MarEx Newsletter - July 26, 2007

July 26, 2007 | Vol. 5, No. 30 In this issue: Two Congressional Hearings Scheduled on Various Aspects of the U.S. Coast Guard Business U.S. Coast Guard and CAMM Both Seek Mariner Feedback U.S. Department of Justice Announces Guilty Plea in Case Alleging Violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships Pay Raise Legislation for Long Island Sound Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Pilots Signed by NY Governor; Connecticut Still AWOL on the Deal MSC Napoli Finally Split in Two Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Delivers Speech on Homeland Security as Industry Circles the Wagons Against 100% Cargo Screening PVA Comments on EPA Marine Engines Emissions Rule $1.7-Million Ransom Demanded for Crew of Danica White Tentative Labor Deal Reached in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) Sponsors the Maritime Administration Authorization Act of 2007 (S-1778) Polish Shipyard May Close Nautical Institute's Northeast Coast USA Branch to Address Revised Training Requirements for Bridge Resource Management Marine Environment Protection Committee Progresses Key Issues GPA's Provides Design For Economically Optimal Natural Gas Carrier London P&I Club Completes the Year in Strong Financial Position Two Congressional Hearings Scheduled on Various Aspects of the U.S. Coast Guard Business The summer heat is turned up as the embattled Coast Guard prepares to defend its position and bring its operations back on even keel Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. Coast Guard and CAMM Both Seek Mariner Feedback Coast Guard announcement centers on mariner licensing and documentation program while CAMM announcement includes both Administrative Law Judge issues and Coast Guard Marine Safety Programs Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. Department of Justice Announces Guilty Plea in Case Alleging Violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships Shipping Company Pleads Guilty to Vessel Pollution-Related Charges Read More>>>Back to Top Pay Raise Legislation for Long Island Sound Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Pilots Signed by NY Governor; Connecticut Still AWOL on the Deal New York's action could bring the two states into real conflict as the very fiber of the MOA threatens to unravel Read More>>>Back to Top MSC Napoli Finally Split in Two After three rounds of cutting charges, the ship has finally been split in two. Read More>>>Back to Top Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Delivers Speech on Homeland Security as Industry Circles the Wagons Against 100% Cargo Screening Chertoff asserts that the three basic principles of port security are partnership, risk management, and a layered approach to security; but International Cargo Security Council says that 100% cargo screening is neither pragmatic, nor possible Read More>>>Back to Top PVA Comments on EPA Marine Engines Emissions Rule In a recent letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) stated that more understanding is needed before an efficient and effective process to reduce marine emissions can be finalized. Read More>>>Back to Top $1.7-Million Ransom Demanded for Crew of Danica White A very steep ransom has finally been demanded for the five Danish crew members of the vessel that was hijacked nearly two months ago Read More>>>Back to Top Tentative Labor Deal Reached in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Last-minute deal avoids costly work stoppage at nation's largest and busiest port hub Read More>>>Back to Top Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) Sponsors the Maritime Administration Authorization Act of 2007 (S-1778) MARAD funding could exceed $200 million Read More>>>Back to Top Polish Shipyard May Close Gdansk Shipyard, one of the largest shipyards in Poland, may have to close if it does not meet the EU's capacity reduction requirements Read More>>>Back to Top Nautical Institute's Northeast Coast USA Branch to Address Revised Training Requirements for Bridge Resource Management Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) to host meeting where speakers from various areas of the maritime industry will present their specific views on the subject Read More>>>Back to Top Marine Environment Protection Committee Progresses Key Issues A number of important issues, including measures to reduce air pollution from ships and the proposed Ship Recycling Convention, were discussed at the MEPC's 56th session Read More>>>Back to Top GPA's Provides Design For Economically Optimal Natural Gas Carrier Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. is providing the design to Sea NG Corp. for two additional versions of the Coselle Compressed Natural Gas CNG carrier Read More>>>Back to Top London P&I Club Completes the Year in Strong Financial Position Club achieves investment return of 11% while increasing free reserves to $111 million Read More>>>Back to Top Copyright © 2007 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 To Unsubscribe, click here.

August "Environmental" Issue of The Maritime Executive

MarEx Newsletter - July 19, 2007

July 19, 2007 | Vol. 5, No. 29 In this issue: Pay Raise for Long Island Sound Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) Pilots Still in Doubt Former Coast Guard Commandant Dies MARAD Sponsors Domestic Shipbuilding Summit on July 16 Grounded Tanker Freed From Port of New York IOMMP Issues Response to Mariner / USCG ALJ Controversy MSC Napoli Grounded Again NOAA & U.S. Coast Guard Help to Shift Boston Ship Traffic Lane to Reduce Risk of Collisions With Whales; Proposal to Limit Ship Speeds Held Up by White House Coal Loading Backup Affects All INTERTANKO Announces Cooperative Agreement on Tanker Officer Training Oil Slick Threatens Three Ibiza Beaches UK Marine Accident Report Blames Vessel in Seamen's Deaths in 2006 Weather Accident at Scapa Flow Piracy Incidents on the Rise MarEx Reader Responds to Editorial ("Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Hyundai") in Our VT HALTER (June) Print Edition New Resources for Bridge Resource Management (BRM) Noble Denton Acquires Poseidon Maritime (UK) LTD Pay Raise for Long Island Sound Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) Pilots Still in Doubt A "penny-wise and pound foolish" Connecticut continues to drag its feet as MOA pilots await their first pay increase in nearly 24 years Read More>>>Back to Top Former Coast Guard Commandant Dies U.S. Coast Guard announced the death of Adm. Owen W. Siler, 85, Coast Guard commandant from 1974 to 1978 Read More>>>Back to Top MARAD Sponsors Domestic Shipbuilding Summit on July 16 Meeting represents the Maritime Administration's opening salvo in a renewed effort to support the industry and meet its biggest challenges Read More>>>Back to Top Grounded Tanker Freed From Port of New York The White Sea was freed from the Ambrose Channel on Friday Read More>>>Back to Top IOMMP Issues Response to Mariner / USCG ALJ Controversy Excerpt from MMP Newsletter: Congress should investigate USCG administrative law judge program, MM&P President says Read More>>>Back to Top MSC Napoli Grounded Again After being successfully refloated, the ship was deliberately beached again once severe hull damage was discovered. Read More>>>Back to Top NOAA & U.S. Coast Guard Help to Shift Boston Ship Traffic Lane to Reduce Risk of Collisions With Whales; Proposal to Limit Ship Speeds Held Up by White House The move is said to increase safety, but not everyone agrees; the Bush Administration is also holding up a move to create a plan regulating ship speed limits to protect critically-endangered North Atlantic right whales Read More>>>Back to Top Coal Loading Backup Affects All The backup has caused vessels to idle outside of the Port of Newcastle for weeks, which in turn has locals worried about the vessels' environmental effects Read More>>>Back to Top INTERTANKO Announces Cooperative Agreement on Tanker Officer Training Press Release (18 July 2007) details mutual agreement with Warsash Maritime Academy (UK) on the Tanker Officer Training Standard (TOTS) project Read More>>>Back to Top Oil Slick Threatens Three Ibiza Beaches Oil leaks from the sunken Don Pedro caused three beaches on Spain's Balearic Island of Ibiza to be closed during cleanup operations Read More>>>Back to Top UK Marine Accident Report Blames Vessel in Seamen's Deaths in 2006 Weather Accident at Scapa Flow Large waves not abnormal, according to report; ship should have delayed sailing until properly secured for sea Read More>>>Back to Top Piracy Incidents on the Rise According to an IMB report, piracy incidents in the second quarter of 2007 have increased 37 percent Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Reader Responds to Editorial ("Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Hyundai") in Our VT HALTER (June) Print Edition Read the response and then the editorial online at the MarEx Web site Read More>>>Back to Top New Resources for Bridge Resource Management (BRM) The Nautical Institute will be holding a series of meetings to address the revised training requirements for BRM Read More>>>Back to Top Noble Denton Acquires Poseidon Maritime (UK) LTD Noble Denton Group, the global offshore and marine consulting firm, announces the acquisition of Poseidon Maritime (UK) Ltd for £2.4 million (16 July) Read More>>>Back to Top Copyright © 2007 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 To Unsubscribe, click here.

MarEx Newsletter - July 12, 2007

July 12, 2007 | Vol. 5, No. 28 In this issue: Ecuador & Chevron: Trouble in Paradise Coast Guard Commandant ADM Thad Allen Addresses Potential Legislation to Transfer Maritime Safety Duties of Coast Guard to Another Department Case Study: PortVision Puts Coast Guard Oil Spill Investigation in Focus No Pollution or Serious Injuries Reported in Massachusetts Commuter Ferries Collision Stranded Bulker Finally Refloated 20 Members of Congress Urge DHS Secretary Chertoff to Address Economic and Maritime Security in the Offshore Marine Sector UNHCR and IMO Meet to Discuss Rising Death Toll at Sea Canada Will Defend Arctic Sovereignty and Embarks on Ambitious Building Plan BAE, VT, and UK's Ministry of Defence Deadlocked Coast Guard & ABS Release Cruise Ship Empress of the North to Resume Southeast Alaska Operations; NTSB Urges Coast Guard to Inspect Onboard Lifesaving Equipment Canal to Link Caspian and Black Seas Proposed Panama Canal News: ACP Spotlights Investments and EIS Study ICSC Conference Educates Attendees, Reinforces Strong Ties to Law Enforcement AHL Shipping to Build First Jones Act Tankers Using Innovative Construction Process for Shell Charter Ziff Energy Publishes Large Deepwater Operations Study to Help Gulf of Mexico Operators Enhance Production Efficiency & Manage Cost Challenges Ecuador & Chevron: Trouble in Paradise MarEx: Ecuador might want to look closer to home in cleaning up its own environmental act before blaming others Read More>>>Back to Top Coast Guard Commandant ADM Thad Allen Addresses Potential Legislation to Transfer Maritime Safety Duties of Coast Guard to Another Department Internal correspondence to all Coast Guard sectors and commands reinforces Coast Guard opposition to the concept Read More>>>Back to Top Case Study: PortVision Puts Coast Guard Oil Spill Investigation in Focus Coast Guard utilizes PortVision's Web-based, AIS-capturing tool to analyze vessel traffic near four-mile-long oil slick Read More>>>Back to Top No Pollution or Serious Injuries Reported in Massachusetts Commuter Ferries Collision U.S. Coast Guard Responds to Minor Incident in Foggy Boston Harbor Read More>>>Back to Top Stranded Bulker Finally Refloated Now that the Pasha Bulker has been refloated, who will pay the bill? Read More>>>Back to Top 20 Members of Congress Urge DHS Secretary Chertoff to Address Economic and Maritime Security in the Offshore Marine Sector Specific issues related to maritime domain awareness addressed in June 28 letter to Bush Cabinet member Read More>>>Back to Top UNHCR and IMO Meet to Discuss Rising Death Toll at Sea The UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection and the Secretary-General of the IMO met in London to discuss tactics to decrease the loss of migrants' lives in unseaworthy vessels Read More>>>Back to Top Canada Will Defend Arctic Sovereignty and Embarks on Ambitious Building Plan Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada will establish deep water port in Arctic and build eight patrol ships Read More>>>Back to Top BAE, VT, and UK's Ministry of Defence Deadlocked The two shipbuilding companies will not finalize the deal until the next step in the Future Aircraft Carrier program is approved; the MOD will not okay the next phase until the merger is complete Read More>>>Back to Top Coast Guard & ABS Release Cruise Ship Empress of the North to Resume Southeast Alaska Operations; NTSB Urges Coast Guard to Inspect Onboard Lifesaving Equipment Vessel to resume service despite one of two Z-drive systems remaining inoperable; NTSB recommendation is described as "urgent" Read More>>>Back to Top Canal to Link Caspian and Black Seas Proposed President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan has proposed a canal to promote trade between Europe and Asia Read More>>>Back to Top Panama Canal News: ACP Spotlights Investments and EIS Study Infrastructure investments and service enhancements to move forward and ACP completes environmental impact study for first dry excavation for expansion Read More>>>Back to Top ICSC Conference Educates Attendees, Reinforces Strong Ties to Law Enforcement The highly successful conference concentrated on port security issues and showcased the latest tactics and successful strategies currently being used to combat cargo theft Read More>>>Back to Top AHL Shipping to Build First Jones Act Tankers Using Innovative Construction Process for Shell Charter Vessels eventually to go on long-term charter to Shell Trading in 2009/2010 Read More>>>Back to Top Ziff Energy Publishes Large Deepwater Operations Study to Help Gulf of Mexico Operators Enhance Production Efficiency & Manage Cost Challenges Study Introduces Innovative New Operating Efficiency and Reliability Metrics Read More>>>Back to Top Copyright © 2007 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 To Unsubscribe, click here.