SW Washington Congressional Delegation to dedicate Terminal 5

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The complete U.S. Congressional delegation that represents Southwest Washington will participate in the dedication of the Port of Vancouver USA’s new Terminal 5, Thursday, Aug. 13, from 10-11:30 a.m., with the formal program beginning at 10:30.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., will each speak during the dedication ceremony, which commemorates not only the new marine terminal, but also the groundbreaking of a new unit-train rail facility on the terminal as well.

Terminal 5 was previously home to the Alcoa – and later Evergreen – Aluminum smelter and extrusion facilities, which once hosted as many as 3,000 jobs for the Vancouver area. While aluminum operations shut down completely several years ago, the property hasn’t been fully utilized since Alcoa ceased its operation in 1985.

By developing a new marine terminal on the property, the port is breathing economic life back into the formerly vacant property. Environmental remediation on the property has been mostly completed by Alcoa and Evergreen Aluminum, satisfying the requirements of cleanup to industrial standards, set by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Port crews are already handling wind energy cargo on Terminal 5, which gives the Port of Vancouver more room than most West Coast ports on which to handle wind energy cargo. The port also took delivery of its second Liebherr LHM500S mobile harbor crane in March. It is no coincidence that the port projects more than 100,000 Longshore work hours on wind energy cargo alone in 2009.

Other speakers scheduled to participate in the event include: Port of Vancouver Executive Director Larry Paulson; Commission President Nancy Baker; Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard; Jay Manning, director of the Washington state Department of Ecology; Martha Wyrsch, president of Vestas North America; John Lanigan, executive vice president of marketing, BNSF Railway; and Brad Clark, president of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 4.

About the Port of Vancouver USA

The Port of Vancouver USA, created by Clark County taxpayers in 1912, is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast. Its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a dependable labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.

The Port of Vancouver is embarking on a year full of projects and developments that will lead to vital job creation, economic stimulation and environmental preservation. By diversifying its cargo mix between bulk commodities, breakbulk and project cargos, the port is responsible for job generation and significant contributions to the tax base for not only its own community, but also the state of Washington. Current expansion of the port’s rail system and development of new port industrial and marine properties will bring new jobs – both short term and long term – and the preservation of wetlands, the creation of enhanced wildlife habitat, and make way for more green/sustainable business partners operating from the port. For more information, please visit us at www.portvanusa.com.

– POV –