HOUSTON, Dec. 17, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Port Commission of The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) approved a $5 million multiyear service contract supporting its Houston Ship Channel and Beneficial Use Sites work, at its regular Dec. 16 meeting.
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MATTERS
(Agenda G1) The port commission approved awarding a contract to TCB Inc./Gahagan & Bryant Associates, Inc. (Joint Venture) for engineering and design services, construction management services, project coordination team representation, geotechnical services, surveying marsh management and other general assistance for the Houston Ship Channel and beneficial use sites for five years for $5 million. As the local sponsor for the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channels project to deepen and widen the Houston Ship Channel, the PHA has been intensely involved with all facets of the project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and will continue to be involved in future phases of the project. Ensuring that dredged material continues to be used in a beneficial manner is part of the PHA's commitment to environmental excellence.
OPERATIONS MATTERS
(Agenda K9) Commissioners approved advertising and receipt of proposals to purchase an optical character recognition (OCR) system for use at Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals for $2.2 million. The two terminals currently process an average of 4,000 container transactions per day through the truck processing gates at both facilities. All container and chassis IDs are obtained through a system of cameras and voice communications and typed by each terminal's clerical staff into the operating system for inventory update and validation of moves. OCR systems employ digital imaging and OCR technologies to automatically read equipment IDs on containers, chassis and truck license plates at the gate. Integration of OCR into the gate process will improve trucker efficiencies and reduce turn times, eliminate mistakes with data entry and reduce idling time for trucks.
SECURITY MATTERS
(Agenda K10) Commissioners approved advertising and receipt of proposals to purchase Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) readers and associated equipment and software licenses for the Turning Basin and Barbours Cut terminals. The equipment will assist in addressing the requirement of the TWIC implementation currently scheduled to be on April 14, 2009. It is designed to read the TWIC and download the individual's information into the PHA access control system and allow PHA to give that individual access into the PHA's restricted areas. New equipment required includes four desktop readers and two portable readers. The TWIC aims to ensure that individuals who pose a threat do not gain unescorted access to restricted areas of the nation's maritime transportation system.
This news release is not a substitute for the official PHA agenda. To view the complete agenda, please visit: http://portofhouston.com/publicrelations/meetings.html
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 7,700 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in overall total tonnage. The port authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. PHA is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification for Port Police and the perimeter security operations at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
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