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Source: Salon
Job creation and environmental concerns moved to center stage in the coal train debate that took place before the Eugene City Council on Monday evening.
Councilors were the intended audience because the elected body in two weeks will vote on a resolution opposing the potential shipment of coal through Eugene to a yet-to-be developed export terminal at Coos Bay.
Coal export terminal supporters — Port of Coos Bay Chief Executive David Koch and Reedsport Mayor Keith Tymchuk — and two opponents — Ross Macfarlane of Climate Solutions and Andy Harris of Physicians for Social Responsibility — addressed the council at the invitation of Mayor Kitty Piercy.
More in the Register Guard
ILWU International President Robert 'Big Bob' McEllrath was detained on September 7, 2011 in Cowlitz County, WA, while protesting corporate greed with hundreds of ILWU members at EGT Port of Longview. Photo by ILWU Local 40 President Dawn Des Brisay.The ITF has expressed its strong backing for Robert McEllrath, international president of the ILWU, following the decision by Cowlitz County Court, Washington State at the end of September 2012 to fine him $500 and sentence him to a day in jail for ‘obstructing a train’.
The case followed a peaceful protest on 7 September 2011, when union members and supporters had gathered to protest against a train carrying grain destined for the Port of Longview, which was refusing to honour ILWU jurisdiction. Several months later, the company agreed to settle the dispute and signed a contract with the union in February 2012.
ITF general secretary David Cockroft said: “We are completely behind Bob. This case should have been dropped long ago, as he was simply helping his members fight for their jobs. Bob will be standing up for his members today as he does every day, without breaking stride.”
ITF president and Maritime Union of...
Source: Washington Post
Source: Supermarket News
The new Maasvlakte 2 container terminals will be first in Europe to operate without a driver on board.
From GCaptain:
Zurich, Switzerland — Global power and automation technology firm ABB announced that they have recently won contracts from two major container terminal operators, APM Terminals and Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) to provide automation systems for their new ship-to-shore cranes.
ABB’s delivery will enable the cranes to be operated remotely, without a driver on board. … The two new terminals that will open in 2014 in Rotterdam at Maasvlakte 2 will be the first in Europe to use remote control of ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and the terminal of APM Terminals will be the first in the world where STS cranes have no driver’s cabin installed.
More at GCaptain
Panama CanalA record amount of cargo crossed the Panama Canal over the past 12 months, largely fueled by economic growth in Latin America, the waterway’s top administrator said.
Nearly 334 million tonnes of cargo crossed the canal during fiscal year 2011 – which ended September 30 – a jump from 322 million tonnes the previous year, said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano, AFP reports.
Washington was the canal’s main customer, with Quijano estimating that 144 million tonnes of goods crossed the canal in fiscal 2011 either destined to or coming from the United States.
Second was China (53 million tonnes), followed by Chile (28 million) and Japan (22 million).
Other important canal users were Peru (15.2 million), Colombia (14.7 million), Ecuador (14.5 million), Mexico (12.2 million), Panama (12 million) and Venezuela (9.3 million).
More in The Standard
A “ho-hum” reaction has greeted a recent announcement of developments in building a second overland rival to the Panama Canal. President Daniel Ortega has given approval to the plans for a $30 billion rail/water connection from Puerto Corinto on the Pacific and Monkey Point on the Caribbean.
Nothing much to raise the pulse rate, admittedly. Central American countries are constantly proposing grand schemes that are forgotten as soon as they are unveiled.
But then along comes the news that Hong Kong-based Xinwei Telecom will handle the financing. A joint venture will be set up, HK Nicaragua, to do the construction and the rest of it.
Place this along with the announcement about a year ago that another group of China venture capitalists are beavering away to get Colombia to build its own “canal” and the inference is clear that China is certainly going to be involved in a canal that can compete with the de facto US-controlled canal.
More in Maritime Professional
Source: NY Times
Source: Boston.com
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