Subsea Mining: The Race is On, But Effects are Unclear
Mining the ocean floor for submerged minerals is a little-known, experimental industry. But soon it will take place on the deep seabed, which belongs to everyone, according to international law.Seabed mining for valuable materials like copper, zinc and lithium already takes place within countries’ marine territories. As soon as 2025, larger projects could start in international waters – areas more than 200 nautical miles from shore, beyond national jurisdictions.We study ocean policy…
Britain to Ban Fracking in National Parks
Britain said on Monday it would ban fracking in national parks, reversing a policy announced last year, in a concession to the opposition Labour Party which had called for tighter controls to be written into law. "We have agreed an outright ban on fracking in national parks, sites of special interest and areas of natural beauty," said junior energy minister Amber Rudd during a debate on new laws regulating the extraction process. Last year the government said fracking -- extracting gas and oil by pumping chemicals, sand and water at high pressure into underground rocks -- would be possible within national parks in exceptional circumstances. The government also accepted a Labour proposal to tighten several other rules governing when and where fracking would be permitted.
Port of Tacoma Reports Vapor Release
It is reported that a vapor release occurred aboard the Axel Maersk on July 24 at the Port of Tacoma. After a full day and night of testing, hazmat response teams found no chemical leaks from any containers and the incident remains under Coast Guard investigation. Other activity on the Sitcum Waterway (APM Terminals, Husky Terminal and Terminal 7) has resumed.
News: Mobex/Watercom, StarTrak Make Connection
management solutions to the marine industry. Under this agreement, MOBEX will distribute StarTrak's products and services in the marine market throughout North America. StarTrak recently introduced the wireless communications product BargeTrak, a solar powered wireless solution contained in a single package about the size of a notebook. "BargeTrak is an important product that has been in development and trials for the past two years," said Tim Slifkin, StarTrak's founder and President. "In addition to offering increased security, we believe our solution will bring revolutionary changes to the inland and coastal marine industry with significant improvements in barge utilization…
