|
|
February, 2012
NEWS BULLETIN
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Port of Anacortes cleanup project
earns ASEC Silver Star Award
ANACORTES — The Port of Anacortes reports its cleanup
efforts have won a Silver Star Award from the American Council of
Engineering Companies (ACEC) Washington Chapter. ASEC presented
to GeoEngineers, representing the entire Port Project Team, the
Best in State Silver Star Award for the Former Scott Paper Mill
Cleanup and Restoration at the Port of Anacortes Seafarers’
Memorial Park and adjoining areas in Anacortes, WA. The annual
program recognizes Washington’s best engineering
achievements. From 1890-1979 the Former Scott Paper Mill site was
used for industrial purposes which contaminated the soil and
groundwater sediments. Although the industrial activities had
been terminated for decades, the property remained contaminated.
The port began working with GeoEngineers in 2007 to determine how
the site could be remediated and costs associated with the
project could be recovered. A comprehensive Project Team was
formed, with the cleanup, mitigation and restoration elements
completed over the next several years. The Former Scott Site
Paper Mill Cleanup was the largest of the port’s Focus
Fidalgo projects, and the largest shoreline and sediment cleanup
completed in Washington State under the (MTCA) Materials Toxics
Control Act and the Department of Ecology’s Puget Sound
Initiative. The Scott Site Cleanup was funded in partnership by
the Washington State Department of Ecology, Kimberly Clark
Corporation, and the Port of Anacortes.
Corps begins next phase
of Port of Seattle munitions search
SEATTLE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle
District, will begin its Phase II Remedial Investigation at the
Port of Seattle’s Terminal 91 in early February to determine
if more old, likely World War II-era, military munitions are
present. The investigation is a joint-agency effort with the
Coast Guard, Navy and Port of Seattle, to investigate and
potentially remove old munitions. Initial geophysical surveys to
identify suspected munition locations are expected to start the
first week of February. Remote operated vehicles and divers will
then perform surface and subsurface removal of military munitions
that are found. The effort is scheduled to be complete by the end
of April, before 2012 cruise ship operations commence. During
last year’s investigation 11 discarded military munitions
and 212 munitions debris items were uncovered and disposed of.
Discarded military munitions are unfired military munitions that
have been abandoned, discarded, or improperly disposed of and are
possibly still capable of functioning.
Cargill partnership with CHS
to boost PNW grain business
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL — Cargill and CHS Inc. have announced
the two agribusiness companies are expanding the scope of their
TEMCO LLC, grain export terminal joint venture to include other
Pacific Northwest export assets owned by the companies. TEMCO,
which operates an export facility in Tacoma, is a 50-50 joint
venture between CHS and Cargill. The expanded joint venture will
include the Tacoma facility along with an export terminal in
Kalama, and the Cargill Irving Elevator in Portland. The expanded
joint venture company will export feed grains, oilseeds, and
wheat to Asia-Pacific markets. Cargill and CHS both said they are
confident the long-term expansion will result in the assets,
infrastructure and volume necessary to meet global demand.
Third building going up at
Port of Bellingham development
BELLINGHAM — Work has begun on another office building at
the Port of Bellingham’s Bellwether on the Bay development.
The private developer, Bellwether Gate LLC., is constructing its
third building in this waterfront development. The two-story,
10,000-square-foot office building will be located between
Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor restaurant and the largest
Bellwether Gate Building, which is home to CH2M HILL’s local
offices. The anchor tenant for this new building will be Wells
Fargo. Today about 40 businesses operate at Bellwether on the
Bay, directly employing more than 725 people. Bellwether Gate
LLC. has a long-term land lease with the Port of Bellingham for
four building sites. The company is scheduled to begin
construction on the fourth building, the final building site on
the peninsula, next year.
Port of Tacoma schedules
draft strategic plan open house
TACOMA — Pierce County citizens and Port of Tacoma business
partners and customers are encouraged to attend an open house to
review and comment on the port’s draft strategic plan. The
port, a key catalyst for the local and state economy, is
developing a strategic plan to guide the organization in its next
chapter of economic growth and business success. The plan will
guide actions over the next three to five years. Drafts will be
presented for public feedback at two open houses, with
introductory comments at 5 p.m.:
• Monday, Feb. 13, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. in Room 104 of The
Fabulich Center, 3600 Port of Tacoma Rd., Tacoma
• Wednesday, Feb. 15, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the McGavick
Student & Conference Center at Clover Park Technical College,
4500 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood
The draft also will be available online next week for review and
comments. Public input will help shape the final strategic plan
to be adopted in March by the Tacoma Port Commission.
NEWS BULLETIN
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Trade between NAFTA partners
up during month of November
WASHINGTON, DC — Trade using surface transportation between
the United States and its North American neighbors, Canada and
Mexico, was 12.7 percent higher in November 2011 than in November
2010, totaling $76.7 billion, according to the Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of
Transportation. BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative
Technology Administration, reported that the November 2011 value
of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico, the
United States’ North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
partners, rose 30.1 percent in two years from November 2009, and
26.4 percent from November 2008. The value of U.S. surface
transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in November increased
by 18.3 percent when compared to November 2006, and also
increased by 72.6 percent when compared to November 2001, a
period of 10 years. Imports in November were up 64.3 percent
since November 2001, while exports were up 83.5 percent. Surface
transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail,
pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones, and other. In November, 84.8
percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via
land, 10.8 percent moved by vessel, and 4.4 percent moved by air.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and
Mexico decreased 3.0 percent in November 2011 from October 2011.
Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and
other factors. U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation
trade both increased compared to November 2010 with U.S.-Canada
reaching $44.3 billion, a 12.2 percent increase, and U.S.-Mexico
reaching $32.4 billion, a 13.3 percent increase.
Port Metro Vancouver begins
Land Use Plan process
VANCOUVER, BC — Port Metro Vancouver reports it has launched
the first phase of engagement that will inform the process to
update the port’s Land Use Plan. The Land Use Plan will
articulate policies on land use and development, and identify the
types of uses appropriate on land and water across the
port’s jurisdiction. In 2010, Port Metro Vancouver embarked
on a visioning process to engage representative parties with a
stake in the future of the gateway, and to create a strategic
vision for the future. The work being done to update the
port’s Land Use Plan builds on that process. The plan
process will include four phases, concluding with the last phase
in late 2013. For more information on Port Metro Vancouver’s
Land Use Plan process, including a timeline of community
engagement and information meetings, visit:
http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/en/projects/LandUsePlan.aspx.
Coast Guard responds to
vessel explosion in Sequim Bay
SEATTLE — Yesterday, the Coast Guard and Washington Dept. of
Ecology responded to a vessel explosion that occurred at the John
Wayne Marina in Sequim Bay, Wash. At approximately 6 p.m., an
approximately 40-foot vessel exploded while moored and sank in
the bay. One person was pulled from the wreckage and airlifted,
by an Airlift Northwest helicopter crew, to Harbor View Medical
Center in Seattle. The condition of the person and his
relationship to the vessel are unknown at this time. Clallam
County Firefighters deployed oil containment boom around the
vessel to contain any sheen caused by the sinking. Coast Guard
and Ecology personnel are coordinating cleanup efforts and have
begun an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
Crowley taps Jose Ayala
as Puerto Rico vice president
JACKSONVILLE, FL — Crowley Maritime Corporation has
announced that Jose “Pache” Ayala has been promoted to
vice president, Puerto Rico. Mr. Ayala will remain in San Juan,
and will now report to John Douglass, senior vice president and
general manager of Puerto Rico and Caribbean services. In his new
role, Mr. Ayala will oversee all liner operations on the island,
provide support for local sales management, and work to enhance
Crowley’s service offerings. He will also act as the primary
company representative when dealing with the Puerto Rico Ports
Authority, government officials, shipping associations and major
customer accounts in the region. Prior to his promotion, Mr.
Ayala had been general manager of the company’s Puerto Rico
liner operations, directing port operations, equipment control,
information technology, and materials management, as well as
carrying out financial and administrative duties. He joined
Crowley in 2009 as an intermodal manager in Jacksonville, and
prior to that, had spent 12 years with Crowley in the late
1980s-90s in barge operations.
Old Dominion Freight Line
opening Seattle-Tacoma facility
SEATTLE — Following a 19 percent increase in container
drayage shipments nationwide in 2011, Old Dominion Freight Line
Inc. has opened its first container drayage facility in the
Pacific Northwest. The company’s new Seattle-Tacoma Drayage
Operation will directly serve all ports, rail heads and container
yards in the Pacific Northwest. Co-located with Old
Dominion’s Seattle Service Center, the operation’s
strategic location gives Old Dominion direct access to
Washington’s two largest ports - Seattle and Tacoma - that
together handled more than $70 billion in cargo in 2010. Old
Dominion container drayage services include direct point-to-point
delivery, loading, unloading, short term warehousing and
container pools for the convenience of import and export
shippers.
