Seventh Annual International Maritime Hall of Fame Awards

Harbor Safety Committee Recap 2000

Malcom McLean and George F. Lowman receive special honors at the International Maritime Hall of Fame Awards

Harbor Safety Committee Recap 1999

Third Annual High Speed Ferry Conference

Year 2000 Maritime Issues Conference

Maritime Association of the Port of
New York and New Jersey

Comments on February 16-17, 1999 Harbor Safety Committees of 21st Century National Conference
— held at Windows on the World, One World Trade Center, New York City
March 5, 1999



Suggestions for Next Steps:
1. Educate general public as to the importance of a safe and economically viable harbor and port system throughout the country.
2. Secure funding for new systems and research into AIS, etc.
3. Educate recreational boater about dangers, proper safety procedures in harbor areas.
4. Need a vehicle for "Lessons Learned."
5. All Harbor Safety Committees need permanent ... source(s) of funding for administrative support.
6. HSCs have an educational role which has yet to be exploited. The general population is unaware of importance of marine commerce or knows only about the system's problems. HSCs can encourage publicity to improve understanding of benefits, needs.
7. Need a vehicle to provide information about
mega-trends to help HSCs think ahead.
8. Need to address how to develop HSC in smaller ports.
9. Have goals established; e.g., Impact of Advisory Board Law, plan of action to address problems, if any.
10. Discuss inter-relationship with other groups:area committee, security-crime terrorism.
11. Involve political side (get a Senator and
Governor to speak).
12. Format of conference should not be presentation of papers/panels, but instead the attendees should be broken into working groups and work on issues and come up with national recommendations. This present format is good for exchange of "This is how we do it" but doesn't capture what makes HSCs work, what will make them better.
13. Next year host in Washington DC and invite a number of key Congressmen/Senators who could support with funding.
14. Press release inviting major nationwide publications.
15. Attendance needs to mirror makeup of local committees - more local/state representatives, all federal agencies, ACOE district reps, terminal operators, etc.
16. Broad based recreational port users should participate, not just yacht owners but PWC organizations (if existing), kayakers, etc. They are homogeneous and need representation to convey perspectives. Same applies to non-governmental groups with environmental interests. Can those above be induced to attend by offering conference for free to non-profits?
17. Harbor Safety Committees need a clearing house for information (website?) to share ideas and successes. This was discussed and should be done as soon as possible.
18. The chairmanship and management of Harbor Safety Committees should be rotated annually among participating entities to share responsibility and ensure commitment.

Harbor Safety Committees of the 21st Century Wrap-Up Summary February 16-17, 1999
Recorder: Judy Rovins

Lillian Borrone, Director, Port Commerce, Port Authority of New York &New Jersey, chaired the Harbor Safety Committees of the 21st Century Conference wrap-up. She commented that she had seen the harbor environment change, had seen people's attitudes about the harbor change. Borrone advocated that "Diversity is a strength!"

She asked the panelists

1. to comment on what they would like to see achieved in the next year on issues of philosophy and mechanisms for progress on harbor safety committees.
2. to give suggestions on communication and cooperation at the national level with the spectrum of federal agencies, local and regional entities.
3. what kind of information the panelists are interested in focusing on during the next year; what mechanisms are recommended for communication and for a clearinghouse effort.
4. to comment for the Marine Board in California on how we can utilize risk assessment and use it in an HSC.
5. to comment on how the US Coast Guard can provide support.

Lillian Borrone asked the audience to help pull together a national legislative agenda.

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Andy McGovern, Sandy Hook Pilots, mentioned the misunderstanding with foreign ports about environmental regulations. He asked that minutes of HSCs be posted on the Internet. He pointed out that real-time information is needed for a port to maximize what it does have. HSCs need to address risk assessment.

Bill Gray, President, Gray Maritime Services, advocated:

1. Better hydrography information.
2. Internet activity for HSCs.
3. Memberships of outsiders from Marine Board, aviation industry for
..... a. Commonality of procedures from bridges of ships ..........and in the air.
......b. Near-miss policy
4. User fees
5. Liability should be shared.

6. Let's get criminality out of accidents.
7. Issue of liability of non-tankers .
8. Need members from environmental group.
9. We need to learn how to use AISs before we start telling others what to do.

Jack Sparks, President, American Pilots Association, advocated handling on a local level the issues of communication, liability, safety. He asked the audience to identify what they want the federal government to do. Captains of Ports should have HSCs at every port, should have partnerships with pilots.

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Linda O'Leary, Vice President, American Waterways Operators, asked that Harbor Safety Committees share their charters, offer a prototype of an HSC. In the implementation of a port information network, she suggests the HSC address what the users want: VTS, AIS information. Linda O'Leary and Andy McGovern are requesting State funding for disseminating such information.

O'Leary requested limitation of liability for an information provider.

We need to get recreational and environmental groups to come participate in the process.

Root cause analysis should lead to "Where did the chain of error break down?"

Joe Cox, President, Chamber of Shipping of America, called himself an observer of the harbor safety committee process. Representing shipowners, both foreign and domestic, he indicated that he should not be a member of the committee at the local level. Cox raised the question about how and why harbor safety committees work. Why are those people at the table?

Port viability, for example, in the underkeel clearance issue, does make for cooperation.

Do not rely on the vagaries of personnel changes and federal changes.

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RADM Robert C. North in the Harbor Safety Committees of the 21st Century Conference wrap-up repeated his opening keynote challenges.

First Challenge:
Consider principles of operation for the function of HSCs..
Second Challenge:
Propose an optimal means of external communication between HSCs and Marine Transportation Users as well as with national level stakeholders.
Third Challenge:
Export your success stories and lessons learned.
Fourth Challenge:
Determine how the collective federal agencies of the MTS initiative can help HSCs. Consider legislation and resource.

1. Focus on safety of traffic, keep an eye on the facilitation side; do not create problems for facilitation. Safe traffic is a priority. Think about environmental protection.
2. Act as a clearinghouse, a sounding board; bring all players to the table, including foreign flags, fishing community, environmental protection interests.
3. We do not need a federal mandate for local coordination.
4. Advertise in the federal register; ask who wants to serve on harbor safety committees.
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5. The Captains of the Port should write invitation letters to prospective committee members to determine interest in serving; broaden HSCs to a wide cross section of stakeholders on the committees.
6. US Coast Guard HQ should develop a navigational inspection circular.
7. A unified command should not be applied to Harbor Safety Committees.
8. A unified command approach is a way to organize federal agencies around an issue of spill response, for example; but our issue is working the harbor.
9. Communications are important for the mariner, both inter and intra communications.
10. Communications on harbor safety should rise to the national agenda, should be usable and easily accessed. Involve agencies of MARAD, NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers, and others.
11. Build leadership to bring consensus. As Jeff High indicated earlier in the conference, we should lead and coordinate among ourselves.
12. Prevention is the best response. The next round of prevention efforts is in our hands.
13. AIS is moving along well.
14. Get input to the Secretary of Transportation about the Harbor Safety Committees' progress.

Audience comment:
1. There is a COTP risk assessment guide which all in the room should read; and then there is the issue of risk management. We need to hear more on effective risk management. HSC conference attendees next week a copy of the conference evaluations, RADM North's opening paper, and a summary of the wrap-up panel's remarks.

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