Weekly News Summary For June 21-27, 2009
Representatives of the barge and towing industry journeyed to Capitol Hill June 9 to try to head off possible legislation leading to the uncapping of liability limits against parties responsible for oil spills.
At a hearing to review provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), spokesmen for The American Waterways Operators testified that regulations established by OPA 90 have been “a public policy success, creating a safer operations environment for the tank barge industry and resulting in an enormous reduction in oil spills from vessels.”
Turning to a possible legislative response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf, Buckley McAllister, a member of the AWO’s executive committee and vice president and general counsel of McAllister Towing, urged lawmakers to recognize the differences between vessels and offshore oil production facilities.
“Tank vessels are not oil production facilities,” McAllister told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “A worst-case discharge from a vessel is a quantifiable amount.”
McAllister also explained that for a vessel owner, unlimited liability “is not insurable. However, it is not only unlimited liability that places independent vessel owners at risk. Proposals to significantly raise liability limits also threaten to raise the costs of insurance to a price that responsible small- and medium-sized companies cannot afford.”…
Almost two months after the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, oil continues to gush from the damaged well head located in about 5,000 feet of water off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Well majority-owner British Petroleum (BP) still has not capped the well and the Coast Guard has begun to put additional pressure on BP to stop the flow.
The Coast Guard reported 1,289 personnel were working directly on the spill response, with many of them being reservists who were called up.
“After being directed to move more quickly, BP is now stepping up its efforts to contain the leaking oil,” Rear Adm. James Watson, the federal on-scene coordinator, was quoted in the Times Picayune. Watson had pressed BP to speed up and expand its collection efforts in a letter addressed to BP executives.
BP submitted a plan to contain up to 50,000 barrels of oil per day by the end of June, two months earlier than previously proposed.
The new plan significantly increases the May plan submitted by BP, and one submitted just two weeks ago. Under the new plan, BP will simultaneously pump oil from the damaged well using four ships beginning in mid-July until the relief wells are completed. A second ship was added on June 15….
Parker Towing Company Inc. has purchased three towboats and sold one this year, resulting in a fleet of 20 vessels the Tuscaloosa, Ala., barge line uses to transport coal and other materials on the Warrior-Tombigbee river system.
Parker Towing bought the mv. Doug Roberts May 14 and the mvs. Marie D and Tri-State June 10. Earlier, Parker sold the Selden Hurtt.
“We’ve been in the market for boats between 33 and 35 feet wide for some time, in order to take care of any incremental growth while we refurbish our fleet,” said Charlie Haun, president. The width criteria are due to the company’s tow configuration and the size of the locks in its area of operation, he said.
The company bought the 3,200 hp. Doug Roberts and the 3,300 hp. Marie D from Florida Marine Transporters. The Tri-State is a 3,800 hp. vessel that was owned by Marathon Petroleum Company. The Selden Hurtt went to Cooper Marine & Timberlands Corporation….
Cruise West, a Seattle-based small-ship cruise operator, announced June 16 that it will offer two new itineraries sailing on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, starting in March 2011. The inaugural cruises will take place aboard the Spirit of America, formerly the Spirit of Glacier Bay.
“Many of our loyal customers asked us to bring the Cruise West small-ship experience to the Mississippi and other ‘heartland’ rivers, and we are delighted to be able to deliver an experience that will surprise and delight guests with a perspective of the South that can only be achieved by small-ship,” said Dick West, Cruise West’s chairman and managing director. “My family is extremely proud to offer guests the opportunity to sail an American flagged ship on one of the most iconic American rivers.”
“This market has been underserved since 2008 with the departure of Majestic Cruise line,” said Dietmar Wertanzl, Cruise West’s president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to be the only cruise line offering overnight cruises on these great American rivers.”…
American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the nation, and its subsidiary Indiana Michigan Power christened the mv. Hoosier State May 26 at Rising Sun, Ind.
Operated by AEP River Operations, St. Louis, Mo., the new $13 million towboat, which was put into service in December, is the fifth in a series of ten 6,000 hp. vessels being built for AEP. It was built by Quality Shipyards of Houma, La., which also constructed the mvs. Mountain State, Buckeye State, Chuck Zebula and AEP Mariner.
The remaining five towboats of the 10-boat run are under construction at Gulf Island Fabricators, also in Houma. Of those, the AEP Leader was delivered in December, while the others, yet to be named, are scheduled for delivery late this year and early next year.
“The Hoosier State can transport a ton of coal a mile for two cents,” said Mark Knoy, president of AEP River Operations, at the christening. “That not only keeps the cost of electricity down for our customers, but it’s good for the environment because we’re keeping thousands of less-efficient coal trucks off the road.”
Identical to its sister vessels, the boat is 166 feet long by 48 feet wide with a hull depth of 11 feet three inches. The pilothouse eye level is 39 feet. It was designed by CT Marine….
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