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best practices, mitigating measures and regulations as to their effectiveness,” he said. “In anticipation of future growth, we’re looking ahead to the impacts of additional vessel traffi c. But at this time there have been no discus- sions about increasing existing regulations.” Lake Charles Pilots Invest in New Dispatch System Captain Brett Palmer, president of the Lake Charles Pi- lots Association, said with at least $70 billion in new LNG and petrochemical projects and expansions planned from the mouth of the Calcasieu up to Lake Charles, vessel traf- fi c will swell. “We’ll have a lot more tankers on the Calca- sieu channel, and are contemplating using a convoy system to pilot them through the waterway,” he said last month. “Some of the additional tankers will be very large.” In line with Broussard, Palmer said the Lake Charles group’s 17 pilots are expected to double within the next ten years. “There are 11 tugs in the harbor today, and that will double if all the anticipated construction here occurs,” Palmer said. “More line handlers, local and out-of-town agents, and an abundance of infrastructure will be re- quired. Our pilots’ group is working closely with existing and new stakeholders to assess these demands. We aim to protect all stakeholders.” To meet potential growth, the Lake Charles Pilots Association has spent $58,000 since last year on a new dispatching system. “Meanwhile, the Coast Guard is looking at safety zones, vessel traffi c management, boarding rules for pilots, and the timing and sequence of vessels,” Palmer said. New ap- proaches to managing traffi c will be needed. “The only way to accommodate growth and meet USCG safety zone requirements is to convoy ships inbound, and then start a convoy outbound after the LNG ships have cleared,” he said. For existing channel users, Palmer’s remarks are sure to have real consequences. Blue water and brown water traffi c will surely be impacted whenever LNG vessels are in port. And, while the proliferation of LNG terminals WORKBOAT MARKETS “The number of Calcasieu River pilots will probably double from 17 now by 2025. LNG carriers each have at least two dedicated tugs now. We’re looking at nearly two dozen tugs in the channel by 2025.” – Stephen Broussard, Director of West Cameron Port November 2014 78 MN MN Nov14 Layout 66-81.indd 78 10/23/2014 10:48:07 AM
