Summary for August 11- August 15, 2008:
Monday, August 11, 2008Port Metro Vancouver issues mid-year statsOverall tonnage was down slightly from the same period in 2007, but mid-year stats for cargo at Port Metro Vancouver show significant growth in coal and potash exports, along with positive increases in both import and export container volumes. The mid-year stats for Port Metro Vancouver were released Aug. 8. Overall cargo volumes dropped 5%, to 58,477,997 tonnes, “influenced strongly by forest product market conditions,” port authorities said. High global demand for fertilizer boosted potash volumes by 10%, to 3,438,753 tonnes, and increased sulfur exports by 7%, to 2,726,432 tonnes. The strong growth in potash exports supports the Neptune Bulk Terminal expansion in North Vancouver recently announced by Canpotex as part of its plan to nearly double annual potash exports through the West Coast, port authorities said. “Our port activity strongly reflects both international market trends and the relative strength of the Canadian economy,” said Capt. Gordon Houston, president and CEO, Port Metro Vancouver. “These statistics, and the economic depth and diversity they echo, demonstrate the vital role that Canada’s largest port plays in the country’s economic well-being,” Houston continued. Website: Port Metro Vancouver
$6 mil for cold ironing in Canadian portsThe Canadian federal government Aug. 7 announced $6 million in funding for cold ironing projects at the country’s ports through Round One funding of the Marine Shore Power Program. The program aims to improve air quality by enabling ships to turn off their diesel engines while docked. Ships would be connected to electric power that travels to them from specially designed transformers at port facilities. “Our government is taking important measures to preserve our environment,” said Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “Transportation is a key element of our environmental agenda, and this technology will improve local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some of Canada’s largest cities,” Cannon continued. The government said it will reimburse up to 50% of the costs of a project, to a maximum of $3 million over a three-year period, and the projects have to be completed in this timeframe. Website: Transport Canada applicant guide
S. Carolina ports to join environmental programThe South Carolina State Ports Authority announced last week that it is one of five U.S. port organizations selected to participate in an 18-month environmental management program. The Port Environmental Management System Assistance Project is designed to help seaport authorities better analyze and control their environmental impacts as well as develop and maintain responsible practices in their daily operations. “Through our Pledge for Growth initiatives, adding an environmental affairs manager to our staff, and by evaluating new ways to minimize port-related air emissions, we are striving to be a responsible neighbor,” Groseclose continued. Website: South Carolina State Ports Authority Tuesday, August 12, 20081H2008 profit at Guangzhou Port up 40%The Guangzhou Port Group realized a profit of RMB 328.17 million for the first half of 2008, up 40% from the same period in the previous year, according to an announcement Aug. 8 by the Guangzhou Local Taxation Bureau. The port group posted a container throughput of 5.99 million TEUs for the same time period. It is expected that the total container throughout of Guangzhou Port will exceed 11.40 million TEUs this year, the announcement said. The container throughput of Nansha Port in the first half increased by 76.2% on a year-on-year basis. Nansha Port is one of six ports in the Guangzhou Port Group. Other major ports in the group include the Inner Port Area, the Huangpu Port Area, and the Xinsha Port Area. Website: Guangzhou Municipality
Con-way launches Con-way MultimodalCon-way Inc. Aug. 6 announced that it has launched Con-way Multimodal, providing “expanded freight brokerage capabilities and services in the 3PL and multimodal freight transportation business, focusing on flexible, efficient capacity solutions for the marketplace.” Based in Portland, Ore., Con-way Multimodal operates as a division of one of Con-way’s three primary operating units, Menlo Worldwide Logistics, which annually manages more than $1 billion in transportation spending for its customers, the company said. Con-way Multimodal succeeds the company’s previous brokerage operation, known as Con-way Truckload Services. Leading Con-way Multimodal as its president will be Tyler S. Ellison, who joins the organization as a 12-year veteran of the transportation and logistics industry. Ellison will be responsible for the development and execution of business strategy and operations for Con-way Multimodal, which arranges third-party carrier services for over-the-road, intermodal, flatbed, heavy haul and specialized transportation for truckload freight shipments. The company’s reach will extend throughout the United States and into Canada and Mexico, the company said. Website: Con-way Inc.
PortVanUSA names marketing headThe Port of Vancouver USA Aug. 11 announced that Nick Haindl has joined the marine department at the port as marketing manager. Haindl’s marketing duties will include “maintaining relationships with existing customers, developing new cargos and customers and marketing the port globally for near-term and long-term growth,” the port said. Haindl was the site manager for Ports America (formerly Marine Terminals Corp.) at the Vancouver terminal for five years. He had been with Ports America for a total of 11 years and is “extremely familiar with the port and its customer base,” according to the announcement. A native of London, Ontario, Haindl is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario. “Nick brings extensive experience in the maritime industry,” said Alastair Smith, the port’s senior director of marketing and operations. “He is a great addition to the team here at the Port of Vancouver.” Website: Port of Vancouver USA Wednesday, August 13, 2008Port of Seattle names capital development directorA former U.S. Army Corps District Engineer for Seattle joined the Port of Seattle in early August as managing director of capital development. Ralph Graves will lead the newly formed division, overseeing all capital development projects and managing the new central procurement office that was formed as a result of a performance audit of the port in late 2007. Graves will report directly to the port CEO, Tay Yoshitani. “One of the port’s primary tasks is building large infrastructure projects — projects that create jobs and economic growth for King County, the region and Washington state,” said Yoshitani. “It just makes sense to centralize the management of those projects and to have the person in charge of them report directly to the CEO,” he continued. Graves served as a member of the U.S. Corps of Engineers for 29 years — as Deputy District Engineer in Baltimore and as District Engineer in both Honolulu and Seattle. He has a master’s degree in civil engineering from UC-Berkeley and a doctorate in civil engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. Website: Port of Seattle Maersk adjusts AE8 serviceMaersk Line Aug. 11 announced the addition of a Hamburg port call and the removal of the Southampton port call to their Asia-Europe 8 (AE8) service. The Maersk Sarnia will inaugurate the new rotation with an estimated departure date from Shanghai (China) on Aug. 30 and an estimated Sept. 29 arrival in Hamburg. The last AE8 Southampton call will be by the Maersk Taikung, with an estimated date of arrival in Southampton on Sept. 19. The new AE8 rotation is as follows: Shanghai (China), Ningbo (China), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Yantian (China), Tanjung Pelepas, (Malaysia) and Hamburg (Germany). Website: Maersk Line Port of Tacoma re-launches websiteThe Port of Tacoma Aug. 12 announced that it has re-launched its website — www.portoftacoma.com — featuring a new format designed for “easier navigation” and a “constant flow of information and images.” “We were the first U.S. port to launch a website back in 1995,” said Rod Koon, port communications director. “Our new website implements the latest internet technologies to better communicate with our customers, the transportation logistics industry and with our community.” The website’s focus on access to public information, such as Web streaming and online public records requests, was applauded by Dick Marzano, port commission president. “As we enter the largest capital development period in port history, our success and the continued support of our surrounding community will depend on the transparency of our management and decision-making process,” he said. According to Koon, the port started the redesign process more than a year ago by listening to customers and to citizens who visited the website. “As a result of this process, the new website makes it easier for visitors to find key information, such as port news, commission meetings, Web streaming and a calendar of events,” Koon said. Website: Port of Tacoma Thursday, August 14, 2008 S.C. statewide rail plan commissionedThe South Carolina Public Railways division of the South Carolina Dept. of Commerce Aug. 13 announced that it has chosen the firm Wilbur Smith Associates to research and develop a statewide rail plan. The state commissioned the rail plan in order to “outline the inventory” of current large industrial sites and make recommendations for future logistics, infrastructure and economic development that could “improve the attractiveness of existing resources for potential investors,” according to the news release. Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce, said, “By examining current infrastructure capabilities and future opportunities that may exist through the development of available sites, we are positioning South Carolina to be an even more attractive location to do business.” The rail plan will review the impact of rail on economic development in South Carolina, including both passenger and freight, and its role in the multimodal transportation infrastructure of South Carolina and the Southeast region. Wilbur Smith was chosen to complete the comprehensive plan through a competitive bid process based on ability, experience and expertise. Website: South Carolina Dept. of Commerce PortVanUSA votes $$ for groundwater clean-upThe Port of Vancouver USA Board of Commissioners Aug. 12 approved separate expenditures totaling nearly $6 million to expedite the clean-up of contaminated groundwater under port property and the Fruit Valley neighborhood. The 3-0 vote authorizes Larry Paulson, port executive director, to sign a change order to a contract with Parametrix Inc. for $2.1 million, of which $600,000 will be included in the port’s 2008 budget, while the remaining $1.5 million will be budgeted for expense in 2009. Since the contamination was discovered in 1997 during construction of the Mill Plain Extension, clean-up efforts have accounted for a “significant reduction in the amount of trichloroethylene (TCE)” in the un-tapped groundwater that will one day be a source of drinking water for the community, the port said. The change order will support the port’s efforts to meet its obligations to the State Dept. of Ecology, including air and groundwater monitoring and completion of required project documents. The port will also oversee construction of the groundwater pump and treat interim action at the former Swan Manufacturing site, as well as manage the environmental obligations associated with the Cadet facility including appropriate reporting, the port said. The fiscal year 2008 budget also includes $3.9 million for the clean-up system. Website: Port of Vancouver USA Felony penalty for ocean pollution caseThe U.S. Dept. of Justice Aug. 13 announced that Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals Inc. has been sentenced before U.S. District Judge Garr M. King for a felony violation of federal ocean protection laws. The court sentenced KMBT to pay a total penalty of $240,000. Of this amount, a total of $84,000 will fund various environmental projects in Oregon administered by the congressionally established National Fish and Wildlife Fund through the Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment. KMBT, which is headquartered in Louisiana and runs a bulk terminal vessel loading facility in Portland, Ore., admitted to violating the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (more commonly known as the Ocean Dumping Act). The act makes it a crime to knowingly transport or cause to be transported, without a permit, certain materials from the United States for the purpose of dumping the materials into ocean waters. “It’s hard to imagine a clearer violation of the Ocean Dumping Act,” said Scott West, Special Agent-in-Charge for the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Seattle. “Intentionally using the ocean as a garbage can for off-spec potash is not only morally wrong, it’s a crime.” Website: U.S. Dept. of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov
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