EPA to convene second National Conversation on Ports on January 14

All ports are invited to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Conversation on Ports, which will take place Tuesday, January 14, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST. The theme of this webinar is "Goods Movement and Ports: Community Impacts and Collaborative Solutions."  

This event is the second of three virtual meetings facilitated by the U.S. EPA to bring together key port stakeholders to explore options to improve the environmental profile of ports while protecting community health and supporting economic growth.  U.S. EPA convened this National Conversation on Ports to hear directly from the organizations and stakeholders with the greatest interest in ports about the challenges, concerns, and opportunities within the ports sector.  The insights and lessons gleaned from these meetings will help EPA develop a comprehensive and valuable agenda for a National Ports Stakeholder Summit in April. 

For more information and to register, please click here. 

Northwest Senators send letter in support of Section 214 permanence

On December 17th, Senators Jeff Merkley and Mike Crapo sent a letter to the WRDA Conference Committee urging inclusion of Section 214 permanence in the final bill. Both Merkley and Crapo serve on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, so their support for Section 214 is significant. The entire Northwest Senate delegation has been very supportive of Section 214 permanence and we thank them for their continued work on this issue.

As previously reported, members of the Northwest House delegation also sent a letter in support of Section 214 last month, as did PNWA and our partner organizations. PNWA greatly appreciates the work of our delegation to protect this important tool for addressing regulatory backlogs in the region and throughout the U.S. 

PNWA welcomes Tesoro Savage to the membership

Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC and Savage Companies formed a joint venture to fully leverage their shared experience and expertise in safely and responsibly moving, storing, and handling crude oil to produce fuel for American consumers. The joint venture will develop, own, and operate a new transloading facility at The Port of Vancouver USA, subject to regulatory approval. Savage will lead the design, construction, and operation of the facility on the join venture's behalf. The Tesoro Savage joint venture offers expertise in engineering, deign, construction, permitting and operations that make it an ideal fit for this project for a crude-by-rail project at the Port of Vancouver USA. For more information, visit their website or contact Rebecca Boucher. 

Registration open for PNWA Regional Meetings and Mission to Washington

PNWA's 2014 Mission to Washington is just around the corner! Please note the following important dates:

Puget Sound Regional Meeting - February 11th

Eastern WA/Northern ID Regional Meeting - February 12th

Lower Columbia River/OR Coast Regional Meeting - February 21st

2014 Mission to Washington - March 9-13 - Discounted registration and hotel rates available until February 14th!

Taste the Northwest Reception - we need your support!

A highlight of our Mission to Washington, the Taste the Northwest reception is a chance for our members to interact with key leaders and showcase food and beverages from our region. We need your help to make this the best event yet! If you are able to donate local food items, please contact Natalie Whitlock as soon as possible.

Visit PNWA's website to register for these events, and contact Natalie Whitlock with any questions.