Washington State Legislature News

The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s Terminal 5 has welcomed MSC Brunella as the first vessel to plug in to the terminal’s new shore power infrastructure.Terminal 5 is the first international container terminal in the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) gateway with shore power capability, and the nearly 9,000 TEU vessel successfully used clean energy from the City of Seattle’s electrical grid while at berth on April 10.Shore power installation is a key part of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy…

Skagit County Public Works and Seattle-based vessel designer Glosten are seeking proposals from electrical integrators to provide the vessel and shore electrical systems and the automated charging plug for the all-electric ferry design to replace the M/V Guemes.The Washington State Legislature recently passed SHB1502, providing authority for the county to select this equipment during the vessel’s contract design. The selected integrator will be required in the bid specifications…

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) was recently selected by Vigor Fab as the engineering firm that will provide functional design for the new hybrid-electric Olympic Class ferries for Washington State Ferries (WSF). EBDG is responsible for redesigning the vessels to accommodate the major change in propulsion type without disrupting structural components. The ferries will operate on all-battery power during crossings or can revert to a hybrid, diesel-electric propulsion if required.

Washington State Ferries has begun a project to transition the largest vessels in its fleet to cleaner hybrid-electric power.The three ferries in the operator's Jumbo Mark II class, the Tacoma, Wenatchee and Puyallup, were built from 1997 to 1999 at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle. Each vessel can carry up to 2,499 passengers and 202 vehicles, making them the largest in the Washington State fleet.The 460 footers are also the fleet's biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions.

Demolition of the Mukilteo tank farm pier has begun. The work makes way for a new terminal to replace Washington State Ferries’ existing, 60-year-old facility in Mukilteo. The project will result in a cleaner Puget Sound by removing 7,000 tons of toxic creosote-soaked timber piles, about 4 percent of the remaining creosote in the sound. “This is a significant milestone for the project. The Mukilteo Multimodal Project will bring critical improvements to the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry route…

Washington State Legislature’s passed a $16.2 billion transportation investment package that ports of Tacoma and Seattle say will benefit the state’s economy by speeding the movement of cargo through the ports and freight corridors. The ports, business and community leaders have been advocating for funding to complete the key freight routes of State Route 509 in King County and State Route 167 in Pierce County, which are supported in the package. “The transportation system outside our terminal gates is critical to maintaining our competitive edge…

The Port of Vancouver USA has announced that Port of Vancouver Commissioner Jerry Oliver will serve as president of the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) Board of Trustees for 2013. As president, Oliver will work collaboratively with fellow executive committee members to provide high-level leadership and strategic oversight for the association. “As a true believer that the Port of Vancouver plays a critical role in the economic well-being of my own community, I am honored to serve on the board of an organization that promotes the value of public ports throughout our state…

“There is a resurgence of the marine industry in the Pacific Northwest we haven’t seen for 20 to 30 years now,” said Vince Piscitello, Vice President of Business Development for Vigor Industrial LLC. “The oil and gas industry is really new to our area,” he said, although he expects to see it grow significantly with Shell’s exploration of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska’s northern coast. State run ferry operations in Washington and Alaska are at a point where they must renew fleets built in the 50s and 60s.

Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) has sold four 1927-built Steel Electric class vessels to Eco Planet Recycling, Inc. of Chula Vista, Calif. The total combined sale price for all four ferries is $200,000. The Washington State Department of General Administration approved the sale on Wednesday, June 17 followed by completion of the signature process on Thursday, June 18. Receipt of the payment was confirmed late on Friday, June 19. “The Steel Electric class vessels served as unforgettable icons of life in the Pacific Northwest,” said Assistant Secretary for WSF David Moseley. In November 2007, Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond ordered theQuinault, Illahee, Nisqually and Klickitat removed from service due to safety concerns.

According to a Jan. 27 report from the Peninsula Daily News, oil, cargo and cruise industries would pay for a tugboat at Neah Bay under a proposed bill in the Washington state Legislature. House Bill 1409 -- which was introduced on Tuesday by 24th District Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim -- also would extend the tugboat's mission beyond rescue to also include responding to oil spills and save the state about $3.65 million a year, the Representative said. (Source: Peninsula Daily News)

On Friday, Jan. 16, the Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) closed the sale of the passenger-only fast ferries Chinook and Snohomish to the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District of Larkspur, California. The total sale price for the two vessels was $4m. In 2006, the Washington State Legislature voted to end state funding for passenger-only ferries. In 2007 the Legislature directed WSF to conduct the sale process of the Chinook and Snohomish and deposit the sale proceeds into a passenger ferry account. The proceeds from the sale will be used to help fund county-run passenger-only ferry service. The Chinook and Snohomish were built in the late 1990’s and provided passenger-only service between Seattle and Bremerton from 1998 to 2003.

The Washington State legislature adopted Substitute Senate Bill 6641 amending the state oil spill prevention law. The amendment, among other things, directs the Department of Ecology to adopt regulations establishing standards requiring deployment of containment equipment prior to transfer of oil involving a ship (including during bunkering operations). The regulations are to be promulgated not later than June 30, 2006. (HK Law).

R. Ted Bottiger was appointed President of the Port of Tacoma Commission by fellow commissioners at the Commission's first meeting of 2005, held Thursday, January 7. Positions among commissioners rotate yearly, based on procedures approved by the Port Commission in 1999. Bottiger replaces Port Commissioner Clare Petrich as Commission President. Petrich will serve as Assistant Secretary in 2005. Bottiger was appointed Port Commissioner in March 1997, elected in November 1997, and re-elected in November 2001. Before serving as a Port Commissioner, he served four years as an Assistant Attorney General for Washington State and spent 23 years in private legal practice. Bottiger also served 23 years in the Washington State Legislature, the last five years as Senate Majority Leader.

Todd Shipyards Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation has reached an agreement with J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Inc., to submit a Joint Single Proposal to build ferries for the Washington State Ferry System (WSF). A bill (SHB 2378) approved by the Washington State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire earlier this year created a 30-day period during which "pre-qualified" and "best-qualified" shipyards -- Todd, Martinac and Nichols -- could seek to come to agreement on a Joint Single Proposal for the construction of four New 144-Auto Ferries for WSF. The discussions, which were moderated by the Governor's Office, concluded with an agreement to submit a proposal.

Avondale Industries, Inc. has agreed to pay $357,750 in penalties for safety and health violations at its shipyard in Avondale, La., and implement a revised safety and health program as part of a settlement agreement announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "We are pleased Avondale has agreed to resolve this matter," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "Avondale's new management has shown they are serious about eliminating safety hazards. OSHA originally inspected the shipyard in October 1998 following union complaints of possible imminent danger from falls, and other health issues. Based on that inspection, OSHA issued 60 citations against the shipbuilder last April and proposed fines of $537,000.