Tank Barge Operators News

Peter H. Stephaich is Chairman and CEO of Blue Danube Incorporated and Campbell Transportation Company. Peter is also on the Board of Directors of Blue Danube, a position that he has held since 1982. If today he isn’t the most familiar name on the domestic waterfront, then perhaps, he should be. Serving the barge industry for over 30 years in a number of key roles, he also counts among his many qualifications his tenure(s) as Past Chairman and Past Treasurer of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), Past Chairman and Trustee of the National Waterways Foundation, Vice Chairman and Executive Committee of Waterways Council (WCI) and as Commissioner and Vice Chairman of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission.

W&O Supply and Chesterton team up to reduce harmful emissions out in front to the EPA’s monitoring program. It’s less expensive than you might think. From the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency comes the September 2014 news of a barge operator fined for releasing dangerous gas into the atmosphere. The UK-based firm was made to pay almost £111,000 in fines and costs as a result of emitting unsafe levels of a gas; in this case, hydrogen sulphide (H2S). And, while an investigation by the MCA showed a number of health and safety failings by the operator, the bottom line was that not enough was done to stop the offending vapors from escaping into the atmosphere.

Kirby Corporation announced record net earnings attributable to Kirby for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012 of $50.9 million, or $.91 per share, compared with $32.4 million, or $.60 per share, for the 2011 first quarter. Consolidated revenues for the 2012 first quarter were $566.9 million compared with $299.4 million reported for the 2011 first quarter. Kirby's 2012 first quarter results included a $4.2 million before taxes, or $.05 per share, charge associated with increasing the fair value of the United Holdings LLC ("United") contingent earnout liability…

(East Brunswick, NJ) K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. announced today that it has successfully completed the ABS HSQE certification process for all of its locations and operating divisions. K-Sea is the first U.S. flag tug and barge operator to achieve ABS HSQE certification, according to ABS. The company's management system meets the standards of the ISM Code, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. In addition, K-Sea continues to maintain its AWO Responsible Carrier Program certification.

The American Waterways Operators AWO says that the tank barge industry is leading the way as American companies make the multi-billion dollar investment required to transform the nation's fleet of oil-carrying tank vessels into environmentally friendly double hulls. More than 65 percent of the U.S. tank barge fleet is double-hulled today, more than 13 years before the 2015 deadline set by Congress in the landmark Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). Even as government and industry sources agree that there is a surplus of tonnage on the market today - more vessels than are needed to meet U.S. demand for oil transportation - America's tank barge operators are leading the transition to an all-double hull fleet. According to U.S. Coast Guard data, U.S.

A new Coast Guard proposal that would require tank vessel owners to augment their spill response plans with prearranged salvage and firefighting resources would cost industry nearly half a billion dollars to implement, the Coast Guard estimates. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), published in the May 10 Federal Register, is intended to stimulate the development of a robust private salvage and firefighting capability in the United States. The NPRM would require holders of approved tank vessel response plans to amend their plans to included pre-contracted access to an extensive suite of salvage and firefighting resources, all capable of being on scene within specified response times.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing to implement a reporting system requiring tank barge operators to file monthly reports on deliveries of taxable fuel to and from bulk liquid terminals. The program, dubbed ExSTARS (for Excise Summary Terminal Accounting and Reporting System), is part of a comprehensive IRS initiative to deter evasion of the federal excise tax on fuel products. The IRS estimates excise tax fraud costs the U.S. taxpayer more than $1 billion annually. The federal excise tax is paid by the position holder of record when taxable fuel such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc., leaves a terminal in non-bulk form (i.e., by railcar or truck).

USCG inspection experts and tank barge operators have formed a quality action team (QAT) to develop a new barge inspection program to ease industry concerns regarding the USCG's Streamlined Inspection Program (SIP). The SIP, which is well-suited to the needs of complex inspection regimes, does not provide enough flexibility to address the unique inspection needs of tank barge operators. The goal of the new effort is to produce an alternative compliance approach and new regulations allowing for some form of audited self-inspection. In meetings with Rear Admiral Robert C. North, assistant commandant for marine safety and environmental protection, and Rear Admiral Paul J.

A division of Crowley Maritime Corp. received the Department of Ecology's (Ecology) highest award today for excellence in tank-vessel marine safety and environmental stewardship. The Exceptional Compliance Program (ECOPRO) Award recognizes Crowley's Marine Transport Corp. subsidiary for its fleet of four articulated tug barges (ATBs). A specially equipped tug locks into a notch in the double-hulled barge's stern to create a single, hinged vessel. The set-up reduces the chances of the barge breaking loose and spilling oil, and provides a higher overall level of safety, reliability and efficiency. The voluntary spill-prevention program for tanker and tank-barge fleets requires member companies to meet 26 marine safety standards, among the world's most stringent.