The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) is an independent, not-for-profit association focused on global trade.

PMSA News

JOC Op/Ed - The West Coast Hangover

The State of the Port Environment

A New View on Air Quality At The Port

When Recession Ends, Will Container Ships Come Back to Seattle and Tacoma?

Clean Trucks and Hot Air

An Ideal Industry No More

Salt Pond Development A Real Threat to Redwood City's Port - By Mike Jacob

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) is an independent, not-for-profit association focused on global trade.

PMSA's Blog Corner

Greater environmental risk:  tennis shoes or crude oil?

By Capt. Michael Moore 

February 12, 2010 

It’s good to see that the news media is shining some light on the issue of paying for a standby tug at NeahBay.  (See Kitsap Sun coverage below). 

The tug’s purpose is to prevent a catastrophic oil spill that could result from a disabled ship grounding along the WashingtonCoast or in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Under state law, companies that operate large vessels in the strait have to share in the costs of paying for a stand-by tug to help prevent an oil spill by a drift grounding.

That’s fine.  The fairest way to allocate tug costs would seem to be on the basis of how much oil is carried on ships navigating the strait.  Vessel operators should pay on the basis of how much oil is moved through the strait on their ships.  It’s oil that poses a risk, not tennis shoes (or other consumer goods).  Cargo ships carry about 20% of the oil (as fuel), tankers about 80% of the oil (as cargo and fuel).  It seems that a fair share is pretty straight forward.

Click here to read the entire blog.

Welcome to PMSA

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) is an independent, not-for-profit association focused on global trade. PMSA operates offices in San Francisco, Long Beach and Seattle, and represents owners and operators of marine terminals and U.S. and foreign vessels operating throughout the world.

On behalf of its members, PMSA engages in community affairs and legislative and regulatory affairs in California and Washington state.  PMSA provides members with information services, including regular updates on matters of interest to the shipping industry.  It also serves as a clearinghouse for environmental practices across the industry.

PMSA Annual Luncheon - Crowne Plaza Hotel San Pedro - April 6, 2010

The Keynote Speaker will be Senator and Lt. Governor Appointee Abel Maldonado

Registration is now OPEN! To register, click HERE

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