From the Editor: A Note About Upcoming Changes

From the Editor: A Note About Upcoming Changes

Hello, I wanted to take a moment to let you know about some upcoming changes coming to the print and online editions of Pacific Maritime. First, the big news is that PacMar is switching to a bimonthly printing schedule in 2023. This means that the next issue of the magazine will be cover dated January/February, rather than just January. The plan is to publish six issues in 2023 – one every other month – plus an annual in late summer/early fall that focuses on port facilities, repair facilities, shipyards, intermodal yards and related maritime entities. The reduction in the number…
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From the Editor: Pacific Coast Partnership

From the Editor: Pacific Coast Partnership

The governors of three U.S. Pacific Coast states and British Columbia’s premier gathered in San Francisco recently to sign an agreement that looks like it could result in additional environmental initiatives being launched at West Coast ports. California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier John Horgan signed the Pacific Coast Collaborative Statement of Cooperation on Oct. 6. The Statement of Cooperation (SOC) promotes collaboration between the four regional governments on accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy, investing in climate infrastructure like electric vehicle charging stations and a clean electric grid,…
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From the Editor: Goodbye, Mike Conroy

From the Editor: Goodbye, Mike Conroy

I’d like to take a moment to bid a fond adieu to Mike Conroy, who spent a number of years as the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and its sister organization, the Institute for Fisheries Resources. Also, as most longtime readers of Pacific Maritime’s sister publication, Fishermen’s News, know, Mike wrote the PCFFA’s monthly Fishermen’s News column after he became the organization’s executive director. Not only his columns were always well thought out, they delved into issues that typically weren’t covered elsewhere in the pages of this magazine, or anywhere else, for that matter. In September, Mike left…
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Ports America Appoints New CEO

Ports America Appoints New CEO

Marine terminal operator Ports America on Aug. 26 announced the appointment of Matthew Leech as president and chief executive officer, effective in November. He will succeed Mark Montgomery, who is retiring, but plans to continue with the company in an advisory role. Leech is a seasoned ports and terminal executive with more than 25 years of experience in the maritime industry. Previously, he was CEO and managing director for the Americas with logistics company DP World. Prior to DP World’s acquisition of CSX World Terminals in 2005, Leech oversaw key expansion initiatives for CSX in his role as vice president,…
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From the Editor: Terminal Blockades

From the Editor: Terminal Blockades

In mid-August, the Port of Oakland announced that its monthly loaded container volumes dropped 28% as compared to the same month in 2021. The reason for the dip? According to the port, it was a nearly week-long protest at the port during July that virtually shuttered each of the port’s container terminals. During the protests, which began July 18 and ended July 23, the port’s shipping terminals were effectively shut down. Specifically, the port said that protestors blocked and slowed traffic, particularly trucks, that were attempting to enter and leave the container shipping facilities located at the port’s inner and…
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Carbon Emissions Down 46% at Seattle’s Port-Owned Facilities, Operations

Carbon Emissions Down 46% at Seattle’s Port-Owned Facilities, Operations

The Port of Seattle’s annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which was released Aug. 9, shows that it cut emissions from its own operations by 46% in 2021 over 2005 baseline. The port’s Aviation division became the first major operating division to meet Seattle’s ambitious goal to reduce owned and controlled emissions by 50% by 2030. The massive reduction came almost entirely from the purchase of renewable natural gas produced from landfill waste, the port said. The port has indicated that it expects to eliminate all carbon emissions from port-owned and -controlled sources by 2040 and for all entities operating at…
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From the Editor: Arctic Commitment

From the Editor: Arctic Commitment

Over the years, the Arctic has gradually begun to play a more important role when it comes to the shipping of goods between the Eastern and Western hemispheres, and now a couple of elected officials are trying to ensure that the role in it by one of America’s biggest geopolitical adversaries is minimized. Two U.S. senators have put forward legislation that they say would eliminate Russia’s monopoly on Arctic shipping by establishing a permanent U.S. maritime presence in the region. The bill, known as the Arctic Commitment Act, was introduced Aug. 3 by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). It is co-sponsored…
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Port of Oakland Adopts $480 Million FY 2023 Budget

Port of Oakland Adopts $480 Million FY 2023 Budget

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners approved a 2023 fiscal year budget of $480 million at its June 23 meeting. The Port of Oakland said it anticipates a $35 million revenue increase in FY 2023, and that cargo volume at the seaport is expected to increase 2%. “Our economy has overcome the initial pandemic shock and our employees have done an excellent job containing expenses,” Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan said. “However rising inflation and a threatened recession mean we have to remain vigilant.” “Port operations are supported by a strong and diverse local economy,” the port said…
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From the Editor: American Port Access

From the Editor: American Port Access

If three U.S. congressmen have their way, legislation they’ve recently introduced would pave the way for American merchant marine and military vessels, including those in the Jones Act fleet, to bypass the long vessel queues and congestion at major U.S. ports, particularly those on the West Coast. The legislation, HR 8243, also known as the “American Port Access Privileges Act,” was introduced in the House of Representatives on June 29. It would allow U.S. exports to skip to the front of the line at American seaport terminals. “This legislation would put American exports at the front of the line at…
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From the Editor: Contract Negotiations

From the Editor: Contract Negotiations

As you probably know if you’re involved in the goods movement industry, the labor contract between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union expires on July 1. The good news is that ILWU, which represents 22,000 dockworkers along the West Coast, and the PMA, which represents about 70 companies that the laborers work for, began contract negotiations on May 10. The bad news however, is that if past negotiation cycles can be used to indicate how long it might take to hammer out a contract, it might be several weeks, or even months, past the current…
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