OPPA RE:ports
August 2009
A newsletter from the Oregon Public Ports Association
Port of Newport lands NOAA home port
With $19.5 million allocated from the Oregon Legislature and the support of Oregon’s congressional delegation, the Port of Newport was selected by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to house its Pacific Marine Operations Center to Yaquina Bay in Oregon. The operation center is moving from Seattle where it had been for nearly 50 years. The base employs 175 people. The relocation will happen in 2011. “This is stunning news,” Port Commission President Ginny Goblirsch said in the Port of Newport’s August newsletter. “We knew we had a strong proposal and that Newport was the perfect location…. This is a gift beyond measure to our community and the State of Oregon.” The Port credits the win to very hard work on the part of its staff, its commission and invaluable assistance from Congressman Kurt Schrader and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Statewide strategic ports plan now underway The first phase of a statewide Strategic Plan for Oregon’s ports is now complete, and ports heard a preliminary status report by the project consultant at the August meeting of the Oregon Public Ports Association. The plan, which is being conducted by the Portland firm Parsons Brinckerhoff through a grant from the Oregon Business Development Department’s Port Planning & Marketing Fund, is slated for consideration and adoption by the agency’s Economic & Business Development Commission in December. The recently completed first phase (two phases remain) focused on information/data gathering and conducting interviews with staff and commissioners at all 23 port districts. The interviews and research produced information including a survey of the general facilities around the state, market conditions, the condition of port facilities, transportation access, the financial condition of the ports, pending funding requests/needs, a review of individual port business plans, threats and opportunities. The next phase of the report, set for completion in late August or early September includes assessing the data and producing a first draft of the Strategic Plan, followed by input from stakeholders. The Oregon Transportation Commission will review a final draft in November, which will then lead to review and adoption by the Business Development Commission. “This is a critical step in taking an objective look at ourselves as an industry, and beginning to define the State of Oregon’s role in a healthy ports system,” said Annette Price, state affairs manager for the Port of Portland and President of the Oregon Public Ports Association. “OPPA advocated for the Strategic Plan and ports are actively participating. We appreciate the work of the Business Development Department in seeing this effort through. ” OPPA RE:ports August 2009 DEQ rulemakings cover ballast water, 401 fees, other issues Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Dick Pedersen met recently with OPPA Executive Director Ken Armstrong and President Annette Price to discuss a variety of issues the agency will face during the current interim and how OPPA can engage the agency to ensure that port interests are represented. Among the issues that will be of interest to ports: HB 2185 – Requires the DEQ to develop rules to assess fees on all 401 water quality certification applicants (exemptions to the fees were eliminated in the legislation, as per the interest of OPPA). HB 2714 – Empowers (but does not require) the DEQ to adopt rules for ballast water discharge and managing high‐risk waters in emergency circumstances. Rulemaking is expected but the exact scope will be determined in consultation with a Task Force appointed to work on the issue. HB 3123 – Directs Department of Environmental Quality to study impact of vessel discharges on water quality and reasonable availability of adequate facilities for safe and sanitary removal of sewage from passenger vehicles. The Oregon Public Ports Association will be tracking these efforts and will be communicating with OPPA member ports as developments occur. Director Pedersen said that he hopes any ports having difficulty on an issue that involves his agency will feel comfortable communicating with him in an effort to try to fix problems quickly rather than letting them fester. The Oregon Public Ports Association is a good first step in making contact with the DEQ Director’s office to address any project or issue problems. FEMA grant assists Tillamook port projects The devastating storms of December 2007 ripped out 15 miles of the Port of Tillamook Bay’s railroad. A declared FEMA disaster, the Port was unable to come up with the 25 percent local match to repair the estimated $50 million of damage. In lieu of restoring the railroad, the Port board decided to pursue “alternate projects” through FEMA, which allows the use of the allotted funds, but at a reduced rate. The Port of Tillamook Bay has approximately $44.6 million available for such projects, which include transportation, warehouse/building, water/sewer, airport and other improvements. Also included is an Oregon Solutions flood reduction project for Tillamook County. The Port will be using over $4 million of the FEMA funds for flood abatement in the county. During the recently adjourned 2009 session of the Oregon Legislature, Senator Betsy Johnson secured match funding for $32.1 million of the Port’s $44.6 million in projects – a critical step in ensuring that the FEMA money could be used for maximum benefit. Final major channel improvement contract awarded June was a good month for the Port of Portland. The longstanding channel improvement project received $26.6 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds toward bringing the project to completion. Another major milestone was reached in mid‐July with the award of the final contract to J.E. McAmis, Inc. of Chico, Calif. OPPA RE:ports August 2009 Worth $51.9 million, the contract is funded by stimulus, appropriated and matching nonfederal sponsor funds. Work began in mid‐August, and according to the contractor, it will create about 50 new jobs. The contract includes the removal of 1.7 to 2.5 million cubic yards of material to deepen Columbia River miles 65 to 67, near Longview, Wash. There is also a one mile section of basalt between river miles 87 and 88 near St. Helens, Ore., that must be blasted and dredged. While most of the navigation channel has been deepened from 40 to 43 feet, the portions that are composed of more rock than sediment will be dredged to between 49 and 51 feet to allow for future maintenance. Blasting will occur between November 2009 and February 2010, and create between 250,000 and 500,000 cubic yards of material to dredge. The project should be complete by December 2010, closing out a two decade‐long effort to deepen the 103‐mile navigation channel from 40 to 43 feet so it can accommodate larger, deeper draft ships and more heavily‐loaded vessels. Expanded OMSI exhibit introduces kids to Port As far as the kids were concerned, the new “Kids’ Port” exhibit was open for business — ribbon cutting or not. They played enthusiastically in the background as Nancy Steuber, president of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Bill Wyatt, executive director for the Port of Portland, gave welcoming remarks and cut the ribbon with assistance from Peggy Anderson, business development manager with the Portland Business Alliance. The Port partnered with OMSI to sponsor a new interactive exhibit based on the processes carried out at the Port’s marine terminal when shipping containers arrive. Kids’ Port includes a small model of a container crane, several push trucks, blocks representing cargo containers, a model cargo ship, a colorful printed carpet and a model warehouse with a scanner and video screen. At the exhibit, children learn why the Port is so important in their daily lives and gain a basic understanding of the processes related to receiving goods at the Port. It complements the Port’s Where in the World school outreach program. Officially opened on July 7, Kids’ Port is located in OMSI’s Turbine Hall, immediately adjacent to the larger crane and ship exhibit that was installed last year. Founded in 1944, OMSI is one of the nation’s leading science museums, a popular tourist attraction, and an award‐
winning educational resource. OPPA planning regional port meetings Oregon Public Ports Association President Annette Price and Executive Director Ken Armstrong will be scheduling September regional meetings of OPPA ports. The meetings will include one on the southern Oregon Coast, one on the northern Oregon Coast, and one on the upper Columbia River. The purpose of the meetings is to have more focused discussions on regionally‐specific issues of interest to ports. OPPA RE:ports August 2009 Rehabilitation of the Coos Bay rail line is now underway, with design engineering under the direction of the Portland office of HDR Engineering and personnel from various locations of Jacobs Associates. A $2.5 million American Recovery & Reinvestment Act grant award will fund rehabilitation of four of nine 90+year‐old tunnels on the rail line. Personnel updates…. The Port of Garibaldi announced the hiring of Kevin Greenwood as the new Port manager, replacing outgoing helmsman Don Bacon. Greenwood served for five years as administrator of the City of Garibaldi and took the Port position on July 1. The Port of Tillamook Bay saw three commissioners sworn in during July ‐‐ Ken Bell, began a new term, his 25th year of service with the Port. John Ficher, who was appointed last fall, and was re‐elected in May and new commissioner Jim Young replaced Joe Meyer, who did not seek re‐election. The acquisition of the Coos Bay rail line by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay recently led to several changes in titles and duties for the Port’s management team. Among those changes: Jeffrey Bishop, Executive Director of the Port, will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the new Coos Bay Rail Link, while Dan Lovelady has been designated as the Chief Operating Officer. Donna Nichols is serving as Chief Financial Officer and Martin Callery is the line’s Chief Commercial Officer. Kathy Wall will serve as the Port’s Business Development Manager. Also at Coos Bay, Donna Nichols, the Port’s Director of Finance and Administration, was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Insurance Services Trust of the Special Districts Association of Oregon. For more information on the Oregon Public Ports Association….
Ken Armstrong, Executive Director 727 Center Street NE, Suite 107A Salem, Oregon 97301 Email: [email protected] Phone: (503) 559‐3147