uscg – Pacific Maritime Magazine

12 Sep

Coast Guard to Detail Proposed Soil Cleanup at Washington’s Point No Point Light Station

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscontamination, lead, uscg

The U.S. Coast Guard is inviting the public to a Sept. 21 open house to talk about potential efforts to clean up lead-contaminated soil at the Point No Point Light Station in Hansville, Wash. The Coast Guard performed a site assessment in 2018 and said that it found “elevated concentrations of lead in the soil around the perimeter of the four existing light station buildings” that likely stem from the use of lead-based paint on the buildings. The agency is expected to lead the soil cleanup that is set to start in early 2024 and take about a month to…

22 Aug

Public, Private Sectors Move to Help in Maui Wildfire Aftermath

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newshidot, maui, uscg, wildfire

As the community of Maui works to recover and rebuild following a deadly wildfire that killed at least 111 people earlier this month, members of both the public and private sectors have been working to provide relief. Through Sept. 10, the Hawaii Department of Transportation is waiving wharfage fees for cargo coming to Kahului Harbor. That includes cargo types such as autos, island agricultural products and fuel. “We have to offer any help we can at this time for the people of Maui,” Hawaii DOT Director Ed Sniffen said. “This will lessen the burden on shipping necessities to many who…

08 Aug

Coast Guard Establishes Cyber Protection Team Command

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsCPT, cybercommand, uscg

Coast Guard Cyber Command, in an effort to strengthen its defense against digital threats, established a new cyber protection team on Aug. 1. The move was formalized at a ceremony on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, Calif., presided over by the Guard’s deputy commandant for operations, Vice Adm. Peter Gautier. Tasked with providing assessment, threat-hunting and incident response services to the Marine Transportation System, the 2003 Cyber Protection Team is the third CPT to be established, and the first CPT unit geographically detached from cyber command. The 2003 CPT is currently building its staff in order to obtain full operational…

27 Jun

USCG Seeks Input on Proposed Snohomish Bridge Project in Washington

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsSnohomishBridge, SnohomishRiver, uscg

U.S. Coast Guard District 13 is seeking public input regarding a proposed Washington State Department of Transportation Snohomish River Southbound Bridge Project (WA State Road 9). The Coast Guard is specifically interested in those who can address any issues related to navigation and environment of the project, which is situated near river mile 12.2 across the Snohomish River in Snohomish County. The current bridge allows for both north and south traffic. The new bridge, when built, would accommodate southbound traffic while the current bridge would carry northbound-only traffic. “The new southbound SR 9 bridge will be a fixed structure and…

27 Jun

Coast Guard Cutter Intercepts $76+ Million Worth of Cocaine

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscutter, uscg, uscgc

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alert has offloaded over $76 million of cocaine in San Diego, the Guard announced June 9. The 5,776 pounds of drugs was intercepted during a counternarcotics patrol in international waters off the Central and South America coasts in May. The crew of the 210-foot medium endurance cutter partners with various agencies to combat illegal drug operations, including the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security. Enforcement in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is done under the authority of the Alameda, Calif.-based Eleventh Coast Guard District. Rear Adm. Andrew Sugimoto, commander of the Coast Guard 11th District,…

13 Jun

Coast Guard Publishes Pacific Coast Port Access Route Study

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsPAC-PARS, uscg

The U.S. Coast Guard’s first comprehensive review of vessel traffic patterns off the California, Oregon and Washington coasts has been published, the agency announced June 7. The Guard put out in the Federal Register the final report of the Pacific Coast Port Access Route Study (PAC-PARS), which aims to determine historic and future waterway use to see if there is navigational risk and offer recommendations to maintain safe navigation. To accomplish this work, the study looked at vessel tracking data from the last decade as well as various datasets, including environmental data, current and planned offshore development infrastructure, and past…

16 May

USCG Gets More Time to Finalize Base Seattle Modernization Project PEIS

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsbaseseattle, peis, uscg

The U.S. Coast Guard now has more time to conduct more analysis on the proposed Base Seattle Modernization project. The Department of Homeland Security has extended the U.S. Coast Guard’s timeline to finalize the project’s Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) from May 7 to Dec. 31, giving the agency more time “to consider public comments received on the Draft PEIS and conduct additional analysis that will help inform a final Record of Decision.” Before a Record of Decision is issued “stating the Coast Guard’s decision on the selected alternative,” the public will have a chance to look over the final…

02 May

USCG Participates in Active Shooter Drill at Alaska Marine Terminal

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsalaskamarinehighway, juneau, uscg

On April 26, members of the U.S. Coast Guard and agency partners took part in a full-scale active shooter exercise at the Ketchikan Alaska Marine Highway System Terminal. Participants, which included Coast Guard Sector Juneau, Coast Guard Station Ketchikan and Coast Guard Public Information Assist Team, were able to run through tactical processes, practice ways to de-escalate the situation and utilize crisis communications during the exercise, which involved an “active shooter” at the terminal and on the 408-foot AMHS marine vessel Matanuska, according to the agency. Coast Guard Station Ketchikan was also able to use a 45-foot medium…

11 Apr

New Phone Numbers for Pacific Northwest USCG Command Centers

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsthirteenthdistrct, uscg

Mariners traveling through the Pacific Northwest should be mindful of new U.S. Coast Guard contact numbers. With the creation of a newly merged command center in Portland, the telephone numbers for the Coast Guard command centers in southern Washington and Oregon have been changed, Coast Guard Thirteenth District Pacific Northwest said in an April 4 statement. For emergency response, the public should now call 833-PDX-USCG. To reach Sector Portland automated directory, they should contact 833-771-2565. As of April 3, the telephone numbers that once dialed to the Coast Guard command centers in North Bend and Astoria in Oregon are now…

21 Mar

Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast Returns Following Drug Patrol

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscutter, steadfast, uscg

After 69 days in the Eastern Pacific Ocean providing anti-narcotics enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast has returned to its homeport in Astoria, Oregon, it was announced March 16. During the patrol, crew members of the 210-foot medium endurance cutter interrupted drug activity in three instances, preventing the flow of over 7,500 pounds of cocaine worth $85.6 million from reaching the U.S., the Coast Guard said. In one instance, the crew traced a suspected narcotics-smuggling ship with help from a Mexican Navy surveillance aircraft and aircrew and sent a boat crew and helicopter aircrew while Mexican forces tracked it,…