[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386466,"mediaKeyId","2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b","parentId",2118076,"title","Pilots and ports urge action to restore Powlettown anchorage; Corps' authority disputed, costs estimated up to $350M","audioSeconds",420,"startMs",2490000,"endMs",2910000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b&start=2490&end=2910","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b/thumbnail_2490000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386466/Louisiana/Pilots-and-ports-urge-action-to-restore-Powlettown-anchorage-Corps-authority-disputed-costs-estimated-up-to-350M","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386466-ea6701fc490a85f4b58a67b7962f45ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202693&Signature=bxvbqvWk-rMGHK5wPm8AVbopqCs1REz79uILKdR2QrCB1KQXHrs3S8e-7yVq9ExZphu4H1wLqSaJJATTuPrD05G0oNzd8bmM8DQxXSr22Eh~8Oc9yNR-dmNVA-N2wc9z8IgrQP2c3GQptje5cUxXFQ53W7OA1Y6UjcS~~xKCytP--Ys1b3JyVrCU26bELd8J8DxPqiSOTYZav0WnHALfgmS0G9J1J3uLjTMLVg-1EhPMMzX2Bs4G1yCEjU669w-bb-xdcxqtRnZsni8ye6AJME6WMJ0FmR0Yz6edS1k7PBwosKPoECktMQRueQjE5UkPGC8mDgFjdHKWCHjaXdfTsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Joint - Louisiana Ports & Waterways Investment Commission","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","Pilots and navigation safety representatives told the commission that several anchorages on the lower Mississippi River have silted in and are now too shallow for modern deep‑draft vessels, creating a safety and commerce risk if a vessel were to ground in a narrow portion of the channel. Sean Duffy of the Big River Coalition described Powlettown Anchorage as severely shoaled and said that “if a vessel were to go aground there now, it would block the entire channel,” noting the 1989 closure that lasted 21 days.

Why it matters: anchorages allow vessels to wait for berths and manage traffic on the river; if anchorages become unusable, pilots may be forced to anchor in the channel and halt other traffic. The navigation task force warned that the length and width constraints of the low river make the problem worse for very large vessels and that the Powlettown condition is a systemic risk to commerce.

Authority and cost estimates: the task force reported a disagreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about whether the corps has statutory authority to dredge Coast Guard‑regulated anchorages. The working group cited the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, section 106, in support of their interpretation that the corps may have the authority; they said the corps has so far interpreted it differently. Cost estimates discussed during the meeting ranged from “at least $100,000,000” to fully restoring Powlettown to 50‑foot depths ($300–$350 million), but speakers said those were order‑of‑magnitude figures rather than firm bids.

State and local alternatives: commission members noted that the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and other state entities have dredging programs and could remove material beneficially for coastal restoration; the group discussed a CPRA plan to remove about 4.3 million cubic yards from passages connected to Southwest Pass for restoration use. Several commissioners urged exploring state or parish dredging and beneficial‑use opportunities so some work could proceed without waiting for a federal decision.

Next steps and requests: the navigation task force asked the commission to pursue a formal resolution and to seek congressional clarification that the corps has authority under WRDA 2020 section 106. The commission asked the working group to prepare a report within 30 days outlining the problem, estimated costs, which anchorages are priorities, legal interpretations about Corps authority, and recommended next steps so the commission could consider drafting a resolution for congressional or agency action.

Ending: Task‑force leaders and commissioners said they would coordinate quickly with CPRA and federal and congressional contacts while preparing the requested report.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Louisiana Ports & Waterways Investment Commission 01/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Pilots and navigation safety representatives told the commission that several anchorages on the lower Mississippi River have silted in and are now too shallow for modern deep‑draft vessels, creating a safety and commerce risk if a vessel were to ground in a narrow portion of the channel.","taxTitle","Joint Committee Meetings, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",77843,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386474,"DOTD: air-gap sensors being installed on six Mississippi River bridges; I‑10 relocation may finish by March",991,925000,1916000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b&start=925&end=1916","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b/thumbnail_925000.jpg","/articles/6386474/Louisiana/DOTD-air-gap-sensors-being-installed-on-six-Mississippi-River-bridges-I10-relocation-may-finish-by-March","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386474-c726d34651b56d50557490de377678d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202693&Signature=csJUcNBxKFe6Q4fGl5aY1sUQOXAnTv~adv-50opPABqkuBJrRFyFpIr-UC5CCxEVlWz9WYE9WGuAvQox17VAdu2mr4KZHiHbVdfvE9lhuVSTxRpiqmNwjfcgaQGSKAYf77MJTotCDFEU1wOfCD1Ye1aZ5nbLbt7dldH3u1EYo~E-G~oR-~gSHQW6Zb3aJ~IEMXGB2UmZWYx3GV2Kf71QH2HgSJ0F6nuZV5OZCFLx1hSNN24hMDjZziDb~Kny4weihD8DPm08sL26KBUkAGRRzK6K111QLbBWUkZSEbu-Fi40sRTpZii93xtkeC-vAEC~mzjhFjfG2tMMKU9YQkZj5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DOTD project manager Chris Collins told the Louisiana Ports and Waterways Interim Commission that the department has assumed the lead for installing PORTS (Physical Oceanographic Real Time System) air‑gap sensors and current meters on six bridges crossing the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. “PORTS is a decision support tool that improves the safety and efficiency of maritime commerce,” Collins said, describing the system’s role in providing real‑time navigation data to mariners.

Why it matters: pilots and tow operators use air‑gap and current information to calculate vessel clearance and loading; outages or incorrect readings can delay traffic and create costly interruptions. NOAA and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services will install and maintain much of the measurement equipment, DOTD said.

Collins said the program has a memorandum of understanding in place and that DOTD used drone video reconnaissance to speed site assessments. He said the first site (Project 1, the I‑10 bridge over the Mississippi) has the most advanced progress but required rework after NOAA re‑evaluated earlier assumptions. “For location number 1, we should get word soon that we may or may not have to build an additional structure,” Collins said; if no additional platform is needed, he said, installation could be nearly complete.

NOAA engineer Mary Anne Wesley confirmed the project’s public‑data design and explained how PORTS data are disseminated: “The data is completely public,” she said, noting NOAA transmits data by satellite to Amazon Web Services and through application programming interfaces used by pilot units and navigation tools. Wesley said NOAA recommends dual, redundant sensors on bridges so a single failure does not create an outage.

Timelines and risks: DOTD staff and a federal installation team still must complete site visits and produce detailed installation plans. Collins told commissioners that if new platforms must be designed and bid, a single bridge platform procurement could add “4 to 6 months” to the schedule; Big River Coalition representative Sean Duffy said the group is aiming for installations of all air‑gap sensors “by the end of 2026,” but emphasized that the I‑10 relocation could be done sooner if reinstallation of existing sensors is possible. Commissioners pressed for a firm deadline; DOTD agreed to provide a status update to the commission within two weeks after the scheduled site visits and to report a timeline for each bridge.

What remains unresolved: inventory of spare sensors and procurement timing for three planned current meters (including a buoy for Southwest Pass) were discussed but not finalized. DOTD emphasized that although it is leading and funding reconnaissance, the federal partners perform installation work and schedule, so some variables remain dependent on their availability.

Ending: Commissioners requested regular updates after the site visits and asked DOTD and NOAA to provide specific timelines and any items that would require additional state action or contracting.","The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) said work is underway to install PORTS air‑gap sensors and current meters on six bridges between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, with the I‑10 installation the furthest advanced. Federal partners and NOAA will perform final site visits before installations are scheduled.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386456,"LPWIC adopts minutes from Nov. 12, 2024; commission sets follow‑ups and new task forces",48,114000,162000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b&start=114&end=162","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b/thumbnail_114000.jpg","/articles/6386456/Louisiana/LPWIC-adopts-minutes-from-Nov-12-2024-commission-sets-followups-and-new-task-forces","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386456-a79056829a9e0f4fd51e14abd5ec282c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202693&Signature=Q77Z46uK263Si~BnHtqqk~0C2bzjYGa5b0bKlLkSRSPevQ-HlCMhQf5I~hHT0ZzqEFSDgsSd4Vv4tvr8Izx7sbfWIONdiNx0p8bJC9w-sXC5kLJ8iqjMV76USj5nxn9wHsS4Ax1cc0~UwreHMZXDI9waXNRp6Bva2wywX5KgvzaRLfjo3lRNf9nfp~gvSfpHafKz7s~6c17D0B~6e7sQchaq99~vB50uLdT1cxpi3QHbSy8ZZRSUJCLc7pnw0nKFlnGcslPML1wX6jabLGxue2lxk4YkhDgV9i5N~7l8GfDICULsFgeIQGg2XJjaArudBQ~66uUYsY72y02hheFYag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Louisiana Ports and Waterways Interim Commission adopted the minutes from its Nov. 12, 2024 meeting by voice vote during its meeting. The chair called for a motion to adopt the minutes; a motion and second were made and the commission approved the minutes by voice: “All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Okay. Ayes have it,” the chair said.

The commission reported that working groups have submitted project information for the statewide strategic plan, and staff are organizing and categorizing that data to prioritize projects in coordination with LED (Louisiana Economic Development) and DOTD. The chair and commissioners emphasized that the strategic plan should be completed before the end of the year and that projects need ranking to maximize statewide and regional economic benefit.

New task forces: commissioners announced two forthcoming task forces. The resiliency and sustainability task force will be co‑chaired by the Energy Institute representative who presented during the meeting and will coordinate with the EPA Clean Ports planning work. A deep‑draft port interconnectivity task force will be co‑chaired by Paul Matthews to examine rail, trucking and other intermodal connections among deep‑draft ports.

Follow‑ups and assignments: in addition to the specific instructions on air‑gap site visits and the working‑group 30‑day anchorages report, the commission asked staff to circulate minimum criteria for port plan submissions and to coordinate a schedule for the next meeting. The chair asked staff to send meeting dates and to introduce Anne Arrington, who will assist DOTD and the Office of Multimodal Commerce in working with ports and stakeholders.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to adopt minutes from Nov. 12, 2024 — outcome: adopted by voice vote (no roll‑call tally specified).
- Motion to adjourn — outcome: adopted by voice vote.

Ending: The commission adjourned after the announcements; staff will issue follow‑up emails and schedule the next meeting.","The commission adopted minutes from its Nov. 12, 2024 meeting and adjourned after setting new follow‑up assignments, including forming a resiliency and sustainability task force and a deep‑draft interconnectivity task force. The commission asked for follow‑up updates, including site‑by‑site air‑gap timelines and a 30‑day report on anchorages.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386462,"Louisiana awarded $3M EPA Clean Ports planning grant; universities to baseline emissions and resilience",985,3700000,4685000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b&start=3700&end=4685","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118076-8e4c5f7c1e7cabfffd2fcac4b1009d0b/thumbnail_3700000.jpg","/articles/6386462/Louisiana/Louisiana-awarded-3M-EPA-Clean-Ports-planning-grant-universities-to-baseline-emissions-and-resilience","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386462-2ffdd09921333b9bcf974f4bed586913/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202693&Signature=D0~UXMO0PkfJkt2AwJcg44V~Ms-lTkiR4rhf6G~VVRRlEaPD6aPTEEzBmh7oNoEjdkABY68H1qyt0-RuASzgPZ3vs8Nh3K5AGNyZ7uN0qn4Y5IxylG2EPb9uH772~a-efC-hhmsd~iOsNzXHa5BpR5OBfPDHI1oqkMMWIFS6rNn4W~p0dFI2mD7GSz64UrA1nKu~YVUHn5ltkTCogYmkVnRirvFlKgNPCVRTy~Gn-h9bVh2qPWeEhbARZt4VlU5AckZArpq6DaT0Kj0hRdXJBYTe17j7wdbnX7KA4A8eBaEKTzRa8W0AxWoxnW6ppKdIUj3DekhLU0m1lIo5NhLSZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Molly Burgoyne of the Office of Multimodal Commerce told the commission that Louisiana’s Clean Ports planning grant—awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—covers $3 million over three years and will fund a statewide baseline of port energy and emissions, resilience assessments and pilot planning. “The planning grant is structured to set you up to get an implementation grant,” Burgoyne said, explaining the grant’s role and that final award paperwork was signed at EPA though an official award email was still pending at the time of the meeting.

Why it matters: several commissioners and port representatives said a baseline inventory will be required for ports to qualify for future federal implementation grants and to make ports more competitive in markets that weigh shipping‑chain emissions. Burgoyne said the planning grant will not be a regulatory audit or a state enforcement action; instead, the plan is to work with each port to prepare voluntary, port‑specific implementation plans and to advise on technologies and funding.

Scope and partners: the Office of Multimodal Commerce will work with DOTD’s Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC), University of Louisiana Energy Institute (Dr. Zappia/Mark Zappi referenced), and other university partners to perform emissions inventories, energy audits, resiliency assessments (including distributed power and battery storage), and economic analyses. Burgoyne said the implementation grants previously sought by the state were larger—she referenced statewide implementation proposals in the hundreds of millions—but only the planning grant was awarded at this stage.

Commission and next steps: commissioners asked the team to coordinate with DEQ, LED and other state entities once contracts are finalized and to share project lists that overlap with ports’ submitted implementation projects. The commission’s resiliency and sustainability task force, which will be co‑chaired by a university energy expert, will coordinate with the Clean Ports project and with LED and DOTD programmatic efforts.

Ending: Burgoyne and university staff said they will provide the commission with the project PowerPoint and requested ports’ participation in the advisory and review panels as the planning work begins.","The Office of Multimodal Commerce and university partners will use a $3 million planning grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to inventory port energy use and emissions, advise ports on resilience and cleaner operations, and prepare ports for potential larger implementation funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pilots and ports urge action to restore Powlettown anchorage; Corps' authority disputed, costs estimated up to $350M

DOTD: air-gap sensors being installed on six Mississippi River bridges; I‑10 relocation may finish by March

LPWIC adopts minutes from Nov. 12, 2024; commission sets follow‑ups and new task forces

Louisiana awarded $3M EPA Clean Ports planning grant; universities to baseline emissions and resilience