Montana News

HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division hosted a keel authentication ceremony for Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800).The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members, including the three men, during Saturday’s ceremony.The Little Rock Nine made history in 1957 with their response to the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v.

U.S. shipyards are making improvements to building ships for the Navy and Coast Guard today and in the future. In some cases, it means phasing out one class of ship and getting ready for the next. Or, it can be a drastic make-over.The yards include mid-tier yards all the way up to very large facilities devoted exclusively to warships. The ships range from the 353-ton Fast Response Cutter to the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin…

Federal water managers are changing release and storage schedules at several Pacific Northwest dams because of a late season and strong atmospheric river that began June 9. Significant amounts of rainfall have fallen across the Columbia River Basin filling reservoirs and rivers.To assist in managing river stages at Vancouver, Wash., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division, is increasing storage behind the John Day Dam in Eastern Oregon. Where most dams on the Columbia and lower Snake rivers are “run of river” projects…

America’s largest shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on Friday delivered the newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine to the U.S. Navy. Montana (SSN 794), which successfully completed sea trials last month, is the 10th Virginia-class submarine to be delivered by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division and the 21st built as part of the teaming agreement with General Dynamics’ Electric Boat.“We continue to be proud of our partnership with the U.S. Navy in delivering the most advanced ships in the world to our warfighters…

Fast attack submarine Montana (SSN 794) completed initial sea trials last week, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced. The Virginia-class submarine, built at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, spent several days at sea last week to test the ship's systems and components.Testing included submerging the submarine for the first time and high-speed maneuvers while on the surface and submerged. HII teams will continue the testing program and will deliver the boat to the U.S.

A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration's pause on oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters, dealing a setback to a key White House effort to address climate change.The order granted a preliminary injunction to Louisiana and 12 other states that sued Democratic President Joe Biden and the Interior Department over the freeze on new drilling auctions. Louisiana is a major hub for offshore oil and gas production.Biden paused the government's leasing auctions in January pending a review that is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

Berne, Ind.-based portable sectional barge manufacturer Poseidon Barge said it has hired Jerome Lemanowicz as East Coast territory sales manager, to fill the position left by the transfer of Carl Piedmont from the Northeast to the West Coast.Located in New Jersey, Lemanowicz's territory includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., Montreal, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova…

Fourteen U.S. states including Louisiana and Wyoming filed suits on Wednesday against President Joe Biden's administration to challenge his pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters.The legal actions, which seek to restore regular federal drilling auctions, come a day before the administration is set to launch a review of the oil and gas leasing program.Biden, a Democrat, in January signed an executive order putting on hold new leasing pending that review. During his election campaign…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said on Wednesday that the Virginia-class submarine Montana (SSN 794) was launched into the James River at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division in Virginia.The 7,800-ton submarine, which had been in a floating dry dock since being transferred from a construction facility in October, was submerged and moved by tugboats to the shipyard’s submarine pier, for final outfitting, testing and crew certification.“For our shipbuilders, launching Montana signifies five years of hard work…

The U.S. Navy’s latest fast-attack submarine Montana (SSN 794) was christened on Saturday at Huntington Ingalls' Newport News Shipbuilding division, in what was the shipyard's first virtual christening ceremony.Namely, due to COVID-19 restrictions on the size of public gatherings, the christening ceremony was hosted virtually at Newport News’ Module Outfitting Facility.Former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell the ship’s sponsor, smashed a bottle of sparkling wine across the…

A set of complicated lock-and-dam projects on the Illinois Waterway, from Chicago to the Mississippi, has yellow lights flashing throughout the Midwest freight industry. In effect, the entire Waterway will be shut down next summer as the Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island Division, starts some hefty replacement and maintenance projects, from LaGrange to Brandon Road locks and dams.Officials advise maritime, freight and agricultural businesses to look ahead now, to prepare a logistics scenario that will be ready by July 1, 2020.

Scania USA Announces Expansion of Marine Territory for Distributor, Cascade Engine Center, LLC.As of September 1st, Cascade Engine Center, LLC has been assigned additional marine territory in the West Coast of the United States to include Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.Cascade Engine Center currently represents Scania’s latest marine platform: 13- and 16-liter engines for auxiliary and propulsion applications; and currently distributes themin Alaska, Gulf Coast, Hawaii, Idaho…

The rising domestic crude oil production in the United States has created a need for more pipeline capacity, revealed the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).EIA recently launched a new liquids pipeline projects database that tracks more than 200 crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL), and petroleum products pipeline projects."Rising domestic crude oil production has led to several changes in Gulf Coast crude oil supply and demand patterns, creating a need for more pipeline capacity," it pointed out.Crude oil pipeline capacity additions originating in the Gulf Coast region represent most of the scheduled pipeline capacity growth over the next few years.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’  Newport News Shipbuilding division has authenticated the keel of the 21st Virginia-class submarine, Montana (SSN 794). “This is an important day for us,” said Dave Bolcar, Newport News’ vice president of submarine construction. In keeping with a U.S. Navy tradition, former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, the ship’s sponsor, chalked her initials onto a steel plate. Mariah Gladstone, a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, performed a Native American blessing. “It’s a true honor to meet the commander, crew and shipbuilders who are hard at work shaping this amazing submarine to serve our nation,” Jewell said.

Preference given to fleets in areas facing air quality challenges. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of grant funding to modernize the nation’s diesel fleet by retrofitting or replacing vehicles with cleaner, more efficient diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $40 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds. “These grants will incentivize improvements to aging diesel fleets and improve air quality throughout the country,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Steps to reduce emissions from older diesel trucks are some of the most cost-effective measures we can take to improve the air Americans breathe,” said Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42).

The ailing U.S. coal industry is ramping up its political and legal offensive to win approval for West Coast export terminals that could provide a lifeline to lucrative Asia markets. Coal producers filed two recent lawsuits against governments in Washington state and California challenging local decisions to block port projects on environmental grounds. The industry is also lobbying the Trump administration to override the local bans. The fight reflects the sector’s desperation to boost exports as U.S.

U.S. miner Cloud Peak Energy said on Tuesday it will export coal from a Montana mine for 30 to 40 months to two new power plants in Japan with shipments that could start late next year. The coal from Montana's Spring Creek Mine will be carried by rail to Vancouver and then sent by ship for delivery to two 540-megawatt coal gasification plants in Fukushima Prefecture, Cloud Peak said. JERA Trading Pte Ltd, a trading company based in Singapore, will buy the coal from Cloud Peak. Sales of the coal are expected to reach 1 million metric tonnes in the final contract year, Cloud Peak said.

A company that planned to build a coal export terminal in the Pacific Northwest to ship western U.S. coal to Asian markets sued the state of Washington on Wednesday for blocking construction last year. Lighthouse Resources Inc filed a lawsuit in federal court against Washington Governor Jay Inslee and two state regulators for allegedly violating the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause by denying permits to allow the company to ship coal mined in Wyoming, Montana and other western states through its proposed Millennium Bulk Terminal to clients in Japan and South Korea.

The Navy has christened its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Billings (LCS 15),  in Marinette, Wisconsin. The future USS Billings honors the largest city in Montana. It will be the first ship of its name in naval service. The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS 1). The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls). Each LCS is outfitted with a single mission package made up of mission modules containing warfighting systems and support equipment.

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

A coastal Oregon county overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure aimed at blocking a proposed natural gas terminal dealing a blow to what was the latest in a series of efforts to thwart energy projects across the Pacific Northwest. The measure, had it passed, would have banned transport of fossil fuels not intended for local use through Coos County, located about 200 miles (322 kms) south of Portland. Around 76 percent of votes were cast against the measure, with 24 percent in favor, according to unofficial results posted on the Coos County government website late Tuesday. "This ballot measure was not a good measure by any means, and I think (the voters) were able to see that," Coos Bay's mayor Joe Benetti, who opposed the measure, told local newspaper The World.

A coastal Oregon county will vote Tuesday on a ballot measure to block a proposed natural gas terminal, the latest in a series of efforts to thwart energy projects across the Pacific Northwest. The measure would ban transport of fossil fuels not intended for local use through Coos County, located about 200 miles (322 kms) south of Portland. Backers have called the initiative a response to a $7.6 billion proposal by Calgary-based Veresen Inc, to build a facility in the county where natural gas would be liquefied and transferred to tanker ships for sale abroad. They have cast the measure as a local refusal to contribute to global warming. Should the ban pass, it could bring the county into conflict with the administration of President Donald Trump.

Severe winter weather has slowed rail deliveries of crops to shippers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, sending freight rates soaring and prompting Asian buyers to seek fill-in loads as they wait for the backlog at ports to clear. Blizzards, avalanches and heavy rain in recent weeks have hit transport of corn, soy and wheat to ports where they head for the lucrative Asian market, adding to the struggles that have plagued U.S. exporters since harvest. The setbacks come at a critical time for U.S. exporters, who are trying to move as much grain as possible before buyers turn their attention to South America when corn and soybean harvests in Argentina and Brazil accelerate in the coming weeks.