By H. Thomas Kornegay Executive Director, Port of Houston Authority

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• By H. Thomas KornegayExecutive Director, Port of
  Houston Authority
• April 12, 2007

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Panama an ideal venue

• Panama has highest rainforest cover of any
  countryin Central America
• Expansion of Panama Canal brings many
  environmental challenges
• Environmental protection a fundamental
  principal marking port development

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Environment Expansion

• Planned expansion must take environmentalimpact
  into account
• Two key PHA examples
• Widening Deepening
• of Houston Ship Channel
• 2. Environmental protection emphasized in
  development of Bayport Container andCruise
  Terminal

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Houston Ship Channel Project

• PHA, in concert with USACE, finishes initial
  widening and deepening of Houston Ship Channelin
  August 2005
• HSC widened from 400 to 530 deepenedfrom 40
  to 45
• Largest project of its kind in U.S. where mostof
  dredged material put to beneficial use
• PHA successfully supported use of dredgematerial
  in marsh creation

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Triple Bottom Line

• For a port to be sustainable and to grow,
  management must focus on more than economic
  returns alone
• Social, environmental concerns must alsobe
  considered
• Without intertwining the economic-social-environme
  ntal, success becomes elusive

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PHA Man-Made Marshes

• Presently 3,400 acres of newly created
  marshlandon Houston Ship Channel
• A total of 4,250 acres of new wetlandswill be
  developed over the 50-year-lifeof deepening and
  widening project
• Project to
• Create bird nesting areas
• Develop wildlife habitat islands
• Construct underwater berms
• Provide 118 acres of oyster reefs
• PHA to pay 30 of est. 700 million in costs

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Bayport Public Support

• Opening phase of Bayport Container Terminal
  celebrated in February 2007
• Public support was vital to creation of Bayport
• Public outreach included partnering with several
  cities, dozens of communities and scores of
  public officials
• Bayports environmental commitment essentialto
  winning community support

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Bayport A Green Terminal

• Upon completion, Bayport will have
• Three miles of 20-foot-tall, landscaped sight
  andsound berm buffering neighboring
  communitiesand the terminals
• 200 acres of tidal marsh
• 500 acres of contiguous coastal prairie
• 456 acres of varied habitat

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Environmental Initiatives

• Sophisticated, 4-part rainwater runoff system
• Broadband (whisper) alarms replace louder,
  traditional backup alarms on construction
  equipment
• Black pole lighting system uses special
  fixturesto limit nighttime glare
• Storm water runoff and spill containmentsystems
  in place
• Retention pond with filtering artificial wetlands
  being built
• Bayport will be ISO 14001 certified

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Environmental Initiatives

• PHA pioneered development of Environmental
  Management Systems for U.S. ports
• EPA choice as a strong initiative for portsto
  follow in an effort to clean up and controlthe
  environment around them
• American Association of Port Authorities
  encourages all ports to participate in a similar
  program
• Since 2003, PHA has been a member of EPA National
  Environmental Performance Track recently
  choseto recommit for another three years

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EPA Performance Track

• PHAs Performance Track environmentalcommitments
  include
• Air quality improvements through reductionof
  nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds
• Water quality improvements in storm water
  discharges through the reduction of iron and
  conservation methods
• Reduction in solid waste through a waste
  minimization program targeting recyclingof
  absorbent materials
• Reduction in energy consumption
• An increase in land utilization and
  habitatthrough conservation efforts

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The IAPH Commitment

• IAPH has addressed wide range of environmental
  issues
• Handling of hazardous and noxious substancesin a
  port
• Prevention of air, water and soil pollution in
  ports
• Treatment of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast
  water
• Presently addressing air pollution from ships
• Partnering with International Marine Organization
  (IMO)
• IAPH monitors, analyzes and disseminates the
  developments in IMOs discussion and their
  implications to our member ports worldwide

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Monitoring Alternatives

• Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) Shutting down
  a ships engines while at berth connecting to
  shore-supplied electricity
• Although state legislation to control air
  pollution from ships was ruled out by federal
  courts, some California ports practice it but
  most IAPH members have yet to adopt this
  approach.
• IAPH believes approach should be further analyzed

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Fundamental Environmental

• Fundamental principal for successful port
  development is environmental protection
• Requires vision and creativity
• Guidelines must be set to protect coastal zones
• Various communications techniques mustbe employed