Foss Wins Major Puget Sound Environmental Award
Company named Marine Environmental Business of the Year
SEATTLE, May 14, 2009 – Foss Maritime Company – whose ‘green’ initiatives have earned it national and international recognition—has been honored in its home waters, winning the Port of Seattle’s and Propeller Club’s Marine Environmental Business of the Year award at the 2009 Seattle Maritime Festival luncheon.
Top environmental, maritime industry and federal and state government officials were part of the committee that chose Foss, which edged out four other companies for the prestigious honor.
“Environmental stewardship is a core value of our company,” said Gary Faber, Foss president and COO. “To win the Marine Environmental Business of the Year award, here in Puget Sound where our company was established more than a century ago, is a great honor for all of us at Foss.”
“At Foss our core values are supported by our commitment to continual improvement—in health and safety, compliance, quality and also environmental stewardship. Our customers and the industry have come to expect this commitment from us.”
The committee recognized Foss for its commitment to reducing its carbon and emissions footprints and adhering to the principles of sustainability and safety in its operations.
Examples of the company’s initiatives include:
- Building the world’s first low emissions hybrid tugboat;
- Switching its entire fleet to ultra-low sulfur diesel;
- Cold ironing at all of its home docks and shipyards;
- Becoming the first company accepted into the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transportation Partnership for its marine transportation services;
- Converting six of its vessels to cleaner engines;
- Investing in new barges with vapor recovery systems;
- Conducting an energy audit on all its vessels;
- Developing an energy management plan to reduce fuel consumption; and,
- Participating in the Northwest Clean Air Strategy and voluntarily incorporating all elements of that plan into its corporate environmental strategy.
The award selection committee consisted of representatives from People for Puget Sound, the federal EPA, the Washington state Department of Ecology, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the Puget Sound Pilots and Pacific Maritime Magazine.
The award was presented by Hon. Gael Tarleton, Commissioner, Port of Seattle.