Landrieu News

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…

If you’re interested in the inside track in the federal infrastructure world, check out the upcoming Legislative Summit being planned by AAPA – the American Association of Port Authorities, scheduled for March 29-31 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center.A draft agenda is available and it’s a who’s who of heavy hitters, starting with DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose remarks precede a roundtable session titled “Now We Build!” Another session is titled “How Ports Get to the Front of the Line for Infrastructure Funds.” The speaker is Mitch Landrieu…

In the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, Congress amended the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) administered by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to reserve to smaller ports 18% of the amounts appropriated for grants under the PIDP, and increased this percentage to 25% in the NDAA for FY 2022. This replaced the minimum dollar threshold for PIDP grants of the lesser of $10 million or 10% of the total amount appropriated for the PIDP for a fiscal year.

President Joe Biden signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure bill at a White House ceremony on Monday that drew Democrats and Republicans who pushed the legislation through a deeply divided U.S. Congress.The measure is designed to create jobs across the country by dispersing billions of dollars to state and local governments to fix crumbling bridges and roads, and expanding broadband internet access to millions of Americans.The bill-signing ceremony, held in chilly weather on the White House South Lawn to accommodate a big crowd…

President Joe Biden named former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to oversee implementation of the $1 trillion infrastructure plan, the White House said on Sunday.Landrieu, also a Democratic former Louisiana lieutenant governor, led New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. He played a key role in helping the city rebound from the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Biden, who will sign the infrastructure bill into law on Monday, named Landrieu senior adviser responsible for coordinating implementation of the bill that includes big jumps in spending on roads…

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Friday ordered an evacuation of some areas and a mandatory curfew ahead of Tropical Storm Nate.   The curfew will be in effect from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, the mayor said at a news conference. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency as the storm twisted toward the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday after killing at least 22 people in Central America.   Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales

More than 150 leaders in the cruise industry from around the world will meet here this week, as the Port of New Orleans hosts the 2016 Platinum Associate Membership Advisory Council Conference of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). Local elected officials and tourism leaders will meet with cruise executives from FCCA’s 19 Member Lines, along with key cruise tourism stakeholders, to update them on New Orleans' tourism economy, infrastructure and attractions. Presenters include Gary LaGrange, Port of New Orleans President and CEO; New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Iftikhar Ahmad, Director of Aviation, Louis Armstrong International Airport…

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans joined a host of elected officials and industry partners today to dedicate the Port’s new $25 million Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal. The terminal, made possible by a $16.7 million federal transportation TIGER grant, has a capacity of moving 160,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) per year by rail. “This new terminal provides a highly efficient option for our customers moving cargo via rail,” said Gary LaGrange, Port President and CEO. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant provided about 68 percent of the total funding for the terminal.

Vice President Joe Biden toured the Port’s new Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal today before making remarks commemorating the 7th anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at the Port’s Riverfront Plaza. “I’m here today to talk about smart investments we made in shaping the future of the economy in Louisiana and around the country,” Vice President Biden told a crowd of more than 150 invited guests at the Port. The Port received a $16.7 million Transportation…

American Cruise Lines announced the christening of its second Mississippi River paddlewheeler, the American Eagle, on April 25, 2015 in New Orleans. Mayor Mitch Landrieu will be the guest of honor and his wife, Cheryl Landrieu will christen the new riverboat. “The city of New Orleans has played an integral part in the growth of American Cruise Lines, and we couldn’t be happier than to have the First Lady of New Orleans, Cheryl Landrieu, to christen the American Eagle,” said Judy Roman, Vice President of American Cruise Lines. The American Eagle carries 150 guests in staterooms ranging from 300-600 square feet. Of the 84 staterooms, 78 feature large private balconies, all of which have sliding glass doors.

Governor Bobby Jindal and Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen announced the selection of New Orleans as the homeport for Viking River Cruises’ first North American river cruise itineraries. The Mississippi River cruises will operate from docking facilities near the French Quarter in New Orleans. Viking’s new service will result in the creation of 416 new direct jobs for Louisiana-based operations and vessel crews, with an average salary of $40,000, plus benefits; and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 368 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 780 new jobs in the Southeast Region of the state.

The U.S. commercial maritime industry is enjoying its most robust period in a generation, with a spate of newbuild activities spurred largely by a resurgent energy production market in the U.S. as well as new rules of vessel emissions which has forced owner to invest in new tonnage. For insight and perspective on the market Maritime Reporter & Engineering News visits with Matthew Paxton, who was selected to be the President of the Shipbuilders Council of America in 2007. In this capacity he advocates for a robust and expanding U.S. shipyard industrial base.

The American Salvage Association’s Jon Waldron provides the ultimate cabotage primer. There always seems to be constant chatter about waiving the Jones Act. In reality, it is a simple task to demystify the thought that it is easy to obtain such waivers. The fact that Senator Landrieu’s comments were not directed against any potential waiver of the Jones Act shows the controversy that Jones Act waivers can rise in the maritime and energy sectors. In reality, however, there exists a misconception amongst many about the ease of obtaining a waiver to the Jones Act. Accordingly, this article will discuss the requirements for obtaining a waiver, analyze key past Jones Act waivers, and look to possibilities for future Jones Act waivers.

President Barack Obama's sharpest criticism yet of Keystone XL this weekend included a controversial contention that the huge pipeline would be used to pump Canadian oil sands crude to global markets, not to U.S. refiners. TransCanada Corp., the pipeline giant that has been waiting six years for U.S. approval to build the $8 billion line, strongly denies it and says it is constructing the 1,179-mile (1,900-km) conduit only to serve import-dependant Gulf Coast refiners, weaning them away from supplies of heavy crude from Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The truth, experts say, lies somewhere in between. The 830,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) pipeline helping link Canada's oil sands to the Gulf Coast was conceived six years ago to supply U.S. customers. Since then, however, the U.S.

The American Waterways Operators, a 350-member trade association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hailed the House introduction of critical vessel discharge legislation yesterday, praising the leadership of sponsors Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Bipartisan cosponsors include Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Bill Enyart (D-Ill.), Gene Green (D-Texas), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), David Jolly (R-Fla.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Don Young (R-Alaska). H.R.

The American Waterways Operators, a 350-member trade association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hailed the House introduction of critical vessel discharge legislation yesterday, praising the leadership of sponsors Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Bipartisan cosponsors include Reps. Jim Cooper (D-TN), Bill Enyart (D-IL), Gene Green (D-TX), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), David Jolly (R-FL), Walter Jones (R-NC), Blaine Leutkemeyer (R-MO), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), and Don Young (R-AK). H.R.

Sen. U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., a Senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $10 million grant for the Port of Lake Charles through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Grant Program. Today’s grant will expand the Port’s Bulk Terminal. In April, Sen. Landrieu wrote a letter in support of funding the Port of Lake Charles. Today’s grant will create 1,500 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs at the Port. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Landrieu helped to secure $600 million in the FY14 Appropriations Act for the TIGER discretionary grant program despite strong opposition from the House of Representatives, which completely eliminated funding for this program.

A senior U.S. Congressman from Texas has come out in full support of the United States lifting the 40-year old ban on crude oil exports, putting him at odds with fellow House Republicans wary of weighing in on the controversial issue. Rep. Joe Barton, who until now has maintained a relatively neutral public stance on a topic that has divided Republican members of the House energy and commerce committee, told Reuters in a statement that the time was right for the United States to overhaul its long-standing restrictions on exporting crude oil. "The shale revolution has changed the energy landscape in our country. It is time to change our laws to match this new reality…

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans awarded a $13.3 million construction contract to Metairie, La.-based Hard Rock Construction LLC today for the Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal improvement project at its monthly meeting. Hard Rock Construction was the lowest of eight bidders. The 12-acre project will result in a modern and efficient intermodal container transfer terminal to facilitate the movement of marine and rail cargo, while enhancing safety and reducing the carbon footprint of the regional and national transportation system.

On May 22, the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, containing major recommendations of the Capital Development Plan (CDP), was passed by a vote 91-7 in the Senate. As MarineNews was going to press, President Obama finally signed the bill into law. The conference agreement had passed the House on May 20 by an overwhelming 412-4 vote. The bill contains four key elements of the Capital Development Plan that were included in the House WAVE 4 (H.R. 1149) and Senate RIVER Act (S.

Spend dollars up on dredging, cubic yards moved down. Combined with a reduction in the USACE federal budget, the situation threatens a perfect storm for domestic requirements. U.S. dredging this decade, measured in cubic yards, is only half as active as it was in the early 1960s, with maintenance down slightly since then and new work off considerably, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or USACE. The nation’s spending on dredging in unadjusted dollars has swelled tenfold since the 1960’s, however.

Change in leadership is opportunity to demonstrate economic value Louisiana waterways provide nation, highlight need for federal investment. U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., announced that she has secured a commitment from Shaun Donovan, the nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to meet with Louisiana port and navigation officials in Louisiana later this summer. Donovan, who currently serves as the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, made the commitment to Sen.

Recent meetings between U.S. oil producers and Commerce Department officials have fueled industry hopes that the Obama administration may soon begin to ease a longstanding ban on oil exports. Although it would require an act of Congress to end the four-decade export ban, some analysts and executives believe the White House may be getting ready to open up the taps a bit, allowing some export of a super-light form of oil known as condensate, which falls into a regulatory gray area. Executives and sources said a number of major shale oil producers have quietly stepped up lobbying efforts over the contentious energy issue in recent weeks, meeting with officials from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which oversees exports.