Summary for August 18- August 22, 2008:
Monday, August 18, 2008$6.6 million for aesthetic mitigation at POLAThe Port of Los Angeles Aug. 15 announced that it is making $6.6 million available for “conceptual projects that benefit the community of San Pedro.” Proposals will be accepted through Sept. 22, 2008. Funding for these projects comes from the port’s Community Aesthetic Mitigation Program, created as part of a lawsuit settlement in 2003. A total of $16.8 million was set aside for projects in the San Pedro community. It is anticipated that $10.2 million will be expended on the already approved Northwest San Pedro Beautification Project and for the Plaza Park Enhancements Project, which is expected to go before the Board of Harbor Commissioners later this year. Types of conceptual projects being sought “must provide a nexus between the proposed project and the impact of port operations,” the port said. The port said viable concepts would include “open space and parks; landscaping and beautification; and educational, arts or athletic facilities.” Project proposals will be reviewed by a Port Community Advisory Committee working group. Those selected will be forwarded to the California State Lands Commission for evaluation of consistency with the Tidelands Trust and the Public Trust Doctrine. Website: Port of Los Angeles Horizon ends Guam marine fire exerciseHorizon Lines completed a containership fire-fighting exercise in Guam last week. The training exercise was the culmination of a five-week vessel familiarization program conducted on Horizon’s new Hunter Class vessels, which entered service in Guam last year. The five new Hunter Class vessels each have a capacity of 2,824 TEUs and are capable of service speeds above 23 knots. Participants in the exercise included the Guam Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port Authority of Guam and the Port Police Department. The final exercise was conducted on board the Horizon Eagle, focusing on shipboard fire-fighting; CO2 extinguishing systems; fire hose connections; galley extinguishing systems; fire main and external hook-up points; engine room fire hazards; fire-fighting gear; and vessel escape. “This is the first time for vessel on-board personnel and shore-based emergency responders to interact in a joint exercise. We enjoyed the experience and found it very educational,” said Capt. Niles Baker, Master of the Horizon Eagle. Horizon Lines is the nation’s leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company. Website: Horizon Lines Global container shipping photo contestThe Container Shipping Information Service has launched a worldwide photography competition to encourage people to think about the huge impact container shipping has on their lives. The competition, aimed at amateur photographers and named “The Box that Changed Our Lives,” began in August and closes Sept. 12. Photos should be submitted to the CSIS website. The overall best entry will be picked by a panel of judges and awarded the winning prize of a top-of-the-range Niko SLR digital camera worth approximately 450 euros. The two runners-up also will receive digital cameras worth more than 200 euros. The photographs can be of unusual or innovative ways of using containers, such as community centers and housing, or simply images of the containers in transit onboard a ship or truck. The 10 best entries each week will be published on the CSIS website. “Having photographed the maritime sector for some 13 years, I know that as a global industry, container shipping can produce some amazing visuals,” said Nick Souza, a U.S.-based professional photographer and one of the competition judges. Website: Container Shipping Information Service Tuesday, August 19, 2008 San Pedro ports host trucker outreach weekThe ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are hosting a weeklong outreach event, Aug. 18-23, at the Clean Trucks Center on Terminal Island, at New Dock St. and Pier S Ave. The event will display “the new, clean trucks that will help to dramatically reduce air pollution at the ports,” according to the news release from the ports. A variety of trucks, including diesel and LNG models, will be on display at the center. Dealer representatives will also be on hand. Clean Trucks Program advisers will provide information and assist with filling out applications for grants, leases or concessions. The Clean Trucks Center was created to be a “one-stop-shop” to assist truck owners who need to comply with the ports’ new emission reduction requirements. Websites: Port of Long Beach Port of Los Angeles YRC buying Chinese haulerYRC Worldwide Aug. 19 announced that YRC Logistics has completed its majority acquisition of Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Co. Ltd., one of the largest providers of truckload and less-than-truckload ground transportation services in China. “By virtue of Jiayu’s mature network and well-developed operational resources, we can help our customers to improve transportation reliability, compliance, data integrity and visibility for their shipments in China,” said Bill Zollars, chairman, president and CEO of YRC Worldwide. YRC Logistics acquired 65% of the stock of Jiayu for $44.7 million, the company said. YRC Logistics expects to purchase the remaining 35% interest in 2010, for an amount not to exceed $39 million, as determined by the level of Jiayu’s 2008-09 financial performance, the company said. Shanghai Jiayu Logistics has approximately 30,000 customers, 1,800 employees, 200 locations and a network of more than 3,000 vehicles, YRC said. “Since entering into the agreement with Jiayu in December 2007, we have seen strong customer interest, and we believe the comprehensive services have a tremendous appeal to the China market and to our customers based in the U.S.,” said Jim Ritchie, president and CEO of YRC Logistics. Website: YRC Worldwide Cummins Generator selects CEVA LogisticsCEVA Logistics, a leading worldwide supply chain company, Aug. 18 announced the signing of a new contract with Cummins Generator Technologies, a world leader in power solutions for the distributed electrical generation market. A new CEVA Logistics branch office opened in Königsmoos, in the Bavarian region of Germany. The service covers the materials supply of individual parts to the manufacturing plant, from the receiving goods department, rationing of the various storage and buffer surfaces, through to the commissioning and sequencing of material, and the supply of individual production stages with shuttle transportation to the plant. With it, CEVA Logistics said, Cummins Generator Technologies will utilize “CEVA Logistics’ entire product range, consisting of sea and air freight and contract logistics.” “It was decisive for Cummins that we work with a reliable logistics partner,” said Matthew Gilliver, materials and logistics manager of Cummins Generator Technologies. “Strategic partnerships gain increasing significance with the tendering of logistics services,” said Dr. Michael Müller Wünsch, director of ICS and operations for CEVA Logistics Central & Eastern Europe. Website: CEVA Logistics Cummins Generator Technologies Wednesday, August 20, 2008 NYK restructures ANS serviceNippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) Aug. 20 announced a restructuring of its USEC-ECSA service ANS (Atlantic North–South Express Service), to begin in September. The service will operate as an independent service of six NYK-operated vessels, with a capacity of 1,100 TEUs each, and will cover the main ports of the East Coast of South America, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic and the East Coast of North America, the company said. Port rotation will be Navegantes, Santos, Vitoria, Puerto Sucre, Caucedo, Norfolk, New York, Savannah, Caucedo, Puerto Cabello and Navegantes The first vessel under the new structure will be the MV Sanuki 01, scheduled to arrive at Norfolk, Va., on Sept. 23 and at Navegantes on Oct. 16. The NYK announcement said the dedicated independent service will allow total control of the service and the possibility to offer schedule reliability and flexibility with one of the best transit-times in the market. “It will be the only service to offer direct sailings through Vitoria port to the East Coast of North America,” according to the company. Website: NYK Line New general counsel for Ports AmericaPorts America Group Aug. 19 announced the appointment of Deborah H. Telman to the position of general counsel at the company’s Iselin, N.J., headquarters. Prior to joining Ports America Group, Telman served for six years as chief counsel for mergers and acquisitions at The Boeing Company in Chicago, according to the announcement. Telman led Boeing teams in the execution of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures and advised the company on corporate finance and pension management matters. “We are pleased to welcome Deborah to Ports America, where she will work closely with the executive team as we continue our expansion,” said Stephen Edwards, Ports America president. “We will be relying on her expertise as we more forward on a number of important projects.” Ports America is the largest independent port terminal operator in North America, providing terminal management and a full suite of stevedoring services as well as portside automotive processing services, operating 97 terminals in the United States and Mexico. Website: Ports America Group AAPA offers 5-day terminal management courseThe American Association of Port Authorities Aug. 18 announced a week-long intensive training course designed to give port professionals up-to-date knowledge and skills on both terminal operations and management acumen. The program will be held in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 20-24. Co-sponsors are the National Association of Waterfront Employers and the U.S. Maritime Administration. The sessions will be led by “experienced, well-recognized industry experts in a unique, interactive format,” the announcement said. Top-level maritime industry experts will cover a full range of terminal operations, including bulk, breakbulk, ro/ro, cruise and container. Dr. Ed Caprielian of Los Angeles will conduct a full day session on negotiation skills, particularly in the areas of global competition, security, environmental concerns and community activism. James R. Brennan, a partner with Norbridge Inc., Reston, Va., will discuss institutional and public policy trends — changing the context for marine terminal operators. Mr. Brennan directs his firm’s maritime and port consulting practices. A technical tour of the Port of Baltimore will complement classroom instruction. Website: American Association of Port Authorities Thursday, August 21, 2008 Maersk Line starts ‘Boomerang Service’Maersk Line Aug. 20 announced that it has created a new “pendulum loop” to service the Australian market. Three existing services — AU1 (North Asia to/from Australia), AU2 (East Asia to/from Australia) and AU3 (SE Asia to/from Australia) — will be combined into a single rotation, which will deploy 10 vessels of varying sizes and abilities to optimize operational efficiency. The new Asia-Australia service — named the “Boomerang Service” to reflect its relation to Australia and to emphasize the strong link this service creates to the key economic areas in SE Asia and NE Asia — will begin Sept. 27 with the following rotations: NE Asia (southbound): Yokohama (Japan), Nagoya (Japan), Osaka (Japan), Busan (South Korea), Qingdao (China), Shanghai (China), Ningbo (China), Chiwan (China), Hong Kong, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Sydney (Australia), Melbourne (Australia) and Fremantle (Australia). Website: Maersk Line CMA CGM invests in Port of TianjinCMA CGM Group Aug. 21 announced that it is signing a 50-year concession agreement to build and operate a container terminal at the Port of Tianjin in North China. The new terminal, which is expected to become operational in 2011, will feature a 1,100-meter quay and an annual capacity of 1.7 million TEUs. The terminal will be operated by a joint venture consisting of CMA CGM (with a 20% stake); Tianjin Port Holding Co., a Tianjin Port Group subsidiary listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (60%); and Hong Kong-based Asia International Shipping Ltd. (20%). Located 150 km from Beijing in the Binhai industrial zone, Tianjin “is the natural maritime link to the Chinese capital,” CMA CGM said. Tianjin ranks 16th in the world in container traffic, with more than 7.1 million TEUs handled in 2007, an increase of 19% over 2006. Volumes grew 22% in the first five months of 2008, according to the announcement. This will be CMA CGM’s 26th investment in port terminals worldwide. CMA CGM Group is already present in the Chinese port of Xiamen — ranked 22nd among the world’s container ports — via a cooperation agreement signed in November 2007, the company said. Website: CMA CGM Group Foss hybrid tug to have LR Green PassportSeattle-based Foss Maritime Co. Aug. 20 announced that it has contracted with Lloyd’s Register North America Inc. to obtain a Green Passport certification for its low emission hybrid tug, the first tug in North America with that certification. The vessel is being built at Foss’ shipyard in Rainier, Ore., and is scheduled to begin operation in Southern California in fall 2008. The Green Passport is a document that contains an inventory of all the materials onboard a ship that may be hazardous to people’s health or the environment and that require careful handling or special awareness. The record accompanies the ship throughout its operational life. Every five years, it is reviewed and recertified. At the end of the ship’s life, it helps the ship recycling yard to formulate a safe and environmentally friendly way of decommissioning the ship. In 2003, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued “Guidelines on Ship Recycling” to improve the standards of safety and reduce environmental pollution resulting from the scrapping of ships. The guidelines introduced the concept of the Green Passport. The tug design was awarded the EPA’s 2008 Clean Air Excellence Award for Clean Air Technology. Website: Foss Maritime Co. Friday, August 22, 2008 Two big haulers sign on to LA truck planThe Port of Los Angeles Aug. 21 announced that it has received letters of intent from two major national motor carriers that plan to become port drayage concessionaires under the Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program. Swift Transportation Inc. and Knight Transportation, both based in Phoenix, Ariz., plan to begin drayage operations at the port in October. Port officials expect that, collectively, their pool of trucks will exceed 2,000 and that these trucks will meet U.S. EPA 2007 diesel emissions standards using a mix of clean diesel and LNG trucks. “The entrance of these two innovative national carriers into drayage service at our port is the culmination of months of discussion between our team and the motor carrier community regarding our program and the opportunities it can provide to trucking companies,” said Geraldine Knatz, port executive director. To date, the port has received concession applications from approximately 20 other licensed motor carriers of various sizes that collectively represent more than 1,100 trucks, port officials said. Port officials urged other motor carriers to take action to ensure that they can still operate in the port after the Oct. 1, 2008, start date of the Clean Truck Program. Website: Port of Los Angeles LA/LB ports answer ATA court challengeThe ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach filed Aug. 21 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles their opposition to the preliminary injunction motion from the American Trucking Associations that seeks to stop the ports’ Clean Truck Program concession requirement, port officials said. The ports claim that the ATA’s requested injunction is without legal basis. “The ATA lawsuit directly attacks the ports’ efforts to dramatically reduce truck-related pollution and improve the safety, security and efficiency of port operations,” said Dick Steinke, port of Long Beach executive director. “We strongly believe that our plan is lawful, and we will vigorously oppose any action that will delay the Clean Truck Program,” Steinke added. Geraldine Knatz, Port of Los Angeles executive director, testified, “I believe that a substantial delay in the implementation of the Clean Truck Program will have dire consequences for (1) the air quality in the area in and around the port, (2) for the people who work at the port or live nearby or near the transportation corridors used by trucks serving the Port and (3) for the future of the port as an enterprise.” Website: Port of Los Angeles Port of Long Beach POLA gets $10.06 mil for security projectsThe Port of Los Angeles Aug. 21 announced that it has been awarded $10.06 million in FY 2007 California Proposition 1B grant funds for four security projects: a multi-agency maritime facility, a multi-vehicle inspection facility, a law enforcement tracking system and maritime law enforcement officer training. The reimbursement grant, which does not require cost share funding, was officially accepted by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners at its meeting the same day. In January 2008, the Port of Los Angeles applied for grants funds for four security projects, which were reviewed by a Peer Review Panel appointed by the California Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. The port’s projects were approved in May 2008, and the Board’s action officially accepts the grant, which must be used for the approved projects by March 31, 2010. The projects funded include a multi-agency maritime facility located at the Port Police Wilmington Substation on Water Street and installation of floating docks, gangways and piers suitable to mooring the types of boats being used by law enforcement agencies in the port. Website: Port of Los Angeles www.portoflosangeles.org
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