News & Updates

Updated regularly, this area contains short takes of breaking news items and articles in IDR Online. Full stories are available in Features, with a paid subscription.

March 19, 2008 - Panama Canal Authority Receives Bids for Pacific Entrance Deepening
	After months of preparation, on March 19, bidders submitted proposals to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) today for an opportunity to dredge the Expansion Program’s Pacific entrance. This phase of the project will widen the canal’s 8.9 mile-long (14.2 km) navigation channels at least 715 feet (218 meters) and deepen them to a maximum level of -51 feet (-15.5 meters) Mean Low Water Springs (MLWS) to ensure that longer, wider ships can reach the new locks. The ACP will review the bids and award the contract to the bidder that offers the best price and meets the project’s terms and criteria established in the Request for Proposal (RFP). On August 30, 2007, the ACP released its RFP for the canal’s Pacific entrance dredging and has held site visits and an informational session to answer questions regarding the contract. “The momentum surrounding this project has been great. Most of the world’s major players in the dredging industry have shown interest,” said ACP Projects Management Division Manager John Langman. “We need a firm with keen expertise and the necessary equipment on-hand to do the specialized work, which includes the dredging of approximately 12 million cubic yards (9.1 million cubic meters). We look forward to reviewing the bids and awarding the contract to the company that best meets the needs of the project.” The ACP expects to award the contract in the coming weeks and work will likely begin during the third quarter of this calendar year. The ACP Expansion Program will build a new lane along the Panama Canal through the construction of a new set of locks, which will double capacity and allow more traffic and longer, wider ships.
March 17, 2008 - ACP Awards Dredge Design/Build Contract to IHC Beaver Dredgers
	On March 14, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) awarded a $95.920 million contract to design and build a cutter suction dredge to IHC Beaver Dredgers B.V. The new 12,000kW dredge will replace the Mindi, which has been in service at the canal since 1942 and has only a 9,000kW capacity. With an expected delivery date of May, 2011, the new dredge will have the modern equipment, systems and components required for efficient operation.
March 10, 2008 - CONEXPO/CON-AGG Starts on Tuesday
	The massive CONEXPO-ConAgg show begins Tuesday, March 11 and will run through Saturday March 15 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This show includes many dredging exhibits, and is sponsored by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, along with a host of co-sponsors, including the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.
February 8, 2008 - WEDA Midwest Chapter Seeks Papers for April Meeting
	The Western Dredging Association (WEDA) Midwest Chapter is seeking papers for their annual meeting, to be held April 2 through 4 at the Doubletree Hotel, 611 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. Deadline for submission is March 15. The Theme of the meeting is "Adding Value to the Dredging Process." Authors wishing to present a paper should submit it to Tim Briggs, WRScompass, 954 W. Washington Blvd. 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607, tbriggs@wrscompass.com, phone: 630-258-6619. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2 with registration, followed by an ice breaker from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday's events will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast, followed by welcoming remarks at 8:30 and technical papers. Lunch will be provided by the hotel at noon, followed by a boat tour of Milwaukee Harbor from 1 to 3 p.m. The chapter business meeting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. On Friday morning, a continental breakfast at 7:30 will be followed by technical presentations at 8:30, a Corps of Engineers District panel discussion at 10:30, and adjournment at noon. The hotel WEDA rate is $93/night plus tax. Phone 414-273-2950 or 800-222-TREE for reservations.
February 2, 2008 - Dredge New York Towed to Brooklyn
	The 200-foot dredge New York was moved to the Brooklyn Navy Yard at 11:50, Saturday, February 2, after necessary minimum repairs to its damaged hull were completed. The hull was damaged following a collision with the 669-foot freight ship the Orange Sun, north of Shooters Island in Newark Bay, New Jersey, at about 1:50 p.m., Jan. 24, 2008. Workers from Randive Incorporated installed a steel framed box in the winch room reinforcing the hull and allowing for more stability. Contracted divers also removed and made minor repairs to the dredge's three spuds, which were damaged from the impact of the collision. The repairs needed to make the vessel capable of transit to the Brooklyn Navy Yard took seven days. The vessel will complete permanent repairs before being put back into full service. Five crew members from Great Lakes Dredge and Dock accompanied the New York during its 13-mile transit to the Brooklyn yard. Several other vessels assisted in the transit, including the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock vessels, the McCormack Boys and the Melvin Lemmerhirt, and the contracted commercial tug the Launch North Star. The Coast Guard Cutter Ridley, an 87-foot patrol boat from Montauk, N.Y., and Sector New York personnel were also on scene during the entire transit to ensure safety. The Orange Sun, owned by Arctic Reefer Corporation in Monrovia, Liberia, and operated by Atlanship Switzerland, left the Southern Bay Ridge Anchorage at 12:30 a.m. Jan. 28, and continued its outbound voyage to Florida, after a specified classification society verified that it was fit for route and service. The vessel will enter a dry dock in Florida where it will conduct any needed repairs as a result of the incident. A unified command with representatives from the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock LLC, Coast Guard Sector New York, New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NY DEC) New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) and the vessel Orange Sun formed to monitor the repair and recovery of the damaged dredge after the collision on the day of the incident. "Were happy to have completed the salvage and transit operations safely and we're looking forward to expediting our repairs and returning the New York to work as quickly as possible," said Chris Gunsten, contract manager for Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. "The entire operation from the first report being received by Sector New York's Vessel Traffic Center to the completion of a tricky dredge transit this morning demonstrates how successful a unified command structure can function when people of good will come together to ameliorate what could have become an environmental nightmare," said Capt. Robert O'Brien, Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New York. "This two-week-old case illustrates the effectiveness of the Coast Guard's new operational command structure when all its components --operations, marine safety and state-of-the-art communications equipment -- are located in one unit. Response time, coherence and mission success are greatly enhanced." "Sector New York will work closely with all its port partners to learn from this collision and be even more effective in future maritime events," said O'Brien. The cause of the collision is under investigation. (U.S. Coast Guard news release.)
January 25, 2008 - Ship Hits Dredge New York in Newark Bay
	CORRECTED STORY The Great Lakes Dredge and Dock dredge New York was struck by a ship while dredging in Newark Bay on Thursday, January 24. there were no injuries. "The dredge did not sink and is repairable," said Bill Hanson of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. Shortly before 2:00 p.m. the 669-foot tanker the Orange Sun, flying under a Liberian flag, was enroute from Port Newark and struck the dredge New York, which was in place with spuds down, preparing to begin dredging. Newark Bay was closed to vessel traffic for about five hours under the authority of the the Vessel Traffic Service at Coast Guard Sector New York. There were no injuries to the seven people on the New York nor to the 20-member crew of the Orange Sun. The Coast Guard immediately placed an investigation team on the scene to conduct an assessment and begin an investigation into the cause of the collision. The dredge New York was in Newark Bay in association with the $2.5 billion project to deepen New York Harbor and surrounding channels to 50 feet from 45 feet. Deepening of the channels will allow docking of bigger container ships. The Army Corps of Engineers if managing the project on behalf of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
January 20, 2008 - WEDA Midwest to Meet in Milwaukee
	The Western Dredging Association Midwest Chapter will meet in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 2nd through April 4th, 2008. The theme is "Adding Value to the Dredging Process". Watch this space for location, accommodation, and meeting reservation information, which will be available in the next few weeks.
January 17, 2008 - Ogden Beeman Dies
	Ogden Beeman died on January 12 after a long battle with cancer. Friends are invited to a memorial service on Sunday, January 20 at 2:00 pm at the First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th and Main Street, Portland, Oregon. There will be a reception afterwards at Huber's Restaurant, 411 SW Third Avenue, Portland. In recent years, Ogden overcame a 1977 diagnosis of multiple myeloma, but lost his most recent struggle with prostate cancer last Saturday. He leaves his wife of fifty years, Charlotte; daughters Harriet and Christie, son Peter, and four grandchildren, as well as many colleagues and friends who held him in high esteem. Throughout his dredging career Ogden was a critical thinker who complemented his strong technical expertise with an ability to identify and address issues beyond the engineering realm. He began his involvement in the dredging industry after graduating from Stanford University in 1956 with a Civil Engineering degree. Prior to forming Ogden Beeman & Associates, he was Chief, Waterways Navigation Branch of the Portland District, USACE where he oversaw the District's extensive dredge plant. During his tenure with the Corps, he attended the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands, where he earned his Master's Degree in Hydraulic Engineering. Here he began a friendship with classmate Jack Nichol and his brother Bob of Moffatt & Nichol. After leaving the Corps, he joined the Port of Portland, Oregon and in the early 1970's was responsible there for marine terminal development and operations, including the hydraulic Dredge Portland. He formed Ogden Beeman & Associates in 1976, and over the next 25 years worked on hundreds of port and dredging projects nationally and internationally. Ogden used his exceptional organizational skills and leadership to apply computer technology to dredging project planning, design and construction. An early application of this new technology was his used in Vancouver, Washington Lake Rehabilitation project, where he and colleague Greg Hartman developed dredge production software to aid in that project's design and construction. He traveled extensively to assignments in Asia and Africa involving dredging, navigation channel design and port development. When Parsons Brinckerhoff acquired his firm in 2001, he continued consulting on specific projects including the ongoing expansion of the Panama Canal.
January 10, 2008 - Hexagon Acquires NovAtel
	NovAtel Inc. announced on January 10 that it had been acquired by Hexagon AB. NovAtel will remain a Canadian company and continue to execute its strategy as a provider of GPS and GNSS+ technology. NovAtel will operate as an independent subsidiary of Hexagon and will conduct its beusiness relations with other Hexagon subsidiaries on an arm’s length basis.
November 8, 2007 - Congress Overrides WRDA Veto
	On Tuesday, November 6, the House of Representatives voted to override the president’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) by a vote of 361 to 54. On Thursday, November 8, the Senate followed suit, overriding the veto by a vote of 79 to 14. It is the first time a Bush administration veto has been overridden by Congress. Under the Constitution, a bill that has been vetoed by the president becomes law if two-thirds of the members in the House and Senate vote to pass the bill over the objections of the president, and thereby override the veto of the president. “This is a great day for the House of Representatives, because we stood together – Democrats and Republicans – to do the right thing,” said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. “It is a great day for communities across the country, because they have been waiting for federal assistance to upgrade their water infrastructure systems. It is a great day for Gulf Coast residents, because they have been counting on President Bush to keep his promise that the federal government would help in the region’s hurricane recovery. It is a great day for Florida, because the state is one step closer to getting much-needed resources for Everglades restoration. And it is a great day for the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois Waterway System, because the bill provides funding for a system of new locks and dams and environmental restoration.” See complete story in Features on this web site.
November 8, 2007 - Port Group Applauds WRDA Veto Override
	"AAPA and its U.S. member ports applaud the 361 members of the U.S. House and the 79 members of the U.S. Senate for their leadership and insight in voting this week to override the President's veto of the Water Resources Development Act legislation. This is a crucial and long-delayed bill that will begin the process of addressing America's water resources infrastructure needs, ranging from navigation system and flood control improvements to restoring wetlands and repairing the damage wrought by the 2005 hurricanes," said Kurt Nagle, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Port Authorities. "Now that this important legislation has become law, AAPA will continue to advocate for America's critical water resources infrastructure, and we will continue to work with Congress to ensure that future WRDA bills get back on a biennial cycle so this nation is never again faced with a seven-year backlog of water resources projects waiting to be authorized," Nagle added. The 2007 WRDA authorizes the projects and policy revisions in the bill. However, funding appropriations for any of the WRDA bill provisions will require separate action and further review by Congress. Full text of the bill: (http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/PDFs/wrda07_001_xml.pdf). See complete article in Features on this web site.
November 5, 2007 - Great Lakes Group Calls for Override of WRDA Veto
	The Great Lakes shipping industry is calling on Congress to override President Bush's veto of legislation that will accelerate dredging and authorize construction of a second Poe-sized Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. These provisions and others benefiting the Lakes are included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 vetoed by the president on Friday, November 2. "The nation has not passed a Water Resources Development Act in seven years," said John D. Baker, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, the largest coalition ever to represent Great Lakes shipping. "It is high time America started reinvesting in our port and waterway infrastructure. On the lakes, the dredging crisis is forcing vessels to leave cargo behind virtually every time they leave port. Our reliance on a single Poe-sized lock to connect Lake Superior to the lower four Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway jeopardizes our ability to maintain industrial production."
November 2, 2007 - Bush Vetoes WRDA Bill; Ports Urge Congress to Override
	HR 1495 Tackles Seven-Year Backlog In Crucial Civil Works Projects As expected, President Bush today vetoed the 2007 Water Resources Development Act (HR 1495), which would authorize critically needed legislation to advance water resources projects throughout the United States, including those that would improve navigation, repair hurricane damage, restore wetlands and prevent flooding. In response, America's seaports and related port industries-which are challenged with handling unprecedented cargo volume growth and demands from increasingly larger ships-will mount a "full-court press" on Congress to lock-in the first veto override of the Bush Administration. "This bill is as much about ensuring jobs and income growth for the nation as it is about water projects," said Kurt Nagle, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) president and CEO. "America's seaports have been the backbone of trade growth and economic prosperity since our country was founded. The port industry has invested billions in new infrastructure to accommodate increasing trade volumes. Yet, there haven't been any new federal navigation improvement projects authorized in a Water Resources Development Act since 2000." Mr. Nagle emphasized that by overriding the President's veto, Congress can proactively address the seven-year backlog of water infrastructure projects and policy changes "that are sorely needed to keep our marine highways and trade gateways open and functioning." AAPA is urging its 86 member ports in the U.S. to act quickly and decisively to ensure members of Congress understand the importance of voting to override the President's WRDA bill veto. The bill received overwhelming support from both houses of Congress prior to its trip to the President's desk, receiving votes of 91-4 in the Senate and 394-25 in the House.
October 21, 2007 - Two Killed, Two Rescued as Pleasure Boat Hits Dump Scow Tow Rope
	Two boaters are dead and two were rescued after a yacht struck the tow rope of a dredged material dump scow near Buoy Three in the Ambrose Channel at the entrance to New York Harbor at approximately 10:54 p.m., Saturday, October 20. Coast Guard Sector New York received the emergency call via marine band radio from the via marine band radio from the master of the "Melvin Lemmerhirt", the tugboat towing the barge. He reported that a 24-foot pleasure craft with four people onboard had struck his tow cable and capsized. The barge was enroute to a mud disposal site near Sandy Hook, New Jersey. One person was found in the water shortly after the collision by the "Captain Dave", a fishing boat homeported in Sheepshead Bay, New York, and transferred to a Coast Guard rescue boat. The victim was taken to Staten Island, N.Y. where emergency medical personnel were standing by. Another individual was found and rescued by New York Police Department divers and med-evaced to a hospital by an NYPD rescue helicopter. Rescue boat crews from Coast Guard Station New York and Sandy Hook launched immediately and were on scene within minutes of receiving the call. The New York Police Department deployed two rescue helicopters and divers to assist. None of the boaters on the yacht were reported to be wearing life jackets. "The quick response and actions of the fishing boat "Captain Dave" is commendable and may have saved the life of one of the boaters," said Lt. Erica Mack, a command duty officer at Sector New York. The Coast Guard is investigating this incident.
October 1, 2007 - WEDA Gulf Chapter to Meet in New Orleans
	The Gulf Coast Chapter of the Western Dredging Association will hold its annual meeting with the Corps of Engineers and S.A.M.E., Louisiana Post, on November 15 and 16, 2007 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Iberville Street in New Orleans. The meeting will provide a forum for the exchange of information of interest to the dredging industry and its associates. Representatives from all areas of the industry, including regulatory, resource agencies, contracting, and manufacturing, will attend to discuss dredging economics, benefits, technologies and other relevant issues. The meeting will begin with registration at 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 15 and run through 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 16. Contact K.C. Clark, chapter president, at 504-862-1935, Michelle Daigle at 504-862-2731 to register for the meeting, or download a registration form from the WEDA web site: www.westerndredging.org. Click on Gulf Chapter. A registration desk will be available throughout the meeting. Clark requests that members register early so the planners can get an accurate number for food and seating. Hotel accommodations for the meeting are at the Iberville Suites, with internal access to the Ritz-Carlton meeting space. Special room rate is $131 per night, and members should mention the Western Dredging Association when making reservations. Contact the hotel at 1-866-229-4351, or on line at www.ibervillesuites.com. The hotel is at 901 Iberville Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
September 27, 2007 - FarSounder to Develop Sonar for High Speed Collision Avoidance
	FarSounder, Inc., of Warwick, Rhode Island, has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop a long range/high speed navigation and obstacle avoidance sonar. The company will develop a forward looking navigation and collision avoidance sonar system that provides real-time 3-dimensional location (bearing, range, depth) of obstacles at distances up to 3.2km (2 miles) for vessels traveling at up to 65 km/hr (35 knots). This project opens up new possibilities in marine navigation by addressing the economic, safety and environmental problems associated with large vessel operations. Cheryl M. Zimmerman, CEO of FarSounder, Inc., confirmed that stationary dredging equipment is an item of concern in the development of this new technology. The 2.75 year, $2 million project will develop a sonar system capable of detecting obstacles at a distance sufficient for large and/or high speed vessels to avoid obstacles. There is no other technology capable of providing navigation and obstacle avoidance information out to these significant distances and speeds. There are none that are even capable of competing with FarSounder's existing short range, low speed products, according to a FarSounder press release. FarSounder now produces a forward-looking navigation and optical avoidance sonar, that can find obstacles to a quarter of a mile, 440 meters, designed for vessels traveling 10 to 20 knots.
September 25, 2007 - Final WRDA Bill Passes Both Houses
	Representatives of public seaports in the United States today are lauding Congress for passing HR 1495, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, citing it as long overdue legislation that addresses a seven-year backlog of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs, including navigation projects, policies and procedures that are necessary to keep pace with today's burgeoning trade. Late yesterday, the Senate approved by a vote of 81 to 12 a House-Senate conference report for the WRDA, which the House adopted August 1 by a vote of 381 to 40. "(The American Association of Port Authorities) AAPA and our member ports have worked hard to get this crucial piece of legislation through Congress, and today we are extremely pleased that our efforts have been successful," said Kurt Nagle, AAPA's president and CEO. "America's ports depend upon a regular, biennial cycle of new project authorizations to improve federal navigation channels to accommodate the modern world fleet of deep-draft ships, but it's been seven years since the last WRDA bill was approved."
September 20, 2007 - Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Investigating Hoax Distress Calls
	Coast Guard Cmdr. Greg Case, Deputy Sector Commander, Sector North Carolina will be conducting a press briefing concerning the Coast Guard's investigation of several recent false distress calls at 2 p.m., today. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received Distress Hoax calls through out the Wilmington, New River, Onslow Bay and surrounding areas on September 13, 18 and 19. Sector NC and surrounding units are investigating these calls but have not identified these callers. Although some calls are believed to originate from the same caller there may be more then one person responsible. The Coast Guard is requesting the public's assistance in identifying the callers broadcasting these false distress calls. The Coast Guard is offering a reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of the responsible person or parties. Willfully transmitting a false distress call is a class D felony, punishable by imprisonment and fines as outlined below. According to Section 303 of the U.S. Communications Act passed in 1934, any radio operator, whether at home, on a boat or in a business, is required to allow an FCC agent to inspect his radio equipment at any time. To deny this could result in a maximum fine of $7,000. The Studds Act was also passed in November 1990. This act states that a false distress call is a class D Felony, and a convicted hoax caller is subject to a fine of up to $250,000 and up to six years in prison. The caller might also have to reimburse the Coast Guard for the cost of the search. The caller is also subject to an FCC civil fine of up to $8,000. If the public has any information, you are requested to contact Coast Guard Investigative Service, Wilmington, NC office at (910) 772-2229. If a hoax caller is not caught the taxpayers pay the cost of the search. Coast Guard C-130 aircraft cost about $4,244 an hour to operate, Coast Guard helicopters cost about $4,400 an hour, Coast Guard cutters cost about $1,550 an hour to operate and Coast Guard small boats also cost between $300 to $400 an hour to run.
September 20, 2007 - Last Day for WEDA Pacific Chapter Group Rate
	Friday, September 21 is the last day to receive the WEDA group rate for the chapter meeting in Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, October 24 - 26. Contact the Waikiki Beach Marriott at 808-922-6611 to make reservations.
September 18, 2007 - Panama Canal Requests Proposals for Pacific Entrance Dredging
	The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has released its request for proposal (RFP) for the Canal’s Pacific entrance dredging. Different from the dry excavation, this project will deepen and widen the Canal’s Pacific entrance channel to ensure that longer, wider ships can reach the new locks. The document is available at: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/procsales/buy.html The scope of work will include the dredging of approximately 9.1 million cubic meters and will widen the 8.9 mile-long navigation channels at least 218 meters, deepening them to a maximum level of -15.5 meters Mean Low Water Springs (MLWS).
September 13, 2007 - Panama’s President Torrijos To Accept AAPA’s ‘Port Person of Year’ Award
	Hundreds of seaport and maritime transportation leaders, industry experts and service providers from throughout the Western Hemisphere will converge on the Norfolk Marriott Waterfront Hotel, in Norfolk, Virginia at the end of September to participate in the American Association of Port Authorities' (AAPA) 96th Annual Convention. Among the meeting participants will be Panamanian President Martín Torrijos, who will accept AAPA's prestigious "Port Person of the Year" award at a special luncheon in his honor on Oct. 2. The conference will run from September 30 through October 4. Hosted by the Virginia Port Authority, the five-day maritime industry gathering will feature an agenda of issue-defining presentations, panel discussions, interactive sessions, networking events and a robust exhibition of service and product providers to the port industry. After accepting his "Port Person" award at the Oct. 2 luncheon, Pres. Torrijos will give the convention's keynote address, focusing on the $5.25 billion Panama Canal expansion project that began this month, which will more than double ship capacity through the 93-year-old canal.
August 27, 2007 - U.S. Steel to Acquire Stelco
	US Steel (USS) has agreed to buy Canada's Stelco for C$38.50 per share in cash. Shareholders owning more than 76 percent of Stelco's outstanding shares have irrevocably committed their support for the transaction. USS apparently targeted Stelco's Lake Erie works, the most modern integrated mill in North America. Slabs produced there and at Stelco's Hamilton works will expand USS's semis supply to support finishing facilities for both flatrolled and tubular products. After the acquisition, USS will have annual raw steel capability of about 33 million short tons, including its European holdings.
August 20, 2007 - Worth Hager Dies at Age 51
	Sarah Dilworth “Worth” Hager Gatti, 51, died in her sleep on Friday, Aug. 10, 2007, in Arlington, Virginia. She had been president of the National Waterways Conference since March 6, 2003, and from 1995 to 2000 was vice president of public affairs for the organization. She resigned as executive director on May 30, and had not announced her plans, though she was continuing her efforts to pass the 2007 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). On Wednesday, August 1, she sent an email to her mailing list announcing that the president intended to veto the legislation, which had been passed by both the House and Senate and was in conference. Attached to the email was a letter that was sent to James Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure by John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Rob Portman, director of the Office of Management and Budget, stating that the president intended to veto the legislation. Ms. Hager included in the email a suggested letter to President Bush objecting to this action. This email was the last of scores of similar emails to waterways users, stakeholders and advocates, rallying them to speak out to their elected representatives about waterway issues. Her profound understanding of the legislative process, combined with seemingly endless energy created an awareness and a momentum that resulted in passage of the 2007 WRDA by both houses of Congress, after they had failed to vote on the legislation for several years. News of her death was greeted with shock by the waterways industry, for which she had been an advocate since 1981 when she first joined the staff of the National Waterways Conference (NWC). In 1983, she was hired to lead the National Association of Dredging Contractors, an organization representing large-business dredging contractors in the United States. She held that position until April 1990, when the group re-organized and eliminated her position. She returned to the NWC in 1995 as vice president of public affairs, working again with her original boss Harry Cook, whom she credited with igniting her interest in the waterways. At her memorial service in Arlington, Virginia on August 15, Harry Cook, president emeritus of the NWC stated in a eulogy that “many people consider waterways issues to be mundane, humdrum, maybe even boring. But not Worth. She was always eager to learn all she could from everyone: maybe from me at first, but also from others in the navigation arena, in dredging, in flood control, in seaports (particularly from Peter (Gatti, her husband)), and from good friends in the Corps of Engineers and on Congressional staffs. Worth was always eager for information and insights about port and waterways matters so she could better understand the issues and thus work to advance the civil works program.” Robert B. (Rob) Vining, former chief of the Programs Management Division of the Corps of Engineers Chief’s office, said in his eulogy: “Harry has talked about her passion for the waterways. The one thing that she cared more for than the waterways was the Corps of Engineers. I don’t believe there is a soul living, inside or outside of the Corps, who cared more for the Corps than Worth Hager. “There was no down time for her,” said Vining. “I still remember the time during the FY 2005 appropriations committee hearings when Worth got [Congr.] David Hobson, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development, to wear a button that said “5.5 in ‘05". The 5.5 stood for $5.5 billion. I want to ask you, is there anyone else that could get the Chairman to wear that button? “Worth did it, and she did it with love and care. We didn’t get 5.5 [billion], but we got a lot more than we would have to meet our country’s needs because of Worth, and that’s something that will stay with me and, I think, a lot of us... There’s certainly never been a stronger ally of the Corps and the waterways than Worth,” said Vining. James M. Haussener, executive director of the California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference (C-MANC), in his eulogy, said: You have heard a lot about how she touched everybody and she cared so much, whether you are Bishop David Cotton with the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee Board or the Walla Walla District of the Corps of Engineers, or the Ruhr folks in Europe. Worth had in her heart an affinity for every last one of us, every last one, I don’t care how silly the question was, how small your problem was, how big your problem was, she would spend hours with you talking about it.” Maj. Gen. Don T. Riley, director of Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presented Ms. Hager the Corps of Engineers de Fleury medal, named after French engineer Lt. Col. Francois de Fluery, who fought with the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. “Worth had a unique capability,” said Gen. Riley. “It wasn’t single purpose or focused, like many of our partners and stakeholders. She had this capability to bring coalitions together, all centered around the waterways – economic development for the nation, environmental sustainability of the waterways, or efficient use of the waterways for the industry. She could do that more so, I think, than anyone. “She reminds me of soldiers. Soldiers … live hard lives; they sacrifice for their country. I saw that in Worth. She was always tremendously and significantly at a high energy level. What she did, not just for the Corps, but for all the federal agencies involved in water resources and in waterways, she was good partners with them all, very supportive of them all. “The de Fluery Medal is presented to those in the Corps of Engineers and friends of the Corps of Engineers who have made a significant difference to the work of the Corps. Given Worth’s skills as an un-enlisted soldier, I think this is most deserving,” he said, handing the medal to her family. Funeral Services were held on Saturday, August 18 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Asheboro, North Carolina. Worth was a native of Asheboro, graduated from Asheboro High School, attended Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1977. Surviving her are her husband, Peter J. Gatti of Arlington, Virginia, siblings, Scott Hager and Annie Hager-Blunk of North Carolina, Jamie Hager of Brighton, England and grandmother, Mrs. James B. Neely of Asheboro, North Carolina.
August 9, 2007 - Bush Will Veto WRDA 2007
	On Wednesday, August 1, the Bush administration sent a letter to James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure stating that President Bush intends to veto the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, which has been passed by both the House and the Senate and is now in conference. The letter was written and signed by John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Rob Portman, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and states cost as the reason for the threatened veto. The letter stated that “The Administration has urged the Congress to limit the total cost of the authorizations in this WRDA and to authorize only those projects that would provide a high net return on investment and fall within the three main Corps mission areas. “Unfortunately,” the letter continues, “the conference has reported a bill that exceeds significantly the $15 billion estimated cost of the House-passed bill, which is the higher cost of the House and Senate bills. Indeed, it seems a $14 billion Senate bill went into a conference with the House's $15 billion bill and somehow a bill emerged costing approximately $20 billion.” “This is not how most Americans would expect their representatives in Washington to reach agreement, especially when it is their tax dollars that are being spent,” Woodley and Portman stated. “Because the conference version of H.R. 1495 significantly exceeds the cost of either the House or Senate bill and contains other unacceptable provisions discussed below, the President will veto the bill,” the letter continues. Ironically, the letter was delivered the day the Interstate-35W highway bridge in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) responded to the bridge collapse by referring to the poor marks they had given to the nation’s infrastructure in 2005, a result of failure of the government to provide funding for maintenance, repair and replacement of roads, bridges, dams, levees and other structures, and failure to authorize and fund maintenance dredging of many channels in the inland waterway system. On the ASCE web site, the organization reiterated the actions they had suggested to Congress in March that would set the nation on the path to repairing and improving the infrastructure. ASCE's 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure assessed the condition and capacity of the nation's public works with an overall grade of D. “From long commutes and dirty water to unsafe dams and bridges, with each passing day failing infrastructure is threatening the economy and quality of life in every state, city and town in America,” the accompanying report stated. ASCE estimated that the United States needs to invest $1.6 trillion in federal, state and local funds over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to a good condition--one that meets the needs of today’s population, though it doesn’t take growth into consideration. Inland waterway navigation, including dredging and lock and dam maintenance, repair and replacement are among the infrastructure components in the ASCE assessment. Passage of a WRDA bill and ensuring the integrity of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund were among the measures the ASCE urged Congress to pass during a fly-in of ASCE members on March 7 in Washington. Similar efforts on the part of National Waterways Conference members, Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals and other navigation-related groups resulted in passage of WRDA 2007 by the House and Senate.
June 20, 2007 - GLDD Announces Secondary Share Offering
	On Tuesday, June 19, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced a $100 million secondary offering of shares of its common stock by certain selling stockholders, pursuant to a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The selling stockholders include Madison Dearborn Capital Partners IV, L.P. Great Lakes will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares but will pay the expenses of the offering. A registration statement relating to the securities described above has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release, issues by GLDD, does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be a sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
May 18, 2007 - General Van Antwerp is New Corps Chief
	Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp became the 52nd Chief of Engineers and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on May 18. He assumed this position from Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock who has retired after 36 years of military service. General Van Antwerp has taken charge of the nation’s leading public engineering agency. The Corps plans, designs, builds and operates water resources projects designs and manages military facilities construction for the Army and Air Force at home and abroad, and provides design and construction management support for other defense and federal agencies. In addition, the Corps cleans hazardous areas across the Nation through the Formerly Used Defense Sites program and the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, and conducts engineering research and design at its Engineer Research and Development Center. General Van Antwerp’s previous assignment was as Commanding General, U.S. Army Accessions Command and Deputy Commanding General for Initial Military Training at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The Army Accessions Command consists of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky; U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia; and the U.S. Army Training Center, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Additionally, General Van Antwerp exercised Department of the Army directed executive agent authority over the Military Entrance Processing Command. Command assignments include the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood/Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District during the Northridge Earthquake of 1994; the U.S. Army Division, South Atlantic, Atlanta, Georgia; and the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Strom in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Other assignments include Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, Washington, DC; Director, Office of Competitive Sourcing, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research, Development and Acquisition), Washington, DC; Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC; Executive Office, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, DC; Chief, Military Engineering and Construction Division, U.S. Army Western Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; Executive Officer, 84th Engineer Battalion, 45th General Support Group, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and Instructor, Department of Mechanics, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1972. He completed Ranger, Airborne and Air Assault training, the Engineer Officer Basic Course and the Engineer Officer Advanced Course. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Long Island University in New York. He is a Registered Professional Engineer. General Van Antwerp and his wife, Paula have three sons, Jeff, Luke and Rob; and two daughters, Julia and Kathryn.
May 18, 2007 - Senate Passes WRDA 2007
	On May 16 at 5:41p.m., the U.S. Senate passed their version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 by a vote of 91-4. (Those casting no votes included Sens. Gregg, Sununu, Coburn and DeMint.) Worth Hager, director of the National Waterways Conference, issued this report 10 minutes after the vote: Around noon, after the Senate had dealt with amendments concerning U.S. policy in Iraq, Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D-CA) and chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, rose to explain that the long list of amendments (over 45) had been whittled down to 10 or 12 that the “big four” (Boxer, Inhofe, Baucus and Isakson) hoped to roll into the Manager’s Amendment. She then said that Sen. Dr. Tom Coburn (R-OK) had questions about four of them. There were two other amendments that Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) wanted about the need for reports on already authorized but not yet funded projects. Boxer indicated that the members were going to try to work out the differences off the Senate floor, and hoped they would return within an hour. More than five hours elapsed before Sen. Boxer appeared at 4:54 p.m. to announce that there was finally agreement on a Manager’s package (the Senate substitute for the House version of WRDA) with which to go to conference with the House. During final statements, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), ranking member of the Committee, shared his time with Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) who praised the bill – and announced that part of what had delayed the agreement was finalizing how to shut down the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. Sen. Boxer gave eight of her nine minutes to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who also praised the bill for providing for Louisiana. Sen. Boxer finished by thanking organizations that supported the need for a WRDA, saying, “From the corn growers to the carpenters...this bill is about making sure that the water resources infrastructure of the nation is up to the task.” She also said, “I’m smiling from ear to ear...it has been an amazing road.” At the end of the vote, Sen. Harry Reid called Sen. Boxer and Sen. Inhofe the “odd couple” and praised WRDA as “a wonderful piece of work, and both [Senators] should be proud. We will get this bill to conference as quick as we can.” On May 17, the following senators were announced as conferees for the final bill. They include six democrats and five republicans: Senators Boxer, Baucus, Lieberman, Carper, Clinton, Lautenberg, Inhofe, Warner, Voinovich, Isakson and Vitter. To view the vote tally, see: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00170
May 18, 2007 - 2007 Top Restored Beaches Announced
	The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) announced the winners of the 2007 Top Restored Beach Award on May 18. This year’s seven winners are: Chaland Headland Restoration Project in Louisiana; East Beach, Norfolk, Virginia; Surfside-Sunset Beach, Orange County, California; Collier County Beaches, Florida, Perdido Pass, Alabama; West Hampton Dunes on Long Island in New York; and Folly Beach, South Carolina. The Top Restored Beaches were chosen based upon three criteria: the economic and ecological benefits the beach brings to its community; the short and long-term success of the nourishment project and the challenges each community overcame during the course of the project. One of this year’s winners overcame significant obstacles. The Chaland Headland Restoration Project in Louisiana was granted funds for the restoration project four days prior to the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. “The Top Nourished Beach award was created in 2001 as a way of highlighting nourished beaches,” said Mayor Harry Simmons of Caswell Beach, North Carolina and President of ASBPA. “As Americans begin to flock to our nation’s coastline during the upcoming beach season, most beach-going Americans don’t even realize they may be enjoying a nourished beach.”
January 25, 2007 - Meeting Set to Discuss Pascagoula Channel Widening
	The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District has scheduled a public scoping meeting on Thursday, February 8, 2007 at the Gautier Community Center, 2012 Library Lane, Gautier, Mississippi beginning at 6:00 pm. The purpose of the scoping meeting is to receive public input concerning the proposed construction to authorized channel dimensions, Pascagoula Harbor Navigation Project. Channel improvements consist of widening the entrance channel from 450 feet to 550 feet and deepening the Pascagoula Upper channel from 38 feet to 42 feet. Any person who has an interest in the proposed activity may attend the public scoping meeting. For more information, please contact at the Mobile District Jennifer Jacobson, phone 251-690-2724, or Matthew Lang at 251-694-3837.
January 23, 2007 - Crown Prince to Open Dredging Seminar
	His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange will open Aquaterra, the world forum on delta and coastal development on February 7, 2007 at the Amsterdam RAI, The Netherlands. Following the opening ceremony, Prince Willem-Alexander will visit the adjoining trade show. He has recently been appointed chairman of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. To be held from Wednesday, February 7 through Friday February i, Aquaterra focuses on risk management and new ways to develop delta and coastal areas from every angle, from economic and financial aspects to safety and planning issues. Climate change, managerial complexities and economic aspects will be discussed within every theme. More information and registration information is available at the web site www.aquaterra-forum.com
January 23, 2007 - Dredging Seminar Set for Mexico in March
	The International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) will hold a seminar in Tampico, Mexico on March 26 through 30. The venue will be the Hotel Camino Real Tampico. The seminar target group is future decision makers and their advisors in governments, port and harbor authorities, offshore companies and other organizations that have to execute dredging projects. For more information, please contact the IADC Secretariat: info@iadc-dredging.com