Greater Lafourche Port Commission’s Executive Director Chett Chiasson met and talked with President Joe Biden last week at the South Lafourche Leonard J. Miller Jr. Airport in Galliano. The meeting included numerous parish leaders, including Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson, to discuss the needs of the port and parish following the devastation from Hurricane Ida. “We talked about hope,” Chett said. “It’s a hope shared by our parish president and I that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. We have begun our recovery in earnest but need the help of the federal government to expedite that recovery. We were happy the president visited our area and took a keen interest in what we had to say.”

Carnival Cruise Line has deployed Carnival Glory to New Orleans and will berth at the Port of New Orleans to serve as emergency housing for frontline workers involved in recovery efforts from Hurricane Ida. The port resumed limited cargo and vessel operations, beginning with breakbulk vessel cargo, September 2, just four days after Ida made landfall in Southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm. Container operations resumed September 7 at the port’s Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal.

North Carolina Ports reached an agreement with Sun Valley, Idaho-based Cold Summit Development to further expand its cold chain and cold storage capabilities. Plans call for the development of a 280,000-square-foot multi-suite cold storage facility, and a Phase II that calls for an additional nearly 160,000 square feet of warehousing options.

The aftermath of Hurricane Ida is currently being felt along the U.S. Gulf Coast and Northeast. Did you know that ongoing emergency funds are available right now? Port employees in need of immediate financial support can apply for assistance through the Port Employees Emergency Relief Fund by contacting AAPA Accounting Manager Larrinda Shields at (703) 706-4719 ext. 719 or by email at lshields@aapa-ports.org.

Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, AAPA established a Port Employees Emergency Relief Fund to provide immediate assistance to port authority staff and their families severely impacted by that storm, as well as future hurricanes, earthquakes, or other natural disasters.

Donations can be made by contacting AAPA Director of Finance and Grants Management Maranda Jones Anderson at mjones-anderson@aapa-ports.org. The foundation is a 501(c) (3) organization, so donations are tax deductible as charitable contributions, and 100% of all donations will go to assist port authority employees.

Global Elite Group is a contract physical and technology security firm offering security and screening services to the transportation critical infrastructure industry, including aviation and maritime modals.

The Port of Los Angeles has awarded $1 million in grants to 27 local organizations to support programs, projects and events benefiting a wide variety of communities, both locally and statewide. A total of 49 organizations applied for FY 2021/22 funding from the port’s Community Investment Grant Program, which has now awarded a total of 235 community grants totaling $7 million over the last eight years.

Two new post-panamax electric gantry cranes arrived at the Port of Montréal, with another two due for delivery in the first quarter of 2022. Built in Ireland by Liebherr Container Cranes, these next generation cranes will enable terminal operator Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership (MGTP) to benefit from the latest and most efficient technology.

The Port of Baltimore welcomed the first vessel of a new Southeast Asia/Vietnam and China container service from Maersk Line this week at its Seagirt Marine Terminal. The container ship Xiamen is part of the new TP20 service that includes up to 13 vessels with carrying capacities of 4,500-plus TEUs. It’s the first direct ocean service to Southeast Asia for the Port of Baltimore.

The Commissioners for the Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) have entered into a lease agreement with Ocean Aero, Inc. for the construction, testing, and demonstration of Autonomous Underwater and Surface Vehicles (AUSVs) at the Port of Gulfport. Ocean Aero will occupy 67,000 square feet of warehouse space on the port’s East Pier and is expected to create 45 new jobs by the end of 2021.

The Port of Long Beach marked the completion of its Long Beach Container Terminal at Middle Harbor, a 300-acre facility powered almost entirely by electricity that can handle up to 3.3 million TEUs, after a decade of construction. The modernization project has transformed two aging terminals into one of the world’s most technologically advanced container terminals. “This engineering marvel sets a new standard for international shipping, goods movement and many other industries," said Port Executive Director Mario Cordero. “It is a global model of efficiency and sustainability.”

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay announced it has partnered with NorthPoint Development, based in Riverside, Mo., to construct a multimodal container facility on the North Spit. Once fully constructed, the facility will be capable of moving more than 1 million 40-foot containers annually through the Port of Coos Bay via the Coos Bay Rail Line.

The Port of Brownsville announced the appointment of two new deputy port directors, Melinda Rodriguez and Arturo Gomez, effective August 9. Rodriguez is the deputy port director of administration and will oversee the port’s Human Resources, Real Estate Services, Finance, Communications and Administrative Services departments. Gomez joins the port staff as deputy port director of operations. He will be responsible for the port’s Engineering, Cargo Services and Foreign Trade Zone, Police and Security, and Facilities Maintenance departments as well as the Harbor Master’s Office.

Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor has been honored with an Industrial Award from the Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean Air for its efforts to support clean air. Some of the many projects undertaken by the port include an all-electric security vehicle and the installation of an electric charging station for its Burns Harbor operations.

The Port of Everett has issued a Request for Qualifications seeking quality and experienced private developers interested in partnering on the next phase of the port’s 65-acre mixed-use development Waterfront Place. View the full RFQ and submittal requirements at http://portofeverett.bonfirehub.com. 

Harbor Director, Channel Islands, Ventura, CA; Ventura County Harbor Department