Port of Houston Magazine - Spring 2016

SPRING

2016

THE PORT OF HOUSTON

FAST AND FURIOUS PACE OF ACTIVITY AT BAYPORT

The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia General Cargo

We connect

economies to create

prosperity A d d i n g L i vo r n o o n t h e Ea s t b o u n d !

. Competitive transit times . Excellent intermodal links . Personal cutomer services

2

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

HELPING TO MEET THE WORLD’S CHANGING NEEDS

CONTENTS Spring 2016

12 FEATURE FAST AND FURIOUS PACE OF ACTIVITY AT BAYPORT

IN EVERY ISSUE 6 A Message from Executive Director Roger Guenther

8 The Manifest Port of Houston Authority News Highlights

of Houston Authority 18 Port All About Containers

Grad Students Designing 20 UH New Entry Gate at Turning Basin

26 Spotlight on Small Business Power Line Solutions Powering Port Projects

Wrestling For The 22 Mud Environment On High Level Road

Port of Houston Authority The Port Delivers

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Port of Houston Authority JANIECE LONGORIA Chairman

JOHN D. KENNEDY Commissioner

DEAN E. CORGEY Commissioner

111 East Loop North, P.O. Box 2562, Houston, TX 77252-2562 Phone: 713-670-2400 Fax: 713-670-2429 Executive Director Roger D. Guenther

Chief Legal Officer Erik A. Eriksson

Chief Operating Officer Thomas J. Heidt

Chief People Officer Phyllis Saathoff

Chief Commercial Officer Ricky W. Kunz

Chief Port Operations Officer Jeff Davis

Chief Financial Officer Tim Finley

Harris County Auditor Barbara J. Schott

Chief HSSE Officer Marcus Woodring

Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez

Chief Information Officer Charles Thompson

FIELD OFFICES

Central & South America (excluding Brazil)

CLYDE FITZGERALD Commissioner

Arturo Gamez Central & South America Representative Port of Houston Authority Avenida Aquilino De La Guardia y Calle 47 Ocean Business Plaza Building, Mezzanine Panama, Republic of Panama Tel.: +(507) 340-0205 Fax: +(281) 754-4647 Houston Access (713) 491-4607 Email: agamez@poha.com

Brazil John C. Cuttino Brazil Representative Port of Houston Authority Av. Paulista, 2300-Andar Pilotis Sao Paulo, SP Brazil, CEP: 01310-300 Tel.: +55 (11) 2847-4931 Fax: +55 (11) 2847-4550 Houston Access (832) 239-5076 Email: jcuttino@poha.com

THELDON R. BRANCH, III Commissioner

Asia Garth Harrison Port of Houston Authority c/o Ben Line Agencies Email: gharrison@poha.com Tel: +84 838 256 148 x 147 Mobile: +84 903 943 886

Head Office 200 Cantonment Road, #13-05 Southpoint, 089763 Singapore Tel.: +65 6420 9013 Fax: +65 6224 0163

STEPHEN H. DONCARLOS Commissioner

Port of Houston Magazine’s editorial staff: Stan Swigart, director, marketing and external communications | Bill Hensel, manager, external communications | David Bray, photographer | Chris Kuhlman, photographer | John Manlove Marketing & Communications design and layout.

This publication is not copyrighted and permission is given for the reproduction or use of any original materials, provided credit is given to the Port of Houston Authority. Additional information, address changes, extra copies, or advertising specifications may be obtained by writing to the Port of Houston Magazine.

ROY D. MEASE Commissioner

The Port of Houston Magazine is published by the Port of Houston Authority, P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas 77252-2562, and is distributed free to maritime, industrial and transportation interests in the United States and foreign countries.

Visit the Port of Houston Authority online www.portofhouston.com

4

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

5

ROGER THAT!

A MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ROGER GUENTHER

The success of the Port of Houston Authority is a success for all of our stakeholders. The engagement of our customers, our labor, our consumers and citizens contribute to the prosperity of our port and together we will continue benefit from the effective execution of our mission and goals.

With 2016 well under way, I’d like to thank the Port Commission for its leadership, our customers who partner with us, and our employees and the men and women that work on the waterfront for their dedication to our mission.

2015 PERFORMANCE 2015 proved to be a prosperous year as we positioned our port for the future. Despite many economic challenges that occurred during the past year, our operational results were solid and demonstrated growth in many areas: • A leading national (as opposed to regional), multi-modal hub for imports and exports • A leader in efficiency, service and innovation • Increased market share, increased capacity, and improved freight mobility • A focus on paving the way for the next generation by leaving our organization better tomorrow than we found it today

6

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Port Authority staff delivered many noteworthy achievements during the course of 2015, which drove success for our customers and were aligned with our strategic goals. I’d like to mention a few:

PEOPLE • We completed a new Strategic Plan under the leadership of our Commission.

GROWTH

• 100% of our employees are engaged by setting individual goals that align with our Strategic Plan.

• We were able to deliver the New Economic Impact Results for the greater port and saw a significant increase in economic activity and job creation since the last study.

• And we completed some Leadership Readiness Training late last year and will continue to focus on developing our leaders in 2016.

• We partnered with logistics companies for the development of new warehouses for resin exports to attract more cargo to our region.

• We also saw a record number of new FTZ authorizations established last year.

INFRASTRUCTURE

STEWARDSHIP

• We had a successful Navis N4 go live at Barbours Cut Terminal, which will allow more visibility to our customers.

• We received two Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Grants and we were recertified under ISO 14001.

• We finished the Barbours Cut deepening and widening project.

• We opened a new fire station at Turning Basin, Port Police celebrated its 25th anniversary, and we completed more than 1,000 Safety audits that resulted in a 30% reduction in our incident rate.

• We commissioned four new cranes at Barbours Cut. • We completed the expansion of Staging Yard at the Turning Basin.

• Our Maintenance Department achieved over 99% crane reliability for the 3rd consecutive year, which is very important for our customers to be competitive through the Port of Houston.

• And as importantly as anything, we demonstrated that WE ARE READY by providing a consistent and reliable service for the tremendous volume of containerized cargo diverted from the West Coast in the early part of the year.

LOOKING AHEAD IN 2016 We continue to strategically plan to deliver the economic impact and support the creation of jobs for our region as we maintain our vision to be America’s Distribution Hub for the Next Generation.

Throughout 2016, our focus will remain on our key goals and priorities, which include creating a technology master plan, completing a branding plan, finalizing a long-

• We had more than 1,000 students participate in the Maritime education program with four school districts and six area high schools.

• Our Small Business Program still demonstrates excellence and since established in 2002 and through the third quarter of 2015, awards and commitments to small businesses totaled $433.8 million, for a 42% participation rate.

• The Community Engagement plan was approved, and we continued our outreach with the public through our M/V Sam Houston tours which totaled 28,383 passengers last year.

term financing strategy, and developing a stakeholder engagement plan and environmental leadership strategy.

Thanks to our Commission for their leadership and engagement in our strategic plan and to our staff for making this happen. We look forward to a great 2016 as we continue "to move the world and drive regional prosperity.”

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

7

THE

MANIFEST

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

COMMISSIONERS REAPPOINTED TO PORT COMMISSION

Commissioner Theldon R. Branch, III

Commissioner Stephen H. DonCarlos

Commissioners Theldon R. Branch III, Stephen H. DonCarlos and John D. Kennedy all have been reappointed to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority.

Branch serves on the Procurement and Small Business Development Task Force, Audit Committee and Community Relations Committee. He was reappointed to the Port Commission Feb. 10 by Houston City Council, which originally appointed him in September of 2013.

Branch has an extensive professional background in both the public and private sector. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Branch Companies, a privately held Houston-based holding company that oversees investments in real estate, financial assets, the automotive industry, and construction. His public service experience consists of a Mayor-appointed position as Chairman of the Rebuild Houston Oversight Committee, and working as an Assistant Director for the City of Houston Planning and Housing and Community Development department.

Kennedy is Chairman of the Port Commission's Procurement and Small Business Development Task Force and serves on the Governance Committee and Community Relations Committee. He was originally appointed to the

8

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

Commissioner John D. Kennedy

Port Commission by Harris County Commissioners Court in December 2012 and was reappointed Jan. 26.

Kennedy's military service, as well as his professional career and community involvement in the greater Houston area spans several decades. Mr. Kennedy retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Army after 27 years of military service focusing on logistics, leadership and management. Following his military career, he served as City Manager of the city of Nassau Bay, Texas, for more than 10 years.

DonCarlos is Chairman of the Governance Committee and serves on the Community Relations Committee.

He was reappointed by the Harris County Mayors’ and Councils’ Association Jan. 21 and was originally appointed by that organization in 2013.

DonCarlos has served as Mayor of the City of Baytown since May 2006, and is an attorney with the firm of Reid, Strickland & Gillette, L.L.P. Mr. DonCarlos has served as chair of the Harris County Hospital District, was on the Board of Directors of the Baytown Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the East Harris County Bar Association, the Board of Directors of the Texas Medical Center, and the Houston Bar Association.

CARGO TONNAGE RECORD SET BY PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY The Port of Houston Authority handled 30.5 million tons of cargo at its facilities in 2015, surpassing the record of 30.3 million that was set a year earlier. The figures exclude bulk terminals leased to third parties.

Executive Director Roger Guenther made the announcement about the new record at the Port Commission’s first regular meeting of 2016, which was held in early February.

Guenther also noted that despite the downturn in the energy sector, the Port Authority’s public facilities in 2015 handled more than 4.8 million tons of steel, which was the sixth highest total in the history of the Port Authority. A record amount of steel was handled during 2014.

“The success of the Port Authority is a success for all of our stakeholders and the community that we serve,” Guenther said during remarks at the Port Commission meeting. He expressed gratitude to the Port Commission, customers, Port Authority employees and the men and women who work on the waterfront.

SBA ADMINISTRATOR TOUTS SMALL BUSINESS AT PORT AUTHORITY The Small Business Administration, which guarantees loans for small businesses, is working on behalf of business owners to expand their access to capital, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said during a visit to the Port of Houston Authority.

A member of President Obama's cabinet, the administrator met with several Houston-based small business owners during her stop at the port in January.

Details about the Port Authority’s Small Business Development Program were shared with Contreras-Sweet

by Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria and Port Commissioner John D. Kennedy, along with Executive Director Roger Guenther and key staff. The goal of the program is to award 35 percent of eligible contracts to small business, but the Port Authority has regularly exceeded that goal, awarding small business with 42 percent of eligible contracting dollars.

Since it began in 2002, about $434 million in Port Authority contract expenditures have been made to small businesses. Contreras-Sweet, a onetime port commission, lauded the success of the program.

“Houston is truly the model for small business,” she said.

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

9

SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON TEXAS PORTS CREATED

Panama Canal Expansion Project

The creation of a Senate Select Committee on Texas Ports was announced recently by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who named seven members to serve on the new committee.

"I have created a new Senate Select Committee on Texas Ports to study the economic benefit of the Panama Canal expansion to Texas ports," said Patrick.

"This Select Committee will focus on what our ports, including inland ports, must do to remain competitive in this new era. Texas ports are critical to our economy and the Senate is leading the charge to keep Texas the leader in exports and imports in our nation."

Patrick noted that ports have a significant impact on the Texas economy. Texas Ports reportedly create nearly 1.4 million jobs generating $82.8 billion in personal income. The Port of Houston creates the majority of the jobs.

Among the members of the Senate named to the committee is Sen. Larry Taylor, who represents the ports of Houston, Galveston and Texas City.

The chairman of the committee is Sen. Brandon Creighton, who represents the ports of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Cedar Bayou. Other members include Sen. Jose Menendez, vice chairman, who represents the Port of San Antonio; Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, representing the Port of Corpus Christi; Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, representing the ports of Bay City, Calhoun, Palacios, Victoria and West Calhoun; Sen. Eduardo "Eddie" Lucio, Jr., representing the ports of Brownsville, Harlingen, Isabel and Mansfield and Sen. Jane Nelson, representing the Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

THE MANIFEST spotlights news briefs exclusively from Port of Houston Authority, its customers, trading partners, and community stakeholders. Submit information in the form of a letter or press release via e-mail to bhensel@poha.com or via fax 713-670-2564.

The Port of Houston Magazine does not guarantee publication and reserves the right to edit submissions for content and style.

THE INVESTMENT CONTINUES

Bigger. Faster. Ready.

THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY recently welcomed four super post-Panamax cranes that are just one portion of the $700 million modernization project taking place at our Barbours Cut Container Terminal. These new ship-to-shore cranes will accommodate today’s generation of large container vessels that will be calling on our terminals following the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Port of Houston Authority America’s Distribution Hub for the Next Generation

www.portof houston.com

| 713.670.2400

FAST AND F PACE OF AC AT BAYPORT Construction activity at the Port of Houston Authority’s Bayport Container Terminal is kicking into a higher gear in 2016, as large volumes of cargo continue to move across the docks and an anticipated surge in exports draws nearer.

12

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

FURIOUS CTIVITY T

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

13

A host of major projects -- ranging from container yards to a new rail spur -- are all getting under way at the already state-of-theart container terminal, the first phase of which opened in 2007.

Chief Port Operations Officer Jeff Davis stresses the importance of all of the impending projects at Bayport as the busy container terminal continues to expand to meet the demands of the growing marketplace and region.

“We are moving forward in accordance with our master plan for Bayport,” Davis said. “It is important to stay on track, particularly given the growth we anticipate.”

The Port Authority is projecting growth of 2.7 percent for in containers for 2016, even with the record numbers in 2015, when the Port Authority surpassed the two million TEU mark for the first time ever. A more significant increase is expected to materialize next year. Much of that coming growth is tied to an increase in plastic resin production as companies that are expanding along the Houston Ship Channel complete their projects. Resins already are a major export product moving across the Port Authority’s docks.

While considerable focus of late has been on the Barbours Cut Container Terminal, where extensive efforts have been ongoing to modernize that 39-year-old facility, the ongoing build-out of Bayport is a high priority.

The Port Authority’s containerized trade continues to grow, recently moving up in the national rankings to become the sixth largest U.S. container port by total TEUs. The greater Houston region has surpassed New York City to be the leading metropolitan export area in the nation. The Houston

NEW HOME =

“We are moving forward in accordance with our master plan for Bayport” Ship Channel is the busiest waterway in the nation with over 8,000 ship calls and 200,000 barge transits.

And with the expansion of the Panama Canal, where the major project to add a third set of locks is about to be completed, PHA anticipates larger vessels will be calling both Barbours Cut and Bayport. The channel at Barbours Cut has been deepened to 45 feet, and dredging at Bayport to take that channel to 45 feet is continuing and will be completed later this year.

Work on Bayport’s Wharf 2, which is a 700-foot extension of the existing wharf at the terminal, is slated to begin during

14

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

the third quarter of this year. Three wharf cranes also will be purchased to go on the dock.

Additionally, a total of nine new Rubber Tired Gantry cranes will be received at the container terminal in May of this year and are expected to be operational this summer.

Work on Bayport’s Container Yard 6, a 25-acre tract, is currently under way. And construction of another 25 acres of container yard, which is to be developed and operated by Terminal Link Texas, is slated to begin this summer. The Port Commission approved that project March 22.

Work on a rail spur at the Bayport terminal is expected to begin soon, and upon completion later this year it will feature 6,500 track feet of new rail. The rail will cross State Highway 146 and connect the existing rail from Strang Rail line to within 900 feet of the planned Freight Station Road in the Bayport Intermodal Facility.

That one-mile road is expected to connect a planned new refrigerated cold storage warehouse near Bayport. The first phase of the 300,000-square-foot temperature-controlled cargo facility will be built at the container terminal by AGRO Merchants Group, which provides cold supply chain operations globally.

The first 1,200 yards of concrete for Freight Station Road was poured March 15.

Meanwhile, the truck gate at the Bayport Container Terminal is set to be expanded again by eight lanes. That project is due to get under way in the third quarter. Upon completion, the project should lower truck turn times at the terminal even more. Already, turn times at the Port Authority average 35 minutes and are considered to be among the lowest in the nation.

Several smaller projects, including construction of a fireboat dock at the cruise terminal at Bayport, also are getting under way.

In addition to constructing the dock itself, a fender system, sheet pile breakwater, moorings, gangway, berthing dolphins and a small storage building west of the terminal also will be put in.

Solid financial performance is expected to continue in 2016 with projections by the Port Authority of revenue growth after a very strong fiscal 2015 in terms of cargo tonnage. Total revenues are projected to increase by 2 percent this year.

The Port Authority’s cash flow that will be generated in 2016 will help support a capital improvement program of $314 million, including the range of projects getting under way at Bayport.

The global economic outlook suggests 2016 overall will be slightly stronger than 2015, with most key economies either growing or remaining steady during the upcoming year.

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

15

PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY’S BAYPORT CONTAINER TERMINAL IS KICKING INTO A HIGHER GEAR IN 2016

A

B

The greater Houston region has surpassed New York City to be the leading metropolitan export area in the nation. The Houston Ship Channel is the busiest waterway in the nation with over 8,000 ship calls and 200,000 barge transits.

Work on Bayport’s Wharf 2, which is a 700-foot extension of the existing wharf at the terminal, is slated to begin third quarter

C

D

E

The channel at Barbours Cut has been deepened to 45 feet, and dredging at Bayport to take that channel to 45 feet is continuing and will be completed later this year.

Work on Bayport’s Container Yard 6, a 25-acre tract, is currently under way.

Work on a rail spur at the Bayport terminal is expected to begin soon, and upon completion later this year it will feature 6,500 track feet of new rail.

A

B

C

D

E

PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY

ALL ABOUT CONTAINERS The arrival of a single vessel that called the Port of Houston 60 years changed the face of global trade.

Ideal-X 1956

That’s because the port was the destination of the very first containership in 1956. The Ideal-X called the port in May of that year loaded with 58 containers, each eight feet wide and eight feet high.

At the time, no one could know the significance of that vessel call and the Port of Houston’s key role in the launching of containerization, which streamlined how goods are shipped across the globe.

But after the voyage of the Ideal-X, it didn’t take the shipping industry too long to realize the huge economic advantage of carrying cargo in containers, and to realize the potential of the initiative pushed by Malcolm McLean, a trucking magnate. McLean later

founded container shipping line Sea-Land, which in 1999 was bought by Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company.

Today, roughly 90 percent of global cargo is carried by container.

Since that time, the Port of Houston Authority has championed that business. The Port Authority’s two container terminals have grown steadily, making Houston the biggest container port in the entire U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The number of containers handled in a year through Houston surpassed the 2 million TEU mark in mid-December.

NEW SERVICE STARTED Even more containers will be moving across the docks, as a new container service launched in February.

That new container/ro-ro service features Grimaldi Lines, calling the Barbours Cut Container Terminal.

Grimaldi owns and operates Atlantic Container Line (ACL), which was Europe’s first containership operator.

Since 2001, after ACL was acquired by Grimaldi, the carrier has been offering container services between North America and West Africa, the Mediterranean and South America.

The new service is composed of six vessels calling between West Africa and the United States. They join a host of other lines that bring cargo across the Port Authority’s docks. They include some of the world’s major shipping lines, such as, CMA CGM, COSCO, Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping (MSC).

Projections indicate continued growth across the docks of the Port Authority’s container terminals, Barbours Cut and Bayport. That will be particularly true come 2017, when some manufacturing plant expansions along the Houston Ship Channel come on line and an expected surge in plastic resin exports moving across the Port of Houston Authority’s docks begins.

About $700 million is being invested by the Port Authority during the next decade modernizing the

Barbours Cut Container Terminal to increase efficiency, facilitate larger vessels and double the container handling capacity. Among other improvements, four new Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore wharf cranes that were delivered in late 2015 year are now in operation.

When it opened in 1977, Barbours Cut was considered somewhat of a gamble, as containerization still was in its early stages and it takes time to build business. But the container business in and out of the port was built up over time, to the extent that planning for a second container terminal began. That ultimately led to the building of the Bayport Container Terminal, which opened in 2007 and is the most modern container facility on the Gulf Coast.

Bayport is now about 50 percent built out. Once the Port Authority’s 10-year growth plan comes to fruition, Bayport capacity will have more than tripled from 900,000 TEUs per year to 3 million TEUs. Barbours Cut’s current capacity of 1.2 million TEUs annually will rise to 2.5 million TEUs. So at final build-out, the Port Authority’s total yearly capacity will rise to about 5.5 million TEUs.

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

19

UH Grad Students Designing New Entry Gate at Turning Basin A new front entry gate at the Turning Basin Terminal is being designed by graduate students from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture’s Graduate Design and Build Studio program at the University of Houston.

20

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

The new entryway is slated to be completed by the end of the summer, and will provide a covered area at the main security checkpoint into the terminal and the executive office building.

“Our graduate students of the 2016 University of Houston Graduate Design/Build Studio have been thrilled by the challenge of designing the Entry Canopy for the Port of Houston Authority,” Graduate Design and Build Studio director and architecture professor Patrick Peters said. “The environment that is our project site there is charged with the high energy of large-scale maritime trade taking place all around us.”

The Port Commission in December approved plans for a $75,000 proposal to design and construct the entrance canopy at the main gate, which is near the Sydney Sherman Bridge over the Houston Ship Channel.

It didn’t take long for the students to get to work, holding a series of meetings with Port Authority staff beginning in January.

The college’s Graduate Design/Build Studio has years of experience with student projects, developing sun/rainprotected shade structures in a variety of settings. Those settings include projects with other local government agencies.

The partnership between the Port Authority and the university began after Chief Legal Officer Erik Eriksson visited the architecture school last year. Eriksson viewed a student exhibit called Risky Habitat that showed student’s design ideas for Houston waterways -- including Buffalo Bayou and the ship channel.

“It’s an opportunity for two local institutions to work together and for us to learn about each other, and for students to make a mark on our facility,” Eriksson said.

“We’re both public institutions, so the public benefits from us collaborating at a reduced cost.”

Port Authority staff recommended approval of the agreement with the architecture school, saying it would be a cost-effective way to make the improvements while offering educational opportunities for local graduate students. It also better acquaints students and others with Port Authority operations.

Ten graduate students at the school were recruited to be involved, with Peters shepherding the project and helping the students. He noted that while significant practical constraints influence the decisions about the design of the structure, other important factors are involved as well.

“We seek to not only accommodate and shelter the important security functions taking place,” Peters said, “but also to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of arriving at the port, Houston’s commercial and industrial backbone since its origin.”

After the design process concluded, construction drawings were created. Final drawings will be submitted to the City of Houston for a building permit. Plans call for work to recommence at the beginning of the summer semester in June and will move through fabrication drawings, fabrication and on-site construction.

Peters and the students attended the March Port Commission meeting to provide an update on the project.

A completion date of August 13 has been set.

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

21

MUD WRESTL ENVIRONMENT ON

To help address environmental issues stemming from track out or dirt and mud being carried out onto High Level Road at the Turning Basin Terminal, AllTrans Port Services devised a debris trapping system at one of its facilities.

LING FOR THE HIGH LEVEL ROAD It resembles a cattle guard or sorts. But it’s a big one, and it is made with heavy-duty steel railroad track.

A major problem associated with erosion of unstabilized yards is the movement of soil off-site and consequent pollution of receiving waters. The soil itself is a major pollutant, but it also can carry attached pollutants such as petroleum products, metals, chemicals, pesticides, organic products and bacteria into the Houston Ship Channel and out into Galveston Bay. The company’s unique approach to a very real issue is helping control the so-called “track-out,” notes Leah Oberlin, the Director of Environmental Affairs for the Port of Houston Authority. And that’s not all the Port Authority tenant is doing.

“AllTrans is a great example of a company that has sought out a longer-term lease and is investing in its leased property to resolve this environmental problem,” Oberlin said.

AllTrans has stabilized a portion of its yard, has identified just one entrance and one exit, and has stabilized that exit by asphalting. The company also sweeps up the track-out that falls within its lease boundary so that it is less likely to move out onto the road. The company is doing what it can to address the problem, says Gerald Lee, the Safety & Environmental Manager for AllTrans.

AllTrans isn't the only one. Ridgeway is taking similar steps to help combat the amount of dirt and mud leaving its facility.

It is important that the sediment, which has a tendency to wash off the road into the storm sewer system and into the Houston Ship Channel, be contained. As the permitted party for the state’s Municipal Separate Storm

Sewer System program, the Port Authority is required to keep the system clear of sediment.

The debris-trapping system that AllTrans developed is large enough that the truck wheels go twice around before exiting, so some sediment can be loosened and then drop off onto or between the tracks so it isn’t carried out onto the main road.

“We have already made one set of modifications,” Lee said. “We are on top of the problem trying to solve the issue and we are hoping this will work. If it does, we will build more. If not, we will go back to the drawing board.”

That said, the solution AllTrans came up with – work on it started sometime after Thanksgiving of 2015 – appears to be having at least some early success. The system has an approach section of asphalt and another after the vehicles cross over the cattle guard to provide a better look at the effectiveness of the guard and to see how much dirt is actually being removed.

After the exit crossing station was completed in late January, it was determined that a large amount of dirt was being removed.

“It appears to be a success in design and engineering and we feel it is working as expected and keeping more than 95 percent of the dirt off the traffic leaving the site on the site,” Lee wrote in a letter to the Port Authority.

24

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

Although the Port Authority operates a sweeper truck almost full-time to sweep the road to remove the sediment, that tactic is simply a response to a problem that doesn't address the actual cause, Oberlin notes.

Port officials from the real estate and operations divisions are working with other tenants to allow for the implementation of longer leases along High Level Road, which effectively provides them more economic stability so they can more effectively invest in their lease properties. The Port Authority is encouraging all tenants to take steps to minimize the track-out. Those steps include encouraging tenants to: • Properly grade their yards so that water does not pool onsite or create mud pits; • S tabilize the areas where the trucks operate, and the exits to help reduce the dirt and mud that get onto the trucks; • Add items such as rail systems, track-out pads at exits or wheel washes at exits to remove material from the wheels of trucks; • Set exits back from the roadway so that material falls within their lease boundary, which they then can manage.

The Port Authority will continue to work with all tenants to ensure the environmental problems cause by the sediment being carried onto High Level Road is solved.

“AllTrans has committed to doing what is necessary to fix the problem,” Oberlin said.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE SEDIMENT, WHICH HAS A TENDENCY TO WASH OFF THE ROAD INTO THE STORM SEWER SYSTEM AND INTO THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, BE CONTAINED. Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

25

SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL BUSINESS Power Line Solutions Powering Port Projects

Joe Vossler, Dianne Vossler and Karl Vossler

“Promises Made. Promises Kept.”

That was the slogan Alan Vossler devised when he founded his company Power Line Solutions in 2007.

He understood that large contractors don’t have time or resources necessary to allocate to smaller companies for their daily needs. He also understood the urgency to reestablish a system when it goes down.

Although Alan Vossler passed away unexpectedly in 2012, his wife Dianne and his brothers Joe Vossler and Karl Vossler stepped up to continue the level of services customers had come to expect from the company. The family-owned and family-operated company has grown to where it now has 39 employees.

The medium-to-high voltage electrical contracting company – which touts its ability to work overhead or underground – currently is working with the Port Authority as a subcontractor on the Container Yard 6 North project, performing the entire electrical portion of the project at the Bayport Container Terminal.

Power Line Solutions also has performed as a subcontractor on a host of other jobs with the Port Authority, including work on fireboat docks, a ten-acre repaving project and a dredge cable job. The company also was awarded the emergency contract for the Turning Basin.

26

Port of Houston Authority | Spring 2016

“We have been honored to be awarded important work at the Port of Houston Authority and look forward to providing services on other jobs as they are needed,” Dianne Vossler said. “Our company is growing and we truly appreciate the confidence that has been placed in us.”

Power Line Solutions is a small business contractor that has been certified by the City of Houston since July 2008 and is registered in the Port’s Small Business Development Program, noted Mentoring Program Manager Pedro Gonzalez, who is with the small business development program.

“They are currently working with prime contractor, Trans-Global Solutions, Inc. on the contract to Construct Container Yard 6 North at Bayport Terminal,” Gonzalez said. “They have the experienced personnel, knowledge, skill, and equipment to complete any project on time and on budget, and most important, to complete it safely.”

With more than 30 years of experience in the electrical industry, Power Line Solutions is on call around-the-clock and serves industrial clients as well as and governmental entities. Continuing to expand, the company now is able to offer low-voltage services, as well as perform turnkey service for large capital projects.

Spring 2016 | Port of Houston Authority

27

The Port of Houston PO Box 2562 Houston, Texas 77252-2562

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Houston, TX Permit #1395

We’ll Help You Steer the Right Course

Positive signs of recovery are on the horizon but we know the course is difficult.

At Cooper/T.Smith, we’ve been dedicated to holding down your cost of doing business since our founding in 1905. From our great-grandfathers’ day to the present, difficult economic times have taught us to control costs, eliminate waste and increase efficiency. Our obsession with paying attention to detail and keeping our pencils sharp saves you money. And that helps keep your course true.

Stevedoring

Logistics

Tugboats

Midstream Transfers

Terminal Operators

www.coopertsmith.com

Restaurants

Forest Products