Namepa Founding News

NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime seminar held yesterday in Anchorage, Alaska was the forum for an examination of regulations surrounding resource extraction, and the readiness of response organizations and the government to address environmental challenges posed by this activity in Arctic regions. RADM Tom Ostebo, USCG District 17 Commander was joined by Marilyn Crockett of Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Mark Myers of the University of Alaska, Cam Toohey of Shell Oil Company, Larry Cotter of APICDA, RADM Duncan Smith of Blank Rome, Charles Parks of Tesoro and Ian Dutton of Alaska SeaLife Center. NAMEPA’s Founding Chairman, Clay Maitland, used the forum to issue a call for recognition of the critical opportunity presented by the Arctic, and the risks involved.

District 17 Commander RADM Tom Ostebo will be a keynote speaker at a “Resources and Readiness in Alaska” seminar to be presented by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) on August 18th in Anchorage at the Captain Cook. The seminar is part of NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Seminar series and will begin at 1:00PM with an introduction by NAMEPA Founding Chairman Clay Maitland. “NAMEPA is keenly interested in the readiness of industry to protect natural resources as resource extraction moves into sensitive and challenging areas,” stated Maitland. “We believe the companies and organizations involved in this extraction need to adequately protect the environment, particularly as the difficulty mounts.

Sixteen Crowley-managed vessels were recently honored with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) awards in recognition of their voluntary rescue services to people aboard vessels in distress in 2010. Crowley received the recognition from Congressman Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the House Subcommittee on the USCG and Maritime Transportation, and Admiral Robert Papp, commandant of the USCG, during a dinner in Washington, D.C. The 16 Crowley-managed vessels that received the awards include the Endurance, Guardian, Sea Prince, Sinuk, Stalwart, Charleston Express, Philadelphia Express, St. Louis Express, Washington Express, Yorktown Express, Blue Ridge, Coast Range, Courage, Pelican State, Resolve and the Sunshine State.

On May 23rd at the National Press Club in Washington DC, the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA)  and IHS Fairplay will be hosting a dinner to commemorate National Maritime Day, which is held on May 22nd to honor merchant mariners. At this dinner, the 2010 AMVER (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System) Award recipients will receive recognition for their service from Congressman Frank LoBiondo, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and Coast Guard Commandant Robert Papp. The evening begins at 6:00PM with a reception. The genesis of the Amver system ultimately finds its roots in the RMS TITANIC disaster in 1912.

The historic cruise liner Queen Mary, berthed in Long Beach, will be the site of a marine environment protection conference on February 23rd exploring issues and changes occurring on the West Coast and impacting shipping throughout the world. Hosted by NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association), the event will feature presentations on greening the waste stream, marine mammals, emissions, and oil spill response. The conference, entitled “The Winds of Change on the West Coast” is part of NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Shipping Series, and will be held aboard the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach, beginning at 0800hrs on February 23rd with coffee and registration. Invited to set the stage for the event is Richard D.