Blank Rome issued a Maritime Developments Advisory as follows:The United States Coast Guard issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on August 31, 2009 on long-awaited new regulations concerning the following: (i) requiring owners and operators of nontank vessels to prepare and submit oil
A Liberian-incorporated shipping company pleaded guilty in federal court in Trenton, N.J., to failing to keep accurate oily water discharge records and using falsified records to conceal the discharge at sea of untreated bilge from one of its cargo ships, the Justice Department announced.Dalnave Navigation Inc.
The American Salvage Association (ASA), supported by the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI), International Salvage Union (ISU), Marine Technology Society (MTS), Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA), North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA),
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says it would need to be satisfied that a proposed solo round the world voyage by a teenage girl would not put hers or others’ lives at risk, before deciding whether to allow the voyage to go ahead. Thirteen-year-old Laura Dekker, who has a New Zealand and German passport,
Recently, International Maritime Security Network, LLC conducted their first phase testing of the originally designed, non-lethal Triton Shield Anti-Piracy System (APS). Horizon Lines, LLC, a US flagged container ship operator serving US domestic routes and Asia, offered their resources and assets to the project.
The U. S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has awarded contracts to recycle two more of the obsolete government-owned ships, which are currently moored in the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) in Virginia. The two ships being recycled are the Escape and the Cape Cod.
A federal grand jury in Houston has returned an indictment charging two crewmembers of the oil tanker Georgios M with making false statements, violating federal law designed to prevent pollution from ships and obstruction of justice, the Justice Department announced.According to the indictment,
Zach McClendon, Jr. of Monticello, Ark. will celebrate being in the boat building business for 50 consecutive years this September. McClendon, along with his father, Zach McClendon, Sr. and another local businessman, Norris Judkins started MonArk Boat Company in May of 1958 building small aluminum jon
The U.S. Arctic Research Commission believes that the U.S. needs a robust research program to address spill response in broken ice, as shipping moves into the Arctic Ocean and offshore oil drilling - in several Arctic nations - moves forward.Mead Treadwell, chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission,
Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE:HOS) announced that it intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, approximately $200m aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2017 through an offering within the United States to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC) announced that it has priced an offering of $350m aggregate principal amount (increased from $250m, previously announced) of 11.25 percent senior secured notes due 2016 at an issue price of 97.036 percent. The new notes will be issued in a private offering to qualified
Representatives from Washington Department of Ecology and the oil tank vessel industry met in Seattle on July 29 to award Polar Tankers with Ecology’s Exceptional Compliance Program (ECOPRO) Award. The award was given to the subsidiary of ConocoPhillips Co. for achieving excellence in marine safety and environmental stewardship.
To better protect Canadian Arctic waters from ship-source pollution, Canada's Transport Minister, John Baird, announced that Bill C-3, an Act to amend the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act, came into force on August 1, 2009. The amended Act also allows Canada to exercise greater control over these waters.
Representative Higgins (D-NY) introduced the Short Sea Shipping Act of 2009 (H.R. 3486) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt certain shipping from the harbor maintenance tax (HMT). If enacted into law, this bill would exempt from the HMT commercial cargo (other than bulk cargo) loaded
The Resolute is scheduled to depart the James River Reserve Fleet Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in transit to Esco Marine, Inc., in Brownsville, Texas for recycling. Resolute, a partial container/ break-bulk ship built in 1980, brought a purchase price of $90,726. The vessel is expected
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a proposal, open for public comment through mid-August, that will take important steps to help enforce the Jones Act more effectively and protect American maritime jobs, according to the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA). Under the Jones Act,
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued an order by the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) certifying to the Commission a motion of the Bureau of Enforcement to dismiss the proceeding against the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for possible violation of the Shipping Act of 1984. Docket No. 08-05 (7/30/09).
The American Waterways Operators (AWO) hailed a decision by the U.S. District Court, Massachusetts District, to recommend summary judgment against a 2004 Massachusetts oil spill statute. The decision was issued on July 29 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo Sorokin. A lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department
A Greek citizen who oversaw the engineering department on board a Dominica-flagged bulk cargo ship pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in New Orleans for violating environmental laws designed to prevent pollution from ships and making false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Justice Department announced.
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruling on DOI’s request for clarification of the Court’s earlier decision to vacate the 2007-2012 Outer Continental Shelf oil and
The Maritime Cabotage Task Force (MCTF) is thanking its retiring Chairman, Philip M. Grill, for his 14 years of leadership of the labor/management coalition that promotes the Jones Act and other U.S. maritime cabotage laws in Washington. Grill, who is retiring as Vice President – Government Relations for Matson Navigation Company, Inc.
Tidewater Inc. (NYSE:TDW) announced first quarter net earnings for the period ended June 30, 2009, of $44.5m, or $0.86 per share, on revenues of $326.6m. Included in net earnings for the June 2009 quarter is a non-cash charge totaling $48.6m ($47.7m after-tax, or $0.93 per common share) related to the company’s Venezuelan operations.
Nearly $1.5m in grant money recently awarded to the Port of Tacoma will empower Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc. (TOTE) to reduce the particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions of its two Orca Class vessels by an estimated 90 percent while at TOTE’s Tacoma terminal.The emissions
Panagiotis Stamatakis, the chief engineer on the Cyprus-flagged M/V Myron N, and the second engineer, Dimitrios Papadakis, both citizens of Greece, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J., to using falsified records that concealed improper discharges of untreated bilge waste from the cargo ship, the Justice Department announced.
John Joseph Cota, the pilot who caused the Cosco Busan, a 900-ft long container ship, to collide with the San Francisco Bay Bridge and discharge approximately 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay, was sentenced to serve 10 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston for the Northern District of California,
Colombian Naval Forces Commander, Adm. Guillermo Enrique Barrera Hurtado met with U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant, Vice Adm. Vivien Crea, during his visit to Coast Guard Headquarters July 16.Among topics of discussion was a law passed in Colombia July 9 that makes all persons who finance,
A Greek citizen, Panagiotis Lekkas, the captain of the bulk cargo ship the M/V Theotokos, pleaded guilty to four felony counts in federal court in New Orleans for violating anti-pollution laws, ship safety laws and obstructing a U.S. Coast Guard investigation, the Justice Department announced. Additionally, a Philippine citizen, Charles P.
MAN Diesel SE and MAN Turbo AG are to work more closely together in future with the aim of forming a merger with each other under corporate law. By combining the product portfolios, the merged company will strive for further growth and a stronger position in its respective market segments. <br
The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its Annual Pacific Area Awards Dinner will take place on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 in San Francisco. In conjunction with the Coast Guard
Perenco Ecuador Limited has called on the Government of Ecuador to cease efforts to sell oil seized from Blocks 7 and 21 in defiance of orders by international arbitration tribunals, and instead to seek a negotiated solution to the dispute concerning the applicability of Law 42. Perenco Ecuador is the Operator of the two blocks in question.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar appointed Liz Birnbaum, an attorney with two decades of federal government and private sector experience in energy and environmental policy, as Director of the Department’s Minerals Management Service. The appointment does not require Senate confirmation.<br
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen presented the Auxiliary with a Coast Guard Unit Commendation award Tuesday at Coast Guard Headquarters as part of the Coast Guard's celebration of the Coast Guard Auxiliary's 70th anniversary."The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the finest all-volunteer organization in our nation," said Adm.
The U.S. Coast Guard named its new Assistant Commandant for Acquisition and its Chief Acquisition Officer June 15 and promoted that flag officer to rear admiral upper half.The Coast Guard's newest two-star admiral is Rear Adm. Ronald J. Rábago, a 1978 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy.
Revised guidance on combating piracy and armed robbery against ships was agreed by IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) when it met at the Organization's London Headquarters for its 86th session from 27 May to 5 June. Specific guidance relating to the continued attacks on ships off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden was also agreed.
As compact stabilized optics and pointing systems gain in popularity on land vehicles, aircraft, and vessels, engineers have had difficulty finding ultra-compact gyros that offer the performance and long-term reliability required for smaller and lighter applications. KVH Industries’ (Nasdaq: KVHI) new DSP-1500,
Carroll McNulty & Kull LLC (CMK) has announced that Christopher H. Mansuy has joined the law firm as a member. Mansuy brings 35 years of experience to CMK handling maritime and commercial litigation matters in the State and Federal Courts of New York and New Jersey as well as maritime disputes in
Boat security systems supplier Paradox Marine now offers acoustic technology to protect yachts, boats and marinas from intruders. Inferno Intenso Sound Barriers generate a patented, unbearable noise frequency pattern that immediately immobilizes onboard intruders between alarm activation and arrival of security or law enforcement.
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has extended its contract agreement with Crowley Maritime Corp. to station a state-funded emergency response tug at Neah Bay for another full year of service beginning July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010.Under the $3.6m extension agreement,
In 1977 the Congress enacted the Clean Water Act and for over 30 years the EPA regulations excluded vessels from the system of permits required under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Lawsuits by environmental interests challenged this exclusion and as of December 19, 2008 this exemption has been eliminated.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report Friday detailing its findings following a review of the Coast Guard's Administrative Law Judge Program that was requested by Congress and welcomed by the Coast Guard.The GAO conducted an independent and objective review of 1,675