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PNWA's 2008 Annual Meeting is a great success
Our 2008 PNWA Annual Meeting was an event to remember! Our program was filled with informative speakers who sparked enthusiastic and inspired discussions regarding the outlook for Pacific Northwest navigation, energy and trade. There was something of interest for all who participated, and we would like to thank our sponsors, speakers and attendees for making this year's meeting another great success.
PNWA would like to extend a special thanks to our keynote speaker, U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, for taking the time to join us and to provide insight into the outlook for Congress and the nation in 2009. We were honored to present Rep. DeFazio with our 2008 PNWA Legislator of the Year Award for his continued support of regional economic development and transportation infrastructure. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with Rep. DeFazio and his staff, and to seeing him at the 2009 PNWA Mission to Washington, DC. In addition to Rep. DeFazio, we would also like to thank meeting attendees from the offices of Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep. David Wu.
Additional speakers at this year's conference ranged from industry and federal agency leaders to port and federal representatives. We were able to hear about international market trends for Northwest wheat, how the current economic climate and upcoming election will affect businesses, and how to maximize our agency partnerships. We were also able to learn about the long-range outlook for Northwest commodities given the increased cost of energy and fuel, opportunities available from new PNWA members, and the insightful perspective of local pollster Tim Hibbitts regarding the upcoming federal election. The new leadership at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Northwestern Division, and Portland, Seattle, and Walla Walla Districts also spoke to our group about the latest navigation infrastructure needs from around the region. This was a wonderfully unique way for PNWA to hear directly from federal agency leaders about how our members and staff can address issues of great importance to our region. Our Annual Meeting program and speaker presentations are available on our website at www.pnwa.net.
A special thanks also goes out to our 2008 Annual Meeting sponsors: Port of Portland; Port of Vancouver, USA; Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt; Port of Umatilla; Berger/Abam Engineers; Foss Maritime; Port of Lewiston; Shaver Transportation; Columbia River Pilots; Ball Janik LLP; Bradwood Landing; CH2M Hill; PNGC Power; and Port of Whitman County. We appreciate your ongoing generosity and support!
We encourage all PNWA members and friends to attend our 2009 Regional Meetings and the 2009 Mission to Washington. Regional Meetings are scheduled February 10th in Seattle, WA, February 12th in Richland, WA, and February 13th in Portland, OR. Our annual trip to DC will be held March 1-5 at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, DC. Additional information is available on our website, and online registration will be offered beginning December 1st, 2008. We look forward to seeing you there!
PNWA Staff Contact: Heather Kenneson |
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Post-election stimulus package may include infrastructure funding
Several weeks ago, the House passed a stimulus package that included $30 billion for nationwide infrastructure projects. However, that package stalled in the Senate. It is now being reported that Congress may put forward another stimulus package after the November elections. Of particular interest to PNWA members is the possibility that this package will include significant funding for infrastructure projects. What is currently unclear is whether federal agencies will receive lump sums for infrastructure, or if that funding will be directed by Congress for specific projects. PNWA's membership strongly believes that an investment in efficient and safe federal navigation, highway, rail and intermodal infrastructure will bear economic benefits for decades to come. For years, PNWA has highlighted the backlog in both maintenance and major rehab projects in the Northwest. Funding these projects will not only provide immediate work for construction and related trades, but will enable our nation to better compete globally in the future. Last Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure returned from the October recess to hold a hearing on the potential of infrastructure investment to create jobs and help the nation move to economic recovery. Chairman James Oberstar noted that there are "three stark, compelling reasons for decisive action: to invest in America, rebuild our economy, and put Americans back to work. These construction jobs will not be outsourced to another country; the work will be done in the United States because roads, bridges, transit and rail systems, airports, waterways, and wastewater treatment facilities are here, in our towns and cities. In addition to the on-site construction jobs, other construction and manufacturing jobs will be created at home producing the steel, aggregates, asphalt, cement, and construction equipment used in these projects. Infrastructure investments will put construction workers back on their jobs, and improve our deteriorating infrastructure. At current levels of investment, this country is falling further and further behind on our physical infrastructure needs, and that has devastating impacts on our economic growth, our quality of life, and our safety." PNWA has already made contact with staff for several Northwest Members of Congress, as well as regional leaders for the Corps of Engineers. The Corps is currently formulating a list of projects that would be appropriate for a stimulus package. There will likely be an emphasis on projects that are already underway, or are scheduled for completion. New starts will likely be viewed favorably if they can begin within 90 days of passage of the stimulus package. The House stimulus package that was passed in September (H.R. 7110) included $5 billion for the Corps of Engineers, including $2.5 billion for construction and $2 billion for operations & maintenance (O&M). PNWA would strongly support similar funding in any new stimulus packages that are proposed after the election. PNWA Staff Contact: Kristin Meira |
PSMP meeting to be held November 6th in Clarkston
The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the next meeting of the lower Snake River Local Sediment Management Group (LSMG). It will be held on Thursday, November 6, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Quality Inn, 700 Port Drive, Clarkston, Washington. The LSMG has been formed, in part, to assist the Corps with preparation of the Lower Snake River Programmatic Sediment Management Plan (PSMP). PNWA members will remember that the Corps agreed to formulate a PSMP as part of the settlement of the Lower Snake River dredging court case. The Corps will be on hand to describe their activities to date, and describe the next steps expected in the process. PNWA staff will be present, and PNWA members are encouraged to attend. The agenda for the November 6th meeting may be accessed at: http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/psmp/lsmg.htm. Also, interested PNWA members can read about the Corps' efforts on the PSMP at www.nww.usace.army.mil/psmp/. The PSMP is moving forward, as adequate funding was provided for FY2008, and is expected to be secured for FY2009.
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Corps plans to conclude work on regional Sediment Evaluation Framework (SEF)
PNWA is pleased to report that the Regional Sediment Evaluation Team (RSET), led by the Corps of Engineers, is making progress in their effort to finalize the regional Sediment Evaluation Framework (SEF). The Corps and RSET have been working to make the SEF a more user-friendly document, consolidating chapters and formatting it as a users guide. Once finalized, the document will be updated annually to incorporate any new or updated science. Completion of a final SEF will likely yield more predictability in the permitting of many navigation projects, particularly dredging. PNWA and its membership appreciates the efforts of the RSET to make this document final.
The draft final SEF is slated to be released on January 7, 2009, and will then be available for 45 days of public review and comment, until February 19, 2009. The Corps plans to hold three public outreach meetings, tentatively scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Thursday, January 15, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - Lewiston, Idaho
Sites are to be determined, and PNWA will provide an update when this information is available. PNWA staff will attend most of these meetings, and we encourage our members with an interest in permitting and/or dredging to mark their calendars and plan to participate. After the comment period ends, RSET will work to review and incorporate comments into the document. The final SEF is scheduled to be completed and released on May 29, 2009.
The current draft of the SEF may be obtained at:
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/publicmenu/DOCUMENTS/DMMO/RSET_Interim_Final.pdf
The Sediment Evaluation Framework (SEF) provides a framework for the assessment and characterization of freshwater and marine sediments in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (defined as Pacific Northwest). It compiles information from many documents in active use in the Pacific Northwest and updates specific portions of previous regional manuals. For dredging projects, it is intended to provide a basis for evaluating the suitability for unconfined open water or other disposal options. For sediment cleanup projects, it is intended to assist with the evaluation of the potential risk of in-place sediments and tools to evaluate the sediments based on potential cleanup options. If seeking a dredging permit or managing a cleanup site, the SEF is intended to provide sampling, testing, and analysis strategies to reduce uncertainties about the actions a regulator may require. Reducing uncertainties can help with project scheduling, financial planning, and project management decisions. PNWA Staff Contact: Glenn Vanselow | |
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