MEDIA ADVISORY, Aug. 18, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) --
WHAT: Celebration to Mark Completion of Wider and Deeper Houston Ship Channel WHEN: Thursday, August 18, 2005 Program -- 1:30 p.m. Ceremonial boat departure -- 3:00 p.m. Boat return -- 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Barbours Cut Cruise Terminal 820 North L Street Morgan's Point, Texas 77572 Pier C-7 DIRECTIONS: From Highway 146 South, take the first exit (Barbours Cut Blvd.) and U-turn to head north along the feeder road. Remain on the feeder approximately 1/2 mile. Turn right into the entrance of Enterprise Products and signs will direct you to the cruise terminal. WHO: PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds; U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Representative Tom DeLay; U.S. Representative Gene Green; Brigadier General Jeffrey J. Dorko, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Captain Richard M. Kaser, U.S. Coast Guard, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels; Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia; Mayor Pro-Tem and Houston City Council Member Carol Alvarado; Berdon Lawrence, Kirby Corporation; Captain Michael Morris, Houston Pilots Association; Eddie Seidensticker, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Gene Autrey, Bay Houston Towing; PHA commissioners, executives, staff members. WHY: Improving safety in the face of growing vessel size was the primary goal of the officials who recognized the need for a deeper and wider Houston Ship Channel. Thus was born the project to widen the channel from 400 to 530 feet and to deepen it from 40 to 45 feet. With mounting traffic in the Channel, leaders recognized the need for additional capacity. As they worked to achieve these objectives competitiveness improved and jobs were added. As the Beneficial Uses Group (BUG, a sub-committee of the Corps' Interagency Coordinating Team) became involved project goals expanded once again to include reusing materials from Galveston Bay in Galveston Bay. The largest wetland creation effort of its kind in the nation, and one of the largest environmental initiatives to date, the BUG Plan is also one of the most successful. It took a strong coalition of federal, state and local officials to bring together all the necessary components to undertake this expansion. From streamlining the control of the Port of Houston Authority to providing funding to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local officials have worked hard for decades to make the project a reality today. AUDIO/ VISUALS: Prepared statements Chairman Edmonds, elected officials, maritime industry leaders. Ceremonial ribbon cutting aboard pilot vessel Bayou City. TV live shot arrangements available - 24-hour advance notice preferred.
DUE TO SECURITY RESTRICTIONS, MEDIA ACCESS WILL BE STRICTLY LIMITED TO THE DESIGNATED LOCATION. ALL MEDIA PERSONNEL MUST PRESENT CURRENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION UPON ENTRANCE.
The Port of Houston Authority
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 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. 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. 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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