POLA Greenlights Waterfront Promenade

By Mark Edward Nero

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved the design contract for the future Wilmington Waterfront Promenade by unanimously approving Boston-based design firm Sasaki Associates, Inc. to conduct engineering, architectural and landscaping design services for the $52.7 million project.

The promenade is designed to measure about 1,300 feet in length and 30 feet wide, and provide public access to the water’s edge in front and adjacent to the Banning’s Landing Community Center. From Berths 184 to 186 behind the promenade, the project is to include a 2.5-acre public pedestrian plaza.

A 1.25-acre parking court and/or event space will also be constructed between the promenade and Water Street. Additionally, landscaping and a parking lot will be added north of the new plaza.

The promenade was among six public improvement projects – three in Wilmington and three in San Pedro – approved last February as part of the Port of LA’s Public Access Investment Plan. The engineering, architectural and landscaping design phase of the promenade project is expected to cost $3.19 million and be completed by mid-2018.

Design of the project entails street realignment to parallel existing railroad tracks, and a freight facility currently on the property is expected to be demolished. Project improvements also entails landscaping, irrigation, signage, lighting, as well as site furnishing like public seating, bike racks and public drinking fountains.

“Engaging a design firm for the promenade project puts us one step closer to bringing this vibrant and highly visible improvement to the Wilmington community,” Ambassador Vilma Martinez, president of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission said.

Contractor Sasaki Associates was also the lead design firm on the 30-acre Wilmington Waterfront Park, which was completed in 2011.

USCG Removes Fuel from Derelict Tug

By Mark Edward Nero

The US Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology and Global Diving & Salvage removed petroleum products from the tug Vigorous at Ballard Oil Co. in the Lake Washington Ship Canal on Oct. 13 after the derelict vessel was thought to be in danger of sinking.

The Vigorous, whose owner could not be contacted by the Coast Guard, had an estimated 20,000 gallons of oily bilge waste and an unknown amount of product in the fuel tanks, according to the USCG.

The Coast Guard Incident Management Division from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received notification Oct. 8 of a possible sinking and presumably derelict vessel after Ballard Oil personnel noticed the tug was sitting abnormally low in the water.

USCG Puget Sound incident management crewmembers conducted a pollution assessment of the vessel and found a significant amount of oily water in the engine room, but the tug was determined not to be in danger of sinking. A containment boom was placed around the vessel.

“Our first priority is to remove all of the hazardous materials from the vessel,” Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Debrum, marine science technician with the Incident Management Division, explained. “Doing so will prevent any pollutants from leaving the vessel and decrease the risk of any harm coming to the environment.”

The USCG says money from the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund was used to cover costs associated with the recovery efforts.

ILWU Appeals NLRB Ruling

By Mark Edward Nero

The International Longshore & Warehouse Union has officially appealed a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board ordering the union and two locals to not engage in activities at a Port of Portland container terminal that violate federal labor laws.

The banned activities cited by the NLRB include engaging in slowdowns and work stoppages, and using threats and coercion to disrupt the operations of ICTSI Oregon, which operates Portland’s Terminal 6. On Oct. 1, the ILWU and locals 8 and 40 filed a petition with the US Court of Appeals asking it to review the labor board’s late-September decision, which affirms an earlier decision issued by Administrative Law Judge William Schmidt.

Portland’s labor issues are related to a jurisdiction battle between ICTSI, the ILWU and another union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which date back to June 2012. The two unions fought over disputed jobs involving the plugging/unplugging and monitoring of refrigerated containers at Terminal 6.

Since then, workers have walked off the job numerous times due to what the longshore union calls “multiple pay disputes and associated grievances” associated with the “mismanagement” of the terminal.

Elvis Ganda, CEO of ICTSI Oregon said ICTSI is gratified by the NLRB’s September ruling, which rejected the ILWU’s legal arguments.

“Hopefully, this decision will bring us one step closer to ending the ILWU’s orchestrated and illegal campaign to undermine the success of Terminal 6, and to convincing the shipping companies to return to the Port of Portland,” Ganda said in a statement. “A fully functioning, productive Terminal 6 is critical to the regional economy and benefits local businesses, importers, exporters, farmers and workers across various industries – including rank-and-file ILWU longshoremen who have suffered a substantial loss of work as a result of their leaderships’ actions.”

POLB Has Busiest Quarter Ever

By Mark Edward Nero


Thanks in part to the best September in its 104-year history, the Port of Long Beach moved enough cargo volume to achieve its busiest quarter ever recently, something port officials say signals a return to pre-recession trade levels.

Measured by individual containers of freight, cargo volume at the Port of Long Beach climbed 4.1 percent in September compared to the same period last year, to 655,624 20-foot equivalent units of boxed cargo, the port revealed Oct. 12.

The year’s third quarter – July through September – topped two million TEUs in a first for the port, and improved 14.8 percent over the third quarter of 2014.

This year's third quarter saw 10.6 percent more imports and 10.5 percent more exports, compared to the third quarter of 2014.

For September alone, imports dipped 1.9 percent compared to the same month last year, to 332,909 TEUs. Exports grew 6.1 percent to 125,639 TEUs. Empty containers rose 14.6 percent to 197,076 TEUs.

Many of the popular Halloween and holiday items now on US store shelves were brought through the Long Beach harbor in recent months. Retailers have been stocking costumes, decorations and other goods in order to meet consumer demand.

The rise in volumes is a complete turnaround from the first quarter of the year when the port was losing container traffic, something the port attributed at the time to terminal congestion and supply chain challenges occurring during several months of labor negotiations.

“In recent months, Long Beach has seen a robust return of once-diverted cargo,” Port of Long Beach CEO Jon Slangerup said.

Through the first nine months of 2015 the port has seen a 5.2 percent increase in cargo volume compared to the same period last year. At this rate, the port would finish the year with more than seven million TEUs for only the third time in its history, the last time being 2007.

More details on the cargo numbers are available at www.polb.com/stats.

Oakland Imports Up for 7th Month

By Mark Edward Nero

Containerized import volume was up for a seventh-straight month at the Port of Oakland in September, the port said Oct. 12.

Oakland handled 1.6 percent more containerized imports last month than it did during the same month a year ago, according to data.

The import rally erased a wintertime decline in Oakland, and import totals for the first nine months of 2015 are now even with last year, according to the port. This represents a significant turnaround from January and February when import volume dropped nearly 40 percent.

“We’re pleased with the ongoing buildup of import cargo,” Maritime Director John Driscoll said. “Our job now is to maintain the momentum.”

But despite the growth in imports, overall containerized cargo volume – imports, exports and empty containers – fell 4.8 percent in September, the port said, caused mainly by a 12.6-percent drop in exports.

Two factors dampened export volume, according to the port: continued strength of the US dollar, which makes American goods more expensive overseas; and the economic slowdown in China, which has curbed its demand for foreign commodities.

Overall container volumes have been inconsistent during 2015; of the nine months measured so far, five saw increases in volumes, while the other four – January, February, June and September, suffered losses compared to the same months in 2014.

Complete Port of Oakland cargo statistics are available at http://portofoakland.com/maritime/containerstats.aspx.

Cordero Reconfirmed as Commissioner

By Mark Edward Nero

Mario Cordero was reconfirmed as a Federal Maritime Commissioner on Oct. 8. Cordero joined the Commission as a Commissioner on June 3, 2011, having been nominated by Pres. Barack Obama on Sept. 17, 2010, and confirmed by the Senate on April 14, 2011.

Cordero was designated chair of the Federal Maritime Commission on April 1, 2013 by President Obama. Prior to his appointment to the Maritime Commission, Cordero was an attorney in private practice, an adjunct professor of Political Science at Long Beach City College, and served eight years on the Port of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners.

As Long Beach Harbor Commission president, Cordero led one of the port’s most successful initiatives, the Green Port Policy, which has been nationally recognized, and helped redefine cargo movement worldwide.

“I am honored that President Obama has entrusted me to serve the American people in this important capacity, and grateful to the Senate for this confirmation,” Cordero said in a statement. “As the nation’s premier regulatory agency for international ocean transportation, my colleagues and I face significant challenges as we seek to reduce congestion, protect the public from unfair and deceptive practices, and keep international trade flowing in an efficient and reliable manner.”

“I am fortunate to have the support of a small but dedicated staff of professionals to execute this vital mission,” he added.

Willard Marine Wins NOAA Contract

By Mark Edward Nero

Anaheim-based boat builder Willard Marine has won a contract to provide the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with three aluminum hydrographic survey launch (HSL) ships, the company announced Oct. 1.

The three 28-foot vessels are to be used on the coastal waters of the United States to conduct oceanographic surveys with hull-mounted and towed sonar units. A Cummins QSC8.3 engine capable of 510 HP will power the boats through a ZF Marine 305-2 transmission.

Outfitted to support traditional manned survey operations, the HSLs will, according to Willard Marine, offer additional flexibility to add unmanned autonomous capability. Two Willard Marine HSLs are expected to be built for the 208-foot NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson, and an additional Willard Marine HSL is planned for the 231-foot NOAA ship Rainier.

The crews of the Thomas Jefferson and Rainier conduct hydrographic surveys for the primary purpose of updating NOAA’s suite of nautical charts. Commercial shipping, commercial fishing and recreational vessels all rely on accurate NOAA nautical charts for safe navigation of coastal water in the United States.

“NOAA has been procuring fiberglass SOLAS rescue boats from Willard Marine since 2004,” Willard Marine President Ulrich Gottschling said, “and we are proud to continue serving them with larger, aluminum survey ships to support their very important charting responsibilities,” Gottschling added.

The customized HSLs for NOAA are derived from a former SeaArk Marine commercial boat design that Willard Marine acquired the licensing rights to last year. The HSLs are scheduled to be delivered to NOAA in fall 2016.