Weekly News Summary For January 12-18, 2009:
The Corps of Engineers has opened the comment period for the Individual Environmental Report (IER 12) for its “GIWW, Harvey, and Algiers Levees and Floodwalls.”
“The purpose of the proposed action discussed in IER 12 is to construct approximately three miles of levee and floodwalls, construct a closure complex consisting of gates(s) and a pump station, and improve existing structures (levees, floodwalls, gates and drainage structures) along the Harvey and Algiers Canals,” said a “Notice of Availability” published in a New Orleans newspaper.
The 30-day public review and comment period for IER 12 and the Clean Water Act began on January 5 and will close February 4.
Included in the plan is a proposed navigation gate that will cross the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) west of the confluence of the Algiers and Harvey canals. Gib Owen of the New Orleans Engineer District’s Planning, Programs and Project Management Division said the plans include a storm gate that could be anywhere from 150 feet to 300 feet in width.
Owen said he has worked closely with industry, including Raymond Butler, executive director of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA), and navigation safety concerns have been carefully considered. Computer modeling is continuing, Owen said, noting that he anticipates the gate will be wider than the controversial 150-foot-wide gate proposed on the East Bank….
The earthen walls of a large holding pond gave way near Kingston, Tenn., on December 22, spilling what turned out to be about 1.1 billion gallons (5.4 million cubic yards) of wet fly ash, a byproduct of burning coal. The wet ash covered about 300 acres, including waterfront property, and some went into the Emory and Clinch rivers, right above where both join the Tennessee River. Twelve homes were affected, with three being rendered uninhabitable.
The holding pond, one of three, served the Kingston Fossil coal-fired power generating plant, managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal agency created in 1933 to provide flood control and energy for the people of the Tennessee Valley. For years after it opened in 1956, the Fossil plant was the world’s largest coal-burning power plant. TVA operates six other coal-fired plants in Tennessee.
The holding pond contained wet fly ash that had accumulated for more than 50 years, ever since the plant opened. Hundreds of TVA workers have spent the weeks since the spill cleaning up. Coast Guard and TVA police units were assisting with security in the cleanup area, the Chattanooga Time Free Press reported.
The Coast Guard issued a Marine Safety Information Bulletin on January 5, putting mariners and towing companies on notice that it will begin conducting random license verification and safety exams on uninspected towing vessels (UTVs) throughout the Morgan City (La.) captain of the port (COTP) zone.
“I recognize and greatly appreciate the fact that nearly all professional mariners operate within the scope of their licenses and that nearly all companies ensure their towing vessels are in compliance with the applicable safety regulations,” wrote Capt. J. Scott Paradis, Morgan City COTP.
“This operation is designed to identify those individuals and companies that pose a threat to port and waterway safety by operating outside of the regulations,” he said.
Coast Guard personnel will be conducting the random in-service verification exams, day and night, within the COTP zone, the bulletin said. Historically, that COTP zone has brought more licensing charges against individuals and companies than any other, even before the recent pressure from Congress.
Golding Barge Line christened its latest towboat November 26 in Vicksburg, Miss. It is the seventh new vessel in four years. With that many in a short span, company owner Steve Golding had to adopt the practice of christening the boats—the first six anyway—“on the fly” to ensure that his customers received their product on time.
What could possibly have led him to break with tradition for his seventh new boat? He christened it in a traditional ceremony at the Vicksburg city front where family and friends could share in the event.
For one thing, the new vessel was only a few days out of the shipyard and hadn’t yet been pressed into service. Also, it was Thanksgiving eve and many people were in town. But, most importantly, “it’s named for my wife,” Golding said with a smile.
The Melody Golding is a 114- by 32- by 11-foot, 3,000 hp. towboat built by Raymond & Associates, Bayou la Batre, Ala. It is actually the second boat to be named Melody Golding.
The first one was built by Janoush Marine in 1981 for Ole Man River Towing Company, which was owned and operated by Steve Golding before being acquired by Kirby Corporation in 1992. Kirby renamed the triple-screw vessel the City of New Orleans…
A consortium of commercial marine finance and leasing veterans last week launched Marine-Finance.Com LLC, a consulting group formed to educate and match lenders, investors and lessors with qualified marine borrowers and lessees.
“We see the commercial marine lending and leasing market as one of the most stable segments in this highly troubled economy,” said Richard Paine, senior vice president and general manager. “Demand for services in the sector remains sound, and the balance sheets of most operators continue to look healthy. Tugs, barges and other commercial vessels have maintained if not increased their value.”
Paine has experience in commercial marine financing and leasing with Debis Financial Services, Daimler-Chrysler Financial Services, The Associates Commercial Corporation, CitiCapital, General Electric Commercial Credit and KeyBank. He is a member of The American Waterways Operators, Passenger Vessel Association and Offshore Marine Service Association…
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