News Briefs – Page 80 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

13 May

New AMHP Designation Could Benefit Domestic Pacific Trade

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsamhp, marad, pacifictrade

The U.S. Maritime Administration has announced a new designation to America’s Marine Highway Program that MARAD said is expected to strengthen domestic trade between Alaska, Hawaii and the Northwest Seaport Alliance. The new Northwest Connect Project Designation on the M-5 Marine Highway Route, which the NWSA and the Port of Alaska jointly applied for last year, would help bolster opportunities for federal funding that could help freight movement from Alaska, Hawaii and Washington state. “The importance of resilient maritime infrastructure and a strong partnership between the Northwest Seaport Alliance and the Port of Alaska is not lost on us,” Port…

13 May

Port of Long Beach Offering a Clearance Sign-Up Event for Truckers

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal OperationsIDEMIA, polb, TSA

Truckers needing the necessary clearances to access the San Pedro Bay ports can take advantage of a “four-in-one” event scheduled for May 24-26 at the Port of Long Beach. The event, hosted by the port in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration and identity certification firm IDEMIA, allows drivers to easily sign up for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and Clean Truck Program, as well as radio frequency identification tags and the port’s Truck Alert notification system, offering up-to-date texts on harbor area traffic. “Truck drivers are an essential link in the supply chain and we want to give them…

10 May

PMA, ILWU Contract Talks Set To Begin May 10

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsilwu, labor, pma

Officials representing West Coast dockworkers and their employers are expected to begin talks for a new labor contract today, May 10, in San Francisco. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the union representing over 22,000 dockworkers across 29 ports on the West Coast, and the Pacific Maritime Association, the group representing marine terminals and ocean carriers, are expected to meet daily to hammer out a new contract before the current one expires at 5 p.m. on July 1. The PMA and ILWU have been careful not to discuss the nuances of contract talks publicly, but leaders from both sides have…

10 May

Port of Long Beach Officially Retires Gerald Desmond Bridge

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal OperationsGeraldDesmondBridge, polb

After more than five decades serving as a major corridor for moving the nation’s cargo, the Gerald Desmond Bridge was officially retired Saturday, May 7 in a ceremony that included city and harbor officials and members of the Desmond family. “Gerald Desmond will always be remembered for securing the Tidelands oil funds that were needed to help pay for a bridge that helped the Port of Long Beach grow to where we are today,” port Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a statement. “We hope that this retirement ceremony is a fitting tribute to his legacy and for the Desmond…

10 May

USCG Cutter Cuttyhunk Decommissioned

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Vessel Profilescoastguardcutter, cuttyhunk, uscg

One of the U.S. Coast Guard’s remaining 110-foot Island-class patrol vessels, the cutter Cuttyhunk, was decommissioned Thursday, May 5 in a ceremony at Air Station Port Angeles in Washington. Cuttyhunk was among the 37 110-foot Island-class patrol boats in service. A fleet of 154-foot Sentinel-class cutters will replace the Island-class vessels, according to the USCG. The Cuttyhunk was commissioned in 1988 to support various USCG operations, including search and rescue, drug and fisheries enforcement and maritime homeland security. During its 34-year tenure, the vessel’s crew has accomplished more than 1,000 operations ranging from responding to search and rescue calls in…

10 May

Container Dwell Fee Delayed Again at L.A., Long Beach

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscontainerdwellfee, pola, polb

Steadily improving cargo dwell times on the docks have prompted Long Beach and Los Angeles port officials to again postpone the start date of a fee that would charge ocean carriers for every import container lingering at terminals for nine or more days. Officials at both ports have pushed the implementation of their container dwell fee to May 13 and plan to review the start date after examining the data over the next week. The ports said they have seen the amount of older cargo drop a combined 47% since announcing the fee on Oct. 25. Harbor commissioners governing both…

06 May

Queen Mary Transfer to POLB Could Affect Port Projects, Analysis States

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationspmsa, polb, queenmary

The Port of Long Beach’s potential ownership of the Queen Mary and the land around the historic ship could affect port projects if a downturn were to happen, port officials told the Long Beach Harbor Commission this week. During an informational presentation on Monday, May 2, Sam Joumblat, the port’s managing director of finance and administration, said that while the port would be able to absorb the financial impact of the area encompassing the iconic vessel and surrounding properties known as Pier H, the port would not be able to take on additional projects. Should a recession or downturn occur,…

06 May

BOEM Completes Humboldt Wind Energy Area Environ Review

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsboem, windenergy

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced May 5 that its environmental analysis of possible impacts from offshore wind energy leasing within the Humboldt Wind Energy Area 20 miles off the Northern California coast determined no significant impact. The newly completed Environmental Assessment looked at the area encompassing 206.8 square miles, which could generate as much as 1.6 GW of clean energy and power roughly 560,000 homes “The completion of this Environmental Assessment represents an important step forward for ensuring that any future renewable energy development – should a lease sale occur -- is done in a responsible manner,” said…

06 May

Prince Rupert Port Authority Honors Four Firms for Green Efforts

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationsbcferries, cosco, greenwave, princerupert

Four companies were recently spotlighted by the Prince Rupert Port Authority for their 2021 performance in the port’s Green Wave environmental incentive program. COSCO Shipping Lines, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Navigator Gas LLC and BC Ferries were among the companies honored for their efforts within the annual program, which since 2013 incentivizes shippers with reduced harbor fees who practice sustainability based on how their commercial vessels curb air emissions and underwater noise levels. One measurement into the program is RightShip’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rating, which assesses vessels on their efficiency. Last year, 28 vessel calls qualified for the program using…

06 May

Bay Area Firms Liftech Consultants Inc., McKay International Engineers Merge

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsliftech, mckayinternational, merger

San Francisco Bay area companies Liftech Consultants Inc. and McKay International Engineers have merged under one banner and will be based in Oakland, the companies announced in April. The move combines the firms’ maritime engineering and project management experience and allows the pair to better serve clients by “drawing from an integrated multi-disciplinary engineering team with unified management and administrative support,” according to an announcement regarding the merger. “Clients will benefit from a single-firm solution for communication and coordination between multiple disciplines.” The companies are not unfamiliar with each other, having partnered on hundreds of projects for more than five…