Brevard County News

The Dredging Contractors of America (DCA), a trade association representing the U.S. dredging and marine construction industry, said it strongly supports the development of a robust offshore wind industry.“As the industry grows in the United States and along the U.S. East Coast, the DCA and its companies are working with state and federal regulators on matters related to dredging operations,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America.The U.S offshore wind…

Port Canaveral will add a new security patrol vessel and a pilot boat after receiving federal grant funding for several projects to protect against terrorism and other security threats.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded $472,500 in Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) funding to allow the Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) to purchase a new Security Rapid Response Boat. The vessel will be a 33-ft. “Life Proof” boat operated…

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 29.5 North, longitude 79.6 West.Dorian is moving toward the north-northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h), and a northwest or north-northwest motion is expected through this morning. A turn toward the north is forecast by this evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Thursday morning.On this track, the core of Hurricane Dorian will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast and the Georgia coast through tonight.

New fireboat will provide enhanced firefighting and rescue capabilities for maritime and commercial space. The Canaveral Port Authority will receive $1.5 million in funding from the State of Florida to support the acquisition of a specialized fireboat to provide marine firefighting and rescue capabilities for Port Canaveral and the surrounding communities. Port Canaveral’s Marine Firefighting Rescue Vessel (MFRV) will be purpose built to offer enhanced fire protection and response…

GT USA’s Canaveral Cargo Terminal (CCT) incurred minimal damage during Hurricane Matthew and is fully operational, the result of advance storm preparation and facility planning by GT USA in partnership with Canaveral Port Authority. The Canaveral Cargo Terminal resumed full operations, which included working the container cargo vessel M/V MAX WONDER for StreamLines, N.V.’s Blue Stream service. The service ships refrigerated and dry cargo between Port Canaveral, Europe, the French West Indies and Central America. “Though Hurricane Matthew packed quite a punch in Port Canaveral, the hard work of the Emergency Response Team, Brevard County Sheriff’s Department, U.S.

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal, State, County and several members of the maritime community have received a Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation award during a ceremony held at the Canaveral Port Authority Maritime Center in Port Canaveral, Florida, informs the US Coast Guard. On July 1, 2014, the 584-foot bulk carrier J.S. Comet, sought refuge off Port Canaveral, Florida when 19 of the 21 crewmembers aboard were stricken with symptoms of food poisoning and were unable to continue to safely operate the vessel. The coordinated response involved five Coast Guard units, three fire departments, Cape Canaveral Hospital…

Florida Governor Rick Scott is expected to sign bipartisan, community-supported legislation that enacts major changes to the Port Authority Charter for the first time in Port Canaveral’s 60-year history. As a Special District created by the Florida Legislature, the Canaveral Port Authority occasionally has sought legislative approval for specific charter amendments. However, this is the first time the entire charter fully has been reviewed and revised. The current five-member Commission appointed a Charter Review Committee comprised of 10 business and civic leaders…

The Canaveral Harbor Inlet Sand Bypass Project has earned the top state ranking for 2014/15 inlet management funding. As a result, Port Canaveral is expected to receive $100,500 in grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for beach renourishment. To date, Port Canaveral has spent more than $2 million on the sand bypass and related beach restoration projects, leveraging more than $2.2M in additional state funds and more than $45 million from the US Army Corps of Engineers. According to Dr. William Stronge, every $1 spent on beach projects generated almost $48 in sales tax revenue last year. "We recognize the importance of our beaches to Brevard County and the state's economy," said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh.

Dispute remains over who pays for maintenance costs for federal channel. The $35 million harbor widening and deepening project at Port Canaveral to allow larger ships greater safety margins for sailing in and out of the port is scheduled to begin next month with completion in November 2014. The project to widen Port Canaveral’s 400-feet wide harbor by 100 feet and deepen the entrance by two feet to 46 feet cleared the final two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting hurdles last week.

Thomas "Tom" Weinberg will serve a second consecutive term as Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority Board, accepting the job after an unanimous vote during the January Commission meeting. A fourth-generation Brevard County, Florida resident elected from District 5, Weinberg begin his Board tenure in January 2011. He is a licensed realtor who has held several local, state and federal positions, including Chief of Staff for former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez and Deputy County Administrator for Orange County, Florida government.

Business activity at Port Canaveral  generated $2 billion and 17,000 jobs for the local community in 2012, up 73% in business revenue since the last economic impact analysis three years ago. Leading industry consulting firm Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pa., was commissioned to analyze cruise, cargo, real estate and marina activity at Port Canaveral, the world’s second busiest cruise Port and central Florida’s outlet to the sea for cargo. The survey of 294 tenants and service providers found that Port Canaveral business activities generated an increase of 30-percent job growth…

In an unanimous vote during its August Board meeting, the Canaveral Port Authority approved construction of a new Welcome Center and development of an entertainment district on the south-side of Port Canaveral. The $16.6 million Canaveral Cove project is scheduled for completion in June 2013. GWWO, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland, will design the 15,000-square foot Welcome Center. It will include exhibit areas, movie theater/auditorium, and offices. “We envision the Welcome Center and infrastructure improvements as a catalyst for private development on other property at the Port…

The FBI's involvement in the maritime domain is a result of existing US Law, Executive Orders, Presidential Decision Directives (PDD) 39, 62, & 63, and Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 5 to include a few. Specifically, the FBI has a lead role for operational and investigative response to a terrorist threat or incident, as well as coordinating the activities of other members of the law enforcement community to detect, prevent, pre-empt, and disrupt terrorist attacks against the United States. However, the task is monumental and the FBI’s maritime experience is limited. The FBI is currently focusing on developing liaison relationships within the commercial cruise and cargo lines…

Canaveral Fire Rescue, the Cape Canaveral Hospital, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Holmes Regional First Flight will be conducting a small scale Mass Casualty drill. The drill will take place at Canaveral Fire Rescue Training facility in Port Canaveral. The drill will test response and plans of emergency responders and local hospitals. Participants include Canaveral Port Authority, Health First, Cape Canaveral Hospital, Canaveral Fire Rescue, Brevard County Fire Rescue, Cocoa Beach Fire Rescue, and Brevard County Emergency Management.

Preliminary figures show that total revenues for the Canaveral Port Authority have topped $50m for the first time, reaching the $51 million mark in Fiscal Year 2006. Records were achieved in overall revenue, operating revenue, cruise revenue, cargo revenue, multi-day cruise passengers, and cargo tonnage. A decade ago, total revenues were $18.1 million. Total revenues last year were $44.6 million. In the latest economic impact report, Port Canaveral contributed 34,000 jobs and more than $1.5 billion to Brevard County. Regionally, the Port’s impact contributed 50,000 jobs and $2.3 billion to the central Florida economy.

According to reports, shipbuilders are capable of building cruise ships even larger than Royal Caribbean International's planned 6,000-passenger Genesis vessel. But whether passengers and ports are ready for future behemoths is another question, cruise-industry officials said Wednesday. There are no basic technical constraints to further size increases, Maurizio Cergol, cruise vessel chief designer for Italy's Fincantieri shipbuilding yard, said during a panel discussion on megaships at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, the cruise industry's annual trade show at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Cergol's vision of virtually limitless increases in cruise ship size in the future was echoed by Tom Degerman…

The House and Senate have given final approval to a Conference Committee Report, which settled differences in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1999. This legislation allows numerous projects to advance or be initiated. For instance, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) can move into the next phase of harbor deepening in projects at the Ports of Brunswick and Savannah. “Authorization of the Brunswick project puts it on an immediate track to construction, projected to start next year pending schedule and funding issues,” said Doug J. Marchand, GPA executive director. “Deepening the Brunswick channel to 36 ft. will save carriers and shippers more than $5.6 million annually.