Organization InformationNews Releases
Friday, September 03, 2010 - JINII Registration Information Posted
The JINII conference, in conjunction with FMMS 2010, will be held, Thursday, September 16, 2010 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center . Virginia Beach, VA, 1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. The Draft 2010 JINII Agenda will give you an idea for the topics for discussion. Please use JINII Registration Form for subject registration: Registration fees will be $40 which will include lunch You may submit registration via mail/fax to: ASNE . 1452 Duke Street . Alexandria . VA 22314 Phone: (703) 836-6727 . Fax: (703) 836-7491 or E-mail: registrations@navalengineers.org You may also register online at: http://www.asne-tw.org/asne/FMMS10 and follow the link to JINII Registration under "Breaking News" Also provided in the above link you will find information for FMMS 2010 lodging: Doubletree Hotel Virginia Beach 1900 Pavilion Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23451 757-422-8900 Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront 3001 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, VA 23451 757-213-3000 Additional lodging information may be found by following the Visitor Guide link on the ASNE link above.
Friday, August 27, 2010 - Preliminary FY-12 Standard Items Posted
The results of the 2010 SSRAC Meeting have been posted on the SSRAC website for review and comment in accordance with SSRAC milestones. Results include preliminary FY-12 Standard Items (SIs) and SSRAC-responsible Standard Work Templates (SWTs) 077-001 and 992-031, as well as Appendix 4-E to the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (JFMM) Volume VII, Chapter 4. Also, indexes of Category I and Category II Standard Items by "trade" were added to the website. These documents are PRELIMINARY and are not intended for immediate distribution or invocation, nor do they authorize any change in terms, conditions, delivery schedule, price, or amount of any existing Government contract. Visit http://www.sermc.surfor.navy.mil/ssrac1/whatsnew.htm and click the links to view the items. If you don't see the files, "refresh" your browser and try again. Please review these products and provide any comments you may have NLT 27 SEP 2010, using the 2010 Preliminary Review Comment Form (also available on the website). COMMENTS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED USING THIS FORM. Comments must relate only to proposals considered at the 2010 SSRAC Meeting and the resulting actions. Comments relating to subjects not reviewed by the subcommittees will be rejected back to the author for submission for the 2011 SSRAC Meeting. Only those SIs reviewed and/or changed have been posted. Changes or additions are identified by showing added or changed verbiage in bold Italics. Deletions are identified by a vertical line in the right-hand margin beside the deletion. New or completely revised SIs are identified by a vertical line in the right-hand margin beside the ITEM NO, DATE, and CATEGORY lines. NOTE: An item with a 30 JUL 2010 date but no visible changes indicates that the item was reviewed but no changes were made. Please complete, attach, and e-mail comment forms to linda.mayle@navy.mil or ssrac@navy.mil. Linda D. Mayle NAVSEA SSRAC Program Asst Coordinator SERMC Standards Program Manager Code 106C Ph: 904-270-5593/904-270-5126 Ext. 3239 linda.mayle@navy.mil
Friday, August 27, 2010 - SCA Weekly Round-Up ... 8/27/2010
Jones Act and the Gulf Oil Spill News
The American maritime industry remains committed to cleaning up the Gulf Oil Spill. Although the DeepWater Horizon well has been capped, there is still more work to be done to clean up the estimated 1 million barrels of oil remaining in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite some reports, the Jones Act has not hindered the efforts of foreign oil skimmers in the clean-up
E&E News PM (08/26/2010) Katie Howell, E&E reporter
The Obama administration's ban on deepwater drilling is no longer necessary, a bipartisan think tank told the presidential commission investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill today.
New equipment testing and environmental rules imposed since the disaster began in late April reduce the risk of another uncontrolled spill, a task force set up by the Bipartisan Policy Center said in a report prepared for the presidential commission.
The group also praised the industry's joint effort to develop a containment system that could be deployed quickly after a spill. And it said the federal government and industry alike have developed "considerable knowledge and physical infrastructure to respond to deepwater incidents" as a result of the current spill.
Click here
An action item of the Joint Industry/Navy Improvement Initiatives was to explain to industry why the requirements for aluminum welding had gotten so stringent. Industry observed that these requirements were adding significant cost. The Navy produced a point paper explaining how things had evolved. Essentially, the Navy studied repeated cracking in CG 47 Class aluminum superstructures. Aluminum sensitization was leading to repeated failures that were deemed to be avoidable if repairs were conducted differently. This led to a series of changes to procedures and inspections. That results in an increase in cost of repair but is expected to result in a repair that will not crack again, thus saving cost overall.
The Navy's paper is available
ADM Harvey has announced the elimination of the continuous maintenance availabilities. This move could potentially add a lot more discipline and structure. Read about it
While catching up on some of my reading, I stumbled across this article in NDIA's National Defense Magazine. It's titled "To Defeat Today's Threats, the Pentagon Needs Innovative 'Mid-Tier' Contractors." That would be us. Thought you might find it interesting.
HERE.HERE.HEREHEREto read the report.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - SCA WeeklyRound-Up ... 8/20/2010
REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE!!
The Fall SCA Membership Meeting will be held
October 11-13 in Norfolk, VA
To book your accommodations online please register HERE.
If you prefer to register over the phone, please call 1-888-627-8042 and ask for the
Shipbuilders Council of America room block.
Please be sure to register before September 11, 2010.
A draft copy of the meeting's agenda can be found HERE
October 11-13 in Norfolk, VA
To book your accommodations online please register HERE.
If you prefer to register over the phone, please call 1-888-627-8042 and ask for the
Shipbuilders Council of America room block.
Please be sure to register before September 11, 2010.
A draft copy of the meeting's agenda can be found HERE
Jones Act and the Gulf Oil Spill News
Jones Act Could End Moratorium
Tri-Parish Times, August 18, 2010
To continue reading, click HERE
Salazar puts new brakes on deepwater drilling
Marine Log
August 17, 2010
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM) Director Michael R. Bromwich appear to have taken another step to slow the pace of offshore deepwater drilling activity. They announced that the department will restrict its use of categorical exclusions for offshore oil and gas development to activities involving limited environmental risk, while it undertakes a comprehensive review of its National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process and the use of categorical exclusions for exploration and drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf.
For full article click HERE
Oil Rigs’ Safety Net Questioned as Governments Rely on Private Inspections
Washington Post
August 15, 2010
To ensure that oil rigs, tankers and other commercial ships are in safe operating condition, governments around the world, including the U.S. government, often rely on inspections by private firms that are hired and paid by the vessels' owners.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 - Surface Fleet Reorganization - CLASSRONs Will Go
Surface fleet shuffle Latest reorganization would dump classrons in favor of readiness command
Stories by Philip Ewing
pewing@militarytimes.com
Sailors should stand by for another reorganization of the surface force as Big Navy plans a new set of bureaucratic changes it hopes will help set the fleet right after years of slowly degrading readiness, a top admiral said July 28.
Specifically, the “class squadrons,” a centerpiece of the Navy’s attempt at corporate-style “enterprise” man-agement, likely will be replaced by some kind of major “readiness” command, according to written testimony submitted to Congress by Adm. John Harvey, head of Fleet Forces Command.
Details for the new arrangements aren’t clear — Harvey did not elaborate in his discussion with law-makers, and he declined to take questions from reporters after the House Armed Services Committee hearing. A spokeswoman did not have specifics as of press time.
What is clear is that Harvey and the fleet are acting on some of the recommendations of the independent review panel that Harvey charged with assessing the state of the surface force. One of the panel’s key findings was that the Navy’s abstruse layers of oversight make it difficult for crews to understand which command is responsible for which aspects of what they do. Eliminating the classrons might make things simpler, Harvey wrote.
The fleet will “clear lines of authority and accountability” for ship manning, training, equipping and maintenance issues, according to Harvey’s written testimony. “Specific corrective actions include establishing clear and unambiguous type com-mander accountability ...
and standing down classrons and transferring manpower/functions to a readiness [immediate superior in command], afloat training group and type commander as appropriate.”
Classron autopsy
This death knell for the classrons seems to be a concession they did not succeed as clearinghouses for maintenance and expertise. Initially, the Navy wanted offices whose job was to accrue information on all the issues specific to the ship classes. In 2008, for example, the mine countermeasures classron ordered structural changes for all 14 ships after two of them suffered fires caused by leaky engine exhaust. Last year, the frigate classron hosted an international symposium for all the navies that operate variants of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, so commanders could share tips on how each of them run their ships.
This notion was part of the wider Surface Warfare Enterprise, with warships as “products” to be “delivered” to “customers,” the operational bosses who assign them real-world missions. But according to the fleet review panel, this “enterprise” is so complicated that few people understand it. Bottom line: This dense bureaucracy means sailors have trouble keeping ships ready.
“The fleet review panel has observed confusion and frustration throughout the surface force, including at the unit level, concerning the authority and responsibility of classrons, ISICs and type commanders. From commanding officers to chief petty officers, it was unclear who is responsible and accountable to deliver surface force readiness,” the report stated.
To solve this problem, the panel recommended standing up a new readiness command that would consolidate all the surface force’s disparate responsibilities — to “maintain, equip, train, man and administer” the fleet — and centralize authority, funding and responsibility. This recommendation jibes with the “readiness ISIC” mentioned in Harvey’s writ-ten testimony.
Big Navy is also counting on a new, beefed-up version of the small office charged with making sure ships serve for their entire design lives. The newly renamed Surface Ship Maintenance Engineering, Planning and Procurement Activity will help the surface force catch up with the nuclear Navy, which is much better at keeping its carriers and submarines in good shape, said Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy, head of Naval Sea Systems Command.
McCoy cited the attack submarines Philadelphia and Los Angeles, both decommissioned earlier this year. Those boats left the fleet in better shape than they entered it 33 years before, he said, because engineers knew exactly what maintenance they needed to stay in top condition — and made sure the ships got it.
“For the past two years, we have been working on just that and putting that in place for the surface force — because budgets are no good and budget problems tend to impact those who have the least data [on ship maintenance] the most. And so, in fact, because we have not had the technical underpinning of, ‘What should a selected restricted availability on a DDG 51 [include]? What work should be done to get the ship to its full design life?’ When budget times got hard, because we didn’t have the under-pinning, we cut it, and there was no impact to that because we didn’t have the fidelity.” SURFMEPP will likely become a sort of super-classron, using detailed engineering surveys of warships to inform the kinds of regular, deep repairs that ships need to prolong their service lives.
A two-year plan
Overall, Harvey said, the Navy can reverse the problems that have troubled the surface force in about two years, provided it can get the funding it needs and put in place the changes it now has it the works.
He told lawmakers that the fleet would put a new priority on maintenance money, which it has low-balled in the past — including to such a point last year that the fleet had to briefly postpone yard work for some ships.
Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., asked who would be responsible for ensuring all the tasks ahead for the surface force were carried out.
“Sir, the answer to that one’s pretty easy,” Harvey said. “I am responsible. It is my job to ensure the readiness of the surface fleet. And if I can’t do it, I get moved out and they bring in somebody who can.”
Monday, August 09, 2010 - Jones Act Report ... 8/6/2010
Latest News: Critics have recently tried to blame the Jones Act for a delay in response to the Gulf oil spill clean-up. Responding to these misleading and inaccurate claims, those leading and coordinating the response as well as independent news organizations have said that the Jones Act is not preventing or delaying foreign vessels’ ability to assist with cleaning the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Jones Act mandates the use of American vessels and American workers in U.S. domestic maritime trade. However, it does not impede foreign oil skimmers from helping – in fact, many have assisted in the clean-up effort for the past several months.
In the news: Roll Call Newspaper reported that the U.S. maritime industry is going on the offensive to defend the Jones Act and that it protects thousands of well-paying American jobs. Click here to read more. (subscription required)
Monday, August 02, 2010 - Chris Abel Leads Troutman Maritime Practice Group
Troutman Sanders firm makes a sea change
Posted: July 30, 2010
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
The status quo and law firms are synonymous. So when a law firm makes a change, it is a noteworthy event, even though the change may seem slight or insignificant.
Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders announced last month that it has fine-tuned its Transportation practice.
Instead of one practice serving a spectrum of clients, Troutman Sanders has split its traditional Transportation practice into groups.
The newly renamed Transportation and Logistics practice group will be led by Washington, D.C., partner Charles Hunnicutt, and will be based in the nation's capital. The group advises clients about their multi-modal transportation needs, as well as about third-party logistics, and export and import compliance issues.
The other new practice group - Maritime Law and Government Contracts - will be led by partner Christopher Abel in Norfolk.
The group represents a spectrum of marine and government contracts issues before state and federal courts, the U.S. Congress and a variety of federal regulatory agencies.
In an interview, Abel explained in greater detail his group's responsibilities and scope.
"We have a number of government contract clients in Hampton Roads," he said. "We also have several of our maritime clients here, too. In some cases, there is a local component of a larger out-of-town client.
"For example, Perdue has a grain terminal in Chesapeake. So that part of Perdue's maritime operation is local, even though Perdue does maritime business around the world."
Abel's group is composed of nine attorneys whose primary practice area is Transportation and Government Contracts. Eight of them are in Hampton Roads.
"When you include those attorneys who practice in Maritime or Government Contracts as a secondary practice, our group's membership includes 26 attorneys, of which approximately a dozen are in Hampton Roads," Abel said.
The group handles a broad range of cases, from the purchase of multimillion-dollar yachts, to marine cargo issues, to oil spill cases, to a fatal recreational boating accident in Hampton on July 4.
"Creating a separate practice group lets us focus our resources and attention on the maritime and government contracts aspects of what we do, as opposed to being a discrete component of a more general practice group that included over-the-road, rail and air issues too," Abel said.
"Plus, it makes it much easier for our clients and potential clients to find us on the firm's website and in other advertising and marketing media.
The partners and the of counsel attorneys in the group include Mike Gardner, Dave Sump, John Holloway and Abel, he said.
Abel said admiralty or maritime law is very specialized. It has its own language, federal procedural rules and substantive law distinct from the law of any state.
"Precisely because it is so specialized, and because it requires a strong familiarity with and understanding of seamanship, the sea and the maritime industry generally, the admiralty bar is a relatively small slice of the legal community nationwide and certainly here in Hampton Roads," Abel said.
"Although not as arcane a legal specialty as admiralty and maritime law, much the same could be said of the government contracts practice, too."
Few attorneys practice only maritime law, Abel said.
"What is just as common in our market is for maritime attorneys to have another practice area that supplements their admiralty work," he said.
"Virtually all of us in our practice group routinely handle matters in areas of the law other than admiralty and maritime work, although there often is a 'wet' component or aspect to that other work that we do."
Abel, 53, is a former (not ancient) mariner. His office is cluttered with clues to his background, a model of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter that he built, a photograph of another cutter when he was stationed in the Coast Guard in Puerto Rico and a wall plastered with diplomas.
While with the Coast Guard, Abel managed to finish a master's degree in international relations from Old Dominion University and a law degree from the College of William and Mary.
He has commanded ships and prosecuted murderers and rapists for the U.S. Navy.
But Abel decided his future was elsewhere than the military, so he departed the Coast Guard four years before he could retire.
"I loved my time with the Coast Guard," but he said it was time to go. He was 38. He could have retired when he turned 42.
His entire world had been the military, which guided him and told him what to do. So when he joined the private sector, he was astonished by the fact he could make his own decisions.
"The biggest adjustment was the degree of control over your own life," Abel said, describing his transition to civilian life.
He said the transition was liberating.
"At the end of the day, I made my choice," Abel said.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - OPSAIL 2012 - PLANNING BEGINS
Operation Sail 2012 and the United States Navy Announce
Norfolk and the Port of Hampton Roads to Host Star-Spangled Banner and
War of 1812 Bicentennial Celebrations
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Operation Sail, Inc. (OpSail) and the U.S. Navy announce the participation of five historic U. S. ports in the forthcoming 2012 events that will commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the birth of The Star-Spangled Banner. The ports include New Orleans, Norfolk/Hampton Roads, Baltimore, and Boston. Events in 2012 will also include New York City's Fleet Week.
OpSail and the U. S. Navy will bring tall ships, naval vessels, and the Blue Angels flight demonstration team to each port city, beginning in New Orleans in May 2012 and ending in Boston Harbor on July 4, 2012.
Norfolk and the Port of Hampton Roads will host the OpSail flotilla from June 6-11, 2012, in conjunction with Norfolk's annual Harborfest celebration.
"As home to the largest Naval Base in the world and site where many of the battles of the War of 1812 were fought, Norfolk and the Port of Hampton Roads are particularly honored to host this event that recognizes the history of our U. S. Navy", said Paul D. Fraim, Mayor of Norfolk. "We understand and appreciate the significance of maritime history and events like OpSail that are tremendous opportunities to educate and enlighten our citizens, especially our youth, about our history and the importance of our military forces."
Jose Fuentes, Chairman of Operation Sail 2012, remarked that "The collaborative effort between OpSail, the U.S. Navy and mayors of each of the port cities will prove fruitful to our overall mission. OpSail 2012 will be yet another extraordinary celebration that our nation can add to its long history of proud American commemorations."
"Working in conjunction with OpSail enables the U.S. Navy to showcase the men and women who currently serve our country," said Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, Vice Chief of Naval Operations. "By infusing our fleet with the flotilla of tall ships, along with the rich history of the participant cities, we bring America's historic beginnings into the context of a new millennium."
OpSail has hosted five Fourth of July Parades of Sail in New York Harbor. These have taken place in 1964, in commemoration of the World's Fair; in 1976, the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; in 1986, to mark the centennial of the Statue of Liberty; in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in America and on July 4, 2000, in celebration of the new millennium.
Norfolk has hosted several major tall ship events since 1964. The most recent, Sail Virginia 2007, commemorated the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Landing. OpSail 2000 Virginia, which Norfolk organized on behalf of the port of Hampton Roads, took place in celebration of the new millennium. "OpSail 2000 marked the first occasion that the national organization Operation Sail, Inc., partnered with ports outside New York City," said Karen Scherberger, Executive Director of Norfolk Festevents, the local organizing body for the 2012 event. "It was a tremendous honor to be selected by OpSail, Inc. for the 2000 event and to share the national stage with New York and the other selected ports. To be invited twelve years later by OpSail, Inc., and the U. S. Navy to host the 2012 program reconfirms the Port of Virginia's strength and ability to host such events of national and international significance."
OpSail events incorporate stops at key historic ports along the east coast to showcase tall ships and warships from around the world. The OpSail 2012 bicentennial celebration will consist of New Orleans, Norfolk/Hampton Roads, Baltimore, and Boston. The New York event will coincide with Fleet Week. Previous OpSail events contributed to the economy of participating port cities through increased hotel bookings, restaurant reservations, sales and new infrastructure. OpSail events historically attract significant national and international coverage in the media.
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About Operation Sail, Inc.
Operation Sail, Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1961 with the endorsement of President John F. Kennedy. Backed by a Joint Congressional Resolution, its mission is to advance sail training and promote goodwill among nations. To date, it has held five international sailing events-in 1964, 1976, 1986, 1992 and 2000-each tied to a landmark historical event and each culminating in a traditional Parade of Sail in New York Harbor. For more information, please visit www.opsail.org.
About the United States Navy
The U. S. Navy is the sea-service branch of the U. S. Armed Forces. The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. The United States Navy - A Global Force For Good, www.navy.mil, www.history.navy.mil
About Norfolk Festevents, Ltd.
Norfolk Festevents, Ltd. is a private not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing city celebrations including premier concerts, festivals, ship visits, and special events for the residents and guests of Hampton Roads. Celebrating its 28th season, Norfolk Festevents has garnered international acclaim for its outstanding quality of programming. Norfolk Festevents is the official event marketing and production agency for the City of Norfolk.
Monday, July 26, 2010 - Ventalation Procedures in Shipyard Employment
Friday, July 16, 2010 - New Norfolk Naval Shipyard Commander Named
Naval Sea Systems Command named a soon-to-be-one-star admiral, Capt. Gregory R. Thomas, as the next commander of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth on Thursday, two weeks after the previous commander was relieved. Thomas has commanded Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility since June 2007. In that role, he returned ships and submarines to duty on time and on budget and developed “He’s done a tremendous job out at Pearl. The Navy thinks that he’s the right man to come in here at Norfolk,” said Jeff Cunningham, a spokesman for the shipyard. The shipyard has not had a flag officer as its commander since 1994, he said. Its previous commander, Capt. William Kiestler, was removed after a series of events involving critical maintenance work not being performed according to procedure and a loss of awareness about the status of submarine repairs, the Navy has said. Thomas, a native of Portsmouth, received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at the United States Naval Academy in 1982. He later earned a master’s degree and doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He’s held several posts related to shipbuilding and maintenance, including a stint in the Navy’s submarine project office in Newport News. 
Soon-to-be admiral to lead Norfolk Naval Shipyard
He is tentatively set to assume command in early September, Cunningham said.
