Long Beach Achieved to Record for Handling over 4 Mil.TEU

With another strong month of imports in December, the Port of Long Bea
ch broke its record for yearly container cargo volume-handling the equ
ivalent of 4,408,480 20-foot container units, of 20-foot equivalent un
its(TEUs), in 1999. The volume represented a 7.6 percent increase over
1998’s 4,097,689TEUs. Long Beach remains the nation’s number one co
ntainer port.
The California Transportation Commission is set to meet on Feb. 22 and
23 in Los Angeles to approve the transfer of the southern end of the
Long Beach(710) Freeway from the City and Port of Long Beach to Caltra
ns. The segment of the Long Beach Freeway being relinquished to the St
ate of California is between Pacific Coast Highway and Ocean Boulevard
.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 31
to terminate its sublease with AMC Long Beach, the firm selected six
months ago to operate a barge building and ship repair facility on the
site of the former Long Beach Naval Shipyard. The Board voted to take
legal action to evict AMC from the office they occupy on the shipyard
site and to regain possession of the facility. Harbor Commissioners s
aid they acted after AMC failed to meet the terms of its sublease, des
pite repeated requests and warnings by the port over the past six mont
hs.
Ths Board of Harbor Commissioners has authorized an environmental stud
y for a proposed cruise terminal at the Queen Mary Complex. The Enviro
nmental Impact Report is expected to take seven to nine months to comp
lete. Queen Mary officials expect the terminal to open in 2001.
The Regional Water Quality Control Board will allow the Alameda Corrid
or Transportation Authority to release ground water into the Dominguez
Channel while ACTA officials complete a study to assess the potential
effects of the ground water on the channel. New state rules limit the
amount of copper, lead, silver, mercury and heavy metals released int
o ocean-bound waterways, including the Dominguez Channel that runs fro
m Carson to the harbor.
The Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles have embarked on a
jointly funded study to update information on the species inhabiting t
he San Pedro Bay. The year-long study will evaluate the area’s physic
al and biological characteristics, address seasonal variations and the
presence of invasive species, and compare the ecological characterist
ics of various types of habitats. The data currently being used by the
ports is based on biological studies of San Pedro Bay that are now 15
years old. Numerous changes have taken place in the harbor since then
, including major landfills, channel deepening and the implementation
of improved water quality control programs.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled against a class-action la
wsuit filed by owner-operators driving for two trucking companies in L
os Angeles and Long Beach. The court ruled that the drivers are indepe
ndent contractors rather direct employees of the two companies.
With sledgehammers held high, State Sen. Betty Karmette, Assemblyman A
lan Lowenthal and California Transportation Chairman Dana Reed took ce
lebratory swings Jan. 14 at the last remaining toll booth for the Vinc
ent Thomas Bridge. The public officials were celebrating the end of to
ll charges for drivers heading across the bridge.
Hyundai merchant Marine recently granted free ocean carriage to two co
ntainers filled with medical supplies as part of its ongoing outreach
to help needy people in South Korea. The 40-foot and 20-foot container
s, filled with used radiation therapy equipment, is scheduled to arriv
e in Busan, South Korea, in mid-February from New York and Charleston.
The refurbished medical oncologists will provide free radiation thera
py to the poor.
United Alliance partners, Hanjin, ChoYang, DSR-Senator and United Arab
Shipping Co., are increasing capacity on their joint China America Ex
press Service. The service initially ran with five Hanjin vessels, eac
h of 2,670 TEU capacity. Hanjin will replace the ships by August with
4,024-TEU-capacity vessels. The capacity of the service will increase
by 50 percent, from 138,840 TEUs to 209,250TEUs.
Hanjin Shipping was named the 1999 Carrier of the Year by Tatung Co. o
f America. The Taiwan-based company presented the award to Hanjin to s
how its appreciation for the shipping company’s dedication and commit
ment to providing the electronic, home and industrial equipment manufa
cturing company with exceptional service.
Marian Shipping of Long Beach hosted a celebratory reception last mont
h onboard the M/V Star Tuva for shipping executive to commemorate the
50th shipload of steel wire rod from Mexico. The cargo is shipped thro
ugh the Cooper/T. Smith Terminal on Pier F.
A 10-week course in transportation and logistics management will be of
fered through California State University Long Beach’s Extension Serv
ices. Classes for the Global Logistics Specialist module Two course wi
ll be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, bet
ween March 7 and june 17 at the Long Beach World Trade Center. The cos
t is $1,495. Module One of the GLS program, “Overview and introductio
n to Global Logistics,” strated Jan.27; Module Three, “Legal, Financ
ial & Risk Management Issue,” Begins March 15; Module Four, “World T
rade and Government/Regulatory Bodies,” starts April 26; and Module F
ive, “ Customer Service, Techonology & Industry Trends,” begins May
17.
California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush will be the keynot
e speaker at the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s California Vis
ionaries 2000 Leadership program. The Feb. 17 lucheon begins at 11:30
a.m. in the International Ballroom at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel, 2 W
orld Trade Center. The cost is $30 per person or $500 for a corporate-
sponsored table.
The Foreign Trade Association will host representatives of the Hong Ko
ng port during its lucheon on FEb. 22. The chairman of the Hong Kong P
ort and Maritime Board, Peter Thompson, will be the keynote speaker. T
he luncheon, at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel, begins with registration
at 10:45, presentations at 11 a.m. and lunch at 12:30 p.m. Cost is $45
for members and $55 for nonmembers and walk-ins.
The tragic consequences of illegal stowaways entering the U.S. inside
cargo containers will be the focus of the International Business Assoc
iation’s monthly luncheon on Feb. 25. Tom Graber, area port director
and assistant district director for inspections, from the Immigration
and Naturalization Services will discuss the “Human Cargo Tragedy”.
The luncheon begins with a reception at 11:30 a.m. at The Reef, 880 Ha
rbor Scenic Drive, Long Beach.
Hyundai America Shipping Agency Inc. has appointed Horace Harrison, Jr
. as president of the company. A veteran in the shipping industry, Har
rison is the former president of Hyundai America Shipping, Pacific Nor
thwest. his most recent position was serving as the president of Calif
ornia United Terminals.
Port of Long Beach Planning Director Robert Kanter has been selected a
s the port industry representative on the Invasive Species Advisory Co
mmitted(ISAC) to the U.S. Dept. of the Interior. The ISAC reports dire
ctly to the Secretary of the Interior and will advise on both land and
water invasive species issues.
Five port employees were among the 250 students in Cal State Long Beac
h’s Global Logistics Specialist graduation Class of 1999. The employe
es were Managing Director of Development Geraldine Knatz, Director of
Trade and Maritime Services Wilma Powell, Manager of Transportation Pl
anning Kerry Cartwright, Public Affairs/Special Projects Manager Kim K
abar and port attorney Dominic Holzhaus.
Douglas A. Thiessen was recently hired as the port’s Assistant Chief
Harbor Engineer. Prior to coming to Long Beach, Thiessen worked a year
in the City of Los Angeles’ public works departments and 15 years wi
th Port of Los Angeles in a variety of positions, including program ma
nager for the development of the APL terminal.
Bill Kumer has been promoted from a Port of Long Beach senior civil en
gineer to the position of Deputy Chief Harbor Engineer, special projec
ts. Some of his new responsibilities will include developing a profess
ional development program for the engineering staff, overseeing the En
gineering Division’s design and upcoming work documents and overseein
g the port’s container cranes.
The port welcomes Garry Buries as its new capital porjects coordinator
in the Engineering Division.