As we begin 2022, the Port of Morgan City is pleased to deliver our annual report for the year 2021 to you! Click here to view photos of beneficial use sites where dredge material has been placed and click here to view a map indicating the location of these sites.
MESSAGE TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE YEAR 2021
Even with COVID still rearing its ugly head and the threat of devastation from Hurricane Ida, we remained resilient and were able to move forward in 2021, continuing to work on our top priority: to provide a consistent, navigable channel 20 feet deep by 400 feet wide for industry. Port staff followed state protocol for COVID as designated by Governor Edwards throughout the year, and we all managed to stay healthy.
INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS
We welcomed to our Board Mr. Matthew Glover, who replaced Mr. Tim Matthews, during our March 2021 meeting. Then, in July we welcomed Mr. Matthew Tycer who replaced Mr. Lee Dragna.
Election of officers was held during our December 2021 board meeting and all officers were re-elected to their positions.
Our current board members are: Joseph Cain, President; Pete Orlando, Vice President; Deborah Garber, Treasurer; Steven Cornes, Secretary; Ben Adams; Matthew Glover; Troy Lombardo; Adam Mayon and Matthew Tycer.
Our board meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 5:00 p. m., and the public is always invited to attend.
CHANNEL UPDATE
The current dredging status is as follows:
Atchafalaya River Bar and Bay and Crewboat Cut
Great Lakes Dredge Alaska commenced dredging of Crewboat Cut February 2, 2021 and completed that reach March 6, 2021. The Alaska returned and commenced sand removal in the Upper Bar August 20, 2021 but was quickly interrupted by Hurricane Ida followed by a necessary shipyard visit. They are now expected to complete dredging in the Bay Channel around March 1st of 2022. A total of close to 4 million cubic yards of material will be removed and placed at Mile Marker 142 below Crewboat Cut upon completion.
Bar Channel
Fluff found in the Bar Channel is agitated and discharged overboard in the channel about 5000’ east or west of the channel. Sand dredged from the Bar Channel is used beneficially through placement on Bird Islands.
Brice Civil Constructors (Brice) continues to operate the Special Purpose Suction Dredge Arulaq successfully managing fluff in the Bar Channel. The current contract estimated completion is August 2022. The Corps is looking at either amending the current contract with Brice or issuing a new contract, which would be our preference.
Additionally, Manson Hopper Dredge Newport was awarded a contract to remove sand from the Upper Bar. They worked from August 8, 2021 through November 7, 2021.
Approximately1.5 million cubic yards was placed on T-Pat Island, 750,000 cubic yards was placed on a beneficial use site on the Bird Island on the east side of the Atchafalaya, and approximately 5 million cubic yards was placed on New Bird Island on the west side of the channel.
A map of the ARBBBC Federally Authorized Project and photos of beneficial use of dredged material is attached to this report.
If you would like to view drone footage of these locations the links are below:
Mile 142
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=445fw-js1yg.
Bird Island East side of Atchafalaya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwdddIFeWFc
T-Pat Island
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArglfE2q9bQ
New Bird Island on West side of Atchafalaya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQkWiRsfdOM
Bayou Chene
No dredging was performed in Bayou Chene in 2021. All funding was required to complete dredging of Crewboat Cut, the Bay and Bar.
Berwick Bay Harbor
Weeks Marine Dredge Captain Frank completed dredging operations of Berwick Bay Harbor, 20 Grand Point, Mile 99 and Wax Lake Outlet December 22, 2021. The Captain Frank removed 1.4 million cubic yards of sediment. The island south of the vehicular bridge remains, with a majority of the material above the bridges removed.
Stouts Pass
Government Dredge Dustpan Jadwin worked in Upper Berwick Bay Harbor from May 5th to May 12, 2021. From May 12th to June 8, 2021 the Jadwin dredged from mile 112 to mile 117 of the Atchafalaya River at Stouts Pass. Due to continued shoaling in that area an alternate route proposal through Little Island Pass is under review and analysis.
Surveys of all segments of the ARBBBC and Berwick Bay can be found at https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Channel-Surveys/.
Bayou Boeuf Locks
The scheduled completion of the guide wall replacement has been revised and is currently expected to be February 28, 2022.
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE FUNDING
We have worked diligently with the Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, major industry waterway users, and the Port’s consultant in DC, Charles Brittingham of Cassidy & Associates, to demonstrate the need for funding for dredging of the entire channel. Several industry members provided excellent letters demonstrating additional costs incurred when the channel is not properly maintained. They demonstrated jobs supported by their business, the economic impact they provide for the area, and what having access to a consistent 20-foot channel could mean for their business. Those letters were packaged, along with the Port’s request for optimum funding for full channel dimensions and sent to the New Orleans and Vicksburg Districts as well as to members of our Federal delegation.
The submission of our request for funding was followed by a visit from a small group representing the Port and industry to the Corps’ office in New Orleans with Colonel Stephen Murphy and other Corps officials. The Corps acknowledged that many of our industry partners have become more diverse, and the work they are doing supports our national defense and the national economy. While the Port has been relaying this message to the Corps, it has not gotten the attention that we have gotten from this recent industry involvement communicating a consistent, unified message. The saying “there is strength in numbers” has certainly proven true. We would like to gather more stories from users that will help to strengthen our case.
FUNDING ANNOUNCED
In May of 2021, the Port learned that a total of $16,296,000 was awarded for the Atchafalaya River and Bayous Boeuf, Black and Chene (ARBBBC) Project in the President’s FY 2022 Budget.
On January 19, 2022, we learned that an additional $33,100,000 was awarded to the ARBBBC Project through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, 2022 for dredging and surveys of the Lower Bar, Bay, Upper Bar and Bayous Chene, Boeuf and Black.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also allocates $9,889,000 to the Atchafalaya Basin, LA through the Mississippi River and Tributaries Work Plan. The work to be accomplished includes damage repairs to levee slides at two locations, dredging of shoaling near Morgan City/Three Rivers, LA and at Berwick Bay Harbor, and replacement of levee surfacing along the Berwick Levee.
Even with all this great news, it is not time to relax. Consistent annual funding is required to maintain the channel; therefore, this must be an ongoing effort with input from users being critical.
RIVER LEVELS, TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES
We finally got a break from prolonged high water. The Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City gage remained below 6 feet during 2021 except about 3 weeks in the month of April when the gage remained below 7 feet.
We began to prepare in the Spring for hurricane season, just as we have in prior years. We participated in preparatory webinars and conference calls hosted by Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association, the U S Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers Navigation Restoration Team, and a CPRA/Corps of Engineers joint webinar. We hosted a virtual Annual Hurricane Preparedness meeting on April 27th. Members of our Federal delegation, NOAA, National Weather Service, U. S. Coast Guard, Corps of Engineers, St. Mary Levee District, St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, and St. Mary Parish Government participated. Over 100 people were in attendance.
HURRICANE IDA
The National Weather Service Lake Charles started their briefing calls for Hurricane Ida on Thursday, August 26th, and local emergency managers attended calls in the Port’s media room and at the Franklin Courthouse. As the storm approached, we shared updated information with our stakeholders from the National Weather Service and the Corps of Engineers as well as St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, St. Mary Levee District, U. S. Coast Guard (Marine Safety Information Bulletins) and any other reliable sources.
Acadian Ambulance located several units and personnel at our EOC to wait out the storm, and NOAA used our Port facility terminal as a designated site for their recovery operations after Hurricane Ida. NOAA assisted the Corps of Engineers with surveys of Stouts Pass and the Atchafalaya River. Due to unforeseen circumstances, it took a little longer than expected to complete the surveys.
Coast Guard from across the U. S. set up their Incident Command Center out of the Port’s EOC for Hurricane Ida Response and Recovery of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes. They eventually relocated to Houma so they could be closer to damaged areas. The Aids to Navigation Team members from Grand Isle were temporarily housed at the Port’s Youngs Road facility.
PORT IMPROVEMENTS
Construction is expected to begin on the East Dock Expansion at the 800 Youngs Road port terminal facility around May of 2022. The East Dock Expansion will increase loading/off loading and laydown area. The Louisiana Port Construction and Development Priority Program (Port Priority Program) “Rail and Dock Rehabilitation: Multimodal Enhancements at the Port of Morgan City” Project totaling $5,915,000 consists of Port Priority funding in the amount of $4,762,620.00 matched with Port of Morgan City funding totaling $1,152,380. The Port completed the $900,000 rail repair and enhancement and drainage canal improvements portion of the project in January of 2020.
The initial phase of a Western Dock Expansion, with a project total of $18,084,000 consisting of Port Priority funding at $15,000,000 matched by Port of Morgan City funding of $3,084,000 is also being planned. This project application was approved for funding through the Port Priority Program in August of 2021. The project involves the purchase of properties that will allow for the expansion of the terminal facility dock from its current 800 feet to nearly 1,900 feet of waterfront access.
On October 14, 2021 the Port of Morgan City and LHE Properties, Inc, finalized a $400,000 transaction transferring ownership of property located at 101 Second Street on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The property was previously occupied by Ecoserv. The purchase of one additional tract of land from the H & B Young Foundation, completed on January 17, 2022, connects current property to the 101 Second Street location.
Engineering & Design and mitigation for wetlands is ongoing for the Western Dock Expansion. The estimated date to go out for bid for the construction of this project is around February 2023. Construction is estimated to take about 2 years.
Once the West Dock Expansion is complete, the Port will have over 30 acres available for use with 11 acres on the waterfront.
Note: The LA Port Relief Program established during the 2021 legislative session provides funding from the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021 to LA port authorities for revenue loss and reimbursement of expenses related to COVID-19 and port security measures. The Port of Morgan City submitted an on-line application due to a proposed tenant that canceled their plans to utilize the port’s rail expansion during the COVID epidemic. We received $598,000 on December 23rd.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Port staff began working with St. Mary Parish’s new Economic Development Director, Evan Boudreaux, soon after his arrival in December 2020, and we have developed a very good working relationship.
We also continue to enjoy relationships we have built with representatives from the Louisiana Economic Development Department (LED). We have been invited on local Business Retention and Expansion visits with representatives from LED, and in December of 2021 we worked with LED staff in their booth at the International Workboat Show in New Orleans.
We continue to support oil and gas; however, we are also following opportunities for industry to participate in the alternative energy market. The following is a partial list of those activities:
· We have provided comments to the Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force voicing our support for the inclusion of Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, specifically Carbon Capture Storage (CCS), as a part of the Louisiana Climate Action Plan while allowing Louisiana’s robust energy industry to be a part of that balanced equation. In an additional comment submitted to the Task Force, we urged them to consider the exploration of carbon sequestration, allowing our wetlands to serve as valuable assets in carbon trading markets.
· We participated in BOEM’s (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) first Gulf of Mexico Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Zoom meeting on June 15, 2021. This task force is chartered to facilitate coordination and consultation related to renewable energy planning activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. Also, the week of June 21st through 25th was designated as LA Wind Energy week. We participated in 2-hour webinars that were hosted daily the entire week on various topics about offshore wind energy.
· In September, a Zoom event titled “How to Get Started in the Offshore Wind Supply Chain” that featured the Business Network for Offshore Wind's Supply Chain Connect was held. Supply Chain Connect allows companies to publicly indicate their interest and ability to supply components and services for U.S. offshore wind projects as well as serving as a resource for companies looking to buy from and partner with other offshore wind firms. This information was forwarded to stakeholders in case anyone was interested in registering. You can find more information here: https://www.offshorewindus.org/supplychain/
After Ida, we were contacted by businesses from other parishes about sites they might be able to lease temporarily, so we did a quick inventory and put together a spreadsheet with available warehouse and office space and vessel mooring locations with contacts callers could be referred to. We would like to expand our database and keep it updated because we do get calls regarding available locations during normal times, and we would like to help all property owners lease/sell their properties while bringing more complementary or supporting business into the area.
Another effort, we will be working on in close coordination with St. Mary Parish Economic Development is to have all available properties within the Port District accurately listed on Louisiana Economic Development sites and land database. In order to have sites included when requests for proposals for potential clients are released by the state, the first step is to have those sites included in the state’s database.
STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
The Port has retained the services of The International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE) to prepare a Strategic Action Plan built on current conditions, previous studies, earlier strategic planning efforts, market analysis, data provided by port staff and interviews with port staff, business professionals, government officials and local stakeholders. The plan is expected by be finalized and approved by the Board before the end of the first quarter of 2022.
TONNAGE
The Corps of Engineers considers usage of our federally authorized channel when determining funding on the ARBBBC. The Corps uses a 5-year average of waterway tonnage when determining funding. 2018 was an unusually high year due to the closure of the Bayou Boeuf Lock which caused an increase in the 5-year average as vessels used Bayou Chene as their alternate route.
According to records of Waterborne Commerce tonnage moved on the ARBBBC beginning in 2018 is as follows:
The total for Calendar Year 2018 was 14,903,899 short tons.
The total for Calendar Year 2019 was 1,401,884 short tons.
The total for the year 2020 was 1,275,402 tons.
The 5-year average through 2020 was 3,670,491 tons.
The estimated 5-year average tonnage including FY 2021 numbers, which are not yet published, will reflect over 3.7 million tons.
REPORTING TONNAGE IS STILL IMPORTANT.
IF YOU DON’T REPORT, IT AFFECTS YOUR PORT!!
While waterway tonnage determines our funding, tonnage handled across the dock within our district is important as well. Those numbers are used when applying for state and federal funding.
Any time goods are transferred across a dock, someone is responsible for reporting that tonnage to Waterborne Commerce. If you are a vessel operator, load out facility, fabrication yard or shipyard you should have tonnage to report. If you are not reporting, we can help you. Please contact Cindy Cutrera at 985-384-0850 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you are reporting, thank you, and please continue to do so.
COASTAL PROGRAMS/PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES MONITORED
We monitor many studies, initiatives, programs and projects that could impact navigation, our economy, or the safety and security of our citizens such as the following:
ATCHAFALAYA RIVER BASIN RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT (ARBRE) TASK FORCE
Mac Wade was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards to serve on the ARBRE Task force that was tasked with working together with diverse perspectives to work through ongoing challenges in the basin and help identify opportunities to restore the basin. The task force met monthly beginning in March of 2021 through August 2021. The final report was presented to the CPRA Board at its December 2021 meeting. The Board agreed that costs and benefits for these recommendations should be weighed. It was recommended that the task force be called back to provide input when addressing priorities in the Atchafalaya Basin Master Plan update.
LOUISIANA NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESERVE (LaNERR)
Information on a proposed Louisiana National Estuarine Reserve (LaNERR) location was also presented to the Governor’s Advisory Commission in November 2020.
Following the NERR site selection process the LaNERR Site Development Committee narrowed the list of nominees to 3 proposed sites: Atchafalaya Basin, Barataria Basin, and Pontchartrain Basin. Town Hall meetings for each of the three alternative sites that were scheduled for September 2021 were postponed due to Hurricane Ida recovery efforts in Louisiana. These meetings have been rescheduled for February 2022. On February 8th, an Atchafalaya Basin Town Hall meeting can be attended in-person at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium from 6 to 8 p. m. There is a virtual option as well, but you must register in advance.
For information on all meetings to be held, use this link:
https://www.laseagrant.org/deltanerr/town-hall-meetings/
If you would like to learn more about the LaNERR, visit the Louisiana Sea Grant website at http://www.laseagrant.org/deltanerr/updates/ for videos, presentations, and frequently asked questions.
SUSTAINABLE RIVERS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
We reported in our 2020 report that the Nature Conservancy had enrolled the Atchafalaya River in the Sustainable Rivers Partnership Program. The Nature Conservancy would like to explore the possibility of appropriately altering the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River 70/30 split during periods of low water. This effort has been paused briefly. The Port of Morgan City is listed as a stakeholder, and we will be contacted to participate in these conversations.
INCREASE ATCHAFALAYA TO TERREBONNE PROJECT
The Increase Atchafalaya to Terrebonne Project is intended to divert freshwater flow from the Atchafalaya River to the wetlands of Terrebonne Parish. CPRA is in the process of engineering and designing a route north of the Bayou Boeuf Locks and benefits modeling is being performed.
A Zoom meeting for stakeholders was held on November 10th. CPRA and project engineers provided updates on the project, and stakeholders were able to ask questions in the chat. Several attendees felt like they wanted more specific answers to their questions. We have talked to CPRA about being more transparent with stakeholders during the process, and CPRA is reaching out to attendees to re-address their questions.
Funding has not yet been identified past the 2nd quarter of 2022.
SOUTH CENTRAL COASTAL STUDY
The South-Central Coastal Study is one of 5 studies included in Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The purpose was to investigate potential structural and nonstructural solutions for storm risk management for parishes of St. Mary, St. Martin and Iberia. The draft feasibility study, published November 2019, recommended floodproofing and elevation of structures. https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/South-Central-Coast/
The Final Integrated Feasibility Study with Environmental Impact Statement was published June 2021. The final plan calls for elevating residential structures and dry or wet floodproofing non-residential structures.
This project schedule is under development and subject to additional federal appropriation.
LOUISIANA CLIMATE INITIATIVES TASK FORCE
On August 19, 2020, by Executive Order JBE 2020-18, Governor John Bel Edwards formally established Louisiana's first-ever Climate Initiatives Task Force. The Climate Initiatives Task Force will investigate and make recommendations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions originating in Louisiana to achieve the stated greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals to improve the health and welfare of the people of Louisiana and advance Louisiana’s economic and energy profile.
The Port of Morgan City provided public comment to the Task Force recognizing the importance of oil and gas exploration and production and how much income that industry has provided for the State of Louisiana. Those details were followed by a request for the Task Force to recognize the carbon reduction capabilities of building land through the beneficial use of dredge material from the Atchafalaya Basin and the Atchafalaya River.
NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY COASTAL CENTER
Plans continue for the Nicholls Coastal Center, created to focus on the Terrebonne and Atchafalaya Basins. We have been involved in meetings and conference calls with Dr. Jay Clune and the designated Coastal Center staff, providing information on dredging, beneficial use, etc. We have also provided boat tours down river to locations such as Horseshoe Bend Island and the Atchafalaya Wildlife Management Area camp for staff members so they can witness the results of beneficial use of dredge material in person.
New staff members providing assistance at the Nicholls Coastal Center include Laci Melancon (Coastal Technical Assistance Center) who will assist small businesses involved with coastal protection projects and Kevin Pitts (Bayou Region Incubator) who will provide technical assistance for entrepreneurs with ideas for coastal projects.
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT (WRDA)
We continue to monitor WRDA.
We reported to you at year end 2020 on Section 213 of WRDA 2020 that calls for a comprehensive study of the Lower Mississippi River basin, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico, to identify recommendations of actions to be undertaken by the Secretary, under existing authorities or after congressional authorization, for the comprehensive management of the basin for the purposes of— (A) hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structural and nonstructural flood control, and flood plain management strategies;(B) navigation; (C) ecosystem and environmental restoration;(D) water supply;(E) hydropower production; (F) recreation; and (G) other purposes as determined by the Secretary. Section 213 requires the mitigation of adverse impacts from operations of flood control structures to the Mississippi Sound Estuary, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, the Breton Sound, the Barataria Basin, the Atchafalaya Basin, and other outlets of the Mississippi River and Tributaries project.
Update: Implementation Guidance was issued by the Assistant Secretary of the Army on November 5, 2021. The Corps’ FY 2021 Work Plan includes a provision for $8,010,000 to begin work on the Lower Mississippi Comprehensive Management Study.
We submitted additional comments on various other topics including:
· FY 22 CPRA Annual Plan and the Atchafalaya Basin Annual Plan
· Written Public Comment to the Mississippi River Commission at its Highwater Public meeting in New Orleans in May 2021-Mac Wade attended the Highwater meeting and presented to the Commission as well.
· The Mississippi River Commission Low Water Public Meeting normally held in August was canceled due to COVID concerns. We submitted our public comment by email.
COMMUNICATIONS/PUBLIC RELATIONS/MARKETING
We continued to share information with our stakeholders that we received such as river stages, waterway closures, approaching storms and risks to health, safety and security from the U. S. Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, St. Mary Parish Government, St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, the National Weather Service, Governor John Bel Edwards, state and federal agencies and river-related organizations.
We continued to network, maintain visibility, and build relationships within our community, regionally and nationally.
We continue to support St. Mary Excel’s promotion of resiliency studies suggested by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in their study of the Morgan City-Berwick area in 2018.
Our Executive Director, Mac Wade, continued to provide regular updates at Morgan City and Berwick Council meetings, St. Mary Parish Council meetings, and interviews with KWBJ and the Daily Review. He has also done presentations for the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuaries Program (BTNEP) Management Conference Quarterly Meeting and for many other organizations.
An excellent way to educate decision makers about industry in our Port District and dredging operations is to show them first-hand. Over the past year, we have provided boat tours of our Port District and beneficial use and dredging operation sites to local leaders as well as members of our federal delegation and their staff members (including regional and D. C. staff members from Senators Kennedy’s and Cassidy’s offices), Louisiana Department of Transportation staff (including Renee Lapeyrolerie, Secretary of Multimodal Commerce), Major General Diana Holland along with representatives from the Mississippi River Commission and Corps representatives from the New Orleans and Vicksburg Districts and representatives from Nicholls Coastal Center.
We advertised locally and in nationally distributed publications such as the Inland River Guide and the IRPT Membership Directory. We provided updates on our rail upgrade project as well as dredging updates to the Waterways Journal and to the American Journal of Transportation.
AFFILIATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, COMMITTEES
We continued our affiliations with the Ports Association of Louisiana (PAL) https://www.portsoflouisiana.org/, Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA) http://www.lidea.org/, Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA) http://www.gicaonline.com/, National Waterways Conference (NWC) https://waterways.org/, Gulf Ports Association of the Americas (GPAA) http://gulfportsaa.com/, International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE) https://www.iampe.org/and Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals (IRPT) https://www.irpt.net/. We continued to attend virtual monthly meetings, conferences, webinars, and educational programs with these groups.
IAMPE’s Inland Maritime Executive program was hosted by the Port of Morgan City in the EOC Command Center in association with the Inland Rivers Port and Terminal Association. The IAMPE is a not-for-profit industry association that provides professional development for port and terminal managers and executives. The Association offers professional and accredited programs in Coastal and Inland Port Management and Executive Management, as well as certification programs for Marine Terminal Operator and IMDG/Hazardous Awareness.
Mac Wade, Tori Henry and Cindy Cutrera participated and received professional industry certifications. Ten agencies (all IRPT members) from OK, TX, IL, ME, MS, and LA participated.
Port staff continued to serve on committees and as officers in these organizations and with other groups:
Ma Mac Wade serves on Louisiana Transportation Research Center Project Review Committee which provides services to DOTD and others in the transportation community.
Mac also serves on the Higher Education Maritime Campus Consortium Task Force Maritime Advisory Board. Senate Concurrent Resolution Number 92 of the 2019 Regular Louisiana Legislative Session, created the task force to study the needs and opportunities relative to the creation of a maritime campus and center and make recommendations regarding its establishment, operation, and cross-system collaboration.
· Cindy Cutrera, the port’s Economic Development Manager, is currently serving on the Executive Committee as Chair of Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals (IRPT).
Utilizing telephone conferences, virtual meetings and occasional in-person meetings, we continued to remain engaged with regional groups such as South Central Industrial Association (SCIA), Bayou Industrial Group (BIG), and U. S. Coast Guard maritime security groups and with state and federal groups such as Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Governor’s Advisory Commission to CPRA, and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Technical Committee and Task Force and others.
TRAINING
Port staff participates in numerous trainings during the year, some required and some voluntary. We are required to complete Ethics and Sexual Harassment Training by the State of Louisiana. We are also required to participate in quarterly Port Security Trainings and Drills.
In June TSA facilitated a facility security tabletop exercise for the Port of Morgan City area. Over 60 people were in attendance and 25 agencies participated.
IT TAKES A TEAM
The Port of Morgan City’s top priority continues to be to provide a consistent, navigable channel 20 feet deep by 400 feet wide to service industry with a bigger voice through stakeholder participation. No one can tell our story better than our stakeholders!
We will continue to support economic development within our Port District, promote 100% beneficial use of Dredge material, and reinvest in our community through grant funding and other awards.
If you want to hear more about any of the topics discussed in this report, or if you encounter any problems in the channel, stop by for a visit or give us a call at 985-384-0850.
Communication is critical! We want to hear from you!
You can also visit our website at http://www.portofmc.com/ or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/portofmc/ for more information.
We look forward to our growing partnership with you during the coming year!
Raymond M. “Mac” Wade
Port of Morgan City
Executive Director