Container Shipping and Logistics Group Scoop Environmental Awards

US – Florida based Crowley Maritime Corporation specialises in marine activities spread across a very broad spectrum via project freight solutions and logistic services both domestically and internationally and now the 119 year old company has seen a large part of its fleet of vessels, which range from container ships to salvage craft, honoured for their impeccable environmental record.

The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) in Washington, D.C. has awarded certificates of environmental achievement for 92 vessels that are owned and/or operated by Crowley businesses. The awards recognized companies with vessels that had achieved a record of two or more years of no recordable environmental incidents. Crowley companies, including Crowley Liner Services, Crowley Marine Services, Crowley Petroleum Services, Crowley Puerto Rico Services, Crowley Technical Management Services, Marine Transport Lines and Marine Transport Management, far surpassed this benchmark with a combined total of 975 years of environmental excellence among its recognized vessels. In total, 1,181 ships and 71 companies were honoured by the CSA and of the 241 vessels that have logged more than 10 years each of environmental excellence 47 of them are Crowley owned or operated. Tom Crowley Junior, Group chairman, president and CEO commented:

"Safety, which includes environmental protection, is our company's most important core value. I am extremely proud of the men and women here at Crowley who are providing leadership in this area by not only taking responsibility for their own safety, but who are also safeguarding those around them, our customer's cargo and the environment."

Each year the awards are open to all owners and operators of vessels that operate on oceans or inland waterways and a full list of those honoured by the CSA in 2011 is available HERE. Joseph J. Cox, president of CSA said:

"These awards celebrate the dedication to environmental excellence of our seafarers and the company personnel shoreside who operate our vessels to the highest standards. 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."

Photo: Jan Genemanns, chief officer, MV Cape Washington, accepts the CSA awards on behalf of all of Crowley's vessels.