Posted on May 22, 2019
New legislation, pushed by a group of energy companies seeking to eliminate potential conflicts of interest, would create a new governing board for the Houston Pilots that guide vessels to and from Port of Houston docks.
For decades, one board has overseen operations for both the Port of Houston Authority and the Houston Pilots. The Port Authority operates, manages or leases eight public docks where cargo such as containers and steel are unloaded. It’s also the local sponsor of the federally maintained Houston Ship Channel, meaning the Port Authority helps with the management and environmental stewardship of the waterway.
The Houston Pilots are tasked with guiding vessels through the narrow channel. They set rules on when it’s safe to move these vessels and what size vessels are permitted. Their governing board sets rates that pilots can charge for their services.
Senate Bill 1915, sent to Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday, would require a separate board for the Houston Pilots. It also adds two governor appointees to the board.
The bill was authored by state Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. In a statement, she said the commissioners’ dual roles “create a conflict of interest because state certified pilots are supposed to be the final arbiter of all safety and traffic decisions on the ship channel.”
The legislation was pushed by the Coalition for a Fair and Open Port, which represents Houston energy companies including Enterprise Products, Targa Resources Corp. and Kinder Morgan.
Vincent DiCosimo, executive director of the coalition, said the Port Authority operates a for-profit economic engine. And whether or not the conflicts of interest are real, the Houston Pilots deserve their own sounding board.
The Houston Pilots are neutral to the bill. But Ric Campo, chairman of the boards governing the Port Authority and the Houston Pilots, called it the coalition’s “conspiracy theory.”
He denied that commissioners would ever put rules in place to benefit container ships over energy ships. And Campo said the Houston Pilots have always been allowed to set and maintain safety rules. No one has interfered with their work.
“The energy folks have political clout,” Campo said, “and have gone to Austin and said, ‘Oh my god, we have a problem.'”
He’s frustrated that this legislation is distracting from what everyone agrees is the ultimate goal — deepening and widening the Houston Ship Channel.
Source: chron.com
