Author: admin

As a follow-up to the October 2017 Maritime Career Awareness Fair, Debi Rose, the Chairwoman of the NYC City Council Waterfront Committee held a hearing about Maritime Employment on December 14, 2017 at NYC City Hall.

The October 2017 Maritime Career Awareness Fair was organized by NYC Economic Development Corp and was held at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. It connected more than 150 high school students with two dozen organizations specializing in maritime-careers, including colleges, labor unions, ferry and excursion boat operators, major trade associations, plus the Coast Guard, FDNY, and NYPD. MAPONY/NJ was an organizing member of that fair, and served as the keynote speaker.

In his testimony at the NYC City Council hearing, Ed Kelly of MAPONY/NJ testified regarding the importance of incubating an educational system which would be aware of opportunities in the Maritime Sector, and which could help to develop skills necessary for employment. Kelly suggested increased spending on CTE schools such as the Harbor School, the Urban Assembly School of Global Commerce, and McKee Technical High School as well as a broader availability of traditional skills such as welding, electronics, machine operation, etc.

The following is an article distributed by NYC Councilwoman and Chair of the NYC City Council Waterfront Committee, Debi Rose:

Building our maritime industry

As Chair of the City Council’s Committee on Waterfronts, I convened a hearing last week on the state of our maritime industry. We heard testimony from the city’s Economic Development Corporation, the Maritime Association, the Waterfront Alliance, City University of New York, the Harbor School, the Tug and Barge Association and several other waterfront advocates.

The Port of New York and New Jersey is our region’s gateway to international commerce and is the largest maritime port on the eastern seaboard and the third largest in the United States, following Los Angeles and Long Beach. The maritime industry supports almost 36,000 jobs—with $3.5 billion generated in economic activity for the City.

If the City is to truly maintain its status as the economic capital of the nation and work to diversify its economy, it has to maintain and strengthen its investment in the maritime industry.  This will continue to be the engine of the City’s economic growth and I want to make sure that New Yorkers are well equipped to take part in that growth as members of the industry’s workforce.

I remain committed to restarting the Waterfront Management Advisory Board. The City Council has made most of its appointments, and I call on the administration to make its appointments and set a meeting for the beginning of the new year.

In the new year, I also look forward to meeting with representatives of the maritime sector to talk about legislation and funding to move forward the city’s commitment to preparing our students for maritime careers.

MARITIME MATTERS – December 2017

PAWSA

In response to the over 10,000 written comments received in connection with the Hudson River Anchorage Proposal Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the USCG First District initiated 2 Port And Waterway Safety Assessments covering the Hudson River to establish factual information regarding the status of Safety on the River. Each PAWSA was designed to follow the long-established PAWSA procedures. One PAWSA was held in Poughkeepsie, NY, and one was held in Albany, NY. Each PAWSA was attended by a roster of invitation-only stakeholders including vessel operators, terminal owners, environmentalists, local municipalities, pilots, state agencies, and others. Our commercial maritime industry was well represented at both PAWSAs. MAPONY/NJ was represented at the Albany PAWSA.

A reflection on the PAWSAs indicated that each PAWSA was successful in evidencing the high level of professionalism, training, and responsibility of our professional mariners, and the high standards of vessels and operations on the River. Many mis-representations, and intentional(?) statements were dispelled (“barge parking lots”, movement of heavy, BAKKEN crude, destruction of fish habitats, etc). Full discussions regarding PAWSA driven topics pertaining to risks, mitigations, outcomes, etc ensued.

No particular action regarding the Anchorage proposal was made, and USCG advised that they would examine the results of the 2 PAWSAs prior to resuming consideration of that proposal. PAWSA results are expected in several weeks.

Waterfront Commission

The State of NJ has acted to pass legislation that would extract NJ from the bi-State Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. The legislation, NJ S2042 (16R)/NJ A2179 (16R), cleared the NJ Senate, 38-0, on December 6, 2017. The measure has already passed out of committee and appears poised for final passage before the end of the year. Although previous versions have been vetoed by the NJ Governor, he now seems ready to sign his approval. There may still be legal hurdles regarding the ability of a single State to unilaterally withdraw from a Bi-State/Federal pact.

Federal Rec Boater Education/Training

NY (R) Congressman Peter King has introduced H.R. 4468, a bill designed to have the USCG to study and report to the Congress regarding recreational vessel operator training. The bill would require USCG to propose both how the USCG would administer any potential Federal boating education, training and testing program, and the extent to which a Federal program should be required in all waters of a State. This may shed light on the diversity of such existing State programs, and may ultimately lead to uniform standards. Issues of State jurisdiction in such matters will need to be addressed. One possible outcome could be similar to existing automotive State-issued licenses with reciprocity allowances. In consideration of the rapid growth of recreational boating in our waterways, we will continue to monitor.

HOPS Education Sub-Cttee

On November 18, 2017, our HOPs Education Sub-Committee hosted a Paddler’s Safety Symposium at the South Street Seaport. The event was attended by almost 80 persons, and included recreational paddlers, boathouse personnel, USCG Active and Auxiliary staff, and others. The topics were all safety-related operational considerations intended to enhance boating safety in the harbor.

The sub-cttee is also in process of planning to conduct a large-scale Safety/Shared Waterway event in late March of 2018. Further info will be advised as the plan evolves.

NYC City Council Hearing

On Dec 14, 2017, the NYC City Council Waterfronts Committee will hold a hearing regarding maritime industry education and employment opportunities. This hearing ensued from the very successful Maritime Career awareness Day held by NYC EDC at the Brooklyn Passenger Terminal in October.

Standup Paddle Board Event

At the 6 DEC HOPs meeting, a preliminary proposal for a Standup Paddle Board event was made by the organizers. The event would take place on Sep 15, 2018, and would entail a race course in the lower harbor for a combination of up to 400 professional, and amateur paddle boarders. The proposal is not yet permitted by the USCG, and the organizers needed to develop much more detailed planning before they could proceed. The committee gave lots of much-needed advice.

HARBOR HAPPENINGS—OCT. 2017

USCG:

• The Hudson River Anchorage proposal will move forward with 2 Port And Waterway Safety Assessments (PAWSA) to involve key stakeholders in structured discussions to evaluate safety concerns, physical conditions, and potential mitigations. One PAWSA will be held in Poughkeepsie on NOV 7/8, while the other PAWSA will be held in Albany on NOV 15/16. Members of HOPs will be present at each PAWSA.
• The Area Maritime Security Cttee (AMSC) full cttee met at the Brooklyn Passenger Terminal with ADM Poulin (USCG) speaking.
• The main span of the “old” Goethals Bridge is scheduled to be lowered on OCT 27, 2017. The lowering will take place during Friday night through mid-day Saturday.
• The Tappan Zee Bridge is planning a 36 hour channel closing in late November to accommodate the lowering of the “old” span. Updates will be made as the timing gets closer, and can be seen on the USCG Homeport website.

NOAA:

• NOAA confirmed that their Sturgeon study may not have considered the potential of any impact arising from underwater cables. The study should be re-visited to ensure that this potential problem is properly addressed.
• The study to overlay grid lines at anchorage areas is moving forward.

USACE:

• The Sandy Hook survey for dredging work will take place this Fall/Winter
• Cheesequake Creek water testing is continuing.

PANY/NJ:

• Port Jersey maintenance dredging will commence in November
• Soundings data will be released in Mid-November.
• The Bergen Point Current Meter continues to be under study.

NJDOT:

• The Carteret Development Plan currently envisions both a marina and a ferry at the property.
• Raritan Bay has been nominated to become a No Discharge Zone. Hearings are being held to evaluate all concerns.
• NJDOT will be involved in the Freight Movement Studies to be conducted by NJ

Education Sub-Cttee:

• The education Sub-Cttee will meet on OCT 24 to discuss creation of a potential operating budget, and various educational programs designed to enhance safety on shared waterways.

Passenger Vessel Sub-Cttee:

• NYCEDC is currently working with USCG Waterways to evaluate a Staten Island ferry landing

• There is a possibility of a “new” for-hire ferry service from Tottenville to/from NYC

 

HOPS Full Cttee Schedule-2018

• JAN 17/MAR21/MAY16/JUN 20/SEP 19/NOV 14

Maritime Career Awareness Day

• The first Annual Maritime Career Awareness Day was held on OCT 18, 2017 at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal from 1000-1230hr.

• The Event was arranged by NYC EDC as part of the Mayor’s JOBS promotion program.

• Over 200 students from 6 NYC area High Schools were part of the program. All the invited students/schools had programs involving maritime studies, technology, and/or logistics.

• There were 24 participating organizations who arranged for staff to talk to students, display materials, and offer take-aways. Additionally 4 volunteer organizations helped to escort the students through 5 display areas that included the career hall, a heavy equipment demo area, a vessel display area, the cruise terminal processing area, and a demo by teamsters.

• Diana Reyna, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President; and Ed Kelly, Executive director of MAPONY/NJ gave keynote talks to the students

• It is hoped that this will become an annual event promoting maritime sector careers.

 

3rd Avenue Bridge

• The 3^rd Avenue Bridge will be the subject of an art project which will hang decorative LED lights on the exterior facing of the Bridge.
• The lights are scheduled to be turned on in Spring 2018 for an 11 month project time.
• The engineering group arranging the lighting has done similar project work on the SF Bay Bridge.
• No lights or other structure will cause any air-gap or other intrusion during the build/dismantle phase.
• HOPS does not anticipate any commercial traffic problems, but recommended that the group meet with interested boathouses, or passenger vessels to ascertain whether they would foresee any problems.

BOEM:

• BOEM held a meeting in Riverhead, Long Island on OCT 3 to explore potential wind power facilities to be potentially located off the Long Island south shore.
• It was noted that there are currently no navigational entities represented on the Review Panel.
• HOPs will reach out to BOEM and invite potential lessees and NYSERDA to discuss navigational requirements.

Raritan Bay Pipeline Project:

• Representatives of Williams Companies visited the HOPs Steering Cttee meeting to discuss initial plans for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project which will pertain to the establishment of 23.49 miles of 26-inch diameter pipe which will serve offshore operations with landfall in Morgan Shore in southwestern Raritan Bay.
• The reps discussed their plan for a float pipe arrangement prior to the sinking and burial of the line.
• Work would be expected to commence Fall, 2018.
• There was       general discussion of traffic patterns, and required markings, lights, visibility, materials, etc.
• The group was appreciative of the discussion, and will rejoin HOPs at a future meeting before design plans are finalized.

 

After years of planning, and billions of dollars expended on deepening channels, widening the Panama Canal, raising the Bayonne Bridge, expanding rail and road access, improving cranes, and training virtually all sectors of Port workers, the September 7, 2017 arrival of the CMA CGM THEODORE ROOSEVELT proved that NY/NJ is fully capable of handling the new generation of 14-18,000 TEU capacity Super Ultra Large Container Vessels (SULCV)!

On her maiden voyage into NY/NJ the vessel made the traditional turn at the Statue of Liberty for a great photo-op before proceeding to berth at the APMT berth 82. On her way into the Port the ROOSEVELT was escorted by a parade of boats carrying Port VIPs and stakeholders on board the Sandy Hook PILOT, the USACE HEYWARD, and the tug MARGARET MORAN, and was also greeted by the NYC Fireboat which displayed red/white/blue water displays.

The ROOSEVELT is the largest vessel to transit the newly widened Panama Canal, and will become a part of a regularly scheduled Asia/US East Coast service with NY/NJ as a premier Port.

Video: Biggest cargo ship yet passes under Bayonne Bridge

http://abc7ny.com/amp/traffic/video-biggest-cargo-ship-yet-passes-under-bayonne-bridge/2386516/

MARITIME MATTERS – JUNE 2017

PANYNJ

• The Port Authority has committed to conducting a review intended to create a 30 Year Master Plan for the Port of NY/NJ. An overview presentation was made to the Steering Committee of our Harbor Safety, Navigation and Operations Cttee at their 7 June 2017 meeting.
• Hatch Consultants will be engaged for the roughly 15 month study which will conclude in February 2018. The consultants will be reaching out to many Port Stakeholders during the course of their study.
• Charles Bontempo is the PANYNJ Project manager for this important undertaking.

Tappan Zee Bridge

• The deconstruction of the “old” TZB will commence in Fall, 2017
• Traffic is expected to shift to the new TZB during the first half of October 2017.
• The main structure will be decommissioned and be deconstructed between October 2017 and July 2018. By the end of Summer 2018 the new permanent navigational lights will be operational.
• During late November 2018 there will be a scheduled 48 hr closure of the main channel to lower the suspension span. During the closure, the West Span channel (360ft) would remain available. The actual closure date/time will be discussed and arranged between the TZB engineers, and the River users.
• It is expected that there will be approximately 350 disposal barge trips up and downstream to dispose of the deconstructed materials.
• We will use the same communications system/process as during the construction phase.

MAPONY/NJ

• The SHIPPING 101 Spring Session was held at the Seamen’s Church Institute training room during June 12-16. 18 students were in attendance, and all students toured the GCT Bayonne container facility.
• On June 16, 2017 presented an award to MIDN Connor Sexton during the annual US Merchant Marine Academy Awards Convocation held at Kings Point, NY

NY State Senate Hearing-S.3312

• On June 5, 2017 MAPONY joined NYSA, MMMCA, and the Retail Shippers federation in testifying in FAVOR of NY Senate Bill S.3312 which is intended to remove the so-called “5-p” clause from the charter of the Waterfront Commission that allows the Waterfront Commission to limit the size of the longshore workforce in the Port. This clause results in a lack of flexibility for Port employers to employ what they consider to be the “right” size and skill set of the required workforce. No other port in the USA is limited by this kind of hiring restraint, and it makes our Port less competitive for new cargoes.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

• On 20 June, 2017 the PANYNJ facilitated a presentation by the Department of Labor which demonstrated the efficacy of formalized apprenticeship programs and demonstrated how funding was available to initiate and sustain such programs. Information regarding this initiative has been previously distributed to MAPONY/NJ Members.

THE SULCVs ARE COMING!

• Coordination meetings of key operational Port Stakeholders continue with the goal of ensuring that the SULCVs arrive safely, and operate in coordination with all port operations with a high degree of safety, and the least amount of operational conflict.
• The next SULCV coordination committee meeting will be held on June 29.

HARBOR HAPPENINGS – JUNE 2017

USCG

• The MACY’S 4^th of July fireworks display will only have barges placed in the East River this year. For full detail of restricted areas and viewing areas, please check the USCG HOMEPORT website.
• There is still very minor leakage at the CON ED site in the East River, and divers are continuing operations. Speed restrictions will remain in force while clean-up and dive operations are being conducted.
• Noted that the NOAA hurricane forecast now predicts 11-17 named storms are to be expected.
• Noted that there were diving operations in Morris Canal with NYPD doing investigation in connection with the skydiving show death.
• Noted that during the 28 May sailing of a Fleet Week vessel, NYPD chased the linesmen off the pier when lines were only partly released. Security Plans and jurisdictions will be reviewed.

USACE

• Various maintenance dredging projects are “in the works”, including: Newark Bay (not yet funded but ready to be advertised) work expected to begin in the Fall; Sandy Hook Channel environmental review planned to commence in Fall; Cheesequake Creek funded for sampling and testing, although actual dredging still not funded; Wards Point testing has been completed, waiting for testing results.
• City Wide Ferry Landing Permits are still under review: Hallets Point under review; Roosevelt Island is waiting on NY State review; and the 2018 routes and the Homeport Navy Yard are expected to be completed this month
• Noted that the Haverstraw Channel is experiencing shoaling and needs to be surveyed and restored.

NOAA

• The New Bayonne Bridge air-gap sensor is operational on the new roadway.
• The NOAA Navigational Response Teams have started their Hudson River surveying work and will move from the Newburgh area and go South.

PANYNJ

• PANYNJ is still in the process of arranging/installing the current meter to be located at Bergen Point.

NYCEDC

• NYCEDC is in the process of upgrading the landing at the Brooklyn Passenger Vessel Terminal in order to accommodate larger vessels, and increase resiliency.
• The City Wide Ferry System will hire a harbormaster to coordinate their operations who will be located at their Pier 11 Location.

VTS

• The US Coast Guard Vessel Traffic System advised that effective immediately the Navigational Clearance for the Bayonne Bridge has been set at 215 feet.