By Mark Edward Nero
A group of US maritime and intelligence agencies have devised a new US Maritime Advisory System that they say establishes a single federal process to expeditiously provide maritime threat information to maritime industry stakeholders, including vessels at sea.
The US Maritime Administration, in partnership with the US Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Transportation, and Homeland Security, as well as the intelligence community, and maritime industry stakeholders played a part in the development of the system.
MarAd says that the new US Maritime Advisory System streamlines, consolidates and replaces maritime threat information previously disseminated in three separate government agency instruments: Special Warnings, MarAd Advisories, and global maritime security related Marine Safety Information Bulletins.
This new system establishes for the first time, a single, whole-of-government maritime security notification mechanism, and represents the most significant update to the issuance of U.S. government maritime security alerts and advisories since 1939, according to MarAd.
Showing posts with label Maritime Administration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maritime Administration. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Friday, December 2, 2016
MarAd to Live Stream High-Power Battery Workshop
By Mark Edward Nero
The Maritime Administration, in cooperation with the American Bureau of Shipping, and the American Society for Testing and Materials, will live stream a Dec. 15 and Dec. 16 workshop on the use of high-power batteries in maritime transportation, and the deadline for registration is fast approaching.
The workshop’s purpose is to further objectives regarding the maritime industry’s exploration of alternative energy technologies for vessel propulsion and auxiliary systems, with a view toward greater efficiency, lower costs and reduced air emissions.
The workshop is open to the public, but attendees and online participants must register by email at META@dot.gov. Your email must indicate attendance type (in-person or online attendance) and provide the following information: Your full name, business affiliation, business address, telephone and email address. Non-US citizens participating in person must also provide their country of citizenship, date of birth, passport number, and passport expiration date.
Registration must be completed no later than Dec. 2.
The sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Department of Transportation Conference Center, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC 20590.
In-person participants can enter the Department of Transportation building at the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and M Street, Southeast, and will be required to pass through a security checkpoint. Due to security requirements, all attendees must bring a government-issued form of identification, such as a driver’s license, to ensure access to the building. Foreign national attendees must bring their passports with them.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the meeting for processing through building security. For more information contact Tom Thompson at tom.thompson@dot.gov, or (202) 366-6045.
The Maritime Administration, in cooperation with the American Bureau of Shipping, and the American Society for Testing and Materials, will live stream a Dec. 15 and Dec. 16 workshop on the use of high-power batteries in maritime transportation, and the deadline for registration is fast approaching.
The workshop’s purpose is to further objectives regarding the maritime industry’s exploration of alternative energy technologies for vessel propulsion and auxiliary systems, with a view toward greater efficiency, lower costs and reduced air emissions.
The workshop is open to the public, but attendees and online participants must register by email at META@dot.gov. Your email must indicate attendance type (in-person or online attendance) and provide the following information: Your full name, business affiliation, business address, telephone and email address. Non-US citizens participating in person must also provide their country of citizenship, date of birth, passport number, and passport expiration date.
Registration must be completed no later than Dec. 2.
The sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Department of Transportation Conference Center, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC 20590.
In-person participants can enter the Department of Transportation building at the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and M Street, Southeast, and will be required to pass through a security checkpoint. Due to security requirements, all attendees must bring a government-issued form of identification, such as a driver’s license, to ensure access to the building. Foreign national attendees must bring their passports with them.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the meeting for processing through building security. For more information contact Tom Thompson at tom.thompson@dot.gov, or (202) 366-6045.
Friday, September 2, 2016
POLB Receives 125 Acres of Land from Navy
By Mark Edward Nero
Port of Long Beach officials joined with US Navy, Maritime Administration and California Environmental Protection Agency representatives on Aug. 30 to commemorate the ownership transfer of 125 acres of a former Naval complex to the City of Long Beach.
The acreage was part of the former Long Beach Naval Station & Naval Shipyard that the Navy agreed to transfer to the port as part of the ongoing defense base closures that began with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s.
US Navy and City of Long Beach officials first worked out a lease agreement for the port to take control of the 500-acre complex on Terminal Island in 1998, allowing the Port of Long Beach to break ground on the new container terminal.
The official transfer of ownership is taking place in stages, as environmental issues are resolved. In 2001, the Navy deeded more than half the property to the City of Long Beach. After the current transfer of 125 acres, there are only two smaller parcels left to be transferred in the next few years.
The land transfer process being completed in stages allows for environmental cleanup of the property as needed. Depending on the condition of the land, the process has allowed for most of the property to be safely developed and used as soil and sediment investigations are being completed.
The Maritime Administration, or MARAD, which works to complete the transfer of surplus federal property for the development of seaports, is facilitating the process for the site.
Port of Long Beach officials joined with US Navy, Maritime Administration and California Environmental Protection Agency representatives on Aug. 30 to commemorate the ownership transfer of 125 acres of a former Naval complex to the City of Long Beach.
The acreage was part of the former Long Beach Naval Station & Naval Shipyard that the Navy agreed to transfer to the port as part of the ongoing defense base closures that began with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s.
US Navy and City of Long Beach officials first worked out a lease agreement for the port to take control of the 500-acre complex on Terminal Island in 1998, allowing the Port of Long Beach to break ground on the new container terminal.
The official transfer of ownership is taking place in stages, as environmental issues are resolved. In 2001, the Navy deeded more than half the property to the City of Long Beach. After the current transfer of 125 acres, there are only two smaller parcels left to be transferred in the next few years.
The land transfer process being completed in stages allows for environmental cleanup of the property as needed. Depending on the condition of the land, the process has allowed for most of the property to be safely developed and used as soil and sediment investigations are being completed.
The Maritime Administration, or MARAD, which works to complete the transfer of surplus federal property for the development of seaports, is facilitating the process for the site.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
MARAD Issues Report on Hybrid Tug Battery Safety
By Mark Edward Nero
The Maritime Administration on July 1 announced the availability of a report evaluating the design and construction of new battery components, as well as the risks and benefits of battery use in the power plant of a hybrid tugboat.
The assessment, which was conducted after a battery-related fire aboard a hybrid tug, looks at the benefits and risks associated with the reinstallation of batteries as part of the vessel’s hybrid power system.
In August 2012, an explosion and fire occurred in one of the lithium-polymer batteries on the Foss Maritime hybrid tug Campbell Foss, and subsequent to that fire, Foss removed the remaining batteries from the vessel and all of the lead-acid batteries on its other hybrid tug, Carolyn Dorothy. Campbell Foss was returned to service in diesel configuration without batteries, and Carolyn Dorothy was returned to service in a modified hybrid configuration that didn’t require the use of batteries.
The newly-released assessment showed that a refined design with explosion protection, structural separation from occupied spaces, specialized battery controls, and shutdown protocols improved the risk profile for the hybrid power system.
The report also demonstrated that without the battery array, the hybrid system would not achieve the tug’s full performance requirements nor the emissions and fuel consumption reductions made possible by hybrid technology.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests, according to the report, that the use of batteries in a hybrid tug system poses an impediment to more widespread adoption.
The document was developed through a partnership with Foss Maritime with funding from MARAD’s Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) Program. The META program’s designed to assist maritime stakeholders in addressing key environmental issues facing the industry.
The full report can be found at http://www.marad.dot.gov/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Hybrid-Battery-Refit-Final-Report-with-pics.pdf.
The Maritime Administration on July 1 announced the availability of a report evaluating the design and construction of new battery components, as well as the risks and benefits of battery use in the power plant of a hybrid tugboat.
The assessment, which was conducted after a battery-related fire aboard a hybrid tug, looks at the benefits and risks associated with the reinstallation of batteries as part of the vessel’s hybrid power system.
In August 2012, an explosion and fire occurred in one of the lithium-polymer batteries on the Foss Maritime hybrid tug Campbell Foss, and subsequent to that fire, Foss removed the remaining batteries from the vessel and all of the lead-acid batteries on its other hybrid tug, Carolyn Dorothy. Campbell Foss was returned to service in diesel configuration without batteries, and Carolyn Dorothy was returned to service in a modified hybrid configuration that didn’t require the use of batteries.
The newly-released assessment showed that a refined design with explosion protection, structural separation from occupied spaces, specialized battery controls, and shutdown protocols improved the risk profile for the hybrid power system.
The report also demonstrated that without the battery array, the hybrid system would not achieve the tug’s full performance requirements nor the emissions and fuel consumption reductions made possible by hybrid technology.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests, according to the report, that the use of batteries in a hybrid tug system poses an impediment to more widespread adoption.
The document was developed through a partnership with Foss Maritime with funding from MARAD’s Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) Program. The META program’s designed to assist maritime stakeholders in addressing key environmental issues facing the industry.
The full report can be found at http://www.marad.dot.gov/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Hybrid-Battery-Refit-Final-Report-with-pics.pdf.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
$5 Million Available for Marine Highway Projects
By Mark Edward Nero
The US Maritime Administration on April 25 announced the availability of $5 million in federal funding to expand marine highway service by creating new or expanding existing services along designated Marine Highway routes.
The primary role of the funding, according to MARAD, is to create grants for projects related to documented vessels and port and landside infrastructure.
“MARAD invites applications for projects that have the added benefit of mitigating the negative impact of freight movement on communities,” the announcement reads in part. “Projects should also provide additional public benefit by addressing access to training and job opportunities, where applicable and appropriate.”
Eligible applicants must be sponsors of Marine Highway Projects formally designated by the Secretary of Transportation.
A Marine Highway Project is defined by MARAD as a planned service, or expansion of an existing service, on a designated Marine Highway Route, that provides new modal choices to shippers of cargo, reduces transportation costs, and provides public benefits including reduced air emissions, reduced road maintenance costs and improved safety and resiliency.
Grant applications must be submitted electronically using www.grants.gov. Applicants must complete the grants.gov registration process before submitting an application; the registration process usually takes two to four weeks to complete, according to MARAD.
Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Fri., May 27. Additional information can be found in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/04/25/2016-09563/funding-opportunity-for-americas-marine-highways-projects.
The US Maritime Administration on April 25 announced the availability of $5 million in federal funding to expand marine highway service by creating new or expanding existing services along designated Marine Highway routes.
The primary role of the funding, according to MARAD, is to create grants for projects related to documented vessels and port and landside infrastructure.
“MARAD invites applications for projects that have the added benefit of mitigating the negative impact of freight movement on communities,” the announcement reads in part. “Projects should also provide additional public benefit by addressing access to training and job opportunities, where applicable and appropriate.”
Eligible applicants must be sponsors of Marine Highway Projects formally designated by the Secretary of Transportation.
A Marine Highway Project is defined by MARAD as a planned service, or expansion of an existing service, on a designated Marine Highway Route, that provides new modal choices to shippers of cargo, reduces transportation costs, and provides public benefits including reduced air emissions, reduced road maintenance costs and improved safety and resiliency.
Grant applications must be submitted electronically using www.grants.gov. Applicants must complete the grants.gov registration process before submitting an application; the registration process usually takes two to four weeks to complete, according to MARAD.
Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Fri., May 27. Additional information can be found in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/04/25/2016-09563/funding-opportunity-for-americas-marine-highways-projects.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Federal Grants Awarded to Maritime Heritage Projects
By Mark Edward Nero
On April 22, the National Park Service, in partnership with the Maritime Administration, awarded $2.58 million in Maritime Heritage Program grants for projects in 19 states, including six on the West Coast, that preserve sites and objects related to US maritime history.
Recipients include the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, which was awarded $45,000; and Sound Experience, a Port Townsend, Wash. non-profit that runs environmental and sail education programs. It received a $200,000 grant.
Also among the recipients were the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and Maritime Museum Association, both of California, which received $35,000 and $49,100, respectively, for education programs.
“As a nation with vast coastlines and interior waterways, our maritime heritage is an integral part of the story of our economic growth and the defense of our nation,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis. “These grants will enable our state historic preservation partners to connect local communities to their maritime heritage from sea to shining sea.”
National Maritime Heritage Program Grant awards are made possible through a partnership between the National Park Service and Maritime Administration, federal agencies that share a commitment to maritime heritage preservation and education. Funding is provided by the Maritime Administration through the recycling of vessels from the MARAD’s National Defense Reserve Fleet.
The grant program supports a broad range of maritime education and preservation projects, without expending tax dollars, while ensuring that the vessels are dismantled in an environmentally sound manner.
“These iconic maritime treasures must be preserved for future generations -- ships, lighthouses, and the vast array of strategic maritime vessels that served and protected our nation at critical times in our history,” Maritime Administrator Chip Jaenichen said. “The Maritime Administration is committed to preserving these assets and artifacts from our past, so that future generations can fully appreciate and be inspired by our nation’s maritime legacy.”
Maritime Heritage Program grants are available to state, tribal, and local governments, as well as private non-profit organizations for education and preservation projects. Education projects are funded in amounts between $15,000-$50,000; preservation projects are funded in amounts between $50,000-$200,000. Education grants can be used for programs such as school curriculum, interpretive programs and web pages, and preservation grant projects can include the rehabilitation or restoration of ships and other maritime resources.
A full list of this year’s grant recipients can be seen at https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/release.htm?id=1822
Friday, March 25, 2016
US Anticipates Merchant Mariner Shortage
By Mark Edward Nero
By 2022, the United States will need 70,000 new people for the nation’s maritime fleet, Paul Jaenichen Sr., the head of the U.S. Maritime Administration, told the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee March 22.
The problem, Jaenichen said, is that the six state maritime academies and Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y. only graduate 900 people per year and are at capacity.
He added that even with a new military-to-mariner program for separating service members, and other programs like it, the real issue is how those individuals would get credit for the necessary licenses required.
He told the panel that American mariners are “also a very aging work force” that could aggravate the shortfall in the future.
Addressing existing requirements for mariners in support of global power projection, Jaenichen said that while the administration can meet the requirement for immediate deployment, the first crew rotation is critical. After four to six months, he said, there were “not enough (mariners) for sustained operations.”
He also predicted “a perfect storm” after Jan. 1, 2017, when licensing requirements change. For the Maritime Administration, it means that drawing on a pool of recently retired mariners likely would not be possible. The retired mariners, to remain current under the regulations, would have to pay for required training out of their own pockets.
The Maritime Administration has said it hopes to release for public comment a strategic maritime assessment document in a few months. It would be the first such document in decades.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
MARAD Announces Small Shipyard Grant Program
By Mark Edward Nero
The US Maritime Administration on Dec. 31 announced the 2016
funding availability for its Small Shipyard Grant Program.
There’s currently $4.9 million available for grants for
capital and related improvements to shipyard facilities that will foster
“efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and
reconfiguration,” according to MARAD.
“Potential applicants are advised that it is expected, based
on past experience, that the number of applications will far exceed the funds
available and that only a small percentage of applications will be funded,”
MARAD stated in its announcement.
It’s anticipated that between five and 10 applications will
be selected for funding, with an average grant amount of about $1 million.
Grants under the program can’t be used to construct
buildings or other physical facilities, or to acquire land unless such use is
specifically approved by the Maritime Administration as being consistent with,
and supplemental to, capital and related infrastructure improvements.
Grant funds can be used, however, for maritime training
programs to build technical skills and operational productivity in communities
where the economies are related to or dependent upon the maritime industry.
The period for submitting grant applications began in
mid-December and the deadline for applications is Feb. 16. Grants are expected to
be awarded by April 18.
Complete information about the grant program, including full
submission requirements and the mailing address for grant applications, can be
found in the MARAD funding notice: https://d3dkdvqff0zqx.cloudfront.net/groups/sca/attachments/small%20shipyard%20grants%20nofa%202016.pdf
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
MARAD: US Shipbuilding Generates $37 Billion
By Mark Edward Nero
The private shipbuilding and repair industry in the US
provided more than 110,000 jobs across all 50 states in 2013 and contributed more
than $37 billion to the gross domestic product, according to a newly released
study by the Maritime Administration.
In 2013, the US private shipbuilding and repairing industry
directly provided 110,390 jobs, $9.2 billion in labor income, and $10.7 billion
in gross domestic product to the national economy, according to the study,
which was released the first week of November.
Including direct, indirect, and induced impacts, on a
nationwide basis, total economic activity associated with the industry reached
399,420 jobs, $25.1 billion of labor income, and $37.3 billion in GDP in 2013,
the document states.
The states with the highest reported levels of overall
direct, indirect, and induced employment associated with the industry were
Virginia, California, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
There are currently 124 shipyards in the United States,
spread across 26 states, that are classified as active shipbuilders. There are
also more than 200 shipyards engaged in ship repairs or capable of building
ships but not actively engaged in shipbuilding.
Employment in shipbuilding and repairing is concentrated in
a relatively small number of coastal states, with the top five states
accounting for 63 percent of all private employment in the shipbuilding and
repairing industry.
“Everything that shipbuilding meant in 1789, it still means
today,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “In 2015, American
shipbuilders ensure that our nation can build and maintain the vessels that our
military needs to keep our nation secure. In 2015, American shipbuilders still
provide essential commercial vessels (that) enable domestic commerce on our
inland waterways and link to our domestic energy supplies.”
The full MARAD report is available at http://www.marad.dot.gov/wp-content/uploads/pdf/MARAD_Econ_Study_Final_Report_2015.pdf
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
MARAD Funding Vessel Emissions, Energy Projects
By Mark Edward Nero
The US Maritime Administration is making about $2 million in
federal funding available to help fund projects that support vessel emissions
reductions and alternative energy.
The funding is being made available under two separate
requests for applications. One is focused on exhaust gas cleaning demonstration
projects on US-flagged vessels that remove pollutants from the stacks of ships
and other marine vessels.
Estimated funding for the program is $750,000. Closing date
for applications is July 19.
The other request for applications focuses on projects that
demonstrate vessel emissions reductions through the use of alternative fuels or
energy sources such as LNG or fuel cells, and improvements in vessel energy
efficiency through use of conservation technology and practices.
Estimated funding is $1.3 million, with a closing date for
applications set for June 11.
The agency said it intends to use the results of the data
demonstration projects to support further work related to air emissions
reduction and alternative energy research and o assess the public benefit of
possible incentives to encourage adoption of emissions reduction and
alternative energy in the maritime sector.
Additional information about these requests for applications
can be found on the US government grants website: http://www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?agencies%3DDOT|Department%20of%20Transportation
Friday, November 1, 2013
MARAD to Hold National Maritime Strategy Meeting
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is inviting marine
transportation system stakeholders to participate in a January 2014 discussion
to gather ideas for improving the country's cargo opportunities and sealift
capacity while ensuring future sustainability.
The public meeting is planned for 9 am to 4:30 pm daily from
Jan. 14 through Jan. 16, 2014 in the US Department of Transportation (DOT) West
Atrium, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
The public is invited to propose agenda topics and to
comment on the ideas submitted by others at http://www.regulations.gov, DOT
Docket Number MARAD-2013-0101.
Proposed agenda items should focus on, but are not limited
to: fostering and improving the US-flag fleet; improving transportation efficiency,
speed, availability and cost-effectiveness; methods to improve overall US
economic competitiveness though improvements to the Marine Transportation
System; improving transportation efficiency through interoperability with
existing infrastructure systems and other modes of transportation; reduction of
marine transportation pollution and adverse environmental impact; expansion of
the pool of skilled and available US mariners; developing strategically
valuable capacity; increasing economical waterborne carriage for US businesses;
improving US port operations and related businesses; improvement of global
business and employment opportunities for the US; and fostering the
construction and repair of vessels in US shipyards.
Written proposals for agenda items can be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov.
Parties must submit their input identified by DOT Docket Number
MARAD-2013-0101. All submissions must include the agency name and docket
number.
The public meeting will be broadcast via live streaming link
from http://www.MARAD.dot.gov.
The deadline to submit agenda topics and ideas for
discussion is Nov. 29, 2013. Registration for the event opens Dec. 17, 2013 and
closes Jan. 3, 2014.
More information on the event can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/10/28/2013-25396/national-maritime-strategy-symposium-cargo-opportunities-and-sealift-capacity.
