Capsule News Summary For February 28–March 6, 2005:
Officials of the Northwestern Engineer Division have agreed to support a request from Missouri River basin governors and tribal chairmen to implement drought conservation measures within the framework of the Missouri River Master Manual this year, the Corps announced last week.
The request was made during the recent Governors Summit in Sioux Falls, S.D., to find ways to stave off hitting the "navigation preclude" in 2006. This "preclude" level is total system storage of 31 million acre feet (maf.), at which point commercial navigation would not be supported.
System storage ended January at 35 maf.; a year ago it was 38.2 maf.
"The Corps will continue to pursue ways to conserve water and mitigate the impacts of the drought to the basin," said Brig. Gen. William Grisoli, Northwestern Division engineer. "We are increasing our resources in the upper basin to mitigate the impacts to domestic water intakes, cultural resource sites, boat ramps and noxious weeds."
The mountain snowpack at the beginning of February was only 68 percent of normal in the reach above Fort Peck, and 72 percent of normal in the reach from Fort Peck to Garrison. Normally, 61 percent of the peak snow in the mountains is accumulated by early February….
Kennecott Energy Company (KEC), Ameren Energy Fuels and Services Company (AFS) and Cahokia Marine Service (CMS) have announced a joint partnership. Their goal with Gateway Terminal, LLC is "to provide more effective fuel alternatives to coal consumers in the Midwest and increase use of Western coals."
As part of Gateway's mission, it will combine the best of each company to provide a range of services including direct coal throughput, coal blending, storage location for just in time delivery and transportation alternatives.
The agreement formalizing this partnership was signed on January 27 in St. Louis.
KEC, headquartered in Gillette, Wyo., is the nation's largest producer of Powder River Basin (PRB) sub-bituminous coal and is part of the Rio Tinto Group, a world leader in finding, mining and processing the earth's mineral resources.
"Kennecott Energy is committed to strategic partnerships that not only help us provide a safe, reliable energy supply, but that will help our customers reach their goals in a safe, economic way," said Kelly A. Cosgrove, KEC vice president of marketing, government and public affairs. "The Gateway partnership will be an excellent tool for delivering, storing and utilizing the low-sulfur, compliance coal we produce in Wyoming's Powder River Basin."…
The Port of South Louisiana has amended and extended an agreement with Associated Terminals LLC to handle all trans-loading operations at the General Cargo Dock at the 335-acre Globalplex Intermodal Terminal in Reserve, La. According to the new arrangement, Associated Terminals, based in Reserve, will be the exclusive operator of the general cargo dock and related transit shed/warehouse and lay down storage facilities, the port said in an announcement last week.
The previous stevedoring agreement included Stevedoring Services of America, which has withdrawn from the original 2001 terminal operating group contract by mutual consent. Associated Terminals will now handle all dockside and landside bulk, break-bulk, neo-bulk and containerized cargo at the facility. The contract includes options extending to 2013.
Associated Terminals is one of the largest midstream stevedoring companies on the Mississippi River, operating a fleet of eight high-capacity floating cranes. The cranes trans-load cargo to and from vessels and barges at nine midstream anchorage facilities and additional dock-side locations on the Lower Mississippi River….
Known for its extensive work in rebuilding towboats—recent examples of which are the 10,500 hp. vessels Martha Ingram and E. Bronson Ingram—Ashton Marine LLC, Harvey, La., is now in the process of building them new.
With a contract to construct a 1,600 hp. harbor boat in hand, the firm leased property on Harvey Canal across from its location at Mile 1. Formerly a Texaco pipe yard and dock, the facility has three acres and 1,000 feet of waterfront.
The new shipyard is named Ashton Boat Construction LLC.
The impetus for the new company came from Progressive Barge Line Inc., Westwego, La., which urged Ashton to build a new boat to replace one it sold last year, the mv Gizmo.
"We wanted a shipyard close by so we could monitor the construction," said Warren Buffone, vice president and port engineer. Earlier vessels were built in Bayou la Batre, Ala. "Plus, Ashton suggested some hull modifications we liked."
The new boat will have a molded hull that, according to the boat's designer Welton Theriot of Ashton, creates a hydrostatic flow. This forces more water through the wheels. The boat will measure 75 by 28 feet and will be powered by a pair of SF 240, eight-cylinder Guascor engines, rated 785 hp. each at 1,800 rpm….
C & C Marine & Repair LLC, Belle Chasse, La. has entered the boat repair business with the purchase of two drydocks that are installed on additional property the company leases at 1220 Peters Road on the Harvey Canal, Mile 1. The seven-year-old company, which has built its reputation on barge construction and repair and has shown impressive growth over the years, intends to build vessels as well, once work on its fabrication shop is completed in late March.
C & C Marine bought the drydocks about a year ago from Bergeron Marine Service Inc., New Orleans, but had to do a lot of work on the larger of the two docks, as well as bring the property up to speed. The large dock just opened for business. It is a 3,000-ton unit that measures 250 feet long and has 60 feet between the wingwalls.
The other dock, which is 120 feet long with 48 feet between the wing walls, has a capacity of 1,100 tons. It has been in service for a number of months and currently contains a small towboat that was destroyed by fire and is on dock to be completely rehabbed.
The yard, which encompasses nine acres, is 100 percent cement-covered and has 1,100 feet of bulkheaded water frontage. It is served by a 40- by 200-foot slip and two Manitowoc crawler cranes. One has a 100-ton capacity, the other 175-ton. Glen Page is the yard superintendent.
Continuing its practice of indoor construction, which it carries out at its Belle Chasse facility, C & C is in the process of converting an existing structure at the boat yard into a fabrication shop. The shop will have 30,000 square feet of covered workspace enclosing an automatic welder, plasma torch, brake press, mill machine and 40-foot lathe….
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