Mineta News

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster  (R-PA) have been jointly selected to receive the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) 2014 “Port Person of the Year” award. The bi-partisan nomination for AAPA’s most prestigious annual award was submitted by the California Association of Port Authorities (CAPA). Marking its 102nd year as the Western Hemisphere’s leading trade association representing port authorities, AAPA selected Sen. Boxer and Cong. Shuster based on their dedication to improving America’s water resources, infrastructure and freight transportation policy. Their work toward reforming federal water resources development legislation…

U.S. Reps Janice Hahn & Ted Poe to Accept AAPA’s ‘Port Person of Year’ Award at March 19 Event in D.C.; AAPA’s 2013 ‘Spring Conference’ to focus on key seaport priorities: infrastructure, security, trade. U.S. Representatives Janice Hahn (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) will be honored on March 19 as the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) 2013 “Port Persons of the Year” during the association’s annual Spring Conference event, March 18-19, at The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel.

U.S. Rep. John Mica To Accept AAPA ‘Port Person Of Year’ Award At March 20 Event Luncheon. AAPA Centennial ‘Spring Conference’ Speakers Will Focus On Raising Priorities For Freight Infrastructure. U.S. Congressman John Mica (R-FL) will be honored on March 20 as the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) “Port Person of the Year” during the association’s 100th anniversary Spring Conference event, March 19-20, at The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel. Celebrating its first century as the Western Hemisphere’s leading trade association representing port authorities…

Board to expand to eleven from eight; seven New Board Members Join Four Existing Directors; Four Directors Retire. Horizon Lines, a domestic ocean shipping company, today announced that it will expand its Board of Directors to 11 members from eight, effective November 25, 2011. In conjunction with the expansion, seven new directors will be appointed and four of the existing eight directors will retire. • Jeffrey A. Brodsky, Kurt M. Cellar, Carol B. Hallett, James LaChance, Steven L. Rubin, Martin Tuchman and David N. Weinstein will join the board as independent directors.

The officers and crews of five American ships and a seafarer who extinguished a fire on a vessel will be honored for heroism by United Seamen's Service at the 40th annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea dinner on November 13, 2009. The AOTOS honors this year will go to Donald Kurz of Keystone Shipping Co., Ron Widdows of Neptune Orient Lines and the United States Coast Guard, which will receive a special award. The Honored Seafarer awards will go to the officers and crew of the Maersk Alabama, who fought off a pirate attack while maintaining control of the ship 350 miles off the coast of Somalia and whose captain was taken hostage, April 8-13, 2009.

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today its Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard’s Fourteenth District will take place on Thursday, March 12, 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Honoring local Coast Guard members who protect coastline shores from the Hawaiian Islands to Guam, the gala’s Chairman is Mr. Lee Webber, publisher and president of the Honolulu Advertiser; the Master of Ceremonies will be Mr. Michael Perry, a recognized name in Hawaiian broadcast history; and the Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker will be former Secretary of Transportation, Norman Mineta.

U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) will be honored as the American Association of Port Authorities' (AAPA) "Port Person of the Year" at the port association's annual Washington People's Luncheon on April 1 in Washington, D.C.'s historic Willard Inter-Continental Hotel. AAPA - a trade organization representing the leading public ports in the Western Hemisphere - selected Sen. Byrd to receive its most prestigious annual award based on his strong advocacy in Congress for increasing cargo and facility security at America's seaports. In addition to receiving the "Port Person" award, Sen. Byrd will serve as the luncheon's keynote speaker. During his remarks…

In its first public statement on the Jones Act, the Bush Administration has declared the law must be maintained as “an essential element of U.S. maritime policy that provides important economic and national security benefits to the nation, such as support of the U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta made the statement in response to a written question following his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. The Jones Act requires that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in vessels that are U.S.-owned, -built and -crewed. Similar U.S. cabotage laws reserve the movement of passengers and the performance of marine services such as dredging, towing and salvage to U.S.-owned, -built and -crewed vessels.

On Thursday, October 18, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta will deliver opening remarks at the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council meeting in Baltimore. The Secretary will brief council members on marine transportation system capacity and port security issues. The council meeting is open for public observation. The council is comprised of leaders from over 30 commercial transportation firms, trade associations, state and local public entities, recreational boating interests, academics and environmental groups. Its purpose is to advise the Secretary of Transportation on issues involving the Marine Transportation System – a system of waterways…

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) recently awarded a contract for the disposal of obsolete ships in the James River Reserve Fleet. Post-Service Remediation Partners (PRP) of New York will be awarded a payment of $14.8 million to remove a total of 15 ships from the James River Reserve Fleet. This is the largest removal of obsolete ships in a single year from the National Defense Reserve Fleet since 1993. "As stewards of the environment, the responsible disposal of obsolete ships is a high priority for the Department of Transportation," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. The PRP award was the result of a negotiated Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) proposal that offered the removal of fifteen ships.

Portland’s marine commercial shipbuilding industry is getting a boost thanks in part to construction of the “Pride Portland” and the “Pride Rio de Janeiro,” two huge oil rigs built by crews working for Cianbro and funded with a $342 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert recently visited the “Amethyst Project” at the terminal where the two 12,000 ton oil rigs that symbolize the city’s revitalization efforts were constructed.

Portland’s marine commercial shipbuilding industry is getting a boost thanks in part to construction of the “Pride Portland” and the “Pride Rio de Janeiro,” two huge oil rigs built by crews working for Cianbro and funded with a $342 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert today visited the “Amethyst Project” at the terminal where the two 12,000 ton oil rigs that symbolize the city’s revitalization efforts were constructed. Captain Schubert called the working waterfront an asset that will provide jobs and keep America moving. “This project alone has employed close to 1…

It soon will be easier to import natural gas from fuel tankers, without disruption to shoreline communities and the environment, thanks in part to a new deepwater liquid natural gas (LNG) port approved today by the U.S. Maritime Administration. The LNG port, to be built by El Paso Energy Bridge Gulf of Mexico LLC about 116 miles south of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico, is a terminal to process and transfer natural gas received from LNG transport ships to a pipeline system, which will carry the natural gas ashore for distribution to U.S. markets. "This new facility will improve efficiency by eliminating the need for a carrier to come all the way into a shore side port and save money in the process," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.

It soon will be easier to import natural gas from fuel tankers, without disruption to shoreline communities and the environment, thanks in part to a new deepwater liquid natural gas (LNG) port approved today by the U.S. Maritime Administration. The LNG port, to be built by El Paso Energy Bridge Gulf of Mexico LLC about 116 miles south of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico, is a terminal to process and transfer natural gas received from LNG transport ships to a pipeline system, which will carry the natural gas ashore for distribution to U.S. markets. “This new facility will improve efficiency by eliminating the need for a carrier to come all the way into a shore side port and save money in the process,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.

As part of the celebration of National Maritime Day, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today honored the men and women of the U.S. merchant marine who risk their lives on wartime seas. This year’s ceremony at Navy Memorial Auditorium paid special tribute to the action of mariners during World War II. Following the presentation of the colors and a moment of silence, Secretary Mineta spoke of WWII merchant mariners who sacrificed their lives in service to the nation. "They traveled unarmed, often into dangerous waters, to support our Armed Forces overseas. Merchant mariners crewed the Liberty ships, the Victory ships, and thousands of other ships that carried troops and many tons of materiel for the Allied cause in World War II. Nearly 215,000 people served in the U.S.

Three ships will leave the James River Reserve Fleet this summer, thanks to domestic ship dismantling contracts announced today by U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert. Marine Metals of Brownsville, TX, has been awarded three contracts valued at $3.1 million to dismantle the American Banker, the Mormacmoon, and the Santa Cruz. All three ships are considered high-priority vessels for dismantling and recycling. "This Administration is working very hard to get these ships out of the James River and on their way to qualified ship breaking yards," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. "We are all very anxious to reduce the number of ships in the fleet," he added.

Fueled in part by a spate of luxurious newbuildings such as the Queen Mary 2, the cruise industry, according to government statistics, is growing by leaps and bounds. Reflecting a rise in the popularity of passengers departing from ports closer to their homes, cruise lines carried 2.3 million passengers on North American cruises in the first quarter of 2004, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) reported today. The figures reflect a 13.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2003. The majority of cruises are still destined for the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

Reflecting a rise in the popularity of passengers departing from ports closer to their homes, cruise lines carried 2.3 million passengers on North American cruises in the first quarter of 2004, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) reported today. The figures reflect a 13.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2003. The majority of cruises are still destined for the Caribbean and the Bahamas. However, there has been important growth in new and emerging "drive market" ports -- departure ports closer to home. For example, last year, during the first quarter, four ports -- New York, Jacksonville, Houston, and Norfolk – offered no departures. Now, these cities are currently among the top 15 departure ports in the nation.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has successfully met the first security requirements mandated by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. The Act, passed November 19, 2001, contains deadlines for specific actions within the first 30 days of enactment. “The Department of Transportation continues its dedicated efforts to deliver to the American people the world-class security they deserve and expect as they move about the country,” said Secretary Mineta. · Issued qualification standards for federal airport security screeners. In order to be hired, screeners must be U.S. citizens, have a high school diploma and pass a standardized examination, among other requirements.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and Maritime Administrator Bill Schubert today announced that Industrial Maritime Carriers will transfer a Challenger Class heavy-lift vessel from the Bahamian flag to the U.S. flag. The 8,000 DWT vessel has two 200 metric ton electro-hydraulic cranes, a service speed of 16 knots and is ideally suited for project and heavy lift cargo. The M/V INDUSTRIAL CHALLENGER is the latest ship to benefit from an agreement between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) that significantly reduces the time required to reflag certain vessels into the U.S. registry. "The addition of heavy-lift capacity to the U.S.-flag fleet will be a valuable asset to the U.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta welcomed Captain William G. Schubert to the U.S. Department of Transportation as the Senate unanimously A former maritime industry consultant and Maritime Administration official, Captain Schubert brings 27 years of professional maritime experience to his new post. “During these extraordinary times it is important to have someone like Bill Schubert on our team at the Department of Transportation,” said Secretary Mineta. Captain Schubert underscored the important role the Maritime Administration and the U.S.-flag merchant marine will play in the nation’s war against terrorism. “Now more than ever…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta got a first-hand look at Honolulu Harbor’s infrastructure needs during a tour with Gov. Linda Lingle and Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Rodney Haraga. Secretary Mineta visited the Pier 19 terminal facility, which was built with the help of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and heard from state leaders about plans for the Superferry project. “For many Americans, our maritime industry and our port infrastructure network go largely unnoticed,” Secretary Mineta said. Secretary Mineta toured the Pier 19 shoreside facility planned as the future home of the Superferry in Honolulu. “Governor Lingle understands the importance of maritime transportation and its ability to move the economy,” Secretary Mineta said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the establishment of a department-wide Credit Council to enhance oversight and management of the Department’s direct loan and loan guarantee programs that are administered by the Maritime Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Currently, the Department’s four credit programs are responsible for $7.5 billion in outstanding loans and guarantees (including pending commitments). "As we continue to build a transportation infrastructure and transportation assets that keep our economy moving…