ADVISORY, May 16, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) --
WHEN: Monday, May 19, 11:00 a.m. WHERE: PHA Executive Office Building, 4th floor 111 East Loop North Houston, Texas (Directions: From Loop 610 East, take Exit 29.) WHAT: Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.), ranking member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will meet with the news media after a closed-door briefing on the Port of Houston's multi-layered security program. He will be briefed by representatives of the Port of Houston Authority and its federal, state and local government partners. WHY: One of the largest ports in the world, the Port of Houston is made up of the Port of Houston Authority and more than 150 private industrial companies along the Houston Ship Channel, which is home to the second largest petrochemical complex in the world. WHO: Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.) Sylvia Garcia, Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Capt. William Diehl, U.S. Coast Guard, Houston-Galveston Sector Commander Wade Battles, PHA Managing Director Carlos Fontanez, Operations Specialist, Houston Field Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Dennis Storemski, Director, Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, City of Houston SPECIAL NOTE: Congressman King will be available for interviews at 11 a.m., immediately following a restricted, closed-door meeting on security matters. CREDENTIALED MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, PLEASE ARRIVE BEFORE 11:00 A.M. PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: PHA Mobile Command Center will be activated and on site CONTACTS: Lisa Ashley-Whitlock, PHA Communications Manager Office: 713-670-2644 Cell: 832-247-8179 Argentina James, PHA Public Affairs Director Office: 713-670-2568 Cell: 713-306-6822
About the Port of Houston Authority
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 7,000 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in overall total tonnage. The port authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. PHA is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification for Port Police and the perimeter security operations at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
The Port of Houston Authority logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=720
DUE TO SECURITY RESTRICTIONS, MEDIA ACCESS WILL BE LIMITED TO THE DESIGNATED PHA LOCATION. ALL MEDIA PERSONNEL MUST PRESENT CURRENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION UPON ENTRY.