(ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: Newly published Port of Seattle video that, toward the end, shows one of these tests)

12:54 PM: We’ve just confirmed with the Port of Seattle that what rattled windows from Admiral to Pigeon Point a little while ago was another one of those rapid-load pile tests related to the planned Terminal 5 modernization project. Port spokesperson Peter McGraw says the test scheduled for yesterday – second one this week – was postponed until today because of the wind. Judging by the messages/questions we received, this one was apparently the most widely felt one yet. Here’s the original alert from December.

P.S. The next major step in the T-5 project, after this testing ends later this month, is the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement, expected in May.

ADDED 1:32 PM: McGraw just sent word that two more tests are scheduled, Monday (~3 pm) and Wednesday (~noon).

ADDED 8:06 PM: The Port has just published a video explaining how the tests work, and showing one – we’ve added the video above.

If you’re in the Terminal 5 area – take note that the Port of Seattle has two more “rapid-load testing of piles” set for this week, as part of the design/permit process for the Terminal 5 Modernization Project. They’re both scheduled around noon, one tomorrow (Tuesday, March 8th), one on Thursday (March 10th). Port spokesperson Peter McGraw says it “will sound like a half-second cannon shot,” which one reader verified after a recent test (of which we didn’t get advance notice). If you have a question or complaint, here’s the address you can use: Terminal5_Outreach@portseattle.org – McGraw says the test results “may help reduce the number of piles required and the depth of pile installation, which in-turn would reduce noise associated with pile-driving during construction.”

(Photo by David Hutchinson, taken from Jack Perry Park)

FIRST REPORT, 11:45 AM: It’s the most gawkable thing in our area today – the first-ever visit of the biggest cargo ship to call on North American ports, the CGA CGM Benjamin Franklin, whose arrival was watched at spots from sea level to skyscraper:

(Photo courtesy Deb)

It’s at Terminal 18 on Harbor Island, and it just received a VIP welcome across the East Waterway at Terminal 25, fireboat and all.

The event was a chance for the port to show off, in an intensely competitive time up and down the West Coast, as well as the rest of the world. (updated) Here’s our video of the welcoming speeches:

If you don’t have time to watch – some highlights:

Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman emceed. She described herself as an unabashed champion of the working waterfront. “We want to see our working waterfront filled more with working cranes than ferris wheels,” says Bowman.

Next: Mayor Ed Murray, who used the word “incredible” to refer to the ship and our local economy. He echoed Bowman in saying it represents our future as well as our past. And he gave a shoutout to the Lander Street Overpass, vital not only for port traffic but as a surface link between West Seattle and SODO/Downtown.

Northwest Seaport Alliance (the Seattle/Tacoma joint venture) CEO John Wolfe told the crowd he rode in on the Benjamin Franklin.

“What an incredible sight to come into the harbor and see the sunrise over the Seattle skyline.” He says this is the result of the industry “work(ing) together.” He says that in his days as a terminal operator, a ship with a third the capacity of this one – 6,600 containers, compared to 18,000 – was considered big. He touts nearly a billion dollars in investment ahead for the port (that would include the Terminal 5 modernization planned for northeastern West Seattle).

Ed McCarthy, senior VP of the ship’s owner CMA CGM, said it took months of work to get ready for this. He hailed the other modes of transportation it takes “to handle vessels of this size” – including rail and trucks. “There is still some work to be done” here in Seattle, he notes. “This is really a trial right now – the reason we brought the vessel in is that (company leadership) wanted to bring the ship into ports all over the West Coast … There’s a lot of learning we’re gathering from bringing the vessel in, and we’re looking forward to sharing that information with stakeholders as we complete the study.”

Carrix, the parent company of SSA Marine – operator of Terminals 18 and 30 – also was represented, by CEO Knud Stubkjaer.

He said, “This is a moment we’ve been looking forward to, and we’ve been ready for a while.” He talked about the expansion work that has already been done at terminals including the one at which the event was being held, “to create what is a unique and competitive infrastructure for … our customers. … The future has arrived here today.” He also talked about the competition among West Coast ports, and the investment that others were making to fight for the business from megaships like the Benjamin Franklin.

Puget Sound Pilots‘ Capt. David Grobschmidt noted that his day started very early, as he and a team of pilots brought the Benjamin Franklin “successfully into Seattle,” starting alongside Port Angeles around 3 am. “We would really like to see this called her home port,” he concluded.

And president Rich Austin of ILWU Local 19 wrapped up, saying that on behalf of his union, they welcome the ship.

“There are many components to a successful port, and labor is as important as any of those components.” He noted that the ship represented “the future of the industry” and that a “new approach” identifies labor as “instrumental” in making this port “a shipper’s best option.”

Others here include not only port officials but also city and state elected officials. (added) Here’s the official port news release, including an infographic about the ship’s size and capacity.

3:01 PM UPDATE: We’ve added our video, above, of the entire 26 minutes of welcoming speeches. The ship is scheduled to be here until about 8 am Tuesday.

ADDED MONDAY NIGHT: One more visual – just found this time-lapse, from-the-bridge video published to YouTube by another of the Puget Sound Pilots who brought the BF in, Capt. Ed Marmol:

ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY REPORT: Just in from the Port of Seattle:

Rapid load testing of piles as part of the design and permitting process for the Terminal 5 Improvements Project is expected to occur around mid-day on Friday, Jan. 29. The test will sound like a half-second cannon shot. The sound can be as loud as 145 decibels. A total of nine rapid load tests will occur between January and the end of March, with no more than one test occurring per day. The first test occurred on Friday, Jan. 22. The test results may help reduce the number of piles required and the depth of pile installation, which in-turn would reduce noise associated with pile-driving during construction. All tests will take place Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in compliance with the City of Seattle Noise Ordinance. Federal, state and city agencies have issued permits for the test pile program.

Anyone hear the test last Friday?

FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The port says this will be closer to 3 pm.

ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY NOTE: If you’re anywhere within earshot of West Seattle’s Terminal 5 on Friday – you might hear this. The alert is from Peter McGraw at the Port of Seattle:

As you know, the Port of Seattle is in the process of making Terminal 5 ‘big ship ready.’ This includes a number of steps, including dredging and strengthening the dock for larger cranes, which requires installing new piles while we undergo our environmental impact statement (EIS).

Before any of this happens, we need to run a number of tests, which includes using what is called a rapid load test.

The first rapid load testing of piles as part of the design and permitting process for the Terminal 5 Improvements Project is expected to occur around mid-day on Friday, Jan. 22. An additional test may take place on Monday, Jan. 26.

The tests sound like a half-second cannon shot. The sound can be as loud as 145 decibels. A total of nine rapid load tests will occur between January and the end of March, with no more than one test occurring per day.

The test results may help reduce the number of piles required and the depth of pile installation, which in-turn would reduce noise associated with pile-driving during construction.

All tests will take place Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in compliance with the City of Seattle Noise Ordinance.

How loud is 145 decibels? On this list of “decibel equivalents,” that’s just below “Formula 1 race car full-throttle drive-by.”

FRIDAY UPDATE: We asked port spokesperson Peter McGraw if they have a time estimate – he says the latest is “between 12 and 12:30 pm.”

FOLLOWUP: New update, 12:50ish.

11:09 AM: We’ve just checked with the Port of Seattle for the status of what it announced before Christmas – that a contractor would soon start driving test piles at Terminal 5 in West Seattle, as it gears up for the modernization project – about two months work to install “about 27 piles … at the edge of the Terminal 5 wharf.” The announcement added, “Once installed, some of the piles will be tested using a method known as rapid-load testing. The testing sounds like a half-second cannon shot. The sound can be as loud as 145 decibels at a distance of 50 feet. Nine tests are planned, with no more than one test per day.” We called port spokesperson Peter McGraw this morning to ask if the work was still set to start this week as the December announcement had said; he says the contractor tells them it’ll begin “within a few days.” The T-5 modernization project, expected to have a nine-digit price tag, is intended to make the terminal able to handle “megaships”; as reported by the Tacoma News-Tribune a week ago, one such ship is likely to visit Harbor Island’s T-18 next month.

11:27 AM: Update from the port: McGraw says, “Pile installation is scheduled to occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday in compliance with the City of Seattle’s noise ordinance.”

Quick reminder: If you have something to say about the Port of Seattle‘s environmental review for the Terminal 5 modernization proposal, tomorrow (Monday, November 23rd) is the deadline. Start here. The key comments at this point in the process would be your thoughts on issues that should be reviewed – noise, traffic, air quality, etc. You can review recent coverage in the WSB Port of Seattle-related archives.

As photographed from Jack Block Park, that’s the Aiviq, one of three ships from Shell‘s Arctic-drilling fleet now docked at West Seattle’s Terminal 5. (Thanks to Ted for the three-ship tip.) Out of view to the right is the canary-yellow-hulled Tor Viking, and to the left is Harvey Explorer:

So what are they doing here, you ask, considering Shell shelved its drilling plans, and sent the largest member of the fleet, the platform Polar Pioneer, to Port Angeles? there are still some loose ends to tie up, as T-5 tenant Foss Maritime‘s spokesperson Paul Queary had mentioned back in September. And that’s what’s happening now, Queary tells WSB today: “Foss has a lease with the Port of Seattle through January 2017, with options to renew. We are actively pursuing business for the terminal. For now, we continue to serve our current customer as they wind down their project.”

SIDE NOTE: Looking further into Terminal 5’s future, you’ll recall that the port has launched the Environmental Impact Statement process for its “modernization” project – while you can get information and comment via the “online open house” that continues until Nov. 23, also remember that the in-person “scoping meeting” is now eight days away, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW) on Thursday, November 12th, 5:30-8:30 pm. (A rep of the neighborhood group that campaigned for the environmental review is also on tonight’s Southwest District Council agenda, as mentioned in our daily preview.)

(May photo by Long Bach Nguyen: Shell’s Polar Pioneer at T-5)
Two days after Shell‘s announcement that its offshore-drilling attempts in the Arctic are over TFN, a decision on a related West Seattle issue is in, though it might be a moot point:

That document spells out how the city Hearing Examiner’s Office has just ruled against the city Department of Planning and Development‘s contention back in May that the Port of Seattle would need a different set of permits to allow Shell’s offshore-drilling fleet to use West Seattle’s Terminal 5.

The fleet had done just that earlier this year, you’ll recall, despite DPD’s contention, which Shell, the Port, and T-5 leaseholder Foss had challenged, with the port calling it “irrational.”

Mayor Murray says he’s “disappointed” but adds that the city will not challenge the ruling by deputy Hearing Examiner Anne Watanabe, who listened to arguments over five days this summer; documents were still being posted to the voluminous online case file as recently as last week.

But Earthjustice, representing four environmental groups supporting the DPD decision, says it might appeal the Hearing Examiner’s ruling. Its managing attorney Patti Goldman is quoted in a news release as saying, “The City got it right when it decided a massive drill rig is not a cargo ship and a homeport for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet is not a cargo terminal.”

So far, Shell has not said where its rigs are headed after pulling out of the Arctic Ocean. Foss spokesperson Paul Queary told us on Monday that some items remained at T-5 to be picked up, and that fleet-related vessels had some cargo offloading to be done … but whether that would happen here remained to be seen.

(June 2015 WSB photo)
8:50 AM: Three and a half months after its Polar Pioneer rig left West Seattle, Arctic-bound, Shell announced overnight that it will “cease further exploration activity in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future.” Shell said it “safely drilled (an exploration) well to a total depth of 6800 feet” and found “indications of oil and gas,” but not enough to justify continuing, so the “well will be sealed and abandoned.”

In addition to the controversy over Arctic drilling itself, Shell’s local presence still had some unresolved issues, including a pending city Hearing Examiner decision on the appeal of last May’s Department of Planning and Development “interpretation” saying more permits were needed for its use of Terminal 5 as part of Foss Maritime‘s lease. After multiple days of testimony over the summer, documents are still being filed in the case.

But the immediate question is whether any of Shell’s fleet will be headed back this way; besides the Polar Pioneer, several Shell support vessels used T-5 before heading north to the Arctic Ocean.

(May 2015 photo by Paul Weatherman: Shell’s Aiviq and Polar Pioneer @ T-5)
We talked this morning with Foss spokesperson Paul Queary. He says the company is “obviously disappointed” about Shell’s decision to abandon the offshore Arctic, but they don’t know yet what the oil company will do “regarding the vessels coming back to T-5.” Queary says there are still some loose ends at the very least, including items “to be picked up” and cargo to be offloaded. Shell or no Shell, he says, Foss still has a lease with the Port of Seattle and is “seeking other opportunities” for utilizing the space.

We’ll be following up on other aspects of the Shell announcement and will add to this story as the day goes on.

11:38 AM: Earthjustice, which went to court to try to stop the lease the port signed in February, sent a statement: “Shell’s departure from the Arctic Ocean removes for now a major threat to the region’s wildlife, already suffering from climate change more rapid than anywhere on earth. Arctic Ocean oil drilling is a thing of the past. The world cannot afford to burn the vast majority of known fossil fuel reserves, let alone to search for unknown oil in Arctic Ocean, risking an irreplaceable region and wildlife in the process. President Obama now has an opportunity to build on his climate legacy and end Arctic Ocean drilling for good. It’s time to invest in the future of clean renewable energy and a sustainable climate for future generations.”

12:04 PM: A statement from Mayor Murray: ““I am pleased that Shell has ceased their Arctic drilling operations. The people of Seattle stood up to oppose the use of our city as a base for expanded Arctic drilling. With today’s announcement, it is time to move forward. I am committed to working with the Port and our critical maritime industry to build a clean economy of the future that provides high-paying maritime jobs and preserves our environment.”

1:26 PM: And from County Executive Dow Constantine: “While we should all be relieved that Shell Oil decided not to drill in the Arctic, this will not be the last proposal to drill for fossil fuels in that region, posing both local and global environmental risks. Let’s seize this opportunity to make King County a hub for clean-technology development and take the lead in creating a sustainable 21st-century economy.”

Thanks to Karen Berge for sharing photos from Saturday’s free Port of Seattle-presented boat tour of the area’s “Working Waterfront.” Karen reports the tour traveled along both the East and the West Waterways north of the Duwamish River; above, a closer look at one of the container ships in port at the time, the CGA-CGM Attila. The tour also traveled past Vigor Industrial‘s shipyard on Harbor Island:

One of the more eye-catching sights there, a partly wrapped state ferry – the M/V Tacoma, undergoing work at Vigor, same place it was built in the mid-’90s (when the shipyard was known as Todd):

As the tour headed into the Duwamish River, Karen says they traveled under the low bridge as well as the high bridge:

If the tide had been any higher, she said, the low bridge would have had to have opened. Along the Duwamish, the sights turned to many a barge:

That included the one that generated some controversy among local environmental advocates for bringing in contaminated sediment from Bellingham :

Speaking of controversy, the tour also went by West Seattle’s Terminal 5:

Part of Shell’s Arctic-drilling fleet is still expected back at T-5 after the short drilling season, but the city Hearing Examiner’s decision is still pending, regarding whether additional city permits are needed.

Along with the diversity of facilities along the waterfront, the diversity of vessels was in view too. With the reconfiguration of Highway 99 and Alaskan Way on the south side of downtown, you don’t get as much of a view of the Coast Guard’s ships any more – here’s what was visible from the tour:

Karen concluded, in her note with the photos, “What I found most interesting was the opportunity to see a different perspective of places that I think I know so well. I cross both of the West Seattle bridges frequently, but have not had opportunities to see the underside of these bridges from a boat.

“Today, we saw parks, buildings, and industrial facilities in a different way than we have seen them before. I’ve gone to Jack Block Park as a destination, but have never seen it or any of the surrounding shoreline from the water, so it was incredibly interesting to see it in that context.

“It was also interesting to see the mixture of newer versus older buildings and learn more about those that I’ve never pondered. For example, our tour boat passed by the old Fisher Flour Mill and when asked, no one could identify it by name.” She adds that port reps say they’ll be offering the “working waterfront” tour to other neighborhoods – West Seattle was the first.

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Big changes for the Port of Seattle, and more on the way.

That’s what Seattle Port Commission co-president Courtney Gregoire detailed to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting on Thursday, under a tent at port-owned Jack Block Park (whose namesake, a former commissioner himself, was in attendance).

Gregoire (pictured above with the WS Chamber’s CEO Lynn Dennis and board chair Hamilton Gardiner) touched only briefly on the controversy that turned commission meetings into international news earlier this year.

Read More

From tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting: A reminder that the Port of Seattle‘s rescheduled “West Seattle Working Waterfront Tour” is coming up on Saturday, September 19th, and registration is happening right now. It’s a round trip from Pier 66 on the downtown waterfront, aboard the Spirit of Seattle; free (validated) parking near the pier will be available if you need it. All ages are welcome and there will be a special program during the cruise for kids, as well as narration for all. The official description: “Get an up-close look at the Port of Seattle cargo facilities that generate 24,000 jobs in our community with an annual payroll of $2 billion.” Check-in will be at 9 am on tour day; the tour itself will take you out on the water 9:30-11:30 am. The Port (which is advertising on WSB to promote the tour) reminds you that space is limited and you can register for up to 4 tickets – “RSVP with the name for each guest attending and e-mail pos-reception@portseattle.org by September 15th. Questions? Call 206-787-3527.”

The Northwest Seaport Alliance – the new entity that includes the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma – says that’s the biggest container ship ever to call in Puget Sound, the CMA CGM Callisto, which arrived at Terminal 18 today. As big as it is – see all the stats here – it’s not as big as the ships the port wants to redesign Terminal 5 to handle, which will hold up to a third more container volume than this one. The Callisto is scheduled to head back out tomorrow. Speaking of the modernization proposal – this Friday is the comment deadline for key aspects of that proposal – details are in our report from two weeks ago.