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Awo News

11 Mar 2024

Coast Guard Will Not Enforce New California Rule, Citing 'Safety Concerns'

© Jill Clardy / Adobe Stock

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Coast Guard says it “will not enforce” a new California Air Resources Board regulation, citing “safety concerns.”The Coast Guard and business organizations oppose CARB's requirement that commercial harbor craft install diesel particulate filters (DPF) linked to a number of fires. Seventeen states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for giving an exemption to California alone to enact its own air standards that, by power of its market size…

26 Jan 2024

Moran Tug Crew Honored for Rescue Efforts

Left to right: Captain Eddie Lucas; Deckhand Roman “Butch” Arabski; Mate Evan Kinkel; USCG Sector Commander Capt. David O’Connell; Engineer William “Liam” Flynn; Baxter B. Smoak, CDR, Chief, Prevention Department (Photo: Moran Towing)

The crew of Moran Towing's tug Lynne Moran has been honored for its courageous response and rescue of two stranded boaters near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on the evening of October 25, 2023.The crew has received the U.S. Coast Guard Public Service Commendation, presented by Captain O’Connell, as well as the American Waterways Operators (AWO) Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award, presented by Brian Vahey, AWO’s Vice President, Atlantic Region.In collaboration with the U.S.

08 Jan 2024

American Maritime Partnership Announces New Leadership Team

Pictured left to right: Sara Fuentes, Jennifer Carpenter, Jim Weakley (Photo: AMP)

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) announced the election of new leadership for the organization. Jennifer Carpenter takes the helm as president, and, in doing so, becomes the first woman to lead the organization. She is joined by vice president Sara Fuentes and James “Jim” Weakley who will serve the dual role of secretary and treasurer. Elected officers will hold their positions for a two-year term.“AMP plays a pivotal role in championing the strength and vitality of our domestic maritime industry…

09 Nov 2023

US Shipbuilding: Policy and Progress

© Maxim Khalansky / Adobe Stock

When asked about the top issues facing shipbuilders, executives at the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) listed a number of topics and concerns. SCA is the only national trade association representing U.S. shipyards engaged in the building and repairing of military and other government and commercial vessels, and companies providing goods and services to the shipbuilding industry.Shutdowns have consequencesMatthew Paxton and Paula Zorensky are, respectively, SCA President and Vice President. Their top federal concern at the end of September? A U.S.

06 Nov 2023

Navigating Sustainability: Charting a Way Forward

© Aaron Kohr / Adobe Stock

You can feel it in the air, and increasingly on the water: a steady increase in momentum toward a global economy that prioritizes sustainability. Government stakeholders at all levels, and shipping customers across industries, are setting ambitious goals and high expectations for environmental performance, and that includes the transportation of U.S. and global commerce on the waterways.For the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, which moves nearly 700 million tons of cargo on America’s rivers, coastal waters and Great Lakes annually, it’s both an exciting and challenging time.

26 Oct 2023

USCG Eases Firefighting Training Requirements for Towboats

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The U.S. Coast Guard has moved to ease firefighting training requirements for towing vessels operating on America's inland waterways.The agency this week issued a final rule revising the training requirements for national Merchant Mariner Credential endorsements as master of towing vessels (limited) or mate (pilot) of towing vessels on inland and western rivers routes, excluding the Great Lakes.Consistent with recommendations from the National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (NMERPAC) and the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee (NTSAC)…

26 Sep 2023

The Real Cost of Net Zero Ports

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Zero emission is a nice idea, but who’s going to pay for it? The U.S. EPA is readying big money for zero emission ports.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on two high-profile port initiatives that it hopes will move the needle in a big way towards U.S. ports’ zero emissions (ZE) operations and clean air goals.The first initiative started last May when EPA published a request for information and comments that would help the Agency develop Guidance it could use to evaluate funding requests for projects for zero-emission vehicles, port equipment and related infrastructure.

18 May 2023

Cultivating Tomorrow’s Waterways Workforce

© Marina Tolkacheva / Adobe Stock

The American Waterways Operators (AWO) is taking action to help address an industry need and a national imperative to recruit, retain and develop the next generation of maritime employees.As much as the tugboat, towboat and barge industry contributes to our nation’s prosperity and security today, we are an industry with an incredibly bright future that has even more to offer in the years to come. Our industry is uniquely positioned to be part of the solution as shipper-customers…

15 May 2023

Vane Brothers’ Iuliucci Elected AWO Chairman

Rick Iuliucci (Photo: AWO)

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders during the association's Spring Convention and Annual Membership Meeting.Rick Iuliucci, Vice President, The Vane Brothers Company, was elected Chairman; Kelly Teichman, Chairman of the Board, T&T Marine, was elected Vice Chair; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected Treasurer. Iuliucci succeeds outgoing Chairman Clark Todd…

13 Apr 2023

Floating Offshore Wind: New Seascape, New Challenges

(Photo: BW Ideol)

Offshore wind energy planners are giving close review to fixed-tower systems in order to extend lessons learned to floating wind towers, under development now. In the U.S., floating towers have been most closely associated with plans for new wind energy areas (WEA) in the Pacific, off of California and maybe Oregon and Washington. But important research is also taking place in Maine, at the University of Maine, because of deep ocean Atlantic areas there, and floating towers may also be used in the Gulf of Mexico.As most readers likely know…

06 Apr 2023

Interview: Jennifer Carpenter, AWO

Jennifer Carpenter (Photo: AWO)

Jennifer Carpenter has been president and CEO of The American Waterways Operators (AWO) in January 2020, but her time with the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry dates back to 1990. This month, she weighs in on top challenges and opportunities currently present in the industry, from difficult regulatory changes to the uptake of cleaner vessel technologies.What are some of the biggest and most important issues facing the tug, towboat and barge industry?Big picture, I feel like our industry has never been more relevant.

23 Mar 2023

Lower Snake River Issues Cause Concern for Barge Transportation Industry

© PaulMassiePhoto / Adobe Stock

The inland waterways report in September 2022 edition of Marine News focused on issues facing the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD) in the northwest, in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Walla Walla District.That report referenced issues and concerns confronting regional towboat and barge operators about possible changes to the Columbia Snake River System – perhaps even breaching the four Lower Snake River dams, a move with irreversible consequences.In August, a report by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was completed and the report’s recommendations were published.

11 Nov 2022

US Inland Waterways: Looking for Rainmakers

(Photo: Ingram Barge Company)

As 2022 moves into its final months, low water levels and drought form the basis of the news impacting inland waterways operators and barge companies. In the first week of October, numerous barges were reported grounded in the Mississippi River, particularly south of Baton Rouge. This has consequences: barge rates jumped 218% in St. Louis, compared to 2021.Low water was so severe that on October 7 Ingram Barge CEO John Roberts issued a force majeure notice (force majeure - unforeseeable…

15 Sep 2022

Inland Waterways Report: Columbia-Snake River System

(Photo: Tidewater Transportation and Terminals)

It’s amazing to consider that a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean, approaching the mouth of the Columbia River, can continue its eastward journey to finally tie up at the Port of Lewiston, in Lewiston, Idaho, America’s most inland West Coast port, 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean.The Columbia and Snake Rivers form that critical east-west waterway, an economic powerhouse regionally, nationally and internationally. According to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA)…

19 Jul 2022

Subchapter M Phase-in Period Draws to a Close

© Drew / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday marked the end of the four-year Subchapter M certificate of inspection (COI) phase-in period for U.S.-registered towing vessels. Subchapter M, the United States regulatory code dealing with towing vessels and requirements for towing vessel safety, has officially been in place since July 2016, when the U.S. Coast Guard finalized the long-awaited Sub M rulemaking. The first COIs were issued in 2018, and all of the more than 5,000 U.S. domestic towing vessels must have valid COIs on board by July 19…

01 Jun 2022

Vane Brothers Achieves 100% Subchapter M Compliance

(Photo: Vane Brothers)

Baltimore-based Vane Brothers announced that its entire tugboat fleet has earned a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) as part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Subchapter M program.Subchapter M refers to federally regulated safety standards for inspected towing vessels. All applicable vessels are required to earn a valid COI by July.Vane Brothers president, C. Duff Hughes, said, “Vane Brothers appreciates the importance of safety to the company, our crews, and our customers. Our goal is zero spills and zero incidents…

26 May 2022

AWO Elects Blessey Marine Services' Clark Todd as Chairman

Clark Todd (Photo: AWO)

Clark Todd, president and chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) as members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected new leaders during a group meeting last week. Todd succeeds outgoing chairman Del Wilkins, president, Illinois Marine Towing, Inc.Rick Iuliucci, vice president of The Vane Brothers Company, was elected vice chairman; and Brian Hughes, vice president operations and sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected treasurer.

24 Mar 2022

AWO Urges California to Reconsider Proposed Harbor Craft Engine Emissions Rules

© Enrico / Adobe Stock

A trade group representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry is urging the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to reconsider new harbor craft engine emissions regulations that many in the industry say will be difficult, if not impossible, to comply with.The American Waterways Operators (AWO) said it is "deeply concerned that CARB's proposed regulations mandate engine technology that is not available and is not certified as safe by the U.S. Coast Guard; impose an infeasible compliance schedule…

14 Mar 2022

Interview: Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, AWO

Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, The American Waterways Operators (Photo: AWO)

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She weighs in some of the most important developments in the industry today, from “hugely exciting” opportunities in offshore wind , tech innovation and decarbonization, to labor and recruitment challenges.The recent Infrastructure bill is a huge boost for many industries…

25 Apr 2022

New Routines on the Bridge in the Digital World

(Photo: Vane Brothers)

Like every sector of cargo and passenger shipping, “digitalization”—where computerized processes are replacing onboard routines previously handled manually— is an ongoing trend coastwise, on the waterways and harbors. Regulatory compliance, especially with Subchapter M for towing vessels, has also driven choices of onboard equipment with digital interfaces to software and online platforms for record-keeping and for generating inputs for forms and documents.Improved performance has also shaped the capabilities of equipment in the wheelhouse and the view from the bridge.

07 Mar 2022

Recovery, Resilience and Demand Shifts to Drive Inland Waterway Cargo Flows

(Photo: Blessey Marine Services)

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

10 May 2022

Fuel Tax Repeal Victory in New York State

Copyright MishaelPervak/AdobeStock

The New York State Petroleum Business Tax (PBT), Article 13-A levies a tax on fuel consumption of commercial vessels operating on the waters of New York State. The PBT has long been a source of contention for operators of tug boats and towing vessels transiting New York State waters because of the difficulty to accurately calculate the tax due the state. This led to many long drawn out audits of vessel operators by the state, resulting in unacceptable additional taxes, interest and fines.Over the years, multiple efforts were made by industry groups to repeal the PBT legally without success.

19 Nov 2021

AWO Applauds Passage of US Infrastructure Bill

© Michael / Adobe Stock

The American Waterways Operators, a trade group representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, said it applauds the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, H.R. 3684, signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this week.The bill contains $17 billion for ports and waterways, including $2.5 billion of 100% federal funding for inland waterways construction and major rehabilitation projects, $4 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operations and maintenance…