SWEARING-IN ceremonies were held Monday to install Joe Jones of Morgan City as a member of the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District board. Jones replaced Willie Tezeno, whose term expired. Administering Jones the oath was board attorney Gerard Bourgeois. Jones joins Deborah Garber, Greg Aucoin, Bill New, Raymond “Mac” Wade, Bill Pecoraro, Jerry Gauthier, Matt Ackel and Duane Lodrigue on the port commission.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, right, was presented a gift for serving as the keynote speaker at Wednesday’s session of the Ports Association of Louisiana’s 26th annual conference in Morgan City. Making the presentation was Gary Soileau, executive director for the Port of Krotz Springs. The three-day conference was sponsored jointly by the ports of Morgan City, West St. Mary, Iberia, Vermilion and Krotz Springs.

– InterMoor Inc., an Acteon company, recently broke ground on its new state‐of‐the‐art facility in Morgan City, La. with a ceremony featuring key management, and city and state officials. More than 80 guests were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony including Gov. Bobby Jindal, Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte and Port of Morgan City President Mac Wade, who all spoke at the event. InterMoor President Tom Fulton, Vice President of Finance Scott Thomas, and Quality Assurance and Quality Control Manager Chuck Fontenot also addressed the guests. Read More

Berwick Mayor Louis Ratcliff accepted a $50,000 check from the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District at Monday’s meeting. Ratcliff requested funds from the board at its August meeting to assist with the upgrade of the town’s wharf and dock area between the U.S. 90 and La. 182 bridges. Port funding also has been pledged for similar work in Morgan City. From left are board members Joe Jones, Matt Ackel, Bill Pecoraro, board President Raymond “Mac” Wade, Ratcliff, and board members Greg Aucoin, Duane Lodrigue and Bill New.

MORGAN CITY, La. – InterMoor Inc., an Acteon company, recently broke ground on its new state‐of‐the‐art facility in Morgan City, La. with a ceremony featuring key management, and city and state officials. More than 80 guests were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony including Gov. Bobby Jindal, Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte and Port of Morgan City President Mac Wade, who all spoke at the event. InterMoor President Tom Fulton, Vice President of Finance Scott Thomas, and Quality Assurance and Quality Control Manager Chuck Fontenot also addressed the guests.

InterMoor will move its current operations in Amelia, La., to the new facility that will be developed on 24 acres and will house administrative, maintenance, operations and fabrication employees. The new facility will feature more than 30,000 sq ft of fabrication space, including a high‐tech CNC cutting machine, mooring equipment and storage capabilities; a 12,000‐sq‐ft multi‐purpose building for administrative and operations employees; a 7,500‐wire doping area to inspect, protect and prepare wire rope for offshore jobs; a state‐of‐the‐art 20,000‐sq‐ft blasting and painting facility; and a 300‐ton crane to enhance docking services.“This new facility in Morgan City will be a realization of a long‐term goal of expanding our services in this area and shows our commitment for growth to our employees, the community of Morgan City, and the oil and gas industry,” said Fulton. The $17.2 million capital investment will allow the company to retain more than 200 jobs and will allow for future growth. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates that the expansion will generate more than $49 million in new state tax revenues and more than $35 million in new local tax revenues over a 15‐year period.

Port of Morgan City - Expands Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District and H&B Young Foundation officials signed paperwork Monday completing the $2.35 million sale of a 23.4-acre tract of land on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and an access road. Read More

Port of Morgan City - Expands Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District and H&B Young Foundation officials signed paperwork Monday completing the $2.35 million sale of a 23.4-acre tract of land on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and an access road. The port currently is negotiating with local maritime company, Intermoor Inc., which is planning to build an estimated $12 millionfacility on the property. On hand for Monday’s signing were, first row from left, Phyllis Garber of the H&B Young Foundation, port Operations Assistant Rebecca Concienne, Brenda Ayo of the H&B Young Foundation, port President Raymond “Mac” Wade and port Secretary Greg Aucoin. On the second row, same order, are H&B Young Foundation attorney Emile Wagner, Gwen Ross of the H&B Young Foundation, port Commissioner-elect Jerry Gauthier,Commissioner Duane Lodrigue, port Treasurer Deborah Garber and port Manager of Economic Development Cindy Cutrera. On the back row are port Executive Director Jerry Hoffpauir, Commissioner Matt Ackel and port attorney Gerard Bourgeois. Not pictured are commissioners Bill Pecoraro, Willie Tezeno and port Vice President Bill New.

Appointment to the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District Board of Commissioners: Jerry A. Gauthier, of Berwick, is currently the Vice President and General Manager, Americas Region, for Oceaneering International, Inc. an offshore oil and gas provider of underwater services, engineering and subsea products. Mr. Gauthier has been an active member of numerous professional and civic organizations. He served as a member of the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District from 2005 to 2008. He will serve as a Morgan City member, as required by statute.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS MORGAN CITY HARBOR AND TERMINAL DISTRICT TAKE NOTICE, that the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District, 800 Youngs Road, Morgan City, LA 70380, will accept sealed bids until 4:00 p.m. on May 27, 2009, for the purchase of the following property: Provide complete factory assembled 150KW natural gas powered auxiliary generator and electronic controlled transfer switch (“150KW generator”) Additional information and specifications will be furnished to prospective bidders upon request at the District’s office at 800 Youngs Road, Morgan City, LA, by faxing request to 985-385-1931 or email to jerry@portofmc.com. Each Bid shall be sealed in an envelope clearly marked on the outside, "BID ON GENERATOR". Bids will be opened and read aloud at 4:00 p.m. on May 27, 2009. Any bid received after date and hour shown above will be returned unopened to the bidder. Bids can also be viewed, downloaded and submitted online by at: https://www.centralauctionhouse.com/rfp.php?cid=60 The Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District reserves the right to reject any and all bids, adjust quantities by increasing or decreasing and to waive all informalities. Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District \s\ Raymond M. Wade, President Adv. April 30, 2009 May 13, 2009

Corps service competition general’s biggest concern When it comes to flood threats or navigation needs, Brigadier Gen. Michael J. Walsh is the man you want on your side. Walsh heads the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ largest division with more than 2,500 employees under his command. Wednesday, he shared his insights and concerns with members of the Ports Association of Louisiana attending their 26th annual convention that concluded this morning with a board meeting at the Holiday Inn. The Corps’ Vicksburg-based Mississippi Valley Division not only oversees navigation and flood control issues in the lower reaches of the system, it also has jurisdiction in the far northern regions of the U.S. where rampant flooding was an issue in Fargo, N.D., earlier this year. Walsh said the Corps’ mission is to provide flood control, ensure navigable waterways and protect the ecosystem of the nation’s rivers. Typically, the division can accomplish that mission with around $1 billion in annual funding. However, unusually high costs in 2005 due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and again last year with Hurricane Gustav coupled with the North Dakota flooding severely tapped into the Corps Corps services competition top concern of general reserves. Since Katrina, Walsh noted that the Corps has spent up to $14 billion in the New Orleans district alone on flood protection projects. Federal stimulus funding of as much as $150 billion is being directed toward the Vicksburg division that will go a long way toward paying for vital infrastructure work throughout the Mississippi Valley Division, he said. “We’ve heard the money is coming for months now,” Walsh said. “The latest rumor was that we would have it by either Monday or maybe next Friday.” The general said he was “now at the point that I’ll only believe it when I see the check.” Walsh noted that a push toward getting a “regionalization plan is in motion,” part of an effort to obtain more federal money for navigation and flood control projects. Having each individual district in the world’s third largest watershed region involved in a competitive battle for funding is “at best, a little bit shortsighted,” Walsh asserted. “We’re now being asked to solve each issue one at a time,” he said. “A better plan is having a unifying vision that will pull us all together, rather than apart.” More collaboration is needed on many fronts, he added, in order to achieve “consistent interaction” between all the federal, state and local agencies involved. Headway has been made in that direction, he noted, with the relatively recent formation of the Interagency Levee Task Force and various other programs. The ILTF has been successful in its preliminary stages of helping reduce flood damage across the U.S. Also, a Rainfall-River Forecasting Summit has been organized to receive timely input from the National Weather Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Corps. Other examples of recent collaborative efforts involving the Corps, Walsh noted, included: —The Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association. —The Mississippi River Commission. __The National Waterways Conference. —Ducks Unlimited. —The Audubon Society. —The Diversion Summit, bringing scientists and public agencies together to discuss the need for river diversion projects and land-building efforts. Walsh said immediate and consistent support from navigation interests would greatly assist in the campaign. Another key component in flood control/navigation improvement is the recent push for the “beneficial use of dredged material,” Walsh noted. He pointed out that the plan for dredged material disposal, designed in the 1860s, has always been simply to push the sediment out into the Gulf of Mexico. “We need to take a serious look at beneficial use as a solution to the problems of wetlands loss throughout the system,” he acknowledged. Walsh pointed out that only around 20 percent of dredged material is now being used to help build delta. Another major challenge, especially in recent years, is the dredging capacity of the Corps’ fleet. Within the past year alone, Walsh noted, Corps-owned dredges that historically have been used strictly for emergency jobs, have been employed five times. A particular trouble spot in the MVD is Southwest Pass, which ideally should be 700-feet wide. Instead, that heavily traveled stretch of the Mississippi River now has a consistent width of 450 feet. The general also told port officials that the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund has about $4.6 billion in the account. “The problem is, nobody can figure out how or when to use it,” he said. Once that is accomplished, Walsh predicted, the Corps will have no problem putting the cash to good use. Through the years, the U.S. Army’s motto has evolved from “Be All You Can Be,” to the lesspopular “An Army of One,” to a more effective “Army Strong” a motto that Walsh predicts will last many years. The navigation industry needs to adopt a motto as well, he suggested. “Navigation needs to promote itself alongside highways and railroads as part of an intermodal transportation campaign,” he stressed.

PAL speakers bullish on Louisiana Volume 47, Number 80 http://www.daily-review.com Serving St. Mary Parish Since 1872 Friday, April 24, 2009 Experts in the fields of transportation, economic development and coastal restoration were among those to address the 26th annual Ports Association of Louisiana conference at the Holiday Inn of Morgan City. The three-day 26th annual conference ended this morning with a board meeting. “Atchafalaya Gateway: Leading to the Gulf and Beyond,” was the theme of the event. Helping welcome the visitors to the area were Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte, Berwick Mayor Louis Ratcliff, St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin, Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District President Raymond “Mac” Wade and state Reps. Joe Harrison, R-Labadieville, and Simone Champagne, D-Jeanerette. Louisiana Secretary of Transportation and Development Dr. William Ankner, state Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret and Department of Natural Resources Deputy Secretary Lori LeBlanc offered optimistic predictions about the future of the state in their respective fields. The crystal ball was not nearly as clear for Jennifer Marusak of Moving Louisiana Forward, a transportation watchdog group, and R. King Milling, who heads the America’s Wetlands campaign. Offering their insights to conference attendees about ongoing coastal and border protection efforts were Garrett Graves and Mitch Merriam. Graves is director of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Merriam is the U.S. Customs & Border Pro La. port officials wind down Morgan City convention tection Office of Field Operations director at the Port of New Orleans. The seven speakers were part of a day-long program that also featured a keynote address by Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Garrett Graves Graves offered an overview of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, outlining the historic importance of the waterway to the nation. He said the Lower Mississippi River Delta, which includes the Atchafalaya Basin, has been “much of the continent’s foundation for human life.” Graves said Thomas Jefferson noted in the early 1800s that nearly half of the country’s products passed through New Orleans. That ultimately led to the $15 million Louisiana Purchase that doubled the size of the nation. At the time the proposal faced domestic opposition from a constitutional standpoint. Although Jefferson felt that the U.S. Constitution did not contain any provisions for acquiring territory, he decided to purchase Louisiana because he felt uneasy about France and Spain having the power to block American trade access via New Orleans. “It apparently became the basis for Louisiana politics since the government had neither the money nor authority to do it,” Graves joked. He said the state has become the nation’s largest hub of maritime activity with five of the top 15 tonnage ports in the U.S. One of every seven jobs in Louisiana are “waterway dependent,” he said, pointing out that the state is involved in $2.2 trillion in offshore exploration, production, pipeline and cargo activities. Half of the entire nation’s domestic oil and gas is produced in the Gulf of Mexico, supplying around 30 percent of the nation’s energy needs. The state also is ranked second behind Texas in the number of oil and gas refineries, and has more than 9,000 miles of pipelines. In addition, Louisiana is the top producer of seafood products in the Lower 48, trailing only Alaska in that category. Louisiana ranks tops in the nation in the production of oysters, blue crabs and crawfish, Graves added. And since Louisiana has direct access to 31 states because of the maritime industry, “That gives us a definite advantage and offers an incredible opportunity for a win-win situation for industry.” He said the state’s greatest challenge is with coastal land loss, which amounted to 2,300 square miles in the past century with 200 square miles lost after the 2005 passage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Levees construction has changed its course and prevented the accumulation of sediment in many coastal areas. The Atchafalaya River, however, is one of the few deltaic regions which is actually growing, he noted. Had the river been allowed to choose its own course, Morgan City might not exist, (and Louisiana) would be “bigger than Texas, rather than just better,” he joked. Graves, among other speakers, agreed that dredged river material should be used to build up the state’s coastline to replace what has been lost to erosion. Lori LeBlanc As deputy secretary of the state’s Department of Natural Resources, LeBlanc said Louisiana is in a unique situation of being both an energy state as well as a “Sportsman’s Paradise.” “We’re not an either-or state,” she said. “We can have it all.” She said DNR takes “great pride in ensuring that balance is maintained.” Energy trends affecting the state’s budget over the past year include the precarious price of oil and gas, and rig counts. “What a difference a year makes,” she said, pointing out that energy prices and rig activity — coupled with a pair of hurricanes and an economic recession — have had the state on an “extreme roller-coaster ride” in recent times. “It’s not a hurricane this time, but an economic storm we will have to deal with,” she said. She noted that the price of oil has experienced dramatic spikes and declines over the past decades, going from $14 a barrel to around $147 before settling at about $47 a barrel today. Also, natural gas prices have climbed from around $2 to $12 per million British thermal units in the same period. The nation’s working rig count has fallen by nearly 50 percent from a high of more than 1,800 rigs last year to a total of 975 rigs today. This is the first time since 2003 that the nation has had less than 1,000 active rigs, she said. The rig count decrease has not been as dramatic in Louisiana, which has shown an 11-percent decline during the past year, she said. Because the price of oil remains relatively low, LeBlanc said, “It appears the oil and gas industry is learning to do more with less.” She said the massive Haynesville Shale natural gas field in north Louisiana — the largest of its kind in the U.S. — would have a tremendous impact on the state’s energy industry, a predicted $10 billion impact on the state in the near future. That field is expected to produce around 245 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. That would dwarf the Barnett Shale field in central Texas, which currently produces 40 tcf. All 64 of the state’s parishes have had oil and/or gas produced within their boundaries at one time. Currently, 54 parishes are producing. Louisiana leads the nation in the percentage of crude oil (86 percent) and natural gas (81 percent) produced on the Gulf of Mexico’s Outer Continental Shelf. LeBlanc also said there is a lot of renewed interest in ultradeepwater exploration in recent years. Oil and gas severance tax collections have doubled in the past five years and quadrupled during the past 10 years, producing a “tremendous impact on the state’s budget,” she added. Haynesville Shale has contributed greatly to those numbers, with $92 million of the $93 million in natural gas collections coming from that one project. LeBlanc said the state remains dependent on oil and gas but not as dependent as it once was, because a smaller percentage of the state’s budget is comprised of energy revenues than in past years. Stephen Moret Louisiana Economic Development Department’s secretary said he remains “bullish” about the state’s long- and short-term economic recovery potential. Moret pointed out that there are more jobs now than when the recession began in 2007. Currently, the state’s unemployment rate stands at around 5.5 percent, compared to the nation at 8.5 percent. The state’s main focus has been jobs retention, he said, adding that there are at least 44 “significant business development projects” in the works. The department’s efforts have resulted in retaining 11,000 jobs, 20,000 new jobs, around $3 billion in capital investment projects and between $30 billion and $40 billion annually in new tax revenues. Last year was the best year on record for the state’s involvement with the entertainment industry, Moret said. Louisiana now ranks third in revenues generated from film production, trailing only California and New York in that department. The state’s “bedrock industries” of oil and gas exploration and agriculture are being complemented by attraction of other industries as well, he said. Among the companies choosing to relocate their headquarters to Louisiana from other states in recent years are the Albemarle Corp. and Horizon Entertainment. Also, the Shaw Group has chosen to remain here and CenturyTel’s recent merger has created the state’s third Fortune 500 company. Expansion of the digital media industry into the state, along with new cotton mills and chicken processing facilities in the northern parishes are further signs that the economy is successfully diversifying. In addition, Edison Schouest has created 1,000 more jobs and the Shaw Group is embarking on a manufacturing facility in the Lake Charles area that will create another 1,400 high-paying jobs, Moret said. Despite the failure of banks around the nation, Moret said the state’s banks remain as strong today as they were prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Louisiana has also fared well in most of the national business rankings in recent years, he said. The state only declined in one ranking but climbed in 10 others, he pointed out. And there have been no significant price declines in the housing market compared to many other parts of the country, he added. In terms of population, Moret noted that 2008 was the second consecutive year of positive growth for the state after several years of decline. Also, Louisiana State University entered the top tier of research institutions around the country for the first time ever, he said. “We’re not where we want to be yet, but we are definitely headed in the right direction,” Moret said. The Department of Economic Development’s budget will be 60-percent down from a year ago, “But it will not slow down our efforts,” he said, explaining that the department’s most vital programs will be maintained while the next tier of programs will either be sharply reduced or eliminated. One program that will remain intact is Fast Start, a business-training program modeled after a very successful QuickStart campaign in rural Georgia. Moret pledged that Fast Start would be in the top 10 of its kind in the nation within the next year, in the top three within three years and will be the top program in the U.S. within four years. Dr. William Ankner The Transportation and Development Secretary said the Highway Department “remains in better shape than our colleagues around the U.S. who have experienced huge cutbacks in both funding and employees.” Ankner admitted that much infrastructure work is needed on the state’s road and ports, but said he felt that Louisiana’s transportation system as a whole is better than it has been.” Deterioration of the state’s highway system is still occurring, he noted, but the curve hasn’t been as steep as it was in the past.” With about $500 million in the budget, the department will be able to address nine significant projects in the coming year totaling about $138 million, with the remainder used for road and bridge maintenance. He said DOTD likely will lose money this year and next, with reimbursements due to the General Fund and to the Port Priority Program. Debate over how to spend any reserve funds will begin when the Legislature convenes Monday. The state’s share of federal economic stimulus funding of between $700 million and $800 million could be spent on a wide variety of transportation projects, including port improvements, Ankner said. Legislation had dedicated funds to port and railroad rehabilitation, but that bill ultimately was tabled. A renewed push to use a substantial amount of economic stimulus funds has since been undertaken, Ankner said. Gov. Bobby Jindal took much flak for failing to embrace all the stimulus funding being offered to the state, he said. Ankner said he advised the governor not to accept the transportation funding because the amount would have been locked into the state’s maintenance projects list as of Oct. 1, 2008. That list was still a work in progress at the time, however, so accepting the stimulus money would have required another $79 million to $85 million from the state’s General Fund. Delaying acceptance of the stimulus funds until an agreement could be reached to lock in the maintenance work as of Feb. 17, 2009, will keep the state from using General Fund money. He said he is now encouraging the governor to accept approximately $300 million in stimulus funds for transportation projects. Ankner said the state is aggressively pursuing intermodal projects involving highway, rail, air and water access in an effort to keep pace with other southern states. He urged the port to “work through the DOTD to make requests to your Congressional

Larry Doiron resigned from the Board and will no longer serve on the Board of Commissioners. In appreciation for his 27+ years of outstanding support and efforts, the Morgan City Harbor & Terminal District would like to extend its warmest wishes and thanks to Mr. Doiron for his invaluable contribution to the Port of Morgan City.

- Appointment to the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District Board of Commissioners: William “Bill” Pecoraro, of Morgan City, will retire from Gulf Craft, Inc. in May 2009 after serving in administration for 40 years. Gulf Craft, Inc. is a leading provider of new aluminum vessel construction. Pecoraro, a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, currently serves on the Morgan City Wharf Commission, is a member of the St. Mary Industrial Group, the Atchafalaya River Coalition and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He will serve as an at-large member, as required by statute.

to the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District Board of Commissioners: Duane Lodrigue, of Berwick, is a manager for Oceaneering International, Inc., which is a global oilfield provider of engineered services and products primarily to the offshore oil and gas industry. Lodrigue will serve as an at-large member, as required by statute. Matt Ackel, of Berwick, is a retired field superintendent at ExxonMobil in the Gulf of Mexico region and will serve as an at-large member, as required by statute.

Four U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats from other areas were docked at the Port of Morgan City facility on Youngs Road during Hurricane Ike. Two of the vessels were from the Galveston, Texas, and Corpus Christi, Texas, area and the other two are normally stationed in western Louisiana. The Port of Morgan City again served as a “safe haven” during the recent storms while neighboring ports in Fourchon and Iberia were inundated by the tidal flooding. (Picture Located in News & Press Section)

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS MORGAN CITY HARBOR AND TERMINAL DISTRICT TAKE NOTICE, that the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District, 800 Youngs Road, Morgan City, LA 70380, will accept sealed bids until 4:00 p.m. on October 14, 2008, for the purchase of the following property: Provide complete factory assembled 100KW natural gas powered auxiliary generator and electronic controlled transfer switch (“100KW generator”) Additional information and specifications will be furnished to prospective bidders upon request at the District’s office at 800 Youngs Road, Morgan City, LA, by faxing request to 985-385-1931 or email to jerry@portofmc.com. Each Bid shall be sealed in an envelope clearly marked on the outside, "BID ON GENERATOR". Bids will be opened and read aloud at 4:00 p.m. on October 14, 2008. Any bid received after date and hour shown above will be returned unopened to the bidder. The Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District reserves the right to reject any and all bids, adjust quantities by increasing or decreasing and to waive all informalities. Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District \s\ Raymond M. Wade, President Adv. September 18, 2008 September 25, 2008