Latest news with #MARAD
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Keel Laying Held for NSMV V, The Fifth and Final National Security Multi-Mission Vessel in the Fleet
The fifth vessel is commissioned by MARAD for California State University Maritime Academy PHILADELPHIA, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TOTE Services, LLC ("TOTE Services"), an affiliate of the TOTE Group, and Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Inc. ("Hanwha Philly Shipyard"), today celebrated a major shipbuilding milestone with the keel laying of the fifth and final vessel in the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), the NSMV program is designed to provide world-class training for America's future mariners while also supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions when needed. Laying the keel is a longstanding maritime tradition in which the first grand block of a vessel is placed in the building dock. This ceremonial event is believed to bring good fortune to the ship during construction and throughout its service life. Under the Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) acquisition model, TOTE Services and Hanwha Philly Shipyard have delivered the first two NSMV's (Empire State and Patriot State) with the third vessel scheduled for delivery later this year. The VCM approach allows for the application of commercial best practices in design and construction, increasing efficiency and accelerating vessel deliveries to the U.S. Government. All five NSMV keels have been laid over the past 39 months, demonstrating the speed at which the commercial sector can move under this contracting model. "We are proud to celebrate the keel laying of NSMV V, marking another key milestone in this groundbreaking shipbuilding program," said David Kim, Hanwha Philly Shipyard CEO. "This program is a testament to the strength of the U.S. maritime industry, and we are honored to work alongside TOTE Services and MARAD in delivering these advanced training vessels that will benefit generations of cadets to come." The NSMV program is a major boost for American shipbuilding, an industry that sustains nearly 400,000 jobs across the country. These state-of-the-art vessels feature advanced training facilities, a fully equipped bridge, and accommodation for up to six hundred cadets and one hundred faculty, offering an unmatched educational experience at sea. Graduates from the nation's state maritime academies make up over half of all newly commissioned U.S. merchant marine officers each year, playing a crucial role in keeping commerce moving and strengthening national security by staffing military sealift operations. "As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our commitment to MARAD and the future of U.S. maritime education and shipbuilding," said Jeff Dixon, President of TOTE Services. "The VCM model executed by TOTE Services has demonstrated its ability to reduce costs, accelerate delivery timelines, and provide state-of-the-art vessels that will serve our country for decades to come." The five NSMVs are being constructed to replace aging training vessels at SUNY Maritime College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Texas A&M Maritime Academy, and California State University Maritime Academy. The vessels will be owned and operated by MARAD. "California State University Maritime Academy is honored to be part of a distinguished fleet of purpose-built training ships, each designed to meet the evolving needs of America's maritime education while also providing the U.S. with ships that can support disaster response and other critical national needs," said Vice Admiral (Ret.) Michael J. Dumont, Interim President of Cal Maritime. "This vessel stands as a testament to innovation, resilience, and the nation's unwavering commitment to preparing the next generation of mariners. It will be proudly operated by the crew, cadets, and faculty of the only state maritime academy on the West Coast." The first and second NSMV, Empire State and Patriot State were delivered in September 2023 and 2024, respectively. The three remaining vessels are currently in various stages of construction at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Monthly photo updates of the NSMV program's progress are available at About Hanwha Philly ShipyardHanwha Philly Shipyard is a leading U.S. shipbuilder with a state-of-the art shipbuilding facility that has earned a reputation as a preferred provider of ocean-going merchant vessels with a track record of delivering quality ships, having delivered around 50% of all large ocean-going U.S. Jones Act commercial ships since 2000. The shipyard is part of Hanwha Group, a multinational company with a robust network of affiliates in the energy, ocean, aerospace, finance, and retail & services industries. For more information, visit About TOTE ServicesTOTE Services, LLC ("TOTE Services") is a leading U.S.-based company that provides ship management, vessel construction management and technical consulting services to governmental and commercial parties. Since 2015, TOTE Services has been a first mover in clean alternative fuels, having overseen the construction and management of the nation's first LNG-powered container ships and the first LNG bunker barge. TOTE Services, along with TOTE Maritime Alaska, LLC and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, LLC, are part of the TOTE Group. TOTE Group is a member of the Saltchuk family of companies. For more information about TOTE Services, please visit About California State University Maritime AcademyEstablished in 1929, California State University Maritime Academy is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast. Located in Vallejo, California, the 92-acre campus offers undergraduate degrees preparing students for careers in engineering, transportation, international relations, business, and global logistics. Cal Maritime also offers a master's degree in transportation and engineering management with three areas of concentration: transportation, engineering management, and humanitarian disaster management, as well as many extended learning programs and courses. Cal Maritime uses the four points of the compass to symbolize our mission and commitment to our students: intellectual learning, applied technology, leadership development, and global awareness. In November of 2024, the California State University Board of Trustees voted to integrate California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) & Cal Maritime. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TOTE Services
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Layoffs hit regulator for auto and pipeline safety
Workers were laid off last week at the agency responsible for overseeing the safety of automobile manufacturers — including Elon Musk's Tesla — and at the agency for ensuring pipelines are safe, according to four people with knowledge of the personnel moves. The layoffs, which seem to be targeting those with less than a year's tenure, come amid a government-wide effort undertaken by Musk and his cost-cutters, who have barnstormed across agencies looking to ditch spending and reduce the federal workforce. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that hundreds of people, including technical staff who support air traffic control functions, had been let go at the Federal Aviation Administration. According to those interviewed, granted anonymity to discuss the matter candidly, layoffs also hit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and DOT's office of the undersecretary. 'To my understanding it's pretty indiscriminate across all modal agencies at the department,' one former DOT employee told POLITICO. DOT did not return repeated requests for comment about or details on the layoffs. Some of those layoffs at NHTSA appear to have started the evening of Feb. 14, according to a termination email viewed by POLITICO. The termination memo, from Jack Danielson, NHTSA's executive director, cites guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and argues that their job isn't final until their probationary period is over, and that until then "a probationer has the burden to demonstrate why it is in the public interest for the Government to finalize their appointment to the civil service.' It goes on to say that NHTSA finds that 'based on your performance you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Department of Transportation — NHTSA would be in the public interest.' Ian O'Dowd, a traffic safety researcher who had been with NHTSA for less than a year and therefore was considered a probationary employee, is among those who were laid off. O'Dowd's work involved research related to impaired driving, including drunk driving and driving while under the influence of cannabis. 'Along with so many others in the federal service, I received an email Friday evening that said I was being removed from my role as a Research Psychologist at NHTSA with no notice or severance. I'm actively looking for new opportunities in social science research, ideally remote and/or based in the Twin Cities,' O'Dowd wrote in a LinkedIn post. He added that the past few weeks 'have been incredibly difficult mental health-wise' and encouraged his network on LinkedIn to check in on others in the federal government. O'Dowd declined comment, referring back to his posting on LinkedIn. At MARAD, the agency responsible for the country's waterborne transportation system, many probationary employees have been laid off from jobs that don't have an explicit national security nexus, said two former DOT employees granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said. And at the office of the undersecretary, many of the probationary employees were purged, the people said. Probationary employees were also let go at PHMSA, according to a former employee there. That person added that all of the administrative assistants at PHMSA's eight regional offices were also terminated. In an X post late Monday, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said that fewer than 400 FAA employees were let go as part of a probationary purge at the agency. Sam Ogozalek contributed to this report.
Politico
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- Politico
Layoffs hit regulator for auto and pipeline safety
Workers were laid off last week at the agency responsible for overseeing the safety of automobile manufacturers — including Elon Musk's Tesla — and at the agency for ensuring pipelines are safe, according to four people with knowledge of the personnel moves. The layoffs, which seem to be targeting those with less than a year's tenure, come amid a government-wide effort undertaken by Musk and his cost-cutters, who have barnstormed across agencies looking to ditch spending and reduce the federal workforce. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that hundreds of people, including technical staff who support air traffic control functions, had been let go at the Federal Aviation Administration. According to those interviewed, granted anonymity to discuss the matter candidly, layoffs also hit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and DOT's office of the undersecretary. 'To my understanding it's pretty indiscriminate across all modal agencies at the department,' one former DOT employee told POLITICO. DOT did not return repeated requests for comment about or details on the layoffs. Some of those layoffs at NHTSA appear to have started the evening of Feb. 14, according to a termination email viewed by POLITICO. The termination memo, from Jack Danielson, NHTSA's executive director, cites guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and argues that their job isn't final until their probationary period is over, and that until then 'a probationer has the burden to demonstrate why it is in the public interest for the Government to finalize their appointment to the civil service.' It goes on to say that NHTSA finds that 'based on your performance you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Department of Transportation — NHTSA would be in the public interest.' Ian O'Dowd, a traffic safety researcher who had been with NHTSA for less than a year and therefore was considered a probationary employee, is among those who were laid off. O'Dowd's work involved research related to impaired driving, including drunk driving and driving while under the influence of cannabis. 'Along with so many others in the federal service, I received an email Friday evening that said I was being removed from my role as a Research Psychologist at NHTSA with no notice or severance. I'm actively looking for new opportunities in social science research, ideally remote and/or based in the Twin Cities,' O'Dowd wrote in a LinkedIn post. He added that the past few weeks 'have been incredibly difficult mental health-wise' and encouraged his network on LinkedIn to check in on others in the federal government. O'Dowd declined comment, referring back to his posting on LinkedIn. At MARAD, the agency responsible for the country's waterborne transportation system, many probationary employees have been laid off from jobs that don't have an explicit national security nexus, said two former DOT employees granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said. And at the office of the undersecretary, many of the probationary employees were purged, the people said. Probationary employees were also let go at PHMSA, according to a former employee there. That person added that all of the administrative assistants at PHMSA's eight regional offices were also terminated. In an X post late Monday, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said that fewer than 400 FAA employees were let go as part of a probationary purge at the agency. Sam Ogozalek contributed to this report.
