News Briefs – Page 10 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Marine Economy Pours Billions Into America’s GDP, Reports Show

Economic reports compiled by two Commerce Department agencies confirm that America’s marine economy continues to pour billions of dollars into the nation’s gross domestic product, albeit tempered by a general economic decline during the first year of the global coronavirus pandemic. Results of the annual Marine Economy Satellite Account released in June by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) show that amounted to some $361 billion in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. That total represents a 5.8% or $23-billion reduction in real terms, adjusted for inflation, from 2019, outpacing…

Clean Energy Factory to Open at Port of Bellingham

Corvus Energy, a supplier of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for marine applications, has chosen Whatcom County to expand its U.S. operations and plans to open a new factory at the Port of Bellingham, port officials announced in late May. The manufacturing facility, with an annual capacity of 200 MWh of stored energy capacity, would support demand for marine BESS in the Americas as the marine industry accelerates its adoption of decarbonization technology to meet targets for global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, port officials said. “Congratulations to the Port of Bellingham and Corvus Energy on the new facility here…

POLB Executive Director Appointed to National Advisory Committee

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has appointed Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero to the federal Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee, which guides the secretary on strategies to improve the readiness and resiliency of the U.S. supply chain. The appointment was announced in mid-June. The committee is made up of leaders from commercial transportation firms, trade associations, state and local public entities, labor organizations, academia and environmental groups. Cordero, who has led the Port of Long Beach since 2017, will continue in his role at the port. “I thank Secretary Pete Buttigieg for this honor at…

Change of Command at USCG Base Ketchikan in Alaska

Coast Guard Base Ketchikan personnel conducted a change-of-command ceremony June 10, as Commander Arthur M. Dehnz transferred command of Base Ketchikan to Cmdr. Timothy E. Boettner. The ceremony marked the passing of responsibility and authority for the command from Dehnz to Boettner. As the new Base Ketchikan commander, Boettner is responsible for supporting the Coast Guard’s operational missions throughout Alaska. The base provides personnel, administrative, logistics, medical, procurement, contracting, industrial and electronics support for units throughout Alaska, with a primary focus on Southeast Alaska. Boettner was previously assigned at the Project Residence Office Gulf Coast, located at the Huntington Ingalls…

COVID-19 Impacted BC Ferries’ Revenue, Fiscal Year Results Show

BC Ferries’ traffic, revenue, net earnings and expenditures all rose in its recent fiscal year which ended March 31, 2022, however the results lagged behind pre-pandemic levels, data from the British Columbia transport provider show. During the fiscal year, BC Ferries carried 17.9 million passengers and 8.5 million vehicles, an increase of 37% and 26%, respectively, compared to the prior year. “While these increases are significant, passenger and vehicle traffic were 20% and 5% lower respectively, compared to the same period in fiscal 2019, a pre-COVID-19 year,” the company said in a June 24 statement. In the year ended March…

Two New Port of Portland Commissioners Appointed

On June 3, the Oregon Senate approved Gov. Kate Brown’s appointments of Katy Coba and Richelle Luther to the Port of Portland Commission. Coba is chief operating officer and director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS). As COO, she works with Gov. Brown, state agencies, the Oregon State Legislature and stakeholders to manage state government enterprise. Previously, Coba served as director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture for more than 13 years, where she represented Oregon’s agricultural industry locally, domestically and internationally. Luther is a senior vice president who oversees human resources and corporate affairs for Columbia Sportswear Company.…

Port of Long Beach Joins Green Shipping Corridor

The Port of Long Beach revealed June 9 that is has signed on to the Shanghai-Los Angeles Green Shipping Corridor, a partnership of cities, ports, shipping companies and cargo owners convened to create a zero-emissions trans-Pacific trade route. First announced in January by the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles, C40 Cities and key maritime stakeholders, this Green Shipping Corridor is expected to be a big step toward decarbonizing shipping between the busiest ports in China and the U.S. C40 Cities is a network of cities around the world that are working to confront climate change. The partnership said that…

Shipping Reform Legislation to Ease Bottlenecks Signed into Law

On June 16, President Biden signed into law the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, legislation that officials hope can help alleviate challenges along the supply chain. The measure was passed by a vote of 369-42 in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 13, which followed a 364-60 vote by the Senate in December 2021. The new law broadens the Federal Maritime Commission’s authority to promote U.S. exports and allow it to create a shipping exchange registry. It also could help to make the detention and demurrage complaint process more efficient and clarify ocean-carrier practices related to detention and…

Lesko Named Irving Shipbuilding President

Dirk Lesko will assume the role of president of Halifax, Nova Scotia-based Irving Shipbuilding Inc. on Sept. 1, the company announced July 11. Lesko retired in April 2022 as a vice president with the General Dynamics Corp. and the 15th president of Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. He was president of BIW from 2017 to 2022. BIW has been building ships for 140 years and is one of the primary military shipbuilders for the U.S. Navy. Lesko, a 32-year BIW employee and third generation shipbuilder, previously held various leadership positions with the company, including Vice President DDG 1000 Program,…

Jim Walker Retires from AAPA

The American Association of Port Authorities recently celebrated the long career of Jim Walker, AAPA’s Director of Navigation Policy and Legislation, as he retired from the workforce in June. Walker was responsible for handling waterside infrastructure issues and relevant legislative and regulatory matters, including AAPA’s Quality Partnership Initiative (QPI) with the Army Corps of Engineers. He also served as staff liaison to the Harbors and Navigation Committee. Following a 36-year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he joined AAPA in 2012. His responsibilities included the organization’s efforts to improve navigation policies, legislation and funding. He was instrumental, according…