The Chamber of Shipping of America recognized 61 Foss Maritime Co. tugs and tank barges for environmental excellence at CSA’s awards ceremony on
Nov. 13 in Washington, D.C.
Altogether,
the 61 Foss vessels CSA recognized have gone a combined 543 years without an
environmental incident, Seattle-based Foss Maritime says. For a handful of Foss
vessels, the awards marked 20 years of operation without an environmental
accident.
“When we talk
with our customers, safety and the environment are the first things they bring
up,” said Gary Faber, Foss’ president and chief operating officer in a company
press release. “To be honored by the Chamber of Shipping for our environmental
record is something that underscores all our efforts at Foss. It is part of our
corporate culture.”
U.S. Coast
Guard Rear Admiral Joseph A. Servidio, Assistant Commandant for Prevention
Policy, participated in the awards ceremony and congratulated the great work
performed by the industry.
Charles W.
Parks of Tesoro Corp. and CSA vice chairman said, “the great record evidenced
by the ships and vessels is due to the dedication of the seafarers working on
board and the support of shore operating personnel.”
“These awards
celebrate the dedication to environmental excellence of our seafarers and the
company personnel shore-side who operate our vessels to the highest standards,”
added CSA president Joseph J. Cox. “In today’s world, it seems our industry
only gets front-page news when spills or other environmental problems occur. It
is encouraging to see how many vessels go for years achieving environmental
excellence It should be clear to the American public that we in the maritime
industry take our stewardship of the marine environment very seriously.”