Port Freeport completes container terminal expansion
27 Jun

Port Freeport completes container terminal expansion

Rich MillerMaritime News,
(FREEPORT, Texas) – Port Freeport and honored guests joined for a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 30 marking the completion of the Berth 8 Construction Project. In November 2019, the Port Freeport Commissioners approved a construction contract with McCarthy Building Cos. for the expansion of Velasco Container Terminal. The expansion project includes the construction of a multipurpose Berth 8, a 927-foot linear…
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House panel OKs funding boost for inland waterways
23 Jun

House panel OKs funding boost for inland waterways

Rich MillerTugboats & Towing, ,
(WASHINGTON) — Thursday night, the House Committee on Appropriations approved by a vote of 34-24 the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Energy and Water Development (E&W) appropriations bill. Included in the bill are community project funding (CPF) requests for Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) construction projects. Overall proposed funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works is $9.57 billion, an…
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Port of New Orleans elects Joseph Toomy as chairman
23 Jun

Port of New Orleans elects Joseph Toomy as chairman

Rich MillerIndustry News, , ,
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has selected new officers, naming Joseph Toomy to serve as board chairman, Walter Leger Jr. as vice chairman, and James Carter Jr. as secretary-treasurer for the nine-month term. With the alignment of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, port…
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Mariner missing after falling from bulker near Long Beach
21 Jun

Mariner missing after falling from bulker near Long Beach

Rich MillerCasualty News,
(SAN PEDRO, Calif.) — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its active search Tuesday evening for a crewmember who fell off a bulk carrier while transiting the Santa Barbara Channel Traffic Separation Scheme en route to the Port of Long Beach. "We extend our deepest sympathies to this crewmember's friends and family," said Chief Warrant Officer John Rose, search and rescue…
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Ohio’s Kaptur receives Champion of the Great Lakes award
16 Jun

Ohio’s Kaptur receives Champion of the Great Lakes award

Rich MillerIndustry News,
(WASHINGTON) — The Chamber of Marine Commerce has awarded its 2023 Champion of the Great Lakes award to U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, in honor of her ongoing commitment to enhancing sustainable economic growth through investment and support for domestic marine shipping. Kaptur has spent her entire career focusing attention on the need for the U.S. government to invest more…
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IMO moves ahead on Polar Code, autonomous ships
15 Jun

IMO moves ahead on Polar Code, autonomous ships

Rich MillerMaritime News, ,
(LONDON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced on Tuesday that new requirements concerning safety of navigation and voyage planning for non-SOLAS ships operating in polar waters are expected to enter into force on Jan. 1, 2026. The announcement follows the adoption of a first set of amendments to the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code)…
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West Coast ports group, union OK tentative contract
15 Jun

West Coast ports group, union OK tentative contract

Rich MillerMaritime News,
(LOS ANGELES) —  The longshoremen's union and employers of 22,000 dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports said on Wednesday they have reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, Reuters reported. The agreement ends 13 months of talks and eases supply chain worries. The deal was reached with assistance from Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, the International Longshore…
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Iron ore cargoes rise as Seaway traffic holds steady
14 Jun

Iron ore cargoes rise as Seaway traffic holds steady

Rich MillerMaritime News,
(OTTAWA, Ontario) — Overall activity established by U.S. Great Lakes-Seaway shipping through the first month of the shipping season continued into May, with iron ore showing especially strong numbers. Iron ore traffic through the system was almost 1.6 million tonnes, an increase of 9.9 percent from the same period last year. Approximately 7.97 million tonnes of total cargo traffic have…
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Vessel traffic study calls for new Pacific Coast fairways
08 Jun

Vessel traffic study calls for new Pacific Coast fairways

Rich MillerMaritime News,
(SAN FRANCISCO) — The U.S. Coast Guard has published the final report of the Pacific Coast Port Access Route Study (PAC-PARS) in the Federal Register, the first comprehensive evaluation of vessel traffic patterns in the waters off California, Oregon and Washington. The main goal of the PAC-PARS was to evaluate historic and future waterway usage to determine navigational risk and…
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Port NOLA names industry veteran Wypyski as new COO
06 Jun

Port NOLA names industry veteran Wypyski as new COO

Rich MillerIndustry News,
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has welcomed maritime industry veteran Matthew Wypyski to the executive team as chief operating officer (COO). Wypyski’s leadership experience includes 32 years as a senior operating and general management executive leading port authority staff, marine terminal and stevedore operating companies, as well as liner operations. “Matthew Wypyski brings invaluable maritime…
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