Calcasieu River Waterway Harbor Safety Committee Serving Southwest Louisiana West Calcasieu Port Calcasieu River Waterway
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Calcasieu River Waterway Harbor Safety Committee Serving Southwest Louisiana West Calcasieu Port Calcasieu River Waterway • Nations 11th Busiest Port with just over 60 regulated facilities residing on the waterway. • Home to channel users such as - CITGO Petroleum, ranked 5th in production at 325k BPD Phillips 66, ranked 23rd in production at 239k BPD Designed for Success • The Calcasieu River Waterway Harbor Safety Committee is responsible for planning and recommending implementation of guidance for the safe, secure and efficient navigation and operation of deep draft vessels, shoal- draft vessels and other watercraft within the Calcasieu River Waterway. Six Ports covering 3 Parishes • Southwest LA houses a strong line up of progressive ports with the Port of Lake Charles, serving as the nation’s 14th largest port by gross tonnage at 54.6 Million per year. • Other ports include the West and East Cameron ports, the Port of Vinton, the Mermentau Port and the West Calcasieu Port, all six ports have worked closely together within the Southwest Louisiana Port Network and share a membership in the CRWHSC. SWLA Ports • Each of the six ports within the Southwest Louisiana Port Network has its own niche: • The Port of Lake Charles — A general cargo port located 34 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. Its jurisdiction encompasses about 65 miles of waterway. • It has a 95-acre dock facility that handles grain and a 71-acre bulk terminal that handles petroleum coke, wood chips and other dry bulk commodities. • The West Cameron Port — A deepwater access port located on the Gulf; it has shallow draft capabilities and is home to two LNG plants, with a third set to be constructed in the next three years. • The East Cameron Port — It grants access to the Gulf through the Mermentau River estuary and offers properties and large infrastructure. It and the western port account for about 60 percent of the revenue for Cameron Parish. • The West Calcasieu Port — A 190-acre port located halfway between Houston and New Orleans on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, two miles west of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and close to Interstate 10. It accommodates repair and construction support businesses and a barge-towing provider. SWLA Ports (cont) • Vinton Harbor and Terminal District — The port, reopened a decade ago after a period of inactivity, sits seven miles north of the Intracoastal Waterway. It comprises 320 acres of land, a small dock and a 20,500-square-foot commercial building. • Mermentau River Harbor and Terminal District — The port, located on the Mermentau River, features a slip and 12 acres of land. Its cargo includes inbound aggregates, fertilizer, rough rice, rice hull compost, and outbound rice and soybeans BEST PRACTICES • Strong and frequent engagement with local CG representative • Safety should be the focus- taken on as a public/private relationship • Focusing on efficiency rather than logjams. • Being flexible and creating a good working environment • Ensuring communication with all stakeholders- E-mail chains, rallying of the troops, trust and most important access to the local CG Personnel. This creates a sense of community where no one feels left out. • Create a quasi-authoritative presence in the port environment through cooperation and relationship building. • Collectively work closely with local, state and federal agencies, waterway users and local, state and federal elected officials to prioritize an effective maintenance program for the waterways • A significant part of this effort has proven to provide great ‘common ground for a multi-agency/organizational approach to keeping the waterways operational year- round. Common Goal • Huge economic boom has fostered a desire to work collectively together. To this end and within that framework, all of the ports working together are making coordinated regional economic development their top priority. .