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3103 nw lower river road, vancouver, wa 98660 t: 360.693.3611 F: 360.735.1565 e: [email protected] www.portvanusa.com
PortFolioTEnAnT nEWSlETTER
Port memory: clearing the way
tenant uPdates
we’re excited to bring you another centennial Port memory, this time From an engineer who aided with numerous dredging Projects along the columbia river From 1960 to 1995.
Bob lofgren worked for Riedel International and traveled to many parts of the
world to pursue dredging opportunities. His home, however, has and always will
be, the Pacific northwest.
Born in Astoria, Oregon in 1934, he has lived in Vancouver for the past 35 years.
“Dredging played a big part in the formation of the Port of Vancouver,” lofgren
said. “The [U.S. Army] Corps of Engineers had very practical people that made it
fun to undertake projects.”
lofgren said that during the early 1900s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port of Portland controlled most of the maintenance
of the Columbia River. The organizations even used dredging material to lay the foundation for much of what the buildings in the city
of longview stand on today.
“During the late sixties, Riedel deepened the river to 30 feet using hydraulic suction. We dredged Vancouver lake and the Flushing
Channel then built the beach and Vancouver lake Park from the material,” lofgren said. “That was a big job, but it was fun.”
lofgren said that channel deepening projects were often difficult and full of setbacks, but “The Port of Vancouver has done a good job
with the projects they’ve been involved with.”
Flushing Channel dredging, 1982
auto warehousing co. reaches “middle age” Auto Warehousing Co., which provides service to port tenant, Subaru America, is celebrating its
“half-centennial” the same year the port is celebrating its centennial. Since its inception in 1962,
Auto Warehousing Co. has grown from handling roughly 1,500 cars per year to becoming the largest
vehicle processing company in north America, handling 3 million cars annually. Auto Warehousing Co.
processes vehicles at more than 20 different facilities for customers in north America and handles brands such as Subaru, Honda, Izuzu,
Mazda, Chrysler, GM, Suzuki, Ford and Mitsubishi. Congratulations, Auto Warehousing Co. and we look forward to your next 50 years!
shiny and new: saPa oPens For businessSapa officially opened its doors with a grand opening event on September 21. The
company has invested more than $8 million in its new 142,800 square foot state of
the art aluminum extrusion plant at the Port of Vancouver. An expansion from the
company’s Portland operatations, the new facility has already employed 100 people.
Thank you Sapa for being a good corporate citizen and for your commitment to
bring added economic benefit to our region.
Aggressive drivers put themselves and others at risk. Speeding, running red lights
and stop signs, pulling in front of trucks too quickly when passing and making
frequent lane changes, especially in the blind spots of trucks, can create dangerous
and potentially fatal situations on the road. Be courteous to your neighboring
businesses and co-workers by following posted road signs in the common areas and
by obeying traffic and speed limits within leaseholds. Slow down in work zones and
give yourself plenty of room. We appreciate your commitment to safety.
drive safely...share the road
in good comPany - waterFront aPPreciation
More than 200 waterfront workers were welcomed to this year’s Waterfront Appreciation lunch
by Port of Vancouver USA administrative staff at Terminal 2 on Thursday, August 16. Famous
Dave’s Barbeque served pulled pork, chicken, ribs, potato salad, and warmed corn bread to
hungry longshore workers and stevedores.
Each year, the port serves lunch in an effort to show appreciation and thanks to longshore
workers, customers and tenants who work along the waterfront. Also invited to the festivities
were port tenants, former port commissioners and retired waterfront workers.
Because this year marks the port’s centennial year, each
of the 20 tables were given a name based the cargoes that have gone through the port. A drawing
for copies of the port’s centennial book was held by port commissioners, who drew cards with these
cargo names and corresponding seat numbers.
All three port commissioners addressed those present, sharing their appreciation for the hard work
and dedication of all the people who contribute to port’s success.
Visitors were also invited to share a port memory in a video booth, provide ideas for what will be in
the port’s time capsule that will be opened on April 6, 2112. sign a copy of the centennial book that
will go inside the time capsule, and submit newspaper headlines one might expect to see about the
port in 100 years.
Once again, a special thank you goes to all of our waterfront workers for all that they do.
Port construction uPdates
Project 16, work begins on new rail entrance
Project 16 of the West Vancouver Freight Ac-
cess Project began work at the end of August,
and is scheduled to be complete February 28,
2013.
The new rail entrance located adjacent to
lafarge north America will bring a rail line
into the port that will travel below the BnSF
and Union Pacific Railroad’s north/south main
line on the Columbia River Rail Bridge. This
configuration along the banks of the river will
prevent port-bound rail from blocking the
north/south main line, while increasing the
efficiency of rail movement into and out of
the port.
Early stages of construction include building a
pile supported, watertight trench, which will
support the concrete foundation for trains
that will travel into the port, including the
expanding rail yard corridor.
Innovative methods, including vibratory place-
ment, have been chosen to drive piles into the
ground in an effort to minimize audio impacts
to neighbors and wildlife.
The advancement of Project 16 is a milestone
in the WVFA project and in Vancouver’s ever-
changing waterfront.
Project 19, gateway avenue moving along
Project 19 of the West Vancouver Freight
Access project is nearly 75 percent complete
after placing bridge girders for the center
span of the overpass structure on August 24.
Known as Gateway Avenue Grade Separation,
the project will provide new automobile and
truck access to Terminal 5 over the expanding
rail yard.
In order to complete the project, construction
crews are replacing the current at-grade road
access to the port’s Terminals 4 and 5, the
County Corrections Facility, and the Subaru
Facility. The existing nW Gateway Avenue will
be realigned to the west and elevated over
the rail yard, resulting in an S-shaped road.
The overpass structure, projected for
completion in May 2013, will include a three-
span concrete girder bridge and an elevated
intersection. The road-over-rail structures are
designed to provide vehicle access across
existing and future rail lines.
Project 21, First Phase oF terminal 5 rail imProvements comPlete
The first phase of Project 21, which expands
the existing 110-car unit train loop facility at
the port’s Terminal 5 to a 120-car capacity, is
complete. When fully built, the looped track
will allow for continuous unloading of rail cars
to accommodate bulk exports such as potash.
Approximately 2,450 feet of new track will be
constructed and 6,300 feet of existing track
will be relocated.
The first phase of the project provides the
company with a new primary at-grade
crossing, relocated utilities away from the
proposed facility foundations, and a primary
stormwater connection location and electrical
infrastructure to accommodate tenant
construction operations.
The second phase of Project 21 is currently
about 20 percent complete. The project was
awarded to Apollo, Inc. of Kennewick, Wash.
and is scheduled for completion December
19, 2012. This work installs a new stormwater
pump station and relocates the rail tracks at
the Terminal 5 loop, making way for improved
rail service for the new terminal.
Wvfa Project 16
Wvfa Project 19
Wvfa Project 21
west vancouver Freight access Project
Portfolio: Fall 2012
environmental uPdates
stormwater grant
The Port of Vancouver received a grant from the Washington State Department of
Ecology for $412,815 to help fund its Terminal 4 stormwater retention pond.
The original stormwater pond was redesigned to accommodate the West Vancouver
Freight Access Project. The pond works by allowing the solids in stormwater to settle
in the bottom of the pond before discharging to the Columbia River. The port is able
to capture and treat 99 percent of all stormwater on port grounds, including what is
routed through the facility.
The grant will be used for further upgrades to the Terminal 4 stormwater pond,
including the installation of a Tideflex® valve, which prevents river water from entering the pond when river levels rise. Another
upgrade will be the investment in a Continuous Deflective Separator (CDS) system on the inlet pipe into the pond from the port’s
Terminal 3 area. The CDS system screens, separates and traps debris, sediment, oil and grease from stormwater runoff. These upgrades
will improve the pond’s efficiency and support the port’s commitment to preserve water quality in the Columbia River.
water quality rePort results are clean
The Port of Vancouver USA completes a drinking water quality report annually to test the drinking water
the port provides to tenants and visiting marine vessels.
The port collected water samples and tested every three months for more than 60 individual contaminants
in 2011 and found that all detections were below levels allowed by federal and state agencies.
Currently, the port has three 100-foot deep wells and two reservoirs that can hold a combined 200,000
gallons of drinking water, serving approximately 400 people per day.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency and the
Washington State Board of Health prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in
water provided by public water systems.
This report shows that the port is “in the clear” when it comes to clean water for those on port property.
environmental Forum
The Port of Vancouver Environmental Forum was held September 13 from
noon to 1:30 p.m. Guests joined the port environmental team for an update
on the port’s sustainability programs, mitigation projects, stormwater
management and new tenants. These visitors represented companies such as
Sierra Club, the USDA, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
This year’s forum took participants “on the road” for lunch and a bus tour
of the port’s marine terminals and waterfront operations so visitors could
get a closer view of the port’s efforts to balance economic development with
environmental stewardship.