District Of Columbia News

Oil and gas companies and environmental groups on Monday filed dueling legal challenges to the Biden administration's five-year plan to offer drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico.The petitions to a U.S. appeals court come four months after the Interior Department unveiled a congressionally-mandated plan for offshore leasing that included just three sales, the lowest since the government began publishing the schedules in 1980.The American Petroleum Institute, an oil and gas trade group…

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division announced today delivery of the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine stern to General Dynamics Electric Boat.The stern for District of Columbia (SSBN 826) was transported by barge from Newport News to Electric Boat’s facility in Quonset Point, R.I..“This is a major milestone in the ramp-up of Columbia-class module production here at NNS,” said Brandi Smith, NNS vice president of Columbia-class submarine construction. “Our shipbuilders have worked with pride to accomplish this milestone…

The U.S. on Friday divulged it disrupted in April a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, seizing more than 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil that violated U.S. sanctions.In April, Reuters reported that the U.S. confiscated cargo onboard tanker Suez Rajan, which was carrying Iranian oil at sea. The U.S. statement on Friday confirmed and fleshed out details of the story which cited sources.The "illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil" violated sanctions targeting Iran, the U.S.

The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission, the Navy would include 293 battle force ships at the end of FY2024 and 291 battle force ships at the end of FY2028."But there is progress…

A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit filed by environmental groups challenging federal approvals needed to construct a $39 billion project that would move natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope across the state.A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's review of plans for the state-run Alaska Gasline Development Corp's project satisfied the National Environmental Policy Act requirements to take a hard look at environmental impacts of major proposals…

The Biden administration needs until the end of this year to finalize a long-awaited five-year plan for offshore oil and gas development in federal waters, according to court documents filed this week.The U.S. has been without a congressionally-mandated five year schedule of offshore oil and gas auctions since the previous one expired in June 2022. The process is being closely watched by the oil and gas industry, which has pressed for more leasing to boost domestic fuel supplies, and by environmentalists, who say drilling conflicts with President Joe Biden's promise to fight climate change.

Crowley has appointed Clay Heil as vice president of global government relations, where he will lead the company’s full spectrum of government advocacy across all of the company’s business interests and activities.Based in Washington, D.C., Heil will spearhead Crowley’s engagement with federal, state and local government partners and elected officials on policy and regulatory matters that support the company’s strategic growth. Heil joins Crowley with more than 25 years of legislative and legal experience. In Congress, he worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S.

The Jones Act is a single sentence long, and yet somehow that reservation of U.S. domestic maritime commerce to qualified U.S.-flag vessels has spawned numerous complications with respect to offshore wind energy projects. Although not supported by prior experience, maybe 2023 will bring some clarity.U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the primary source of guidance for how the Jones Act applies. CBP issued its first two offshore wind rulings in May 2010 and February 2011 in the heady early days of U.S. offshore wind.

U.S. federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel B. Maffei announced Phillip C. “Chris” Hughey has been hired as the General Counsel of the Federal Maritime Commission and appointed to be a member of the Senior Executive Service.In his capacity as General Counsel to the Commission, Hughey will provide legal advice and recommendations to the Chairman and Commissioners on regulatory and policy matters. He will serve as a member of the agency’s senior management team and will also…

Two Matson Inc subsidiaries must face claims from rival container shipping company American President Lines LLC that Matson is abusing its market power over service from the United States to Guam, a federal judge ruled in an antitrust lawsuit.The ruling Friday by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., declined to dismiss claims against Matson Navigation Company Inc and Matson Logistics Inc brought by American President Lines last year seeking unspecified monetary damages for alleged violations of U.S. competition law.The court dismissed parent company Matson Inc as a defendant.Honolulu-based Matson, a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, in 2021 recorded revenue of more than $3.9 billion.

Spanish police on Monday impounded a superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg on behalf of U.S. authorities, the first time the United States has seized property belonging to a Russian oligarch since its invasion of Ukraine in February.Valued at more than 90 million euros ($99 million), the 78-metre-long "Tango" (255 ft) was seized in a shipyard on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, the Guardia Civil police and the U.S. Justice Department said in parallel…

A federal judge invalidated the results of an oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday saying the Biden administration failed to properly account for the auction's climate change impact.The decision has cast uncertainty over the future of the U.S. federal offshore drilling program, which has been a big source of public revenue for decades but also drawn the ire of activists concerned about its impact on the environment and contribution to global warming.The Gulf of Mexico accounts for 15% of existing U.S.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel B. Maffei today announced the hiring of William “Bill” Cody to serve as the agency’s Secretary.Cody has more than 20 years of extensive legal and administrative experience at the federal and state government levels as well as in the private sector. He most recently worked as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Energy. Earlier in his career, he held positions in the Louisiana state government, the U.S. House of Representatives, and worked as an attorney in private practice.“I am pleased to be able to make this personnel announcement. Mr.

The Transportation Department said on Tuesday it was evaluating whether a temporary waiver of the Jones Act is needed to ensure sufficient gasoline supply to some U.S. states after the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline."The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has started the work needed to enable consideration of a temporary and targeted waiver of the Jones Act," the department said. The Jones Act requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by ships built domestically and staffed by U.S.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to investigate or prosecute then-Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao after the inspector general’s office referred allegations of potential misuse of office for review, a report made public on Wednesday said.The report included allegations that Chao directed staff to research or purchase personal items for her online using her personal credit card or performed other personal errands for her or her father.The report focused largely on Chao’s actions related to her family’s shipping business…

The owners of four Iranian fuel cargoes that were confiscated by U.S. authorities last month mounted a challenge to the seizure, asserting their rights to control the cargo, according to a court filing on Tuesday.The U.S. Justice Department last month announced the seizure of 1.116 million barrels of fuel it said was destined for Venezuela. The oil industries of Venezuela and Iran, both OPEC nations, are under U.S. sanctions, and Iran earlier this year irked Washington by sending gasoline cargoes to Venezuela.In the Tuesday filing with the U.S.

U.S. prosecutors late on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran is shipping to Venezuela, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to increase economic pressure on the two U.S. foes.The government of Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro has flaunted the tankers, which departed last month, to show it remains unbowed by U.S. pressure. The United States, has been pressing for Maduro’s ouster with a campaign of diplomatic measures and punitive measures, including sanctions on state oil company PDVSA.Gasoline shortages in Venezuela, like Iran a member of OPEC, have grown acute due to the U.S. sanctions, and the country has undergone an economic collapse.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $9.5 million in grants to eight marine highways projects across the Nation under the America’s Marine Highway Program. The funding supports the enhancement of navigable waterways and expands existing waterborne freight services in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and American Samoa.“This Federal assistance will provide additional options to reduce congestion on the roads and help the surrounding local communities’ and the regions’ economic recovery…

Canyon Marine Solutions has been approved as an authorized distributor for Thordon Bearings.The Virginia-based engineering firm will provide sales and engineering support to Thordon’s complete portfolio of marine bearing and seal products in the states of Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.Canyon Marine Solutions, which officially began representing the company on April 1st has already secured a major order for Thordon Bearings. The company…

BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair, Jacksonville, Florida, is awarded a $23,865,722 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-2317 to exercise options for USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) post-shakedown availability (PSA). The PSA is accomplished within a period of approximately 16 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) obligation work limiting date (OWLD). The PSA encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA.

A US District Court for the District of Columbia announced that it will grant the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) motion for an injunction to block Wilhelmsen’s acquisition of Drew Marine Technical Services.Consequently, Wilhelmsen and Drew have agreed to abandon the transaction.“We disagree with the views of the US competition authorities. This would have been an important strategic investment for our group, which we believe would have meant better services and better prices for our customer. We are therefore disappointed that we will not be able to bring the deal to a close,” says Thomas Wilhelmsen, group CEO in Wilhelmsen.Wilhelmsen and Drew have agreed on a termination fee of USD 20 million.

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a not-to-exceed $200,446,196 undefinitized fixed-price, incentive firm target modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-2116) for the purchase of additional long lead time material in support of USS Enterprise (CVN 80). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, is expected to be completed by February 2027. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $200,446,196 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured.

U.K. based marine services contractor Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and several of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay $20 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Navy under contracts for ship husbanding services, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.Inchcape provided goods and services, including food and other subsistence items, waste removal, telephone services, ship-to-shore transportation, force protection services and local transportation…