Bryant's Maritime Blog: Bryant’s Maritime Blog

Commencing 1 September 2011, this Blogspot blog will no longer be updated. Instead, readers should go to the blog on my official website, located at http://brymar-consulting.com/?page_id=6 . I apologize for any inconvenience, but my official website has the same information and more.

Headlines:

USCG – Hurricane Irene;

Willamette River – safety zone;

NOAA – Arctic data collaboration with three energy companies; and

House – hearing on securing the Port of Houston.

August 25, 2011

Bryant’s Maritime Blog
Bryant’s Maritime Consulting - 4845 SW 91^st Way - Gainesville, FL 32608-8135 - USA

Tel: 1-352-692-5493 – Email: dennis.l.bryant@gmail.com – Internet: http://brymar-consulting.com

Note: This blog is one section of the Bryant’s Maritime Consulting website. Visit the site for more extensive maritime regulatory information. Individual concerns may be addressed by retaining Dennis Bryant directly. Much of the highlighted text in this newsletter constitutes links to Internet sites providing more detailed information. Links on this page may be in PDF format, requiring use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Comments on these postings are encouraged and may be made by clicking the envelope that appears at the end of each posting. Be aware that the daily blog entry is a single posting, even though it contains a number of individual items. Remembering the future.

USCG – Hurricane Irene

The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that Port Condition XRAY has been set for the Port of Port Canaveral and a second news release stating that Port Condition XRAY has been set for the coastal waters of South Carolina as the hurricane approaches. It issued a third news release stating that Port Condition WHISKEY has been set for the Ports of Wilmington and Morehead City in North Carolina and a fourth news release stating that Port Condition WHISKEY has been set for the Port of Hampton Roads. (8/24/11). Note: Copies of the Hurricane and Heavy Weather Plans for the various USCG Sectors are available on my website at: Hurricane Contingency Plans.

Willamette River – safety zone

The US Coast Guard established a safety zone on waters of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon for construction of the TriMet Bridge. The safety zone will remain in effect through September 30, 2014. 76 Fed. Reg. 53054 (August 25, 2011).

NOAA – Arctic data collaboration with three energy companies

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a news release stating that it signed an agreement with Shell Exploration & Production, ConocoPhillips, and Statoil USA E&P Inc. to enhance collaboration on ocean, coastal, and climate science for the Arctic. The agreement calls for sharing a number of scientific data sets, including weather and ocean observations, biological information, and sea ice and sea floor mapping studies. (8/23/11).

House – hearing on securing the Port of Houston

The Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management of the House Committee on Homeland Security conducted a field hearing entitled Preventing an Economic Shock Wave: Securing the Port of Houston from a Terrorist Attack”. Mr. Stephen Caldwell, Government Accountability Office (GAO), testified that the Coast Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have made progress implementing prior GAO recommendations to enhance energy tanker security, but that improvements are needed with regard to assessing the security risks to offshore energy infrastructure. Captain James Whitehead, USCG, Sector Houston-Galveston, testified regarding integrated maritime security operations in the Houston-Galveston area. Testimony of other witnesses is not yet available. (8/24/11).