Port of Hueneme
Port of Hueneme | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
Location | Port Hueneme, California |
Coordinates | 34°8′50″N 119°12′30″W / 34.14722°N 119.20833°W |
Details | |
Opened | July 4, 1940 |
Operated by | Oxnard Harbor District |
Owned by | Oxnard Harbor District/U.S. Navy |
Type of harbour | Artificial |
Land area | 120 acres (49 ha)[1] |
No. of berths | 5 |
Port CEO and Director | Kristin Decas[2] |
Motto | We make cargo move.[3] |
Statistics | |
Annual cargo tonnage | 1.6 million[4] |
Value of cargo | $10.9 billion[4] |
Website www |
The Port of Hueneme in the city of
The original
The port has a direct highway connection to the nationwide freight network which raises the status of the port and gives it access to more federal funding resulting in a competitive advantage.
The Navy controls the ship movements. As a shared port between NBVC and the Oxnard Harbor District, the U.S. Navy has over 4,500 feet (1,400 m) of berthing space for various ship platforms for use by tenant commands of NBVC: Port Hueneme and transient government contract/military shipping.[12]
History
European immigrants began farming on the Oxnard Plain in the 1860s but the area was isolated due to the difficult overland routes. Thomas R. Bard chose Point Hueneme[13] as the site of a wharf to take advantage of the naturally occurring depth of a submarine canyon.[14] The extra depth meant there was less surge while the boats were loading or unloading than there would be at other locations.[15] Before the construction of a 900-foot-long wharf (270 m) in 1872, goods had been shuttled through the surf zone to reach offshore vessels.[16] Hueneme soon became the largest grain-shipping port south of San Francisco and the wharf was extended to 1,500 feet (460 m) in 1897.[17]
Three- and four-masted
In 1898, the railroad line that had connected
The Harbor District was formed April 29, 1937 with an area of about 321 acres (130 ha).
The District has regained control over 120 acres (49 ha) and an additional 600 acres (240 ha) of private and public land serve support functions for the port.[1] This has come about due to the gradual realignment and reduction in the nation's defense forces. For example, 33 acres (13 ha) were added to the port's existing 75 acres (30 ha) in 1997 as obsolete military facilities were demolished.[25] Commercial shipping activities have consistently expanded and taken advantage of the additional space.[6] Both the port and military base are within the corporate limits of the city of Port Hueneme.[26]
In 2008 the port repaired the 3,050-foot seawall (930 m) on the south side of the entrance that protects the shoreline and marine terminals from coastal erosion. The project included construction of the Waterfront Promenade, also known as the Lighthouse Promenade. The path is wide enough to accommodate emergency or service vehicles and is lighted. The path provides paved public access along the shore by replacing a dirt path and connecting with the pathways at Hueneme Beach. The old seawall material was recycled by crushing the rock and using it as base material for the pathway.[27]
Bananas were the port's largest volume product in 2014 and were continuing to increase.
Cargo volume grew 44% between 2009 and 2018. In 2019, the annual volume of cargo was 1.6 million tons in 2019 worth an estimated $9 billion dollars.[28][29] The port formed a partnership with global container shipping line, SeaLand, in 2016 for their West Coast Central America route. The new route allowed products to arrive in Ventura County sooner and provided a convenient point to import and export goods from Central and South America for local companies.[30] A modernization project that started in 2019 included adding an electric crane and deepening the harbor to 40 feet (12 m).[31]
In 2019, the largest drug seizure at the port in decades was the result of a joint investigation by officers from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations. In January, cocaine was found under the floorboards of two ships.[32][33][34][35]
Beginning in 2021, shippers looked to the port during the global supply chain disruption. Vessels were arriving at full capacity as shippers chose carriers not headed for Los Angeles County ports and ships were also unloading all their containers here to avoid the backlog of ships at those ports farther south.[36] While shifting to the port was not practical for ships with a substantial number of containers due to the lack of resources needed to offload, container ships that were newly chartered by suppliers were utilizing the port.[37] A standing joint-use agreement from 2002 was also activated that allowed use of Wharf 3 onboard Naval Base Ventura County.[38] The additional land and buildings helped stage the backlog of containers and get commodities to market which enabled the port to take on more cargo and avoid congestion.[39] In early 2022, FedEx Logistics sent three chartered vessels from China with between 184 and 250 53-foot containers (16 m) with electronics, car parts, and clothing.[40] Transit time was reduced by over 20 days instead of using the Los Angeles County ports according to the company.[41]
Funding for ports by the state of California in July 2023 provided money for the Port Action, Climate and Environment Development (PACED) projects which includes removing dilapidated buildings, wharf repairs , and deepening berths.[42] The port will also use the funding to install zero-emission plug-in units for containers, support power and emissions control systems that make vessels emission-free, and purchase zero-emission cargo handling equipment.[43]
Port operation
The ability to handle a diverse breadth of business is one way the port distinguishes itself from the much larger ports in Los Angeles County (Long Beach and Los Angeles) which are designed with the infrastructure to service container ships with approximately 5,000 containers.[44][45][7] The Port has five deep-water berths and two cranes for handling intermodal containers and bulk cargo.[46] Vessels arriving carry between 1,250 and 1,500 containers as larger vessels are unable to use the berthing facilities.[47] As an official port of entry into the United States and being adjacent to the Navy Base, the facility maintains a high level of security including monitoring those entering and leaving the port complex.[48] Hazardous cargo cannot be processed through the port.[36]
Automobiles and other
The port imports and exports over 313,000,000-short-ton of cargo annually to Guatemala (284,000,000-metric-ton) through the port of Puerto Quetzal. The cargo consists mainly of bananas and various fresh produce.[56] The port’s goal is to be “the nation’s No. 1 port of choice for food production."[2] Chiquita bananas arriving at the port are distributed to 13 western states.[56]
Military operations
NBVC Port Operations controls all vessels entering and exiting the harbor. NBVC:Port Hueneme and OHD have a Joint Use Agreement that provides up to 25 acres (10 ha) of secondary parcels for staging. There is more than 300 acres (120 ha) of lay-down space with portside access for 16 miles (26 km) of rail for on- and off-loading military freight for the various branches of service.[6] Response to any "on water" hazardous materials spill is provided by Navy Port Operations personnel as they are first responder qualified.[58]
The deep water port at NBVC:Port Hueneme is one of the few military ports on the West Coast[12] and has been the site of a centuries-old naval tradition of ship commissioning. A ceremony at the harbor placed the following ships into active service
- United States Navy Seabee diver murdered in Beirut during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847in 1985.
- launchedon 26 June 2002.
- USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32)[60]
Infrastructure and facilities
The five deep-water berths are equipped with
Two tugboats accompany ships in and out of the harbor and guide them to and from their berths.[63] The port acquired two battery-powered terminal tractors in 2020 to move containers of fresh produce around the port. The American-made Kalmar trucks, funded with grant from the Air Resources Board, and a new tug, that came to the port in 2020, will further reduce emissions from port operations.[64]
Land transportation network
The Oxnard Harbor District acquired the Ventura County Railway Company LLC, a 12.9-mile (20.8 km) short line railroad, in 2003.[65][10] Ventura County Railroad operates the lines which connect the port, the military base, and other facilities in south Oxnard with the Union Pacific Coast route near the Oxnard Transit Center in downtown Oxnard. The port would also benefit if the rail corridor from the Port of Hueneme through the Highway 126 corridor to Santa Clarita was reestablished to carry Central Valley and Santa Clara River Valley citrus and other products to the port and on to foreign markets.[66]
The Hueneme Road/Rice Avenue intermodal corridor was established by the district along with the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme, the County of Ventura, and approved by the state transportation commission in 1998 to deal with the truck traffic.[67][68] This direct route connects the port to the nationwide freight network and raises the status of the port to give it access to more federal funding resulting in a competitive advantage.[9] Funding was put in place in 2000 to improve the dedicated freight corridor by extending Rice Road southerly to connect Hueneme Road (Port Hueneme Road within Port Hueneme city limits) and totally rebuilding the interchange for State Route 1 at Pleasant Valley Road.[69][70] The new interchange at Highway 101 and Rice Avenue was dedicated in 2014 after being improved and expanded from a two-lane overpass with narrow freeway ramps that required sharp difficult turns for trucks.[9] The interchange and road improvements also made Rice Avenue, rather than Oxnard Boulevard, the main thoroughfare between the Ventura Freeway and the Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1).[71] An overpass has been planned for almost two decades along this route at the Rice Avenue intersection with Fifth Street (State Route 34). In February 2015, a Metrolink passenger train collided with a truck at this on-grade crossing. Funding is being allocated for design with a desire by local officials to eventually get the estimated $35 million need for this grade separation project.[72]
Historic sites
Three historic sites are highlighted at viewing points on the Promenade: the 1872 Wharf, the Oxnard Packing House, and extant Point Hueneme Light. The Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board designated the "Original Hueneme Wharf Site" as County Landmark #24 in 1972.[18]
District governance
The Oxnard Harbor District is an independent
In 1983, the district and the City of Port Hueneme developed an agreement that provided a payment to the city of 3.33 percent of the port's gross revenues for improvements and services. The agreement recognized that city roads need maintenance due to the port truck traffic and provided for improvements such as road widening. After
Community impacts
Much of the car storage is off-site in south Oxnard where several vehicle processing centers are located. Imported cars are frequently driven out of the port on public streets to these facilities.[81]
A volunteer group has special permission to feed
MV Conception, a dive boat that caught fire and sank, was brought to the port from Santa Cruz Island overnight on September 13, 2019 to provide a secure location for the investigation. The boat was anchored near the island when the conflagration occurred at 3 a.m. on September 2, 2019. Five of the crew members escaped while 33 passengers and 1 crew member who were asleep below decks died.[84]
During the
Events
See also
References
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- ^ a b c d Lawrence, Carol (May 22, 2014) "Business development trip puts Port of Hueneme on exporters' radar" Ventura County Star
- ^ a b Dubroff, Henry (July 26, 2013) "With new leaders and branding, Port of Hueneme's ship comes in" Pacific Coast Business Times
- ^ a b c Harris, Mike (January 8, 2021). "Army Corps of Engineers dredging Port of Hueneme channel, to replenish Hueneme Beach". Ventura County Star. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- U.S. NavyAccessed 27 May 2014
- ^ a b "Port of Hueneme celebrates California ports day with deepening project groundbreaking". Ports and Terminals. www.ajot.com. February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- Caltrans
- ^ a b c Biasotti, Tony (August 27, 2014). "Rice Avenue interchange a turning point for Oxnard". Ventura County Star.
- ^ a b c d "Municipal Service Review: Oxnard Harbor District" Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (September 19, 2007)
- ^ a b Hoops, Stephanie (April 4, 2014) "Port of Hueneme flips switch on shore power system for ships" Ventura County Star
- ^ U.S. Navy
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Point Hueneme
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hueneme Canyon
- ^ (February 25, 1916) "Ventura Harbor, CAL" House of Representatives 64th Congress, 1st Session, Document NO. 792
- ^ Waters, Mark E., Publisher "Port of Hueneme" World Port Source
- ^ Ventura County: Hueneme Los Angeles Herald 25 September 1897 Volume 26, Number 360, Page 7
- ^ a b c Cultural Heritage Board. "Ventura County Landmark Map" Archived 2015-10-16 at the Wayback Machine County of Ventura Planning Division Accessed 5 April 2014
- ^ Lima, Christina (February 18, 1996) "Collision Course : Scenic but Dangerous California 126 Throws Drivers a Curve" Los Angeles Times
- ^ Chase, J. Smeaton (1913). "California Coast Trails: a Horseback Ride from Mexico to Oregon" Chapter VI. Reprinted in The Double Cone Register, the online journal of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance, Volume VIII, No. 1, Fall 2005
- ^ "CHATSWORTH PARK CUTOFF LINE OPENS TODAY" Los Angeles Herald 20 March 1904. Volume 21, Number 173, Page 2
- ^ Tash, Debra (May 4, 2019). "Happy Birthday Port of Hueneme/Oxnard Harbor District". Citizens Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
- ^ Julie F. Streets (1975). National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bard, Thomas R., Estate / Berylwood (Report). National Park Service. and accompanying photos
- ^ The Bard Mansion Archived July 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine webpage. "Berylwood, Historic Home and Gardens". Friends of the Bard Mansion website. Accessed 27, September, 2013
- ^ Green, Nick (March 26, 1997) "Navy Transfers 33 Acres to Harbor District" Los Angeles Times
- ^ The Port of Hueneme: About Us: History Archived 2014-04-14 at the Wayback Machine The Port of Hueneme
- ^ Klampe, Michelle L. (March 21, 2008) "Waterfront Promenade officially opens today" Ventura County Star
- ^ Orozco, Lance. "Jobs, Cargo Tonnage, Tax Revenue All Up At South Coast Port". KCLU-News. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
- ^ Orozco, Lance (October 25, 2018). "South Coast Port Has Biggest Year In Its History; Bananas Top Banana For Imports". KCLU-News. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
- ^ Gerckens, Kelsey (September 28, 2016). "Port Of Hueneme now exports and imports directly from Central America". KEYT. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Nguyen, Julia (July 23, 2019). "Port Hueneme takes final steps into modernization with groundbreaking ceremony". KEYT. Archived from the original on July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ Mai-Duc, Christine (February 15, 2019). "Federal officials seize more than 200 pounds of cocaine in Port Hueneme". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Why landmark cocaine bust at Port of Hueneme was 'a big shock'". Ventura County Star. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ^ "Millions of dollars worth of cocaine seized from Port of Hueneme". FOX 11 Los Angeles. September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ Childs, Jeremy (September 22, 2019). "How smugglers try to sneak cocaine through Port of Hueneme". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ a b Varela, Brian J. (October 17, 2021). "Port of Hueneme sees vessels filled to the brim as shippers avoid Los Angeles County ports". Ventura County Star. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (November 28, 2021). "Port of Hueneme, Navy partner to assist Los Angeles County port backlog". Ventura County Star. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ Nguyen, Julia (November 23, 2021). "Naval Base Ventura County partners with Port of Hueneme to help ease shipping backlog". KEYT. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (January 18, 2022). "Port of Hueneme to receive vessels from China to ease congestion at L.A. County ports". Ventura County Star. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (January 30, 2022). "First ship loaded with much-needed goods from China arrives at Port of Hueneme". Ventura County Star. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (July 8, 2023). "Oxnard, Port of Hueneme get $95M for infrastructure projects". Ventura County Star. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Schuler, Mike (July 7, 2023). "California Awards $1.5 Billion for Port Infrastructure Upgrades". gCaptain.
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (September 23, 2014) "Port's cargo processing numbers remain steady" Ventura County Star
- ^ Leung, Wendy (February 22, 2019). "Construction to begin to deepen Port of Hueneme channel by 5 feet". Ventura County Star. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (November 10, 2014) "Amid labor strife, Port of Hueneme safe for now"Ventura County Star
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (October 17, 2021). "Port of Hueneme sees vessels filled to the brim as shippers avoid Los Angeles County ports". Ventura County Star. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "Port of Hueneme lands FEMA grant". ajot.com. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- ^ Buyers' Guide "The Port of Hueneme" Archived 2015-02-17 at the Wayback Machine Automotive Logistics retrieved 16 February 2015
- ^ Orozco, Lance (May 11, 2020). "Coronavirus Crisis Hitting Shipments Through South Coast Port". KCLU News. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ Draft Environmental Impact Report Volume I | Port of Hueneme - Temporary Outdoor Vehicle Storage Facility Project | SCH NO. 202006903 (PDF) (Report). City of Oxnard. December 16, 2021. pp. 1–5.
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (December 22, 2012) "Vehicle exports expected to rise at Port of Hueneme" Ventura County Star
- ^ Harris, Mike (April 17, 2020). "Port of Hueneme still bustling, but expects significant slowdown in coming weeks". Ventura County Star. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Leung, Wendy (February 17, 2019). "Port of Hueneme requesting Oxnard permit to use 34 acres as parking lot". Ventura County Star. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (March 6, 2022). "Planned Port of Hueneme parking lot would bring nearly 5,000 cars to South Oxnard". Ventura County Star. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ a b D'Angelo, Alexa (December 25, 2018). "Container leaves Port Hueneme, heads to Guatemala with donations for children in need". Ventura County Star. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ White, Ronald D. (October 28, 2009) "Tiny Port of Hueneme is hit by a perfect storm" Los Angeles Times
- U.S. NavyAccessed 27 May 2014
- ^ "William Pinckney". United States Navy. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
- ^ Lynch, Erinn (March 12, 2023). "USS Santa Barbara to be Commissioned in Ventura County". Noozhawk. Santa Barbara Navy League. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (July 23, 2013). "Consultant tells Port of Hueneme its growth is tied to better rail service". Ventura County Star.
- ^ Rivers, Kimberly (April 1, 2021). "In Brief | New Ship Tech Reduces Port Emissions". VC Reporter. Times Media Group. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "This new tug will help Port of Hueneme cut its emissions". Ventura County Star. January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ "Port Passes Memorandum of Understanding for Use of Zero-Emission Equipment" (Press release). Port Of Hueneme. December 22, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ City of Port Hueneme v. Oxnard Harbor District (Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 6, California 2006), Text.
- ^ Dubroff, Henry (January 9, 2015). "Commuter rail on the Central Coast may put bullet train on track". Pacific Coast Business Times. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ Green, Nick (January 26, 1996). "City, County to Jointly Seek U.S. Funds for Freeway Link". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Alvarez, Fred (August 8, 2001). "Farm Advocate Has Tough Row to Hoe". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Blake, Catherine (June 4, 2000). "Pact Reached on Truck Link to Port of Hueneme". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Plisky, Mike (May 8, 2010). "Long road to improve interchange". Ventura County Star.
- ^ Chi, Chris (April 2, 1998). "House Approves $41 Million for Roads in County". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Weikel, Dan; Nelson, Laura J. (March 1, 2015). "Spending on rail crossing safety upgrades varies widely across Southland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- ^ Watson, Carol (January 18, 1990) "More Cities Enter Fray Over Port of Hueneme" Los Angeles Times
- County of Ventura. Archived from the originalon July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ^ Murphy, Barbara (June 03, 1993) "District's New Boundaries Are Upheld" Los Angeles Times
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (June 24, 2014) "Port considers cut in funding the city of Port Hueneme" Ventura County Star
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (August 6, 2014) "Port of Hueneme to oppose proposed city taxes" Ventura County Star
- ^ Wenzke, Marissa (September 12, 2014). "Port of Hueneme and city are at odds over Measure M". Pacific Coast Business Times.
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (September 14, 2014) "Effects of Port Hueneme's Measure M unclear" Ventura County Star
- ^ Hoops, Stephanie (November 5, 2014) "Optimism reigns in wake of Measure M defeat" Ventura County Star
- ^ Leung, Wendy (February 18, 2019). "Port of Hueneme request to park 5,000 cars in south Oxnard raises pollution worries". Ventura County Star. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Kallas, Anne (September 7, 2016). "Cats Cradle watches over Port of Hueneme's feral felines". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ Kallas, Anne (July 31, 2016). "Too many cats spoil the port, Hueneme residents say". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ Buttitta, Joe (September 13, 2019). "Conception wreckage arrives at Port of Hueneme". KEYT. Retrieved September 16, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Nguyen, Julia (April 22, 2020). "Port Hueneme feeding essential workers during COVID-19 pandemic". KEYT | KCOY. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Varela, Brian J. (September 22, 2022). "Port of Hueneme's Banana Festival returns Saturday from two-year hiatus". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "Port of Hueneme Banana Festival". Port of Hueneme. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
Further reading
- The Port of Hueneme, Port Hueneme, California: Main report, environmental assessment, and pertinent correspondence. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. 1999.