Columbia Coastal

New BC Ferries Vessels to Set Sail Next Month

BC Ferries is pleased said that preparations for the arrival of its new Super C-class ferries is proceeding according to plan. All three new vessels are on schedule and under budget. The first of the new vessels, the Coastal Renaissance, will depart the shipyard in Flensburg, Germany amid international fanfare on September 21. BC Ferries will be hosting a special British Columbia barbecue at the shipyard to mark this major milestone of the first new Super C-class being completed and ready for delivery to British Columbia. The program for these ships has received broader focus following the announcement in June that each of the three Super Cs will be outfitted with customized graphics promoting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Upon leaving the shipyard, the ships will make stops in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, where major promotional events will take place. Coastal Renaissance arrives in British Columbia in mid-November and is scheduled to be in service in early 2008. The second vessel, Coastal Inspiration, arrives three months later and is expected to be in service in the spring. The third, Coastal Celebration, arrives in summer 2008 and is expected to be to be in service by summer 2008 as well. BC Ferries has also finalized deployment plans for the new vessels. Coastal Renaissance will reside at Departure Bay in Nanaimo and will serve the Departure Bay – Horseshoe Bay route

Judge Recognizes MARAD Authority

As a result of the Maritime Administrator’s designation of New Jersey as an adjacent coastal state, pursuant to 33 USC 1508(a)(2), Atlantic Sea Island Group, LLC, (ASIG) a deepwater port applicant, filed suit against the Maritime Administrator and Secretary of Transportation on February 15, 2008.  In addition to filing the suit, the plaintiff also sought a preliminary injunction.  ASIG alleged that the Maritime Administrator's designation of New Jersey as an "adjacent

NOAA Presents Excellence Awards

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced this year's recipients of the Walter B. Jones Memorial and NOAA Excellence Awards for Coastal and Ocean Resource Management. The awards honor excellence in unique coastal and ocean resource management programs, as well as in public and private endeavors to conserve America's coasts. Winners of these prestigious awards will be recognized on Oct. 21 in Washington, D.C.

AMCV Awards Columbia Queen Contract

American Classic Voyages (AMCV), granted a $6.4 million contract for construction completion and outfitting on Columbia Queen to Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Whidbey Island, Wash. The 161-passenger U.S.-flag riverboat, which will be readied by Nichols for service on the Columbia River system, will be operated under The Delta Queen Steamboat brand. Offering Pacific Northwest cruises beginning in April 2000, Columbia Queen will travel the Columbia

Canada To Study Ban On Pacific Ocean Drilling

An environmental group has criticized a move by British Columbia to study the idea of having Ottawa lift a 28-year-old ban on offshore drilling along Canada's pristine Pacific coast. An area near the Queen Charlotte Islands is believed to hold one of Canada's largest natural gas deposits, and business leaders in coastal region have said a drilling ban should be lifted to help the area's beleaguered economy. A report for the provincial government said there was enough public interest in the

Oregonian Raises New Questions

An independent review conducted and reported today by the Oregonian concludes that the government’s economic justifications for a controversial proposal to dredge the Columbia River are deeply flawed. The Corps of Engineers wants to spend $196 million to dredge more than 100 miles of the Columbia River. In a three-part series beginning today, the Oregonian will report that deficiencies in the analysis have significantly inflated the benefits to the region and an underestimated the costs to

BC Carbon Tax Act Proposed

Legislation has been proposed in the British Columbia Legislature that would, if adopted, imposes taxes on fuel based on its carbon content.  Ships would be subject to the tax, but would be eligible for rebates if it is shown that the fuel was consumed outside of British Columbia.  Carbon Tax Act, Bill 37 – 2008 (HK Law).

New USACE Contracts

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., LLC, Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on April 30 a $10,248,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 2010 north coast dredging, including the mouth of the Columbia River.  Work is to be performed along the Columbia River in Washington State and Oregon, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 1, 2010.  Two bids were solicited with two bids received.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, Portland, Ore

Closure of Dalles Navigation Lock, Columbia River

On Sept. 30, Coast Guard Sector Portland, Ore. reported that it is monitoring and managing vessel traffic on the Columbia River east of Portland/Vancouver, Wash., due to the closure of the Dalles Dam lock in Dalles, Ore. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has temporarily closed the lock due to structural irregularities detected in the downstream gate.  An assessment is being made to determine if repairs are needed.

Remote Medical Embarks on $8 Million Expansion

When a worker on a remote island in the South Pacific had a heart attack, a physician and a nurse were there from Remote Medical International to treat his symptoms. Within hours, Remote Medical operations specialists back at the company’s Seattle headquarters secured a plane and a crew to fly the man 2,400 miles to a Honolulu hospital for treatment, where he survived. A U.S. medical station in Antarctica wanted to consolidate from multiple subcontractors into a seamless