Inland Port Is Your Port
November/December 2009
Secure Beneath the surface?
PROMOTING MARINE HIGHWAYS NEW CRANE FROM SENNEBOGEN PORT PROFILE: CHICAGO
IP Editorial Board
INLAND PORT MAGAZINE Michael Gerhardt Dredging Contractors of America Assistant Executive Director, DCA www.dredgingcontractors.org
November/December 2009 Volume I, Number I
HJP
Published bimonthly by
Hudson Jones Publications, LLC PO Box 10398 Midland, TX 79702 281-602-5400
Michael McQuillan Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals President, DiMatter & Associates, Inc. www.irpt.net
Editor Daron Jones djones@inlandportmagazine.com Director of Advertising Jo Anne Hudson jhudson@inlandportmagazine.com
Jennifer Carpenter American Waterways Operators Sr. Vice President-National Advocacy, AWO www.americanwaterways.com
Keith Garrison National Waterways Conference Executive Director, Arkansas Waterways Commission www.waterways.org www.waterways.dina.org
Entire contents Š2009, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, without written permission of Hudson Jones Publications, LLC, is prohibited. The publisher accepts no responsibility for content of any advertisements solicited and/or printed herein, including any liability arising out of any claims for infringement of any intellectual property rights, patents, trademarks, trade dress and/or copyrights; nor any liability for the text, misrepresentations, false or misleading statements, illustrations, such being the sole responsibility of the advertisers. All advertisers agree to defend, indemnify and hold the publisher harmless from all claims or suits regarding any advertisements. Due to printing and ink variances, the publisher does not guarantee exact color matching. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. Readers’ views are solicited (djones@inlandportmagazine.com). Publisher reserves the right to publish, in whole or in part, any letters or correspondence received. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
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Inland Port
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November/December 2009 • Volume I, Issue I
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Meet the Inland Port Editorial Board
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New Trade Patterns Present Opportunities and Challenges to River Operators
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64 Express Provides Alternative to Truck Freight
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Corps of Engineers Represented at 104th GICA Convention
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Movers & Shakers
Get up close & personal with the industry leaders who help guide IP through safe waters
By Daniel Negron
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Charleston Midstream Transfer Facility Boasts the first Sennebogen 880 in North America By Isidro Reyna
A look at the industry groups that form the backbone of the effort to bring America’s ports to the forefront of the new economy
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20 Kirby’s MV Jeff Montgomery IP PHOTO GALLERY
22 Port of Chicago Going Strong 23 Is Your Port Secure Beneath the Surface? THE MARKETPLACE
A roundup of the leading manufacturers of subsea sonar equipment ideal for underwater port security applications
30 Industry News & Notes 32 The Last Word
Interview with Gary P. LaGrange President and CEO, Port of New Orleans
23 On The Cover Kirby Corporation’s MV Jeff Montgomery is featured in our Photo Gallery on p.20
Inland Port Is Your Port
November/December 2009
secure Beneath the surface?
PROMOTING MARINE HIGHWAYS NEW CRANE FROM SENNEBOGEN PORT OF CHICAGO
Introducing the Inland Port Magazine Editorial Board Welcome to the first issue of Inland Port Magazine, covering all aspects of North America’s inland port and waterway system. IP is entirely written by the leaders of the industry, with editorial features focused specifically on topics most important to port authorities, terminal operators, commodity shippers, government agencies, and businesses associated with the inland waterways. IP promotes North America’s ports and waterways as the most efficient, cost-effective, green, and safe manner of transporting goods available. In an effort to be the most comprehensive and authoritative voice for the industry in print, we present our Editorial Board, made up of key representatives from a broad spectrum of organizations.
Michael Gerhardt Dredging Contractors of America
Keith Garrison National Waterways Conference
Andrew Riester Waterways Council
Keith Garrison has been executive director of the Arkansas Waterways Commission since 2002. The commission is the state agency responsible for developing, promoting, and protecting the navigable waterways of Arkansas for waterborne transportation. The commission’s seven members are appointed by the governor. Garrison maintains relationships with the Corps of Engineers, the Arkansas congressional delegation, the state legislature, state river and port associations, other state agencies and private organizations with interests in the state’s navigable river basins, the Arkansas, Mississippi, White, Ouachita and Red rivers. He is a past board member of the National Waterways Conference. A graduate of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, Garrison is an Air Force veteran, having served with the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service in Thailand 1971-1972 and several stateside assignments. He served for 23 years with Farm Bureaus in Texas and Arkansas, retiring from his position as Director of Public Relations in 2001. Early in his career in Texas he was a TV news reporter in Dallas and Wichita Falls, and owner of radio station KPDN in Pampa, Texas. As part of his public relations duties with Farm Bureau, Keith was a lobbyist both in Texas and Arkansas. He resides in Little Rock with his wife Janet. 4
Michael Gerhardt is the Assistant Executive Director for the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA), the national non-profit trade association for the dredging and marine construction industries whose roots go back more than 60 years and whose mission is to improve the quality and responsiveness of dredging service delivery to the Nation, ensuring that America’s ports, waterways, wetlands and beaches are efficiently constructed and maintained in an environmentally sustainable manner using innovative methods and American ingenuity. The DCA pursues its mission by representing industry on key issues before Congress and actively partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public port authorities, state and local governments, as well as allied construction and maritime organizations. Please visit www. dredgingcontractors.org to learn more. As a member of the team since 2003, Michael handles all small business and safety and health policy matters for the association, provides liaison to the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety, and participates on Restore America’s Estuaries National Conference Steering Committee. He prepares and authors the DCA Annual Report entitled “Analysis of Dredging Contracts Awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers” and coordinates with the Corps and industry on quality control management of dredging statistics. He is responsible for member recruitment, marketing, event planning, budget development and financial management, website services, management of special projects, and acting as spokesman for the association at regional and national functions. Michael graduated with honors from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and currently lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Simona, and daughter, Sofia.
Andrew Riester serves as vice president of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), the national public policy organization that advocates for a modern, well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways. Founded in 2003, Waterways Council is comprised of both shippers and carriers on the United States’ shallow-draft navigation system, as well as shallow- and deepdraft ports, state governments, labor organizations, and companies that provide a wide range of waterways services. As vice president, Mr. Riester’s responsibilities include a wide range of management, policy and communications roles, including the development of the annual Waterways Symposium and serving as associate editor of the Council’s Capitol Currents newsletter. Before becoming the Council’s second full-time employee in January 2004, Mr. Riester worked for the National Waterways Conference, which promotes greater understanding of the widespread public benefits of the American waterways system, serving first as communications manager and later as executive vice president. Earlier in his career, he worked for the American Public Power Association, which represents the nation’s 2,000 municipally owned electric utilities. Mr. Riester earned his Master of Science in Transportation Policy, Operations and Logistics at George Mason University, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from American University.
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November/December 2009
Michael McQuillan Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals Mike McQuillan is President of DiMatter & Associates, Inc. and is responsible for all services for this maritime and material handling business consultant. His expertise in providing custom business solutions, strategy development and change agent activity is garnered from a business career spanning over 30 years in private industry. The company supports projects in all business disciplines, including; management, operations, marketing and finance. DiMatter’s clients include public port authorities and private sector businesses. His professional resume includes employment with large national and international firms such as; SeaLand Service, Seatrain Lines, Valero Energy, Ryan-Walsh Stevedoring and Osprey Line. He is a Director of the Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals and National Waterways Conference, as well as, an active member in the Tennessee River Valley Association, Tenn-Tom Waterway Development Authority and Ports Association of Louisiana. Mike is a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy with a BS in Marine Transportation and has a MBA from the University of Houston–Clear Lake.
Jennifer A. Carpenter American Waterway Operators Jennifer serves as Senior Vice President-National Advocacy for the
American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat, and barge industry. She oversees AWO’s portfolio with the Administration and the federal agencies of government, including the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency, and directs the association’s advocacy work on all regulatory issues. She also oversees AWO’s Congressional advocacy and public affairs programs and ensures coordination between AWO’s advocacy, public affairs, and safety programs. Ms. Carpenter joined AWO in August 1990. She served as Government Affairs Assistant, Manager-Regulatory Issues, Director-Government Affairs, Vice President-Government Affairs, and Senior Vice President-Government Affairs and Policy Analysis before assuming her current position in 2008. From 1994 to 2007, she was a member of the congressionally authorized Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). Ms. Carpenter has also served on the Committee on Inland Water Transportation of the National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board. She has received two Meritorious Public Service Awards and a Public Service Commendation from the US Coast Guard for her contributions to the Towing Safety Advisory Committee and the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership. Ms. Carpenter holds a BS in international relations, law and organization from Georgetown University and an MS in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University. She also pursued graduate studies at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, as a Georgetown University China Studies Fellow. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Ms. Carpenter resides in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, Keith, and children Christopher, Patrick, and Catherine. November/December 2009
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New Trade Patterns Present Opportunities and Challenges to River Operators
The traditional role of the river operator in America is changing. Emerging trends in logistics, technology and cargo movements are creating new opportunities for America’s river ports to integrate themselves into the nation’s logistics system. By C. Daniel Negron
America’s inland rivers and ports are the most efficient and cost-effective means of moving containerized freight.
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n the same way that cargo traffic patterns shifted along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, critical changes are taking place today that will realign the flow of goods throughout the inland region of the United States. Over the next ten years, ports along the country’s vast river system will be challenged to find dynamic ways to perpetuate their competitive advantages in this new environment. Five years from now, in 2014, when the Panama Canal expansion is complete, major shifts in cargo movements are expected throughout the Eastern and Midwestern regions of the country. One study, “United States Port, Airport and Global Infrastructure Report Summer 2009,” by Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage, suggests that if typical vessel sizes through the Canal were to increase to 6,400 TEUs, most destinations east of the Mississippi would essentially fall out of the West Coast’s cargo throughput area. The study further suggests that if ships were to increase to 8,000 TEUs, the margin of cost for imported cargo would shift movements further across the Missouri. At 13,000 TEUs, West Coast ports could be excluded from Midwest distribution markets altogether. As much as 25% of the US West Coast cargo-base could be shifted to the East and Gulf Coast ports over the next 10 years. In spite of the poor economic news that has been reported over the past year, the November/December 2009
severity of the global economic decline has begun to subside, and some leading indicators are actually pointing toward signs of recovery. Although full industrial production has not yet been restored, projections into the future look promising. Freight forwarding through US ports is projected to increase by more than 50% by 2020, while international container traffic is expected to more than double. In the years ahead, as demand for imported goods
increases, the significance of the inland river system is expected to grow as well. Projections such as these have contributed to an escalating competition among ports along the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States to handle the increase in cargo movements that is being projected. Demand for rail services may exceed the available capacity, and intermodal costs are expected to increase, while all-water costs are actually expected to decline. As a consequence, cargo volumes along the river system are expected to rise, thereby creating significant opportunities for inland ports situated in the eastern half of the country. Many of the nation’s manufacturers and development companies are recognizing the opportunities that this expected change in cargo movement presents. Logistics operators are increasingly providing integrated transportation services through regional intermodal centers, with some facilities networked to, and sited around, a number of inland ports. As the US intermodal system increases its reliance on the river system, river ports will be challenged to assume a position as November/December 2009
place to address these perils. Insurers will be tasked with devising programs to protect a host of interrelated risks arising from the use of multiple service providers that handle, store and transport goods from the dock through their entire course of transit. In an industry that relies on a standard mix of insurance policies that provide off-the-shelf coverage, this can be a hazardous task. Reliance on a patchwork of insurance policies, in which each policy covers its own isolated risks, can result in significant gaps or A docked paddle wheeler overlaps in cover. Because each operator faces his own unique risks, he must have a seamless cover designed to meet his own specific requirements. For over 40 years, TT Club has partnered with the transportation industry to develop insurance products specifically designed to meet the industry’s needs. The Club’s port and logistics professionals understand the transportation business environment, and they offer an innovative insurance program specifically designed to protect the cargo handling and logistics professions at a stable cost. Because TT Club is a Mutual insurer, it provides its program on a not-for-profit around North America. All this will give rise basis. This means that the premiums it colto the need for the expansion and retooling lects are used solely for claims and adminisof existing facilities and an expansion into tration expenses. the logistics services needed to accommoWorking with insurance brokers from date this traffic. Among the challenges facing river opera- around the country, and employing a staff having work experience in fields such as tions will be the need for effective risk management and loss prevention programs. Risk supply chain logistics, public port institutions, international trade and integrated managers will need to understand the perils facilities management, TT Club is well posifacing cargo handling facilities and the trantioned to provide the specialized insurance sitory nature of supply chain operations. and advisory services that operators in the As an operator increases the services complex field of cargo handling and transit he provides, his chance of encountering an unwanted incident will also rise. require. IP Cargo liabilities arising from multiple C. Daniel Negron is an attorney with transportation modes are the obvious more than 20 years of starting point. However, risks that include experience in the transbreach of transportation regulations, transportation industry. portation related injuries, bulk cargo polHe is Vice President of lution, contractual risk transfer, security Thomas Miller & Co., and terrorism, and liabilities arising from the managers of TT the acts of sub-contractors, are among the Club Mutual Insurance many perils that must also be considered in Limited, a speciala program that effectively manages his expo- ist insurer to ports, sures. He will need to ensure that he has terminal and logistics adequately trained employees, emergency operators. Email him plans, service agreements and IT systems in at daniel.negron@thomasmiller.com. part of a fully integrated logistics system. But this vision presents its challenges. The availability of an affordable multimodal nexus will be a key need for these locations to grow. Those inland ports positioned close to rail and road corridors are likely to succeed. Those who position themselves as intermodal logistics parks will grow, as supply chains become more complex. This has the potential to transform inland regions into distribution centers
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The James River Barge Line, aka 64 Express, takes containers off the highway and ships them upriver to Richmond, Virginia.
64 Express Provides Alternative to Truck Freight 8
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he James River Barge Line, known as the 64 Express, has started a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly, congestion-relieving, and reliable alternative to all truck freight shipments to and from Hampton Roads. The barge service is – for all intents and purposes – a trucker on the water and provides seamless container service with competitive rates connecting The Port of Virginia and The Port of Richmond. The 64 Express allows direct and convenient access to shipping lines calling Portsmouth Marine Terminal and Norfolk International Terminals. The container barge extends the waterways of The Port of Virginia 100 miles west. James River Barge Line initiated tug/barge container service on December 1, 2008 with weekly calls between the Richmond and the Hampton Roads. Importers and Exporters across central Virginia may now leapfrog congested roadways around Hampton Roads via this competitive, environmentally friendly service. The 64 Express sails Sunday at 1400 each week from PMT and 1700 from NIT for Richmond. Cargo is available in Richmond at 1000 on Monday. November/December 2009
Door delivery cargo may be seamlessly dispatched by James River Barge Line operations staff. Eastbound, the barge sails at 1500 each Monday and cargo makes a Tuesday 1200 cutoff at NIT and PMT. Barge/truck rates are comparable to all truck moves throughout Virginia, southern Maryland and northern North Carolina. The Port of Richmond is Central Virginia’s domestic and international multimodal freight and distribution gateway on the James River serving waterborne, rail, and truck shippers throughout Mid-Atlantic States. The tugboats used in the operation of the barge service burn ultra low sulfur fuel in IMO compliant extremely efficient and environmentally friendly state of art Caterpillar equipped tugs. In addition to reducing congestion on the roads, this service will reduce hydrocarbons and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions, which combine to produce ground level ozone, which is linked to increased hospital admissions for respiratory problems such as asthma, even at relatively low levels. Ground level ozone is the “trigger” for violations of the regional air quality standards established for the region by the Environmental Protection Agency. Every container moved via barge reduces diesel fuel consumed by some 31 gallons. Once the line develops to three times weekly service, the 64 Express via our truck/barge partnerships will reduce the fuel required to move our international cargo by over 500,000 gallons when compared to the all truck alternative. The Virginian-Pilot newspaper predicted in 2005 that there will be a critical shortage of commercial truck drivers Nationwide. In 2005 there was a 20,000 driver shortage in with a forecasted shortfall of 111,000 drivers by 2014. Additionally, the truck fleet is oldest it has been since 1992, and as road traffic increases, our local industry’s efficiency and reliability is reduced. These factors contribute to rising truck rates per TEU. The 64 Express barge is competitive with current all truck rates, and the service is in partnership with the local trucking community. The plan does not displace truckers – it simply moves them away from congested areas. James River Barge Line works hand in hand with the trucking community to improve their efficiency by allowing them the opportunity to turn trucks away from congested bridges and tunnels. The 64 Express is owned and operated by James River Barge Line, LLC., a Norfolk Tug Company holding. November/December 2009
(L-R) Port of Richmond Executive Director David McNeel; James River Barge Line President Ed Whitmore; K Lines America Assistant Vice President Butch Crane; International and Compliance Logistician, Altria, John Kline; and Port of Richmond Commissioner John Smith.
Norfolk Tug Company operates eight tugs working along the Gulf and East Coasts, with seven model bow boats and one bay capable push boat. The vessels range in power from 900BHP to 2600BHP and measure between 60’ and 115’ in length. All have towing machinery and each of the model bows are capable of near coastal work. IP This article is reprinted by permission from the March-April 2009 issue of Virginia Maritimer.
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Charleston Midstream Transfer Facility Boasts the first Sennebogen 880 in North America
This massive 160-ton machine moves quickly and smoothly.
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At the end of the day, Big Jack lowers a skid steer to clean up the corners.
he first Sennebogen 880 sold in North America has been named “Big Jack” in honor of the late Jack Maybank, Sr. (1942-2007), the Charleston trade and shipping entrepreneur who played an instrumental role in bringing the 880 to his company’s Charleston Bulk Transfer Pier. The massive 310,000 lb. Sennebogen 880 with its unique elevating cab is thought to be one the largest hydraulically-operated material handling machines of its kind in North America and has been in service at the Charleston operations since October 2007. “Taking on the Charleston Bulk Transfer (CBT) project that necessitated the purchase of the 880 was a big leap for Maybank Industries,” according to Turner Fabian, Vice President of Operation and son-in-law of Jack Maybank, Sr. Fabian, along with his father-in-law and Jack Maybank Jr., brought the project to fruition. Maybank, Sr. was given some Sennebogen literature in the early planning stages of the project and the partnership between the two companies took shape. scary fast “Everything Sennebogen promised the 880 could do, it does – and more,” said Fabian. “Its productivity is limitless. It’s fast, it’s smooth. It’s scary fast.” So fast in fact that the facility had to have the 880 dialed back a bit since it was running faster than they were used to with their Sennebogen 870. After high-grade coal from Columbia and Venezuela is discharged from the ocean ships, it is moved by barge
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November/December 2009
10 miles upriver to the Charleston Bulk Transfer Pier. Once there, it is discharged onto a conveyor system using the Sennebogen 880. “’Big Jack’ is equipped with a 12-yard bucket to discharge the coal from the barges to a 22.5-foot-high hopper with a diameter of 21 ft., a pretty small target for a bucket that opens to 15 ft.,” says Fabian. The 880 completes a cycle every 23 seconds. “We could go much faster if we were just going into a pile, but there is no allowance for spillage,” according to Fabian. The pier and 880 were designed and built to work together for maximum efficiency and productivity. The roomy hydraulic elevating cab with its excellent allround visibility, unique to Sennebogen machines of this size, is key and an important part of safety on the site. “Having a bird’s eye view with the elevating cab lets us get our bearings on the hopper. The Sennebogen 880 and pier are a perfect fit,” says Fabian. Development of the Charleston Bulk Transfer Project The Charleston Midstream Transfer Facility is a cutting edge midstream terminal located on the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina. The terminal specializes in the movement of dry bulk and breakbulk cargoes for those shippers and receivers that have special needs for the shipping and delivery of their commodities. With their wealth of experience in shipping and operations, the CBT brain trust knew they would have to purchase reliable heavy-duty high-capacity material handling machinery to transfer an estimated average of 10,000 tons of coal a day when a ship came into port. After a trial run using a converted excavator proved to be unsatisfactory, Maybank, Sr. turned to Sennebogen for suggestions. He was already aware of the company, having literally watched the machines moving by his office window on their way up river to delivery to future homes. Enter Briggs Construction Equipment, a Sennebogen dealer with offices in Charleston. Stuart Kay, the local Briggs Sales Representative in Charleston recognized Maybank’s needs. “A digging machine was not what they needed. Sennebogen machines November/December 2009
size of the 880. “It is not just a notch bigger than the 870; it is more than twice its size,” he exclaims. Setup of the 880 took two and a half days. Another three and a half days were needed for fineThe height on the Sennebogen 880, tuning. Once setup combined with a 12-yard bucket was complete, the that opens 15 feet, allows the 880 went into seroperators to quickly move it into place over a 21-foot hopper. vice immediately, replacing the 870 they had been using since June 2007. The folks at CBT couldn’t be happier. “I like the work the Briggs technicians do – they work 24/7. Staying productive with the machine simplifies my life. Sennebogen has trusted Briggs and so do we – the Sennebogen 880 is unstoppable,” said an appreciative Fabian. “Having the Sennebogen lets me sleep. I’m an operations the project would be wholly dependent guy; it’s my job to worry. It makes me feel on the one machine, accessible parts and good when a ship comes in. This is somereliable service were major requirements. Briggs showed Maybank some smaller Sen- thing the Sennebogen family can be proud of too,” says Turner. nebogen 850 and 870 machines at work, but after reviewing the project description, Jack Maybank, Sr.: Entrepreneur both dealer and purchaser realized that a and Innovator bigger machine was needed. Although it And what of the late Jack Maybank, Sr., was still on the drawing board at the time, the man who spearheaded the Charleston Briggs convinced the Maybank people that Bulk Transfer project and after whom the an 880 would fit the bill. CBT 880 is named? “We know this is what you need,” Kay “’Big Jack’ was a true entrepreneur. recalls telling the Maybank people. “That He loved life, loved work and he was an and a promise of reliable service and availinnovator in the industry. Of the unproven ability of parts made the 880 an attractive 880, he said if the 850s and 870s work, proposal.” this will work. This project was all his – we In-depth meetings between Jack Mayjust helped him put it together in the backbank Jr. and Helen Maybank, and Erich ground,” say Jack Jr. and Fabian. Sennebogen, Managing Director of SenIndeed, just like Sennebogen, the career nebogen GmbH and Constantino Lannes, of Jack Maybank, Sr. was one of leading President of Sennebogen America, took through innovation. place in Germany, and the deal began to Sennebogen has been a leading name take shape. in the global material handling industry Discussions revolved around both diesel-powered and an electrically powered for more than 50 years. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sennebogen America machine. Because Jack Maybank, Sr. was offers a complete range of purpose-built an innovator and someone who liked to do machines to suit virtually any heavy lift or things differently, he was initially intrigued “pick and carry” application. A growing by the idea of an electrically-driven 880, network of distributors supports Senneboa unique Sennebogen feature, but settled gen sales and service across the Americas, on a diesel-driven machine. Confident that the 880 would be of the same quality as the ensuring the highest standard of professional machine support and parts availsmaller machines they had seen in action, ability. IP CBT placed its order in September 2006 and delivery followed in October 2007. For more information visit them online Turner Fabian jokes about the massive at www.sennebogen-na.com are made for lifting, not digging,” says Kay “This is what these machines do,” he recalls telling the Maybank people. The project’s needs dictated what size of machine would be required, and since
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Corps of Engineers Represented at 104th GICA Convention By Isidro Reyna
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included rehabilitation of the placement he US Army Corps of Engineers areas on Bolivar Peninsula, the ongoing (USACE) Galveston District particigate rehabilitation at the Colorado River pated in the 104th annual convenLocks and the opening of the mouth of the tion of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal AssociaSan Bernard River under the Corps’ existtion (GICA) August 12-14 in New Orleans. USACE district senior leaders and members of the Operations Division took part in multiple informative sessions and programs targeting key issues of importance to the barge industry, including a briefing by Adm. Mary Landry, commander of the US Coast Guard Eighth District. “The Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association was the originating force behind building the Intracoastal Waterway,” said Raymond Butler, GICA executive director. “It started in Victoria, Texas, in 1905 and it worked to build coalitions in Congress and with local governments all along the Gulf Coast to build and fund the waterway until its completion in 1949.” “Since 1949, the GICA has taken the role of making sure that the waterway stays effective, effi cient and maintained for barge transportation and all the beneficiaries,” USACE District commander ,Col. David C. Weston, addresses attendees at the said Butler. “This convention is 104th GICA convention in New Orleans. important because each year we try to target issues of importance ing authorities to improve navigation safety to the industry, to the waterway and to the at the Brazos River Flood Gates. regional economy of the Gulf Coast and the “The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is vital country.” not only to the states that the waters fl ow Galveston District commander, Colonel through, but also to the interconnectivity David C. Weston, spoke to more than 300 of the inland waterway system, which is attendees at the convention, briefing them paramount to the nation’s economy and on district achievements and upcoming the nation’s security.” projects and studies. GICA attendees also heard presenta“The tonnage on the Intracoastal tions by the commanders of the New Waterway would equal the fourth largest Orleans and Mobile districts. port in the nation if it was compared to “The close partnership we’ve developed ports,” said Weston. “It’s not compared to with the US Coast Guard and the Corps of ports, but that just gives you an idea of the Engineers are critical to fulfilling our mismagnitude of the amount of industry that sion in making the waterway efficient and moves along this waterway.” safe,” said Butler. “We’ve worked feverishly Achievements Weston spoke of 12
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to foster those partnerships.” “The Galveston District is particularly important to us because of the amount of commerce that takes place in the state of Texas on the Intracoastal Waterway. It is by far the most important, most influential and most in need of attention,” said Butler. “The waterway in Texas needs dredging and it needs maintenance; placement area maintenance, mooring buoys, the navigational issues of keeping the waterways going are far more intense in Texas than probably any other state. We work very closely probably more so with Galveston than with any other district.” Weston encouraged attendees to communicate openly with the Corps when working on feasible solutions and projects that will benefi t the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. He cited the new buoy design that will be purchased by the Galveston District as an opportunity where the Corps learned from the barge industry. Butler thanked Weston for the Galveston District’s partnership and willingness to be open to talking about issues regarding the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. “In the last ten years that I’ve had this job, each convention has been a little bit better than the last and that includes this one,” said Butler. “It’s by far the most well-attended convention we’ve had; programs were on target, we heard from the Coast Guard about the hurricane issues, the Corps’ Galveston, New Orleans and Mobile districts about critical issues from hurricanes to funding, to dealing with waterway trust fund issues… It’s been a super success.” IP For more about the US Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, visit www. swg.usace.army.mil. Visit www.gicaonline.com for more information on the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association. November/December 2009
Movers & Shakers
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
A look at the industry groups that form the backbone of the effort to bring America’s ports and waterways to the forefront of the new economy
National Waterways Conference
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red Caver, the incoming chairman of National Waterways Conference, issued a heads-up at the group’s annual meeting in Charleston, West Virginia in September: “Changes discussed at this meeting are the most significant in 40 years.” Caver should know, having retired as a career US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) executive who now operates his own consulting firm. He was referring to both the quantity and impact of new federal water initiatives, including flood control, environmental regulations, and even the way the USACE does its civil works business. Caver cited the National Waterways Conference, established in 1960, as the only broad-based water organization with the capacity to monitor and influence the wide array of water laws and regulations being proposed or now coming to fruition. Presentations by more than 20 speakers at the annual meeting both affirmed and forecast a sea change in the federal approach to water issues, from water quality and the environment to the Corps of Engineers’ civil works agenda. Heralding impending changes, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, referred frequently to environmental aspects of water regulation. Should one be tempted to cast Darcy’s remarks as administration rhetoric, it should be noted that the White House’s Office of Environmental Quality has now taken over form the Corps of Engineers the revision of its own Principles and Guidelines. Susan Gieger, a partner in maritime law firm K&L Gates, sounded an ominous note that new Vessel General Permit regulations are merely a “skeleton” of what could come, now that the Environmental Protection Agency has taken over VGP enforcement from the Coast Guard. She warned that the cost of compliance to new ballast water regs alone might be enough to sink smaller firms. Topics at the NWC meeting were not limited to domestic matters, as attendees were introduced to PIANC, the international forum for port and waterway organizations headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. PIANC’s November/December 2009
Attendees enjoy a presentation by Steven Stockton, USACE Director of Civil Works, and Gary Loew, USACE Director, Programs Integration Division, Civil Works Directorate, at the NWC meeting in Charleston, West Virginia.
(L-R) West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, III; Amy Larson, President of NWC; and Sykes Sturdivant, NWC Vice-Chairman.
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Movers & Shakers
purpose is to foster knowledge of worldwide trends such as the striking contrast between Europe and the US in the determination of cost-benefit ratio. Unlike the US Office of Management and Budget, the Europeans look at a holistic picture of waterways development, embracing socioeconomic benefits which can produce cost-benefit ratios of 200 to 1. The US OMB tends to acknowledge only tonnage, thus excluding proven ancillary and future benefits of civil works projects. With a diverse membership grappling with unprecedented change in federal regulatory policies, the NWC has its work cut out for it. Many of those members will attend the NWC’s spring Legislative Summit in Washington, DC, March 8-10, 2010, in preparation for visits to capitol hill and the offices of their congressional delegates. NWC reflects the full spectrum of water resources stakeholders, including shippers and carriers, industry and regional associations, port authorities, shipyards, dredging contractors, flood control associations, levee boards, engineering consultants, and state and local governments. The NWC’s mission is, “To effect common-sense policies and programs, recognizing the public value of our nation’s waterway system and its contribution to public safety, a competitive economy, security, environmental quality and energy conservation.” The organization’s home office is located in the Washington DC area. NWC’s President and CEO is Amy Larson, formerly General Counsel of the Federal Maritime Commission. She is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland bars; the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association; the Propeller Club of the United States; and the Maritime Law Association. IP Visit waterways.org for more.
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ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
(L-R) Don Waldon, Dawson and Associates; Patrick Donavan, W. Va. Public Port Authority; W. Va. Governor Joe Manchin, III; and Mike Tagert, Tenn-Tom Waterway.
(L-R) Patrick Donavan, W. Va. Public Port Authority; Amy Larson, NWC President; and Dabney Hegg, senior staff member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security.
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November/December 2009
Movers & Shakers
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals
I
RPT is an active trade association servicing and representing the intermodal transportation industry. Since its founding in 1974, IRPT has been at the forefront of promoting the benefits of inland shipping in the United States. Even for those who have experience with inland rivers, ports and terminals, it is important to look from the present into the future by starting at some point in the past. The key word from that past is landings. In the youthful United States of America, truly a land of streams and canals, before railroads and all-weather highways, there were thousands of landings. Each was a model of simplicity, each established at almost no landside cost, and above all each located so a wagon could be maneuvered for loading or unloading. The steamboats, particularly on the smaller rivers, demanded only about two feet of water and each carried a landing stage which could reach to dry land at any reasonable variable of stream stage. Above all, every conceivable item, from needles upward, crossed the landings to service a consumer market within about a day’s trip from or to the landing by horse or wagon. As railcars, trucks, interstate pipelines, electrical transmission lines and many other forms of efficient land transport developed, the all-purposes nature of land transportation on roadways paved with water became predominant only in the field of bulk commodities in units no smaller than 1,000 to 1,500 tons. Each fully loaded barge has, since the WWI era, required a safe water depth of at least nine feet. As a result, the simple landing became a costly wharf with an intermodal transportation terminal for handling, storage, and transfer. The large size of the standard barge unit dictated that those complexes be located at widely spaced intervals, each associated with mass distribution, accumulation, or production. Successful inland river ports now are few and far between in contrast to the earlier historically successful landings. History also indicates that inland waterways ports and terminals industry has been a dynamic and constantly changing one. The IRPT entered that historic stream in the mid-1970s. The Birth of IRPT A few days before Christmas 1973, Milton Barschdorf, Port Director of the Greenville, Mississippi Port, took personal action which resulted in the birth of the Inland November/December 2009
Rivers, Ports and Terminals, Incorporated, on May 29, 1974, at St. Louis, Missouri. The reason for its formation was the inauguration of the first generation of deepdraft ships carrying special barges which could transport their freight directly to and from inland ports without transloading. The applicable special export/import
realizations of the importance of the inland river port and terminal business in today’s internationalizing world of competition. IRPT OBJECTIVES The organization’s bylaws set forth seven objects and purposes. The first is to promote and develop the healthy growth of
IRPT develops a consensus on each specific objective, then contacts appropriate agencies and officials with defined analyses and recommendations until a final solution is reached.
regulated rate structure adversely effected, directly, the inland rivers transportation industry and, indirectly, the inland rivers, ports and terminals industry. Concerted professionally oriented action through the IRPT, its newly formed trade association, produced the desired beneficial changes. One year after its inaugural meeting, the IRPT published Membership Letter No. 1. It noted that the IRPT had already been recognized as the industry spokesman for inland rivers, ports and terminals by the Waterways Journal, Traffic World, Journal of Commerce, and other publications. It also reported on contacts with key officials in Washington regarding 14 bills from the legislative mill before Congress. Naturally, it also included a plug for new members. Today, the News Bulletin is published quarterly, with the additional publication of timely News Flashes. Those successes generated confidences which, in turn, cleared the pathway to additional accomplishments. Its growing membership created ever broadening internal organizational and individual www.inlandportmagazine.com
inland rivers, ports and terminals through the exchange of information and coordinated action in all matter affecting their common interests. Inland ports and terminals bring together highway, railway, and pipeline modes of transportation at a location which must conform to a specialized fourth form of transportation, specifically inland waterways transportation. Such a complex usually includes separate indirectly related commercial, industrial, and local government (example - a fire station) activities. Often it takes only one or two very large industries at the port site for that segment alone to constitute a dominating economic factor for the local community. The total port site combination has unusually significant beneficial community-wide economic impacts in direct dollars, indirect dollars, jobs, and added tax base. Accordingly, an inland port or a separate terminal is a complex transportation/ industrial facility requiring a wide variety of operational skills and experience to meet the needs in today’s world. 15
Movers & Shakers
The IRPT, through its meetings, seminars, caucuses, newsletters, and other forms of communications, develops a consensus on each specific and timely element of this objective, contacts appropriate agencies and officials with defined analyses and recommendations, and continues until a final solution is at hand. The wide, broad, and deep range of industry experience represented by its membership and their willingness to participate are major factors. IRPT also seeks to promote and develop improved services to shippers, and aid in the development of a more efficient intermodal transportation system. Barge transportation remains the low-
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
est cost mode (omitting the highly specialized pipeline one) per ton-mile and it will remain so for bulk specialized commodities deep within its efficiency sphere as well as some near the boundary of that sphere. In order for the industry to protect and increase its market share, it is constantly necessary to increase the efficiency and thereby decrease the business costs of materials handling between all transportation modes and particularly the “last mile� before loading into a barge and after unloading. For some commodities, the cost of intermodal transfers from or to the wet mode exceeds the cost of hundreds of miles of transportation by barge.
A SIMPLE WORD: BOTH Such an approach requires liberal use of the simple and easily understood word both; that is, the coldly analytical and calculative approach on the one hand and the broadly argumentative one on the other. Both proponents must recognize that there always is some finite limit to the water-use resource available and that they must share it. Therefore, every written and graphic evaluation must tabulate the magnitude of the entire water-use resource available before either is permitted to stake claims. Both must, within that quantitative structure, produce and present for public understanding similar but easily understood data and information. It is in this segment of public argument that the inland ports and terminals industry and their supporting professionals (consulting engineers, land surveyors, hydrologist, geologists, etc.) demonstrate a basic communicative deficiency. On the one hand, the land-use planners and their supporting professionals present attractive graphics illustrating topography, present usages, future usages, artistic renderings, and any such factors. But, they invariably show the water’s edge in totally incorrect and factually incomplete terms and further, they stop short of any understanding or portrayal of the appropriate hydrological factors, hydrographic survey facts, water stages, effects of the land-use plans on water quality, water safety, velocities, quantity of drift, and such. IRPT MEMBERSHIP The IRPT is an active and responsible trade association with objectives and purposes carefully selected and routinely nurtured to serve the needs and interests of its wide range of members. Members and prospective IRPT members include those persons whose activities range from an interest in inland ports and terminals to those whose profession, vocational occupation, elected or appointed office, public or private port management or trade is directly or indirectly derived from the land side activities which link transportation by inland waterways to other transportation modes. Those land-side activities include, in addition to other modes, industries at a port or ones which link to a port area, water oriented passenger and tourist industries, connective services such as branch banks or service stations, insurers, planners, engineers, architects, economic and industrial developers, real estate developers, state transportation agencies, and many others. IP Visit www.irpt.net for more.
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November/December 2009
Movers & Shakers
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
Dredging Contractors of America
T
he Dredging Contractors of America, formerly the National Association of Dredging Contractors (NADC), is a non-profit trade association that has represented the interests of the US dredging industry and its members for over twenty-six years. The present membership includes eleven large dredging companies, fifteen small companies, and five associate members that operate on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, the Great Lakes, the inland rivers, and in Hawaii and Alaska. The US Army Corps of Engineers is the Federal agency responsible for the majority of dredging activities in the United States, controlling the permitting process for all projects, as well as planning and design, feasibility analysis, policy, funding and contract administration. The Corps is the industry’s primary customer. Its actions determine the scope, shape and health of the US dredging industry. Changes in the Corps’ water resources policy, environ-mental restrictions, procurement pro-cedures, funding and legislation impact the viability and profitability of US dredging contractors. Proactive planning is required to assure that the industry is able to meet all the Corps’ dredging needs but also to counteract actions or trends that would have a negative effect on the market. The Corps’ contracting policy affords equal opportunity and equal access to information for all contractors. Accordingly, it is difficult for individual contractors to bring policy issues of importance to the Corps in a way that can affect change. The DCA’s chief role, therefore, is to be the instrument by which dredging contractors may have an effective dialogue with their major client. The resulting collective voice provides weight to the issues that affect the industry in general and helps to affect changes that would simply be impossible for individual companies to achieve. The DCA has been at the forefront of efforts that include establishment of formal partnering at the highest levels of the Corps and other government entities on issues such as over-depth dredging, emergency response, funding, contractual policy issues, project estimating, and the environment. The DCA has earned the respect of the Corps and other maritime groups for its ability to bring a broad base of industry decision-makers to the table for open and frank discussions of policy issues imporNovember/December 2009
tant to all stakeholders. The DCA is a member of several organizations and works hand-in-hand with such groups as the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), the Maritime Cabotage Task Force (MCTF), the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the National Waterways Conference (NWC), and the Water Resources Coalition (WRC). The DCA assists in lobbying Congress
on industry issues, the most important of which is authorization and funding for projects. In summary, DCA provides a full range of services to its members to improve dredging quality and ensure that US ports, waterways, wetlands, beaches and barrier islands are efficiently constructed and maintained for the needs of today and the expectations of tomorrow. IP Visit www.dredgingcontractors.org for more information.
Dredging Contractors of America The national non-profit trade association for the dredging industry, the Dredging Contractors of America provides a full range of association services to member companies and represents the industry on key issues before the US Congress. DCA is an active partner with the US Army Corps of Engineers, public port authorities, state and local governments, and construction and maritime organizations.
Our Mission is to improve the quality and responsiveness of dredging service delivery to the Nation, ensuring that America’s ports, waterways, wetlands and beaches are efficiently constructed and maintained in an environmentally sustainable manner using innovative methods and American ingenuity.
www.dredgingcontractors.org www.inlandportmagazine.com
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Movers & Shakers
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
Waterways Council
W
aterways Council, Inc. (WCI) is a national public policy organization advocating a modern and well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways. Their members include shippers and receivers of bulk commodities, waterways carriers, ports, shipping associations, waterways advocacy groups from all regions of the country, and environmental and conservation groups, totaling nearly 250. WCI has accomplished great things since its inception in December 2003. For example, Waterways Council remains the leader in calling for and securing optimum funding for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund-financed projects on America’s navigable waterways.In FY 2009, WCI secured $276 million for projects. In FY 2010 the President’s Budget called for only $144 million for Trust Fund-financed construction projects, but the Stimulus Bill signed by the President in February 2009 included $403 million to be spread across 2009 and 2010 funding. However, past budget requests have cut funding for the Corps and the FY 2010 request includes a lockage fee proposal, to which the industry remains strongly opposed. That proposal unduly denies the systemic aspect of our inland waterways; would double taxes collected for shipping on our Waterways over the next five years; triple the tax beyond
five years; and by some accounts could ultimately reduce the dollars available for infrastructure investment. WCI has decried that proposal, instead urging that an industry-government partnership process currently underway be allowed to proceed to determine a better way to fully fund navigation projects and the Trust Fund well into the future. A successful, timely, and thoughtful WCIsponsored Fall 2009 waterways symposium was held in October in New Orleans and gathered participants from industry, the Corps of Engineers, the government, economist and business communities to discuss critical waterways issues that affect our Nation and our world. The next symposium will be held October 4-6, 2010 in St. Paul. At its Annual Meeting held October 12, 2009 in New Orleans, the Board of Directors of Waterways Council, Inc. elected or re-elected the following officers and Executive Committee members for 2009-2010: Rick Calhoun, Cargo Carriers, Chairman; Cornel Martin, President & CEO; Merritt Lane, Canal Barge Line, Vice Chairman; Rodney Weinzierl, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Vice Chairman; Matt Woodruff, Kirby Corporation, Counsel; Peter Stephaich, Campbell Transportation, Secretary; and Cherrie Felder, Channel Shipyard, Treasurer.
In February 2009, during WCI’s Spring Board meeting and “fly-in,” they scheduled and executed more than 85 meetings with Congressional members and staff in their offices on Capitol Hill. WCI will do the same February 22-24, 2010. Waterways Council remains active in the National Waterways Foundation, which develops the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system. In 2008, the Foundation, along with the US Maritime Administration, released a study by the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M study titled, “A Modal Comparison of Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public.” Part of the study focused on the smaller Carbon Footprint of moving commerce by water versus truck and rail. The study can be found on WCI’s website or at nationalwaterwaysfoundation.org. These are among the very positive developments and activities WCI has undertaken on behalf of industry just in the last year alone. With your support and involvement, we could accomplish much more. Strength does come in numbers and with your help, WCI can improve our nation’s greatest natural resource, our inland waterways system. IP Visit waterwayscouncil.org for more.
BARGES: The Greener Way to Go Inland barges produce less carbon dioxide while moving America’s important cargoes.
Inland barge transportation produces far fewer emissions of carbon dioxide for each ton of cargo moved. Transport by rail emits 39% more CO2, and by truck emits 371% more CO2 compared to barges, according to a recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute.
Waterways Council, Inc. 801 N. Quincy St., Suite 200 | Arlington, Virginia 22203 703-373-2261 | www.waterwayscouncil.org 18
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November/December 2009
Movers & Shakers
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT
American Waterways Operators
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he American Waterways Operators (AWO) is the national advocate for the US tugboat, towboat and barge industry, which serves the nation as the safest, most environmentally-friendly, and most economical mode of freight transportation. Organized in Washington, DC, in 1944, AWO has over 300 member companies that serve the diverse needs of US shippers and consumers. AWO represents the people who own and operate the tugboats, towboats and barges serving the rivers, coasts, Great Lakes and harbors of the United States. AWO promotes the industry’s value to the nation as a driver of the US economy with a positive impact on the American quality of life, moving vital commodities safely, providing familywage jobs, reducing air and water pollution, relieving highway congestion, and protecting homeland security. The goals of AWO are to promote positive public awareness of the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, to lead and support AWO members in continuously improving safety, security and environmental stewardship, and to promote the tugboat, towboat and barge industry with Congress and the Administration and advocate for legislation, regulation and government policies that benefit the industry. AWO also works to influence priority state and federally-proposed regional initiatives that broadly affect industry interests. The AWO membership is actively engaged on public policy issues. AWO members have a common set of values. They operate their companies and vessels in an ethical manner. They care for their employees and the public by working to improve the safety of their operations and the professionalism of their people. They care for the environment by working to protect and improve the quality of our nation’s air and water. They also supply creative, practical, and economical solutions to their customers’ and the nation’s transportation needs. The tugboat, towboat and barge industry provides enormous value to the nation, moving cargoes vital to the US economy as the safest, most environmentally friendly and most efficient mode of freight transportation. AWO members value member diversity and engage in cooperative endeavors for the betterment of the industry. They work collaboratively with government and other stakeholders to find solutions to issues of safety, security, the environment and freight mobility. AWO members have demonstrated their strong commitment to safety and environmental protection by creating the industry’s own code of safety best practices, the AWO Responsible Carrier Program (RCP). The RCP requires company safety standards that exceed those required by federal law or regulation. All AWO companies must undergo periodic independent audits to prove their November/December 2009
compliance with the program or forfeit their membership in AWO. The program has been lauded by many groups, including the Coast Guard and major shipper organizations. AWO’s Coastal and Interregion Safety Committees bring working safety professionals together to address safety challenges and develop safety tools for the industry, such as sample policies and procedures, training materials and “lessons learned” to prevent accidents and pollution. Since 1995, AWO has had a formal Safety Partnership with the US Coast Guard (USCG), the first of its kind between the Coast Guard and any segment of the maritime industry. Founded on the fact that industry and the USCG share a common interest in ensuring
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high standards of safety and environmental protection, the Partnership is a model of government-industry cooperation. It has tackled the most pressing safety issues and continues to take the lead in developing real solutions to safety and environmental concerns. In order to take industry safety to the next level, AWO urged the USCG to seek legislative authority to establish a new, first-ever inspection program for towing vessels. Since 2004, AWO has worked with the Coast Guard to implement the legislation passed by Congress. This is a historic step for the industry, demonstrating its commitment to safe operations and the protection of people, property and the environment. IP Visit www.americanwaterways.com.
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IP PHOTO GALLERY
Kirby Corporation
Putting America’s Waterways to Work
With headquarters in Houston, Texas, Kirby Corporation is a leading inland tank barge operator, transporting petrochemicals, black oil products, refined products, and agricultural chemicals throughout the Mississippi River System and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Kirby also owns and operates four ocean-going barge and tug units, transporting dry-bulk commodities in United States coastal trade. Here we feature various shots of Kirby’s Jeff Montgomery in action. 20
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November/December 2009
(Above and below) The Captain of Kirby’s Jeff Montgomery, Jason Cheramie, making sure everything is ship-shape.
(Below) Captain Cheramie with tankermen Kenneth Oakley and Willie Doucet.
The M/V Jeff Montgomery was christened on November 17, 2008, in Channelview, Texas, upon delivery from Raymond & Associates (Alabama). The vessel’s namesake, Mr. Jeff Montgomery, served as Chairman of the Board of Kirby Corporation from 1976 until 1982, after sevring as Chairman of the Board of Kirby’s predecessor company, Kirby Industries, from 1973 to 1976 and President from its original founding in 1956 until 1973. Jeff Montgomery was a skilled sailor and could be found most weekends sailing in Galveston Bay. Through his leadership, Kirby made its initial entry into the marine transportation and diesel engine services businesses, and hired Kirby’s current President and Chief Executive Officer, Joe Pyne. Upon his death in November of 1982, the Kirby Board of Directors wrote the following, “Jeff Montgomery was a man of uncommon intellect, rare judgment and the highest degree of ethics.” This vessel is a grand and lasting tribute to the man.
November/December 2009
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Port of Chicago Going Strong
F
ounded at the mouth of a river on Lake Michigan by an 18th century fur trapper named Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, Chicago has a long history as a center of commercial shipping. Fur traders from the upper Midwest used Chicago as the distribution point for their products, as did Midwestern farmers and lumber producers shipping their products east. With the creation of the Illinois and Michigan canal in 1848, creating an unbroken inland waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, shipping in Chicago expanded, even as the emerging railroad industry was eclipsing the era of canals. Port activities remained centered on the Chicago River until well into the 20th Century. In 1909, the City’s Harbor and Waterways Commission offered a plan to construct several piers, leading to the construction of Navy Pier. Four years later, in 1913, the General Assembly passed legislation enabling the City to acquire, develop, and own and operate port facilities within the city limits. THE MODERN AGE The modern history of the Port of Chicago began in 1921, when the State Legislature passed the Lake Calumet Harbor Act authorizing the City to build a deep water port at Lake Calumet. Late that year, the City adopted the Van Vlissingen plan, which remains the Port’s basic framework for commercial shipping and industrial development. Regularly scheduled overseas shipping service was established in 1935 and in 1941 the Chicago Plan Commission published an industrial development plan for the Lake Calumet area. Five years later, Congress authorized the Calumet-Sag Project to facilitate barge traffic between Lake Michigan and the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. In 1951, the General Assembly created the Chicago Regional Port District to over-
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see harbor and port development. A year later, the State Legislature established the District as an independent municipal corporation with title to approximately 1,500 acres of marshland at Lake Calumet.
Special Awards St. Lawrence Seaway Port Pacesetter Award 1994, 2004, 2005, and 2006 American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Civil Engineering Project Honorable Mention 1995 American Public Works Association Project Award 1995 American Public Works Association Project of the Year/Environmental 1996 American Public Works Association National Outstanding Environmental Project 1996 American Academy of Environmental Engineers Excellence in Environmental Engineering 1996 American Academy of Environmental Engineers Excellence in Environmental Engineering 1996 Illinois Engineering Council Project of the Year 1996 American Association of Port Authorities Environmental Improvement Award 1997
A plan released in 1953 called for construction of a turning basis, docks grain elevators, and public terminals and named the Senator Dan Doughty Harbor with the goal of completing construction by the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. The Port opened with great fanfare in 1958, well before the Seaway was officially dedicated on June 26, 1959. In 1960, in exchange for a long-term lease, Union Tank Car created an enlarged www.inlandportmagazine.com
deepwater turning basin and additional slips along the east side of Lake Calumet and eventually built 91 liquid storage tanks which featured a combined capacity of 800,000 barrels. In 1972, Navy Pier officially ended commercial shipping. In 1978, the Port District acquired 190 acres at the mouth of the Calumet River, built two new terminals sheds and rechristened the site “Iroquois Landing,” giving the district a second major waterfront site for future development. Governing Body The port is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, four of whom are appointed by the Governor of the State of Illinois and five by the Mayor of the City of Chicago. Their five-year staggered appointments require confirmation by the State Senate for the Governor’s appointments and the City Council for the Mayor’s appointments. The Board elects its own Chairman and Vice Chairman, and meetings are held on the third Friday of each month at the offices of the Port District, subject to change at the Board’s discretion. Additional Board information regarding members and meetings. Request Info on Upcoming Board Meetings. One of the jewels in the port’s crown is the Harborside International Golf Complex. The Illinois International Port District completed its 36-hole championship quality golf complex in 1995 on land that previously had been used as Land Reclamation. Designed by famed golf course architect Dick Nugent, the course is in the links tradition, fashioned after the waterside upland courses of Scotland and England and is one of the largest and most dramatic adaptive re-use projects anywhere in the country. The complex also boasts a 58-acre training academy and Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style clubhouse. For more information visit harborsideinternational.com. IP November/December 2009
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Is Your Port Secure Beneath the Surface?
A roundup of the leading manufacturers of subsea sonar equipment ideal for underwater port security applications EdgeTech EdgeTech has been designing and developing subsea survey systems for over 40 years and are considered a leader in their field. The company manufactures a variety of robust, reliable, high resolution side scan sonar, sub-bottom profiling and combined systems that can be used for effective port security and inspection applications. EdgeTech’s systems come available in standard towed configurations as well as for hosted platforms (AUV, ROV, etc.) and custom installations.
easier identification of smaller objects, such as a drowning victim. The system is easy to operate, can be deployed by one person from a small boat in minutes and is delivered in portable rugged cases for easy transport from site to site. The 4125-P is available with a choice of two frequency configurations for the same competitive price; either 400/900 kHz or 400/1250 kHz. In addition to side scan sonar, EdgeTech also offers a wide variety of sub-bottom profiling systems that provide unsurpassed imagery. These systems
product line includes diver-held and boat-towed metal detectors, marine magnetometers, underwater camera systems, ROVs, cable trackers, acoustic pingers, and pinger receivers. One tool very popular with port authorities, law enforcement, and military units is Fishers side scan sonars. Side scan sonar is one of the most widely used and effective tools for underwater search operations. Its claim-to-fame is the ability to produce detailed pictures of underwater objects regardless of water clarity. Even in zero visibility the sonar
EdgeTech’s 850-DF Dynamically Focused Side Scan Sonar helps you see exactly what is lurking under the surface in and around your port.
All of EdgeTech’s systems utilize the company’s proprietary Full Spectrum CHIRP technology, which provides crisp, high resolution imagery at longer ranges when compared to conventional sonar systems. This translates into easier target identification and greater coverage during surveys which saves valuable time and money. The most recent offering from EdgeTech is the 4125-P Search & Recovery Side Scan Sonar System. The 4125-P is an ultra high dual frequency system that provides picture-like quality images for November/December 2009
range in frequency from 500 Hz – 24 kHz with a maximum penetration of between 40-200 meters in clay. EdgeTech’s sub-bottom systems come available in a variety of different towed configurations as well as for hull mount and hosted platform installations. JW FISHERS For over thirty years JW Fishers has specialized in the manufacture of reasonably priced, high-tech, agency-proven underwater search equipment. The www.inlandportmagazine.com
produces high resolution images of everything on the bottom. Side scan has been extremely useful in helping to locate and identify a variety of targets from downed aircraft and sunken vessels, to mines and unexploded ordnance. An example showing JW Fishers’ worldwide reputation for port inspection and protection is Dae Kee Marine in South Korea. This company is a port service provider for foreign vessels visiting the Korean Peninsula. The company’s extensive experience and cost-effective services has made them 23
the exclusive provider of support to the US Navy, US Army, and US Coast Guard vessels. To ensure ships move freely in and of the country’s ports, Dae Kee must routinely survey navigation routes used by these vessels. Side scanning lets them insure the waterways are clear of debris and any obstructions. L-3 KLEIN L-3 Klein, a division of L-3 Marine & Power Systems, is located in Salem, New Hampshire and is a leading sensor technology provider that manufactures and designs high-resolution sonar systems, marine navigation systems, and radar based security and surveillance systems. Klein’s customers include port authorities and port service contractors, government and military organizations, shipping and offshore oil companies and related support contractors, maritime facilities, academic institutions and underwater vehicle manufacturers. The L-3 Klein Model 3900 is a portable, highresolution, digital side scan sonar used primarily for search and recovery operations. This model has dual frequency capability; 445 kHz which offers a balance between range and resolution and 900 kHz which offers significantly higher resolution for target identification. The system comes with a splashproof, portable, Transceiver Processor Unit, laptop computer specifically configured to run L-3 Klein SonarPro software, and 50 meters of lightweight tow cable. The System 3900 Towfish electronics are housed in a stainless steel body with a highly, identifiable in-water fluorescent finish. The L3-Klein Model 3900 offers an excellent compromise between price and performance in a rugged, portable package. It is optimally suited for shallow water, small boat surveys and can be easily deployed and operated by a single trained user. Typical applications for the S3900 are for rapid deployment, shallow water search and recovery missions where the lower 445KHz frequency enables the user to use the system in a long- range ‘search’ mode, and the higher frequency 900KHz channel allows the user to acquire a higher resolution, more detailed image of the seabed targets to help better identify features of interest. The image quality of the Klein Model 3900 offers the highest resolution on the market, at shorter ranges. Current users of the Klein Model 3900 include An L-3 Klein radar unit protects the Port of Galveston in Texas.
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Reson’s SeaBat 7123 on a Talisman during the Harbor Protection demo.
numerous port and harbor authorities, US Coast Guard, fire and police departments, universities, US Corps of Engineers, a large number of commercial hydrographic survey companies, and many treasure hunters. RESON Reson’s SeaBat 7112 and SeaBat 7123 waterside security systems were recently tested during NATO Harbor Protection Trials in Germany under the Maritime Capability Group 3 on Mines, Mine Countermeasures, and Harbor Protection. The demonstration looked at all possible terrorist threat scenarios for the protection of ships in harbors or berthed. These were to include attacks from the air, above water and underwater attacks. The waterside trials were designed to test the equipment in a range of realistic scenarios including port and harbor inspection, mooring inspection, and swimmer detection. A number of companies were selected to participate in these trials in order to demonstrate their systems capabilities. Reson participated in cooperation with UK based company www.inlandportmagazine.com
BAE Systems and Italian companies WASS, SELEX and Calzoni. BAE Systems participated with the Talisman Automated Underwater Vehicle (AUV), which was designed to meet a range of operational requirements dependent on customer requirements, these include conventional military mine hunting as well security operations such as port and harbor protection. The Talisman can be operated fully autonomously on pre-programmed missions but also has the capability for the operator to intervene throughout the mission should the operational situation change. The operator communicates with the vehicle and systems via RF or Iridium SatCom (while the vehicle is surfaced) and via acoustic communications systems (when vehicle is underwater). For the trials the Talisman was fitted with a nose mounted Reson SeaBat 7123 with a dedicated software interface specifically developed to exchange target information and receive control commands. It is believed that this was the first time that a Forward Looking MCM sonar has been fitted to an AUV. During the exercises the Talisman was tasked to perform a harbor inspection, berth inspection and the search of an area immediately outside the harbor using SeaBat. Various Mine Like Objects (MLOs) were deployed in and outside harbor and the mission was to find and identify these objects. Operating at 240kHz the Seabat 7123 was able to collect good quality imagery and provide a detailed survey of the harbor bottom. However, the cluttered nature of the harbor bottom made it difficult to distinguish the MLOs immediately. This issue would be addressed by building a detailed database of the harbor bottom, then using that data on subsequent November/December 2009
re-inspections to identify new and potential threat objects. In two other scenarios a pier mounted and ship mounted SeaBat 7112 was used for diver detection. For these exercises Reson sonars and a tactical display were integrated into the Selex command and control system and despite a very busy environment with many fish shoals and slow moving vessels the SeaBat was able to make to two clear diver detections. The divers in both cases were using a strategy of moving from pier to pier and waiting but the Seabat was able to re-acquire the diver on each occasion. SONARDYNE Sonardyne’s Sentinel Intruder Detection Sonar (IDS) has become established as a leader within the maritime security marketplace following significant worldwide sales to prominent customers. These include the US Naval Underwater Warfare Center (NUWC) in Rhode Island which ordered Sentinel systems following rigorous and competitive acceptance and readiness trials. Sentinel is now a key component in the US Navy’s Integrated Swimmer Defence System with the latest system being delivered to NUWC in March 2009. Other military buyers include the Slovenian Navy while civilian authorities, yacht-owning royalty and private industry have all recognized the advantages of Sonardyne’s sonar technology. Sentinel IDS is a compact underwater surveillance sonar that automatically detects, tracks and classifies subsea targets including divers, submersible vehicles and surface swimmers. Sentinel provides users with complete subsea domain awareness for any marine asset or water-side infrastructure that may be vulnerable to underwater attack. This can include vessels, ports and harbors, and offshore energy facilities. It can operate autonomously or as part of an integrated security system that might also incorporate surface radar and electro-optic devices. Following its introduction, Sentinel has shown a 100 percent success rate in detecting targets at long ranges and in differentiating between divers, surface swimmers and non-threats such as pleasure craft, large fish and cetaceans. This high level of performance is due to the fact that unlike other commercially available diver detection systems, Sentinel is a not a hybrid of an existing sonar. It has been specifically designed by Sonardyne to meet the challenge of tracking underwater targets reliably and cost-effectively.
November/December 2009
Sonardyne Sentinel sonar head on seabed deployment frame.
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Sentinel’s superior performance was aptly demonstrated last summer when, with the support of NATO, the Slovenian Navy evaluated numerous diver detection technologies. During the trials, navy divers attempted to evade or deceive the ‘invisible’ underwater protection zone created by the Sentinel system. Subsequently in April 2009, the Slovenian Navy took delivery of their own Sentinel system to provide underwater protection for key installations in the northern Adriatic Sea. The contract also included the provision of the new Sonardyne underwater loudhailer ‘Scylla’ which allows users to broadcast underwater warning messages to deter intruders once they have been detected by the Sentinel IDS system. The Sentinel sonar head is only 30cm in diameter, 40cm high and weighs just 35kg (77lbs) making it compact and easily deployed from a vessel or port environment. Capable of providing 360 degrees of sonar coverage, it can operate as a stand-alone portable system or configured with multiple sonar heads networked together to monitor very large areas, such as ports and entire waterfront locations. The system features automated software for target detection, classification and tracking that removes the need for continuous manual observation. It also makes the system very easy to use, even for those users with no prior sonar experience. Threat warnings received by the system’s control facility can be automatically forwarded by text message, internet or pre-recorded voice message to security personnel anywhere in the world. By closing the means of access previously available to waterborne intruders, Sentinel now seals the security envelope around a wide range of high value maritime targets. VIDEORAY’S SUMMER 2009 PORT SECURITY TOUR VideoRay, a leading manufacturer of microROV technology, recently teamed up with sonar manufacturer, BlueView Technologies, for a Summer 2009 United States Port Security Tour. They offered hands-on demonstrations of next-generation underwater port security imaging and inspection systems and solutions at US ports and inland facilities across the country. Port environments across the country play host to a number of challenging underwater conditions and situations. To handle these challenges, they need a simple, effective, reliable, quickly deployable, rugged, and cost-effective solution. With the VideoRay mini-ROV and BlueView sonar, applications such as diver interdiction and tracking, berth and Hull IED Detection, Harbor Bottom Inspection, Search & Recovery, and Infrastructure Inspection can be carried out quickly and efficiently. Retired US Coast Guard Chief (22 years) and long-time VideoRay user Craig Thorngren, who now owns and operates Submerged Recovery & Inspection Services, led the demonstrations at all of the port tour stops. The one-stop solution system delivers: • High Definition Multibeam Imaging Sonar for long, medium, and close range target detection and identification in low to zero visibility conditions; • Real Time ROV Video Enhancement for low and zero visibility underwater conditions; • Non-Acoustic “Drop & Go” ROV Positioning System built into your tether configuration; • Proven ROV platform with powerful brushless thrusters, hull inspections crawler feature, high 26
and integrate with the VideoRay ROV System and are depth rated to 1,000 feet. Visit videoray.com for more information.
VideoRay has teamed up with BlueView Technologies, whose new DP900-90 created the data image below.
Imagenex Technology Imagenex is a leading manufacturer of sonar systems and was founded in 1988 by pioneers of the sonar industry. Their product lines include a variety of mechanical scanning, sidescan, and multibeam sonars, as well as echosounders/altimeters. The introduction of the Delta T, an affordable multibeam sonar from Imagenex, has generated great interest in the port inspection/survey segment. The low cost, small size and ease of operation/ installation have made the Delta T a success on ROV operations. Together with the real-time 3DView companion program, it presents images and models, rather than simple line data resulting from mechanical scanning single-beam profilers. For bottom mapping around and below fixed platforms or moored barges, in situations where the use of moving survey vessels is not practical, the company developed the 881A Azimuth Drive for use with the mechanically scanning Model 881A Profiling Sonar. This system, which includes an automated indexing capability, is simply mounted over the side, where it collects ‘slices’ of data at any selected, or pre-defined azimuthal sampling interval. While this system has been available for a number of years, recently a new azimuth drive has been introduced for use with the Delta T Multibeam Sonar. Within the last year, Imagenex has developed the 886 BFS Digital Imaging Sonar; a system based on the high quality, single-beam concept, but with a screen update rate of 4 to 6 times per second. Obstacle avoidance sonar on most ROVs employs a single beam, mechanical scan concept, in order to obtain high quality imagery. Unfortunately, the many seconds it takes for each sweep to go from side to side, often results in the ROV to lose sight of the target, as it changes heading. The BFS provides an excellent solution for the ROV problem and greatly aids in diver intrusion detection applications. Another new development from Imagenex in the last year is a new sonar designed for use in pipes of varying sizes. The new 831A Digital Pipe Profiling Sonar facilitates more accurate and more efficient internal pipe inspections. Capable of completing a 360° scan in 1 second on the 1 m range scale, this programmable system is usable from a full scale range of 0.25m to 6m. With a range resolution of 1 mm at the range scale of 0.25m, it provides the kind of surface detail needed to detect even the smallest anomalies.
intensity LED lighting, one button video and still photograph capture which is depth rated up to 300 meters (1,000 feet) - all delivered in rugged, portable, and stowable Pelican cases. The system is one man deployable with no support vessel or crew required for quick operation. The VideoRay Pro 4 ROV System is the ideal ROV for rapid deployment in challenging high current conditions up to 1,000 feet (305 meters). The BlueView P-900 High Definition Imaging Sonar is ideal for target localization and detection at a range of up to 150 feet in low to zero visibility conditions. For longer range target identification and navigation up to 500 feet, the P-450 Imaging Sonar Imaganex’s 886 BFS Digital Imaging Sonar (450kHz Frequency) created this image of a diver intruder. is the imaging sonar of choice. Both sonars easily connect www.inlandportmagazine.com
November/December 2009
CARIS Established in 1979, Caris is a leading developer of geospatial software. Their Ping-to-Chart product line delivers integrated software solutions for the entire workflow of hydrographic information from the echosounder “ping” through to the production and distribution of the “chart”. Caris products are used by ports and harbors, hydrographic offices, military agencies, survey contractors, municipalities, land administrators and academia, among others. In addition to its Canadian headquarters, CARIS has offices in the US, The Netherlands, Australia and United Kingdom. There are also more than 40 resellers bringing sales and support of Caris brand software to more than 75 countries. Caris, along with EDS and LSC Group, announced the final acceptance by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) of the Hydrographic Database (HDB) Project. Through the HDB Project, EDS and Caris have delivered workflow management technologies from EDS together with Caris Bathy DataBASE and Caris Hydrographic Production Database (HPD) software to manage and create paper and electronic chart products. This combined solution will represent an enterprise production environment where multiple products are created and updated from a centrally managed source. Using the new system, data is stored in a common database and shared by products, providing a higher degree of consistency between product types. This unique workflow-oriented and database-driven approach to data management and production will bring significant business benefits to the UKHO in production optimization and efficiency.
Mosaics of port areas created by Chesapeake’s SonarWiz.MAP.
Chesapeake Technologies Chesapeake’s SonarWiz.MAP is an easy to use, real-time side scan, sub-bottom, single beam and magnetometer data acquisition and processing system. This and other Chesapeake systems are perfect for port authorities looking for an efficient, cost-effective solution. SonarWiz.MAP enables you to produce high-quality mosaics, imagery and reports in Web, MS-Office, Google Earth and other formats. SonarWiz.MAP is a complete survey tool providing mission planning, navigation, data acquisition, processing and final product generation. Chesapeake Technology now offers sub-bottom profiler acquisition and processing module options for its flagship product SonarWiz.MAP. SonarWiz. MAP has become the industry standard product for rapidly producing side scan sonar mosaics in both real-time and post-processing. Now, the same great user interface can be applied to high-resolution subbottom data acquisition and processing. November/December 2009
Geometrics Marine exploration requires a serious investment of time, resources and money. Whether searching for submerged evidence, debris, or just routine maintenance checks, port survey teams need the most cost-effective and sensitive equipment available for the search. Geometrics, headquartered in San Jose, California, has been offering professional solutions to marine exploration and surveying requirements for 40 years. Known for their reliability and accuracy, Geometrics products are available for both sales and rentals. In addition, the company’s customer service is responsive and available worldwide to ensure complete support. The two premier marine products offered are the G-882 Marine Cesium Magnetometer and the GeoEel Seismic Streamer. www.inlandportmagazine.com
The G-882 Marine Magnetometer can be used to measure magnetic anomalies associated with a variety of geologic and man-made targets which with free characterization software can obtain precise location of objects either on the bottom or buried beneath the seafloor. This system is particularly well suited for the detection and mapping of all sizes of ferrous objects and any other item with a magnetic expression. G-882 can perform shallow water surveys as well as deep tow applications (4,000 psi rating). It also directly interfaces to all major side-scan sonar manufacturers for tandem tow configurations. Being small and lightweight (44 lbs net, without weights) it can be deployed and operated by one person or, the system can quickly be setup for deep tow applications by adding streamlined weight collars. It is also available in transverse gradiometer configuration for analytic signal analysis of small targets. Its cesium sensor is designed for extreme reliability and ruggedness and never needs recalibration or factory realignment. Each magnetometer comes with MagLogLite software which allows recording and display of data and position with Automatic Anomaly Detection and printing through almost any Windows operating system. Additional options include: MagMap2000 plotting and contouring software as well as post acquisition geophysical data processing software, MagPick. For seismic survey applications, Geometrics offers the GeoEel, a 24-bit digital seismic streamer. The streamer can be used in small or large applications depending on needs. Its wide bandwidth (up to 8 kHz) makes it applicable to all seismic surveys: petroleum, gas or gas hydrates, high-resolution engineering, and even sub-bottom profiling. Only 1.5 inches in diameter and configurable with up to 240 channels and multiple streamers, the GeoEel sends data by Ethernet to any industry-standard low-cost PC. The GeoEel is the first high-resolution-digital streamer to be filled with a non-toxic, nonflammable silicone oil derivative. This eliminates fire hazard and is environmentally safe. The GeoEel’s narrow design is ultra-quiet, making full use of true 24-bit circuitry. In-water digitization eliminates ground loops and shipboard electrical noise. A thick 3.2-millimeter skin protects the GeoEel in shallow water and transition zone applications. Kongsberg Mesotech Kongsberg Maritime’s specialist sonar division, Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd., recently introduced a new range of products. The 1171 Series is a complete range of multi-frequency, fast scanning obstacle avoidance imaging and profiling sonars offering unrivalled resolution for port authorities and contractors serving the port industry segment. The 1171 Series of sonar heads have been 27
The C3D series is the pinnacle of the Teledyne Benthos range.
developed to meet the requirements for both shallow and deep ocean applications. As well as the choice of operating frequencies, the new sonar heads feature faster scanning rates, improved range resolution and even clearer, sharper images, all in a more compact lighter housing. The dual transducer design allows optimized operational configuration for both long range obstacle avoidance and shorter range imaging detail. The transducer is protected within an oil-filled, pressure compensating dome. The telemetry is RS485 and RS232 compatible and is automatically sensed and configured at start up to match the telemetry link used. The sonar head operation is configured and controlled using the MS1000 Software Processor. Other features include dual transducers for multi purpose obstacle avoidance and inspection use; multiple frequency capability (330 to 400 kHz and 450 to 700 kHz); improved range and scanning rate; improved sampling resolution & beam foot print resulting in clearer, sharper images; improved Range Resolution, and lighter 4000m depth rated design. The Multi-Frequency design allows optimizing of the profiling configuration for different applications. Like the sonar head, the transducer is protected within an oil-filled, pressure compensating dome and the telemetry is automatically sensed and configured at start up to match the telemetry link used. The sonar head operation is also configured and controlled using the MS1000 Software Processor. Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd. is the Canadian subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime. The company supplies a worldwide customer base with a range of products for military, fisheries, oilfield, scientific, and other offshore market applications. 28
Marine Sonic Technology Marine Sonic Technology, Ltd. (MSTL) has introduced a new line of digital side scan sonar systems to help identify exactly what is in your waterway or port area. MSTL’s Sea Scan HDS range is available for both towed systems and AUV applications. Both systems feature the most up to date electronics and our FPGA-based design that provides cutting edge technology. Their new software, Sea Scan Survey, is user-friendly software includes easy to use navigational charts and allows for operators to see track lines and area coverage. Using the Sea Scan Survey software the MSTL data image operator will be able to generate target reports without using third-party software packages. For mosaicing and GIS, customers will be able to use third party software packages. Frequencies offered will be 300, 600, 900, 1200 and 1800 kHz. Some of the features of these systems include: • Raw data collection allows infinite adjustments without losing data • Cutting edge graphical user interface • Independently selectable transducers www.inlandportmagazine.com
• Tightly integrated target marking capability • Easy to use length, height and area tools • Optional Roll, Pitch, Heading, and Depth Sensors. An embedded version of Sea Scan HDS has been developed using the same hardware architecture. It operates with or without a computer and provides simultaneous data distribution over serial or Ethernet and an on-board compact flash card. The total power draw can be under 10 watts, depending on the selected configuration. The reduced size of the system allows the system to be integrated onto vehicles of all types and classes. Visit www.marinesonic.com for more. Teledyne Benthos, Inc. Teledyne Benthos has been serving customers in the marine industry for over 45 years by providing high quality geophysical and oceanographic instrumentation. Teledyne Benthos manufactures a variety of products ranging from side scan sonar for imagery and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) for port inspections, to acoustic modems and releases for monitoring. Their systems are used worldwide in many demanding applications for government agencies, academic institutions, and private firms. The Teledyne Benthos Geophysical product line includes their: SIS-1624 Dual Frequency Chirp Side Scan Sonar system which produces high-resolution images of the seafloor, the Chirp III Sub-bottom profiler that offers many affordable configurations for shallow or deep water, Teledyne Benthos also offers the best of both worlds by combining the technology of the SIS-1624 with the Chirp-III resulting in the model SIS-1625. The C3D series is Teledyne Benthos’ state of the art survey equipment. The C3D November/December 2009
The SeaBotix LBV miniROV has proven itself in port security applications.
system combines side scan sonar, sub-bottom profiling and bathymetry and can be configured in several different applications depending on the customers’ needs and budget. The C3D offers high-resolution imaging sonar system which is capable of providing co-located wide swath bathymetry and side scan data sets resulting in a detailed view of the seafloor. The Teledyne Benthos ROV product line includes their new small inspection class ROV called the MiniROVER, ideal for port inspections. It has a thrust to weight ratio of 2:1, and the Stingray ROV with the built-in ability to accept a wide array of tools and sensors. The Teledyne Benthos Acoustic product line includes their Telsonar underwater acoustic Modems which reduce the need for expensive underwater cabling by making any subsea sensor wireless. These Telesonar modems can also be provided with built-in acoustic release technology. Tritech International UK sonar manufacturer Tritech has announced the launch of the new StarFish 450H, an affordable, high performance, hull-mounted side scan sonar which produces spectacular images of the seabed. The compact, slim-line sonar design combined with flexible mounting bracket can be fixed on to any vessel and allows port authorities and contractors to monitor the seabed for interesting targets during every journey. With hull-mounted systems there’s no need to worry about snagging a towing cable when surveying in shallow or high traffic waters, making it very simple to operate. Its ease of use makes it an ideal system for anyone needing to capture digital images of the seabed on their own. Utilizing advanced digital CHIRP acoustic technology, developed from the professional underwater November/December 2009
survey industry, StarFish 450H can view targets at longer ranges without any loss in image quality. It out performs many larger, commercial systems in shallow water and at a fraction of the cost. SEABOTIX SeaBotix is the manufacturer of the LBV MiniROV system, as well as the revolutionary hybrid ROV/Crawler. SeaBotix’s LBV sets a high standard in diverse small remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) operations and applications. With the high level of capability, intuitive control system, compact dimensions and extensive range of options come a broad range of uses, including port, bridge, and dam inspection/maintenance. Another unique aspect of SeaBotix is the diverse range of LBV systems. SeaBotix manufactures systems with depth ratings from 150 to 600 meters (500 to 2,000 feet) and with cable lengths up to 2,000 meters (6,000 feet). Plus add a range of more than twenty standard options. SeaBotix is continually providing unique solutions that no other small ROV company can provide. LA Port Police Sergeant Ralph Edwards and his team recently completed comprehensive training on their three new LBV ROVs at the SeaBotix waterfront headquarters. The Dive Team will be integrating their LBV200L, LBV150SE-5 with Crawler Skid Assembly, and the LBV300S-6 into daily operations at the Port of LA. Together, the three systems represent a broad range of SeaBotix ROV capabilities, including Sonar, LED lighting, Grabber, and Crawler integration. The team had purchased a smaller ROV in 2004, but found its capabilities beyond shallow, pier-side inspections were limited. The three SeaBotix LBV systems will be assimilated into daily operations to assist the divers in performing critical site checks such as on ship hulls, www.inlandportmagazine.com
port infrastructure, and on missions involving search and recovery. With the ROVs, the LA Port Police Dive Team will be able to accomplish daily tasks more safely and effectively. “The ROVs will allow us to utilize our resources more effectively,” stated Sgt. Edwards. The team will be able to work longer and accomplish tasks faster, eliminating diver wait-out times and exhaustion. Sending an ROV instead of a diver will also allow for longer work periods at greater depths. The six diver team covers 33 square miles of waterfront, but will now be reaching out to other agencies under the Port Dive Operations Group (PDOG), providing the South Bay Region with an enormous security asset. The SeaBotix ROVs are utilized by the team in assisting associated public safety dive teams, such as those of LA County Sheriffs, LAPD, Long Beach PD, LAFD, and the FBI. As Sgt. Edwards explained, they may need to utilize the LBV300S-6, which has the greatest depth rating, for deepwater inspections outside the breakwater, territory surveyed by the LA City Sheriffs dive team. Upon completion of their course, LA Port Police Officer Roberto Redondo commented on behalf of SeaBotix, saying “The course and employees made our experience a memorable one. At least in my opinion, I’ve never been so well taken care of and catered to until I came here.” SeaBotix feels strongly that factory training is the most important option available as it builds confidence in the operator in terms of maintenance and piloting, as well as creates a professional bond between the operators, SeaBotix, and their LBV. SeaBotix is optimistic that their systems are in very capable hands, and that the LA Port Police dive team will be able to accomplish more with less risk to the divers, and with greater overall mission success. IP 29
Industry Notebook The US Coast Guard has placed an order for hundreds of solar-LED marine lanterns from Carmanah Technologies. Valued at approximately $600,000, this latest shipment of 701-5 and 704-5 lanterns will replace older incandescent lanterns throughout the Gulf Coast region, while providing an additional level of safety and security for marine traffic and Gulf Coast communities during the hurricane season. This latest shipment of lights will be deployed as aids to navigation across 19 regions, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Galveston, Texas; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Mobile, Alabama, with a portion being stored at strategic locations for emergency response. The US Coast Guard has released revised versions of the Merchant Mariner Credential Medical Evaluation Report form (CG-719 K, Revision 01-09) and the Merchant Mariner Evaluation of Fitness for Entry Level Ratings form (CG-719 K/E, Revision 01-09) to facilitate obtaining
objective medical information for use in evaluating merchant mariner credential applications. These forms are now available for voluntary use until December 31, 2009. All physical exams completed on or after January 1, 2010 must be documented on Revision 01-09. The revised form has been designed to work in concert with the information contained in the Medical and Physical Evaluation Guidelines for Merchant Mariner Credentials, (NVIC 04-08). A complete Medical Evaluation Form is essential for NMC to process an application in a timely manner. To assist mariners and the Verifying Medical Practitioner (VMP) with submitting a complete report form, USCG is providing a printable Instruction Guide and electronic forms that can be completed online, which will include embedded electronic instructions to assist mariners and medical practitioners with completing the forms.
Email your company or organization news to djones@inlandportmagazine.com Mariners with diagnosed medical conditions or who are taking prescription medication should carefully review the information in NVIC 04-08, the Instruction Guide, and the CG-719K or K/E forms. It is highly recommended that mariners bring the Instruction Guide and forms, along with the applicable sections of the NVIC 04-08 that pertain to their specific medical conditions, with them when they have their physical exam so that the medical provider can supply recommended evaluation documentation for any diagnosed medical conditions. This medical documentation should be submitted along with the CG-719 K form at the time of application. The use of the resources being made available should result in less missing information and a faster processing time. Teledyne RD Instruments has acquired Odom Hydrographic Systems, manufacturer of hydrographic survey instrumentation used in port survey, dredging, offshore energy and other applications. The ongoing Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) ties into existing Mississippi River Levees for both the east and west banks. Due to updated technical analyses and a more sophisticated examination of the Mississippi River flows the US Army Corps of Engineers will make additional improvements to the Mississippi River Levees co-located with the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. The Mississippi River Levee (MRL) system was designed to protect against a riverine event, not a hurricane storm surge. In order to provide 100-year risk reduction from storm surge, the Corps is using adaptive management to incorporate new modeling capabilities and analysis to upsize the MRL. “We discovered new technical information regarding the Mississippi River average flows for hurricane season,” said Col. Alvin B. Lee, New Orleans District commander. “Previous modeling assumed one river flow. The Mississippi River flow during Katrina was lower than the average river flow during the peak of hurricane season.
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Based on this information, the Corps used adaptive management to modify new technical analyses and information to account for varying flows in the Mississippi River as they relate to the modeled storm surges.” The initial models were good tools for the system’s initial evaluation but could not have accomplished the more complex analysis, which examined combined river discharge and storm surge, considerably advancing the capability of analysis. Remodeling using the newly available methods required considerable effort. Fourteen miles of Mississippi River Levee within the West Bank & Vicinity (WBV) system, at the lower end of the Belle Chasse polder, require an increase in existing elevations up to 3.5 feet at river mile 70, diminishing to no increase needed at river mile 84. Three miles of Mississippi River Levee within the Lake Pontchartrain & Vicinity (LPV) system at the lower end of the St. Bernard polder require an increase in existing elevations up to 0.5 feet. at river mile 81, diminishing to no increase needed at river mile 84. The Corps will perform the necessary engineering and environmental analyses in the coming months to determine required designs. The Corps remains committed to deliver the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to Greater New Orleans by June 2011. Marcon International (Washington) has been appointed as broker by the Court appointed Interim Receiver and Receiver of Redfern Resources Ltd. of British Columbia, Canada to sell the specially designed, newbuilding hover or air-cushion-barge, Monty. The 210’ x 82’ vessel was being built by Sundial Marine Construction of Troutdale, Oregon for Redfern Resources. Redfern planned to haul supplies in and mineral ore concentrates out from a multi-metal gold, zinc, copper and lead mine on the Tulsequah River in Canada, 40 miles northeast of Juneau, Alaska. From Juneau, the ore was to be barged to the Skagway Ore Terminal where it could be loaded onto ships bound for smelters in Asia. The mine was scheduled to start production in AuNovember/December 2009
gust 2010, but construction has been suspended. The Monty is a unique barge designed by Hovertrans Ltd. and engineered by BMT Nigel, UK to hover about 5’ above the surface while carrying a payload of approximately 450 tons of deck cargo on a 9,000ft2 clear deck. A covered moonpool is located in the center of the barge. The unit is remotely controlled and can be towed over shallow water, ice, swamps, marsh, mudflats or land. When conditions allow, the barge can be moved by a shallow-draft tug or pushboat. In the winter, or in other difficult conditions, the barge can be moved by tractors or amphibious vehicles.
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HERE An ad in Inland Port will get your message to the people who need to see it. jhudson@inlandportmagazine.com
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Globalstar, a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, announced that Globalstar Independent Gateway Operator (IGO), Globalstar de Mexico, has launched a multi-mode satellite asset tracking product. The new multimode hybrid tracking technology wireless device, or HTT, is capable of providing GPS-based asset tracking location coordinates and alert monitoring information from virtually anywhere. HTT provides customers with the coverage needed to effectively manage the location of their mobile assets such as tractor trailers, heavy construction vehicles, and maritime shipping containers. HTT transmits remote tracking data using either Globalstar’s high quality satellite Simplex data network or terrestrial-based GSM/GPRS wireless network.IP
November/December 2009
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The Last Word
Gary P. LaGrange President and CEO, Port of New Orleans When did you first become acquainted with this industry? I’m a Cajun who grew up in a small town called Franklin, Louisiana, which is a located along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. My father owned a furniture store and was active in the town’s business and political community. I remember hearing him reflect, “What this town needs is a port.” It must have struck a nerve because I became the founding executive director of the Port of West St. Mary, which is based in my hometown. This was early in my career, after I worked a short stint as a coach, teacher, and an urban planner. I went on to work for many years for the West St. Mary Port Authority, and I became hooked on the port industry. What was your favorite project or assignment you’ve been involved in, and why? We had a pretty challenging task after Hurricane Katrina to retain our second-largest tenant, New Orleans Cold Storage. Before the storm, the company, which is more than 180 years old, used the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet to ship frozen poultry exports from the Jourdan Road Terminal. That area of the port was devastated and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was ultimately deauthorized by Congress. That meant that the only access to the Jourdan Road terminal was through the 80-year-old Inner Harbor Navigation Canal lock, which is a notorious traffic choke point for mariners who ply the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Only half of the poultry ships that normally come to New Orleans can get through the antiquated lock. Needless to say, that’s no way to run a port facility. We had to find another spot for them along the Mississippi River, where access wasn’t restricted. We have now found that location, having brokered a deal where our largest terminal operator is reducing the size of its leased area to accommodate New Orleans Cold Storage. Now, we are in the process of bidding out the design and construction of a refrigerated warehouse on that site. It’s a relief to see that we were able to retain an important tenant, and to see our terminal operators working collaboratively for the good of the entire port industry. What was your least favorite? We had a situation on the lower Mississippi River where Carnival Cruise Lines diverted ships because of concerns about a low hanging power transmission cable. It wasn’t pleas-
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A Revealing Look at our Industry Leaders
ant because the issue put me in the middle of a dispute between two companies that I admire – Carnival, our largest cruise line, and Entergy Corp., which is a Fortune 500 company based in New Orleans that also provides electricity to the port and the city. At stake was New Orleans’ ability to grow its cruise business. To Entergy’s credit, they fixed the problem and completed a massive and expensive project to bury the cables under the bed of the river. Now it’s all water under the bridge, but at the time, it was a pretty contentious issue. What accomplishments, both professional and personal, are you most proud of? The highlight of my career was getting the Port of New Orleans back up and running within two weeks of Hurricane Katrina. It was the costliest natural disaster in US history. The entire city was still evacuated when we started handling cargo again. It took a real collaborative effort on the part of our local industry partners and our federal counterparts, including the US Maritime Administration which loaned us vessels that served as floating dormitories where port workers and truck drivers lived. There was no time for making excuses; we all had to pull in the same direction. The Port of New Orleans serves many different inland ports and markets. So if we couldn’t promptly restore our operations, Katrina could have severely disrupted the supply chain and the economy not just in Louisiana but throughout the nation. If you could go back and tell your teenage self one thing, what would that be? I would tell myself to become more self disciplined, to study harder and to understand that the opportunities that are at hand can bring about a huge change in your life and the lives of others. Without naming names to protect the innocent (or guilty), what is the single most unbelievable thing you have seen happen on a project in your career? It’s unfathomable to me that only about half of the dollars collected for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is spent on harbor maintenance. Revenue for the trust fund comes from a tax on imports. Yet, every time there is a problem that involves channel maintenance in New Orleans and elsewhere, we hear refrains about a lack of funding. Something just doesn’t add up. www.inlandportmagazine.com
Congress needs to pass a law to make sure that the dollars that are collected for harbor maintenance also get spent on harbor maintenance. What do you want to be when you grow up? First baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. Of course, Pujols would have to retire first. If you could make those in power at the local, state, and federal levels understand one thing, what would it be? Ports have a massive impact on our economy. Everybody benefits when ports do well. But ports would have an even greater impact if we had the resources we are promised. If you make the general public understand one thing, what would it be? The significant role that all of the things we do in the port industry has on their lives. What is your favorite movie, book, TV show, and sport? Field of Dreams; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and The Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley; SportsCenter; and baseball and football. What is the most significant piece of equipment you have seen come along during your career? It’s a toss-up between the cell phone and the intermodal shipping container. What piece of equipment has not been invented yet, but will revolutionize your industry segment when it is? If I knew that, I’d keep it to myself until I figured out how to manufacture it. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Only one thing? I would take more time for myself in an effort to develop some hobbies that I could be passionate about. It’s never too late. Give us your thoughts on the inland port and waterways industry, where it has been, and where it is going. In our modern era, we have a tendency to think about inland waterways as being old fashioned. We imagine with nostalgia Huck Finn floating down the Mississippi. Nevertheless, with today’s emphasis on fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly transportation, many people are starting to realize that everything old is new again. Channeling the power of our rivers and waterways as an avenue of commerce is the first step that we should take as we modernize our nation’s transportation system. IP November/December 2009