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Shipping News ArchiveWashington Vs. Alaska Trade Global Warming Estimate Cruise Ship Runs Aground Linking Asia to America Shipping Fast and Free The Future of Freight? Floods Block Shipments North to the Future Lost Barge Found off Alaska’s Coast Alaska Spinach Recall Shipping Security Salvaged Ship New Oil Ship Shipping Noise Lowering Shipping Speeds Shipping: Economic Indicator Freight Costs May Rise Freight Vessel Update Shipping Costs Impact Carrier Shipping Crew Saved Shipping Rescue Effort Shipping Safely Shuttle Returns Shipping In Outer Space Shuttle Launch Boat Service National Maritime Day Fuel Prices Liberty Bell Pavilion Alaska Salmon Port Security Tacoma Officials Hope to Build Port as Major Trading Hub Washington Vs. Alaska Trade Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire who is a on a trade mission in Alaska plans to meet with Governor Sarah Palin. Gregoire hopes to strengthen ties with Alaska and discuss issues like tourism, global warming and gas supplies. Both governors will also cover two hot topics; the recently proposed cargo container tax by Washington State Senator, Mary Margaret Haugen and salmon fisheries. More than 95 percent of Alaska´s goods pass through Washington state and the proposed cargo tax that would have added $100 or more for every container, a cost increase that would have been passed down to Alaskan consumers . Fortunately Gregoire has given assurances that the Washington State container tax was deserted and would not be reintroduced. Global Warming Estimate Could global warming could inflict billions in damage to Alaska´s shipping and transportation infrastructure? The University of Anchorage Alaska has compiled a database to assess the region´s vulnerabilities to climate changes. Long-lived structures such as oil pipelines and bridges could be at risk if warming trends continue. Many structures built on permafrost or near coastal locations are subject to being damaged as more and more ice melts causing flooding and erosion. There are estimates that in the next two decades Alaska could see $10 billion in damage in public infrastructure. Cruise Ship Runs Aground Over 200 passengers were evacuated after a cruise ship ran aground off the Alaska, south of Juneau. With a crew of 75, the Empress of the North was taking on water and was listing when the Coast Guard arrived. All passengers were safely transferred to other boats with no reports of any injuries. Currently it is unclear as to why the riverboat style tourist ship hit the rocky shore in the middle of the night but an investigation is underway. Russia Considering Tunnel Between Asia and North AmericaBy Peter Fedynsky - Washington 04.19.2007 Russia is again considering an ambitious plan that dates back to czarist times: building a tunnel under the Bering Sea to Alaska. While few Americans have heard of the project, it has the strong support of a former Alaskan governor. VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports. The idea to tunnel under the Bering Sea first emerged more than a century ago under the last Russian czar, Nicholas II. Tunnel proponents have revived the idea in recent years, most recently on Wednesday, when it was repeated in Moscow by Viktor Razbegin, the deputy head of industrial research at the Russian ministry of economic development and trade. Razbegin said the project would take up to 15 years at an estimated cost of $10 to $12 billion. However, another $55 billion would be needed to build thousands of kilometers of rail lines to link both ends of the tunnel with the nearest rail terminals. Former Alaska governor and U.S. Interior Secretary Walter Hickel, an American proponent of the project, dismisses the technical challenges. Indeed, he says it would not be a big engineering project. Hickel told the VOA that the economic payoff for Russia and the United States would be substantial. "America's resources are sort of above the ground - wheat corn, cotton," said Walter Hickel. "Cattle, all that stuff. Theirs is in the ground - iron ore, coal, copper, diamonds - all that stuff. It's big. You just have to understand that Siberia itself - I've been there several times - is twice as big as the United States. Just Siberia." Governor Hickel said few people in the United States are even aware of the proposed tunnel. Nonetheless, he has lobbied the issue in Washington and plans to speak at a tunnel conference in Moscow next week. Plans call for a tunnel that would surface on the Little and Big Diomede Islands (Gvozdev Islands), where the United States and Russia are only three kilometers apart. The tunnel would carry a railway, highway, pipelines, fiber optic lines and power cables. Critics dismiss the project as a pipedream, citing the distant location, harsh environmental conditions and huge costs associated with a tunnel nearly 100 kilometers long. Governor Hickel, however, says it will not only be built, but that it will change the world. "It would be tremendous," he said. "You could take a railroad from Kansas and go around the world. It'll be this transportation thing. This is going to be a key to the world." Alaska belonged to Russia until 1867, when the United Stated purchased the territory for $7.2 million. It became the 49th American state in 1959. The above news article was provided by: 12.11.2006 This season many retailers are offering quick delivery at no charge but with restrictions. JCPenny is offering free shipping as a last-minute promotion for orders of $49 or more and Amazon.com offers free 3-5 day shipping on orders above $25 of eligible products but with Christmas just days away, Amazon.com customers may opt for the Amazon Prime membership that offers free two-day shipping (on eligible items) for a annual membership fee of $79. Some companies like Circuit City are offering free in store pickup or free shipping on orders over $24 and Sears is offering a free 5 minute in-store pickup guarantee and free shipping on orders $99 or more. Living in Alaska or Hawaii or outside the continental United States? Even with great holiday discounts, forget about good deals on shipping from most online only stores, retailers with online and ‘brick and mortar’ locations still seem to offer shipping discounts on orders for pick-up. The Future of Freight? Most cargo to and from Alaska is shipped over the water. Carried by large oil tankers or container vessels billions of dollars in commodities are transported on the Pacific Ocean but can you imagine sending freight in a LTA? New LTAs (Lighter Than Air) ships though still in development are gaining in popularity and will likely offer a viable alternative to congested sea lanes and ports. Not a blimp. First of all, LTAs are not the blimps you probably seen floating above a football game. LTA airships are only partially buoyant (with the use of helium) and are reliant upon an aerodynamic design that creates lift similar to traditional airplanes. Made with a rigid panel truss structure, new LTA designs look more like a bloated airliners with large propellers and stubby wings. Lighter and stronger materials used in construction offer larger payloads than conventional LTAs but certainly not as large as a container ship. However, with new autonomous ground operation, low noise emission, Fly-by-Wire technologies and low fuel demands, LTAs may become the next best method for shipping to and from Alaska. And with many locations inaccessible to water and land vehicles, an LTA seems to offer an attractive opportunity for freight companies but don’t expect to send your package on an air boat soon, due to high start up costs, LTA ships will likely be built for military or commercial passenger transport first. Floods Block Shipments Floodwaters and have damaged 66 miles of highway, blocking all traffic from reaching Valdez, Alaska. Damage is so severe that officials expect the highway to be closed for a week. Most deliveries are carried in on the highway so local residence will see items such as groceries either flown in or ferried over the water. North to the Future The 2006 Alaska Conference North to the Future will be held at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. The event will focus on economic growth in infrastructure, energy, fisheries, mining, defense, logistics and more. Lost Barge Found off Alaska’s Coast The U.S. Coast Guard first spotted the abandoned barge near the Aleutian Islands in May which drifted into the Gulf of Alaska off Montague Island this month. The barge with no name or any indication of its port of origin was towed to Kodiak. The Coast Guard found Russian labels and remnants of coal on board but no identification of the owner other than a serial number which was not located in available databases. Alaska Spinach Recall Spinach shipped to Alaska is being pulled grocery stores and restaurants because of the E. coli outbreak. Traced to Natural Selection Foods, located in San Juan Bautista, California, illnesses from have been reported in 19 states. So far there have been no reports of any Alaskans becoming ill. The investigation is ongoing and no specific source has been located yet; it is possible that the recall will extend beyond Natural Selection Foods. The Alaska Republican Senator, Ted Stevens, concerning a new transportation security bill states that “We must do everything possible to prevent those who wish to harm Americans from carrying out their missions…” Proposed legislation will require that radiation detectors are installed in several ports to cover over 90 percent of all incoming container traffic. After more than a month of listing and adrift off the Alaska coast, the shipping vessel Cougar Ace is finally righted. Currently the salvage crews are awaiting approval from the Coast Guard to tow the ship to Oregon State. While the vehicles that were loaded on the ship were firmly secure, it is unclear if there was any water damage. General Dynamics plans to ship the oil transport, “Alaskan Legend” to BP Shipping. The new tanker which is able to ship over 1.2 million barrels of crude oil will leave San Diego to operate between Alaska and ports on the west coast. The Alaskan Legend is diesel-electric powered and contains 20 separate cargo tanks and utilizes transfer piping from within the hull instead of on the deck to reduce any chance of spills. The twin hull design offers additional protection which is an important feature to protect oil shipments and possible environmental damage from spillages. Shipping volumes have doubled in the past 40 years and ocean carrier traffic has increased the noise decibels to 12 since the mid 1960s. According to a recent study using underwater listing devices from around the world, the ocean is a noisy place. Comparisons made to declassified Navy documents indicate that global shipping is the probable reason for a rise in undersea noise pollution. Since the 1960s noise rates have increased by 3 decibels per decade to a current total of 12 decibels. In the last 40 years the world’s shipping fleet has doubled and new ships are bigger, faster and use more power for propulsion. The impact of increased noise levels on marine wildlife is yet unknown. Lowering Shipping Speeds The United States federal government recommends limiting ship speeds to reduce the number of right whale collisions. With congested shipping lanes and increased ship speeds, the number of whale strikes is on the rise. Proposals to help the depleted right whale population would require ships longer than 64 feet to reduce speed to 10 knots where whales frequent or through migration paths. Shipping: Economic Indicator The shipping and freight industry has reported lower earnings which may indicate a declining economic growth. Recent threats to airlines, rising fuel costs and declining exports maybe a cause for the recent slump in shipping earnings. The performance of shipping companies is often the first indicator of a decline in economic growth. But even with lower profits reported from UPS, Union Pacific and Continental Airlines other shipping and transport firms like the Overseas Shipholding Group still show strong revenues. On close today, the Dow Jones Transportation Average was up. Freight Costs May Rise Fuel costs are expected to rise after BP announced it would shut down the Alaska Prudhoe Bay oilfield. The shutdown will reduce production by 400,000 barrels per day, accounting for about 3 percent of the US crude oil supplies. The closure follows a discovery of severe corrosion in an oil transit line; repairs are likely to take several days but the price of crude oil has already surged as a result. Freight Vessel Update The shipping carrier, “Cougar Ace” that rolled to one side was reported drifting towards the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The US Coast Guard is currently monitoring the situation while a tug boat from Seattle and an engineering expert are in route to the area. Shipping Costs Impact Carrier Rising costs hurt growth for world’s largest shipping carrier. The United Parcel Service (UPS) reported earnings that were lower than expectations which caused stock market shares to plunge. UPS said that after earning over 1 billion dollars in the last quarter, it had only a 7.6 percent increase in profit as compared to the previous year. The failure to meet market predicts was blamed on rising fuel and rail costs for shipping, pensions and health care. Shipping Crew Saved The crew of the shipping vessel “Cougar Ace” has been rescued. Hoisted off the listing ship by two Pavehawk helicopters, the 23 member crew was safely taken to Adak, Alaska where they will later be transported to Kodiak Island. It is still not clear what caused the giant ocean carrier to list or if the ship and its freight can be recovered. So far none of the estimated 5,000 cars have been reported lost or damages. Shipping Rescue Effort The Cougar Ace vessel that sailed for Canada and the Port of Tacoma was reported listing Sunday night, nearly rolling onto one side and taking on water. Transporting about 5,000 cars, the ship and its crew are now stranded in the south waters of the Aleutian Islands. Rescue attempts are currently underway by the US Coast Guard but have been vexed due to the boat’s precarious position and bad weather conditions. Although one ship member received a broken leg; the rest of the ship’s crew and the onboard freight are unharmed. Additional rescue personnel are being sent from Anchorage and a Coast Guard cutter based in Honolulu, Hawaii. A fuel spill from the ship has been spotted but there was no ability to verify how much oil was lost. The Alaska Oceans Program (AOP), efforts continue for the Shipping Safety Project (SSP) to work towards safer shipping in the North Pacific. One of the next steps is to focus on the Aleutian Island Vessel Traffic Risk Assessment where SSP members will continue to monitor the safety and conservation measures that are needed and that input from communities and stakeholders are addressed. Threats to the environment including waste from ocean vessels and over harvesting of marine life in the North Pacific waters is a major concern for SSP members. According to the AOP website; pollution from coastal waters cost the global economy 12.8 billion dollars every year and because oceans cover 70 percent of our planet’s surface, almost half of the Earth’s population live near a coast which can be in danger of oil spills, toxic algal blooms and other contaminates. The space shuttle Discovery landed safely in Florida today. The mission that transported supplies and performed maintenance on the International Space Station was deemed a success. NASA chief Michael Griffin was quoted, “This is as good a mission as we’ve ever flown but we’re not going to get overconfident, we have to take it flight by flight.” Next month the space shuttle Atlantis is expected to deliver two solar energy panels, batteries and other equipment so that the space station can continue construction. Shipping In Outer Space The space shuttle Discovery that launched on Independence Day will deliver freight to the International Space Station, which includes an oxygen generator that will allow the station to host a crew of six members. Almost as much discarded equipment will be unloaded from the station and shipped back on the Discovery's return trip. Talk about large shipments over long distances! NASA's space shuttle that launched July 4th is said to have a freight payload around 5,000 pounds! And almost as much will be shipped back to Earth from the International Space Station. After launch the space shuttle Discovery and crew expect to spend 12 days in orbit, visiting the International Space Station with at least two spacewalks planned.
According to Alaska DOT, the Alaska Marine Highway System will start operations of the M/V LeConte as a dayboat for services to Haines, Hoonah and Angoon on June 9th. Additional crews will be employed during negotiations with maritime unions over state plans to streamline ferry service and meet Coast Guard guidelines. National Maritime Day The first National Maritime Day was declared by the United States Congress in 1933 in observance to the contributions of the American Merchant Marine. This day also honors benefits of trade, jobs and opportunities of the maritime industry. General aviation airports in Alaska see spike in fuel costs which may hurt delivery flights. Current prices for aviation gas have been reported as high as $4.50 per gallon. In addition water carriers delivering to Alaska have also increased Fuel Surcharge Rates and according to American Fast Freight Inc., “There continues to be fuel surcharges assessed on motor carrier, intermodal and full trailer load linehaul transportation as well. In some cases these are flat charges per container, in others, they are stated as a percentage of freight charges.” Read more at Alaska Fregiht News. Liberty Bell Pavilion Parts of the 30 year old Liberty Bell pavilion started its journey from the Independence Mall to its new home in Alaska. Over 80% of the pavilion which housed the Liberty Bell until October 2003 will become part of a park in Anchorage. Copper River King Salmon is being netted and delivered now to the "Lower 48" states. The first Alaska Airlines’ delivery landed at Seattle-Tacoma Int. Airport which carried 29,000 pounds of salmon cargo. This wild fish is prized by many chefs and makes an extravagant addition to any weekend grill. Although more expensive than farm-raised fish, the Alaska King Salmon is often worth the extra cost for most hungry enthusiasts. New legislation approves 7.4 billion dollars on new comprehensive port security inspectors and screening. In related news, DHS has implemented the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program that includes background checks for over 375,000 port workers in the United States. Proposed security enhancements may include a federal register of biographic information (such as fingerprinting) and other information. Tacoma Officials Hope to Build Port as Major Trading Hub Competition is intense among seaports on the U.S. West Coast, where communities vie with each other to handle cargo. The small city of Tacoma, in the Western state of Washington, is becoming a major player in the shipping business, and hopes to draw some cargo from its California competitors. The giant dual ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach dominate shipping on the West Coast. The joint facility is considered the fourth largest port in the world, when measured by traffic in shipping containers. The biggest ports by that measure are all Asian: Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Many goods coming to the United States from Asia arrive at Los Angeles-Long Beach. Others go to Oakland or Seattle, or Vancouver to the north in Canada. Seattle's neighboring port of Tacoma is another major destination for goods mainly from Asia, and also for goods heading north to Alaska. Tacoma officials came to Los Angeles recently on a kind of trade mission, and say for firms doing business with Asia, Tacoma may well be the place to go to process cargo. Port director Tim Farrell says Tacoma is a gateway to the interior of the United States. "The port of Tacoma specializes in moving cargo from Asia into the Midwest of the United States and the Northeast, and we do it extremely efficiently. There's no truck transit. The cargo comes off the ship, goes onto a train and moves out," he explained. Tacoma is practically a suburb of Seattle. It is just 50 kilometers away from the larger city. The two communities share an airport, known as Sea-Tac. The port official says Seattle and Tacoma, and the rest of Washington State, are focused on trade. By some counts, one in three jobs depend on it. "In Washington State, we have two of the largest container ports in North America, including the port of Tacoma," he added. "We have companies like Boeing, like Starbucks, like Weyerhaeuser, like Microsoft, that are engaged in trade around the world, and so we have a very good sense in Washington State that we are international citizens." Tacoma is an old seaport, and it is redeveloping its downtown region, refurbishing unused warehouses for an expanded branch campus of the University of Washington. The city markets itself as a livable urban center within sight of majestic Mount Rainier. Mark Crisson, who oversees Tacoma's public utilities, says his city offers high-speed broadband connections as part of its power system, another incentive that is attractive to business. "With spare capacity available on the system, we're able to provide a number of telecommunication services to the businesses and residents of the city of Tacoma, which include broadband capability, Internet service, and cable television service," he said. Port director Tim Farrell says, amenities aside, Los Angeles has an advantage as a seaport. Southern California is a huge population center, and many goods that arrive there are destined to stay. But he says goods headed for other parts of the United States, from Chicago to Atlanta, could make the journey more efficiently by taking their business northward, to the port of Tacoma. The above news article was provided by: |
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