The Beacon Summer 2007
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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WILMINGTON, DE PERMIT NO. 1635 THE MARITIME EXCHANGE Serving Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania 240 Cherry Street BEACON Philadelphia, PA 19106 Summer 2007 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Volume 17, No. 2 http://www.maritimedelriv.com [email protected] 45 FEET ! WE DIG IT ! ! ! important to the future of the ports of Philadelphia, southern New Jersey and Delaware than this project.” He also announced his endorsement of a comprehen- Security Grant to sive and aggressive $300 million capital improvement that will modernize and expand the Ports of Fund Maritime On- Philadelphia’s facilities and infrastructure. The dredging project, estimated to cost $300 million, Line Enhancements will run from the mouth of the Delaware Bay to the The Exchange scored a big hit with members when it Benjamin Franklin Bridge that connects Philadelphia launched the latest addition to the Maritime On-Line suite and Camden, a distance of approximately 100 miles. of applications: access to real-time vessel movement This project was authorized in the Water Resources information through an Automatic Identification System Development Act of 1992, and since 1996, $66 mil- (AIS) display. In beta test with a handful of members for lion dollars in federal funding has been appropriated several months, the Exchange released the system to in a succession of Energy and Water appropriation members on May 7. bills. “Dredging the channel is indispensable to the “Both management and the tug crews have embraced Delaware Valley region if it is to remain competitive the system since it was offered by the Exchange, the abil- with other deep-water ports,” said U. S. Senator Arlen ity to accurately identify the position of our fleet, customers Specter (R-PA). “This project has the potential to vessels and outside hire tugs offers myriad opportunities bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the and benefits to the manager and mariner alike,” said John region. To date, I have helped secure in excess of $66 Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (left) and State Gazzola, Jr., Vice President and General Manager of million in federal funding for the Army Corps of Representative William Keller announce the approval Moran Towing of Pennsylvania. of the 45’ Delaware River Deepening Project. (Photo Engineers to deepen the main channel,” he said. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of courtesy of Joseph Menta, Philadelphia Regional Port Authority) As the project sponsor, PRPA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be responsible Engineers and the Delaware River Port Authority, which The project to deepen the Delaware River main for financing the required local match for this project. provided space for two of the three AIS antennae needed channel from 40 to 45 feet took a gigantic leap for- In addition, Pennsylvania has agreed to accept all to cover the 90-miles of navigable waterway, the system ward on May 17 when Pennsylvania Governor Ed dredge materials from this project, including those includes filters to display information by vessel type, Rendell announced that conflicts with New Jersey materials that had been previously designated to be detailed anchorage maps with mile markers, multi-level related to the project have been resolved and that the placed in New Jersey disposal sites, except to the zoom capabilities, and labels which identify commercial local sponsorship of the project will be transferred extent that New Jersey seeks dredge material for port cargo facilities. In addition to providing this service to from the Delaware River Port Authority to the facility projects located on its side of the river. members, the Exchange is also making it available to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. “With our “This is truly a great day, probably the greatest Area Maritime Security Committee with a need and a right agreement to move forward, Pennsylvania, through day we’ve had in the past ten years,” said PRPA to access the display. the PRPA, is now prepared to begin an aggressive pro- Chairman Brian Preski. He noted that Pennsylvania Among the first to take the Exchange up on its offer gram of investment in the port of Philadelphia,” were staff members at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, Governor Rendell said. “I believe nothing is more continued on page 3 local U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and represen- tatives of the Departments of Homeland Security in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In formal partnership with the State of Delaware, the TWIC Delays a Blessing and a Curse Exchange submitted a port security grant application to integrate the position information obtained through AIS As the last issue of The thing was finally happening,” said Wilmington, Delaware. (For with its static vessel/voyage database. “Our analysts have Beacon went to press in February, Exchange Vice President Lisa those of you who aren’t aware, been using data from the Exchange Maritime On-Line the ink on the final rule imple- Himber. the Delaware state slogan is “It’s System for several months,” said Ed Smith, Homeland menting TWIC was barely dry, By March 7, local Coast Good Being First.”) For any Security Advisor for the State of Delaware Department of TSA had just announced the Guard and TSA held the first of a number of reasons, chief among award of a $70 million contract to series of outreach meetings in the which was because of continued on page 7 Lockheed Martin to implement Delaware Valley to help maritime Wilmington’s existing relation- the program, and the Coast Guard stakeholders understand the rules ship with TSA, Wilmington was had released a draft Navigation and requirements of the program. selected to be the first location in and Vessel Inspection Circular And at the same time, TSA and the nation where TWIC applica- (NVIC) that outlined the parame- Lockheed announced the forma- tions will be accepted and ters for escorts and clarified the tion of a TWIC Stakeholder processed. distinction between “secure” and Communications Committee to “Of course we have concerns “restricted” areas. serve as a forum to distribute about being the first port to roll- At long last, it seemed, the information and through which out the TWIC,” said Eugene R. TWIC program – originally questions could be raised and Bailey, Executive Director of the scheduled for implementation answered. This, many believed, Port of Wilmington. But he sug- immediately following the com- was in a genuine effort to respond gests there are also some benefits. pletion of the pilot program on to industry and Congressional “First, we believe we’ll have the December 31, 2003 – was finally criticism of TSA’s poor record of opportunity to guide program underway. communicating information dur- development. In addition, all “While there were – and are – ing and after the pilot program. eyes will be on this program, and still a number of questions The final rule was to be imple- we’re confident that if something remaining from the publication of mented within 60 days, and TSA goes wrong, TSA will devote all the TWIC final rule, for the most and Lockheed announced a available resources to making it part we were relieved that some- March 26 start up date for continued on page 5 The Beacon 2 Summer, 2007 Trade with Cuba Cuba, food and agricultural commodities being among them. These transactions are regulated under the auspices of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The parties involved in the direct negotiations remain optimistic that an agree- ment will be reached to export poultry to Cuba. One issue that needs to be addressed is the At the invitation of State Representative Joe regulatory oversight by OFAC of the financial Miro, I recently had the opportunity to partici- transactions associated with these export ship- pate in the State of Delaware Agricultural Trade ments to Cuba. Under current law, U.S. Mission to Cuba. exporters must receive payment for the ship- The purpose of the business mission in ment through an overseas bank prior to the ves- Rochford in Cuba pictured with Delaware State Havana from March 4 – 8 was to explore trade sel departing for Cuba from a U.S. port. The Representative Joseph Miro (R-District 22) and Pedro opportunities between the state of Delaware language governing this oversight appears to be Alvarez, President & CEO of Alimport. and the Republic of Cuba. As in 2004 when vague and ambiguous resulting in delays and Stevedores, Michael Little, International Sales Pennsylvania participated in a similar mission, uncertainty that frustrate the foreign banker and Manager, Mountaire Farms, Anabel Panayotti, this was another opportunity to showcase the the owner and consignee of the cargo. Ensuring President, Port to Port International and her economic strength of our region as well as each compliance with the existing sanctions and Vice President and Trade Development individual state. embargo on Cuba should not be allowed to dis- Manager Gwen North and James Thomas. We met with Pedro Alvarez, President of rupt the financial transactions to support trade Kirby Jones of Alamar Associates coordinated Alimport, the government entity responsible for permitted under the Cuban Democracy act of the meetings and travel to Cuba. negotiating every trade transaction between 1992. Cuba and a foreign country a number of times In addition to Representative Miro, delega- In the next issue: some personal observa- over the four days. These discussions and tion participants included Delaware Secretary tions on the future of trade with Cuba. negotiations focused on exporting frozen poul- of Agricultural Michael Scuse, State Representative Helene Keeley, John Pastor, try products and the transportation platform to Have a safe and happy summer! move these cargos from the Port of Wilmington Delaware Director of International Trade, Tom to Havana.