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Lautenberg News

13 May 2013

MARAD Deputy Matsuda Resigns

David Matsuda (photo: U.S. Maritime Administration)

David Matsuda, the U.S. Maritime Administrator, announced that he is stepping down. In a statement released by Marad spokesperson Kim Strong, Matsuda's career highlights and accomplishments were also listed. "Matsuda, who previously worked as the primary transportation counsel to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, was responsible for overseeing more than $1 billion in federal assistance to modernize over 100 of America's small shipyards, upgrade 25 U.S. ports, and build new vessels in the U.S.

05 Feb 2013

Crowley & Titan Salvage Complete 'Sandy' Relief Projects

S.S. Wright Award: Photo credit Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corp. & subsidiary TITAN Salvage look back on their comprehensive work in response to Hurricane 'Sandy'. The storm devastated the U.S. Northeastern coast in late October 2012, and the companies were fully involved in support of relief organizations working in the areas hardest hit by 'Sandy'. The combined response efforts provided by Crowley and TITAN were extensive. Shortly after the storm, the S.S. Wright, a Crowley-managed, Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve Force ship…

26 Sep 2012

Maitland Pinpoints Global Shipping's Woes, Solutions

Clay Maitland is a ubiquitous figure in the global shipping circuit, never shy to share his accrued maritime experience of more than 40 years, ask the tough questions or supply the blunt opinion. Set to celebrate his 70th birthday later this year but not slowing a step, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News caught up with Maitland in his Manhattan office late last month. Most anyone who has seen Clay Maitland address a crowd; watched him grill a conference panel; or taken him one-on-one in conversation to discuss some nuance of the industry…

09 Dec 2009

Matsuda Nominated MARAD Administrator

President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate David T. Matsuda, Administrator, Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation. David T. Matsuda has been serving as Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator of the United States Maritime Administration since July 2009. He is a transportation professional with more than a decade of experience in federal transportation policy, programs and oversight. Prior to his current position, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), where he served as a chief policy advisor and focused on issues including surface transportation reauthorization…

14 Jul 2009

America's Marine Highways Grants Proposed

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) to reduce congestion on the nation’s roads by encouraging freight to be carried by ships. The measure would create a grant program for America’s Marine Highways to encourage shipping by sea or inland waterway and establish a new program to modernize port facilities to make efficiently transport freight. The bill would also establish a Port Infrastructure Development Program to improve the capabilities of port facilities to move freight. “The strength of our freight transportation system is being threatened by our overwhelmed roads and bridges – and the simple, smart solution is to ship more of America’s goods by sea,” said Sen. Lautenberg. Sen.

10 Jul 2008

Horizon Applauds Introduction of Harbor Maintenance Tax Legislation

Charles G. (Chuck) Raymond, Chairman, President & CEO of Horizon Lines, Inc. expressed strong support for legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate that would exempt coastwise shipping of containerized cargo from the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT). The legislation, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ), would exempt water carriage of non-bulk cargo between ports from the HMT. This would eliminate both the tax and associated paperwork burdens that discourage shippers from routing cargo by sea. By removing these barriers, the legislation would encourage use of the fuel-efficient marine mode to move cargo along our nation's coasts, helping ease highway and rail congestion and the demand for imported oil.

19 May 2008

A Tidal Wave of New Regulations

The management ballast water discharges began with the enactment of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (NANPCA) as an effort to prevent the introduction of additional invasive species into the Great Lakes. Since then, NANPCA was amended by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 and the issue has progressed over the intervening years to a much larger campaign to regulate all vessel discharges into U.S. waters. Ballast water management has been the subject of litigation, regulation, and legislation at the state and federal level.

16 May 2008

Oil Spill Bill Forwarded

The Senate Commerce Committee approved the Oil Spill Prevention Act, legislation introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and cosponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that aims to make ships safer and assess and improve vessel tracking procedures.Boxer said, “Californians know all too well the devastation an oil spill can cause to our waters, wildlife and our communities. Just last fall, 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel poured into the San Francisco Bay after the Cosco Busan struck the Bay Bridge. This bill addresses some of the issues raised in the wake of that accident, including the need to ensure the Coast Guard has the clear authority to direct the movement of vessel traffic, especially in dangerous conditions.

16 May 2008

Bill introduced to reauthorize MARAD

Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Maritime Administration Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (S. 2997) to reauthorize the Maritime Administration, and for other purposes.  The bill, if enacted into law, would, among other things, address assistance to small shipyards and extend the marine war risk insurance program through 2015. (HK Law)

12 Mar 2008

Bill Introduced on Double Hulls

Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2008 (S. 2699) to require new vessels carrying oil fuel to have double hulls, and for other purposes. This bill, if enacted into law, would require new vessels with an aggregate capacity to 600 cubic meters or more of oil fuel to comply with MARPOL requirements relating to protective location of the fuel tanks and would provide for establishment of a merchant marine medical program. Source:  HK Law

07 Mar 2008

Bill Debuts re: Oil Spill Liability Limits

Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill (S. 2700) to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to double liability limits for single-hull tankers and tank barges for 2009, and for other purposes. This bill, as introduced, is worded in a strange manner and may not have the intended effect. (HK Law).

13 Dec 2004

Bill to amend OPA 90 Introduced

Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill (S. 3035) to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to prevent oil spills and increase liability limits, and for other purposes. This is a companion to the bill (H.R. 5431) introduced the day before by Representative Pallone (D-NJ). Both bills automatically died when the 108th Congress ended last week. (HK Law).

16 Dec 2004

NJ Senators Call for Delinquent Dues

U.S. Senators Jon S. Corzine (D) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D) of New Jersey, in the aftermath of what might turn out to be one of the worst oil spills ever on the Delaware River, called on President Bush to pay the federal government’s overdue tab to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) which is charged with managing the Delaware River for four states and the federal government. The federal government is nearly $6 million delinquent in dues owed to the commission as part of its obligation under an agreement reached between the government and the states which border the river. In a letter sent to Bush today, the Senators said that the DRBC’s ability to respond to recent oil spill has been hampered by a lack of sufficient resources.

25 Jul 2005

New Bill Re: Ocean Science Training

Senator Lautenberg (D-CT) introduced a bill (S. 1465) to strengthen programs relating to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes science training by providing coordination of efforts, greater interagency cooperation, and the strengthening and expansion of related programs administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and to diversify the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes science community by attracting underrepresented groups. (HK Law)

25 Jul 2005

Senate Committee OKs Ballast Water Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today voted unanimously to approve the “Ballast Water Management Act of 2005” (S. 363), introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and co-sponsored by Senators Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Paul Sarbanes (D-Maryland), and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii). The legislation would amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish a new, national approach to addressing invasive species in ballast water. Under the Manager’s Amendment approved today, the Coast Guard is authorized to direct $20 million annually, in fiscal years 2006 through 2010, toward invasive species mitigation.

13 Jul 2006

Senators Vote to Increase Security Funding

Senate Republicans and Democrats together boosted funding for border and port security in the fiscal 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill by almost $1b, but were bitterly divided over how to restructure the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Senators agreed to two amendments by Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., that would provide $350m extra for border security and $648m more for port and cargo security. But several senators clashed on the floor over restructuring FEMA. In the end, an amendment by Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., to transform FEMA but keep it within the department was approved on an 87-11 vote. The amendment, which had strong backing from Sen.

26 Jun 2006

Senate to Rumsfeld: The Navy Needs More Ships

On Friday, June 23, 2006, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME); Jack Reed (D-RI); Trent Lott (R-MS); Jim Talent (R-MO); Olympia Snowe (R-ME); Christopher Dodd (D-CT); Lincoln Chafee (R-RI); Mike Dewine (R-OH); Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Daniel Akaka (D-HI), David Vitter (R-LA); Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Bill Nelson (D-FL); Joe Leiberman (D-CT); Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and; Mary Landrieu (D-LA) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumseld, asking him to increase the Navy’s top line budget for the purpose of increasing the ship procurement budget in fiscal year 2008. The request comes on the heels of a letter sent by members of the House of Representatives Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus urging support for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Michael C.

21 Feb 2006

Lawmakers Push for Thorough Review

Last Monday, a $6.8 billion dollar deal put the operation and control of the major New York and New Jersey ports in the control of a firm in the United Arab Emirates and owned by the Government of Dubai, Dubai Ports World. Today, Senators Chuck Schumer, Tom Coburn, Frank Lautenberg, and Chris Dodd are being joined by Reps. Chris Shays, Vito Fossella and Mark Foley in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary John Snow urging him to review the deal immediately. The deal allows the UAE company to take control of most operations at six ports on the East Coast, including: New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.