The Russians Are Coming to Nome, AK.

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:

(04 January 2012)

(DUTCH HARBOR, Alaska) -- Coast Guard inspectors completed a port state control exam on the double-hulled ice-classed Russian tanker Renda today in Dutch Harbor.

"The tanker vessel Renda met all applicable federal laws and regulations and can operate in U.S. waters following the successful completion of a required Coast Guard port state control examination," said Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo, commander District 17. "Our daily discussions will continue with our federal, state, local, tribal partners, and the marine industry to ensure the highest standards of safety and compliance are in place to mitigate risks to the people of Nome, the crews of the vessels, and the environment."

The Renda will be escorted by the Coast Guard Cutter Healy and is expected to arrive in Nome on Jan. 8, 2012 if on scene weather conditions permit safe passage.

The Healy will lead the Renda through 300 miles of ice to within a half mile of the harbor entrance. "Upon arrival, the Renda will transit the remaining distance to stable ice close to the harbor entrance to transfer fuel via hose under approved procedures," said Capt. Craig Lloyd, District 17 chief of response who is coordinating the mission. "University of Alaska personnel are in Nome to assist in determining the thickness of the ice outside the harbor entrance. Due to a large ridge of ice at the harbor entrance, the Renda is unable to enter the actual harbor."

The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security approved a Jones Act Waiver Dec. 30, 2011 to Vitus Marine authorizing the foreign-flagged tanker to deliver gasoline from Dutch Harbor to Nome. Renda arrived in Dutch Harbor laden with diesel fuel that was on loaded in Asia. The Jones Act waiver was required since Renda could not load the gasoline cargo in Asia due to weather and scheduling constraints. The vessel is scheduled to take on additional cargo of gasoline in Dutch Harbor today.

The Healy's participation was contingent upon the following items: the Renda passed the port state control exam, there were no inordinate delays, the fuel transfer plans met federal and state requirements and on scene weather conditions permit safe passage.

Sitnasuak Native Corporation of Nome signed a contract with Vitus Marine LLC to deliver 1.3 million gallons of petroleum products to Nome via Renda around the second week of January. If successful, this will mark the first time that petroleum products have been delivered by sea to a Western Alaskan community through ice covered waters.

"This has been and continues to be a highly orchestrated effort between all stakeholders to ensure mission success" said Ostebo. "As we have done for more than 220 years, the Coast Guard is dedicated to ensuring the safe and secure transfer of maritime commerce. The Healy, our nation's only operating polar ice breaker, and its crew are committed to upholding our long history of service to the residents of Alaska."

The Healy is named after Capt. Mike Healy, an 19th century Coast Guard hero. As the commanding officer of numerous Coast Guard cutters, "Hell Roaring Mike", enforced federal law, provided search and rescue, and provided humanitarian assistance along Alaska's 20,000 mile coastline in the late 1800s. The cutter is 420-feet long and has extensive scientific capabilities. Homeported in Seattle, the cutter has a permanent crew of 80 and was originally scheduled to return home in mid December. The primary mission is scientific support but it is capable of other Coast Guard and defense operations such as search and rescue, domestic ice breaking, environmental protection and the enforcement of laws and treaties in the Polar Regions.

Like the Railroads, but better.

From Professional Mariner
08 December 2011
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- America's barge industry is entering the spotlight in an effort to win more federal dollars, National Public Radio reported. Waterborne infrastructure needs an estimated $8 billion worth of work. The industry said barge transportation is "like railroads but better." One critic argues that private business should pay for the improvements.    For the original NPR broadcast click here.

No Gas for Nome, Alaska

Article from the Alaska Dispatch
28 November 2011

Unleaded gasoline sells for $5.43 a gallon at the pump in Nome, but that price could skyrocket by this spring because a fuel barge with more than 1 million gallons didn't arrive as expected this fall in the remote Northwest Alaska community.
For Nome residents, the cancelled shipment, which petroleum distributor Delta Western blames on stormy weather and sea ice, brings back memories of a similar situation in another rural Alaska community.
In the spring of 2010, after a fuel barge couldn't reach the Interior town of McGrath, the distributor was forced to fly fuel in. Those costly flights pushed prices at the pump from $5.97 to $8.50 a gallon. Nome Mayor Denise Michels said her community of 3,600 isn't facing an emergency yet. But if Nome fuel stocks drop too low this spring, supplies would have to be flown in, which would raise prices at the pump.
Hopefully, Delta Western and Bonanza Fuel, the company that ordered the 1.6 million gallons of gasoline, diesel fuel and heating fuel, can reach an agreement that avoids passing costs onto Nome residents, said Michels. The companies are discussing the problem now, she said.
"They need to figure it out," Michels said.

The barge carrying the big fuel load couldn’t reach Nome, in part because of stormy weather, including the recent tempest in the Bering and Chukchi seas, said Kirk Payne, Delta Western vice president. Sea ice that has since enveloped the community, delivering the final blow. The barge won't reach Nome this winter, Payne said.
It's possible that costs related to the canceled barge shipment could be rolled into a state disaster declaration, said Scott Ruby, director of the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs.
Gov. Sean Parnell's Disaster Policy Cabinet meets on Wednesday to consider whether damage from the mid-November storm across a wide swath of western Alaska warrants a disaster declaration from the state. The cabinet will advise the governor, who makes the final call, Ruby said.
Nome has asked the state's emergency services division to determine whether a disaster declaration would cover the cost of higher fuel prices, said Michels. It might, but the city hopes Bonanza and Delta Western resolve the issue themselves.
One question is whether the weather was truly the problem, said Michels.
It was, said Payne. But Jason Evans, board chair of Bonanza parent company, Sitnasuak Native Corp., said Bonanza ordered the fuel in May, and the company has been awaiting its order for three months. "There's not been 90 days of extreme weather," Evans said, and other barges have reached Nome before ice surrounded it.

Contact Alex DeMarban at alex(at)alaskadispatch.com

Port of Los Angeles to participate in clean-ships program

The Following is a press release from the Port of Los Angeles.

(SAN PEDRO, Calif.) -- The Port of Los Angeles is working with the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) to develop incentive program strategies to participate in the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) Program starting in 2012.

ESI is an international web-based ship-rating system ports can use to promote clean ships by rewarding operators whose vessels exceed current environmental performance standards and regulations. Port staff presented an outline of the program to the Board of Harbor Commissioners last week and expects to submit recommendations for participation in the program to the Board by early 2012.

The announcement comes on the fifth anniversary of the Port's adoption of the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), a landmark pollution reduction initiative whose measures have helped to cut harmful air emissions from port-related sources in the San Pedro Bay by as much as 76 percent. The CAAP was designed as a blueprint for charting a permanent course for the Port of Los Angeles to operate the cleanest, most environmentally sustainable port. In 2010, the Port reaffirmed its commitment to the CAAP by expanding its programs and setting more aggressive targets with near-term goals through 2014 and long-term objectives through 2023.

"The Port of Los Angeles continues to be a world leader in combating pollution," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "We've had five years of extraordinary success with the Clean Air Action Plan and now we're looking at the next generation of strategies for running the cleanest possible port and improving air quality in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California."

"The Port of Los Angeles is looking forward to being part of these international standards and setting the stage for North American ports to follow suit and reward operators for greening their fleets," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. and IAPH president. "As participation grows, the benefits increase for carriers and communities."

The Port of Los Angeles adopted the CAAP to help tackle harmful emissions in the South Coast Air Basin. After launching the CAAP in 2006, the Port has met or exceeded nearly all its goals for reducing air pollution from port-related sources. Ships remain the toughest challenge, as they are regulated by international convention and represent the single largest source of air pollution from port-related operations.

The ESI identifies voluntary engine, fuel and technology enhancements ships can use to exceed current environmental performance standards. The ESI targets primary pollutants, which include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and diesel particulate matter (DPM). The program also contains a component to help reduce greenhouse gases. The index was developed by some of the world's major ports collaborating under the World Ports Climate Initiative, a project of the IAPH.

Nine European ports in the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Belgium and Italy have signed on to participate in the ESI and either have current programs or are in the process of developing programs to offer financial incentives to reward operators whose ships outperform environmental standards.

The Port of Los Angeles is America's premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port supports more than 830,000 regional jobs and $35 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars.

USCG Responds to A Singing Barge Near Miami

MIAMI - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca responded to a sinking barge approximately 10 miles east of Miami, Nov. 7, 2011. The crew of the tug towing a barge notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami they were experiencing fuel problems and later become disabled and adrift. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

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MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca responded to a sinking barge approximately 10 miles east of Miami Monday afternoon.
The crew of a 94-foot tug boat towing a 270-foot barge notified Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders they were experiencing fuel problems and later became disabled and adrift.
The cutter Seneca arrived on scene and took the tug in tow. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback and a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew also arrived on scene to monitor the situation.
The barge, which has 33 empty containers on deck, was believed to be taking on water. Divers from TowBoat U.S. are attempting to dewater the barge. A commercial tugboat is scheduled to arrive on scene Tuesday morning to relieve the cutter Seneca of its tow.
The cutter Seneca is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Boston.
The cutter Diamondback is an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Miami Beach, Fla.

Shipping Company Pleads Guilty to Pollution Charges

(11/7/2011)

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon: (PORTLAND, Ore.)– U.S. Attorney S. Amanda Marshall and Oregon Attorney General John Kroger jointly announced that the owner and operator of a Cyprus-based ship pleaded guilty today to felony oil pollution charges. A.E. Nomikos Shipping Inv. Ltd. and Lounia Shipping Co. Ltd. pleaded guilty to one count each of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, and knowingly making false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard. As part of the plea agreement, the companies agreed to pay a $750,000 fine. Half of the fine – $375,000 – will go to the Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment, which is dedicated to local environmental cleanup and restoration efforts focused on preserving and protecting Oregon’s rivers, watersheds, and fish and wildlife. Nomikos was the operator and technical manager of the Arion SB, a bulk carrier that operated under the flag of Cyprus. Nomikos provided management services pursuant to a contract with Lounia, the registered owner of the Arion SB. Nomikos is headquartered in Piraeus, Greece. Lounia is headquartered in Cyprus. Representatives of the companies entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon today, after which Judge Simon imposed sentence. In addition to the $750,000 fine, Judge Simon sentenced both defendants to three years probation, during which both defendants will be required to fund and implement an Environmental Compliance Plan. An investigation revealed that between at least June 2011 and October 16, 2011, Nomikos and Lounia, acting through their agents and employees, directed subordinate engine room crew to run the Arion SB’s Oil Water Separator improperly. Specifically, the Chief Engineer instructed the Second Engineer to pipe fresh, clean water directly into the Oil Content Meter for the purpose of blinding the Arion SB’s Oil Content Meter, so that it would not function properly to prevent the overboard discharge of oil-contaminated waste in excess of 15 ppm. The Chief Engineer failed to include any entries in the Arion SB’s Oil Record Book relating to the crew’s improper use of fresh water to manipulate the vessel’s Oil Content Meter, and also included inaccurate entries in the Oil Record Book regarding the crew’s use of the vessel’s Waste Oil Incinerator. “The sentences imposed today should send a clear message that the United States will hold vessels responsible for dumping oil in our oceans and for lying to the United States Coast Guard. We are pleased that the court allocated $375,000 of the fine to be used here in Oregon to benefit our environment,” said U.S. Attorney S. Amanda Marshall. “The Oregon Department of Justice is deeply committed to holding polluters accountable when they break the law,” said Attorney General John Kroger. This case came to light after the United States Coast Guard boarded the Arion SB, on or about October 16, 2011, to conduct a Port State Control Safety Exam for the vessel. “This case demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that vessels calling on U.S. ports fully comply with U.S. laws and international treaties,” stated Rear Admiral Keith A. Taylor, Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District. The case was jointly investigated and prosecuted by federal and state authorities. The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacie F. Beckerman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Flanagan of the Oregon Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

Coast Guard Detains Egyptian Cargo Vessel for Safety and Security Violations.

The following is a press release from the U.S. Coast Guard dated 01 NOV 2011.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) -- Coast Guard Sector Columbia River detained a foreign freight vessel for failure to comply with international and domestic regulations regarding safety, security, and environmental protection.

Early last week, while preparing to cross the Columbia River Bar, the 734-foot Egyptian cargo ship EDFU experienced a significant reduction in propulsion power. The vessel’s crew conducted an emergency anchoring operation until assist tugs could arrive on scene. Over the ensuing hours, the Coast Guard worked with the Columbia River Bar Pilots Association and local area response tugs to bring the vessel safely to berth in the Port of Astoria, Ore.

Shortly thereafter, Coast Guard inspectors from Marine Safety Unit Portland attended the ship in the Port of Astoria to investigate the loss of propulsion and ensure the vessel’s compliance with other safety and security regulations. While onboard, the inspectors discovered numerous deficiencies including cracked and deteriorated firefighting piping which prevented the ship’s crew from being able to respond to a fire aboard the ship. Furthermore, the vessel failed a critical security inspection and was not in compliance with its Security Plan. Capt. Bruce Jones, Commanding Officer of Sector Columbia River and Coast Guard Captain of the Port, issued an order detaining EDFU until all safety and security measures were corrected.

“EDFU’s failure to comply with numerous provisions of the SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) Convention, the ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) Code and the ISM (International Safety Management) Code are unacceptable,” said Capt. Jones. “The economic vitality and security of our region depend upon the majority of maritime industry members who fully abide by U. S. and international safety, security and environmental standards. The Coast Guard remains committed to protecting our region by actively preventing and responding to any and all maritime threats.”

The ship has since come into full compliance with all security measures and has made substantial progress towards fully repairing the firefighting piping system and its associated components.

This case is an example of how the Coast Guard protects our nation’s maritime transportation system from substandard ships, and protects our ports and vital natural resources from accidental or intentional discharges of oil or hazardous material. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port will continue diligent oversight of all vessels subject to international and domestic laws and treaties to ensure they continue to comply with all applicable safety and security regulations in order to protect the people of our community, our environment, and our ports.