Weekly News Summary For August 10-16, 2009:
Bolstered by recent reports, state officials in Louisiana are pressing for sweeping, fundamental changes in the way the Army Corps of Engineers does business in the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast regions. Recognizing that any reform effort must come from Congress, they are collecting testimony from a series of public meetings to present to Louisiana’s congressional delegation in September.
The Louisiana meetings were held at Houma on July 28, at Lake Charles on July 29, and at Harahan on July 30. The meetings are driven by a sense of urgency and a feeling that Louisiana’s unique problems, especially the erosion of its coasts, cannot fit into the timetables of Corps of Engineers projects, which can take decades. Corps critics argue that state and local entities are closer to the issues and would address them more quickly and efficiently.
Garret Graves, executive assistant for coastal affairs to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal as well as chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, has been the state’s point man at these meetings. Some of his proposals are familiar, long-standing complaints about the Corp’s procedures, while others have emerged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the reconstruction process.
Among Graves’ proposals—one also raised by Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu recently—is a demand to reshape the Corps career ladder so that Corps leaders are not rotated out of key positions like New Orleans after two or three years. Local officials feel that is barely enough time for Corps leaders to become familiar with the issues and challenges of the region. Graves wants the New Orleans Corps office raised to a division level, commanded by a general rather than a colonel.
Graves hopes for help from the Obama administration. He wants the White House Office on Environmental Quality to grant “alternative arrangements” for state and local entities to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)….
The public comment period is open through mid August for responses to a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) proposal “that will take important steps to help enforce the Jones Act more effectively and protect American maritime jobs,” said the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA).
Congress passed the Jones Act to protect American mariners, shipyard workers and towing companies from unfair competition from cheap foreign labor or foreign vessels using that cheap labor.
Under the Jones Act, cargo can only be carried between two U.S. points on vessels owned and crewed by Americans and built in American shipyards, the OMSA news release noted.
CBP, which administers the Jones Act as it applies to offshore energy operations, announced on July 17 that it plans to revoke or modify 20 rulings to restore the original intent of the Jones Act as it applies offshore.
“Specifically, in its proposal, CBP compares several rulings to the original Jones Act, as well as a 1976 landmark ruling, and states CBP recognizes that allowing foreign-flagged vessels to transport merchandise from one U.S. point and install that merchandise at another point…on the condition that it merely be accomplished ‘on or from that vessel’ would be contrary to the legislative intent of the Jones Act,” it explained.
OMSA president Ken Wells said, “With this proposal, CBP is saying that there is a hard line between transportation and installation. Foreign boats may be able to install offshore oilfield equipment, but only U.S. boats can carry it offshore. The problem is that for many years, CBP rulings had allowed foreign vessels to carry cargo to subsea oil and gas locations as long as the vessel also installed it.”
The impact of this CBP position, Wells said, is to restore the intent of the Jones Act and provide the type of field guidance that will allow CBP agents to effectively enforce the law….
A massive surge barrier, floodwall and levee-construction project by the Corps of Engineers along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) west of the Mississippi River across from New Orleans will make the communities of Harvey, Gretna, Westwego and Algiers much safer from hurricane storm surge.
Once completed, the project will create a storm rainwater basin between the Harvey Canal floodwalls, the levees, and the surge barrier.
The Harvey Canal has seen a revival of business, driven largely by soaring oil prices the past few years. The Harvey Canal Industrial Association now counts 200 businesses in its membership.
To reach an adequate height to provide protection from a 100-year storm, the Corps of Engineers has designed concrete floodwalls atop the earthen levees in many places along the Harvey Canal.
The flood protection plan, while protecting the communities, may be creating a financial burden on waterfront businesses that could well drive them from the Harvey and Algiers Canals.
Concrete floodwalls and earthen levees soaked by rain waters can withstand some impact, but they can be breached if storm surge and high winds cause a barge, or other large floating object like a storage tank, to break loose during a hurricane and smash it against them….
Trinity Marine Products celebrated a milestone recently when it launched the 500th barge built at its Caruthersville, Mo., shipyard for Crounse Corporation.
Trinity officials from Dallas, Texas, senior executives from Crounse, and the shipyard’s day shift of 300 or so employees turned out July 28 to watch the 195- by 35-foot hopper barge slide down the marine ways into the Mississippi River, ending with an emphatic splash.
Minutes earlier, Crounse chairman Steve Little pushed the button triggering the barge’s release into the river. The barge bore a large sign thanking the Paducah, Ky.-based barge line for the 500th barge.
In his remarks to the crowd, Stephen Sheridan, president of Trinity’s dry-cargo-barge-and-composites business unit, said the first hopper barge that Caruthersville built for Crounse was the result of a 50-barge order in 1997. The first 20 were constructed at Trinity’s yard in Ashland City, Tenn. and the balance was transferred to Caruthersville. That transfer marked the beginning of the 500 barges.
Trinity’s dealings with Crounse go back further though, he said. In all, Trinity has built 630 barges for Crounse, including those constructed at Brownsville, Pa., when Trinity owned the former Hillman Barge shipyard….
A 43-year-old shipyard has found new but familiar owners. Sneed Shipbuilding, founded in 1966 by Martin Sneed Sr. with two locations in Channelview and Orange, Texas, was recently sold to Clyde Sneed, Martin’s son, and Mitch Jones, who was formerly with Blessey Marine Services.
The shipyard has a long and rich history in the inland marine industry and Martin Sneed’s history goes back even further. On June 23, 1955, Sneed went to work for Burton Shipyard. Over the next nine years, he rose in ranking at the yard and gained valuable experience, he recalls. In 1964, with partner Don Marshall, Sneed ventured off on his own and formed M&S Enterprises in Bridge City, Texas. His first project was to build an 800 hp. towboat, the Norma G.
In 1966 Sneed bought out his partner and formed Sneed Shipbuilding. He purchased a piece of land in Orange, and began operation with the help of a $10,000 loan. Over the next 30 years he built, repaired and operated many inland towing vessels that are still in service today. Among the vessels he built is the very first new boat built for Hollywood Marine and Berdon Lawrence, he said.
Roughly 10 years ago, Sneed Shipbuilding expanded further by opening a second location. He purchased land on Market Street and the old San Jacinto River in Channelview. The Channelview yard sits on approximately 35 acres and has more than 2,000 feet of waterfront. Since the first boat was built with his stamp on it, Sneed has focused on inland equipment, expanding to include barges and drydocks to his portfolio. Today, his best customers include Blessey Marine, which has been aggressively building a fleet of new towboats and barges, and Patterson Boat Works, which has been building barges with Sneed for the past 15 years.
Sneed’s drydocks have become a signature item on which “they have built a strong reputation.” Most recently the firm delivered a drydock to AEP River Operations, and had previously built several for JB Marine….
Flood protection, hurricane evacuation, erosion along the Gulf coast, maintenance of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and improvements in waterways project investment strategies are among the top issues that the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA) will deal with at its annual meeting beginning August 12–14, according to executive director Raymond Butler. The meeting will take place at the Westin New Orleans Canal Place hotel.
Vic Zillmer, Corps of Engineers Office of Hurricane Protection, New Orleans District, will give a presentation on the Lake Borgne Floodgate project.
“GICA is working closely with the New Orleans Engineer district on the Westbank Closure Complex and the Hurricane Protection Office on the Lake Borgne floodgate,” Butler told The Waterways Journal.
“Physical models have been constructed of both projects and have proven most valuable in assessing navigation issues that could not have been noted during the tow simulations.”
Butler said new evacuation requirements in the event of another hurricane will require new levels of industry cooperation. “The 2009 storm season brings with it three new vessel evacuation requirements, along with one existing one.”…
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