California Boat Captain Guilty of 'Seaman's manslaughter' in Fire Deaths of 34 People
The captain of a dive boat that caught fire and sank off the California coast in 2019, killing 34 people on board in one of the state's deadliest maritime disasters, was found guilty on Monday of a federal charge of seaman's manslaughter.Jerry Boylan, 70, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury in Los Angeles on a single charged count of "misconduct or neglect of a ship officer" under a federal homicide statute dating from steamboat accidents in the early 1800s.The felony conviction…
Port of Los Angeles Starts Giving COVID-19 Vaccinations
About 800 workers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Friday will be in the first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees at the United States' busiest seaport complex, which has been hard hit by pandemic-related workforce disruptions and surging imports.Congress members last month joined state and local leaders in urging California officials to hasten COVID-19 vaccinations for employees at the ports amid high-stakes battles over which workers should be prioritized as essential.Such decisions at times are made at the local level…
EPA Grant for Port of LA
The Port of Los Angeles has received an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deploy green commercial equipment for moving cargo. The award will pay between 25 to 40 percent of the cost to replace and upgrade 18 pieces of yard equipment at two Los Angeles container terminals, with the full complement due to be in service by fall 2018. Two terminal operators, APM Terminals Pacific Ltd. and TraPac LLC, are funding the lion’s share of the $3 million project. APM Terminals will invest more than $2 million to replace 16 yard tractors with new equipment powered by Tier 4 clean diesel engines. TraPac will spend $174,000 to repower two heavy-duty forklifts with Tier 4 engines.
Two Maritime Veterans Create Avalon Freight Services
Avalon Freight Services co-founded by Greg and Tim Bombard and Harley Franco, will debut freight service on Friday, April 1, 2016. Currently scheduled to operate a minimum of five days a week, year round, the company will transport freight from Berth 95 in San Pedro and the Pebbly Beach freight facility in Avalon. In addition to scouring the country seeking the best Landing Craft and Tug and Barge systems, the new company will provide the safest, fastest, quietest, most efficient…
Oil Spill in L.A. Harbor Still under Lens
The Coast Guard and California Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response are continuing their investigation of an oil spill that occurred on Sunday in the Los Angeles Harbor. A unified command has been established that includes the Coast Guard, California Fish and Wildlife, and the responsible party. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center received a report at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, of an unknown quantity of oil in the vicinity of the 577-foot cargo ship, Istra Ace. The ship was reported to have been leaking heavy fuel in the Cerritos channel at Berth 198. Oil was also observed throughout portions of Cerritos Channel, where booming strategies have been employed.
Commission Appointments at Long Beach Port
The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday confirmed the appointments of Long Beach City College executive Lou Anne Bynum and former City Councilman Doug Drummond to second terms on the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Mayor Robert Garcia announced the reappointments last month. Both Bynum, the Harbor Board Vice President, and Drummond, a former Board President, were originally appointed by Garcia’s predecessor, Mayor Bob Foster. “These commissioners have done outstanding jobs helping to lead the Harbor Department,” Garcia said. “Their commitment to continuing public service will provide stability and consistency to the decisions governing Long Beach’s most important economic engine.
Bridge Milestone Celebrated at Port of Long Beach
Port, City and Caltrans officials, along with an international team of builders and designers, celebrated a key milestone today in the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project: Construction of the first set of bridge foundations is under way. “This new iconic bridge represents our future and it’s very exciting to see the construction in full swing,” said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. When completed, the new bridge spanning the Port of Long Beach will be one of the tallest bridges of its kind in the United States. With two 515-foot towers and a majestic cable-stayed design, the new bridge will be an icon for Long Beach and Southern California visible from miles away.
CAGTC Members Win Big in TIGER VI
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced Friday that 72 projects will receive a total of $600 million from the sixth round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. Of these, 12 Coalition for America’s Gateway and Trade Corridor (CAGTC) member projects were awarded a total of $135 million for projects with full costs exceeding $490 million. One in three grant dollars, just over $198 million, was awarded to 25 projects supporting freight movement. Compared to previous rounds, this represents a decrease in the amount of money and total awards given to freight relative to other types of projects.
Port Of Los Angeles & MBDA at USC Team Up to Promote Trade
The Port of Los Angeles and the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MDBA) Center at the University of Southern California will be holding a FREE “Trade Connect” export workshop August 26, 2014 at USC’s Galen Center. The event will focus on providing information, tools and tips for fashion, garment, health and beauty product companies interested in promoting and exporting their products overseas. “Los Angeles is home to thousands of small- and medium-sized fashion, garment, health and beauty businesses that make products with great potential for export markets,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price Jr.…
Moose Boats Delivers Two Patrol Vessels
Moose Boats, an aluminum boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area announced the delivery of two patrol boats in late 2013. Moose Boats delivered a new M1-44 Catamaran Patrol Boat to Bridgeport Police Department on Long Island Sound. The M1-44 all-aluminum catamaran is powered by twin Cummins QSC8.3 600hp marine turbo diesel engines coupled via TwinDisc MG5075SC transmissions to twin Hamilton 322 water-jets with Hamilton Blue Arrow Controls. The vessel named “John Jack Flynn III” features a generous fully enclosed cabin complete with shock mitigating seats…
Port of LA Embarks on Major Roadway Project
In the coming weeks, the Port of Los Angeles will start construction on two major roadway projects that will improve the Harbor I-110 Freeway and nearby surface streets in San Pedro and Wilmington. The work, due to begin in February and extend through fall 2016, will make the Harbor Area safer and easier to navigate for all motorists. “These are significant public works projects that will improve the flow of traffic for thousands of commuters and truck drivers who use these roadways every day,” said Gary Lee Moore, Interim Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. The Port is investing $46.6 million to widen the westbound transition from the SR-47 to the northbound I-110 and reconfigure the I-110/C Street interchange.
Kvichak Delivers L.A. Sheriff Response Boat
Kvichak Marine Industries, of Seattle, Wash., recently delivered a Response Boat Medium – C to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). The 45’ x 14’ 7” RBM-C is the sistership of the highly successful USCG RB-M and has been adapted to meet the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) detection mission requirements of the L.A. County Sheriff’s department. A roof mounted RS-700 Gamma/Neutron Radiation Detection System from RSI enables the vessel to quickly and accurately measure and locate natural and man-made radioactive elements.
Emergency Personnel Participate in Oil Spill Response Program
Nearly 250 first responders participated in a National Preparedness Response Exercise Program in Los Angeles including U.S. Coast Guard, Chevron, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, NOAA, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Los Angeles County Fire Department, El Segundo Fire Department, Oiled Wildlife Care Network, Marine Spill Response Corporation, National Response Corporation, The Response Group, CardnoEntrix, Clean Harbors, Environmental Science Services and Gallagher Marine. Several other local first responders attended the exercise as observers, May 14, 2013. The National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) is designed to test oil spill response plans of certain vessels and facilities.
L.A. Port Director Receives USC Alumni Award
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., has been honored by the University of Southern California Alumni Association with the prestigious Alumni Merit Award. Knatz earned a Master of Science degree in environmental engineering and a doctorate in biological science from USC. “The Alumni Merit Awards are given to individuals whose remarkable accomplishments speak well for the range and quality of a USC education,” said Patrick E. Auerbach, the interim associate vice president for alumni relations. “Dr.
Patrol Boat Order for Kvichak Marine
Kvichak Marine Industries, contracted to build a 44.5’ X 13.7’ 'Response Boat Medium – C' for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department. The RBM-C is the sistership of the highly successful USCG RB-M having been adapted to meet the CBRNE Detection mission requirements of the LA County Sheriff’s department. Kvichak, of Seattle, WA, has built four commercial RB-M vessels for various municipalities in the United States. Designed by Camarc Design, UK, the all-aluminum vessel is powered by twin Detroit Diesel 60 series engines rated for 825 BHP each.
Port of Long Beach Awards Bridge Contract
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved a $649.5 million contract with a joint venture team headed by Shimmick Construction Co. Inc., FCC Construction S.A. and Impregilo S.p.A. (SFI) for the design and construction of a replacement for the Port of Long Beach’s obsolete and deteriorating Gerald Desmond Bridge. Final design and engineering will begin shortly, and construction of the new bridge is to start in 2013 and is scheduled for completion in 2016. The…
Three Cruise Lines Plug into Shore Power, Port of LA
The Port of Los Angeles this month became the first port worldwide to provide Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) to three separate cruise lines. In recent weeks, ships from Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have all taken advantage of unique “AMP Mobile” technology developed specifically for the World Cruise Center. “The use of AMP at our World Cruise Center reduces emissions not just at the Port but improves the quality of air throughout the Los Angeles region,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Former Boatyard Owners Indicted
The former owner and operators of a now-defunct boatyard have been charged with violating federal environmental laws by illegally storing hazardous wastes and allowing raw sewage to discharge into the ocean. Andrew Wall Jr., 60, a resident of Maui, and his company, the bankrupt San Pedro Boat Works (SPBW), were indicted on two counts of unlawfully storing drums of flammable and toxic hazardous wastes at Berths 44 and 57 in the San Pedro area of the Los Angeles Harbor. The indictment additionally charges Andrew Wall Jr., SPBW, and Wall’s son, John Wall, a 35-year-old resident of San Pedro, with unlawfully discharging untreated and partially-treated sewage into the waters of Los Angeles Harbor. Andrew Wall Jr. was the president, owner and operator of SPBW.
USCG Hosts Intermodal Container Strike Force
The U.S. Multi-Agency Strike Force Operation (MASFO) for the purpose of inspecting the transportation of intermodal containers to ensure compliance with various federal, state, and local regulations. “The Coast Guard is primarily checking containers for proper blocking and bracing of hazardous materials,” said Coast Guard Ensign Tony Migliorini, Director of Compliance and Security. Local police departments check drivers for proper driving credentials, search for contraband, and inspect trucks for safety regulations. Canines from both the Coast Guard and police departments will be used. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration…
Jensen to Design Fireboat for San Francisco
Fireboat to be Equipped with Six Fire Monitors and 26 Manifold Valves for High-Volume Water and/or Foam Firefighting. Jensen Maritime Consultants, Inc., a Crowley company, has been chosen to design a custom "super pumper" fireboat to enhance the City of San Francisco Fire Department's (SFFD) marine fire fighting and response capabilities on water. This high-volume water and foam pumping NFPA Type II fireboat will feature six fire monitors and 26 manifold valves, allowing for more than 16…
Ports Conduct Security Exercise
Harbor residents of and will see increased law enforcement activity this Wednesday and Thursday as area emergency responders participate in a 2-day U.S. Coast Guard lead counterterrorism exercise. The exercise is designed to test the Area Maritime Security Plan that was mandated by the Maritime Security Transportation Act of 2002 (MTSA). The exercise will take place in both the Ports of Los Angeles and and include simulated bombings that law enforcement and fire agencies will respond to in real-time. The U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department…
Moose Delivers Rescue and Patrol Vessel
Moose Boats, a designer and builder of aluminum catamarans, recently delivered a fully equipped M2-35’ for law enforcement, searchand rescue efforts and fire fighting capabilities to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which will use the boat out of their Marina del Rey,CA, Station. The boat will be deployed for rescue, patrol and fire fighting operations from Marina del Rey, CA. This fast and stable catamaran hull, with its powerful water jet propulsion, is well suited to provide efficient response times and a stable working platform for open-water rescues. The vessel also incorporates a hydraulically driven fire and dewatering pump system.
Kvichak Marine Delivers
Kvichak Marine recently delivered a 40-ft. Fast Response fireboat to the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD). Designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle, the fireboat has a beam of 13.5 ft. and is powered by twin Caterpillar 3126B engines coupled to Twin Disc MG-5075A gears, which provide a speed of ~27 knots. To optimize vessel control and firefighting capacity, LACFD chose a Cummins 6BTA5.9-M3 dedicated fire pump engine, directly coupled to a Hale 80-FC 2400 GPM pump. A Stang fire monitor provides 1000 gpm of water flow and the fireboat has a 50-gallon AR firefighting foam system. "Our mission is to protect and ensure the safety of the Marina del Ray community," said Chief Barry Nugent.
