BUILDINenvironmentally safe, economically vital

Based on the review of substantial research, the Port of HoustonAuthority is convinced that the proposed Bayport ContainerTerminal will be enviromnentally safe and economically benefi-cial to the surrounding community.

In fact, four environmental agencies agree wdth us. The Texas Parksand Wildlife Department, the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the TexasCommission on Environmental Quality have each submittedwritten statements indicating that the Port Authority’s environ-mental plan adequately addresses their concerns and establishesappropriate conditions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersto issue a permit for the project.

The Port Authority’s environmental plan for Bayport includesseveral features:

¯ BUFFER ZONES A 128-acre buffer zone and a 20-foot earthenberm planted with aesthetic vegetation and trees will separatethe terminal from surrounding communities and lessen noiseand lighting impacts.

" COAST PRAIRIE HABITATS More than 450 acres along the lowerpart of the San ]acinto River and 500 acres on the Katy Prairie willbe preserved to complete a package that compensates for theimpacts from the proposed terminal facilities.

¯ TRAFFIC FLOW IMPROVEMENT Cruise terminal traffic originallyrouted along Red Bluff and Todville Road has been rerouted

THE PORTDELIVER#

J-8oo-688-3625 ¯ www.port of houston.corn

to a new road- Cruise Road- located inside the berm. Also,the Todville Road intersection has been replaced with new inter-sections between Port Road and Cruise Road and Cruise Roadand Todville Road.

AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT The use of clean fuel and cleanengine technology, x~411 help reduce air emissions at Bayport. Ourexisting container facility at Barbours Cut recently completedan initiative to convert 28 rubber-tired gantry cranes and 25yard tractors to PuriNOx, a diesel emulsion fuel that producessignificantly lower levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particu-late matter air emissions.

WETLAND CREATION A 173-acre property acquisition nearHighway 146 and Red Bluff will be turned into a conservationeasement to offset aquatic resource impacts. The site also willbe used to create wetlands to mitigate the nearly 20 acres ofimpacted jurisdictional wetlands on the Bayport site.

I~’L~:iSH CREATION Dredge materials placed off-site will beput to beneficial use, creating up to 200 acres of estuarinemarsh habitat.

Upon the completion and opening of the Bayport facility, thePort Authority is committed to implementing an environmentalmanagement system that complies with ISO 14001, the globalstandard for environmental excellence. Last year, our BarboursCut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance facilitiesbecame the first of any U.S. port facilities to meet this standard.

For more information about the Port Authority’s environmentalefforts, visit www.portofhouston.com.

SPACECITY,USA

The Greater Houston Convention and

Visitors Bureau is supportive o# the

Port’s contributions ~o our community.

Contents December 2003, a bi-monthly publication.

features

On the CoverThe 12 Gifts of the

Port of Houston

4 Still Going StrongJerry Rhame’s port careerspans 40 years

6 HomecomingNorwegian Cruise Linereturns to Houston

10 Safeguarding the SystemsPHA and Pilots downplay mediahype around teen hacker

12

14

22

24

26

28

32

34

36

Transportation IndustryWorks TogetherPHA executive director Kornegay

New Port Captain’s MissionSafety, security, mobility

Status ReportPort’s business delivers cement,steel and big stats

/

A Mariner’s ParadiseHouston’s Maritime Museum

To The SurfaceSites are green homes for dredge materialS

The Apple of Teacher’s EyePHA employees volunteer forJunior Achievement

Business ConnectionsThe Houston East End Chamberof Commerce

Batten Down the HatchesHouston at security forefront

Spotlight on Small BusinessForde Construction

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1

James T. EdmondsChairman

Kase L. LawalVice Chairman

Steve PhelpsCommissioner

James W. Fonteno, Jr.Commissioner

Jimmy A. BurkeCommissioner

Cheryl Thompson-DraperCommissioner

Janiece LongoriaCommissioner

Executive Office

Port of Houston Authority111 East Loop NorthP.O. Box 2562Houston, TX 77252-2562Phone: 713-670-2400Fax: 713-670-2429

Executive DirectorH. Thomas Kornegay

Managing DirectorWade M. Battles

Director of Trade DevelopmentJohn P. Horan

Director of AdministrationJames O. Eldridge

Director of Public AffairsArgentina M. James

Director of FacilitiesJames B. Jackson

Director of OperationsJohn T. Scardasis

General CounselMartha T. Williams

Harris County AuditorRichard Rhodes

Field Offices

New YorkJack Wojewnik1650 Sycamore Avenue, Suite 23Bohemia, NY 11716Phone: 631-244-3677Fax: 631-244-3757

South AmericaArturo GamezResidencias La Estrella, Pios 2, No. 2-CAvenida PrincipalUrb. Lomas de Prados del EsteCaracas, Venezuela 1080Phone: 011-582-012-976-9335Fax: 281-754-4647

Port of Houston Magazine’s editorial staff: Felicia Griffin,communications department manager ̄ Liz Johnson, publi-cations specialist ° David Bray, photographer ¯ Esther deIpolyi, freelance writer ° Gilbreath Communications, Inc.,design and production

This publication is not copyrighted and permission is givenfor the reproduction or use of any original materials, pro-vided credit is given to the Port of Houston Authority.Additional information, address changes, extra copies, oradvertising specifications may be obtained by writing to thePort of Houston Magazine.

The Port of Houston Magazine is published by the Portof Houston Authority, P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas77252-2562, and is distributed free to maritime, industrialand transportation interests in the United States and for-eign countries.

Visit the Port of Houston online

www. portofhouston, corn

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Still Going Strong:

Jerr.,v Rha me’sPort Career Spans 40 Years

Few people have the job tenure of Jerry Rhame. After four decadesworking at the Barbours Cut Terminal, he can outlast the Energizer Bunny.

He just keeps going and going and going.

Rhame, currently the foreman at Barbours Cut, cele-

brated his 40th anniversary on Nov. 4. No other PHA

employee has worked at the port for 40 years. And,

given Rhame’s love for his job, he might stick around

another 10 or 20.

"I have no timeline for retiring," he said. "When I quit

having fun, I’1l leave. My general outlook on life is to be

a positive person and to look for the good in your job, inyour family and in your co-workers. I work with good

people, so they make this job great."

Rhame’s legacy at Barbours Cut began when he was

hired as a maintenance laborer Nov. 1, 1963. He hasbeen promoted to several positions at the terminal, includ-

ing mechanic, assistant foreman and crane-equipment

operator. In 1994, he was promoted to foreman, theposition he holds today.

Many say that in his current position, Jerry is the man

who runs Barbours Cut."Jerry is truly the go-to guy around Barbours Cut," said

Roger Guenther, the container facilities manager and

Rhame’s supervisor. "He is the guy who has been here

from the beginning, and he knows a little of everything

that it takes to run the cut."

Rhame works on many projects at the port’s con-tainer terminal. For many years, he researched new yard

equipment and helped select the best machinery for

the terminal.

"He has a dedication to his job not exhibited in many

people," Guenther said. "Whatever project he works on,he gets it done. He knows all the historical aspects of

Barbours Cut, and every piece of equipment we purchase,

he’s been a part of that procurement process. He’s defi-nitely the best right-hand man I’ve ever known."

PHA’s Operations Director Capt. John Scardasis agrees

with Guenther’s assessment of Rhame.

"Jerry has an answer for every question, and he has the

solution to every problem," Scardasis said. "I certainly

hope he has no plans to retire. Jerry can take as many

more years as he wants on the job."

Perhaps part of Rhame’s success on the job is his open-

ness to try something new -- to tackle an old problem

Everyone wants to hear from the shop guy! He is a walk-

ing testament to the fact that team players are important

to make impacts at the PHA."

To commemorate this record-setting employmenttenure, friends, colleagues, supervisors and family threw

an anniversary party for Rhame. While he knew about

the fete, Rhame did not know that his life-long col-

leagues taped a video tribute to him.

Bruce Nystrom, Barbours Cut assistantoperations manager, and Jerry Rhamehave worked together for many years.

Terrye and Jerry Rhame look on as their grandson,Ryan Moye, reads through the many names signedon an over-sized greeting card.

Tom Kornegay presents a resolution to Jerry Rhame.All seven port commissioners signed the document,the first ever presented to a PHA employee.

with a new-fangled solution. At first skeptical that waterand diesel could properly mix to reduce air emission from

yard equipment, Rhame embraced the technology

offered by PuriNOx, said Dana Blurae, program coordi-

nator for environmental affairs."Jerry thought we were crazy to actually put water into

the engine because you usually do everything you can

to avoid that," Blume said. "But he finally agreed, and he

took it upon himself to understand the product from

a technical point of view. He has been the force to use

it in most of our equipment. His understanding anduse of PuriNOx has been invaluable to our department

because it opened up an entire flow of communica-tion between the departments. We started working as a

true team on cleaning the air emissions from our

diesel equipment."

As Guenther described, Rhame became Blume’s"go-to guy."

"Now whenever I need anything or have a question,

I don’t hesitate to go to Jerry," she said. "I’ve taken him

to several forums during which I’ll present our program,then hand him the mike to answer operations questions.

In a very touching video presentation produced in

collaboration with PHA media partner KRIV Fox 26 and

KTXH-TV UPN 20, Rhame’s co-workers, management

team, wife, and PHA Executive Director Tom Kornegay

taped messages of heart-felt reminiscences, congratula-

tions and praise. Rhame shed tears as person after persondescribed him as the pillar and foundation of Barbours

Cut; as an educator, mentor and confidante; as a rolemodel and a father figure; as a gentleman, but also hard-

headed. His wife Terrye said that Rhame has "stick

’em power."

After the video, Kornegay presented Rhame with a

framed resolution signed by all seven port commissioners.

No employee of the Port of Houston Authority has ever

received such a distinction, Kornegay said. The docu-

ment described Rhame’s tenure with the Port Authorityand praised his dedication and years of service.

"It has been 40 great years working for the Port of

Houston," Rhame said. "The people I work with are

terrific, and I appreciate everybody who made the video.I couldn’t stop crying as I watched it. The feeling defi-

nitely is mutual. These people are my family." ¯

Norwegiuis

nstHous

Aboard the Norwegian Sea, guests enjoy sparkling live entertainment and fine cuisine as well as casino gambling and duty-free shopping.

Amid a flurry of celebration, Norwegian Cruise Line’sNorwegian Sea vessel returned to Houston inNovember, resuming its popular Texaribbean cruises.

VIP guests including political officials, community leaders,

media representatives and travel agents arrived by busloads and

carloads at PHA’s cruise terminal for 24 hours of lively festivities.

Some 250 travel agents were treated to delicious cuisine while NCL’s

marketing executives fed them delectable details about special sales incentives.

!

In contrast to many other cruise lines that have been

shifting to the use of customer-direct Internet Web sites

and toll-free telephone centers, NCL continues to rely ontravel agents for more personalized customer bookings.

PHA Commissioner Steve Phelps, who also chairs the

port authority’s cruise task force, presided over a specialreception aboard the vessel. Joined by fellow PHA com-

missioners Jimmy Burke and Cheryl Thompson-Draper,Phelps’ remarks included a special tribute of appreciation

for Morgan’s Point Mayor Peggy Arisco, State Sen. Mike

Jackson and State Rep. Wayne Smith whose efforts

helped win voter passage of a local referendum allowingNCL to be granted a mixed beverage permit.

Several plaques, proclamations and resolutions were

also presented to NCL’s captain by Harris County Judge

Robert Eckels and Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia

(represented by Oliver Spellman); Houston Mayor

Lee P. Brown (represented by Leonel Castillo); City

Pasadena Mayor John Manlove and City of KemahAlderman Wayne Rast.

The highlight of the sundown send-off for the overnight

"Cruise to Nowhere" was Texas Southern University’s

Ocean of Soul marching band. Guests aboard the ship

lined the rails on every deck level, dancing, swaying and

stepping to the band’s funky beats and rhythms.

When the ship set sail on the special overnight voy-

age on Galveston Bay, guests enjoyed a night filled with

fine cuisine, sparkling live entertainment, casino gam-

bling and duty-free shopping. From casual to formal, from

laid back to "let it all hang out," the atmosphere was truly

freestyle, reflecting NCL’s goal to allow passengers toenjoy more personal freedom and creativity during their

cruise experiences.

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Commemorating the Norwegian Sea’s launch are Wade Battles, PHA managingdirector, PtIA Commissioner Jimmy Burke, Capt. Ronny B~wg, PHA CommissionerSteve Phelps and PHA C{mmnissioner Cheryl Thompson-Draper.

Cruising to nowhere were Argentina M. James, PHA public affairs director,Andy Stuart, NCL senior vice president of marketing and sales, Jana Phelpsand PHA Commissioner Steve Phelps.

Initially offered in 1997, NCL’s exciting seven-day

Texaribbean cruises from Houston include port calls in

the exotic locales of Cozumel, Roatan, Belize City and

Cancun. The Norwegian Sea sails from PHA’s cruisefacility next to the Barbours Cut Container Terminal.

PHA’s proposed Bayport Terminal will ultimately

include three berths for the sleek passenger cruise vessels

operated by NCL and other potential cruise lines. At

press time, the Bayport project was still undergoing an

extensive review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Pending a permit from the corps, PHA expects to com-

plete the first phase of Bayport in 2005.

In the meantime, PHA officials have set a course to

bring more cruise business to the port. Location is a keyselling point. Houston is considered a great drive-up mar-

ket and port of embarkation, especially for vacationers in

the western half of the U.S. who can avoid the need tocatch "red eye" flights to the east coast to experience a

western Caribbean cruise.The potential economic impact also puts wind in the

sails. According to Business Research and Economic

Advisors (BREA) of Exton, Pa., more than 273,000 pas-

sengers embarked on cruises to the Western Caribbean

and Mexico from Texas ports in 2002. Houston’s friendly

rival port in Galveston clearly accounted for most of

the business.

BREA’s documents $445 million in direct spending by

the cruise industry and its passengers in Texas during

2002 generated more than 7,000 jobs throughout thestate, and $292.5 million in wages and salaries. The direct

economic impacts were derived from a broad range of

activities, including air transportation of cruise passen-

gers, pre- and post-cruise tourism, and the provisioning

and servicing of ships.Indirect benefits resulted in part from additional

spending by suppliers to the cruise industry, (e.g. foodprocessors, utility services, transportations services,

insurance, etc.). In addition, employees of the cruise

lines and the suppliers generated indirect economic

benefits through their purchases of consumer goods andservices such as autos, food, clothing, furniture and

health services.

NCL Capt. Ronny Borg receives a proclamation

from Pasadena Mayor John Manlove.

Morgan’s Point Mayor Peggy Arisco and PHACommissioner Jimmy Burke attended the"Cruise to Nowhere."

NCL Capt. Ronny Borg received a special proclamationfrom State Rep. Wayne Smith.

"Norwegian Sea is a very popular ship with new and

repeat guests," said Andy Stuart, senior vice president of

marketing and sales for NCL. "Our travel partners and

passengers will love the new look of Norwegian Sea with

her rich colors and vibrant public rooms."

Norwegian Sea’s enhancement include the addition of

a new restaurant, new granite floors, carpet and counter

tops and new wood floors and upholstery in various pub-lic rooms on the ship. Long known for the excellence of

the onboard food preparation and menu selection, a fifth

restaurant called The Pasta Caf~ was added to the ship.

The restaurant, decorated in burgundy and peach colors,

serves traditional Italian fare and seats 40 guests.

Gatsby’s Wine Bar has undergone a dramatic change

from its black and white treatment to a more romantic

room with vibrant reds and greens. NCL has installed

new wood paneling, as well as new Scandinavian designed

chairs and tables in this intimate spot on Deck 10.

Audiences can enjoy spectacular Broadway-styleshows in the newly refurbished Stardust Lounge, which

features a rich burgundy and gold theme with new carpet,drapes and new upholstery for banquettes, chairs and bar

stools. Le Bistro, NCL’s signature restaurant, has also

been transformed with new colors including classic golds

and greens and new carpet, draperies and upholstery.

The pool deck has been sanded and refinished, and

there is new deck carpeting and "teak-deck" around thepool. The Seven Seas Restaurant has been redone in

tranquil blues and greens, and has new chairs, carpet,

wall coverings and granite floors. The Four Seasons

Restaurant also has new carpet, teak woods, wall cover-ings, upholstery and drapes in beautiful golds and teals.

The ship is also technologically advanced so that

guests can stay connected with wireless access or Wi Fi.

They can check e-mail, send messages and get work done

at their leisure without having to be "wired" to their

cabin 24 hours a day, wherever the ship is located. There

is also an Internet cafe.

The Norwegian Sea has many specialized public areas

offering activities for every age group. The Monte CarloCasino features seven blackjack tables, one roulette

table, one craps table, two caribbean stud poker tables,

and 178 slot machines. Other features are a library and

an ice cream parlor, as well as a full-service spa, beauty

parlor, aerobics area, and state-of-the-art exercise equip-

ment including Lifecycles and Lifesteps.Children have a playroom called The Porthole.

Supervised by trained youth counselors, the "Kid’s Crew"

children’s program is featured year-round for juniorsailors (ages 3-5), first mates (ages 6-8), navigators (ages

9-12) and teens (ages 13-17).

Houston Pilots computer expert Dave Morrell checks the computer system’s server.

thePHA and Pilots

ystemsdownplay media hype

around teen hacker

A court in England recently acquitted a British

teen-ager accused of hacking into a computer

system at the headquarters of the Houston

Pilots, the agency that navigates commercial

vessels along the Houston Ship Channel.

includes a mon~...... ....... display of views from the ship channel’s closed-circuit

"IV cameras.

The incident occurred in September 2001.

Fortunately, vessel traffic along the channel was

not disrupted.

The British teen has been at the center of a lot ofmedia attention. But Dave Morrell, the computer systems

manager at the Houston Pilots, said an illegal Polish

immigrant in Connecticut was also charged in

connection with the hacking incident.

"I didn’t talk about the teen in Connecticut

because I needed to wait for the British case to be

over," Morrell said. "He was tried in an American

court, sentenced to eight months, then deported

back to Poland."

Morrell said that he soon detected the problem

but it was a Microsoft glitch; a patch for the glitch

arrived two weeks after the hack."This particular problem could not have been

helped," he said. "However, I have my own security built

into the system. Nothing can get in."

Morrell logged all of the hackers’ activity and turned

over his log to the FBI. He had done previous forensic

Internet work for the FBI, he said."They were trying to overload the computer with a lot

of traffic," Morrell said. "Ours was not the only site they

hit, but we were the one site that turned them in so very

fast. We didn’t feel the effects at the Houston Pilots

because we have an extremely safe system. The hackingdid not affect the safety of the ships in the channel."

At the Port of Houston Authority, computer systems

are behind the firewalls, said Eddie Fuller, PHA’s man-agement information systems manager.

"The Port Authority’s Web site and the system that

operates the booking and ship information for Barbours

Cut Terminal are two distinct systems," Fuller said.

"Any information system should havea back-up contingency. Throughoutthe Port Authority, there arecontingencies for handling systemdisasters and disruptions."

"Any information system should have a back-up

contingency," Fuller said. "Throughout the Port Authority,

there are contingencies for handling system disastersand disruptions."

The MIS department continually evaluates PHA’s

computer systems and procedures for possible changes. "If

our equipment were not usable and could not be repairedin a reasonable amount of time, then it would be possible

to initiate a disaster recovery mode and the hot site

would be activated," Fuller said."Our systems would operate from the remote location

until conditions improved to allow the re-establishment

of applications or hardware here at the port authority." ¯

"Some segment of transportation brings us everything we use -- and

everywhere we need to go -- on a daily basis. We need to protect and

grow this network so we can maintain the quality of life we love."

Tran portationIndustry Works Togeth

Houston’s transportation network must grow to keep

pace with current consumer demands or risk losing this

important business to other communities, according toPHA Executive Director Tom Kornegay.

During a recent speech to members of the Bay Area

Houston Economic Partnership, Kornegay commented,

"The business is there, and we can’t capitalize on it with-out increasing the capacity of facilities."

booming, while the rail lines have seen a fluctuation in

business, he said. Their ups and downs are caused by vari-

ations in the market. For example, grain movements

were down earlier this year but have increased in the past

few months."Clearly, as members of the transportation industry,

we are impacted by local infrastructure -- the roads andfacilities we need to conduct business," Kornegay said.

"My colleagues at the Texas Department of Transportation

tell me that infrastructure is always behind the curve.

TxDOT cannot afford to get too far ahead of the private

sector, yet the agency tries hard to meet the planning

and funding needs of major transportation infrastruc-

ture projects."

Some good infrastructural news is that Houston’s air-

port system -- the sixth largest in the world -- is in the

final phases of a $3 billion expansion program that has

added new terminals, runways and customer services to

all three airports, Intercontinental, Hobby and Ellington.

Last year, the airport system handled 43 million passengers;

"I can tell you that the port is a major transportation

hub and an integral element in the Texas transportationsystem," he said. "This network also includes trucking,

rail, the highWay system, METRO and the airport system.

This system is so intertwined that when one elementdoes well, we generally all do Well Conversely, when one

component suffers financially, it tends to adversely

impact us all."

Currently, the transportation industry on the whole isdoing well. Business at the port and with trucking is Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

clearly, the airports needed to expand in order to remain

competitive and to better serve customers.

"In much the same way, while we have good infra-

structure for the port, we must work to make it better and

more competitive," he said. "Harris County Precinct 2 is

home to the port and many other transportation-related

businesses. Our precinct is not in competition with Harris

County but with the rest of the world. What we produce

or~-/

Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Houston, TX.

here can easily be produced anywhere else in the world,and that would mean job loss for Houston."

When the port grows, Houston businesses grow,

Kornegay said. For instance, Gulf Winds trucking com-

pany is building a new warehouse across from the Port

Authority’s Barbours Cut Terminal. It is directly related

to the new coffee port designation. Their growth corre-lates with the port’s growth.

"As the transportation industry flourishes, so does the

need for transportation infrastructure," he said. "So, it is

imperative that we maintain a steady course of funding to

develop and maintain our transportation infrastructure.

As a society, we all want the creature comforts of nice

cars, custom-built homes and electronics. All of thesethings come to us through some element of the trans-

portation industry."

A sampling of the products consumers may use daily

includes: Petroleum, fertilizer, iron, steel and cars allentering through the port. The trucking industry carries

tile and lumber, imported beer, liquor, wine and coffee.

Wyoming coal, California wine, plus hops and grain for

the Budweiser plant arrive on rail. Of course, TxDOT,

METRO and the airports accommodate millions of people.

The Houston airport system pumps $8 billon annually

into the regional economy. In Precinct 2, Hobby andEllington make up $3 billion of the total. Houston air

traffic offers us direct air connections to 51 international

destinations on five continents with more than 150direct flights.

"Some segment of transportation brings us everythingwe use -- and everywhere we need to go -- on a daily

basis," Kornegay said. "We need to protect and grow this

network so we can maintain the quality of life we love.

Our challenges are our opportunities. If we don’t build

the necessary infrastructure, then business will go some-

place else."

The U.S. population is expected to reach more than

320 million by 2020, largely because of immigration and

decreasing death rates. Population shifts to America’s

coastal areas will continue, with the South and Westexperiencing the most growth.

"I assert that the transportation network delivers

quality of life to you, and together we make our city pros-

perous with a high quality of life and affordable cost ofliving," Kornegay said. "It benefits all of us." ̄

safety, security, mobility

To U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Rick Kaser, safety and security go hand-in-hand to assure a strong and mobile port. As the new captain of the Portof Houston, Kaser says that one guarantees the other.

"It’s like two sides of the same coin, and one begets

the other," he said. "My philosophy is that if you run a

safe program, then all safety issues fall into place.

Likewise, if you have a secure program, then you can’t

help but see any safety issues."In July, Kaser assumed the post of commanding officer

of the Coast Guard’s marine safety office in Houston-Galveston. It was a homecoming of sorts. From 1999

to 2001, he had been the commanding officer in

Galveston, where he was responsible for the life, envi-@Q

ronment and property of the ports of Galveston, Texas

City and Freeport.E03o "For me and my family, it was a thrill to come back toO3

[] Houston," said the 22-year career officer. "We love the

city and its good people. But also, industry and govern-ment work well together here, and they always have.

To assure security, you need a strong public and privatepartnership. I believe that this collective security keeps

0"r us running in a secure and safe fashion."

14

As commanding officer, Kaser has four key responsi-

bilities:¯ Captain of the port

¯ Officer in charge of marine inspections

¯ Federal scene coordinator¯ Federal maritime security coordinator

"I like to say that I wear four hats, but I don’t have a

cape," Kaser said. "I have a lot of great people working on

these issues. We have dedicated men and women in the

Coast Guard who patrol and protect our waterways."

In his role as captain of the port, Kaser has the broadresponsibility to maintain port mobility for commerce as

well as national security. He leads investigations for

unsafe navigation or vessel movements.

Additionally, the Coast Guard oversees marineinspections for both U.S. and foreign vessels. They exam-

ine foreign flag ships and inspect local vessels, Kaser said.

"In these inspections, we look for firefighting and life-

saving equipment, we examine the structural integrity of

Kaser examines an aerial photo of the Houston Ship Channel.

the vessel and we assure proper manning and operation

of the vessel," he said. "On the tankers and containerships, we definitely ensure compliance with the federal

and international maritime laws.

"Ferries, charter boats, dinner cruises each receive a

complete and more detailed inspection than a foreignflag vessel because we are the only level of inspection for

those watercraft."

As the federal on-scene coordinator, Kaser -- and theCoast Guard -- is responsible for cleaning up oil spills

and hazards. After the Exxon Valdez spill off the Alaskan

coast, Congress gave the Coast Guard the responsibility

to properly clean and secure resources for oil spills in nav-

igable waters in the U.S. and up to 200 miles offshore,

Kaser said.

"That tragic incident really extended the Coast

Guard’s environmental role," he said. "We assure that a

cleanup is done properly."The fourth role as a federal maritime security coordi-

nator is relatively new. In response to the terrorist attacks

of Sept. 11, 2001, Congress passed the Maritime

Transportation Security Act, giving the Coast Guard

direct oversight for port and vessel security levels.

"When we believe that a change in security level iswarranted, we work with agencies on the local, state and

federal levels, refer to the plan and build consensus,"

Kaser said. "Of course, the sure fire way to assure security

is to shut down the ship channel, just like the airlinesshut down after Sept. 11. But, that is not an option."

Kaser said that because the airline industry had no

established emergency response plan, the government

Kaser confers with a controller in the Coast Guard’s vessel traffic controloperations. Radar and closed-circuit television keep a constant watch onthe Houston Ship Channel and vessel traffic.

grounded planes. The Coast Guard strives to keep the

nation’s ports and ship channels open and operational.

"We have a plan to respond to an accident, do the

forensics examination and identification checks, thenmake adjustments and regain mobility as quickly as pos-

sible," he said. "Intelligence sharing and communication

used to be a tremendously difficult problem among fed-eral agencies because the groups worked independently

of each other. We are changing that mindset."

Demonstrating intelligence sharing, Kaser and thecommanding officer of the Port of Galveston share a 170-

foot Navy patrol craft. As ships approach the Texas

coastline, the Coast Guard conducts a risk analysis to

determine any safety concerns. The risk analysis is based

on the last port of call, the country of origin, the crew

and the cargo. This boat is used to board vessels beforethey enter the port.

"Our process is to deter, detect, intercept, respond andrecover," Kaser said. "We devote a lot of security plan-

ning in the deter and detect mode. The screening process

is very strong, and if we have some reason to hold a ship

offshore, we will.

"Our biggest tasks are safety and security, and mobil-ity falls into place behind those two components." ¯

u~[onNo, they aren’t partridges or swans. But

they are every bit as precious as five goldenrings. The port authority delivered presents that

have great value to our neighbors and to the region.

1. Ship Channel Tours Aboardthe M/V Sam Houston

The M/V Sam Houston delivers a worldwide view ofglobal navigation, without ever leaving the Houston

Ship Channel. The Sam Houston tours thousands ofvisitors annually, offering a not-otherwise

possible view of the port’s activities.In 2003, nearly 20,000 people

boarded the Sam Houston for a free

tour. Summer time is the busiest for the

45-year-old boat; families on vacation

and children out of school are the most

frequent passengers. July is the mostpopular month for tours with 3,183 pas-

sengers. Total passenger count in 2003 is slightly lower

than 2002 because the M/V Sam Houston was dockedduring increased security periods.

The Sam Houston offers tours daily except Mondays.

The schedule is available through online reservations at

www.portoflaouston.com.

2. Deeper Pockets for

a Deeper ChannelThe $687 million project to widen the 53-mile

long Houston Ship Channel to 530 feet and

deepen it to 45 feet is nearing completion of

its initial construction phase. The projectincludes an unprecedented use of dredged

material for environmentally beneficial uses.

Some $40 million is needed to cover theremaining costs of the initial construction

phase. The Port Authority has been working diligentlywith its congressional delegation to make sure that funds

are allocated to get the job done without further delay.