TRAVEL ADVISORY PORT AUTHORITY EXPECTED TO ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN 5 MILLION TRAVELERS FOR
JULY 4 HOLIDAY WEEK
The Port of New York & New Jersey / http://www.panynj.gov/press-room/press-item.cfm?headLine_id=1801
Bridges and Tunnels
From July 3 through July 7, the Port Authority projects that more than 3.1 million vehicles will cross through the agency’s six bridges and tunnels. With traffic volume expected to be higher than usual, motorists are encouraged to allow extra time to reach their destination.
The agency will have additional toll collectors and personnel on-site to expedite travel at bridges and tunnels.
To receive free, real-time travel alerts, travelers are encouraged to register for Port Authority Alerts at http://btt.paalerts.com.
PATH
On Wednesday, July 3, PATH will operate extra trains as needed to accommodate those workers who may be leaving early in advance of the July 4 holiday.
On Thursday, July 4, PATH will operate on a Saturday schedule with additional services. For passenger convenience, PATH will provide extended, more frequent train service for residents who plan to attend this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show located on the Hudson River. PATH will operate extra trains on the Journal Square-to-33rd Street (via Hoboken) line.
The Port Authority will provide additional customer service agents at selected stations to assist passengers during the evening hours.
For up-to-date service information, riders are encouraged to follow PATH Rail System on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PATHTrain or text their origin and destination to 266266. Riders also can sign up for alerts through www.PATHAlerts.com for up-to-date bulletins on service changes.
CONTACT: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 212-435-7777
Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where construction crews are building the iconic One World Trade Center, which is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov
Baucus Comment on Trade with Ecuador and the Generalized System of Preferences
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance / http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/chairman/release/?id=affa5aee-3244-4329-aaeb-1a189519a6c0
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today issued the following comment on trade with Ecuador and the Generalized System of Preferences:
“Our trade partners have to abide by the rules, and that’s why our preference programs have strong eligibility criteria. The Finance Committee will continue working to extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and as with all beneficiary countries, Ecuador will need to meet the eligibility requirements to receive benefits. I support the administration’s review process and look forward to working with them to ensure our trading partners are playing fairly.”
New Hours-of-Service Safety Regulations to Reduce Truck Driver Fatigue Begin Today
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) / http://www.dot.gov/briefing-room/new-hours-service-safety-regulations-reduce-truck-driver-fatigue-begin-today
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that new federal regulations designed to improve safety for the motoring public by reducing truck driver fatigue took full effect today, July 1, 2013.
“Safety is our highest priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “These rules make common sense, data-driven changes to reduce truck driver fatigue and improve safety for every traveler on our highways and roads.”
Trucking companies were provided 18 months to adopt the new hours-of-service rules for truck drivers. First announced in December 2011 by FMCSA, the rules limit the average work week for truck drivers to 70 hours to ensure that all truck operators have adequate rest. Only the most extreme schedules will be impacted, and more than 85 percent of the truck driving workforce will see no changes.
Working long daily and weekly hours on a continuing basis is associated with chronic fatigue, a high risk of crashes, and a number of serious chronic health conditions in drivers. It is estimated that these new safety regulations will save 19 lives and prevent approximately 1,400 crashes and 560 injuries each year.
“These fatigue-fighting rules for truck drivers were carefully crafted based on years of scientific research and unprecedented stakeholder outreach,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “The result is a fair and balanced approach that will result in an estimated $280 million in savings from fewer large truck crashes and $470 million in savings from improved driver health. Most importantly, it will save lives.”
FMCSA's new hours-of service final rule:
•Limits the maximum average work week for truck drivers to 70 hours, a decrease from the current maximum of 82 hours;
•Allows truck drivers who reach the maximum 70 hours of driving within a week to resume if they rest for 34 consecutive hours, including at least two nights when their body clock demands sleep the most - from 1- 5 a.m., and;
•Requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a shift.
The final rule retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit and 14-hour work day.
Companies and drivers that commit egregious violations of the rule could face the maximum penalties for each offense. Trucking companies and passenger carriers that allow drivers to exceed driving limits by more than three hours could be fined $11,000 per offense, and the drivers themselves could face civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense.
Further information, including “Hours of Service Logbook Examples,” is available on FMCSA's web site at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/HOS.
Third Quarter 2013 CBP Trade Newsletter Now Posted
U.S. Customs & Border Protection /
http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_outreach//trade/trade_outreach/
Check out the latest CBP Trade Newsletter at:
http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_outreach//trade/trade_outreach/
Nogales CBP Intercepts Pest
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/06282013_12.xml
Nogales, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at the Port of Nogales commercial facility intercepted a significant citrus pest, an Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) (Kuwayama), while inspecting a shipment of limes Tuesday. The commercial shipment of limes was targeted for an enforcement inspection when an adult specimen was located.
Asian citrus psyllid is capable of transmitting Citrus Greening Disease, which can lead to the death of infected trees. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, citrus greening has been reported in Mexico.
“This interception is significant because Citrus Greening Disease is considered one of the most serious diseases for citrus,” said Agriculture Program Manager Tracy Filippi. “Other than tree removal, there is no effective cure for the disease, so the potential for widespread damage from this psyllid can be very high.”
A U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist confirmed the identity of the Asian citrus psyllid on Tuesday. CBP agriculture specialists work closely with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, to protect our nation’s agriculture resources against the introduction of foreign plant pests and animal diseases. The importer opted to have the shipment returned to Mexico.
For more on the USDA, APHIS, PPQ program, please visit: ( USDA, APHIS, PPQ Program )
CBP agriculture specialists have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and agricultural inspection. On a typical day, they inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers, as well as air and sea cargo being imported to the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Seize $2.7 Million in Marijuana at the Texas Cargo Facility
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/07012013_3.xml
Pharr, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized alleged marijuana valued at more than $2.7 million at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge’s import lot.
On Saturday, June 29, 2013 CBP officers at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge encountered a Freightliner tractor and utility trailer at the cargo facility. The tractor and trailer were referred to CBP secondary for further inspection. Examination by CBP officers in cargo secondary revealed 350 packages commingled within the close to 1000 boxes of Serrano peppers in the trailer. CBP officers removed the 350 packages from the trailer which had a total weight of 1,239.5 kilograms (2,732.6 pounds) of alleged marijuana.
The alleged marijuana from this seizure has an estimated street value of approximately $2,732,600. CBP officers seized the narcotics and the tractor-trailer.
“This large load of dangerous drugs has been intercepted as a direct result of the outstanding work by our CBP officers at our country’s borders. This alleged marijuana load has been stopped at one of our nation’s busiest land border import lots thanks to the hard work by our CBP officers,” said Efrain Solis, Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.
FDA to Detain Pomegranate Seeds Offered for Import from Goknur of Turkey
Food & Drug Administration / http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm359148.htm
Company’s pomegranate seeds may contain Hepatitis A virus
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will detain shipments of pomegranate seeds from Goknur Gida Maddeleri Ithalat Ihracat Tic [Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading] of Turkey when they are offered for import into the United States.
This action results from an investigation by the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local health authorities into a multi-state outbreak of Hepatitis A illnesses associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, a frozen food blend containing pomegranate seed mix.
By combining information gained from the FDA’s traceback and traceforward investigations and the CDC’s epidemiological investigation, the FDA and CDC have determined that the most likely vehicle for the Hepatitis A virus appears to be a common shipment of pomegranate seeds from Goknur used by Townsend Farms to make the Townsend Farms and Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Blends that were recalled in June. These seeds were also used by Scenic Fruit Company to make their recently recalled Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels.
“This outbreak highlights the food safety challenge posed by today’s global food system,” said Michael R. Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. “The presence in a single product of multiple ingredients from multiple countries compounds the difficulty of finding the cause of an illness outbreak. The Hepatitis A outbreak shows how we have improved our ability to investigate and respond to outbreaks, but also why we are working to build a food safety system that more effectively prevents them.”
The FDA reviewed records and determined that the pomegranate seeds from this shipment were the only ingredient common to all of the recalled Townsend Farms and Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Blend.
FDA will be working with the firms that have distributed pomegranate seeds from this shipment from Turkey to help ensure that all recipients of these seeds are notified.
The CDC reports that as of June 27, 2013, 127 people were exposed to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend. The illnesses have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wisconsin. The people who were reported ill in Wisconsin were exposed to the product in California.
The CDC reports that the outbreak strain of Hepatitis A virus (HAV), belonging to genotype 1B, was found in clinical specimens of 56 people in seven states. This strain is rarely seen in the Americas but circulates in North Africa and the Middle East.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
