 Last week, as part of the Legislative Summit: Now We Build, teams of AAPA members and staff went to Capitol Hill to talk with lawmakers on issues vital to the port industry. AAPA met with Senators, Representatives, and senior staff of key Congressional Committees to advocate for U.S. port policy issues. Various topics were discussed during the conversations, including the implementation of grant programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, continued full distribution of Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund dollars, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection resources. AAPA members met with 53 Congressional offices, a new association record. Attendees participated in a hybrid of 34 in-person and 19 virtual meetings. Of those, 30% were held directly with members of Congress. Also making news during the Legislative Summit, recipients of AAPA’s 2022 Port Person of the Year awards, U.S. Senator Mark Warner (Va.) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (La.) were jointly recognized. Sen. Warner and Sen. Cassidy were named Port Persons of the Year for their tireless advocacy for ports and waterways programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In addition, the AAPA President's Award for Legislative Leadership, a new award this year, was presented to Senator Patty Murray (Wa.) for her efforts spanning more than a decade to reform the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF).
To ensure full use of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF), the U.S. House Appropriations Committee must allocate at least $2.317 billion for harbor maintenance activities in the House FY 2023 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. The HMT funds are collected explicitly for this purpose. U.S. Representatives Bill Huizenga and Alan Lowenthal have penned an appropriations letter requesting full use of the HMTF. Please contact and encourage your U.S. Representative to sign this letter in support of full use of the HMTF via the provisions passed in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation. The deadline for U.S. Representatives to sign is April 25, 2022. Due to an inactive link on the Federal site, AAPA recommends encouraging U.S. Representatives to reach out to Rep. Huizenga’s and Rep. Lowenthal’s points of contact Trevor TenBrink (Trevor.TenBrink@mail.house.gov) and Andrew Bower (Andrew.Bower@mail.house.gov) respectively.
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As sustainability assumes a more prominent place in just about every port’s vision of its future, master planning and other strategic planning efforts increasingly are ensuring infrastructure proposals are closely aligned with ports’ sustainability needs. Seaports Magazine: www.aapaseaports.com
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Lynker is an ocean, weather, fisheries and environmental analysis and services company that delivers innovative solutions to support global environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. As a trusted partner to governments, communities and industry, Lynker is passionate about its mission to deliver high quality solutions to marine, coastal, inland and ocean research and conservation across the United States and beyond.
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The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) welcomed the first cruise ship to the Port of Boston, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl, signaling the start of the 2022 Cruise Season, the first full season in two years. Massport is expecting a robust cruise season this year welcoming 125 ships from 19 cruise lines supporting the local travel and tourism industries. Transforming Port Everglades' Cruise Terminal 4 into a second home for Disney Cruise Line received the green light, as the Broward County Commission approved Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, Inc. for design and consulting services. The entire project must be completed by fall 2023, when Disney Cruise Line sails for the first time from Port Everglades.
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PhilaPort’s plan to increase container capacity by 18% is building momentum, with a goal of making PhilaPort more competitive. Deepening the Delaware River’s main channel from 40 to 45 feet is set to be completed in early 2023, after more than a decade-long effort. Additional investments and expansion projects are part of the port’s long-term plans to accommodate growth, increase container capacity and make the port more competitive.
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The Port of Grays Harbor’s largest marine terminal customer, AG Processing Inc. (AGP), plans to increase its export shipping capacity to meet the demand for soybean oil biofuel feedstock and the growing Southeast Asian soymeal market. The project includes expansion and upgrade of its storage and export facility at Terminal 2, along with a new state-of-the-art ship loader at Terminal 4.
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The Port of San Diego and its partners at Protea Properties and SLP Urban Planning have been recognized with the prestigious Economic Prosperity Award for the revitalization of Seaport Village. The award recognizes efforts to advance, secure or introduce innovative ideas to downtown San Diego’s economy.
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Port of Long Beach Deputy Executive Director Dr. Noel Hacegaba speaks with Nick Powers, vice president of growth for UNCOMN, in this Supply Chain Insight video series about the Supply Chain Information Highway, a new digital solution from the Port of Long Beach that delivers data for shippers and other stakeholders to track cargo and optimize their operations.
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