U.S. Maritime Industry Will Not Oppose Jones Act Waivers to Move Petroleum to the Northeast Affected by Hurricane Sandy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Please see the letter below from the American Maritime Partnership to President Obama that the U.S. Maritime Industry will not oppose waivers that are necessary to facilitate the delivery of petroleum products into the regions affected by Hurricane Sandy:
November 2, 2012
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The domestic maritime industry stands by ready to help in any way as our nation responds to the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Nothing is more important right now than the safety and security of our fellow Americans.
Today our industry is working around the clock responding to this emergency. There is nothing new about that. The emergency response to every national disaster near water involves the active participation of our nation's domestic maritime industry. To give just one of many examples, American vessels transported nearly 500,000 individuals away from lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001, a response that has been called "the greatest sea evacuation in history, larger than the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II ..."
We are similarly committed to doing everything possible to assist the response to this disaster. Our industry is already actively facilitating the movement of petroleum and other products in the Northeast. A fleet of American vessels are standing by ready to assist as harbors and terminals reopen. We are not aware of any circumstances where American vessels have not been available to meet transportation needs. However, in certain circumstances existing law permits the granting of Jones Act waivers when no American vessels are available. In those circumstances, we will not oppose waivers that are necessary to facilitate delivery of petroleum products into the regions affected by Hurricane Sandy. That has been our position in previous similar national emergencies, and that is our position today.
Thank you. We stand by ready to help in any way.
Sincerely,
The American Maritime Partnership
cc: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
Energy Secretary Steven Chu
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Board of Directors
Jim Adams
Offshore Marine Service
Association
Thomas Allegretti
The American Waterways
Operators
Chris Coakley
Saltchuk Resources, Inc.
James Henry
Transportation Institute
Barry Holliday
Dredging Contractors of
America
Rob Kurz
American Petroleum Tankers
Kevin O'Rourke
Matson Navigation Company
Brenda Otterson
American Maritime Officers
Service
Matthew Paxton
Shipbuilders Council of
America
Michael Roberts
Crowley Maritime Corporation
Eric Smith
Overseas Shipholding Group
Jim Weakley
Lake Carriers' Association
Matt Woodruff
Kirby Corporation
Bob Zuckerman
Horizon Lines
SOURCE American Maritime Partnership
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