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August, 2008
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, August 29, 2008
Two giant pipe sections
moving through Port of Everett
EVERETT Construction activity on the largest Puget Sound
clean water project in more than four decades will temporarily
affect marine traffic from Everett to Shoreline beginning the
evening of Sept. 7. Boaters in the lower Snohomish River and
nearby Puget Sound waters should expect short-term impacts to
marine traffic as the installation of the Brightwater treatment
plants 600-foot-deep marine outfall and twin mile-long
pipes gets under way. On Sept. 7, tugboats are scheduled to tow
the first of two mile-long pipelines down the Snohomish River
from an assembly site at the Port of Everett and out past Jetty
Island and the 10th Street Marina. From there, larger tugboats
will tow the pipeline through Port Gardener and south to Point
Wells near Shoreline, where it is expected to arrive early
Tuesday morning. The second pipeline is scheduled to begin its
trip down the Snohomish River a day later on the evening of Sept.
8. At Point Wells, workers will first attach both of the floating
pipes to a recently constructed on-shore connector and then lower
the outfall pipe to the seafloor. Work will continue around the
clock at Point Wells until the installation of both outfall pipes
is complete. Because the work is dependent on weather and tidal
conditions, scheduled dates and times could change.
NAFTA partner trade
jumps up during June
WASHINGTON, DC Trade using surface transportation between
the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 6.6 percent higher in June
2008 than in June 2007, reaching $74.1 billion, according to the
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department
of Transportation. The value of U.S. surface transportation trade
with Canada and Mexico rose 0.015 percent in June from May.
Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and
other factors. Surface transportation consists largely of freight
movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 88 percent of U.S.
trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land. The value of
U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico this
June was up 56.3 percent compared to June 2003, and up 97.3
percent compared to June 1998, a period of 10 years. Imports in
June 2008 were up 106.4 percent compared to June 1998, while
exports were up 86.8 percent.
US rail freight traffic volume
hits downside during week
WASHINGTON, DC Total volume as measured in ton-miles was
up slightly on U.S. railroads during the week ended August 16 in
comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association
of American Railroads (AAR) reports. Total volume was estimated
35.2 billion ton-miles, up 0.6 percent from the comparable week
last year. Carload freight in the week totaled 335,245 cars, off
0.8 percent from last year. Volume was up 1.3 percent in the West
but down 3.7 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not
included in the carload data, totaled 237,034 trailers or
containers, down 0.5 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was
off 1.0 percent while container traffic slipped 0.4 percent.
Seven of 19 carload commodities were up from a year ago. Metals
were up 12.4 percent from last year while grain rose 9.5 percent
and coal gained 5.1 percent. On the negative side, motor vehicles
and equipment were down 30.6 percent, metallic ores dropped 23.2
percent and lumber and wood products fell 17.5 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 33 weeks of 2008 totaled
10,722,139 carloads, up 0.3 percent from 2007; 7,357,794 trailers
or containers, down 2.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated
1.11 trillion ton-miles, up 1.5 percent from last year.
General Dynamics delivers
new nuclear submarine to Navy
GROTON, CT General Dynamics Electric Boat has delivered
the NEW HAMPSHIRE (SSN-778), the nation's newest and most
advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine, to the U.S. Navy eight
months ahead of schedule. Electric Boat is a wholly owned
subsidiary of General Dynamics. NEW HAMPSHIRE is the fifth ship
of the Virginia Class, the Navy's first major class of combatant
ships designed with the post-Cold War security environment in
mind. Virginia-class submarines embody warfighting and
operational capabilities required to dominate the littorals while
maintaining undersea dominance in the open ocean. Electric Boat
and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding have received contracts to
build the first 10 submarines of a planned 30-ship Virginia Class
under a teaming agreement that splits the construction workload
between the two shipyards.
Port of Longview public entity
in removal of derelict vessel
LONGVIEW In accordance with RCW (Revised Code of
Washington) 79.100, the unnamed vessel at the mouth of Coal Creek
Slough has been declared derelict, as that term is defined in RCW
79.100.010(5). The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership has
asked the Port of Longview to act as the authorized public entity
for the vessel removal. The Estuary Partnership will complete the
actual removal of the vessel while the Port of Longview will
function as the official authorized public entity. The authority
granted in RCW 79.100, allows the authorized public entity to
take custody the vessel and dispose of it in any appropriate and
environmentally sound manner without further notice to the owner.
In order for the owner to retain custody of the vessel, the owner
must 1) pay the costs associated with the vessels haul-out
and storage, 2) provide the Port of Longview with proof of a
legal moorage or storage location for the vessel, 3) store the
vessel in a location that meets any USCG requirements such as an
inspection or tow plan, or 4) remove the vessel from the water.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Coast Guard set to enforce
large cargo vessel response plans
WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the
beginning of enforcement of the requirements for owners and
operators of large cargo vessels, known as nontank vessels, to
prepare and submit plans for responding to a worst case oil spill
from their vessels. Should a nontank vessel be found operating in
a U.S. port or waterway without a properly submitted response
plan, the cognizant Coast Guard Captain of the Port will exercise
authority under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972 and
impose operational controls, as necessary, on the vessel to
safeguard the port. The Coast Guard published a Federal Register
Notice on June 23, 2008, informing nontank vessel owners and
operators that the Coast Guard will begin actively enforcing the
2004 Act by screening all nontank vessels prior to their port
arrival for plan submission. Each plan, among other things,
ensures by contract or other approved means the availability of
private personnel and equipment necessary to remove to the
maximum extent practicable a worst case discharge (including a
discharge resulting from a fire or explosion), and to mitigate or
prevent a substantial threat of such a discharge. It also
describes the training, equipment testing, periodic unannounced
drills and response actions of the crew. A nontank vessel is
described as a self-propelled vessel of 400 gross tons or greater
that operates on the navigable waters of the U.S., carries oil of
any kind as fuel for main propulsion and is not a tank vessel.
Tank vessels are required to have response plans under 33 CFR
part 155, subpart D, and are currently screened by the Coast
Guard for compliance prior to port entry.
Port of Bremerton holds first
citizen committee meeting
BREMERTON The first meeting of a citizen committee to help
advise the Port of Bremerton Commission on their recently
approved Community Outreach and Public Participation (COPP)
policy was held on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at the terminal
building at Bremerton National Airport. Earlier this year, the
Bremerton Port Commission adopted the COPP policy with a goal of
enabling citizens, business persons and other stakeholders of the
port district to become better informed and engaged in port
business and its processes. One method of advancing this goal was
to form a citizen committee to work with Commissioner Bill Mahan
and port staff members to provide input and feedback to the
commission on the COPP. Commissioner Bill Mahan asked that the
group review the policy and suggest any amendments or revisions
to the commission. Members of the citizen group include Bremerton
resident John Hanson: Seabeck resident Robert Moyer; and South
Kitsap residents Ardena Miller, Roger Jensen, and Clarke Coulter.
Discussion points of the meeting included possible televising of
public meetings, port website improvements, written published
community reports, advanced public meeting notice, public
document access and public comment opportunities. The committee
will meet again on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at 3:00 p.m. in
the conference room in the terminal building at Bremerton
National Airport. Any interested members of public are welcome to
attend.
"K" Line adding service
calling US East Coast/Amazon
TOKYO Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line)
will launch a new feeder service between East Coast of the United
States and Amazon region in Brazil from October 2008. The service
will be jointly operated with their partner Bringer Lines
(located in Miami, Florida, USA) by deployment of 2 x 500TEU type
vessels on a bi-weekly basis. The first sailing will be the M/V
BAGHIRA ETA Savannah on October 17. The expected port roration
is: Savannah (Fri-Sat) / Port Everglades (Sun-Sun) / Manaus
(Thu-Sat) / Vila do Conde (Tue-Wed) / Savannah (Fri-)
Port group taps Anchorage
as annual convention location
ALEXANDRIA, VA As the largest city in Alaska and home to
one of the nation's 19 "strategic" seaports, Anchorage
will be the site of the American Association of Port Authorities'
(AAPA) 97th Annual Convention and Exhibition, Sept. 21-25. The
"North to Alaska"-themed convention, the first to be
held in Anchorage's brand-new downtown Dena'ina Civic &
Convention Center, will attract hundreds of seaport and maritime
transportation leaders, industry experts and service providers to
participate in a business agenda featuring many of the seaport
industry's key issues and top executives. Additional information
about AAPA's 97th Annual Convention and Exhibition, including the
business program agenda is available at http://www.aapa2008.com/.
Port of Anacortes marina
earns Clean Marina designation
ANACORTES The Clean Marina Washington Program recently
recognized the Port of Anacortes Cap Sante Boat Haven as a
Certified Clean Marina for their excellence in pollution
prevention to protect water quality and properly manage waste,
and for promoting clean boating practices. In addition, Clean
Marina Washington recognized the Port of Anacortes
commitment, innovation and regional leadership with the Clean
Marina Leadership Award. Clean Marina Washington is a partnership
between marine businesses, government agencies and environmental
advocates. Cap Sante Boat Haven joins a network of 34 marinas
working to protect Washington waterways that are currently
certified in Washington State. There are hundreds more marinas in
similar programs around the country. Cap Sante Boat Haven has
earned the right to fly the flag, a new blue and
white Clean Marina burgee.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Everett port board Oks
contract for MSRC remodel
EVERETT On Aug. 12, the Everett Port Commission approved a
design contract with Everett-based Gary Parkinson Architects in
the amount of $200,000 for the remodel and expansion of the
Marine Service and Repair Center (MSRC) building. The MSRC
building is located in the ports Craftsmen District between
10th and 13th Street and West Marine View Drive. The remodel
would include converting and expanding the current 34,000 square
foot concrete building on the waterfront into a 52,000 square
foot retail and repair center for the marina-related services.
The building would be modified into a two-story structure, which
will provide additional leasable space for Craftsmen tenants.
Additionally, a 15,000 square foot office/retail addition will be
added to the existing structure to serve as a buffer between the
Craftsmen District and the Port Gardner Wharf development. Port
Gardner Wharf is a 65-acre mixed use development that transforms
a former industrial piece of property into a waterfront
neighborhood.
Seattle Port Commission
votes in Resolution 3605
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle Commission has voted to
approve Resolution 3605 which makes sweeping changes to how the
commission delegates its authority throughout the organization.
The new framework strengthens commission oversight of the
ports capital construction programs and clarifies when and
how staff members must gain the bodys approval on port
projects. This vote culminates a seven-month public process that
included the involvement of an expert citizens panel, significant
efforts to recruit public comment on how the commission could
even more effectively govern the port, and transparent, regular
communication efforts about the proposed changes. Commissioners
Pat Davis and Gael Tarleton led the sub-committee; working with
their peers to determine the best methods for ensuring effective,
transparent oversight that accounted for the rapid pace and wide
range of port activities. For the full text of the resolution, as
well as an explanation of the process leading to the vote, visit
http://www.portseattle.org/news/Accountability.shtml.
Truck tonnage index
falls again during July
ARLINGTON, VA The American Trucking Associations
advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index
decreased 0.3 percent in July, marking the first month-to-month
drop since April. The seasonally adjusted tonnage index equaled
116.2 (2000 = 100) in July, while the not seasonally adjusted
index fell 0.1 percent to 119.7. The seasonally adjusted index
was 4.4 percent higher compared with July 2007, marking its ninth
consecutive year-over-year increase, although the gain was a full
percentage point lower than the improvement in June.
Year-to-date, the index was up 3.6 percent compared with the same
period in 2007. Tonnage contracted 1.7 percent and 1.5 percent in
2006 and 2007, respectively.
TSA bunker fuel surcharge
will hit record high September 1
OAKLAND Container lines in the Transpacific Stabilization
Agreement (TSA) have confirmed that their floating bunker fuel
surcharge, adjusted monthly according to a formula that tracks
world fuel prices at key loading locations, will spike to a
record level effective September 1. The higher surcharge reflects
record fuel prices that topped $767 per ton in mid-July, up from
$500 at the beginning of 2008 and $296 at the beginning of 2007.
Responding to questions that have been raised as to why the
bunker charge is increasing at a time when fuel prices have been
falling, N.Y.K. Line vice president and TSA revenue policy
committee member Bill Payne emphasized that each months
surcharge reflects average fuel prices during a reporting period
30-60 days earlier. This is done to comply with U.S. law
requiring a minimum 30 days advance notice to the market in
the event a particular rate or surcharge is to be raised.
National Retail Systems
nets highest SmartWay score
SECAUCUS, NJ National Retail Systems, Inc. (NRS), a
provider of global logistics services to America's retailers, has
achieved the highest possible environmental performance score
from the SmartWay Transport Partnership formed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NRS' national truckload
fleet operated by Keystone Freight Corp. and the company's LTL
fleet operated by National Retail Transportation (NRT) both
received the highest possible score of 1.25 during EPA's SmartWay
FLEET performance evaluation. This places NRS among the
transportation industry's environmental performance leaders
according to the EPA. The SmartWay program is a collaborative
effort by the EPA and the freight industry designed to increase
energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and air pollution. The partnership aims to achieve fuel
savings of up to 150 million barrels of fuel per year, as well as
annual reductions of up to 66 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide and 200,000 tons of nitrous oxide by 2012.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, August 25, 2008
Greenbrier unhappy with DEQ
for fines against Gunderson
PORTLAND Greenbrier reports that on August 15, the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a press release
announcing a fine of $254,000 against the Gunderson manufacturing
operations. The fine is a result of a 2006 DEQ inspection that
called attention to certain paint storage and disposal practices,
which Greenbrier points out have been corrected as appropriate.
According to the DEQ release, the largest part of the penalty,
totaling $233,562, was for improper disposal of ignitable waste
paint and paint containing the hazardous waste solvent toluene.
DEQ determined that Gunderson had been disposing of these wastes
in various solid waste containers on its property at 4350 NW
Front Ave., instead of at a permitted hazardous waste disposal
facility, from January 2004 to October 2006. DEQ also penalized
Gunderson $12,800 for illegally treating hazardous waste.
Specifically, Gunderson treated its ignitable waste paint and
paint waste containing toluene in open containers, allowing a
substantial amount of the volatile particles to escape into the
air. DEQ penalized the company another $8,000 for failing to
determine if the ignitable, epoxy paint waste and other generated
paint wastes, used in the marine facility, were indeed hazardous.
Tom Sass, Gundersons director of Community Affairs for
Oregon commented, "We are very disappointed in the
DEQs position concerning the October 2006 inspection. We
feel the tone ofthe DEQ press release does not accurately
characterize the scope and size of the alleged violations, or
Gundersons positive history of compliance with
environmental policy and laws. The amount of the proposed fine is
disproportionate to what actually occurred on site; we have taken
positive action to address the findings and practices the DEQ
identified."
Sea-Tac Airport earns
environmental award
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle has announced the selection of
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as the winner of the 2008
Environmental Achievement Award from Airports Council
International - North America (ACI-NA). The award in the
Mitigation Category recognized Sea-Tac's Comprehensive Stormwater
Management Program (CSMP) addressing stormwater issues for the
airport's multi-year expansion project. Sea-Tac Airport's program
was recognized as reflecting the priorities of an environmentally
sensitive community by focusing on surface-water runoff quality,
flooding and endangered salmon. Working cooperatively with local
cities and regulatory agencies, using regional basin planning,
optimizing systems and value engineering, achieved cost savings
of $250 million.
Merchant Marine acadamies
sending graduates into workforce
WASHINGTON, DC Only months after graduation ceremonies
were held on campuses across the nation, approximately 85 percent
of 2008 graduates with merchant marine licenses from the United
States Merchant Marine Academy and six state maritime academies
have found employment afloat in the maritime industry or in the
U.S. military, according to data released by the Maritime
Administration. Total employment for 2008 licensed graduates is
already more than 95 percent. This number includes those who have
found shoreside employment in the maritime industry. One of the
academies, Great Lakes in Traverse City, Michigan, has placed 100
percent of its 2008 graduates in maritime afloat employment.
Maritime academy training ship
rescues two stranded fishermen
VALLEJO, CA The California Maritime Academys
500-foot training ship GOLDEN BEAR rescued two California
fishermen Sunday evening, August 17th, approximately 80 miles off
the Monterey Peninsula. The two men departed the Santa Cruz area
earlier that day in an open 17-foot skiff, equipped with a single
outboard engine. They told authorities they were heading for
offshore fishing grounds when their engine seized up. They then
radioed for help to the U.S. Coast Guard in San Francisco. The
Coast Guard issued a call to vessels in the vicinity of the
stricken boat asking if they could proceed to the scene. The
GOLDEN BEAR was approximately 50 miles away at the time, heading
northward on the final leg of its annual three-and-a-half-month
summer training cruise to ports in the western and southern
Pacific. Aboard were 200 students from Cal Maritime and the Texas
Maritime Academy and approximately 40 staff and crew.
Port of Olympia tours part of
annual Harbor Days celebration
OLYMPIA Come and learn about the Port of Olympias
Marine Terminal, Saturday, August 30, as part of the annual
Harbor Days celebration. Guided walking tours are scheduled at
12:00 noon, 1:00 and 2:00 pm and will begin at the Port Plaza on
Budd Inlet. Tours will last approximately ½ hour. Visitors will
be able to see first-hand some of the diverse cargoes handled by
the port and displays of equipment.For information or to sign up
for a tour, come to the port tent on Port Plaza beginning at
11:00 a.m. the day of the event or call 360-528-8000. The tours
are only one attraction at Port Plaza during Harbor Days. The
tall ships LADY WASHINGTON and HAWAIIAN CHIEFTAIN will be
available for dockside tours at the Port Plaza dock during the
weekend. For information, contact Harbor Days at
www.harbordays.com.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, August 22, 2008
Oregon governor talks to STB
about Coos Bay rail service
SALEM Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has testified to the
federal Surface Transportation Board urging the board to reject
the proposal from RailAmerica to abandon a portion of the Central
Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP) Coos Bay rail line. He also
urged the board to accept a proposal by the Port of Coos Bay to
purchase the line to prevent economic hardship for Coos Bay and
the surrounding communities. The sudden shutdown of the
Coos Bay line of the CORP railroad by RailAmerica has created
great uncertainty for companies in this region, Governor
Kulongoski said. This uncertainty cannot continue
and the answer is that rail service must be restored. To do
anything less is unfair and unjust for the citizens in this
community who rely on this railroad to provide for themselves and
their families. The rail line was closed in September 2007
by RailAmerica who cited safety concerns due to deteriorating
tunnel conditions. The repair costs were estimated to be $2.9
million by RailAmerica, but the company asked for over $18
million from the state and local communities to fix their
railroad, along with $16 million in future funding to help with
operating costs and to continue capital improvements to the line.
In attempt to get the line operational again, the governor
offered to help develop a long-term solution if RailAmerica would
repair the tunnels and get freight moving. RailAmerica rejected
that offer. In response to the abandonment effort, the Port of
Coos Bay has submitted a proposal to purchase the line and keep
it open.
Coast Guard pilots training
at Air Station Port Angeles
SEATTLE Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., has
commenced training select pilots and crewmembers for its new
airborne use of force capability. This specialized training is
part of the Coast Guard's enhanced homeland defense mission. The
public may see Coast Guard helicopters maneuvering above Coast
Guard small boats in the Strait of Juan De Fuca as part of this
training program. The majority of training is conducted using
blanks. Live fire training is conducted, but only as a scheduled
event in designated Department of Defense warning areas or
land-based DOD ranges. Coast Guard crews issue a notice to
mariners prior to conducting a gunnery exercise. Following the
attacks of Sept. 11, the Coast Guard faced a renewed call to
provide increased maritime and force projection for homeland
security missions. From this grew the concept of expanding and
arming select Coast Guard aviation forces to provide an airborne
use of force capability. This enhanced mission is varied in
nature and threat based; a crew may provide security zone
enforcement, conduct armed patrols of critical infrastructure or
provide aerial cover for vessel boarding teams. Arming select
Coast Guard helicopter crews enhances the Coast Guard's ability
to react to maritime security threats, better protecting the
nation. This capability also provides operational commanders with
an increased capability to perform maritime security duties.
Public meeting to discuss
Coos Bay jetty repair project
PORTLAND The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will explain the
upcoming interim repairs to the north jetty at Coos Bay, Ore., at
an informational meeting Wednesday, Aug. 27. The meeting will be
held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the North Bend Public
Library, 1800 Sherman Ave., North Bend, Ore. Corps
representatives will share information about the repair work to
the north jetty and be available after the meeting to answer
questions. The Corps will repair three damaged areas on the north
jetty beginning Sept. 16. Damage sustained in last winters
storms has made the jetty particularly vulnerable to a breach in
future storms, which would have a substantial impact on
navigational use of the area. Jetty failure would result in
sediment blocking the navigation channel or making its use
unsafe. Foredune Road will be closed from Sept. 16 until
completion of the project or March 15, 2009, whichever is sooner.
Additionally, a 10-acre parking area across Trans Pacific
Parkway, southwest of the Bureau of Land Managements boat
ramp, will be closed for use as a construction staging area
beginning around Aug. 26 through project completion. The date of
this closure is dependant on the timing of the contract award.
The draft Environmental Assessment is available for review on the
Corps Web site at
https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/en_plan_assess.asp.
US rail freight traffic
drops during week
WASHINGTON, DC Both carload and intermodal freight were
down slightly on U.S. railroads during the week ended August 9 in
comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association
of American Railroads (AAR) reports. Carload freight in the week
totaled 328,281 cars, off 0.1 percent from last year. Volume was
up 1.2 percent in the West but down 2.0 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data,
totaled 233,948 trailers or containers, down 1.4 percent from a
year ago. Trailer volume was up 0.3 percent while container
traffic slipped 1.9 percent. Total volume was estimated at 34.2
billion ton-miles, the same as during the 32nd week of 2007.
Seven of 19 carload commodities were up from a year ago, with
metallic ores gaining 49.5 percent, metals rising 5.3 percent and
coal up 5.1 percent. On the negative side, motor vehicles and
equipment were down 29.6 percent, lumber and wood products fell
16.9 percent and farm products other than grain dropped 16.5
percent. Cumulative volume for the first 32 weeks of 2008 totaled
10,386,894 carloads, up 0.3 percent from 2007; 7,120,760 trailers
or containers, down 3.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated
1.08 trillion ton-miles, up 1.5 percent from last year.
Travel Expo event
at Sea-Tac Airport
SEATTLE Sea-Tac Airport's restaurants, shops and service
providers will host the Sea-Tac Travel Expo with Rick Steves,
Sunday, September 7, 2 - 5 p.m., at the Gina Marie Lindsey
International Arrivals Hall. Rick Steves, an
internationally-known author on European travel, and host of the
PBS series "Rick Steves' Europe," will share first-hand
experiences, excerpts from his best selling travel books and
present his most up-to-date travel advice of the best in European
travel. Rick will also be available for book signings between
presentations. There will be demonstrations by an adventure
travel packing expert, prizes and giveaways by airport shops, and
free food sampling by airport restaurants, including:
Tips on smart packing and travel gear from ExOfficio
Rick Steves and other travel publications for sale at Borders
Books and a book signing by Mr. Steves.
Free food samples from airport restaurants including Anthony's,
Kathy Casey Dish D'lish, Ivar's, , and many others
Scandinavian Airlines will be giving away two free round trip
tickets to any of its nearly 80 destinations in Europe.
The event is free and open to the public, and $2 event parking
will be available in the Airport Garage.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bellingham Port Commission
Oks university's move to waterfront
BELLINGHAM For the past several years, Western Washington
University (WMU) and the Port of Bellingham have been working
together to bring Western to the waterfront. On August 19, the
port's Board of Commissioners approved a motion for the port to
move forward in creating a special development entity that would
be charged with executing this development project. Western's
Board of Trustees approved a similar measure earlier this month.
The board approvals authorize the port and university to enter
into an Interlocal Agreement to create this new organization. In
future meetings both boards will be asked to approve an annual
operating budget, bylaws and development concepts. Western is
seeking to expand to the waterfront to meet opportunities of
growing enrollment and to attract additional public and private
partners to this project. Western has a smaller campus than most
state colleges and universities and has no more space on its
existing campus to build more facilities. Western also has been
focused on establishing stronger connections with the off-campus
community and it plans to move several programs including Huxley
College of the Environment to The Waterfront District. A move to
the waterfront by WWU has already begun through a partnership
with the port within the Innovation Partnership Zone in the old
GP tissue warehouse and with university offices in the Old port
Office building at the site. Western would like to develop 12-16
acres of the 220-acre area that makes up The Waterfront District.
Foss looks for Green Passport
for new low emission hybrid tug
SEATTLE Foss Maritime Company has contracted with
Lloyds Register North America, Inc. to obtain a Green
Passport certification for its low emission hybrid tug as part of
its ongoing commitment to safeguarding the environment. The
vessel, which will be the first tug in North America with a Green
Passport certification, is being built at Foss shipyard in
Rainier, Oregon, and is scheduled to begin operation in southern
California in fall 2008. The tug design was awarded the
EPAs 2008 Clean Air Excellence Award for Clean Air
Technology. The Green Passport is a document that contains an
inventory of all the materials onboard a ship that may be
hazardous to peoples health or the environment, and that
require careful handling or special awareness. The record
accompanies the ship throughout its operational life. Every five
years, it is reviewed and recertified. At the end of the ship's
life, it helps the ship recycling yard to formulate a safe and
environmentally friendly way of decommissioning the ship.
Roundtable meeting set
to discuss Hillsboro Airport
PORTLAND The Hillsboro Airport Issues Roundtable meets
from 5:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 in room 113 B/C of the Civic
Center at 150 E. Main Street in Hillsboro. The public is
encouraged to attend the meeting; public comment is welcome. The
agenda includes a discussion about subcommittee formation and
planning so that HAIR can make a recommendation on solutions for
the Port of Portland to pursue in terms of flight monitoring at
Hillsboro Airport. Additionally the committee will hear an update
on the land use subcommittee work, review the schedule for the
environmental assessment of the proposed parallel runway and
review planning details for the 2008 airport open house. There
will be time for public comment and questions. The city of
Hillsboro donates space for the meetings in its downtown Civic
Center. Free parking is available, and the site is accessible by
the TriMet MAX Blue Line at the Hatfield Government Center
Station.
Crowley earns awards
for liner/logistics units
JACKSONVILLE, FL Crowley Maritime Corporation's liner
services and logistics units have been named among the "Best
of the Best" in Logistics Management magazine's 25th Annual
Quest for Quality Awards. The results were published in the
August edition of the magazine. Crowley was ranked second overall
among ocean carriers. Additionally, the company made the list of
top 3PLs for the first time in their logistics unit's 10-year
history. The results are part of an extensive survey involving
responses from over 6,000 magazine readers who have
responsibility for buying transportation and third party
services. In order to be named a leader in each category, a
company had to receive at least five percent of the category
vote. In the ocean carrier segment, Crowley ranked No. 2 overall,
when judged for on-time performance, value, information
technology, customer service and equipment and operations.
Port of Tacoma inks
new guide for truckers
TACOMA The Port of Tacoma has produced a new foldout
Trucker's Guide brochure. Designed to fit in the glove box, the
full-color brochure features important information, including
contact phone numbers for all port terminals, as well as regional
truck stops, service locations and highway permit locations. The
brochure also provides detailed pick-up and delivery information,
along with critical information about port security. On the back
is an 18-inch x 24-inch detail map of the port industrial area.
To order free copies, visit the port's online order form at:
http://www.portoftacoma.com/Page.aspx?cid=1653
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Seattle Port Commissioners
hold joint meeting with city council
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle Commission held a joint work
session with the Seattle City Council August 18, to discuss
several issues crucial to the economic and environmental health
of the region. The meeting, held at City Hall, was the first
joint meeting between the two groups since 2004. The groups
considered ways to partner on key issues for the region, such as
transportation infrastructure, freight mobility, environmentally
sustainable business practices, and industrial land use. In
addition, commissioners provided an overview of Port
developments, including growth of the cruise industry and the
pending return of Terminal 30 to container use in 2009.
Commissioners and council members also discussed the competitive
threats facing the Port of Seattle: Newly developed facilities at
Prince Rupert in Canada and an expanded Panama Canal could pull
cargo away from the Pacific Northwest and with that cargo,
some of the more than 200,000 jobs that port activities generate.
Both groups pledged to work together to increase Seattle's
position as a global gateway for trade, bringing goods in for
markets across the nation and sending Washington products out to
the world. The Seattle Port Commission will hold a second joint
meeting with the Port of Tacoma Commission in October. The two
ports held their first-ever joint meeting earlier this year, in
April.
Ports America Group
taps Telman as general counsel
ISELIN, NJ Ports America Group has announced the
appointment of Deborah H. Telman to the position of general
counsel at the companys Iselin, N.J., headquarters. Prior
to joining Ports America Group, Ms. Telman served as chief
counsel for mergers and acquisitions at The Boeing Company in
Chicago (2002-2008). She led Boeing teams in the execution of
mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures and
advised the company on corporate finance and pension management
matters. Ms. Telmans additional legal experience included a
partnership at Winston & Strawn and working as an attorney at
Hopkins & Sutter, both located in Chicago. She acquired
financial experience while working at Morgan Stanley and Merrill
Lynch in New York before earning her J.D. from Boston University
School of Law.
New softwood lumber rules
put on hold for 30 days
WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Customs and Border Protections
office of international trade has advised the trade community of
a 30-day grace period for implementation of the new Softwood
Lumber Act of 2008 reporting requirements. The new law requires
importers to provide additional data elements to CBP for all
importations of softwood lumber and softwood lumber products, as
described in the act. The data collection was to take effect 60
days after the enactment of the legislation on August 18, but the
interim rule implementing the act was not published by that date.
In order to permit the trade sufficient time to comply with the
requirements in the act, the data collection will not begin until
September 18. As a result of the delayed implementation,
importations of softwood lumber subject to the Softwood Lumber
Act of 2008 made between August 18 and September 17 will not be
rejected based on any Softwood Lumber Act of 2008 requirements.
In addition, entries of softwood lumber subject to the act made
between August 18 and September 17 will not be amended nor
supplemented to provide the three new data elements.
Seven year old boy caught
making false distress calls
SEATTLE Coast Guard Sector Seattle received two distress
calls via VHF channel 16 from a 7-year-old boy in Maple Valley,
Wash., August 17. In the first call, received at noon, the boy
stated that he was drowning. At 6 p.m. he made a second call
saying his boat had a hole in it and was sinking. The watch
stander at Sector Seattle was able to get a partial address from
the child and both times the child gave his name. The address
collaborated with the Coast Guard's Rescue 21 lines of bearings
received from communications high sites. King County deputies
were able to locate the child's home in Maple Valley using the
partial address. The child admitted to the deputies that he made
the distress calls while his father was asleep. It is a federal
felony for anyone to knowingly and willfully communicate a false
distress message to the Coast Guard or cause the Coast Guard to
attempt to save lives and property when no help is needed.
Penalties include up to six years in prison, $250,000 fine,
$5,000 civil penalty, and possible reimbursement to the Coast
Guard for costs of the search.
Coast Guard eyes rule changes
for domestic passenger vessels
WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety,
Security and Stewardship Directorate announced the publication of
a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend Coast Guard regulations
governing the stability of domestic passenger vessels. The
changes proposed would affect the process that determines the
maximum number of passengers a vessel may safely carry with
primary focus on updating the average weight per person. This
average weight per person is one of several factors used to
determine compliance with applicable intact stability,
subdivision, and damage stability requirements for a vessel and
the resulting number of passengers that may be carried. Updating
the regulations to more accurately reflect today's average weight
per person will maintain vessel stability safety standards. This
rulemaking follows the completion of studies addressing the
potential impact of increased passenger weight standards on
regulated vessels. These studies, along with comments and
recommendations received from naval architects, shipbuilders,
passenger vessel owners and operators, and the general public,
will be considered in the rulemaking process. The Coast Guard
encourages the public to participate in this rulemaking by
submitting comments and related materials to the docket at
http://www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2007-0030. All
comments received will be posted without change.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, August 18, 2008
Port of Longview begins
wind cargo export services
LONGVIEW The Port of Longview recently added wind energy
cargo exporting services to their growing resume. The port is
pleased to be among the few ports that have provided this
service. For several weeks Acciona wind blades arrived at the
port from a manufacturing facility in North Dakota. When the last
truck arrived, ILWU 21 longshore workers began loading the marine
vessel SCAN ARCTIC with 48 wind blades bound for a wind project
in Australia. "We are pleased to provide export blade
handling services to Acciona," said Port of Longview
Director of Marketing Valerie Harris. "This first export
blade shipment adds a new dimension to our wind energy cargo
handling business, and we hope to attract additional shipments of
this type in the future." "The Port of Longview has
proven to us that it is a major player in the American west coast
cargo handling industry by having a great deal of service and
flexibility, as well as providing us with great contacts within
the Longview/ Kelso vicinity," said Acciona Supply Chain
Analyst John McComas. The Port of Longview took possession of
their new Liebherr LHM500S Mobile Harbor Crane in July.
Yang Ming directors
tap Lu as chairman
TAIWAN In a board meeting held on August 1, Yang Ming
Marine Transport Corporation has elected Dr. Frank F. H. Lu to
succeed W. H. Huang as its chairman. A handing-over ceremony was
held on the same day. Dr. Lu was conferred his PH.D in business
management at National Chengchi University. He joined Yang Ming
in 1971 as a junior employee and was promoted to president in
April 1995. He endeavored to improve the company's structure and
business performance, and carried out the company's
privatization. Since September 2000, he had served as chairman of
Taiwan Navigation Co., Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation and
CSBC Corporation, Taiwan. The board meeting elected him
unanimously for the chairmanship.
Port of Seattle slates hearing
on land exchange with WSDOT
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle will hold a public hearing to
consider a proposed land exchange with the Washington State
Department of Transportation (WSDOT) during the regular meeting
of the Port of Seattle Commission on Tuesday, August 26, at 4
p.m. in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the Airport
Office Building, International Auditorium, Mezzanine Level South,
Main Terminal, SeaTac, Washington. The proposed deal involving
land exchange and lease agreements would enable WSDOT to proceed
with the process of the future extension of SR 509 to connect
with I-5. The proposed deal will reduce the cost of construction
related to the Rental Care Facility, reduce the cost of
completing improvements to the Northern Airport Expressway, allow
the port to install and maintain approach lights for the Third
Runway, and reduce the cost of future projects such as the
reconstruction of Runway 16L/34R. The land exchange would include
nine properties currently owned by the port transferred to WSDOT
and three properties currently owned by WSDOT transferred to the
port with airspace leases for four additional properties from
WSDOT to the port. In October 2007, the port commission
authorized the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with
WSDOT to negotiate the transfer of properties needed by WSDOT for
the SR 509 extension in exchange for the properties and airspace
leases needed by the Port for current and future Aviation
projects. The proposed Property Exchange Agreement and Airspace
leases will facilitate the accomplishment of the MOU's intent.
NOAA decomissions
last wooden hulled ship in fleet
SEATTLE NOAA ship JOHN N. COBB, the oldest and only wooden
hulled ship in the NOAA fleet, was decommissioned August 13, in
Seattle after 58 years of service. The 93-foot fisheries research
vessel began service in 1950 with the Bureau of Fisheries,
predecessor to NOAAs Fisheries Service, conducting albacore
tuna surveys in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Homeported in
Seattle, The JOHN N. COBB has operated primarily in Alaskan
waters for much of its service life, most recently in support of
the fisheries services Auke Bay Laboratories in Juneau.
JOHN N. COBB was designed as a purse-seiner, but added
capabilities enabled the vessel to utilize almost every type of
fishing method. The ship has conducted various types of data
acquisition and research, including juvenile salmon marine
ecology, juvenile rockfish habitat assessment, sablefish tagging
and telemetry, marine mammal surveys, coral and sponge benthic
habitat, habitat mapping of near-shore estuaries, and
oceanographic sampling and long-term coastal monitoring.
Washington PTA board
slams Initiative 985
OLYMPIA The Washington State PTA Board of Directors voted
at its August board meeting to oppose I-985, which would transfer
a portion of the sales tax from the state general fund to address
transportation issues. According to the Office of Financial
Management, the initiative could result in as much as $665
million being diverted from the general fund over a five year
period. While some of the 18 board members were empathetic to the
need to improve transportation, a significant majority voted to
oppose the initiative because of concerns that the diversion of
general fund moneys would result in unacceptable cuts to other
programs, particularly K-12 education, health care and other
programs that are important to children. Founded in 1905, the
Washington State PTA is a nonprofit membership association which
seeks to bring together the home, school and community on behalf
of all children and youth.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, August 15, 2008
Port of Everett asks community
for input on communications
EVERETT As part of its on-going commitment to informing
and engaging the community, the Port of Everett recently
conducted a telephone survey in mid-June to find out what
residents know about the Port of Everett now, and what they would
like to learn more about in the future. The port utilized a third
party to complete more than 400 telephone interviews with
individuals residing in the ports taxing district which
includes portions of Everett, Mukilteo, Marysville and Hat
Island. Community engagement is a priority for the port,
and it was important that we went directly to our constituents to
ask them their opinions regarding our current communication
efforts, Executive Director John Mohr said. This is
an important step for our planning process and our commitment to
open communication. We certainly do appreciate the residents who
were willing to participate and give us their preferences and
priorities for port-related communications. The results
will later be used by the port to focus its communication and
outreach efforts.
Freight transport index
posts gains during June
WASHINGTON, DC The Freight Transportation Services Index
(TSI) rose 0.1 percent in June from its May level, rising for the
second consecutive month, the U.S. Department of
Transportations Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
reports. For the first six months of 2008, the freight index
advanced 2.9 percent, its largest increase for the first six
months of the year since 2002. In 2007, the index dropped 0.4
percent in the first half of the year before rising about the
same amount in the last six months to finish virtually unchanged
for the year. Despite a big increase in May and a sharp decline
in March, the freight index was at about the same level in June
as in January. At 111.5 in June, the freight TSI was up 3.3
percent since its recent low of 108.0 in September 2007 but down
1.4 percent from its peak of 113.1 reached in November 2005. The
freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in the output of
services provided by the for-hire freight transportation
industries. The index consists of data from for-hire trucking,
rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.
July positive month
for US rail freight carloads
WASHINGTON, DC U.S. railroads originated 1,606,877
carloads of freight in July 2008, up 16,825 carloads (1.1
percent) from July 2007. U.S. railroads also originated 1,125,795
intermodal trailers and containers in July 2008, a decrease of
25,645 units (2.2 percent) from July 2007, the Association of
American Railroads (AAR) reports. Commodities showing carload
gains in July 2008 included coal (up 28,716 carloads, or 4.3
percent, to 697,055 carloads); grain (up 8,010 carloads, or 7.2
percent, to 119,455 carloads); and chemicals (up 6,197 carloads,
or 4.1 percent, to 156,871 carloads). Commodities showing carload
declines in July 2008 included motor vehicles and equipment (down
17,248 carloads, or 22.2 percent, to 60,454 carloads); coke (down
8,358 carloads, or 29.7 percent, to 19,744 carloads); and lumber
and wood products (down 3,744 carloads, or 17.1 percent, to
18,182 carloads). Seven of the 19 major commodity categories
tracked by the AAR saw U.S. carload increases in July 2008
compared to July 2007. For the first seven months of 2008, total
U.S. rail carloads were up 36,575 carloads (0.4 percent) to
10,058,613 carloads. Year-over-year traffic was up in coal (up
138,386 carloads, or 3.3 percent); grain (up 94,784 carloads, or
14.5 percent); and chemicals (up 30,606 carloads, or 3.3
percent), among others. Year-over-year traffic was down in motor
vehicles and equipment (down 96,029 carloads, or 15.5 percent);
coke (down 55,097 carloads, or 31.9 percent); and crushed stone,
sand, and gravel (down 38,213 carloads, or 6.0 percent), among
others.
New rules around corner
for softwood lumber importers
WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Customs and Border Protections
trade office has advised the trade community of new reporting
requirements to ensure that importers comply with the Softwood
Lumber Act of 2008. The new law requires importers to provide
additional data elements to CBP for all importations of softwood
lumber and softwood lumber products, as described in the act. The
changes are to take effect on August 18, 60 days after the
enactment of the legislation. Importers are required to provide
CBP three additional data elements: an export price, estimated
export charge, if any applies, and an importer declaration. These
elements must be submitted for each line of imported softwood
lumber and softwood lumber products subject to the Softwood
Lumber Act of 2008 on the entry summary, CBP form 7501. CBP Form
7501 and any supporting documentation must be retained by the
importer in accordance with CBP record keeping requirements and
be produced upon request. These requirements apply to all
shipments of softwood lumber and softwood lumber products
described in the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008, regardless of
country of origin or export.
NYK opens office
in St. Petersburg, Russia
TOKYO NYK opened a representative office in St.
Petersburg, Russia, on August 1. The office opens with a staff of
two and will focus on promoting logistics, liner, car transport,
harbor, and bulk and energy transport services throughout the
Northwest Federal District. The NYK Group already has logistics
subsidiaries established in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and also a
liner subsidiary based in the country. Moreover, NYK is involved
in two advanced LNG projects with JSC Sovcomflot, Russia's
largest shipping company. NYK will continue to promote businesses
in BRIC countries in accordance with the company's medium-term
management plan, New Horizon 2010.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Vancouver Port Commissioners
Ok nearly $6 million to speed cleanup
VANCOUVER, USA The Port of Vancouver, USA Board of
Commissioners has unanimously approved separate expenditures
totaling nearly $6 million to expedite the cleanup of
contaminated groundwater under port property, and the Fruit
Valley neighborhood. During their meeting this week, Port
Commissioners Brian Wolfe, Nancy Baker and Jerry Oliver voted 3-0
to authorize Executive Director Larry Paulson to sign a change
order to a contract with Parametrix, Inc., amounting to $2.1
million. The first $600,000 of that amount will be spent
and is included in the ports 2008 budget this year,
while the remaining $1.5 million will be budgeted for expense in
2009. The necessity of the change order is to support the
ports efforts to meet its obligations to the State
Department of Ecology, including air and groundwater monitoring
and completion of required project documents; oversee
construction of the groundwater pump and treat interim action at
the former Swan Manufacturing site; and manage the environmental
obligations associated with the Cadet facility including
appropriate reporting. When complete, the project will cost more
than $30 million, most of which has been paid for by insurance
settlements and money from the Washington Department of
Ecologys Model Toxic Control Act (MTCA), and will provide a
clean source of drinking water for the community. In a related
action, the commission also voted unanimously to authorize Mr.
Paulson to sign a public works contract with Rotschy, Inc.
(Yacolt, Wash.) for the construction of a TCE Groundwater Pump
and Treat Interim Action Project, which will accelerate the next
phase of the cleanup. This project was included in the 2008
capital budget as a part of TCE cleanup costs. The fiscal year
2008 budget includes $3.9 million for the cleanup system. The
winning bid from Rotschy is for a not-to-exceed amount of
$3,089,925.93.
KMBT hit with penalty
for ocean dumping violation
WASHINGTON, DC Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals Incorporated
(KMBT) has been sentenced for a felony violation of federal ocean
protection laws before U.S. District Judge Garr M. King, the
Justice Department announced. The court sentenced KMBT to pay a
total penalty of $240,000. Of this amount, a total of $84,000
will fund various environmental projects in Oregon administered
by the congressionally established National Fish and Wildlife
Fund through the Oregon Governor's Fund for the Environment.
KMBT, which is headquartered in Louisiana and runs a bulk
terminal vessel loading facility in Portland, admitted to
violating the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act,
more commonly known as the Ocean Dumping Act, which makes it a
crime to knowingly transport or cause to be transported, without
a permit, certain materials from the United States for the
purpose of dumping the materials into ocean waters. The case
arose from an investigation into KMBT's operation of a terminal
in Portland. KMBT receives, stores and loads potash or potassium
chloride, a substance used as a salt substitute or fertilizer, on
behalf of a Canadian corporation at Terminal 5. The shipments of
potash arrive in railcars where KMBT then loads it onto bulk
cargo vessels for shipment overseas, oftentimes to Asia. In
August 2003, KMBT received 160 metric tons of potash that
inspectors determined had come into contact with water, rendering
it unsellable. KMBT's night superintendent paid the master of the
vessel taking on the load $1250 to load the wet,
off-specification potash on the vessel's deck for later disposal
into the ocean. In August 2007, the government located the master
of the vessel, the J/A ALADDIN DREAM II, in Japan. The retired
master had logbooks and was able to tell the Interpol
investigator exactly where the crew dumped the potash into the
ocean.
MarAd working with Hapag-Lloyd
to train US maritime cadets
WASHINGTON, DC Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton
and John M. Murray, president and chief executive officer of
Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC, recently signed an agreement for cadets
from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and state maritime
academies to take their training voyages on Hapag-Lloyd vessels.
Maritime cadets must have sailing time on working vessels in
order to qualify as licensed mariners. Currently, there is a
worldwide shortage of licensed mariners, and U.S. maritime
academies have geared up to train more students. Students will
begin to serve on the foreign-flag vessels in October. This
Memorandum of Agreement is the fifth such training agreement
signed between the federal government and private industry.
Previous agreements were with APL Liner, Ltd.; Overseas
Shipholding Group; Great American Lines, Inc.; and SeaRiver.
Hanjin Shipping begins
Korea/Japan feeder service
SEOUL Hanjin Shipping has announced that it is launching a
dedicated feeder service between Korea and Japan starting from
August 24, 2008. KJS (Korea-Japan Service) is a dedicated feeder
service in which one 400 TEU vessel will rotate between
Busan-Tokyo-Osaka-Busan once a week. The main purpose of this
service includes promoting sales within Asia and reducing vessel
operation time while transshipping the Japanese local cargo to
Europe and the U.S. Hanjin expects that the introduction of this
new KJS will minimize the bottleneck situation at Asian ports for
the services that call Japan.
Winners announced for
Sand in the City contest
BELLINGHAM The "Ancient City of Atlantis" Sand
Sculpture created by Dawson Construction and The Zervas Group won
first place in the Port of Bellingham's Sand in the City Team
Sand Sculpture Competition. Second Place went to "The Wish
Well Wishing Well" created by the CH2M Hill Team, and third
place went to "Horton Hears a Who" from the Trans-Ocean
Products Team. The Bellingham Cold Storage Team won the People's
Choice Award. Other teams competing in the competition were:
Banner Bank, Comcast and Lawrence and the Dots. In addition to
the team sculptures, master sand sculptors carved an eight foot
high marine scene entitled "Mermaids with Octopus."
This sculpture celebrated the new octopus at the Marine Life
Center. Other Festival activities included children's play in the
giant sand box, marine crafts and face painting, live music and
food vendors. Sand in the City is presented by the Northwest
Discovery Project and the Port of Bellingham. Admission is by
donation and proceeds support the Marine Life Center, a place
where children and adults can learn about and explore the
diversity of creatures found in the waters of Puget Sound and the
Washington coast.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Port of Portland cleanup effort
includes use of low sulfur diesel
PORTLAND As sediment removal swings into action at Marine
Terminal 4 (T-4) on Tuesday, August 12, all involved locally in
the Port of Portlands latest cleanup project will be able
to breathe a little easier. Making an extra effort to reduce the
works effect on local air quality, the port has required
that ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel be used in all heavy equipment
on-site. The T-4 sediment removal action includes dredging and
capping of contaminated sediment, as well as stabilizing a bank
along the Willamette River to control erosion. The project is
part of an overall effort to clean up Portland Harbor, which was
designated a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency in December 2000. In 2003, the port became the first
entity in the Harbor to sign a cleanup order with EPA, and the
ports removal action this summer is the second such action
to occur within the Portland Harbor Superfund site. This
summers cleanup work will remove contaminants resulting
from over a hundred years of marine and other activities in the
region; the primary contaminants of concern at T-4 are petroleum,
metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Port of Seattle taps Graves
as Capital Development director
SEATTLE Ralph Graves, former US Army Corps District
Engineer for Seattle, recently joined the Port of Seattle as
managing director, Capital Development. Mr. Graves will lead the
newly-formed division, overseeing all capital development
projects and managing the new Central Procurement Office. His
first day at the port was August 11, 2008. Earlier this year,
Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani established the Capital
Development Division, centralizing all of the ports
procurement and construction activities. A performance audit
released in late 2007 suggested creation of a Central Procurement
Office; Mr. Yoshitani created the CPO, but as part of a more
robust restructuring effort. The Central Procurement Office was
created as part of the new Capital Development Division, and as
managing director of the division, Graves will report directly to
the CEO. Mr. Graves served as a member of the US Corps of
Engineers for 29 years, serving as deputy district engineer in
Baltimore and as district engineer in both Honolulu and Seattle.
Upon leaving the Corps of Engineers, he worked for Parsons
Brinckerhoff, working on the Alaskan Way Viaduct project. Mr.
Graves graduated from the United States Military Academy (West
Point) in 1974. He has a Masters degree in Civil
Engineering from UC-Berkeley, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from
Stevens Institute of Technology.
Haindl new marketing manager
for Port of Vancouver, USA
VANCOUVER, USA Nick Haindl has joined the marine
department at the Port of Vancouver USA as marketing manager. Mr.
Haindl joins the port to handle marketing duties that include
maintaining relationships with existing customers, developing new
cargos and customers, and to market the port globally for
near-term and long-term growth. Before coming to the port, Mr.
Haindl was the site manager for Ports America (formerly Marine
Terminals Corporation) at the Vancouver terminal for five years.
He had been with Ports America for a total of 11 years, and is
extremely familiar with the port and its customer base.
ACP Human Resources Dept.
earns ISO 9001-200 certification
PANAMA CITY The Panama Canal Authoritys (ACP) Human
Resources Department received ISO 9001-2000 certification
resulting from an audit of its Quality Management System,
performed by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), during an official
ceremony August 12. The recognition underscores ACPs
commitment to quality and validates procedures that help make the
Canal safe, reliable and efficient. The ACP sought the
certification because of its firm commitment to innovative,
first-rate management. Moreover, receiving this recognition
confirms that the ACP is implementing robust management
procedures. ISO 9000 standards are implemented by more than
610,000 organizations in 160 countries. These standards help to
enrich quality management at organizations, including enhancing
customer satisfaction and continually improving performance. The
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a
non-governmental organization, is the worlds largest
developer of standards (www.iso.org).
Port of Tacoma re-launches
updated Internet website
TACOMA The Port of Tacoma has re-launched its website at
www.portoftacoma.com. The site features a new format designed for
easier navigation and a constant flow of information and images.
"We were the first U.S. port to launch a website back in
1995," said Port Communications Director Rod Koon. "Our
new website implements the latest internet technologies to better
communicate with our customers, the transportation logistics
industry and with our community." According to Mr. Koon, the
port started the redesign process more than a year ago by
listening to customers and to citizens who visited the website.
"As a result of this process, the new website makes it
easier for visitors to find key information, such as port news,
commission meetings, web streaming and a calendar of events.
These are all up front on our home page." Mr. Koon points
out that the new website will continually be modified and updated
to meet the information needs of customers and the community. The
port worked with Tacoma-based Business Internet Services (BIS) to
design and create the infrastructure of the new website.
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, August 11, 2008
NOL remains in running
to acquire Hapag-Lloyd box business
SINGAPORE Neptune Orient Lines Limited (NOL) has confirmed
it has been invited to continue into the next phase of the
bidding process for the sale of the Hapag-Lloyd container
shipping business. NOL submitted an indicative non-binding bid to
acquire Hapag-Lloyd to the company's owner TUI AG on July 21,
2008. Any agreement would be subject to, among other steps, due
diligence, submission and acceptance of NOL's final bid,
regulatory approvals and NOL shareholders' approvals. If
successful, NOL would integrate its APL container shipping
business with Hapag-Lloyd, which would create the world's
third-largest container carrier. While the process is underway,
NOL will be bound by strict confidentiality undertakings, which
legally restrict the company's ability to share information. NOL
is committed to keeping stakeholders informed of important
developments.
Port Metro Vancouver
releases mid-year numbers
VANCOUVER, BC Mid-year stats for cargo released by Port
Metro Vancouver show growth in coal and potash exports, along
with positive increases in both import and export container
volumes. Cruise passenger volumes remained relatively stable,
while overall tonnage was down slightly from the same period in
2007. Influenced strongly by forest product market conditions,
overall cargo volumes dropped five percent to 58,477,997 tonnes.
Coal exports, up 10 percent year-to-date to 12,973,564 tonnes,
demonstrated the strength in energy markets along with offshore
supply issues, particularly in Australia. High global demand for
fertilizer boosted potash volumes by 10 percent to 3,438,753
tonnes, and increased sulphur exports by seven percent to
2,726,432 tonnes. In contrast to many West Coast ports, total
container traffic increased by four percent, reaching 1,223,390
TEUs. Port Metro Vancouver continues to rank third among North
American west coast ports in terms of foreign laden container
traffic, registering a six percent increase. The cruise sector
demonstrated relative stability. Passenger numbers are down
slightly from 2007 due to adjustment in vessel deployment by
cruise lines operating in the Alaska market.
"K" line to become partner
in Quanzhou ship repair business
TOKYO Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" Line) has
announced that an agreement has been reached with the holding
company of Titan Quanzhou Shipyard Ltd. (TQSL), a shipyard under
construction in a suburb of Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, PRC
by Titan Petrochemicals Group Ltd., for "K Line to become a
primary strategic partner in ship repair business by purchasing
convertible securities (equal to five percent of the outstanding
number of shares). TQSL is located in a suburb of Quanzhou City,
Fujian Province, occupying total area of 110ha with 3,600m length
of coastline. Upon full completion in 2010, it will be the
largest modern-designed repair dock in China with capacity of 250
vessels per year, equipped with four ultra-large dry docks (two
of which can accommodate 300,000dwt class VLCC or VLOC), two
slipways, ten repair berths, painting workshop and
mechanical-electrical workshop.
Horizon Lines celebrates
50 years in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN Last week, Horizon Lines, Inc., celebrated 50
years of service in Puerto Rico at an event forcustomers,
vendors, labor leaders, government officials and staff held atthe
company's San Juan marine terminal. On August 5, 1958, at the
same location, the Pan-Atlantic Steamship Corp. FAIRLAND docked
and unloaded the first-ever "Sea-Land" containers in
Puerto Rico, as reported by the Journal of Commerce shipping
newspaper that day. The FAIRLAND converted C-2 type freighter was
one of the first "containerships" put into service by
industry innovator Malcom McLean. Mr. McLean would later change
the name of Pan-Atlantic Steamship to Sea-Land Service Inc., and
go on to invent the container shipping industry as we know it
today. Horizon Lines is the U.S. domestic ocean shipping
descendent of Sea-Land. The FAIRLAND and Puerto Rico will always
play central role in that history.
Port of Tacoma magazine
ready to view online
TACOMA The Summer 2008 edition of the Port of Tacoma's
award-winning Pacific Gateway magazine is now available online.
Readers will learn about the Tacoma regions growing base of
warehousing and import distribution centers. Another article
examines how industry leaders are addressing the growth of
international trade in the Pacific Northwest and intermodal rail
system capacity. Tacoma-based Emerald Home Furnishings is
profiled in a business feature. This furniture importer and
wholesale distributor is a home-grown success starting
small and going global. Pacific Gateway readers will also get the
latest on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula redevelopment plans,
including the port's historic agreements with the Puyallup Tribe
of Indians and SSA Containers, Inc. Tall Ships Tacoma 2008 graces
this edition's cover, with a photo-packed feature that looks at
the recent 2008 event along with a series of compelling tall ship
stories from 19th Century Tacoma. To read the online Summer 2008
Pacific Gateway (pdf file), click http://www.portoftacoma.com. At
this link, readers may also sign up for a free home or office
delivery of Pacific Gateway and other port publications.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, August 8, 2008
Port Tracker report predicts
cargo volume drop in 2008
WASHINGTON, DC Cargo volume at the nations major
retail container ports is expected to decline four percent in
2008 compared with 2007 because of the nations slow
economy, according to the monthly Port Tracker report released
today by the National Retail Federation and Global Insight.
Volume is projected to total 15.8 million Twenty-Foot-Equivalent
Units for the year, compared with 16.4 million TEU in 2007. Cargo
volume each month this year has been below the same month last
year, and is expected to continue to be below last years
levels in each remaining month except October and December. One
TEU is one 20-foot container or its equivalent. U.S. ports
surveyed handled 1.3 million TEU in June, the most recent month
for which actual numbers are available. The number was down 0.3
percent from May and 10.3 percent from June 2007. July was
estimated at 1.37 million TEU, down 5.2 percent from a year ago,
and August is forecast at 1.42 million TEU, down 2.7 percent.
September is forecast at 1.4 million TEU, down 4.9 percent, but
October is forecast to be up 1.1 percent at 1.46 million TEU.
October should be the peak month of the year, though it will fall
short of the 1.48 million TEU peak for 2007 set last September.
November is forecast at 1.37 million TEU, down 0.3 percent, and
December at 1.32 million TEU, up 3.4 percent. Meanwhile, all U.S.
ports covered by Port Tracker Los Angeles/Long Beach,
Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New
Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast,
and Houston on the Gulf Coast are rated low
for congestion, the same as last month.
Corps eyes Cowlitz River
for flood protection levels
PORTLAND A July assessment of the Cowlitz River shows a
significant reduction of flood protection levels for communities
along the lower 18 miles of the river, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers announced. The flood risk assessment contains an update
of the flood frequency for areas of the lower Cowlitz River. This
information is used to compute the levels of protection provided
by the Cowlitz River levees. The levees are authorized to provide
above 100-year flood protection for the communities of Kelso,
Lexington, Longview and Castle Rock, Wash. A 100-year flood has a
one percent chance (1 in 100) of occurring in any one year. The
updated 100-year discharges on the lower 18 miles of the Cowlitz
River are 15 to 20 percent greater than the last update in 1997.
The new assessment includes stream flow data from the last 12
years, as well as an analysis of 40 years of flood regulation
operations from the Mayfield-Mossyrock reservoir. In addition to
higher, more frequent peak flows in the lower Cowlitz River,
sediment deposition from the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption has
been slowly decreasing flood protection levels, with a noticeable
increase in deposition following record November 2006 rainfall.
Interim dredging last winter removed 2.2 million cubic yards of
sediment from the mouth of the Cowlitz River to about river mile
1.3. Another round of interim dredging is scheduled to begin in
early August. The dredge will remove up to 300,000 cubic yards of
sediment from the Cowlitz River from Gearhart Gardens to one mile
upstream. These measures help decrease the impact of the
sedimentation on the lower Cowlitz River, but additional actions
are needed. The Corps is currently looking at possible measures
to enhance the Cowlitz levee system to better manage the higher
flows now associated with a 100-year flood. The study should be
completed in 2009.
US rail freight traffic
rolls to negative week
WASHINGTON, DC Both carload and intermodal volume on U.S.
railroads were off during the week ended July 26 in comparison
with the same week last year, the Association of American
Railroads (AAR) reports. Carload freight totaled 333,187 cars for
the week, down 0.9 percent from last year. Volume was up 1.7
percent in the West but down 4.3 percent in the East. Intermodal
volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled
235,397 trailers or containers, down 3.2 percent from a year ago.
Trailer volume was up 1.3 percent while container traffic dropped
4.4 percent. Total volume was estimated at 34.8 billion
ton-miles, virtually the same as last year. Six of 19 carload
commodities registered gains from a year ago with metallic ores
jumping 23.8 percent, grain climbing 5.0 percent, and coal
increasing 3.3 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were
motor vehicles and equipment, 33.6 percent, lumber and wood
products, 19.6 percent, and primary forest products, 14.1
percent. Cumulative volume for the first 30 weeks of 2008 totaled
9,720,848 carloads, up 0.4 percent from 2007; 6,655,987 trailers
or containers, down 3.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated
1.006 trillion ton-miles, up 1.6 percent from last year.
Five new organizations to take part
in environmental management program
ALEXANDRIA, VA The American Association of Port
Authorities (AAPA) and the Global Environment & Technology
Foundation (GETF) have announced five organizations that will
participate in the third round of a 1½-year training program
that assists seaport authorities to develop and maintain
state-of-the-art environmental management systems. In two
previous rounds (2005-2006 and 2006-2007), a total of 15 public
seaport agencies from throughout the United States participated
in the rigorous assistance program, which provides organizations
training on management processes and procedures so they can
better analyze, control and enhance the environmental
consequences of their activities. Participating in the assistance
project's third round, which begins in October, are: Georgia
Ports Authority, South Carolina State Ports Authority, Port of
San Diego, Port of Long Beach, and California United Terminals.
All participants in this round will be working to create
environmental management systems. At the request of three
participants, AAPA and GETF offered a concurrent Security
Management System (SMS) assistance training program last year.
Top Ships reaches deal
to terminal bareboat charters
ATHENS TOP Ships Inc. has announced that it has entered
into agreements to terminate its bareboat charters for four
Suezmax tankers, the PRICELESS (DWT 154,970, built 1991), the
FLAWLESS (DWT 154,970, built 1991), the STOPLESS (DWT 154,970,
built 1991) and the TIMELESS (DWT 154,970, built 1991) and one
Handymax tanker, the SOVEREIGN (DWT 47,071, built 1992), in
connection with the sale of these vessels by their owners to
third parties. The Suezmax charters are expected to be terminated
by the end of September of 2008 upon sale of the vessels from
their owners to third parties. The Handymax lease is expected to
be terminated by August 20, 2008 upon sale of the vessel from its
owner to third parties. The aggregate unamortized portion of the
deferred gain from the original sales of approximately $13.3
million is expected to be recognized in the third quarter of
2008. Moreover, the company will receive the amount of
approximately $11.3 million in cash, which represents the partial
redemption of the initial seller's credit agreement with the
lessors of the four Suezmaxes.
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, August 7, 2008
President gives priority status
to Columbia Crossing project
WASHINGTON, DC The Columbia River Crossing, also known as
the Interstate 5 Bridge between Portland and Vancouver, USA, has
received national priority status from the White House, said U.S.
Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. The elite status,
extended to only 20 other projects over the last five years, will
help reduce the projects timetable by months if not years.
The priority designation under Executive Order 13274 was
requested jointly by the Oregon and Washington Departments of
Transportation. It will help speed decision-making by officials
while maintaining all federal and state environmental review
requirements. The Columbia River Crossing project, which has
already received $15 million in federal funding, will reduce
gridlock and improve safety problems on a five-mile stretch of
I-5 through a combination of bridge, transit and highway
improvements. About one crash occurs daily a rate that is
twice as high as similar highways in Oregon and Washington. The
project area stretches from State Route 500 in Vancouver, to
approximately Columbia Boulevard in Portland, including the I-5
Bridge across the Columbia River.
Washington ferry ELWHA
out of service for repairs
SEATTLE The Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT) Ferries Division has moved the 90-car ferry SEALTH to
Anacortes to replace the 144-car ELWHA while necessary repairs
are made to the ELWHAs propulsion system. The SEALTH has
been on stand-by at the Ferries Divisions Eagle Harbor
Maintenance Facility. At 8:00 a.m. Aug. 6, the ELWHA temporarily
lost steering due to a problem with the propulsion control
system. The vessel resumed use of the propulsion system on one
end and was able to make it to Anacortes under its own power. The
ELWHA is out of service until later this week while repairs to
the propulsion control cooling system are made. Because the
SEALTH holds fewer cars than the ELWHA, customers should arrive
early and expect more overloads. For updated schedule and service
information please visit the WSDOT Ferries Division Web site at
www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/service.
International Trade Commission
releases Year in Trade report
WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. International Trade Commission
(ITC) has released The Year in Trade 2007, its annual overview of
the previous year's trade-related activities. The ITC's The Year
in Trade is one of the government's most comprehensive reports of
U.S. trade-related activities, covering major multilateral,
regional, and bilateral developments. The publication provides a
practical review of U.S. international trade laws and actions in
2007, a summary of the operation of the World Trade Organization
(WTO), and an overview of U.S. free trade agreements and
negotiations and of U.S. bilateral trade relations with major
trading partners. The Year in Trade 2007 includes complete
listings of antidumping, countervailing duty, safeguard,
intellectual property rights infringement, and section 301 cases
undertaken by the U.S. government in 2007. The Year in Trade 2007
(USITC Publication 4026, July 2008) will be posted on the ITC's
Internet site at
http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/332/pub4026.pdf. The report
also is expected to be available at federal depository libraries
in the United States and at offices of the U.S. Information
Agency abroad. In addition, the ITC is disseminating this report,
as well as previous Year in Trade reports covering the years
2001-2007, on CD-ROM. The report may be requested by emailing
pubrequest@usitc.gov, calling 202-205-2000, or contacting the
Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500
E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to
202-205-2104.
Boeing predicts growth
in global air cargo market
SEATTLE The Boeing Company projects that the global air
cargo market will continue to exhibit strong, long-term growth,
according to the company's Current Market Outlook 2008. During
the 20-year forecast period, Boeing projects that the industry
will grow at an annualized average of 5.8 percent with the world
freighter fleet increasing from 1,948 to 3,892 airplanes. This
growth requires a total of 3,358 airplanes joining the freighter
fleet by 2027, taking into account anticipated airplane
retirements of 1,414 airplanes, according to the annual Outlook,
which was released prior to the 2008 Farnborough Air Show. The
fleet additions will include 863 new production freighters, with
a value of about $206 billion in current U.S. dollars, and 2,495
airplanes from conversions. Widebody freighters will dominate the
new production freighter total and 641 will be of the large
freighter segment (more than 80 tons (72.6 tonnes) capacity).
Change of command today
for Coast Guard Sector Seattle
SEATTLE Coast Guard Captain Stephen P. Metruck will
transfer command of Coast Guard Sector Seattle to Captain Suzanne
E. Englebert in a Change of Command Ceremony that will be held at
the Integrated Support Command Seattle today at 10:30 a.m.
Captain Metruck, the son of Mrs. Mary Lou Metruck and the late
Stephen G. Metruck of Massena, NY, has been the Commander of
Sector Seattle since 2005. Sector Seattle oversees the
comprehensive maritime safety, security and marine environmental
response operations throughout the sector's 3,500 square mile
area of responsibility. Sector Seattle faces many challenges
posed by the complexity of the Puget Sound area including
numerous high risk, as well as economically and nationally
significant maritime operations, including the nation's largest
ferry system, the third largest container port, 1.3 million
recreational boaters, over 200 cruise ship arrivals annually,
over 5,000 deep draft vessel transits annually, home to the
Alaskan fishing fleet, the third largest strategic naval port and
15 billion gallons of oil products moved annually. Captain
Metruck's next assignment will be as a fellow on the Chief of
Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group at the Naval War College
in Newport, Rhode Island. Captain Englebert is reporting from
Coast Guard District Seven located in Miami, FL where she served
as the chief of prevention. Captain Englebert is a Coast Guard
Academy graduate and holds an M.S.E. degree in Naval Architecture
and Marine Engineering and an M.S.E. degree in Mechanical
Engineering from the University of Michigan. Rear Admiral John P.
Currier, Commander of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District is
scheduled to preside over the ceremony.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Corps begins repair work
to Columbia mouth sand berm
PORTLAND The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is beginning
repair work this week on the north jetty sand berm at the mouth
of the Columbia River. The MCR north jetty sand berm is a natural
buffer adjacent to the north jetty, providing extra protection
from storms. The sand berm was damaged during the winter storms
in 2007 and is in need of repairs in order to provide effective
protection from future storms. The Corps has contracted Great
Lakes Dredge and Dock to pump 125,000 cubic yards of sediment
dredged from the channel at the mouth of the Columbia River onto
Benson Beach for repairs to the sand berm. Crews will construct a
temporary sand berm over the entire length of the sand pump-out
area to keep the sediment from washing back into the ocean. This
area will be restored to pre-project conditions and a sand fence
will stabilize the area once the work is complete. During this
work, an area adjacent to the north jetty and along Benson Beach
will be closed to the public as a safety precaution. The work
will be completed no later than Sept. 15. The Corps warns the
public to stay out of the construction area, and as always, stay
off the jetty. The public notice and environmental assessment for
this project are available at
https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/en_plan_assess.asp.
Fincantieri plans to buy
Manitowoc Marine Group
TRIESTE, Italy Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani
S.p.A., a global commercial and naval shipbuilding firm, has
announced that it has signed a definitive acquisition agreement
to acquire the Manitowoc Marine Group (MMG), from its parent
company, The Manitowoc Company, Inc. Lockheed Martin Corporation
has agreed to be a minority investor with Fincantieri in the
proposed acquisition. The transaction, that is valued at approx.
US$ 120 Million (subject to certain closing adjustments), is an
all-cash deal that is anticipated to close at the end of 2008.
The Boards of Directors of Fincantieri and Manitowoc have
approved the terms of the agreement. The transaction is subject
to customary closing conditions, including clearance from the
U.S. antitrust authorities. It will also be reviewed by the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. MMG is a US mid-sized
shipbuilder for commercial and government customers, including
the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. MMG is comprised of two
shipyards - Marinette Marine Corporation (Marinette, WI) and Bay
Shipbuilding Company (Sturgeon Bay, WI) - and a topside repair
yard in Cleveland, OH. MMG employs a workforce of approx. 1,590
and in FY2007 generated revenues of approx. US$ 320 Million,
which are expected to increase in FY2008.
General Maritime Corp.
merging with Arlington Tankers
NEW YORK/HAMILTON, Bermuda General Maritime Corporation
(General Maritime) and Arlington Tankers Ltd. (Arlington Tankers)
have jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive
agreement whereby the two companies will combine in a stock-
for-stock combination. Under the terms of the definitive
agreement, approved unanimously by the Boards of Directors of
both General Maritime and Arlington Tankers, shareholders of
General Maritime will receive 1.340 shares of the combined
company for each share of General Maritime held, and shareholders
of Arlington Tankers will receive one share of the combined
company for each share of Arlington Tankers held. The combination
will create a publicly traded tanker company.
MITSUI O.S.K. Lines names
320,000dwt iron ore carrier
TOKYO Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced the
launch of one of the world's largest iron ore carriers, the
320,000 dwt TUBARO MARU. The naming and delivery ceremony was
held August 5, at the Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.,
Ltd. (MES) Chiba Works. The new vessel will sail under a
long-term transport contract with Nippon Steel Corporation. The
TUBARO MARU is similar to the world's largest iron ore carrier,
the BRASIL MARU, which was launched in December 2007. It is the
second generation ship to bear the name; the original TUBARO MARU
was launched in 1966. After the naming and rope-cutting
ceremonies, the TUBARO MARU will go into service to transport
Brazilian iron ore to Japan. MOL became the first Japanese
shipping company to operate a 300,000 dwt class very large iron
ore carrier(VLOC) with the launch of the BRASIL MARU in December
2007. Five of these VLOCs will sail under the MOL operating by
August 2009.
Container shipping service
opens worldwide photo contest
COPENHAGEN The Container Shipping Information Service
(CSIS) has launched a worldwide photography competition to
encourage people to think about the huge impact container
shipping has on their lives. Because Maersk Line has been a
member of the CSIS since it was established in January 2008 we
would like to bring this photo competition to your attention.
Entitled The box that changed our lives and aimed at
amateur or have-a-go photographers, the competition
will run throughout August and September 2008. It will generate
awareness of the enormous benefit - usually unrecognised - that
container shipping has on our lives. To enter the competition,
applicants will email their pictures to
photocomp@shipsandboxes.com. These pictures can be of unusual or
innovative ways of using containers, such as community centres
and housing, or simply images of the containers in transit
onboard a ship or lorry. All entries will be considered and the
ten best images each week will be published on the CSIS website,
www.shipsandboxes.com. The overall best entry will be picked by a
panel of judges, including US based professional photographer
Nick Souza, and awarded the winning prize of a top-of-the-range
SLR digital camera. The two runners-up will also receive digital
cameras. Closing date for entries is Friday September 12, 2008.
For further details and full terms and conditions of the
competition, visit www.shipsandboxes.com
NEWS BULLETIN
Monday, August 4, 2008
Foss Maritime names Godfrey
global services vice president
SEATTLE Vince Godfrey has been named Foss Maritime
Companys senior vice president, global services, a new
position that reports to Foss president and
chief operating officer. The new position was developed to meet
Foss current and prospective customers needs and
support Foss global activities. In his new position, Mr.
Godfrey is responsible for business development for marine
transportation and international projects, including strategic
oversight for Foss large oil and gas projects around the
world. He also oversees Foss Marine Transportation
Operations group, including Gulf Caribe operations. Mr. Godfrey
was formerly vice president for sales and marketing at Marine
Resources Group, Foss parent company. He has twenty-three
years of experience in the tug and barge industry and is a
graduate of California State Polytechnic University, with an MBA
from Pepperdine University.
Crowley promotes Cosgrove
to marine personnel vice president
JACKSONVILLE, FL Crowley Maritime Corporation has
announced that Cole Cosgrove has been promoted to vice president
of marine personnel. This new department will be responsible for
developing programs, policies and procedures specifically for
Crowley's marine personnel. Working across business lines, Mr.
Cosgrove will report to Steve Collar, senior vice president and
general manager, technical services; John Douglass, senior vice
president and general manager
Atlantic/Gulf region; Rob Grune, senior vice president and
general manager Puerto Rico/Caribbean services and Rocky Smith,
senior vice president and general manager, Pacific/Alaska Region.
As vice president of marine personnel, Mr. Cosgrove is
responsible for the employment life cycle of the company's more
than 2000 vessel personnel. This effort includes hiring and
crewing, as well as workforce planning, back office
administration and systems management. Mr. Cosgrove joined
Crowley in January of 1987 as a port captain in the ship
operations group overseeing Crowley's U.S. and foreign-flag
vessels and crews.
Benge new contracts manager
for Port of Tacoma
TACOMA The Port of Tacoma has hired Alyce Benge, CPPO,
C.P.M., as contracts manager, responsible for the management and
oversight of construction contracts, including the financial and
legal compliance of all port contracting activities. Before
joining the port, Ms. Benge was director of purchasing services
for the Issaquah School District (Issaquah, Wash.). There, she
was responsible for the management and oversight of daily
warehouse and procurement operations, including contracting
services, purchases, public works contracting, professional
services, asset management and vendor relations. Previously, Ms.
Benge was a Procurement Unit manager for the Office of State
Procurement/General Administration (Olympia)
Federal Maritime Commission
eyes Oceania Agreement amendment
WASHINGTON, DC The Federal Maritime Commission has
announced that it has concluded review of an amendment to the
U.S. Pacific CoastOceania Agreement, FMC Agreement No.
011741-012 ("Oceania Agreement"), covering the trade
between the U.S. Pacific Coast and Australia, New Zealand, and
the Pacific Islands. The amendment adds CMA CGM S.A. and ANL
Singapore PTE, Ltd., as a single party to the Oceania Agreement,
revises vessel operations, and makes other changes to this vessel
sharing agreement. The commission determined not to delay the
effectiveness of the amendment, with Commissioner Brennan
dissenting from this decision. Collectively the commission
expressed serious concerns regarding the substantial market power
that the parties may exercise through the combination of their
ability to restrain capacity under this amendment and their
corresponding authority to agree upon rates through participation
in related rate discussion agreements already operational in the
trades. To address these concerns, the commission directed staff
to undertake a more comprehensive review of rates, practices and
competitive conditions in the U.S.-Oceania trades, and has
authorized the issuance of Section 15 Orders to vessel-operating
common carriers serving these trades. Electronic copies of
Agreements on file with the commission can be accessed through
the commission's website at http://www2.fmc.gov/agreements/.
Steamship historical society
wants help with photo IDs
PROVIDENCE, RI The Steamship Historical Society of America
(SSHSA) unveiled a new project aimed at documenting the history
of over 40,000 lost and forgotten steamship navigation images
dating from the 1850s through the 1980s. The project includes
preservation of two collections: approximately 2,000 fragile and
threatened large format glass plate images from many different
regions around the U.S.; and 38,000 color slide photos depicting
ships, ports, steam trains, and people taken by the late Edward
O. Clark, an SSHSA benefactor and historian. Over a decade ago,
the SSHSA acquired the Clark collection of images -- which were
unidentified and deteriorating -- including maritime heritage,
architecture and nature shots taken from land and sea. The
additional glass plate images faded and suffered deterioration
from mildew and storage issues. Thanks to a grant from The
Champlin Foundations, SSHSA worked to clean, preserve and scan
all of the images for display online. The resulting database,
called the "Image Porthole," can be accessed via
http://www.sshsa.org/.
NEWS BULLETIN
Friday, August 1, 2008
Port of Seattle employees
violate computer use rules
SEATTLE The Port of Seattle has announced that an
investigation identified 15 employees who violated appropriate
computer use and anti-harassment policies. Of the 15 employees
found to have violated port policies, eight were terminated and
seven have received varying forms of discipline, including leave
without pay. Four outside consultants were also released from the
project team. Upon finding initial violations, port staff
retained an outside firm to conduct the investigation. In January
2007, every Port of Seattle manager and supervisor was directed
to ensure that employees read, understood, and had opportunities
to ask questions about port policies, specifically polices
related to appropriate computer use and anti-harassment. In
addition, it was mandatory that all employees take
anti-harassment training.
Trucking index continues
string of monthly increases
ARLINGTON, VA The American Trucking Associations
advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index
increased 1.3 percent in June, marking the second consecutive
month-to-month gain. The index rose 0.5 percent in May. The
seasonally adjusted tonnage index equaled 116.5 (2000 = 100) in
June, which was the highest reading since February 2008 (117.2).
The not seasonally adjusted index increased 1.2 percent to 119.9
in June. The seasonally adjusted index was 5.4 percent higher
compared with June 2007, marking its eighth consecutive
year-over-year increase. This improvement was the largest
year-over-year gain since January 2005, just surpassing the 5.3
percent jump in January 2008.
US rail freight traffic
increases during week
WASHINGTON, DC Thanks to sharp increases in loadings of
coal and grain, freight traffic on the nation's railroads was up
during the week ended July 19 in comparison with the
corresponding week last year, the Association of American
Railroads (AAR) reports. Carload freight in the week totaled
328,634 cars, up 2.3 percent from last year. Volume was up 6.3
percent in the West but down 3.0 percent in the East. Intermodal
volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled
233,516 trailers or containers, down 2.4 percent from a year ago.
Trailer volume was up 1.1 percent while container traffic slipped
3.3 percent. Total volume was estimated at 34.5 billion
ton-miles, up 3.9 percent from the 29th week of 2007. Grain
volume was up 10.0 percent from the comparable week last year
while coal loadings rose 8.6 percent and metals gained 10.9
percent. Among 14 carload commodities reporting declines were
motor vehicles and parts, down 24.0 percent, farm products other
than grain, down 23.7 percent, and lumber and wood products, down
18.9 percent. Cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2008
totaled 9,387,661 carloads, up 0.4 percent from 2007; 6,420,590
trailers or containers, down 3.1 percent; and total volume of an
estimated 971.9 billion ton-miles, up 1.7 percent from last year.
Crowley teams with CBP
for covert container exercise
JACKSONVILLE, FL U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
recognized Crowley for their cooperative assistance in a CBP
internal covert exercise. The operation, which involved moving
CBP container loads with small amounts of controlled materials
from foreign ports to the U.S. mainland, was geared to test
domestic radiation technology portals and procedures in Port
Everglades, Fla.; Gulfport, Miss.; Miami and Jacksonville, Fla.
As part of the Federal Safe Port Act of 2006, the Department of
Homeland Security was tasked with conducting tests of the
nation's busiest seaports. Crowley's Director of Security Ed
Alford was contacted by CBP's Office of Internal Affairs who
requested voluntary assistance in conducting the tests. Select
Crowley personnel in Honduras, Port Everglades, Jacksonville,
Miami and Gulfport participated in the confidential tests. The
employees successfully moved the container loads through the
supply chain custody process. Each container had small, covert
quantities of controlled materials with low radiological
signatures. The purpose of the tests were to document the ability
of Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM's) to scan and register alerts
to the CBP about suspicious and dangerous cargo entering the U.S.
via ports and moving to inland supply chain consignees. The test
also provided data on how the CBP reacted after such suspicious
cargo alerts were detected.
New commanding officer
for cutter MORGENTHAU
SINGAPORE Capt. Douglas J. Smith relieved Capt. Kevin M.
O'Day as commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard cutter MORGENTHAU
(WHEC 722) during a ceremony at Sembawang Wharf, Singapore, July
29. Capt. Smith assumed command of MORGENTHAU following an
assignment in Washington, D.C. as the executive director of the
federal interagency group interdiction committee. Although
MORGENTHAU's home port is in Alameda, Calif., Capt. Smith
traveled to Singapore to assume command because the cutter is in
the region taking part in annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and
Training (CARAT) exercises.