Thomas Allegretti News

A top 10 list of regulatory concerns is by no means all-inclusive, but it does bring to light the full weight of the regulatory hammer on the collective domestic commercial waterfront. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us...” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859.

President Trump has waived shipping restrictions for Puerto Rico on Thursday at request of the island's governor Ricardo Rosselló and after an outcry from Congress about the scarcity of fuel, food and emergency supplies following Hurricane Maria. "At @ricardorossello request, @POTUS has authorized the Jones Act be waived for Puerto Rico. It will go into effect immediately," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted this morning. The Jones Act – which limits shipping between U.S. ports exclusively to U.S.

The Coast Guard Foundation announced that it will honor Thomas Allegretti and the American Waterways Operators (AWO), a motor lifeboat crew from Pensacola, Florida, and an aircrew from Air Station Houston, Texas at its Annual Salute to the 8th Coast Guard District on Friday, March 13th in New Orleans. The New Orleans salute raises approximately $500,000 each year to fund education, support and relief programs for the Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of Coast Guard members and their families.

Kentucky ranks top five in nation for U.S. Today, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was named a Champion of Maritime by the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry. As U.S. Senate Minority Leader, McConnell has consistently supported the critical role the domestic maritime industry and the Jones Act play in America’s national, economic and homeland security. McConnell’s home state of Kentucky ranks fifth in the nation in per capita domestic maritime jobs, according to a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the Transportation Institute.

Congressman honored for support of domestic maritime industry. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) this week received the 2014 Champion of Maritime Award from the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry. The organization provides the prestigious award to recognize an individual who has displayed extraordinary dedication to and consistent support for the American maritime industry. As the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Shuster…

Domestic Maritime Industry Worth More than $9.6 Billion to Florida Economy. Florida ranks second among all states in domestic maritime jobs, according to a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the Transportation Institute and released by the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry. Supported by the Jones Act, which ensures vessels operating in our domestic waterways are U.S.-built, U.S.-crewed and U.S.-owned, the state’s 52…

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) this week received the 2013 Champion of Maritime Award from the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), a group representing the domestic maritime industry in New York and across the United States. AMP provides the prestigious annual award to recognize an individual who has displayed extraordinary dedication to and consistent support for the American maritime industry. As a member and former chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Rep.

The American maritime industry today praised President Barack Obama and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx for visiting the Port of Jacksonville, Florida to talk about jobs and economic growth. Thomas Allegretti, the Chairman of the American Maritime Partnership, noted that the Port of Jacksonville alone is homeport to four American-owned freight carriers. “It is good to see the President recognizes that the American maritime industry continues to play an important role in the nation’s economic future and wants to make investments in infrastructure to support that industry,” Mr. Allegretti stated. The domestic American maritime industry in Florida supports more than 27…

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) announced the election of Thomas Allegretti as its new Chairman. Allegretti is President & CEO of The American Waterways Operators. He succeeds James Henry, Chairman and President of the Transportation Institute. Henry will now serve as AMP’s Vice Chairman. As AMP Chairman, Mr. Allegretti leads a coalition  to represent the domestic maritime industry. Its 450-plus members span the country and its territories and include vessel owners and operators…

AMP to Testify on Administration’s Failure to Comply With Federal Law During 2011 SPR Draw Down; Will Stress How to Avoid a Repeat During Future Draw Downs. Thomas Allegretti will testify on behalf of the American Maritime Partnership regarding the Administration’s failure to comply with federal law during the summer 2011 draw down of the Strategic Petroleum Oil Reserve (SPR) before House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. Allegretti will discuss how the Administration can be in compliance with the federal law during future SPR draw downs.

Most Prestigious Award Given in the Transportation and Maritime Industry. The American Maritime Partnership congratulated its Chairman James Henry for receiving the 2011 Admiral of the Ocean Sea Award (AOTOS) presented by the United Seaman’s Service (USS) at the 42nd annual industry gala dinner on October 28, 2011. American Maritime Partnership Vice Chairman Thomas Allegretti said, “Jim Henry’s strong leadership has benefited the American maritime industry for nearly 25 years. His work has been especially critical in ensuring the integrity of the Jones Act, despite significant assaults on it over the past two decades. As Chairman of AMP…

Working to create and preserve American jobs, Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings (D, MD-7) and Jeff Landry (R, LA-3) today introduced the American Mariners Job Protection Act (H.R. 3202), a bill with bipartisan support that will increase government transparency surrounding the issuance of waivers allowing non-Jones Act-qualified vessels to carry cargo between U.S. ports. Under current law, when the head of the agency responsible for the administration of the Jones Act believes it necessary to waive the Act’s requirements in the interest of national defense, the agency must request the Maritime Administration to assess whether Jones Act-qualified vessels are available to carry the cargo under consideration.

The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry, urged members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to enact legislation that establishes a national framework for the regulation of vessel discharges at a Congressional hearing yesterday morning. Testifying before the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittees on behalf of the Shipping Industry Coalition, AWO President & CEO Thomas Allegretti told lawmakers that the current patchwork of authorities with respect to vessel discharges regulation is antithetical to environmental protection and economic growth. Under the current system, the U.S.

The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, announced that following consultations with the U. S. Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers, the industry is establishing new and additional voluntary precautions for safe transit on the inland waterways during the unprecedented flooding event now being experienced. Working closely with the Coast Guard and the Corps of Engineers through the River Industry Executive Task Force (RIETF)…

As Earth Day approaches, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) announced that 2010 saw the lowest-ever recorded number of tank barge oil spills. The 2010 spill statistics newly released by the U.S. Coast Guard show that the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry had a record low of 75 spills and a record low volume of 919 gallons spilled. AWO is recognized as the industry’s safety leader, with its members required to comply with the AWO-developed Responsible Carrier Program, a safety management system that mandates operational audits every three years. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) has successfully helped the industry to put in place safeguards that have dramatically improved the industry’s safety record.

The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hails the enactment of provisions in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281) that bring the industry one step closer to a historic towing vessel inspection regulation to improve safety in the towing industry. Section 701 of the Act requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding inspection requirements for towing vessels” no more than 90 days from the date of enactment, a provision strongly advocated by AWO. The law requires that a final rule be issued no more than one year after the enactment date.

The Inland Waterways Users Board adopted a final report that accompanies a new comprehensive, consensus-based package of recommendations formulated by an industry and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working group to improve the continued vitality of the U.S. inland navigation system over the next 20 years. The report and recommendations are being sent to Congress and if adopted, will better address the needs of the entire system and provide more dollars for greatly needed infrastructure improvements. The Users Board is a federal advisory committee that provides advice to Congress and the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). This…

The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hails the decision yesterday by the U.S. District Court, Massachusetts District, to grant Summary Judgment against a 2004 Massachusetts oil spill law, declaring it null and void. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Commonwealth over the constitutionality of the law enacted in response to a 2003 accidental tank barge oil spill in Buzzards Bay. The decision affirms the 2008 recommendation of the Magistrate Judge that Massachusetts acted unconstitutionally in enacting the 2004 law that regulated the crewing and operation of towing and tank vessels, areas reserved to the Federal government, specifically the U.S. Coast Guard.

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 of Justice challenged the constitutionality of the law, which was enacted in response to a 2003 accidental tank barge oil spill in Buzzards Bay. The Department of Justice lawsuit asserted that the Massachusetts oil spill law tried to make law in areas that are reserved exclusively to the Federal Government, specifically the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2006, the District Court affirmed the position of the U.S.

When Rear Adm. James Watson IV promised Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., at a hearing Tuesday that the Coast Guard would issue proposed rules regulating tugboats in 2009, Cummings asked Watson to repeat the pledge. The frustration with the long-delayed new rules on tugs gained new urgency this summer when an oil spill in the Mississippi River shut down shipping through . The spill has been blamed on a tugboat being operated by a company that was involved in another accident on the river 10 days earlier. It's been four year since Congress ordered the Coast Guard to create rules requiring the regular inspection of towing vessels and setting limits on the number of hours that crew members work each day.

The Administration's proposed tax to pay for harbor dredging is not a viable or equitable solution to funding navigation channel maintenance at the nation's ports, says the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). AAPA and others testified at a House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Hearing on the Administration's Harbor Services Fund (HSF) proposal, H. R. 1947. The plan creates a new tax on vessels to replace the Harbor Maintenance Tax, the export-tax portion of which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998. The administration proposal, submitted to Congress, but not yet introduced as a bill, would…

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation conducted a hearing into the phase-out of single hull oil tankers. RADM Paul Pluta

Seaman’s Church Institute (SCI), recently opened a simulator training facility in Houston. SCI's third facility represents state-of-the-art technology as well as world-class instruction for professional mariners. After attending the Center's first training class in April, Kirby Instructor John Moyle said, "The simulation was so real that when they stopped the simulator, I actually lurched forward." Moyle has over 30 years of experience as a captain and is now an instructor. "Training is more than increased efficiency. A well-trained crew saves lives and protects the environment," said Captain Eric Larsson, Director of the Center for Maritime Education that also includes SCI training facilities in New York City and Paducah, Ky.