Coast Guard opens Hudson River safety forum

The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

(POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.) — The Coast Guard kicked off the first day of a two-day Hudson River Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) workshop at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel on Tuesday.

More than 40 participants and 12 observers took part in discussions about the Hudson River identifying various waterway risks.

“We have a great mix of stakeholders and waterway users of the Hudson River here today, each of whom is offering valuable perspectives to help us better understand and assess navigational and safety risks concerning various uses of the Hudson River in this collaborative approach,” said Rear Admiral Steven Poulin, commander, 1st Coast Guard District. “I appreciate the time the participants and observers are taking for this worthy cause because the Hudson River is a national treasure and the safety, security, and environmental and commercial uses of the waterway are paramount.”

A sampling of workshop participants includes representatives from Riverkeeper, Hudson River Waterfront Alliance, New York State Department of Environment Conservation, Hudson River Pilots, Pace University, Tug and Barge Committee of New York and New Jersey, and Scenic Hudson. Observers include local municipal leaders and residents to maintain transparency of the process.

The two-day workshop is broken up into day one (identifying risks) and day two (risk mitigation factors). In order to identify risks, participants will form into teams to discuss and evaluate major waterway safety hazards, estimate risk levels, calculate potential mitigation measures, and set the stage for implementation of selected measures to reduce risk. 

By Professional Mariner Staff