Govt moves to allow oil tankers in North East

Maritime News
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Friday temporarily waived a maritime rule to allow foreign oil tankers coming from the Gulf of Mexico to enter Northeastern ports to help ease a fuel shortage in the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.

Napolitano waived - until Nov. 13 - the Jones Act. This law prohibits international cargo ships from transporting oil and other cargo between U.S. ports until Nov. 13.

“The administration’s highest priority is ensuring the health and safety of those impacted by Hurricane Sandy and this waiver will remove a potential obstacle to bringing additional fuel to the storm damaged region,” Napolitano said in a statement.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said the secretary’s decision to waive the rules is part of a broad effort to bring more fuel into New Jersey and New York as recovery efforts continue in the wake of the storm that knocked out power to parts of Manhattan and left in its wake devastating destruction across the New Jersey shoreline.

Area residents have been struggling to find gas stations with power. At stations with power, residents have faced miles-long lines and dwindling supplies.

It is unclear how many foreign tankers may bring oil to the Northeast or how much fuel could be brought in under the waiver.

The Jones Act became a point of contention during the 2010 Gulf oil spill as critics of the law suggested it prohibited foreign-flagged ships from heading to the area to help clean up the massive spill. Coast Guard and other officials at the time dismissed such criticisms.

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Anybody surprised???

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Depressing but expected, problem is most civilians don’t understand the significance of the waiver.

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What is depressing is that probably 90% of the people in the U.S. that see that announcment, will say Jones Act? Is George Jones performing a concert or something, for a relief fund???

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Do you think the waivers are needed or are ports the bigger problem?

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Ports

I spent 09-11 in NY Harbor and the oil docks were almost never empty. There was always a couple dozen ships/ATBs at anchor. I’ve been running around the gulf since and the ports are even more congested. A week on the hook in Corpus is normal.

Even if that weren’t true, how much could you really get loaded and moved to NY from the Gulf in 11 days anyway?

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Needed? No, more advanced and new refining facilities yes!

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Instead of hiring foreign vessels why not use flagged ships and barges to move the oil/fuel. Wait probably could move even more fuel faster by truck or rail under these circumstances.

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Why not hire US flagged ships and barges to move oil/fuel to the north east. Wait here is another idea start using tanker trucks and tanker rail cars to move this fuel/oil to the north east. Under these circumstances probably move more this way faster than by ship/barge.

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If every tanker and barge is working, and not a single one is tied up then I say ok. If not, then it should not be allowed and its just another attempt by the government to undercut US Merchant Sailors.

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[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;87471]Anybody surprised???[/QUOTE]

I’m not. Jones Act waivers come early and often these days. Now, in this case, one could say it was necessary to help citizens and first responders. I don’t need to read the news, my family and colleagues up there have told me all about the gas lines that remind me of 1974 all over again, when we were gassing up my mom’s gargantuan station wagon in a Philly suburb.

However, there is still a restriction on deep draft vessels in NY-NJ as I write. I can see that play out on live AIS. So, I suspect that the lack of JA tonnage is not the enormous issue they’d have you think it is.

In fact, I think we can conclude that the holdups aren’t as much a lack of JA tonnage, as a lack of readiness on the part of shore facilities. Power is still out in some locations and the CG is still surveying for debris and shoaling. The Northeast just got a mule kick in the nads. It’s just now able to get to its knees, groaning.

But I’ll tell you one thing, the JA is under attack, and no matter who gets “selected” this coming Tuesday, you can count on a full court press to bring it to a whimpering end.

“It’s for the children!” (Whose? Chinese?)

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[QUOTE=catherder;87598]I’m not. Jones Act waivers come early and often these days. Now, in this case, one could say it was necessary to help citizens and first responders. I don’t need to read the news, my family and colleagues up there have told me all about the gas lines that remind me of 1974 all over again, when we were gassing up my mom’s gargantuan station wagon in a Philly suburb.

However, there is still a restriction on deep draft vessels in NY-NJ as I write. I can see that play out on live AIS. So, I suspect that the lack of JA tonnage is not the enormous issue they’d have you think it is.

In fact, I think we can conclude that the holdups aren’t as much a lack of JA tonnage, as a lack of readiness on the part of shore facilities. Power is still out in some locations and the CG is still surveying for debris and shoaling. The Northeast just got a mule kick in the nads. It’s just now able to get to its knees, groaning.

But I’ll tell you one thing, the JA is under attack, and no matter who gets “selected” this coming Tuesday, you can count on a full court press to bring it to a whimpering end.

“It’s for the children!” (Whose? Chinese?)[/QUOTE]

There is still no power at certain terminals and no power at certain drawbridges required to reach these terminals. My company has been unable to get any fuel off of the foreign ships. Three different loads have fallen through. We have been waiting two days to get into IMTT and KMI Carteret, with two units waiting with crews.

Many local mom and pop distribution terminals are closed indefinitely or rationing. Pace university is running on generator power and they pulled in a favor to truck in fuel from Pawling, NY, just to keep the heat on.

It’s getting bad out there and it will get worse before it gets any better.

Without Sandy we often have to wait, sometimes days for berths at terminals, especially IMTT.

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If a vessel gets Jones act waiver and the crew or any of them are foreign, do they get US taxed?
If not why not?

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[QUOTE=Mikey;87476]Do you think the waivers are needed or are ports the bigger problem?[/QUOTE]

Definitely ports/terminals.

Even if fuel is moving through the terminals around NY/NJ, are gas stations around the Metro area capable of pumping?