Longview is requesting sealed bids for the 2009 Sand Removal
& Embankment Construction Project, including the furnishing
of all labor, materials and equipment necessary. The bids will be
received at the office of the Port of Longview, 10 Port Way,
Longview, Washington, until 2 p.m., April 28, 2009, at which time
they will be publicly opened and read aloud. Any bids received
after the due date and time will not be considered. This project
consists of remvoal and on-site hauling of approximately 776,000
cubic yards of sand from the port's borrow site. Additionally,
the scope includes constructing embankments and providing
aggregate base course. A pre-bid conference and site tour is
scheduled for this project on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Potential
bidders are encouraged to attend. The port will convene at the
lobby of the main administrative offices located at #10 Port
Way,Longview, WA., at 2 p.m. Plans, specifications, contract
documents, addenda and plan holders list for the project are
available online through the Port of Longview's on-line plan
room. Free-of-charge access is provided to prime bidders,
subcontractors and vendors by visiting www.bxwa.com and clicking
on "Posted Projects", "Public Works" and
"Port of Longview".
US rail freight traffic
continues slide during week
WASHINGTON, DC Bad weather in the Upper Midwest, the slow
economy and the Good Friday holiday all combined to produce
another down week for U.S. rail freight traffic during the week
ended April 11, the Association of American Railroads reports.
U.S. railroads originated 248,391 cars during the week, down 24.5
percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 22.5
percent in the West and 27.3 percent in the East. The comparison
week from last year did not include Good Friday, which is
observed as a holiday on most U.S. railroads. Intermodal volume
of 178,283 trailers or containers was off 21.6 percent from last
year, with container volume falling 17.7 percent and trailer
volume dropping 35.7 percent. Total volume was estimated at 26.4
billion ton-miles, off 23.7 percent from 2008. For the first 14
weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of
3,770,207 carloads, down 17.2 percent from 2008; 2,606,619
trailers or containers, down 15.9 percent; and total volume of an
estimated 400.1 billion ton-miles, down 16.1 percent.
K Line joining TSK
in joint Japan/Jakarta service
TOKYO Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (KLINE) and
TOKYO SENPAKU KAISHA, LTD (TSK) have reached an agreement to
launch a joint service between Japan and Straits / Jakarta from
mid-May 2009, in response to the ongoing financial crisis that
has reduced cargo volume for this sector. K LINE and
TSK will merge two existing, independent services into one
service, unifying fleet deployment to their maximum size thereby
improving efficiency and schedule integrity. In addition to this
newly-established joint service, both parties also agree to widen
their cooperation by exchanging slots with each other on their
existing services, so that they can maximize efficiency and
provide better quality and wider range of services to their
customers. This slot exchange is also designed with the intent of
keeping comprehensive port coverage that both parties now
operates through their existing two independent services, and
ensure that all ports will be continuously served without
hindrance. Four vessels of about 1700 nominal TEU capacity will
be deployed on a 28-day round voyage to provide a weekly service.
KLINE and TSK will provide two vessels each The joint
service will provide the following port coverage: Osaka, Shimizu,
Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Keelung, Manila, Singapore, Port
Klang, Jakarta, Singapore, Manila, Osaka
Webb Institute name pair
as Crowley scholars for 2009-2100
JACKSONVILLE, FL Crowley's commitment to provide
educational opportunities to exemplary students continued this
week, as the Webb Institute named Simmy Willemann of
Pleasantville, N.Y. and Seth Cooley of East Lyme, Conn., as the
2009-2010 Crowley scholars. Both students, who will each receive
$5,000 in cash grants from Crowley, were selected based on their
distinguished scholastic and community service activities. The
recent Crowley Webb scholarships are part of Crowley's
longstanding, ongoing commitment to education. Over the years,
Crowley Chairman, President and CEO, Tom Crowley Jr., has
directed the company to present scholarship dollars to deserving
students at the maritime academies and other select institutions
in the U.S., Caribbean and Central America in the name of his
father Thomas B. Crowley Sr., who guided the company to
extraordinary heights before passing away in 1994.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Schnitzer board elects
pair of new members
PORTLAND Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. has announced
that David J. Anderson and Wayland R. Hicks have been elected to
the companys Board of Directors, effective immediately. The
addition of Messrs. Anderson and Hicks expands the board to 13
and results in the majority of the board being independent
directors. Mr. Anderson, 61, most recently served as executive
director and co-vice chairman of Sauer-Danfoss Inc. and was the
president and chief executive officer of Sauer-Danfoss Inc. from
July 2002 through January 2009. Sauer-Danfoss designs and
manufactures hydraulic systems used in agriculture, construction,
road-building and materials handling equipment. Mr. Hicks, 66,
served as director and vice chairman of United Rentals, Inc. from
1998 through March 2009 and served as chief executive officer
from December 2003 through June 2007. United Rentals, Inc. is one
of the largest national equipment rental companies in the U.S.,
serving residential, commercial and industrial needs. Mr.
Anderson and Mr. Hicks will serve terms as directors until the
companys 2010 annual meeting of shareholders.
Port Tracker report finds
box volume at seven year low
WASHINGTON, DC Import cargo volume at the nations
major retail container ports hit its lowest level in seven years
in February as the number of containers dropped below the 1
million mark for the first time in half a decade, according to
the monthly Port Tracker report released by the National Retail
Federation and IHS Global Insight. Numbers began climbing again
in March and April, but the 1 million mark wont be seen
again before May, and imports will continue to see significant
declines compared with last year at least through the summer.
MarAd has DOD funding
for Port of Anchorage upgrades
WASHINGTON, DC The Department of Transportation's Maritime
Administration has announced the receipt of $10 million from the
Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment, to continue
Port of Anchorage, Alaska, with its infrastructure improvements.
The funding will allow the port to complete the next phase of its
$700 million renovation and expansion, which will add an
additional 18 acres of new real estate to the port. The Port of
Anchorage is undergoing a $700 million major renovation and
expansion to support both increasing Department of Defense use of
the port, as well as its growing commercial use. The port serves
more than 80 percent of Alaska's population, with 90 percent of
consumer goods flowing through it, and it is the major gateway
for equipment supporting the state's energy industry.
CKYH Alliance member lines
discuss future at summit meeting
SEOUL CKYH (COSCON, K LINE, Yang Ming, and
Hanjin Shipping) Alliance have announced that they held a 2009
Summit Meeting in Jeju, Korea on April, 9th. With the senior
management staff of each line present, the alliance members
shared concerns and ideas on market prospects as well as on how
to overcome the current crisis in the shipping industry. They all
agreed that the key to survival lies in providing the customers
with distinguished services, which requires even stronger
cooperation among the partner carriers. In this regard, the
alliance members discussed various strategies covering 1)
rationalization of the existing East-West trades, 2) expansion in
the North-South trades and niche markets, 3) utilization of
assets such as ships, terminals, etc., 4) cost-saving by common
EQ management, feeder network, and contract with 3rd parties,
etc. CKYH Alliance adds that they are planning on holding regular
consultations between the top management of each partner carrier
to discuss operational issues and responses to meet customer
demand in a timely way and maintain top quality service for their
customers.
Agencies work to clean sheen
from overturned fishing vessel
SEATTLE The Coast Guard and other state and local agencies
are working to cleanup a diesel sheen that resulted from the
overturning of the fishing vessel, RENEE MARIA, near Cape
Elizabeth, Wash., Wednesday. The Coast Guard, Olympic Coast
National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA, Quinault Nation Indian Tribe,
Washington Department of Ecology, Department of Interior,
Meredith Management and CPR Mangement Services are responding to
the sheen that is reported to be one-half mile long and 80-feet
wide. The Coast Guard has opened the National Pollution Fund for
$250,000 for the cleanup. The sheen is made up of diesel,
hydraulic and other lubricant fluids and is reported to be
evaporating with no risk of reaching land. A salvage company has
been hired to recover the RENEE MARIA. The RENEE MARIA overturned
Tuesday prompting Coast Guard units to respond and rescue its two
passengers from the water. One of two men pulled from the water
by the Coast Guard died at the Aberdeen General Hospital in
Aberdeen, Wash. The accident is under investigation.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Seattle Port Commissioners
Ok relief/environmental schemes
SEATTLE Port of Seattle Commissioners have approved a plan
that protects jobs, supports local truckers and maritime cargo
customers, and reduces diesel emissions. The clean air plan will
keep older, more polluting trucks off roads and port terminals;
the customer support plan reduces fees and defers some payments
from terminal operators. The relief package is focused on
terminal operators whose revenues depend on the number of
containers they handle. Port cargo was down 37 percent in
February 2009 as consumer spending continued to drop, endangering
the jobs that cargo generates. Seattles maritime cargo
industry supports over 135,000 jobs throughout the state - jobs
that are crucial to the health of the states economy. The
customer support program would go into effect from June 2009 to
June 2010, although adjustments may be made as economic
conditions change. The Port of Seattle will continue to
demonstrate its environmental commitment by contributing $2.3
million to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA). The port is
investing the funds in programs that reduce diesel emission from
maritime sources, particularly a program that buys back pre-1994
trucks and scraps them. Additional funds available from other
sources will be used to assist truckers with replacing older
trucks with newer, cleaner retrofits that produce less pollution.
Corps wants public comment
on Columbia mouth dredging plans
PORTLAND The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking
public comments on continued maintenance dredging planned between
June and October at the mouth of the Columbia River. As in years
past, the Corps plans to maintain the navigation channel at its
federally authorized depths of 55 feet and 48 feet for the
outbound (northern) and inbound (southern) lanes, respectively.
To view the entire public notice and supporting documents, visit
https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/n/envcord.asp. Send comments to
Steve Helm at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CENWP-PM-E, P.O. Box
2946, Portland, OR, 97208, or via email at
steve.r.helm@usace.army.mil, or telephone at (503)-808-4778.
Comments must be received by May 14.
Federal stimulus funds set for
Washington emissions program
SEATTLE Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Department of
Ecology Director Jay Manning have announced that $1.73 million in
federal stimulus grants will be distributed throughout Washington
to reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines. The state
Department of Ecology will receive the money from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency under the American Reinvestment
and Recovery Act. Ecology will use the funds to bolster the
Washington clean diesel program. Ecologys air quality
program will use about $1.3 million to help to improve pollution
controls on privately and publicly owned cargo-handling
equipment, such as trucks, loaders and forklifts, at Puget Sound
and Columbia River ports.
Port of Tacoma reports
smooth TWIC implementation
TACOMA Since the Transportation Worker Identification
Credential (TWIC) card became mandatory at the Port of Tacoma on
Feb. 28, 2009, terminals and the port-operated facilities report
a smooth implementation. Following the initial TWIC registration
effort in November 2007, the Port of Tacoma and its terminal
operator customers began a comprehensive outreach program to
vendors, labor, transportation providers and port staff to raise
awareness of the new requirement. Port staff, for example, met
with companies and worker groups, distributed fliers to truckers
and vendors, set up electronic road signage, detailed new
requirements on the port website, and much more. As of April 3,
2009, total TWIC enrollments in the Tacoma area numbered 12,170
with 10,193 activations. And 100 percent of Port of Tacoma staff
has received their TWIC card.
Panama Canal Authority
posts quarterly metrics
PANAMA CITY The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has released
second quarter (Q2) operational metrics for fiscal year 2009. In
Q2, Canal Waters Time (CWT), the average time it takes a vessel
to transit the Canal, including waiting time for passage,
decreased significantly, while total transits and net tonnage
remained nearly flat. These metrics are based on operations from
January through March 2009, the second quarter of the ACP's 2009
fiscal year, and are compared with Q2 of fiscal year 2008.
Average CWT decreased 27.9 percent to 26.22 hours from
36.39 hours. CWT for booked vessels (those ships holding
reservations) decreased 19.5 percent to 15.83 hours from
19.66 hours. The drop in CWT can be attributed to the ACPs
efficient operations and a decline in transits. Total canal
transits slightly decreased 1.4 percent to 3,914 transits
from 3,971. Transits of supers, larger ships that require greater
time and navigation skills to transit the canal, declined 2.9
percent to 1,815 transits from 1,869.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 13, 2009
Federal stimulus grant funds
eyed for cleaner diesel engines
OLYMPIA Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Department of
Ecology Director Jay Manning have announced that $1.73 million in
federal stimulus grants will be distributed throughout Washington
to reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines. The state
Department of Ecology will receive the money from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency under the American Reinvestment
and Recovery Act. Ecology will use the funds to bolster the
Washington clean diesel program. Ecology has identified diesel
exhaust as the air pollutant most harmful to public health in
Washington. Diesel exhaust causes 70 percent of the cancer risk
from airborne pollutants. It puts healthy people at risk for
respiratory disease and worsens the symptoms of those with health
problems such as asthma and heart and lung disease. The funds
also will support Washingtons economy by paying contractors
to install new pollution controls on engines that run on diesel
fuel. Ecologys air quality program will use about $1.3
million to help to improve pollution controls on privately and
publicly owned cargo-handling equipment, such as trucks, loaders
and forklifts, at Puget Sound and Columbia River ports. Ecology
estimates that money will pay for more than 200 exhaust
retrofits.
The Greenbrier Companies
announces second quarter numbers
LAKE OSWEGO The Greenbrier Companies has reported results
for its fiscal second quarter ended February 28, 2009. Revenue
for the second quarter was $287 million, up $27 million or 11
percent versus the prior year's second quarter. Net loss for the
quarter was $6.9 million, or $.41 per diluted share,compared to
net earnings of $1.4 million, or $.09 per diluted share, in the
prior year's second quarter. Results for the second quarter of
2009 were impacted by a $9.9 million deferral of revenue and
related margin on a portion of the sale price of certain railcars
sold and paid for in full during the quarter. A portion of this
deferral is anticipated to be recognized as revenue and pre-tax
earnings in future periods. The results also include $1.4 million
of severance costs associated with reductions in work force.
EBITDA for the quarter was $9.4 million, or 3.3 percent of
revenues, compared to $23.6 million, or 9.1 percent of revenues
in the second quarter of 2008.
Lynden Companies receive
Green Star environmental award
ANCHORAGE The Lynden family of companies was recently
presented with a Green Star Award for environmental programs in
Alaska. Lynden companies Lynden Transport and Alaska West Express
are the first Alaska trucking companies to be recognized by Green
Star for environmental stewardship. The non-profit Green Star
organization encourages businesses to practice waste reduction,
energy conservation and pollution prevention through education
and a voluntary "green business" certification program.
Lynden's award will be officially presented next month at an
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce meeting. Lynden is working as a
unified organization to certify at least seven of its locations
throughout the state including companies Alaska West Express,
Lynden Air Cargo and Lynden Transport locations in Alaska.
Alaska Airlines plans flights
from Bellingham to Las Vegas
SEATTLE Alaska Airlines has announced new nonstop service
between Bellingham and Las Vegas starting June 25, 2009. The
flights will operate each way on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines will also continue to offer
four-times-daily Bellingham-Las Vegas service via Seattle. The
flights will depart Bellingham International Airport at 5:35 p.m.
and arrive in Las Vegas at 8:05 p.m. Return flights will depart
Las Vegas at 2 p.m., arriving in Bellingham at 4:35 p.m. The
airline will use fuel-efficient Boeing 737-700 aircraft on the
route, seating 112 passengers in the main cabin and 12 in first
class. Alaska Airlines previously served Bellingham from 1989 to
1992, and since has been serving the market via sister airline
Horizon Air.
Washington ferry ELWHA
back in service following shutdown
ANACORTES The Washington State Department of
Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) has completed investigation
and maintenance of the drive motor on the 144-auto ferry ELWHA,
and the vessel returned to service on the Anacortes/San Juan
Islands route on April 9. The 90-auto SEALTH will restore
capacity on the inter-island route by relieving the 34-auto HIYU.
WSF removed the ELWHA from service on March 24 after the crew
discovered sparking in an electrical switch in the vessels
drive motor. Removing the vessel from service prevented further
problems that could have resulted in a severe casualty of the
drive motor.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 10, 2009
TSA member carriers eye
minimum base freight rates
OAKLAND Transpacific container lines are recommending an
unprecedented schedule of minimum base freight rates from Asia to
U.S. for their upcoming service contracts, in an effort to
stabilize revenues and services. Member lines in the Transpacific
Stabilization Agreement (TSA) say that establishing a floor on
rates, in light of the recent flurry of reductions, will likely
decide whether some lines continue to operate in the trade.
Despite initiatives previously announced by the TSA, efforts to
curtail rate volatility during the traditional off-peak period
have been largely unsuccessful, as carriers have struggled to
respond to substantially lower cargo demand and the resulting
overcapacity. Senior executives with TSA carriers now must come
to terms with a stark set of choices: Set their pricing at
minimally sustainable levels, or see massive losses in 2009-10
that will not only threaten their viability but also damage the
service integrity in the trade.
Port of Camas-Washougal
holding airport open house
CAMAS The Port of Camas-Washougal invites the community to
review the draft Grove Field Airport improvement alternatives
currently being considered, to have their questions answered and
share their input. A public open house is scheduled for Tuesday,
April 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Camas High School Commons
area.The drop-in style open house will include periodic project
overview presentations and graphic representations of the
alternatives at display stations. Staff will be on hand to answer
questions and collect comments. The purpose of this Environmental
Assessment project is to bring Grove Field Airport into
compliance with Federal Aviation Administration design standards
for the airport's existing Airport Reference Code of A-I (small),
while complying with Federal and State environmental regulations.
The current airport designation for Grove Field allows for
aircraft with approach speeds of less than 91 knots, wingspans up
to 49 feet and a maximum weight of 12,500 pounds. There will be
no change in the size of aircraft typically using Grove Field
Airport as a result of this project.
Weather hits weekly totals
for US rail freight traffic
WASHINGTON, DC Bad weather in Wyoming and the Upper
Midwest combined with the slow economy to produce another down
week for U.S. rail freight traffic during the first week of
April, the Association of American Railroads reports. U.S.
railroads reported originating 262,624 cars during the week, down
20.5 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down
19.4 percent in the West and 22.0 percent in the East. Intermodal
volume of 184,845 trailers or containers was off 14.7 percent
from last year, with container volume falling 9.0 percent and
trailer volume dropping 34.0 percent. Total volume was estimated
at 27.9 billion ton-miles, off 19.1 percent from 2008. Eighteen
of 19 carload freight commodity groups were down from last year,
with the miscellaneous category labeled "all other
carloads" showing a small 0.3 percent increase. Declines on
the other 18 commodity groups ranged from 8.3 percent for coal to
63.8 percent for metals. For the first 13 weeks of 2009, U.S.
railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,521,816 carloads, down
16.7 percent from 2008; 2,428,336 trailers or containers, down
15.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 373.7 billion
ton-miles, down 15.5 percent.
Evergreen making changes
to pair of service offerings
TAIPEI Evergreen Line has announced a series of
enhancements to its Asia - U.S. East Coast Service (AUE) and
China - South U.S. West Coast - China Service (CPS). These
changes will come into effect from mid April. The CPS service
will now provide faster transit times from the ports of Shanghai
to Los Angeles. From Shanghai the transit times has been reduced
to 12 days. The revised CPS port rotation is as follows: Xingang
- Qingdao - Shanghai - Ningbo - Los Angeles - Oakland - Xingang.
The first CPS vessel to load in China will be the 6332TEU HATSU
ENVOY 0331-070' sailing from Xingang on April 18, 2009. The AUE
service, which offers direct sailing between Asia and the U.S.
East Coast, will now offer a transit time of 24 days between
Yantian and Savannah. The first sailing on the revised schedule
will be operated by the 4,211TEU vessel, EVER DIAMOND 0468-089E'
departing from Taipei Port on April 24, 2009. The port rotation
is as follows: Taipei - Hong Kong - Yantian - Kaohsiung - Colon
Container Terminal - Savannah - New York - Baltimore - Colon
Container Terminal - Taipei.
PDX names winner
of 'Heroes' movie contest
PORTLAND Bryan Rosenberger and his video Its
What Super Heroes Do is the grand prize winner in the Be a
Local Super Hero video contest promoting Portland International
Airports nonstop services to Europe and Asia. More than
1,600 viewers selected the winner from a field of 55 one-minute
qualifying video entries through an on-line voting Web site. As
the grand prize winner, Mr. Rosenberger received four coach
tickets to his choice of Amsterdam or Tokyo on Northwest (a
subsidiary of Delta Air Lines) or Frankfurt on Lufthansa, plus a
pre-loaded credit or debit card with a cash value of $2,000 to
cover other travel costs. The two runners up in the contest were
Clint Fanney with his video, I Want to Go to Tokyo
and William Bahrenburg for Super William. Mr. Fanney
and Mr. Bahrenburg each received two coach tickets to their
choice of the same destinations offered to the grand prize
winner.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 9, 2009
New Crowley tug delivered
from Diversified Marine
PORTLAND The vessel construction boom at Crowley continues
as the company took delivery of the NACHIK, a newly-designed
shallow draft tug, from Diversified Marine in Portland. The
NACHIK, which means "hair seal" in the native Inupiaq
language, will be deployed in Alaska and is the third new vessel
to be handed off to Crowley in less than two weeks. Last week,
the company took delivery of the articulated tug-barge (ATB)
COMMITMENT and 650-6 in Pascagoula, Miss., and on March 28
Crowley christened and launched the 455-4, a heavy-lift series
deck barge, at Gunderson Marine in Portland. Jointly designed by
Crowley and Diversified Marine, the NACHIK is a triple screw
diesel powered tug equipped to safely propel petroleum/freight
barges in river systems throughout Alaska. Its sister vessel, the
SESOK, which means "beluga whale", is scheduled to be
delivered in late May.
Port of Camas-Washougal
taps new communications boss
CAMAS The Port of Camas-Washougal has announced the hiring
of Jack Hardy as communications manager. In this new part-time
position, Mr. Hardy will oversee public relations, advertising
and marketing communications programs. According to Executive
Director David Ripp, the new position is designed to facilitate
public information to help enhance the two-way communication
process with port officials and the public. Mr. Hardy's career in
public relations spans 20 years of work with organizations in
local government, non-profit agencies, technology businesses and
various consumer and business-to-business clients. He is the
founder and principal of Niche Public Relations, is an adjunct
faculty at the Portland State University School of Business and
Marylhurst University. He has a bachelor's degree from Brigham
Young University and an MBA from George Fox University.
Parking prices going up
at Portland International Airport
PORTLAND Economy and long-term parking lot rates at
Portland International Airport will increase $2 per day beginning
May 1. Rates for parking spaces for people with disabilities in
all PDX parking lots will also increase $2 per day. Short-term
parking garage rates will remain the same, and hourly parking
rates in all lots will remain the same.The rate change is the
first increase in 10 years for the economy parking lots and the
first increase in five years for the long-term lot. It is also
the first increase in 10 years for parking spaces for people with
disabilities. The increase applies to vehicles entering the
parking facilities on or after May 1. Vehicles parked before May
1 will pay current rates, no matter when they exit. Parking on
the seventh day also remains free for those who park for a full
week in the economy lots. Revenues raised from parking fees
support future airport parking and transportation improvements,
such as parking and roadway expansion and maintenance, and
shuttle bus purchases, operations and maintenance.
Vessel arrives in Los Angeles
with damaged/missing containers
LOS ANGELES The Coast Guard is monitoring a container ship
in the Port of Los Angeles that lost 14 containers of cargo at
sea and has 26 damaged containers still remaining on board.
Earlier this week, the Coast Guard's Sector Command Center
recieved notification that the container ship M/V YM TAICHUNG was
bound for the port with the damaged cargo onboard. YM TAICHUNG
reported they encountered heavy weather on April 5th, in the
Pacific Ocean approximately 1000 nautical miles west of San
Francisco.
Construction project closing
section of Bellingham promenade
BELLINGHAM Construction work has begun on the Bellwether
Gate building at the Port of Bellingham's Bellwether on the Bay
development alongside Squalicum Harbor. This building, which will
include underground parking, offices and some retail and
services, will be completed by December 2010. It is the first of
four buildings that will be owned and managed by Bellwether Gate,
LLC. The first building will be located between Anthony's
Homeport Restaurant and the Hearthfire Grill Restaurant. Because
of the construction activity, a portion of the waterfront
promenade will be closed for about one year. This closure will
begin Friday, April 10. People still are encouraged to enjoy the
rest of the popular waterfront walkway, which continues alongside
the full length of Squalicum Harbor.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tom Sanchez earns title
of Port of Seattle top firefighter
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle Fire Department has named Tom
Sanchez, Kent, as the winner of the 2008 Firefighter of the Year
Award. The 29-year veteran has been with the Port of Seattle Fire
Department his entire career and is a local graduate of
ODea High School. Mr. Sanchez was recognized for his
leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the department. The
person honored with this award each year is chosen by a vote of
all the department members. Mr. Sanchez is president of the Local
1257 International Association of Firefighters; in years past, he
has served as the organizations Secretary and Vice
President. The Port Fire Department is primarily an aircraft
rescue firefighting agency responsible for protecting travelers
and airport employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The department includes 75 members, providing service 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year.
California Maritime Academy
offers VSO refresher course
VALLEJO, CA The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center,
through Det Norske Veritas, has approved a Vessel Security
Officer (VSO) Refresher Course developed by The California
Maritime Academy, a part of The California State University. The
course, offered through Cal Maritimes Sponsored Projects
and Extended Learning (SPEL) Department, provides a refresher
curriculum for maritime security personnel and is designed to
facilitate the transition to the USCG mandatory training for
Vessel Security Officers. Effective July 1, 2009 licensed
mariners designated as Vessel or Ship Security officers will have
to have either passed an approved Vessel Security Officer course,
or taken an approved VSO Refresher course and either worked in
the position of a VSO or have taken a VSO course. The Refresher
course addresses all the latest requirements of the SAFE Port Act
of 2006 and the TWIC program, as well as other recent
developments and complies with the Guidelines for Maritime
Security Training Course Provider (Federal Register February 8,
2005 - Volume 70, Number 25). For more information on Cal
Maritimes new state/federal-approved security training
courses, contact Veronica Boe at 707-654-1156 or at
vboe@csum.edu. Information on the full range of Cal
Maritimes Extended Learning Courses and a full course
catalog can be found at http://www.maritime-education.com.
Ship operator pleads guilty
to dumping contaminated waste
WASHINGTON, DC Consultores De Navegacion, a Spanish
company that operates the M/T NAUTILUS, an ocean-going chemical
tanker ship, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston
and has agreed to pay a fine of $2.5 million for criminal
violations related to the overboard discharge of oil-contaminated
bilge waste on the high seas, the Justice Department announced.
The company pleaded guilty to conspiracy, falsification of
records, false statements, obstruction, and two violations of the
Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to maintain an
accurate oil record book. The practice of improperly handling and
disposing of oil-contaminated waste from the tanker as charged in
the indictment took place from at least June 2007 until March
2008. As part of the plea agreement, Consultores De Navegacion
will serve three years of probation and implement a comprehensive
environmental compliance plan to ensure there are no future
violations of the law. The charges against Cyprus-based Iceport
Shipping Co., the owner of the ship, have been dismissed.
Evergreen Line changing
Far East/Panama service
TAIPEI Evergreen Line will adjust its weekly transit times
on its Far East - Panama service (FPS), to improve the service it
offers to its customers in Central America, the Caribbean and the
West Coast of South America. The company has reduced the transit
time from its Taiwanese hub, Kaohsiung to the Mexican port of
Lazaro Cardenas from 23 to 16 days. The transit time from
Shanghai to the Caribbean hub, Colon Container Terminal, is now
25 days. The FPS service port rotation is now: Ningbao
Shanghai Yangtian Kaohsiung Lazaro Cardenas
Colon Container Terminal - Ningbao. The first sailing
operating with the revised schedule will be served by the 2,824
TEU IRENES REMEDY 0046-036, which is due to start loading in
Shanghai on April 16, 2009.
Portland Airport noise board
schedules approach test meeting
PORTLAND Portland International Airport Citizen Noise
Advisory Committee will get a final update Thursday, April 9, on
Oregon Air National Guards continuous descent approach
test. The committee will also discuss its project and program
priorities for 2009. The public is invited to attend and comment
at the meeting from 6-8 p.m. in St. Helens Conference Room B at
the airport, located at 7000 NE Airport Way in Portland. The
continuous descent approach test began in October and concluded
on March 31. Details including noise, operations and community
comments will be discussed. Operational impacts associated with
the procedure during the summer construction season and north
runway extension project will also be discussed. Residents with
questions or concerns about the test are encouraged to attend.
The committee is expected to make a formal recommendation
regarding the use of this procedure at its meeting on May 14. All
CNAC meetings include time for public comment. People with
special needs attending the meeting are asked to contact the Port
for accommodations at 503-460-4543. PDX is wheelchair accessible
and located on the TriMet MAX light rail Red Line. Validated
parking is also available.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, April 6, 2009
Lower diesel emissions
target of Port of Tacoma plans
TACOMA Celebrating the maritime industry's continued
efforts to reduce diesel emissions in the Puget Sound region, the
Port of Tacoma Commission recently applauded the voluntary
environmental stewardship of ocean carriers and authorized a new,
fee-free, market-based program to reduce emissions from trucks
that serve the port. By special resolution, the commission
recognized Tacoma ocean carrier customers Evergreen,
"K" Line, Maersk Line and Horizon Lines for voluntarily
switching to cleaner-burning low-sulfur distillate fuel at berth.
Use of the cleaner fuel reduces sulfur dioxide emissions up to 80
percent and cuts diesel particulates up to 70 percent. A critical
component of regional freight transportation, heavy-duty trucks
represent one percent of maritime industry diesel emissions at
the Port of Tacoma. To reduce this impact, the Tacoma Port
Commission recently authorized a market-based program to reduce
over-the-road emissions. The Port of Tacoma Truck Emissions
Improvement Program is designed to improve air quality, increase
gate efficiency and be environmentally sustainable. The program,
which is fee-free, was developed collaboratively with the
trucking industry and other port customers.
Mitsui brings online
new safety scheme
TOKYO Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has launched a safe
operation campaign for all MOL-operated vessels. Called the
"MOL Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Promotion Campaign
2009," it focuses on safety and health management of
seafarers, based on analysis injuries and illnesses that occurred
during onboard operation last year. The campaign will promote an
active exchange of opinions between vessels and land-based
personnel to share information and alerts concerning the causes
of various injuries and illness. The goal is to further reinforce
MOL's efforts to ensure safe operation of its worldwide fleet.
BNSF efforts bring about
transit time reductions
FORT WORTH In first quarter 2009, BNSF Railway Company
(BNSF) reports it achieved a 12-hour reduction in average transit
time for domestic and international intermodal traffic over first
quarter 2008. BNSF also improved shipment availability in some
lanes by as much as 20 hours. By working with intermodal partners
and leveraging available capacity, BNSF is also achieving as much
as 99 percent in door-to-door, on-time deliveries. Over the last
10 years, BNSF has spent approximately $30 billion to improve its
infrastructure and expand its locomotive fleet. At the end of
2007, BNSF operated on about 32,000 miles of track. Of this
amount, almost 5,000 miles is double tracked, including most of
the Southern Transcon. Better rail with better engines played a
large role in improving efficiency.
Marcon acts as broker
in ASD tug transaction
COUPEVILLE, WA Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville,
Washington reports the second of three newbuilding Robert Allan
Ltd. "Ulupinar" design 40 tonne bollard pull, ASD tugs
has been delivered by Sanmar Denizcilik Makina of Tuzla, Turkey
to Remolcadores Dominicanos of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Delivery of the third tug is scheduled for the first quarter of
2010. Marcon acted as sole broker in the transaction.
Trucking association releases
long haul safety publication
ARLINGTON, VA The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has
released Safety for the Long Haul, a comprehensive text on large
truck safety. The book, written by Dr. Ron Knipling, encompasses
more than 100 specific topics relating to large truck crash risk,
causation, countermeasures, safety management and safety policy.
Published by ATA, Safety for the Long Haul is written for safety
managers, fleet managers and executives, government and industry
officials, researchers and other transportation safety
professionals. Safety For the Long Haul can be purchased at
www.ATABusinessSolutions.com or by calling 1-866-821-3468 (toll
free). The book is part of the ATA Business Solutions line of
products, webinars, and services.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, April 3, 2009
Vancouver Port Commission
holding live town hall forum
VANCOUVER, USA The Port of Vancouver USA Board of
Commissioners will host a live, multi-media town hall forum on
Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. in the ports Commission Chambers
in the Administration Building, located at 3103 NW Lower River
Road. The forum will be cablecast live on CVTV Channel 23, and
streamed live on www.cvtv.org, as well. The forum will have a
live audience. Viewers can participate during the live broadcast
by emailing their questions to info@portvanusa.com, or by calling
360-693-3611. The event will end at 8:30 p.m., but the port will
continue to take questions on-line after the event is over.
Commissioners Nancy Baker, Jerry Oliver and Brian Wolfe as
well as Executive Director Larry Paulson will be on hand
to take questions from the live audience and from CVTV viewers.
The forum will be moderated by The Columbians Business
Editor Julia Anderson. Advance questions are currently being
accepted via email, and will be included in the questions sent in
during the live forum.
Crowley continues string
of new vessel deliveries
JACKSONVILLE, FL In the wake of the christening and
launching of its newest heavy-lift-series deck barge Saturday in
Portland, on April 2, Crowley took delivery of its newest
Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) - the tug COMMITMENT and barge 650-6
in Pascagoula, Miss. The 185,000-barrel ATB, the 10th in
Crowley's fleet, has been chartered by a major energy company to
transport petroleum products on the U.S. West Coast beginning in
April In less than a week, Crowley is scheduled to receive the
NACHIK, a newly-designed Alaska shallow draft tug, equipped to
safely propel petroleum/freight barges in river systems
throughout Alaska. In May, Crowley with also take delivery of the
NACHIK's sister tug, the SESOK.
Month of March sees drop
in US rail freight traffic
WASHINGTON, DC Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down
again during March, the Association of American Railroads (AAR)
reports. U.S. railroads originated 1,082,514 carloads of freight
in March 2009, down 17.3 percent (226,279 carloads) from March
2008. U.S. intermodal rail traffic, which consists of trailers
and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload
figures, totaled 729,033 units in March 2009, down 14.9 percent
(127,371 trailers and containers) compared to March 2008. For the
first three months of 2009, total U.S. rail carloadings were down
16.3 percent (636,192 carloads) to 3,259,097 carloads, while
intermodal traffic was down 15.5 percent (411,802 units) to
2,243,491 trailers and containers. Total volume was estimated as
345.8 billion ton-miles, down 15.2 percent from a year ago. Of
the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR, 18 saw
carload declines in March. (The catch-all all other
category was the only one to show an increase in March.) In
March, carloads of coal were down 6.7 percent (39,159 carloads);
carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were down 41.4 percent
(30,648 carloads); carloads of metals and metal products were
down 56.2 percent (30,001 carloads); and carloads of chemicals
were down 20.3 percent (25,432 carloads). For the first quarter
of 2009, U.S. rail carloadings of coal were down 4.2 percent
(73,136 carloads) to 1,649,373 carloads. Other commodities fared
much worse, including motor vehicles and equipment (down 51.8
percent, or 116,887 carloads), metals and metal products (down
52.1 percent, or 82,323 carloads), and grain (down 22.4 percent,
or 68,286 carloads).
Insurance club board
passes on supplementary call
LONDON Members of The Swedish Club will not incur a
supplementary call for the P&I policy year 2008/09. This
decision was taken by the clubs board, meeting in Singapore
on April 2. Late last year The Swedish Club took action to
counter a number of highly adverse trends. This was triggered by
developments beyond control including substantial investment
losses (in common with all clubs) and an unbalanced pool
liability record (arising from a highly unlikely deviation from
statistical norms). The above factors combined with changes and
anticipated changes in International Group rules for pool claims
liabilities necessitated action. In response, The Swedish
Clubs Board decided in December 2008 to make supplementary
calls for the P&I policy years 2006/07 and 2007/08. A
decision concerning 2008/09 was deferred until the April board
meeting, to allow more time for an unprecedented global financial
situation to clarify.
Horizon Lines assists
cement canoe racers
HONOLULU Engineering students from 12 universities around
the country have begun competing in the conference finals of the
American Society of Civil Engineers' 22nd Annual ASCE National
Concrete Canoe Competition. The winner of these races will earn a
spot in the national championships in North Carolina this June.
Before the concrete canoes could begin their sail to the finish
line, however, they had to get to the starting line. Working
together, Horizon Lines, LLC, and Horizon Logistics, LLC,
coordinated the door-to-door delivery of the competition canoes
from inland points in the continental United States to the Port
of Los Angeles for ocean voyage aboard a Horizon Lines container
vessel to Honolulu and on to final destination at the University
of Hawaii. Horizon Logistics coordinated with several service
providers to secure the best pricing for the project and Horizon
Lines arranged for transpacific carriage to Hawaii.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Port of Port Angeles eyes
feasibility of motorsports park
PORT ANGELES The Port of Port Angeles reports that
although the development of a new motorsports park near the City
of Forks is feasible, the most critical challenge would be the
capital costs for facility development. The port contracted with
SE Group to conduct a preliminary feasibility study for a
Motorsports Park in Forks. The study concluded: 1) a new
motorsports park is technically feasible, but 2) facility
development would invove significant capital costs.
24 Hrs: (503) 285-2485 Office: (360) 835-3780
Toll Free: 1-877-WCMCINC Fax: (360) 835-7354
Schnitzer Steel reports
second quarter '09 numbers
PORTLAND Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. has reported
revenues of $434 million and a net loss of $7 million, or $0.25
per diluted share, for the fiscal 2008 second quarter ended
February 28, 2009. Despite the quarterly net loss, the company
generated $91 million in cash from operations. The markets
in the second quarter remained extremely challenging, said
Tamara Lundgren, president and chief executive officer. The
global economic downturn continued, and the demand for finished
steel products and the raw materials used in making steel
remained weak. However, our export platform, which allows us to
sell to the regions of the world where demand is greatest,
continued to provide a benefit as we were able to take advantage
of overseas markets which offered better net pricing than the
domestic markets."
Mitsui making changes,
adding new service offerings
TOKYO Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced a New Asia -
West Africa Service via Suez and a New Asia - Indian Ocean
Islands (IOI) / South Africa - West Africa service. MOL will
change the current Asia - West Africa service from the West
Africa Super Express service (WA1) to a New Asia - West Africa
service via Suez using a new Europe / West Africa feeder service.
At the same time, MOL will introduce a new service, the Indian
Ocean Islands, South Africa, West Africa dedicated container
service (ISW), which will improve Asia - IOI and South Africa -
West Africa trades. For the Asia - West Africa trade via Suez,
MOL will have 2 feeder loops between Europe and West Africa, one
of which is dedicated for Lagos, which suffers heavy port
congestion. The other feeder service will newly cover Dakar
(Senegal) and Cotonou (Benin), two major ports in West Africa.
MOL will use the China / Europe service (SCX) as the trunk line
connecting to the Europe / Lagos feeder (North loop) via
Zeebrugge (Belgium). For the Europe / West Africa feeder (South
loop), MOL will use the Japan / China / Europe service (JEX) as
the trunk line connecting at Tangier (Morocco). The New ISW
service newly calls at Reunion (France), Walvis Bay (Namibia),
and Lobito (Angola), which are main ports in these areas, but are
currently not covered by the existing West Africa Super Express
service (WA1) which will be suspended.
Matson Navigation boosting
China/Long Beach Express run
OAKLAND Matson Navigation Company has announced that it is
expanding its presence in China to include the southern port of
Xiamen in the companys China Long Beach Express
(CLX). With the additional port call, Matson will provide the
Xiamen region with a number of service features that have made
Matsons CLX service among the best in the Transpacific
trade, including industry leading on time arrivals, next day
cargo availability on the West Coast and one-stop intermodal
connections through Matsons logistics unit, Matson
Integrated Logistics. Matsons service from Ningbo and
Shanghai will remain unchanged.
Coast Guard seeks input
on proposed navigation area rule
SEATTLE The Coast Guard is re-opening the period for
public comment on its proposed rule to establish Regulated
Navigation Areas along the Oregon and Washington coasts by
holding two public meetings. The first meeting will be held in
Astoria, Ore., April 14, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at:
The Loft at the Red Building, 20 Basin Street, Astoria, OR 97103,
(503) 325-2223.
The second meeting will be held in Newport, Ore., on April 15,
2009, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at:
The Embarcadero Resort Hotel & Marina, 1000 SE Bay Blvd.,
Newport, OR 97365, (541) 265-8521 or 1-800-547-4779.
The Coast Guard encourages the public to view the final rule at
74 FR 7022 and to participate in this rulemaking by submitting
comments and related materials to the docket at
http://www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2008-1017. All
comments received will be posted without change. All comments
must be received by the Coast Guard no later than April 19, 2009.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Port of Seattle plan would
support maritime cargo customers
SEATTLE Port of Seattle staff members have presented
commissioners with a plan that would support its maritime cargo
customers during the global economic recession by reducing fees
and deferring some payments. Port staff also proposed a new clean
trucks program aimed at keeping older, more polluting trucks off
roads and Port terminals. Taken together, these actions will help
to protect the economic and environmental interests of the
region. The relief package is focused on terminal operators whose
revenues depend on the number of containers they handle. Port
cargo was down 37 percent in February 2009 as consumer spending
continued to drop, endangering the jobs that cargo generates.
Seattles maritime cargo industry supports over 135,000 jobs
throughout the state - jobs that are crucial to the health of the
states economy. The customer support program, subject to
Commission approval, would go into effect from June 2009 to June
2010, although adjustments may be made as economic conditions
change. The package offered to Seattle terminal operators is
proportionally similar to what Los Angeles and Long Beach have
offered their terminal operators. The Port of Seattle will
continue to demonstrate its environmental commitment by
contributing $2.3 million to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
(PSCAA). The port would donate the funds for programs that reduce
diesel emission from maritime sources, including ocean going
vessels, trucks, and cargo handling equipment. Additional funds
available from other sources will be used to replace older trucks
with newer, cleaner retrofits that produce less pollution.
Port of Vancouver, USA
has successful bond sale
VANCOUVER, USA The Port of Vancouver USA recently
announced the successful sale of $25.8 million in limited tax
general obligation bonds for the acquisition of industrial
property, capital improvement and refinancing outstanding bonds.
The port, on March 19, sold $15 million in new bonds to fund the
purchase of the Alcoa property and help fund major construction
projects like the West Vancouver Freight Access rail project.
Some of the bond proceeds were used to complete the acquisition
of the 218 acres formerly used for the smelting and extruding
operations of Alcoa and Evergreen Aluminum. The ports
purchase of the Alcoa property closed earlier this week. That
property will be turned into the ports new Terminal 5.
Construction of a unit train rail facility and wind energy
storage area are expected to begin later this year. At full
buildout, the port expects the new Terminal 5 could bring as many
as 1,000 new jobs to the community. In December, the port sold
$32.55 million in bonds, which fell less than $8 million short of
what the port was hoping to raise. The total of $47.55 million
will pay for property purchase and major capital improvements.
With the $10.8 million remaining from the March bond sale, the
port will refinance outstanding bonds in the same amount. This
refinance will save the port approximately $275.928. The port
commission voted unanimously at its regular meeting on March 10
to approve this action.
Barge involved in allision
with Hood River Bridge
PORTLAND Coast Guard Sector Portland is investigating a
bridge allision involving the Tidewater Tug DEFIANCE and the Hood
River Bridge on the Columbia River in Ore., March 28. At 3:20
a.m. the Tug DEFIANCE was pushing three barges ahead when one of
the barges allided with the north pylon of the Hood River Bridge.
Immediately following the incident, the Tug DEFIANCE and barges
quickly moored upriver at the SDS Lumber facility in Bingen,
Ore., to assess the damage. Crewmembers from Sector Portland
worked with Tidewater in determining that the barge had sustained
minor damage and is safe for continued cargo operations. The Port
of Hood River inspected the bridge and found no damage. There is
no current threat to the environment and the bridge remains open
to all traffic.
Port of Port Angeles
studying new power facility
PORT ANGELES The Port of Port Angeles has retained Carlson
Small Power Consultants (CSPC) to conduct a feasibility study for
a biomass power facility in the Forks area of Clallam County, WA.
For a selected project site, the study is to include a complete
financial model of revenues (power sales, steam sales and
incentives) and costs (capital, financing, operating, maintenance
and fuel) for an appropriately-sized facility. The study does not
include a major effort to identify and cost various sources of
available fuel.
Votes now being accepted
for PDX 'Super Hero' contest
PORTLAND Three finalists are in the running for the top
prize in the "Be a Local Super Hero" video contest
promoting Portland International Airports nonstop services
to Europe and Asia. Selected from a field of 55 one-minute
qualifying video entries, the three finalists are:
I want to go to Tokyo by Clint Fanney
Super William by William Bahrenburg
Its What Super Heroes Do by Bryan Rosenberger
Fans are asked to cast their vote for the video which provides
the best motivation for "flying overseas from PDX in a
single bound" at www.flypdx.com by midnight on Friday, April
3. Prize winners will be announced Monday, April 6, on KGWs
LIVE @ 7 program and on www.flypdx.com . The video receiving the
most public votes will be the grand prize winner.