Meeting with the Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals Association (IRPT)

Visit to New Orleans
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

We were pleased to join the Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals Association (IRPT) for a breakfast meeting in New Orleans that included a gathering of the local Merchant Marine Academy Alumni. Our thanks to IRPT President Jerry Sailors and Secretary/Treasurer Ned Peak for the opportunity to discuss our mutual issues and partnerships.

RADM Mary Landry, our Eighth District Commander, provided comments and I followed. We then took questions from the membership.

Items discussed during breakfast and the Q&A included the pending Towing Vessel Rulemaking by the Coast Guard, recent IMO agenda items (ballast water, air emissions), the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal fish barrier, hurricane flood gate protection being built in and around New Orleans, our Inland Towing Center of Expertise in Paducah, KY, and hurricane sortie procedures for tugs and barges in the Industrial Canal.

Thanks to IRPT and the USMMA Alums for a great morning.

ADM A