Port of Seattle Removing Creosote Pilings

By Karen Robes Meeks

Efforts to restore 4.5 acres of habitat along Terminal 5 shoreline continue as the Port of Seattle approaches its goal to remove 90 percent of creosote-treated pilings from its properties.

About 8,000 creosote pilings – obsolete materials that were once instrumental in port infrastructure before today’s use of steel and concrete – remain as the port chips away at the estimated 18,000 that were accounted for in 2000.

“Restoring shoreline habitat and removing creosote pilings is a great way to return natural vitality to our ecosystem,” said Commissioner Fred Felleman. “The Port of Seattle is on track to remove thousands more creosote pilings by 2025.”

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz thanked the port for its removal efforts, adding that the creosote-treated pilings were harming the health of Puget Sound.

“By partnering with agencies like the port, the Department of Natural Resources is leading efforts throughout Puget Sound to restore habitat and remove creosote pilings and debris from our waters,” she said. “I look forward to further partnership with the port and leaders like Commissioner Fred Felleman as we continue this important work.”

NW Seaport Alliance to Bid on Navy Ship Berthing

By Mark Edward Nero

On Dec. 19, the Northwest Seaport Alliance held a special meeting to approve a plan under which the Alliance would join Foss Maritime in an effort to win a contract to berth the USNS Bob Hope at a North Harbor terminal. Should Foss and the NWSA be successful in winning the bid, the ship would berth at the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5. The Navy plans to run the ship on shore power while at berth, according to the Alliance.

The 951-foot long USNS Bob Hope, which has a beam of 106 feet and a maximum draft of 34 feet and 10 inches, is the first ship in the US Navy's first class of large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships (LMSR), and is part of the Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).

The primary mission of such ships is to transport shore-based equipment and supplies in support of military and humanitarian operations. They participate in recovery efforts in the event of a widespread natural disaster.

The vessels are operated by 30 civilian mariners who work for a private company under contract to MSC, and up to 50 embarked military personnel who monitor and maintain the equipment being transported.

The ships are maintained in reduced operational status, which means they’re operationally ready in four days. The Seaport Alliance, which is the name of the maritime operating agreement between the Seattle and Tacoma seaports, has said that this type of interim use for Terminal 5 is part of a plan to diversify cargo and maximize terminal use.

A contract to berth the vessel could bring in about $500,000 annually, according to Alliance staff. But it would in no way, the Alliance has said, interfere with a current terminal modernization plan.

Vancouver USA Seeks Developer for Terminal 5

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Vancouver USA said Nov. 11 that it is seeking firms interested in designing, permitting, constructing and operating a high-volume marine terminal facility at Terminal 5, one of the port’s rail-served terminals on the Columbia River.

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Friday, Dec. 23.

The available property features about 40 acres in the southern portion of the terminal and consists partially of existing fixed dock at Terminal 5 and nearby floating dock at Terminal 4 for autos, as well as laydown space, rail access and the option to add additional rail.

The site, according to the port, is ideal for a mineral bulk or auto facility.

“Terminal 5 is a very unique property on the US West Coast,” port Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Alastair Smith said in a statement. “The access to river, road and rail is unparalleled; you have the 43-foot-deep Columbia River shipping channel, high-capacity rail and excellent surface transportation access for local as well as interstate deliveries. “There’s a lot of possibility in this site and we look forward to hearing from firms interested in partnering with us to grow their business in our community,” he said.

Terminal 5 is served by a loop track completed in 2010 as part of the port’s $275 million West Vancouver Freight Access project, which is nearly complete and is expected to allow the port to handle up to 400,000 rail cars annually by 2018.

Seattle’s Terminal 5 Moves Closer to ‘Big Ship Readiness’

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Seattle has completed an environmental analysis of Terminal 5 and has released a Final Environmental Impact Statement on the project, which aims to modernize the cargo-handling facility in order to serve larger cargo vessels.

The proposed upgrades to Terminal 5 include wharf rehabilitation, berth deepening, electrical service and improvements to the upland portions of the property.

“With this Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Terminal 5, we are one step closer to making this prime maritime asset ‘Big Ship Ready’ and able to handle the largest container vessels working the market today,” Port of Tacoma Commission President and Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair Connie Bacon said. “This region needs this terminal to remain competitive in today’s global economy.”

The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.

The FEIS evaluated potential impacts to earth, air, water, plants, animals, energy and natural resources, environmental health, noise, aesthetics (including light and glare), historic and cultural resources, transportation and public services.

“Based on public comment, we are including a number of improvements (to the FEIS), such as shore power for vessels, installing gates for noise and safety mitigation for rail, and significant traffic improvement measures,” Port of Seattle Commission president and Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair John Creighton said. Mitigation measures for the project include construction of plug-in capability for shore power at two berths, tracking of air quality performance, establishment of a safety corridor between the Terminal 5 gate and the Duwamish river in order to minimize the need to use locomotive horns, required use of ambient-sensing broadband back up alarms, implementation of a Gate Queue Management plan, establishing a truck driver information system, comprehensive traffic signal improvements along SW Spokane Street and an operation noise management plan to ensure and monitor compliance with the Seattle noise code.

The FEIS can be reviewed and downloaded at the Port of Seattle website. More information about the proposed project is available on The Northwest Seaport Alliance website.

The Port of Seattle Commission is required to approve the recommended improvements during a future public session.

Test Pile Driving to Begin at Seattle Port

By Mark Edward Nero

Contractors will begin driving test piles at Terminal 5 in Seattle the first week of January, with the installation and resulting noise expected to last through March.

The pile driving and testing is part of the design phase of a terminal improvement program. About 27 piles are expected to be installed at the edge of the Terminal 5 wharf. Installation and testing is planned to take place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Test results could help reduce the final number of piles required and refine the depth of installation during berth construction, which the port says could help save money and reduce construction-related noise.

Once installed, the port says some of the piles will be tested using a method known as rapid-load testing that sounds like a half-second cannon shot. The sound can be as loud as 145 decibels at a distance of 50 feet. Nine tests are planned, with no more than one test per day.

Planned dock enhancements are expected make the terminal capable of accommodating heavier cranes and provide deeper drafts to handle the megaships cascading into the trans-Pacific trade.

“These terminal improvements are aimed at helping us compete in a changing marketplace to support the jobs we have and create new ones, while continuing to drive economic benefits for our communities and customers,” the port said in a Dec. 21 news release.

Questions about the pile driving and testing may be directed to (206) 787-6886 or Terminal5_Outreach@portseattle.org.

Judge Upholds Foss’ Terminal 5 Lease

By Mark Edward Nero

On July 31, a King County judge upheld a land lease between Foss Maritime and the Port of Seattle, saying that the Terminal 5 deal is valid, despite claims to the contrary by environmental groups.

In his decision, Judge Douglass North ruled that the port, which bypassed an environmental review when awarding the lease, was within its right to do so.

The port signed the two-year lease with Foss Maritime on Feb. 9, giving Foss the right to short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation.

On March 2 however, a coalition of five environmental groups – Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, the Sierra Club, Washington Environmental Council, Seattle Audubon Society and Earthjustice – filed a challenge against the port’s lease on the grounds that the lease would change the use of Terminal 5 by converting it into a homeport for Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling fleet.

They argued that such usage would not comply with the mandate that the terminal be used strictly as a transport facility where quantities of goods or container cargo are stored and transferred to other carriers and/or locations.

After Judge North’s ruling, attorney Patti Goldman, who’s representing the various environmental groups, said she would have to talk to the plaintiffs before deciding whether to appeal.

Despite the victory for the port and Foss, the status of the lease is still in question, however.

In early May, the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) ruled that an additional use permit is required for the moorage of a drilling rig and accompanying tugboats by Shell Oil at Terminal 5. The port and Foss have challenged the ruling, and a hearing on the matter is scheduled for Aug. 13.

“The judge’s ruling … confirms what we’ve known all along: Terminal 5 is properly permitted to tie up these vessels, sometimes for extended periods,” Foss spokesman Paul Queary said in a statement. “We look forward to the hearing examiner reaching the same conclusion.”

Activists Protest at Seattle Port

By Mark Edward Nero

An estimated 200 environmental activists marched to the entrance of Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle the morning of May 18 to protest against proposed future Arctic drilling by Shell Oil Co.

Shell plans to use Seattle as a base to store and maintain rigs and other equipment as it resumes exploration and drilling this summer in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska, an area it hasn’t drilled since 2012.

Under a two-year lease signed in February, Foss Maritime was given the right to short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation. Under the lease, Foss was expected to alter the terminal for the layberthing of Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet.

On March 2 however, a coalition of five environmental groups filed a challenge against the port’s lease. And on May 4, the Seattle Department of Planning and Development released a report concluding that an additional use permit is required for the proposed seasonal moorage of the Polar Pioneer drilling rig and accompanying tugboats.

The Port of Seattle Commission on May 12 voted to appeal the city’s ruling but also asked Foss to abide by the current City of Seattle regulations, pending legal review. A Shell spokesman, however, said the oil company intends to move ahead with its plans to dock two rigs at the port despite the permit questions and protests.

A timeline of when Arctic exploration would resume was not yet known, he said.

The 30-year-old Polar Pioneer, which Shell plans to use to drill off Alaska’s northwest coast this summer, arrived in Seattle May 14. Two days later, hundreds of protesters in kayaks, small boats and other vessels turned out a “Paddle in Seattle” protest.

Protesters have said they’re worried about the risk of oil spill in the Arctic as well as the effects of burning fossil fuels on climate change.

Port of Seattle to Appeal Terminal 5 Decision

By Mark Edward Nero

At its May 12 meeting, the Port of Seattle Commission declared it would appeal a decision by the City of Seattle to block the lease between the port and Foss Maritime for the lease at Terminal 5.

The Commission’s action came eight days after Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle Department of Planning and Development said that an additional use permit is required for the proposed seasonal moorage of a drilling rig and accompanying tugboats.

Under the two-year lease, which was signed Feb. 9, Foss was given the right to short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation.

Foss also would have been able to use the premises as a transport facility in which quantities of goods or container cargo are stored without undergoing any manufacturing process, are transferred to other carriers or are stored outdoors in order to transfer them to other locations.

On March 2 however, a coalition of five environmental groups filed a challenge against the port’s lease on the grounds that the lease would change the use of Terminal 5.

During its meeting, the Port of Seattle Commission voted to not just appeal the city’s rejection of the lease, but to ask Foss to abide by the current City of Seattle regulations, pending legal review.

“An appeal hearing provides a legal, structured format that acknowledges the seriousness of our concerns about changing long-standing permit requirements, and should not be viewed as hostile to the City of Seattle,” said Port Commission Co-President Stephanie Bowman. “We expect that this will also provide a fair and objective opportunity for all affected parties to participate. We will work with the City of Seattle to define ‘cargo,’ as maritime businesses need that certainty.”

City of Seattle Blocks Port Terminal Lease

By Mark Edward Nero

A lease that the Port of Seattle signed months ago to house seasonal moorage of a drilling rig and accompanying tugboats at Terminal 5 is not valid and has to be reworked, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said May 4.

The mayor’s statement came the same day that the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) released an interpretation regarding the proposed use of Terminal 5. The DPD concluded that an additional use permit is required for the proposed seasonal moorage of a drilling rig and accompanying tugboats. Reports have indicated that two drilling rigs are destined for Seattle: the Polar Pioneer and the Noble Discoverer. The information provided by the port indicates that just one, the Polar Pioneer, would moor at Terminal 5.

Under the terms of the lease, Foss would have been able to use the premises specifically as a transport facility in which quantities of goods or container cargo are stored without undergoing any manufacturing process, are transferred to other carriers or are stored outdoors in order to transfer them to other locations.

On Feb. 9, the port signed the two-year lease with Foss Maritime, giving Foss the right to short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation.

On March 2 however, a coalition of five environmental groups filed a challenge against the port’s lease on the grounds that the lease would change the use of Terminal 5 by converting it into a homeport for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet.

The mayor made the lease denial announcement during the Climate Solutions annual breakfast.

“I expect the port to obtain all required city permits before any moorage or work begins at T5 on off-shore oil drilling equipment. While requiring a new permit may not stop the port’s plans, it does give the port an opportunity to pause and rethink this issue,” Murray said. “I urge the port to consider: is this really the right use of Terminal 5, even for the short term? Does this use reflect the businesses of the future we want in Seattle?”

“This is an opportunity for the port and all of us to make a bold statement about how oil companies contribute to climate change, oil spills and other environmental disasters – and reject this short-term lease,” the mayor said.

Vigor Delivers 3 Barges to Foss

By Mark Edward Nero

Vigor Industrial’s Tacoma shipyard has delivered three 60-by-24-by-15.5-foot breasting barges to Foss Maritime. The barge system is planned be used to moor Shell’s drill rigs at Terminal 5 in Seattle, where the company is scheduled to ready its fleet for Arctic drilling this summer.

The project was completed in less than two months.

“We are so pleased that our Tacoma shipyard is now building new vessels,” Vigor Fab sales manager Bryan Nichols said. “Over the years, Tacoma teams have earned a stellar reputation for quality commercial ship repair and major refits. Adding newbuilds to its résumé increases our capacity in the region.”

In the last few years, Vigor Tacoma shipyard has completed a number of major refits including midbody extensions for two Coastal Transportation vessels. Vigor teams added 164 tons of steel to the freight carrier Coastal Progress, increasing its length by 46 feet. Similar work was later done on its sister ship, Coastal Nomad. The F/V Pacific Ram, owned by Trident Seafoods, also chose Tacoma for a major refit.

Sponsoning added five feet to each side of the catcher and a new bulbous bow was installed for added efficiency. Its fish hold capacity was increased by 35 percent and its seakeeping and stability improved.

“This was a logical next step,” Nichols said of the newbuilds’ construction. “Our goal has been to create facilities that fill the needs of different types of customers.”

Judge to Review Seattle Terminal Litigation

By Mark Edward Nero

A Superior Court judge on March 20 agreed to hear a case brought by environmental groups that are challenging a recently signed contract enabling Foss Maritime to lease terminal land at the Port of Seattle.

Under the terms of the lease, Foss is able to use the premises specifically as a transportation facility in which quantities of goods or container cargo are stored without undergoing any manufacturing process, transferred to other carriers or stored outdoors in order to transfer them to other locations.

But in her order granting a review of the case, Judge Mariane Spearman wrote that the permitted uses under the terms of the lease “seem to contradict the expected uses outlined in the Port of Seattle’s staff briefing memo” and that the outlined usage activities “appear to be qualitatively different” than those by Terminal 5’s previous tenant, Eagle Marine Services.

On Feb. 9, the port signed the two-year lease with Foss Maritime, giving Foss the right to short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation.

On March 2 however, a coalition of five environmental groups filed a challenge against the port’s lease on the grounds that the lease would change the use of Terminal 5 by converting it into a homeport for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet.

The lawsuit was filed by Earthjustice in King County Superior Court on behalf of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, the Sierra Club, the Washington Environmental Council and the Seattle Audubon Society.

It is the plaintiffs’ position that the port acted illegally when it entered the lease because it relied on an exemption to bypass State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review. The plaintiffs also said that they’re concerned about toxic runoff from vessel repairs and maintenance as well as water pollution from the vessels while at the port and during transit.

The lease, according to the plaintiffs, would allow Shell’s drill ships to be housed at the port, including one, the Noble Discoverer, which the plaintiffs claim was the subject of eight felony convictions in December 2014 and more than $12 million in fines and community service, including for discharging oil-contaminated water in violation of water pollution laws.

In her ruling, Judge Spearman ordered the plaintiffs and defendants to begin negotiations on a resolution, which she would then review.

Environmental Groups Sue Port of Seattle

By Mark Edward Nero

On March 2, a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Port of Seattle and its board of commissioners to challenge the port’s approval last month of a lease that opens a container terminal to an Arctic drilling fleet.

On Feb. 11, the port revealed that on Feb. 9 it had signed a two-year lease with Foss Maritime that gives Foss the right to short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation.

The lawsuit charges that the lease will change the use of Terminal 5 by converting it into a homeport for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet. Earthjustice filed the challenge in King County Superior Court on behalf of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, the Sierra Club, the Washington Environmental Council and the Seattle Audubon Society.

The lawsuit says, “The lease would allow Shell’s drill ships to be housed at the port, including the Noble Discoverer which was the subject of eight felony convictions and over $12 million in fines and community service last December, including for discharging oil-contaminated water in violation of water pollution laws.”

The environmental groups allege that the port has violated its long-range plans and its shoreline permit, which designate Terminal 5 as a cargo terminal, not a homeport, and say that the port needed to conduct a public review of the environmental and community impacts of making the change.

“By making a secret deal to house Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet in Seattle, the port shut out the public and subverted laws that are designed to foster an informed public assessment of controversial proposals like this one,” Earthjustice Managing Attorney Patti Goldman said.

In a Feb. 11 letter to stakeholders, Port of Seattle CEO Ted Fick said the lease is for short-term moorage and vessel operations along 50 acres at the port’s 156-acre Terminal 5, which is currently undergoing renovation, and that the deal would represent no change of use from the activities of the previous tenant.

The environmental groups disagree.

“Protecting the health of our waterways begins with transparency in significant decisions made by our public officials,” Chris Wilke, executive director of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance said. “Unfortunately the port missed this mark by a huge margin while ignoring its own stated goals of sustainability. The Commission’s failure to inform the public about this back room deal amounts to a breach of trust.”

Under the lease, Foss is to pay $550,000 a month, or $13.17 million, over the full two years. The lease, which includes two one-year extension options, is part of a push by the port to find an interim use for the land and keep revenue coming in.

Cargo operations at the terminal were relocated in July 2014 as part of a modernization program under which stronger piers, deeper berths and other improvements are to be constructed. The terminal’s expected to reopen in 2018.

Port of Seattle to Renovate Terminal 5

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Seattle and Eagle Marine Services, which operates Terminal 5 at the port, announced a proposal on May 16 to relocate EMS’ cargo and breakbulk activities to another terminal so that Terminal 5 can be modernized in order to handle larger vessels.

Under the proposal, EMS would shift its operations to Terminal 18, allowing it to preserve container volume and ship calls. Cargo destined to T5 would begin transitioning to T18 in mid-June. The proposal is still tentative, pending final approval by the Port of Seattle Commission, however some commissioners have already indicated they’re in favor of the plan.

“If we’re going to keep jobs in Washington state, we need investments that make us globally competitive,” Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryant said. “That’s why we’re rebuilding T5.”

While three of the port’s container terminals are already home to Super Post-Panamax cranes that service 10,000 TEU vessels and above, the existing cranes at Terminal 5 are not able to handle these bigger ships.

“T5 needs to be modernized for the bigger ships that are already here, we applaud the port in working with us to preserve our customers’ cargo through this gateway,” Eagle Marine Services COO Nathaniel Seeds said in a statement.

In addition to the potential Terminal 5 rebuild, the port has also received approval from the federal government to let the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begin studying the potential for a project that may result in the deepening of the West Waterway channel near the terminal.

“As we are working to preserve maritime jobs in Seattle, the Commission is moving forward to strengthen cooperation with the Port of Tacoma to increase trade in Puget Sound,” Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton said.  “We’re having productive talks on how we can make the Puget Sound gateway more competitive and create new jobs.”