August 2022 – Page 2 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Feds, West Coast Seaports Offering Agriculture Exporters Financial Relief

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the Commodity Container Assistance Program (CCAP), which includes a partnership with the Port of Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance—the marine cargo operating partnership between the Seattle and Tacoma seaports. Ongoing market disruptions have created logistical challenges associated with the availability and flow of shipping containers to transport agricultural commodities, which has prevented or delayed American-grown agricultural commodities from reaching their markets. “Both the Port of Oakland and the NWSA in Seattle have been identified as key gateways for American-grown agricultural commodities, and each has experienced significant challenges with the…

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to Begin Phasing Out Older Drayage Trucks

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in mid-June announced that its Rolling Truck Age Program goes into effect Sept. 15. The program aims to phase out older container trucks serving the Port of Vancouver, for the benefit of the region’s air quality and local communities’ health. The program will cap the age of container trucks serving the port. Older, diesel-powered trucks are a significant source of particulate matter, which is known to cause cancer. Currently, some of the drayage trucks serving the seaport are more than 20 years old, according to the Port Authority. “The container trucking sector plays a vital…

California Ports, Stakeholders Laud Goods Movement Funding in State Budget

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 30 signed the state’s 2023 budget, which includes $2.3 billion in funding for projects that seek to improve the supply chain. Included is $1.2 billion over two years for expanding rail yard expansions, building new bridges and upgrading to zero-emissions equipment; $110 million over three years for a workforce training facility in San Pedro Bay and $159.7 million to buy zero-emission trucks and put in charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure. “We thank the governor and state Legislature for their foresight and responsiveness in including supply chain needs in the budget,” Port of Long Beach…

U.S., Canada Coast Guards Meet, Talk Joint Mission

The U.S. and Canadian coast guards reaffirmed their commitment to enforcement in the Arctic Ocean on June 7-8 when Rear Admiral Nathan Moore, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard 17th District, and Neil O’Rourke, assistant commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard Arctic Region, convened in Yellowknife and Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. The leaders and their staff discussed partnering on matters related to the Canada-U.S. trans-boundary waters of the Beaufort Sea part of the Arctic Ocean, including coordinating search and rescue missions, managing waterways and responding to marine environmental issues. “The two regional leaders signed the newly revised Beaufort Sea…

NW Seaport Alliance Again Recognized as a Top Green Supply Chain Partner

For the sixth consecutive year, the Northwest Seaport Alliance has earned the distinction of being an Inbound Logistics Green Supply Chain Partner. The recognition highlights NWSA’s commitment to protecting the environment through proactive and collaborative partnerships with supply chain stakeholders and communities across the Puget Sound. The 75 organizations selected by the publication Inbound Logistics represent various trade sectors, including trucking companies, railroads, shipping lines, freight forwarders and air cargo carriers. These companies are recognized for their commitment to supply chain sustainability and ensuring that their operations are environmentally friendly. The NWSA, which is a maritime operations partnership between the…

POLB Begins Demolition of Gerald Desmond Bridge

Demolition of the Gerald Desmond Bridge in the Port of Long Beach began in July with the removal of the section of the span suspended over the Back Channel, which required a 48-hour closure to all watercraft traffic. The Back Channel was closed to vessels for one weekend, from 6 a.m. July 9 to 6 a.m. July 11, as the bridge’s 410-foot-long suspended span was dismantled and lowered onto a barge. The bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since its replacement opened in October 2020. Vehicle traffic on the replacement bridge was not expected to be affected by the…

EBDG-Designed Hybrid-Electric Ferry Enters Construction

Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) announced on July 6 that its design of a hybrid-electric passenger vehicle ferry for Casco Bay Lines of Portland, Maine will enter the construction phase at Senesco Marine of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The 164-foot ferry is expected to replace an existing diesel-powered ferry, the Machigonne II, resulting in a reduction of 800 tons of carbon dioxide each year, helping to improve air quality. EBDG has supported Casco Bay Lines since 2018 as it prepared and planned for the replacement ferry, which is to operate between Portland and Peaks Island, Maine. The contract design,…

PMA, ILWU Continue Talks on a New Labor Agreement After Existing Contract Expires

The labor contract between the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore & Warehouse Union expired on July 1, but the two sides say that they’re continuing to negotiate a new agreement. The coastwide labor contract is between employers who operate port terminals and shipping lines represented by the PMA and dockworkers represented by the ILWU. The parties have negotiated a West Coast collective bargaining agreement since the 1930s. “Negotiations for a new labor contract covering more than 22,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports will continue to move forward as the existing current coast-wide labor agreement expires,” the union and…

ICHCA Welcomes Mediterranean Shipping to Board of Directors

ICHCA International, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide, in June named Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) as its newest board member. ICHCA stands for International Cargo Handling Coordination Association. The organization is based in London. Dirk Van de Velde, MSC’s chief Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality Management (EHSQ) officer is taking a board position at ICHCA. “The added knowledge and experience that the number one container shipping line brings will be a tremendous asset in carrying out ICHCA’s primary mission of maintaining and improving safety in all aspects of…

UWL and Swire Shipping Announce Seattle-to-Vietnam Express Export Ocean Service

Singapore-based Swire Shipping and UWL, a Cleveland-based non-vessel operating common carrier, have introduced a new dedicated, express ocean export service from Seattle, Washington to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, offering a 21-day transit time. The announcement was made in mid-June by UWL President Duncan Wright as he spoke at the 34th annual meeting of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) in Tacoma, Wash. “The recent ocean disruption and 100-day-long transit times are literally wiping out U.S. food exporter livelihood; many of these businesses simply cannot withstand the consistent lost sales, rotting food, and cancelled orders,” Wright said. “Our new service provides much…