NEW ORLEANS WATERWAYS SAFETY ASSESSMENT
NAVCEN Facilitates New Orleans Waterway Safety Assessment
The Coast Guard Navigation Center’s (NAVCEN) Waterway Analysis Division recently facilitated a Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) with lower Mississippi River maritime stakeholders New Orleans.
The goal of this structured two-day dialogue was to identify waterway safety hazards and evaluate mitigation measures to reduce navigational risk.
The PAWSA, sponsored by Capt. Will Watson, Sector New Orleans captain of the port, gathered government and commercial representatives from across the area to facilitate comprehensive safety dialogue. The group included NOAA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, five port authorities, four pilot associations, regional law enforcement, and other vital maritime community members.
Employing a disciplined risk assessment process, NAVCEN identified major waterway safety hazards, estimated risk levels, and evaluated potential mitigation measures. This analysis set the stage for future implementation of selected measures for risk reduction in the lower Mississippi River.
NAVCEN members LCDR Ian Hanna, standing left, and Ms. Amilynn Adams, standing right, lead maritime safety dialogue with lower Mississippi River stakeholders.
