HOUSTON, March 23, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority approved awarding a two-year contract to Konecranes, Inc., for the purchase of $350,000 in replacement parts for cranes at the Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals, as well as several other matters, at its regular March 23 meeting.
OPERATIONS MATTERS
(Agenda L1) The commission approved awarding a two-year contract to Konecranes, Inc. for the purchase of spare and replacement parts for Kone rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes at Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals for $350,000. The port authority currently owns 22 Kone RTG cranes in operation at Barbours Cut and 18 at Bayport. The port authority will also take delivery of nine additional Kone RTG cranes by May 2010. These RTG cranes are used daily by the port authority and several stevedoring companies for container-handling activities. Konecranes is the only authorized source of captive replacement parts for these cranes in the U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
(Agenda P1) Commissioners approved awarding a contract to InControl Technologies, Inc. for professional environmental consulting services pertaining to port authority operations and the maritime industry for a two-year term and $200,000. The environmental affairs department uses environmental consulting services to assist with and advise on various environmental matters relating to port authority operations, tenants and the maritime industry. The required services may include regulatory review; site remediation for soil and groundwater; field study inspections; and advising on environmental regulations, best management practices, and ISO 14001 requirements.
(Agenda P3) Commissioners approved renewing 10-year port authority pipeline licenses to several Kinder Morgan companies and Shell Oil.
ENGINEERING & REAL ESTATE MATTERS
(Agenda H3) The Commission approved awarding a $124,950 construction contract to Forde Construction Company, Inc., for repair of shoreline erosion at Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal. About 1,250 feet of shoreline on the eastern limits of the Bayport property experienced erosion and loss of concrete riprap as a result of the storm surge and wave action during Hurricane Ike in 2008. The project, which is eligible for partial reimbursement of funds by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), involves restoration of the shoreline and riprap.
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, there are more than 7,700 vessel calls 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. The second recertification of those facilities in 2009 included an extension for the state-of-the-art Bayport Container Terminal. The port authority is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification for its 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.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=720
To access the port's Web site photo gallery, please visit http://www.portofhouston.com/publicrelations/publicrelations.html and click the link for PHA Photo Gallery.