MarEx eNewsletter - December 17, 2009

December 17th, 2009 Vol. 7, No. 50 North to Alaska: Warming Up to New Realities Forget the proposed AK gasline; it will be obsolete before the first length of pipe is laid. Energy and maritime sectors are seemingly poised to take advantage of new opportunities. It has been a busy two weeks for the folks up in Alaska. And, while I'm not ... Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Mailbag: This week's mailbag contains just one letter that addresses our lead editorial of last week. This week, we received just one letter and it addressed last week's lead piece. Received from a Port of Corpus Christi official, it predictably takes issue with our editorial entitled, "Port Security: ... Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Podcast: Our now regular feature is a popular staple for MarEx readers on the go. Our eighth podcast recounts our December 19th lead editorial referencing the recently announced increases in fees for port users at the port of corpus Christi, Texas. The article drew more than its share of "click-through" traffic. ... Read More>>>Back to Top MARAD Administrator Nominee's Hearing Put on "Hold" Committee spokespersons and DOT decline to say why; no new date for David Matsuda's confirmation hearing declared. No major issues apparently involved with delay. The scheduled Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon of this week included, among other things on the schedule, ... Read More>>>Back to Top A Report Card on DHS Security Policies, Standards and Programs Part 1 of 5: a look at CBP's False Positive Standard, and Legislation on 100% Scanning. By Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman of Powers Global Holdings, Inc. and President of Powers International, LLC, an international transportation security company. "…there is currently no proven technology which can address transshipped ... Read More>>>Back to Top MITAGS to Offer Deck & Engine Coast Guard Preparation Courses Offerings reflect industry demand and will be given at the MITAGS Campus. • Engine Department In response to requests, MITAGS has scheduled two, unlicensed engine department Coast Guard Exam Preparation Courses in 2010. An unlimited 3rd Assistant Prep Course can be schedule for six ... Read More>>>Back to Top AAPA Letter to Congress Keys on Transportation Infrastructure and Seaports Letter Outlines Key Steps to Create Jobs, Enhance Economy. Focus is on Transportation Infrastructure, Green Programs, Tax & Trade Policies. In a letter to Senate and House leadership regarding a possible jobs bill being considered by Congress, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Chief Executive Officer ... Read More>>>Back to Top President Obama's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funding to be Used for Immediate Asian Carp Control Measures WASHINGTON - Great Lakes Interagency Task Force Chair and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today announced $13 million in federal funding to prevent Asian carp from migrating further toward the Great Lakes. "The challenge at hand requires the immediate action we're taking today. EPA ... Read More>>>Back to Top THE UN-COMFORT ZONE with Robert Wilson The Buck Starts Here. Recently I participated in a Murder Mystery weekend at a bed and breakfast lodge. Every guest was a given a role to play. There were eight suspects; each of whom had one or more of the following: Means, Opportunity and Motive. Having the ... Read More>>>Back to Top Peak Oil & Shipping: Not Such a Livid Prospect Bill Becken weighs in on the risks and opportunities associated with so-called "Peak Oil." For awhile now, peak-oil believers have warned, among other things, that 2010 would be the year that world oil production would peak and begin its gradual decline, eventually hitting the shipping business hard. ... Read More>>>Back to Top PLANETDATA / MARITIME SECURITY NEWS PlanetData - The Security News Network is a free news and information resource focused on maritime, global, corporate, cyber, homeland and aviation security, law enforcement and intelligence. PlanetData hosts timely and comprehensive content gathered from over 1,000 online sources, as well as from our editors, contributors and members. This newsletter ... Read More>>>Back to Top Overseas Shipholding Group and Aker Sign Settlement Agreement Settlement agreement reportedly has received all necessary third party approvals as well as approval from the U.S. Coast Guard. NEW YORK: Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. announced that it has entered into a settlement agreement with American Shipping Company ASA, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA, and Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, ... Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. Exports End Downward Trend In October A Hopeful Sign For Job Creation' Says AAPA Chief Executive. For October 2009, statistics reported by the U.S. Census show a second consecutive month of year-on-year increases for United States exports, which in volume terms were the highest exports have been since June 2008. On the import ... Read More>>>Back to Top USDOJ: Polembros Shipping Ltd. Sentenced for Crimes Related to Pollution from Cargo Ship Traveling to New Orleans Court Orders all of Company's Ships Barred from U.S. Waters for Three Years. December 9, 2009: Polembros Shipping LTD., a ship management company headquartered in Greece, was sentenced today in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2.7 million criminal fine for violating anti-pollution laws, ship ... Read More>>>Back to Top Cargill's Calhoun Named Chair of Waterways Council, Inc. Group says funding issues threaten inland waterway infrastructure. ARLINGTON, VA -- Rick Calhoun, president of Cargill Marine and Terminal, Inc., has been elected chairman of the Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), the national public policy organization advocating a modern and well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways. ... Read More>>>Back to Top AHL Shipping Clarifies Bankruptcy of Three LLC's AHL President Richard Horner: AHL Shipping Company has not and has no plans to file for re-organization. December 11th, 2009 – San Antonio, Texas: In response to last week's reorganization filings by three limited liability companies associated with AHL Shipping Company, and to incomplete media accounts of ... Read More>>>Back to Top GAO Reports to Congress on TWIC (GAO-10-43) GAO: Progress Made in Enrolling Workers and Activating Credentials but Evaluation Plan Needed to Help Inform the Implementation of Card Readers. (November 2009) • Why GAO Did This Study The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, which is managed by the Department ... Read More>>>Back to Top World Maritime University to Host "Ballast Water Week" in January 2010 Leading scientific experts engaged in the fight against alien species transported in ships' ballast water will come together in January 2010 at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden, in a week-long series of ballast water management-related meetings. The event will be jointly organized by the ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Casualties--December 17, 2009 Dutch military captures pirates and sailors still missing after ship sinks. • Dutch Military Thwarts Attack and Captures Pirates The Dutch navy seized 13 pirates and a haul of weapons after they attempted to attack a merchant ship off the coast of Oman last ... Read More>>>Back to Top MITAGS Offering LNG Awareness Seminars 2-Day and 4-Day options available, commencing on December 14, 2009 • Scope of Seminars: The seminars are intended to familiarize terminal, shipboard, and company personnel interested or affiliated with LNG Operations. Topics covered include LNG safety, theory, vessel / terminal designs, equipment and operations. ... Read More>>>Back to Top Eighty-three Crowley Owned/Managed Vessels Honored with 2009 Environmental Achievement Awards Crowley Maritime Corporation was recently honored at a Chamber Shipping of America awards ceremony with Environmental Achievement Awards for 2009. The awards recognized the environmental excellence of 83 Crowley owned or managed vessels for operating at least two years without any environmental incidents. The Crowley vessels recognized ... Read More>>>Back to Top EMAIL UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2009 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316