HOUSTON, Nov. 17, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Port Commission of The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) approved authorizing up to $20.1 million for the PHA's share of the 2010 costs for construction and rehabilitation of dredged material disposal and beneficial use sites for the Houston Ship Channel at its regular November 17 meeting. In addition, commissioners approved matters involving the purchase of deregulated electricity, group employee insurance, bond refinancing and continued participation in the innovative Clean and Green Port of Houston program.

The commission also approved changes in PHA Tariff Nos. 8, 14 and 15 to permit an average 2-percent rate increase at its Turning Basin terminals and 3-percent rate increase at its Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals effective January 1, 2010. PHA Executive Director Alec Dreyer addressed the need to increase the tariffs, citing escalating labor, security and infrastructure costs. Dreyer expressed to the commission that these cost increases for next year are expected to total approximately $8 million, with tariff increases covering less than one half of these higher costs, and noted that PHA will continue to absorb all that it can.

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION MATTERS

(Agenda H1) Commissioners approved awarding $13.1 million in contracts for group employee medical, life, long-term disability, dental and vision coverage for all employees, retirees and eligible dependents of PHA and partner organizations.

FACILITIES MATTERS

(Agenda I1) Commissioners approved authorizing Dreyer to enter into a three-year up to $18 million contract on behalf of the PHA with one of three retail electric providers to purchase deregulated electric power. The three providers - Gexa Energy LP, Suez Energy Resources NA Inc. and Texas General Land Office - were short-listed from among seven companies that were evaluated. Because of the volatility of the energy market, PHA staff recommended allowing the executive director this flexibility to aid getting the best rates.

LEGAL MATTERS

(Agenda J3) Commissioners approved authorizing the sale of PHA unlimited tax refunding bonds, in an effort to realize over $2 million in savings on behalf of Harris County taxpayers who approved issuance of the bonds in 1993 and 1999.

OPERATIONS MATTERS

(Agenda K2, K3) The commission approved awarding National Cotton Inc. contracts of $187,978 and $119,021 for the purchase of new engines, transmissions, generator and accessories, and installation of those components, on the Houston Ship Channel public tour boat MV Sam Houston. The project would be funded by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act National Diesel Funding Assistance Program grant designed to reduce diesel air emissions.

(Agenda K5) Commissioners approved amendments to and reissuance of PHA Tariff Nos. 8, 14 and 15 to permit an average 2-percent rate increase at its Turning Basin terminals and 3-percent rate increase at its Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals. The changes, if approved, will go into effect on January 1, 2010.

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

(Agenda L8) Commissioners authorized payment of up to $20.1 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for PHA's share of expenses associated with the construction and maintenance of dredge disposal and beneficial use sites along the Houston Ship Channel. The payment is a requirement of a 1998 agreement between PHA and the Corps that calls for PHA to contribute 25 percent of the total costs associated with the beneficial use sites.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS MATTERS

(Agenda M1) Commissioners approved a one-year, $75,000 agreement with Buffalo Bayou Partnership Inc. to help fund the 2-year-old Clean and Green Port of Houston program. The program, which has been carried out in partnership with Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino and Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections, calls for the collection and removal of plastic, aluminum and glass containers from Buffalo Bayou, its banks and the Turning Basin of the Houston Ship Channel. Since its inception, the program has resulted in the removal of 4,590 cubic yards of refuse from the venerable Houston waterway.

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 8,000 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. 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

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.

The Port of Houston Authority logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=720

CONTACT:  The Port of Houston Authority
          Lisa Ashley-Whitlock, Communications Manager
            (713) 670-2644
            Cell:  (832) 247-8179
            lwhitlock@poha.com
          Argentina M. James, Director of Public Affairs
            (713) 670-2568
            Cell: (713) 306-6822
            ajames@poha.com