Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District announces appointment of new board member

Harry C. Hank, President of the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District Board of Commissioners, announced Monday night at its monthly board meeting that Walter M. Sanchez of Lake Charles, LA, has been appointed by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to serve on the Port of Lake Charles Board of Commissioners.

“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners and Staff, I would like to welcome Walter to the Port of Lake Charles,” said Mr. Hank.“I look forward to working with Walter and I know his experience and dedication to the community will help the Port continue to grow and expand economic development for the District and the region.”

Walter M. Sanchez was born in Lake Charles and received his undergraduate and law degrees from LSU. He has been in private practice in Lake Charles for 25 years.

”I would like to thank the Calcasieu Police Jury for placing my name in nomination to Governor Jindal for consideration as an appointee to the Board of Commissioners for the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District,” said Mr. Sanchez.“I am honored to serve and represent the community and eager to start working with the Board to further grow and develop Southwest Louisiana.”

Walt has served on numerous non-profit boards and public commissions and currently serves as the President of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association and as a Trustee for LifeShare Blood Centers, Inc. He and his wife Fran have four children.

The Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District is the 11^th largest Port District in the United States and is located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Southwest Louisiana. The Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District is governed by a seven member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor. To learn more about the Port of Lake Charles and the surrounding area, visit the Port’s website at www.portlc.com.

(Walter M. Sanchez, newly appointed commissioner for the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District)

CALCASIEU SHIP CHANNEL TO RECEIVE LONG AWAITED FACE LIFT

R. Adam McBride, Port Director for the Port of Lake Charles, announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will spend $68.8 million to dredge the Calcasieu Ship Channel, perform much needed repairs on the dredge disposal areas, control erosion on the channel sides and perform other deferred maintenance of channel features.

For fiscal years 2003 through 2009, the Port of Lake Charles had requested a total of $184,500,000.00 for badly need dredging and maintenance of the Calcasieu Ship Channel. The Ship Channel received only 50% of what was actually needed to keep the channel dredged and maintained at its 40 foot design and authorized depth.

Through the continuing efforts of the member companies and corporations of the Harbor Safety Committee and the Port of Lake Charles, the Administration and Congress has been made aware of the Calcasieu Ship Channel’s importance to the nation and the need to increase federal spending for this important Strategic Energy Waterway. “What is so important about this announcement is that the Administration and Congress are now beginning to understand the great importance of the Calcasieu waterway”, McBride said.

Channing Hayden, Director of Navigation and Security for the Port of Lake Charles said “In conjunction with the $68.8 million allocated by the Federal Government, the State of Louisiana and Calcasieu Parish have allocated an additional $26.2 million to use material dredged from the ship channel during Corps maintenance operations to build approximately 1 square mile (640 acres) of marsh in Cameron Parish. This is the culmination of cooperative work between the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration (LAOCPR), the Calcasieu Parish Planning Office and the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District. This project will be the first one in the state to rebuild wetlands using material dredged from a navigation channel during normal maintenance,” Hayden added.

“Thanks to several hurricane supplemental spending bills passed by Congress and the Administration’s stimulus plan, the Calcasieu Ship Channel is now funded at 100% of its needs from fiscal years 03 to 09,” McBride said. But he cautioned, “This $68.8 million is the silver lining of a dark cloud that is still over the channel. The fiscal year 2010 budget submitted by the Administration and under consideration by Congress only has $17.9 million for the Ship Channel but the channel needs $40 million to be maintained properly. The Port and the Harbor Safety Committee still have much work to do.”

The Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District is the 11th largest Port District in the United States and is located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Southwest Louisiana. The Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District is governed by a seven member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor. To learn more about the Port of Lake Charles and the surrounding area, visit the Port’s website at www.portlc.com.

The Calcasieu River Waterway Harbor Safety Committee is one of many such committees established at ports throughout the country. Harbor Safety Committees (HSCs) are local coordinating bodies that work with the U.S. Coast Guard to address issues relating to the safety, security, mobility, and environmental protection of a port or waterway. HSCs coordinate issues relating to commercial as well as recreational marine transportation. Membership in the Calcasieu HSC is comprised of local representatives of governmental agencies, industry organizations, channel users and public interest groups.