Category Archives: Northwest Seaport Alliance

Northwest Seaport Alliance

Workshop Held On Noise Reduction Ideas for Puget Sound

The workshop gathered diverse maritime interests to protect endangered orcas through noise reduction.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance announced that it, with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, Washington State Ferries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Puget Sound Partnership, co-convened a workshop of a broad range of experts and interests to identify ways to reduce underwater noise in effort to support recovery of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales. Underwater noise can be harmful to Southern Resident orcas because it impedes their ability to use sonar to hunt prey and communicate.  

The workshop was held at the Bell Harbor Conference Center Oct. 3, 2019 and was attended by state, federal, tribal and Canadian government representatives, researchers, natural resource agencies, whale conservation groups and representatives of the maritime industry. The goal of the workshop was to explore the possibility of establishing a program to reduce the exposure of our endangered orca to ship noise such as ECHO established by the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia to implement noise reduction efforts. Read more about the workshop on the NWSA site.

Efforts Coincide with Presence of Newer, Larger Vessels in Puget Sound

In August, 2016, we wrote about the widening of the Panama Canal and, as a result, the presence of much larger vessels calling on our Puget Sound ports (read the post, here). The ports have improved infrastructure to support the mega-ships in our harbors (as noted in another post, here).

The newer vessels are not only much larger, they are also much more efficient. Improvements in ship’s engine designs reduce carbon emissions. Hull designs to reduce drag through the water improve fuel efficiency. As a person often on a sailboat in our waters, I can also attest to the fact that they produce much smaller wakes (thank you!).

If other improvements can be incorporated to also reduce sound intrusion in our waters, this will serve to benefit everyone in our region, both people and wildlife.

“Sonic Sea” – Movie Explains Effects of Noise on Our Seas

YOU WANT TO WATCH THIS MOVIE. Sonic Sea is a documentary about the devastating impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life. The film explores the critical role of sound in the sea, and the sudden, dramatic changes human activity is inflicting on the ocean’s delicate acoustic habitat — changes that threaten the ability of whales and other marine animals to prosper, to function, and ultimately, to survive. The film offers solutions (and, by extension, hope) for a quieter ocean, and underscores that the ocean’s destiny is inextricably bound with our own.

You will become a believer in the efforts to achieve noise reduction after seeing this film. I sat down to watch a few minutes of it while visiting a whale museum and ended up sitting there, riveted, for the whole hour. Watch the trailer for the full goosebump effect.

Sonic Sea – Trailer from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.

Northwest Seaport Alliance

Clean Truck Program Wins Award

The Northwest Seaport Alliance has announced that it is proud to have received the American Association of Port Authorities’ 2019 Environmental Improvement Award for it’s Clean Truck Program. You can read the full release, excerpted below, here.

The NWSA Clean Truck Program was one of the initiatives developed through the groundbreaking Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy. In 2008, the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver, British Columbia, collectively set a goal to implement clean truck standards by January 2018.

Targeted to reduce air pollution in the Puget Sound region, the innovative program earned the Award of Distinction in the comprehensive environmental management category for successfully implementing a voluntary clean trucks initiative.

As of Jan. 1, 2019, the Clean Truck Program requires all trucks serving the NWSA international container terminals to have a 2007 or newer engine or certified equivalent emissions control system. With newer engines emitting 90% less diesel particulate matter (DPM), the program has reduced the pollutant load on our neighboring communities by 33.4 tons of DPM per year. The reduction of diesel emissions helps decrease the risk of asthma, cancer and heart disease.

Acknowledging only 53% of trucks were compliant for the original Jan. 1, 2018 deadline, the NWSA Managing Members voted to extend the deadline through December 2018 to give drivers more time to prepare. Throughout the year, the NWSA partnered with lawmakers and various agencies like the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington State Department of Ecology, African Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest, City of Seattle, and Washington Trucking Association to offer financial and training resources.

We wrote about this program early in the process in our prior post, “TRUCK REPLACEMENT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY SCRAPS 200TH TRUCK.” We congratulate Northwest Seaport Alliance for winning this award and appreciate the effort to improve air quality in Seattle and Tacoma.

Northwest Seaport Alliance

The Northwest Seaport Alliance Hits Key Milestone

The Northwest Seaport Alliance hits key milestone as ports of Seattle, Tacoma prepare to unify marine cargo management.

Heralding a key milestone in the formation of a Seaport Alliance, a draft of the final agreement between the ports of Tacoma and Seattle has been released.
 
The Northwest Seaport Alliance will unify the two ports’ marine cargo terminal investments, operations, planning and marketing to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo for the region.
 
“We intend to make our organizations stronger and more sustainable to better serve our customers, grow our regional economy and address unprecedented competition facing the shipping industry,” said Don Johnson, Port of Tacoma commission president.
 
The Alliance is the outgrowth of talks held under the sanction and guidance of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system.
 
“As the state’s two largest container ports, we recognize the value of trade to our state’s economy,” said Stephanie Bowman, Port of Seattle commission co-president. “We are stronger together as we forge a new business model to add jobs and create economic opportunities.”
 
The agreement outlines The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s governance charter, management and financial structures, a transition plan and a business development strategy.
 
While the ports will remain separate organizations that retain ownership of their respective assets, they will form a port development authority (PDA) to manage the container, breakbulk, auto and some bulk terminals in Seattle and Tacoma. The airport, cruise business, marinas, such as Fisherman’s Terminal, grain terminals and industrial real estate, such as the Northwest Innovation Works and Puget Sound Energy facilities and Terminal 91 uplands, will remain outside the Alliance.
 
The PDA will be governed jointly by the two port commissions.
 
The commissioners expect to hire John Wolfe, current Port of Tacoma chief executive officer, as the CEO of the Seaport Alliance following the FMC’s approval of the agreement. Wolfe would lead both organizations through a transition period of up to five years before handing over his Port of Tacoma duties.
 
The two port commissions expect to consider submitting the final agreement to the Federal Maritime Commission at a joint public meeting June 5 at Auburn City Hall.
 
Citizen and stakeholder public review of this agreement will be undertaken throughout May, building on the extensive outreach that has occurred since the proposal was announced last October. The draft agreement, information about public meetings, how to submit written comments and other related news will continue to be updated regularly on the Port of Tacoma and Port of Seattle websites.