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Vol. 2, No. 2, October 2017
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For future sustainability, it is necessary to deepen the port’s shipping channel to remain competitive. The port is planning to increase its depth from 42 to 52 feet.
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Port of Brownsville Infrastructure Development will Strengthen its Position
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Port of Brownsville, located on the U.S.-Mexican border, is embarking on a $250 million infrastructure project that will deepen the port’s channel to 52 feet. The added depth is needed to keep Brownsville competitive and growing.
The Port of Brownsville in Brownsville, Texas, perched on the U.S.-Mexican borders, has deep interest in the flourishing trade between the United States and Mexico, and beyond in Central America, with the port having evolved to become a major trade channel between Texas and Mexico.
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Photo courtesy of Mission EDC
From left to right:
Jody Tittle, Mission EDC Board Vice President; Daniel Silva, Mission EDC COO; Richard Hernandez, Mission EDC Board Secretary; Eduardo A. Campirano Port Director and CEO; Alex Meade, Mission EDC CEO; Linda Requenez, Mission EDC Treasurer; Catherine Garcia, Mission EDC Board Member; Ruben Plata, Mission EDC Board Member and Mission City Councilman.
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BND Commits to Regional Economic Development
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In its ongoing commitment to job creation and regional economic growth, the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mission Economic Development Corporation to collaborate on international trade opportunities with Mexico and other development projects. Through this alliance, both entities will work to connect and grow business between the Mission Business Park and the Port of Brownsville.
“The Port of Brownsville is one of the largest economic engines in the Rio Grande Valley,” said John Wood, BND Chairman. “As a link to the global marketplace, the port is well-positioned to assist in regional economic development. This agreement with Mission EDC further enhances our pledge to assist where we can to affect positive change for the Valley and its residents.”
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$400 Million Shipbuilding Contract Finalized
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A $400 million contract between Honolulu-based Pasha Hawaii and Keppel AmFELS has now been finalized and as a result, two new Liquefied Natural Gas-fueled container ships will be built at the Port of Brownsville.
Eduardo A. Campirano, port director and CEO of the Port of Brownsville, announced the news at a Rio South Texas Economic Council meeting. He said 700 new jobs would be created. Campirano also gave an update about a natural gas pipeline coming into the Rio Grande Valley, liquefied natural gas terminals at the port, and SpaceX.
“I am delighted to say that the contracts were signed and contractors are on site starting the production expansion for those facilities. The Valley is going to be in the shipbuilding business in a big way,” Campirano said.
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A truck driver from EMR receives a lunch bag with snacks and other items Wednesday, September 13, during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
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Truck drivers at the Port of Brownsville were recognized for the significant role they play in the country’s economy during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 10-16.
During the week-long event, the port gifted 500 lunch bags to truck drivers entering the port. The lunch bags were filled with snacks and other items courtesy of International Shipbreaking Ltd. and the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority.
“This year, the Port of Brownsville is on track to see almost 90,000 truck movements,” said John Wood, Brownsville Navigation District chairman. “Our nation’s truck drivers deliver all of life’s essential goods like food and clothing as well as cargo used to build the infrastructure in our communities. And, U.S. ports are a dominant transfer point of those commodities and goods.”
According to the American Trucking Association, there are more than 3.5 million professional truck drivers nationwide. These professional men and women log close to 724 billion miles annually and last year, delivered nearly 70 percent of the U.S. freight tonnage – or 10.55 billion tons. Eighty percent of U.S. communities depend solely on the trucking industry for their goods and commodities.
In 2016, the Port of Brownsville recorded more than 81,000 truck movements in and out of the port.
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Patty Gonzales, Director of Communications, hands out an insulated lunch bag with snacks and other items to a truck driver at the Foust Road gate Wednesday September 13.
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Port staff wore red bandanas on "Red Out for Rail Safety" day Friday, September 29, in support of rail safety awareness.
Below:
Norma Torres, President and COO of BRG, and port Police Chief Carlos Garcia participated in "Operation Clear Track" Tuesday, September 26.
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Promoting Rail Safety Awareness
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In support of rail safety awareness, the Port of Brownsville and BRG/OmniTRAX observed the first national Rail Safety Week, September 24-30.
The event raises awareness across the United States of the need for rail safety education and encourages the general public to keep themselves safe near highway-rail grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way.
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BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Secretary
Commissioner
Commissioner
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PORT OF BROWNSVILLE ADMINISTRATION
Port Director & CEO
Contact Us:
Ph:
956.831.4592 / 800.378.5395
Fax:
956.831.5006
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PORT DIRECTORY
Check out the 2017 Port of Brownsville Directory and find out
why the Port of Brownsville is
the port that
works.
To request a copy of the directory, call (956) 831-4592 or email:
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October 6
National Manufacturing Day
October 9
Columbus Day
October 11
BND Board Meeting
October 17-19
October 18
BND Board Meeting
October 22-25
October 31
Halloween
November 1
All Saints Day
BND Board Meeting
November 2
All Souls Day
November 5
Daylight Saving Time ends- Turn clocks back one hour
November 6-9
AAPA Latin American Congress of Ports-Uruguay
November 7
Election Day
November 11
Veteran's Day -
Port offices closed Friday, November 10
November 15
BND Board Meeting
November 23
Thanksgiving Day -
Port offices closed Nov. 23-24
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Vessel Seeks Safe Harbor During Harvey
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At least one vessel affected by Hurricane Harvey sought safe harbor at the Port of Brownsville after the storm impacted the Texas Gulf Coast in late August.
The Gerry Bordelon, an offshore supply vessel, was docked at Port Aransas when Harvey made landfall August 25, just north of Corpus Christi. The Bordelon lost its moorings and was washed out to sea by the storm, suffering damage. The vessel was forced to seek safe harbor at the Port of Brownsville.
The Bordelon arrived at the Brownsville Ship Channel on August 26, and berthed at Dock 4 for repairs. The vessel departed on August 29, after repairs were made.
Port Responds to Hurricane Threat
The Port of Brownsville entered Hurricane Condition III – Imminent Storm Preparation, on Tuesday, August 22, as Hurricane Harvey approached the South Texas coast, and advised all port tenants to make necessary preparations for the potentially hazardous weather event.
The port also activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor the storm’s progress and provide updates and alerts to port staff and tenants. The department of Facilities Maintenance also distributed more than 500 sand bags to port tenants and secured the facilities, which includes sheds and equipment.
Effective 12 a.m. Friday, August 25, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Commander Tony Hahn, set the ports along the coast under condition ZULU, suspending all vessel traffic at the Brownsville Ship Channel. As the severity of the storm shifted north of Brownsville, the Captain of the Port authorized the resumption of normal maritime traffic in the Brownsville Ship Channel at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 26. Routine port operations resumed after the U.S. Coast Guard inspected the ship channel and deemed it safe for normal activities.
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