Page 11: of Marine News Magazine (June 2005)

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diately at the company's Vicksburg, Miss., shipyard with delivery expected during the second quarter of 2007.

Danny McNease, Chairman and CEO, said, "Since Rowan acquired LeTourneau in 1994, we have looked forward to this day with great anticipation. This rig will be the first built by LeTourneau for an outside customer since 1992. In the years since, LeTourneau has stayed busy devel- oping new jack-up designs, including the

Super Gorilla and Tarzan Class, and con- structing such rigs for Rowan. We are very excited for this opportunity and, given the performance of the five

LeTourneau rigs built for Rowan since 1998, are confident that the arrangement will be mutually rewarding."

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DHS Awards $141M in Port

Security Funds

The American Association of Port

Authorities (AAPA) welcomed news that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has opened up nearly $141 million in funds to help America's seaports pay for hardening security at their terminals and making other needed infrastructure upgrades in an effort to prevent terrorist acts. However, considering Coast Guard estimates in 2002 that ports would need to spend $5.4 billion over 10 years to com- ply with new mandated Maritime Trans- portation Security Act (MTSA) enhance- ments, AAPA continues to seek a much higher level of security grants for U.S. seaports. Past grant rounds have only funded between 8 percent and 25 percent of eligible applications. "We applaud the Department of Home- land Security for making available these vital grant funds to help America's sea- ports address their immediate security needs and assessments," said Kurt Nagle,

AAPA president and chief executive offi- cer. "However, future funding is also criti- cal. AAPA believes the money appropri- ated for the grant program must be increased to at least $400 million a year to ensure the ability of U.S. seaports to pro- tect themselves and their communities against attack."

In the fifth round of its Port Security

Grant program, DHS has given eligible port areas until June 10, 2005, to apply for available grant money, which in the past has been used to help pay for fencing, lighting, truck gates, patrol boats and ter- minal access controls. As a way to prior- itize funding for seaports having the greatest degree of perceived risk, DHS is now limiting the number of eligible port areas to 66, stating in its fact sheet, "…the

FY 2005 program will direct all available funds to the Nation's highest risk ports, thereby ensuring federally regulated ports, terminals and U.S. inspected passenger vessels receiving PSG funds represent assets of the highest strategic importance nationally." Also in its fact sheet, DHS places strong emphasis on prevention and detection of improvised explosive devices, as well as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear devices.

Nagle said that while AAPA supports making port security grants more risk- based, "we believe that all ports that must comply with the MTSA regulations should be eligible to apply for funding in the Port Security Grant program. The pro- gram should ensure we don't leave a soft underbelly of unprotected ports, which are

June, 2005 • MarineNews 11

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NEWS (Continued on page 16)

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