Us Federal Government News

Higher shipbuilding costs are contributing to greater overall project costs in the U.S. offshore wind industry, according to maritime and offshore consultancy Intelatus Global Partners.The United States will rely on a large fleet of foreign and domestic vessels as it builds up toward the Biden Administration's target of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 110 GW by 2050. This fleet will consist of both existing and newbuild tonnage, including wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV)…

A number of recent actions in the United States will better position the nation to meet its short- and long-term offshore wind energy targets, as outlined in the April 2023 U.S. Offshore Wind Report from Intelatus Global Partners.April brings with it the news that the U.S. federal government is seeking to accelerate and incentivize investment in offshore wind technologies and the supply chain, whether it be for bottom-fixed or floating wind projects, for the transmission of large amounts of electricity from offshore to an onshore grid that was not designed with this scenario in mind…

By the end of last year, hedge fund positions in diesel had fallen to a level normally associated with a sharp slowdown in economic growth if not an outright recession.Most middle distillate fuels such as diesel, gasoil and jet fuel are consumed in freight transport (ships, trucks, railroads and air cargo) as well as manufacturing and mining.Middle distillate consumption and prices are therefore more closely tied to the state of the economy than other refined fuels such as gasoline.

Port officials on Tuesday are expected to consider $300 million in financing that would prepare the country's largest oil-export port - Corpus Christi, Texas - to handle a surge in U.S. shale production over the next five years.International buyers would like more U.S. crude but are unable to get it because of infrastructure constraints along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Terminals originally designed for imports only recently have revamped operations to handle exports including accepting…

Lamor recently commissioned itsLSC 4C Side Collecting Oil Skimming System for Guam’s Oil Spill Response Operations Company (OSROCO) and T&T Marine Salvage (T&T) making it the largest skimming system in the region. OSROCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cabras Marine, and T&T operate the skimming system as well as an array of small crafts, and other specialized response equipment. OSROCO, Cabras and T&T employees are trained and certified in accordance with the U.S. Federal Government’s oil spill response and safety standards.

The U.S. federal government has killed more than 1,000 seabirds on an Oregon island since May to protect endangered salmon as part of a plan that environmentalists say is flawed and are seeking to stop with a lawsuit. So far, 1,221 adult cormorants have been killed and more than 5,000 nests destroyed, U.S. officials said on Friday, adding the killing was expected to continue until mid- to late October when the seabirds migrate for the winter. "Government agents are racing about in their boat blowing birds out of the sky," said Bob Sallinger, conservation director of the Audubon Society of Portland. The government workers started culling the birds on May 24 as part of a multi-year plan to kill 11,000 double-crested cormorants, which U.S.

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is an organization of academic oceanographic institutions working in cooperation with agencies of the U.S. Federal Government to ensure broad access to modern, well-operated, state-of-the-art research vessels, submersibles, aircraft, and facilities required to support a healthy and vigorous research and education program in the ocean sciences. UNOLS informs it is currently actively engaged in the academic research fleet modernization efforts, in exploring environmental sustainability for the fleet, and in outreach initiatives for students and early career scientists. The future fleet composition…

Smaller boatyards carve out a profitable niche in this challenging, yet target rich maritime environment. For Kvichak and USMI; so far, so good. The May edition of MarineNews brought analysis of possible downstream consequences of the U.S. federal government’s ongoing austerity measures, especially where it could impact U.S. boatbuilders with backlogs tied to government funding. Susan Buchanan’s “Budget Battles Bumping Backlogs” piece brought out the good, bad and potentially ugly realities of the new normal in Washington, DC, where lawmakers tussle over spending priorities, while also leaving various casualties in their messy wake. The August announcement that the U.S.

Siemens SISHIP LV drives and SINAMICS components to power customer’s environmentally friendly, next-generation fishing vessel, saving up to 30% in annual fuel and maintenance costs. Based in Seattle, Blue North Fisheries (BNF) operates five fishing boats called “freezer long liners” in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and one smaller seiner in Alaska, Washington and Oregon. BNF’s largest vessel is 180-feet long with a crew of 23, while its smaller seiner is 58-feet long with a crew of six. Established in 1983, BNF has grown to approximately 150 employees.

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) seeks nominations & applications to fill Council and Committee vacancies in 2013. The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is an organization of academic oceanographic institutions working in cooperation with agencies of the U.S. Federal Government to ensure broad access to modern, well-operated, state-of-the-art research vessels, aircraft, submersibles, and facilities required to support a healthy and vigorous research and education program in the ocean sciences. UNOLS says it greatly values the contributions of our Council and Committee members. If you have an interest in serving on the UNOLS Council or a Committee you are encouraged to submit an application.

After many years of negotiation, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments was adopted on 16 February 2004 by an international conference sponsored by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention was a major step forward in reducing the risk of the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species into local marine ecosystems by means of the discharge of ballast water from ships arriving from distant locations.

W R Systems, Ltd. (WRSystems) has announced the appointment of Dave Edwards as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Edwards joined the Virginia-based company in 1996; he replaces Founder Raymond Yu, who retired in November 2011. Edwards was the chief architect of the company’s Engineering Services Division (ESD), which now employs more than 200 employees in the Norfolk location. Collectively, WRSystems has become a major supplier to the US Federal Government, and supports the US Navy and other departments with high-tech marine electronics…

New Zealand’s Stabicraft Marine has delivered 9 custom 659 Wheel House vessels to Alaska where they will be used as observation boats to monitor the gill net fishery and the fishery’s interaction with sea mammals and sea birds. The vessel orders came at a special request from Saltwater Inc, a private organization that gathers data on wild life and fish stocks for the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game and by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The order is a coup for New Zealand based Stabicraft Marine, as the vessels had to meet stringent US criteria.

Located along the historic St. Johns River just sixty miles south of Jacksonville, FL is where a true full service shipyard has emerged to accommodate the growing industry needs. In 2006 Steven Ganoe and business partner Michael Grandonico leased – and eventually bought – an existing shipbuilding and repair facility on the St. Johns River (mile marker 31), a facility which was renamed St. Johns Ship Building and today stands as one of the more progressive and technologically capable small shipyards on the U.S. East Coast.

According to a June 16 report from AFP, BP was deploying a second ship Tuesday, June 15, to the Gulf of Mexico, where crews will burn up to 10,000 barrels of oil per day in a bid to significantly boost efforts to stem the massive leak. The controlled burn method, deployed at the direction of the U.S. federal government, would expand total spill containment capacity to 20,000 to 28,000 barrels per day, a team of U.S. officials said. The ship, called the Q4000, does not have enough…

The American Salvage Association (ASA) recently held its first general meeting in New Orleans. ASA initiated its 4-C's Program: Communication, Co-operation and Competent Completion. ASA members agreed to the increased capital expenditures, expanding training and an experienced labor pool to complement the expanding interest by the U.S. Federal Government as well as States in the field of marine casualty response. "We are certain history has amply demonstrated that a prompt, effective salvage response is by far, the most efficient, cost effective road to success in protecting our marine environment as well as the general public," said Arnold Witte, ASA's president. "Our interest now is to continue to build a response for the future.

After many months of review and many years of testing, NEI Treatment Systems’ Venturi Oxygen StrippingTM (VOS) ballast water treatment system has been issued a Type Approval Certificate of Ballast Water Management System. The Certification was issued by the Liberian Register, with technical review by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Land-based biological testing was conducted by the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. U.S. Federal Government Laboratory. The testing was funded by the U.S. Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the U.S. Program. In 2004, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) finalized the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments…

Ellicott Dredges announces several significant new orders from three state governments in the USA, as well as for multiple U.S. federal government agencies. One project is an EPA-approved PCB Superfund project. Ellicott has delivered the final dredge of a previously announced precedent-setting four dredge order for the State of Delaware, a Series 670 "Dragon" named the "BROADKILL". The State has named its new MC-2000 Mud Cat the Indian River. Delaware Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor commissioned the Broadkill and the Indian River for Governor Ruth Ann Minner at a formal ceremony on November 4 , at the State’s newly dredged Indian River marina.

On Dec. 7 the US Supreme Court heard the oral arguments of Intertanko, the US federal government, and the State of Washington in the State of Washington tanker regulations case. The hearing lasted just over one hour, with the Intertanko counsel using 15 minutes, the Justice Department 15 minutes and the lawyer for Washington State 30 minutes. This was followed by questions from the justices and a final summing up, with two minutes allowed to each of the three parties. Intertanko's US legal counsel, Jonathan Benner, reports that the nine Supreme Court justices were well prepared and understood the arguments. The questions put to the Intertanko and the US federal government attorneys were 'reasonable and sought clarification of certain points'.

Plans to safeguard Panama Canal operations from Y2K-related disruption are highly advanced, the waterway's administration said last week. The Panama Canal Commission (PCC) has implemented a five-phase U.S. federal government plan since 1996, to ensure that all date-sensitive computers and software applications are prepared for year-end glitches, Francisco Loaiza, Chief Information Officer at the PCC said. Following an inventory of computers, servers, information systems and "embedded equipment" - machinery like fax machines and VHS recorders that contain a microprocessor - all necessary network upgrades and replacements have been made, Loaiza said. All Canal administration PC networks have been tested, and validated systems have been put back into operation.