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Port Of Pittsburgh Commission News

12 Oct 2023

Inland Waterways: US Making Progress on Infrastructure

(Photo: Michel Sauret / USACE)

The United States’ vast network of navigable inland rivers is vital to the nation’s economy, serving as an aquatic superhighway for the efficient shipment of critical commodities like agricultural goods, energy products, building materials and industrial chemicals to destinations within the U.S. and to deepwater ports for export. The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), which advocates for a modern, efficient and well-maintained inland waterways, often describes the network as “the…

28 Oct 2021

Stephaich, Pyne Honored by National Rivers Hall of Fame

Peter Stephaich (left) and Joseph H. Pyne.

National Rivers Hall of Fame will honor marine towing industry veterans Peter Stephaich and Joseph H. Pyne during the Annual Waterways Symposium hosted by Waterways Council, Inc. in St. Louis, Mo., in November.Stephaich, the current Chairman and CEO of Blue Danube Incorporated and Campbell Transportation Company, Inc., and Pyne, Kirby Corporation’s former CEO, will receive the Hall's Achievement Award, given to individuals making significant contributions to America’s waterways and barge industry.Having served the river industry for over 30 years…

09 Jun 2020

INSIGHTS: Mary Ann Bucci, Executive Director, Port of Pittsburgh Commission

Mary Ann Bucci, Executive Director, Port of Pittsburgh Commission (Photo: Port of Pittsburgh Commission)

Mary Ann Bucci has spent her entire career in many different aspects of the logistics profession, selling container space on international vessels for SeaLand Service, leasing railcar equipment for GE Railcar Services, and negotiated rail rate for Aristech Chemicals. Having spent the last 19 years advocating for the inland waterways system, specifically for the Port of Pittsburgh District, Bucci weighs in on some of the top issues and key projects underway at one of the nation’s busiest inland ports.Please describe the Port of Pittsburgh Commission’s role in supporting waterway commerce…

20 Mar 2019

INSIGHTS: Peter Stephaich

Peter Stephaich, Chairman & CEO, Campbell Transportation Company

Chairman & CEO, Campbell Transportation Company.Peter H. Stephaich is Chairman and CEO of Blue Danube Incorporated and Campbell Transportation Company. Currently, he is also Chairman of the Board of the Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI). Peter also serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Danube, a position that he has held since 1982. 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)…

19 Nov 2018

Stephaich Elected Chairman of WCI

Peter Stephaich

The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) named Peter H. Stephaich, Chairman and CEO of Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA), as its Chairman of the Board. Stephaich succeeds Tim Parker, President, Parker Towing Company (Tuscaloosa, AL), who served as WCI Chairman from 2016-2018.Stephaich has served the barge industry for more than 30 years in a number of key roles, as Past Chairman and Past Treasurer of the American Waterways Operators; Past Chairman and Trustee of the National Waterways Foundation…

16 Oct 2017

Campbell CEO Stephaich Weighs in on All Things Inland

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.

06 Jul 2015

K&L Gates Welcomes Martinko

The Washington D.C., office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP has welcomed Stephen Martinko as a government affairs counselor in the public policy and law practice. Martinko joins the firm from the Port of Pittsburgh Commission (PPC), where he served as executive director of one of the largest inland ports in the United States. Previously, Martinko spent 12 years as a congressional aide, including serving as deputy staff director for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I Committee) of the U.S. House of Representatives, which has broad jurisdiction over all modes of transportation – aviation, maritime, highways, bridges…

23 Feb 2015

Powering Ahead with a Clean Design

The Shearer Group and Conrad Shipyard collaborate on an ABS approved LNG Towboat Design. What happens next could change inland shipping forever. The December announcement that Conrad Shipyard, L.L.C. and The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) had worked together to develop the design of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered 4,200 horsepower towboat utilizing a proven TSGI design was, perhaps, exciting enough on its own merits. That the team had also been awarded an “Approval in Principle” (AIP) by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the design was especially significant for the nation’s inland waterfront. Packing clean LNG power into an inland towboat was no easy task. And yet, the potential for the concept to blossom in this largely fixed, point-to-point market is very real.

11 Aug 2014

Port of Pittsburgh Taps Martinko as Executive Director

Stephen Martinko, Port of Pittsburgh Executive Director

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission (PPC) announced today that Mr. Stephen Martinko will be the Commission's new executive director. Since January, 2013, Martinko has been the deputy staff director of the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and previously served as chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA). Martinko was instrumental in the development of the Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA) that was signed into law by President Obama earlier this year.

07 Jul 2014

The Versatile ATB Enters the LNG Game

EBDG’s LNG bunkering barge design receives ABS approvals as the maritime industry increasingly looks to LNG as a fuel of the future. In early June, Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle told listeners at an LNG Bunkering conference in Vancouver, Canada that “Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering in North America is moving forward … There is an abundant supply of natural gas in North America. Utilizing natural gas as a marine fuel would help ship owners and operators comply with the MARPOL Annex VI requirements to reduce air pollution from ocean going vessels.” That much is true. It’s also true that there is any number of ways for vessel operators to get to the Promised Land. Nevertheless, LNG – as a fuel – has certainly stepped out into the lead on that mission.

03 Mar 2014

Port of Pittsburgh Seeks Technology Testers

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission seeks local companies and individuals to participate in its Wireless Waterway (WW) Interoperability Test Bed (ITB) the week of June 15, 2014. The commission is accepting applications through April 1, 2014 from interested entrepreneurs, organizations and vendors to conduct demonstrations of technologies and products on the WWITB. In addition it seeks volunteers both to act as professional evaluators and to assist in the operations of the event. The commission established this test bed to help identify technologies which addressed critical river water challenges in the areas of river transportation, communications, environment, safety, sensor, communications, cyber-security, collaboration and interoperability.

07 Oct 2013

ARGUS: Enviable Technology, Unlimited Potential

System is designed to universally interface with a vessel’s existing navigation equipment and autonomously deliver water depths seen by the vessel to a central server. Almost four years and 100 million soundings later, the concept is a reality. Almost two years after we first reported (December 2011 edition of MarineNews) on an innovative, depth sounding recorder device that made wide swaths of data available to perhaps anyone who wants it, the concept envisioned by ARGUS has developed into a viable tool that could change the way that government agencies schedule surveys and dredging. Today, about 40 boats have voluntarily placed on board their vessels the ARGUS (Autonomous Remote Global Underwater Surveillance) system transmitters.

09 Aug 2013

'White Space' Waterway Communications System Evaluated

Pittsburgh Workboat: Photo courtesy of Metric Systems

Hosted by the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, Metric Systems Corp. carried out Beta-testing of its 'White Space' spectrum wireless networking systems with successful results. The trial was a tough, real-world application showcasing the superior propagation capabilities of the newly opened unlicensed TV bands, called White Space spectrum, says Metric Systems. Using the production RaptorX (VHF/UHF Network Radio) continuous high-definition broadband wireless video communication was established and maintained over a rugged…

10 Jun 2013

Inland Waterway Safety Advancement: Port of Pittsburgh & CONSUL Join Hands

Waterway Operations: Photo courtesy of CONSOL

CONSOL Energy & Port of Pittsburgh unveil a state-of-the art broadband network designed to Improve efficiency & safety on Inland waterways. Aboard its newly refurbished river fleet vessel, the M/V Safety Pledge, CONSOL Energy Inc. and the Port of Pittsburgh Commission have unveiled the first wireless broadband network deployed on inland waterways in the United States. Developed exclusively on Pittsburgh's three rivers over the past several months, this new neutral wireless broadband network…

02 May 2013

Port of Pittsburgh Seeks New Technology Partners

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission (PPC) is building an innovative wireless broadband network along the rivers in Pittsburgh and is seeking partners to explore new applications for transportation, safety, security and environmental monitoring, according to James R. McCarville, Executive Director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission. The project, called Wireless Waterways, consists of both the Network System Infrastructure (NSI), which will be scalable and expandable, and an Interoperability Test Bed (ITB). The project has been under construction for nearly a year by the PPC’s contractor, CONXX, Inc., from Johnstown, PA. The PPC will begin to conduct experiments within the Test Bed in June.

23 Oct 2012

Inland Leadership Means Embracing Technology

The Port of Pittsburgh’s state-of-the-art wireless network will eventually allow a myriad of users to collaborate, improve operations, maritime safety, security and a host of other tasks. Really: the cloud is the limit. This story weaves technology, leadership and innovation – all of it happening on the waterfront. The inland waterfront. If this sounds like something more closely associated with bluewater container shipping logistics, then you can be forgiven for getting lost in the moment.

02 Aug 2010

EPA Awards $1.15m to the Port of Pittsburgh

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented a check for $1,156,838.00 to the Port of Pittsburgh Commission (PPC), in Pittsburgh, on July 28, 2010. The federal funds will be matched by $1,970,964.00 in private funds by Campbell Transportation Company (CTC), Consol Energy (CE) and River Salvage, Inc. (RS) for a total of $3,127,802.00. The funds will be used to re-power eight old engines and generators on four towing vessels, with new, cleaner burning engines and generators. The vessels are: the Tensas (CTC), the Sara Elizabeth (CE), and the Big Daddy and Anita Domino (RS).

30 Jul 2010

Grant to Reduce Emissions at Port of Pittsburgh

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $1,156,838 grant to the Port of Pittsburgh Commission on July 28 to oversee extensive repowering of four marine towing vessels with new, more efficient diesel engines and generators that will reduce air pollution, improve air quality and lessen overall environmental impacts. The grant was awarded under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. “Putting clean diesel engines in these hard-working marine vessels will bring cleaner, healthier air for communities along the Port’s 200-miles of navigable waterways,” said EPA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. EPA and the Port were joined by the Allegheny County Health Department…

30 Nov 2009

Waterways – Intelligent Transportation System

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission has applied for a $35.21m USDOT TIGER Grant to deploy two communications technologies at 200 "Hot-zones" throughout the inland waterway system to create a Waterways – Intelligent Transportation System. The technologies include the Automated Identification System (AIS), which the USCG has deployed at major U.S. seaports and Wireless Broadband (WB), which, with greater bandwidth, can accommodate more business as well as governmental communication uses. The application received the backing of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the American Waterway Operators, but also has applications for maritime equipment manufacturers and river terminals. Announcement of the awards by DOT is expected between mid-December and mid-February.

13 Jul 2009

More Funding for Port of Pittsburgh District

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission Executive Director, James R. McCarville, praised the announcement from Senators Specter and Casey that additional funding was included for the locks and dams in the Port of Pittsburgh District. These funds included $25m for rehabilitation of the Emsworth Dam; $21.4m for maintenance on the Ohio River; $16.8m for maintenance on the Mon; and $9m for maintenance on the Allegheny River and $1.75 for the important study of the navigation needs of the Upper Ohio River at Emsworth, Dashields and Montgomery, all in southwestern Pennsylvania. Not as sufficient, however, was the $6.2m for the rehabilitation of Locks and Dams 2-3-4 on the Lower Monongahela river, near Pittsburgh.

01 May 2009

Stimulus Funding for Port of Pittsburgh

“Fantastic”, was the response that James R. McCarville, Executive Director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, had to the announcement that the US Army Corps of Engineers planned to spend over $110m in Stimulus funding for navigation in southwestern Pa. Specifically, the $84m scheduled for Charleroi Lock in the Lower Mon 2-3-4 project, rescues a billion dollar project that otherwise might have had to go on to life support/shutdown. Those funds will be used to complete the construction of the river wall, and construct a new Upper Guard Wall and a new Lower Guard Wall to safely guide vessels in and out of the chamber. Thirteen million will be added to the $25.8m in the FY09 budget for repairs to the Emsworth Dam and $285…

18 Jun 2008

Interview: Jim McCarville, Executive Director, Port of Pittsburgh

Jim McCarville, Executive Director, Port of PIttsburgh

Jim McCarville, Executive Director, Port of Pittsburgh shares with readers of MarineLink.com his insights on key market drivers for the coming year. If you could change or improve one policy in the federal government that affects your business's bottom line, what would it be? JM: The federal government, unfortunately, looks at transportation projects as stovepipes, failing to grasp that a decision to make or not make waterway improvements will impact other modes of transportation.

11 Jul 2002

Mississippi Queen To Drop Anchor in Pittsburgh

The Mississippi Queen, one of the boats of the Delta Queen Steamboat Line, will arrive at the new North Shore docking facility on Tuesday, July 16. This is the first voyage of one of the Delta Queen boats into Pittsburgh this year and it will be repeated by the Mississippi Queen in August. Dale McClelland of Celebrate Pittsburgh and Beyond, the contracted receptive operator in Pittsburgh, is "very excited about the arrival of the Mississippi Queen and the future of the Delta Queen Steamboat operation. The possibility exists for expanding the Queens' layovers and making Pittsburgh a multi-night port city in the future." Providing the needed hotel rooms, dining facilities and entertainment would give an economic lift to tourism in Pittsburgh.