Lawmakers have own RE$TORE list

Members of the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund Advisory Board spent months reviewing 119 potential projects to finance with $85.5M in RESTORE Act money. They finally recommended 14 projects with major economic impact on South Mississippi. On June 30, the state House and Senate approved a different list that cuts/deletes some of those recommended projects. One of the lawmakers’ new project gives $1.55M to Power Dynamics Innovations, a private firm located in Picayune. The solons’ list for how to spend the money was in SB 2977, an appropriations bill for the Mississippi Development Authority. The advisory board’s recommendation for $32.5M for USM’s Ocean Enterprise project at the State Port of Gulfport is on the Legislative list. But the amount was cut to $7M. Follow the link below to see both the Legislature’s and advisory board’s list. (Source: Sun Herald 06/30/20) https://www.sunherald.com/article243898957.html#storylink=cpy

Sikorsky CH-53K mod pact

Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Conn., is awarded a $106,973,015 modification (P00041) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-16-C-0048). This modification is for the low rate initial production of organic capability pilot repair material, technical publications, peculiar support equipment and logistics support for the CH-53K King Stallion aircraft. Work will be performed in Shelton, Conn. (62.95%); Claverham, France (5.35%); Longueil, Quebec, Canada (3.32%); West Palm Beach, Fla. (3.08%); Chesterfield, Mo. (2.72%); Rockmart, Ga.(2.54%); Springfield, NJ (2.27%); Vancouver, Wash. (2.07); Stratford, Conn. (1.77%); Jackson, Miss. (1.75%); Westbury, NY (1.58%); Manassas, Va. (1.45%); Tucson, Ariz. (1.31%); Irvine, Calif. (1.12%); various locations within the continental S. (5.23%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1.49%), and is expected to be completed in June 2025. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for $106,973,015 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/30/20)

Mil.travel lifted except for 3

Military personnel and their families based in most states across the country - except California, Florida and Michigan - have been given the green light to resume regular travel. Ten more states have met the criteria to lift Defense Department travel restrictions put in place in March, Pentagon officials announced June 29. It means that service members/families can resume recreational travel, and permanent change-of-station )PCS) moves. Waivers will still be considered for mission-essential travel, emergencies and some PCS moves. Deployments could also resume for some units in locations that are still seeing travel restrictions, though they're being considered on a case-by-case basis. (Source: Military.com 06/29/20) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/06/29/pentagon-lifts-travel-ban-all-states-except-florida-california.html

HII DDG-51 mod pact: $936M

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls shipyard at Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $936,032,309 fixed-price-incentive-firm-target modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2307) to exercise the FY 2020 option for the construction of a USS Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class ship (DDG 135). This modification also includes options for engineering change proposals, design budgeting requirements and post-delivery availabilities on the FY-20 option ship. If exercised, the cumulative value of the FY-20 option ship will increase to $947,695,871. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (91%); Erie, Pa. (1%); and other locations below 1% (collectively totaling 8%), and is expected to be completed by June 2027. FY19 and FY-20 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $926,032,309 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/29/20)

Centenarian CG veteran's parade

NEW ORLEANS - A U.S. Coast Guard veteran celebrated his 100th birthday with friends and family in New Orleans on June 27. Andy Washington is a WWII veteran who served in the Coast Guard from 1942-46. A parade of well-wishers drove through his neighborhood to celebrate with him. Capt. Michael Paradise, commanding officer of Coast Guard Base New Orleans, presented Washington with a Coast Guard flag to commemorate the occasion. (Source: Coast Guard 06/28/20)

Danos, Shell partnering in GoM

Danos has been awarded a 3-year contract with Shell Exploration and Production Co., a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, to provide a production workforce across Shell production assets in the Gulf of Mexico, including Appomattox, Auger, Enchilada, Salsa, Mars, Ursa, Olympus, Perdido and Stones. Danos is HQ’d in Gray, La., (Terrebonne Parish), but with eight other offices in Louisiana and Texas. The contract began May 1 and is to employ 144 Danos personnel in positions such as crane operations, control room and process operators, electricians, electronic technicians, instrument technicians, logistics and onsite supervisors. Danos and Shell have partnered since 1971. “We are proud to continue that relationship,” said owner Eric Danos. “With a 73-year history, Danos has lived through many industry cycles. In today’s market, we understand the need to find innovative ways to provide services to our customers, and this contract is an example of that.” Danos is a family-owned company that was founded in 1947. (Source: Danos 06/26/20) Danos offers onshore and offshore customers a range of integrated services, including production workforce, fabrication, construction, project management, coatings, automation, instrumentation and electrical, scaffolding, shore-base and logistics, mechanical maintenance, regulatory compliance, power generation, valve and wellhead. Danos has more than 2,000 employees.

New DACOWITS members

The Department of Defense announced June 23 the induction of seven new members to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. DACOWITS provides the Secretary of Defense with advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of women in the U.S. Armed Forces. The committee is comprised of up to 20 members, who include prominent civilian women and men from academia, industry, public service, and other professions. Members perform a variety of duties, to include visiting military installations annually, conducting a review and evaluation of current research on military women, and developing an annual report with recommendations on these issues for the secretary of defense. New committee appointments include: Retired Vice Adm. Robin R. Braun, Navy; Retired Maj. Gen. (Dr.) George A. Alexander, U.S. Army National Guard; Retired Col. Many-Bears Grinder, U.S. Army National Guard; Retired Command Master Chief Octavia D. Harris, Navy; Retired Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Johnson, Army; Ms. Robin Kelleher; and Retired Fleet Master Chief Susan A. Whitman, Navy. Robin Braun is the daughter of a career naval aviator. Born in Pensacola, Fla., she is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and was commissioned in 1980. Designated a naval aviator in February 1981, her first assignment was to Training Squadron (VT) 31 at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, where she served as an instructor pilot in the T-44 aircraft. Later in her career, Braun became the chief of Navy Reserve on the staff of the CNO in August 2012. Returning members with some regional ties are Retired Lt. Gen. Judith A. Fedder, Air Force; and Retired Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger, Air Force. Wolfenbarger was commissioned in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and began her career in acquisition as a technical intelligence analyst/engineer with the Armament Division at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Judith Federer served from July 1984 - November 1986 as Officer in Charge of the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, and Officer in Charge of William Tell Maintenance with the 33rd Aircraft Generation Squadron at Eglin AFB. (Source: DACOWITS 06/23/20) https://dacowits.defense.gov/.

MS legislators pass flag resolution

MS legislators pass flag resolution Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed a resolution to take up a bill to change the state flag on June 27. The House voted 84-35. The Senate voted 36-14, which haves the way for the creation of a commission to design a new state banner without a  Confederacy emblem. The deadline for introducing new bills had already passed, but the legislators voted to suspend the rules to allow for the legislation on the flag. According to The Associated Press, with that done, debate on the flag bill could come as soon as Sunday, June 28. (Source: The Dispatch 06/27/20) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=81996

New officers for Port NOLA board

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans selected new officers with the election of Darryl D. Berger as chairman, William H. Langenstein III, as vice chairman and Charles H. Ponstein as secretary-treasurer during a June 25 monthly board meeting. (Source: Port NOLA 06/25/20) Berger is president of The Berger Company. As an investor, developer, and financier of real estate, he has been an active developer of New Orleans Riverfront. Among some of his development projects are the renowned Jax Brewery, one of the largest historic re-developments in the country. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt and a J.D. from Tulane University. He was a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tulane University.

HII-Pascagoula mod pact: $62M

Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $62,000,000 cost modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2307) to fund capital expenditure projects for shipbuilding supplier industrial base efforts in support of the Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class destroyer program. This modification will fund supplier base efforts to address supply chain fragility that ensures future readiness for the fleet. Work will be performed in Pascagoula and is expected to be completed by April 2029. FY 2013 and FY-14 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $62,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/26/20)

Navy accepts LCS 24 from Austal

MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Oakland (LCS 24) on June 26 during a ceremony here at Austal USA’s shipyard. Oakland is the 22nd littoral combat ship and 12th Independence variant to join the fleet. Its delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from Austal USA to the Navy, bringing the service's inventory to 300. It is the final milestone prior to its scheduled commissioning in early 2021. Additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA: Mobile (LCS 26), Savannah (LCS 28), Canberra (LCS 30) and Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Three additional ships are awaiting the start of construction. (Source: PEO Unmanned and Small Combatants 06/26/20)

Calgon Carbon expanding in MS

PITTSBURGH – Calgon Carbon Corp. announced June 25 that it intends to expand capacity at its Pearlington, Miss., plant – about 12 miles east of Slidell, La., near Bay St. Louis, Miss. - by adding a second virgin activated carbon production line. The expansion is expected to add 38 additional jobs. The estimated investment in the production line will be $185M. When completed, Calgon Carbon’s virgin granular activated carbon capacity will exceed 200M pounds annually. Calgon has been in discussions with the Mississippi Development Authority and the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission regarding the project for months. A final board decision on the plant expansion was granted on June 24 by Kuraray Co., who completed its acquisition of Calgon Carbon in March 2018. "Aptly positioned on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Calgon Carbon's innovative products help industries and communities clean their air and water to protect our precious natural resources,” said Steve Schott, President/CEO. The south Mississippi plant sits on 100 acres within the Port Bienville Industrial Park and has 200,000 square feet of production space and 42 employees. Once expansion is completed in late 2022, the facility will be some 400,000 square feet and have 80 employees. The Commission and Port Bienville teams are “proud of our 30-year relationship with Calgon Carbon,” said Bill Cork, CEO of the Port and Harbor Commission. Calgon Carbon is a global manufacturer and distributor of coal-, wood- and coconut-based activated carbon products to meet challenging purification demands. Calgon operates 20 manufacturing, reactivation, innovation and equipment fabrication facilities in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, where Calgon Carbon is known as Chemviron. (Source: Calgon 06/25/20)

CG Morgan City command change

NEW ORLEANS - Commanding officer Cmdr. Heather Mattern, Marine Safety Unit at Morgan City, La., will pass on her duties to Cmdr. Ben P. Russell during a change of command ceremony June 26. Russell comes to the unit from duty as commanding officer of MSU-Houma, La. The ceremony is not open to the public in order to maintain safety measures in place due to COVID-19. View Coast Guard Morgan City’s official Facebook page for video of the ceremony, which is to begin at 8:30 a.m. (Source: Coast Guard 06/25/20) Change of command photograph from ceremony 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6254598/coast-guard-marine-safety-unit-morgan-city-held-change-command-ceremony

VTHM earns safety award from AEU

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Halter Marine, a company of ST Engineering North America, has been awarded the 2019 Safety Award from the American Equity Underwriters. AEU recognizes annually the best safety and health programs among the members of the American Longshore Mutual Association. Halter Marine is one of 25 companies among 1,400 members to receive the award. Eligibility is based on frequency and severity of workers’ compensation incidents for 2019, as well as safety-related metrics determined by AEU’s loss control team. “We have a strong safety culture here at Halter Marine,” said Kevin Amis, Executive VP of Operations, “and I’m proud of the attention to health and safety demonstrated by our team every day. It truly has been an all-hands effort.” (Source: VT Halter Marine 06/23/20) VT Halter Marine is the marine operations of ST Engineering North America and based in Pascagoula.

Campaign to remove Stennis’ name

A campaign was kicked off June 24 to rename Stennis Space Center, Miss., led by Will Pomerantz, Virgin Orbit’s VP for Special Projects and co-founder of the Brooke Owens Fellowship that is dedicated to career advancement for women and other gender minorities in the aerospace profession. The campaign is in an effort to raise awareness of racial disparities. Stennis is named for former U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis (1901-1995), a known segregationist early in his career. NASA announced June 24 it is naming its HQ building after Mary Jackson, the first African-American woman engineer to work at the agency. In a long series of tweets, Pomerantz urged Stennis be renamed, perhaps in honor of Mae Jemison, the first African- American woman in space although other names popped up as well. Also, an effort is underway to rename the Navy’s U.S.S. John C. Stennis aircraft carrier. It and NASA’s Center were both named for Stennis by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. (Source: SpacePolicyOnline 06/24/20) The nationwide debate has also resurrected questions over why the Navy has a guided-missile cruiser named for the Battle of Chancellorsville, which the Confederacy won.https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/campaign-to-rename-stennis-space-center-kicks-off/

Saharan dust cloud by Friday

A northern Gulf Coast-wide plume of dust particles from the Sahara Desert in Africa remains on track to approach the Gulf Coast on June 24. The heaviest concentration to arrive by Friday afternoon, according to NASA models, which could pose a health threat for residents with existing lung conditions, and may increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. The good news is that it will diminish chances of tropical depressions forming. (Source: NOLA.com o6/23/20) https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_4f403cd0-b576-11ea-9ede-5f1b7f3e5912.html 

Austal's LCS mod pact: $43.3M

Austal USA has been awarded a modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2301) with a total potential value of $43,362,000 by the Defense Department. This contract was modified to exercise the options for LCS Class design services, material to support LCS Class design services, and the Integrated Data Product Model Environment (IDPME). The continued award of LCS post-delivery services contracts reflects the Navy’s ongoing confidence in Austal to perform quality work throughout the life cycle of the ship,” Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said. The Mobile, Ala., shipyard will provide LCS Class design services to all LCS ships and services may include program management, fitting out services, change processing, software maintenance, engineering, and lifecycle efforts. Austal will also maintain an IDPME that shall enable Navy access to enterprise LCS data management. (Source: Austal USA 06/23/20)

LCS 6 Blue change of command

SAN DIEGO - The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) Blue Crew held a change of command ceremony here June 19. Cmdr. Stacy M. Wuthier, a native of Denver, assumed command from Cmdr. John P. Barrientos, who completed a tour that included ship-wide certification events, Ready For Sea Assessments, sea trials and the installation and testing of the Surface to Surface Missile Module. His next assignment is aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in San Diego. Wuthier takes command after serving as executive officer of the ship. (Source: LCS Squadron One 06/22/20) Gulf Coast Note: LCS 6 was built at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=113329

EPA adds funds to Hypoxia Task Force

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced June 22 that it is providing an additional $840,000 to the 12-state members of the Hypoxia Task Force (HTF), expanding the $1.2M the agency already announced in August 2019. EPA’s more than $2M in funding is helping HTF states implement plans that accelerate progress on reducing excess nutrients and improving water quality in the Mississippi River/Atchafalaya River Basin. Excess nutrients that make their way into the nation’s surface waters can contribute to algae blooms, hypoxic zones and other water quality concerns. HTF provides direction and support for federal and state initiatives to improve water quality in local waterways and in the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: EPA 06/22/20) https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-provides-additional-funding-hypoxia-task-force-states-including-iowa-and-missouri

Geurts 'concerned' over BIW strike

BATH, Maine - Members of Local S6 of the Machinists Union at Bath Iron Works (BIW) voted to go on strike at midnight June 21. It’s the first strike in 20 years, and it’s over proposals involving the hiring of subcontractors and changes to seniority. It also comes at a time when shipyard production has fallen six months behind schedule. Local S6, which represents 4,300 of the company’s 6,700 employees, approved the strike and rejected a three-year proposed contract. Of those members who cast ballots, 87 percent voted to strike. The exact numbers voting to reject the proposal was not made available. The strike would stop work on six new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and the last of three Zumwalt destroyers. “It was the only logical way to vote,” said Ryan Ryder, a pipefitter for the past nine years. He’s willing to strike for “as long as it takes for us to receive a fair contract for the men and women who make great ships for the Navy.” Local S6’s strike in 2000 lasted 55 days. BIW officials said they were “disappointed by this result, but are prepared should a strike occur.” After the vote, Lexington Institute analyst Loren Thompson said BIW is under pressure to stay competitive with its main rival, Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. Ingalls has several advantages: It is a much bigger yard located in a year-round boat-building climate in a pro-management political climate where the cost of doing business is cheaper. And it’s closer to existing naval bases, he continued. The union is operating under the assumption that BIW’s future with the Navy is assured, but Thompson worries that it is not. He said the Navy is already facing a major budget crunch, and is facing some tough decisions. (Source: Press Herald 06/21/20) https://www.pressherald.com/2020/06/21/bath-iron-works-largest-union-votes-to-strike/ UPDATE: Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition, James Geurts, told reporters June 22 that he is "very concerned” that more 4,300 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local S6 union workers (at BIW) walked off the job after voting to strike. “The Navy’s expectations are that the leaders of General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers work very diligently, and with a sense of urgency, to come to an agreement so that we can get out ship construction - keep it on track,” Geurts said. (Source: Defense One 06/22/20)

EMALS fault workaround on CVN

The Navy’s still not sure if a fault in the USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN-78) Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) aircraft launching system was an equipment or procedures issue. But, the assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts told reporters he’s confident in the system and that any weak points are being examined during its ongoing post-delivery test and trials period. On June 2, the crew discovered a fault in the power handling system that connects the ship’s energy-generating turbines to the EMALS power system. This discovery came during a manual reset of the system ahead of launching aircraft, and it was something they did not expect, Geurts said. The surprising condition was not among procedures that were in place. … They troubleshot it. They came up with an amended procedure,” Geurts said in response to a USNI News question. The ship and engineers ashore have more work to do to understand what happened and how to prevent it, Geurts said. That’s the point of post-delivery test and trials: To pressure-test the gear, the training and the procedures. “In my mind, this is in the heart of the envelope of what we do PDT&T for, to really test this stuff out.” he said. The carrier is about 45 percent through its PDT&T period. (Source: USNI News 06/19/20) Mississippi Note: See previous post http://gulfcoastshipbuilding.blogspot.com/2020/06/emals-failure-for-cvn-78.html / https://news.usni.org/2020/06/19/navy-unsure-if-recent-emals-fault-was-equipment-or-procedure-problem-but-workaround-has-been-validated

Ala. Shipyard pact for T-AOE 6

Alabama Shipyard LLC of Mobile, Ala., is awarded a $23,752,381, firm-fixed-price contract for a 96-calendar day shipyard availability for regular overhaul and dry docking of the USNS Ship Supply (T-AOE 6). Work will be performed in Mobile and is expected to be complete by November. This contract includes one base period and 10 options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $26,361,776. Working Navy capital funds in the amount of $23,752,381 are obligated for FY 2020-21 and will not expire at the end of this fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Government Point of Entry website, and one offer was received. U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/22/20) Alabama Shipyard is the largest shipyard in Mobile.

CG rescues in Florida & Louisiana

Two divers were experiencing symptoms requiring medical attention offshore of Pensacola Beach, Fla., early in the day of June 20. A 48-year-old male diver apparently suffered cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead at the Pensacola Pier. A 28-year-old male was transported via Life Flight to Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Ala., in stable condition. The diving incident was about 12 nautical miles SW of Pensacola Beach. CG Station Pensacola directed a 45-foot Rescue Boat/Crew to the divers' location. The crew embarked both divers and took them to Pensacola Pier. In a separate incident, on the evening of June 19, the CG rescued three boaters who had run hard-aground in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet near New Orleans. Three boaters in a 20-foot flatboat had run aground into marsh, and were unable to get back to shore. A CG Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was directed to the boaters' location. All three were hoisted aboard and taken to safety. (Source: Coast Guard 06/19-20/20)