Lucinda Lessley, acting administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), will speak at the AAPA Facilities Engineering Seminar & Expo on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and what it means for ports. Administrator Lessley will discuss funding programs available to ports and how to access these opportunities.

 

Join port engineering professionals from around the globe April 12-14, 2022, in Savannah, Ga., to share knowledge, best practices and solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to network with colleagues and some of the leading port and marine engineering firms, attend discussions on facility engineering challenges, learn about the latest solutions and technologies, tour the host port and more at this year’s event. View the draft agenda, exhibitor prospectus and registration information here.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for three funding opportunities: the National Infrastructure Project Assistance grant program (Mega), the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects program (INFRA), and the Rural Surface Transportation grant program (Rural). Applicants may apply for one grant program, but the combined solicitation will allow applicants to apply for two – or all three funding opportunities – by submitting only one application.

The INFRA, Mega and Rural funds will be awarded on a competitive basis for surface transportation infrastructure projects, including highway and bridge, intercity passenger rail, railway-highway grade crossing or separation, wildlife crossing, public transportation, marine highway, and freight projects – or groups of similar projects – with significant national or regional impact, or to improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 23, 2022. The Grants.gov “Apply” function opens on March 25.

The First Quarter 2022 issue of Seaports Magazine delves into the myriad ways ports are bringing sustainability goals to life. Achieving sustainability is a multi-faceted endeavor that requires support, strategic planning and innovation from not only ports but their partners and tenants. It is a top priority for most ports, though the cost and logistics sometimes curtail its achievability. The articles in this issue address this and present some solutions and ideas on how to breathe life into your port’s sustainability goals.

AAPA's Professional Port Manager (PPM) Program provides a meaningful experience for candidates, enabling them to build relationships, gain practical experience and strengthen professional credentials. The program is based on interactive groups or “classes” that consist of port managers and professionals in marine-related organizations and agencies.

The PPM Program Cohort of 2024 application portal expires in less than two weeks on April 4. To qualify, candidates must have at least five years of management experience working at an AAPA-member organization, be recommended by their executive director or direct supervisor, and must select a sponsor that will act as a mentor for the duration of the PPM Program.

AAPA’s newly updated PPM Program offers a more flexible program duration, cost efficient approach, monthly cohort advisory sessions and increased training opportunities through AAPA partners, the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE) and Lamar University’s Center for Advances in Port Management.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a partnership with the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) to ease port congestion and restore disrupted shipping services to U.S. grown agricultural commodities. A “pop up” site at NWSA will give U.S. farmers a place to store their products until they can be loaded on the next available ship.

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles on April 1 will begin collecting a rate of $10 per TEU on loaded import and export cargo containers hauled by drayage trucks as they enter or leave container terminals. With a goal of achieving zero-emissions drayage trucking by 2035, the Clean Truck Fund (CTF) rate was created to help fund and incentivize the changeover to cleaner trucks.

NWSA February volumes increased 11.1% to 298,046 TEUs, with full imports growing 21.4% and full exports declining 24.2% year-over-year. Full imports reached an all-time high for the month due to continued consumer demand and retail inventory restocking. Port of Oakland import cargo volume increased 6.3% in February compared to February 2021. Exports declined 10.3% over the same period. The figures indicate continued strong U.S. consumer demand for goods manufactured overseas, the port said. The South Jersey Port Corporation closed out 2021 with an all-time record-breaking cargo volume of 4,636,097 tons, a 54% increase over 2020, breaking the previous record by 6%.

The Port of Everett announced a lease agreement with Weyerhaeuser Muse LLC  to restore and reopen Everett’s historic Weyerhaeuser Building as a new community gathering space and commemorate the building’s rich history. The port is investing up to $1 million to get the building ready to accept tenant improvements anticipated to begin later this year.

The Port of Galveston reported the new cruise terminal under construction at Pier 10 is a game-changer for the port and regional economy, creating several hundred jobs, $1.4 billion in local business services revenue, $5.6 million in state and local taxes, and growth opportunities. Royal Caribbean is building the 161,300-square-foot terminal consistent with the port’s Green Marine initiative, LEED certification standards and will feature state-of-the-art technology.

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) unveiled a new, bold agenda to reduce carbon emissions across all facilities and become net zero by 2031, coinciding with the authority’s 75th anniversary. The Roadmap to Net Zero focuses on 100% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions directly controlled by Massport-owned facilities, equipment and purchased electricity, with continued influence in areas the authority does not control.

Business Development Representative, Port Hueneme, CA; The Port of Hueneme

Media/Public Relations Specialist, Oakland, CA; Port of Oakland

Business Development Representative, Port Hueneme, CA; The Port of Hueneme

Project Engineer II, Portsmouth, VA; The Port of Virginia

Senior Project Engineer, Portsmouth, VA; The Port of Virginia

Human Resources and Equity Specialist (Part Time 75%), Seattle, WA; University of Washington

Research Analyst - Live Fire Testing of Naval Systems, Alexandria, VA; Institute for Defense Analyses

Research Analyst - Navy Ship and Submarine Live Fire Testing, Alexandria, VA; Institute for Defense Analyses

WMATA – General Manager & CEO, Washington, DC; WMATA