MarEx Newsletter - September 18, 2008

September 18, 2008 | Vol. 6, No. 38 In this issue: Minding the Helm in Choppy Waters MarEx Mailbag: Reader Response to Editorials and Online Articles… Rio Oil and Gas Conference – Hitting the Pavement AMO Expands PIC DL Observer Options Through New Agreement with TORM Coast Guard Releases Video, Imagery of 7 ton, $187 million Cocaine Bust MITAGS to Offer Three-Day VCF or One-Day Refresher Course to Satisfy STCW VSO Requirements U.S. Coast Guard Issues Safety Alert and Technical Advisory IBIA Re-Emphasises Commitment to Best Practice Ukranian Seafarer Guilty of Covering Up Discharges of Oil Contaminated Waste DOT & MARAD: Environmental Initiatives and Partnerships Cummings: 'Coast Guard Must Act with a Sense of Urgency' Broadpoint Keeps Customers Productive Throughout Hurricane Ike GAO on TWIC: Update and Recommendations St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation Weighs in on Strike Vote Marine Money's 9th Annual Marine Finance Forum set for October 16 in NY Minding the Helm in Choppy Waters Staying on course in a tough cycle isn't easy, but it is necessary. Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Mailbag: Reader Response to Editorials and Online Articles… MarEx readers weigh in on two previous online editorials; one about the GOP's Vice Presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska and a previous piece about nostalgia and ship scrapping. Read More>>>Back to Top Rio Oil and Gas Conference – Hitting the Pavement The Rio Oil and Gas Conference (Rio de Janeiro) is smashing records in attendance, exhibitors, and interest as the Brazilian oil and gas industry rises to global prominence. Read More>>>Back to Top AMO Expands PIC DL Observer Options Through New Agreement with TORM American Maritime Officers expanded options for AMO members seeking to earn the dangerous liquids person-in-charge rating through an exclusive agreement signed Sept. 5 with A/S Dampskibsselskabet TORM. Read More>>>Back to Top Coast Guard Releases Video, Imagery of 7 ton, $187 million Cocaine Bust The U.S. Coast Guard released new imagery and video Monday of the seizure of seven tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $187 million, from a self-propelled, semi-submersible craft in the waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean Saturday. Read More>>>Back to Top MITAGS to Offer Three-Day VCF or One-Day Refresher Course to Satisfy STCW VSO Requirements Vessel Security Officer Endorsement added TO STCW-95 Certificate (Revised 9-18-08); MITAGS announces expanded new schedule for both courses. Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. Coast Guard Issues Safety Alert and Technical Advisory United States Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship Washington, DC issues Technical Advisory on Oil Content Monitors and a Safety Alert on fires caused by high temperature components associated with turbochargers and engine exhaust systems. Read More>>>Back to Top IBIA Re-Emphasises Commitment to Best Practice THE International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has re-emphasised its commitment to best practice in bunkering operations throughout the world. Read More>>>Back to Top Ukranian Seafarer Guilty of Covering Up Discharges of Oil Contaminated Waste Ukranian seafarer pled guilty in federal court to charges of failing to maintain an accurate ship record concerning the disposal of oil contaminated waste by the M/T "Nautilus." Read More>>>Back to Top DOT & MARAD: Environmental Initiatives and Partnerships U.S. Maritime Administration awards $350,000 contract to the Northwest-Midwest Institute's Great Ships Initiative to develop appropriate protocols for ballast water discharge sampling and additionally puts up $150,000 for a collaborative partnership with the Port of New Bedford to see if having ships use shore-generated electricity while in port cuts down on air pollution. Read More>>>Back to Top Cummings: 'Coast Guard Must Act with a Sense of Urgency' Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, weighs in on circumstances surrounding the collision of a tanker and a barge that resulted in the release of nearly 300,000 gallons of oil into the Mississippi River over the summer. Read More>>>Back to Top Broadpoint Keeps Customers Productive Throughout Hurricane Ike The high winds and heavy rainfall produced by a hurricane can have a potentially disastrous effect on the maritime industry, and that devastation is compounded if communication methods are down. Without this critical function, productivity is lost and safety is compromised, resulting in a huge financial burden on many offshore businesses. Read More>>>Back to Top GAO on TWIC: Update and Recommendations Testimony now available through GAO release – Transportation Security: Transportation Worker Identification Credential: A Status Update. GAO-08-1151T, September 17 Read More>>>Back to Top St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation Weighs in on Strike Vote Statement Issued by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation on the results of a strike vote by CAW Read More>>>Back to Top Marine Money's 9th Annual Marine Finance Forum set for October 16 in NY Among some of the most turbulent financial times in decades Marine Money will host its annual fall New York conference, 9th Annual Marine Finance Forum "Capital, Energy and Bold Ideas: A New Shipping Landscape" on Thursday, October 16 at The Harvard Club of New York City, bringing together firms and institutions most active in today's ship finance industry. Read More>>>Back to Top Copyright © 2007 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. 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