HOUSTON POSTS RECORD CONTAINER VOLUME

HOUSTON POSTS RECORD CONTAINER VOLUME    The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) Commission announced on Friday that the port of Houston’s total container volume reached a record level in 2002: 1,159,789 TEUs, up 10 percent over 1,057,869 TEUs in 2001.
   The Barbours Cut Container Terminal accounted for most of this volume, 1,063,076 TEUs in 2002, compared to 911,903 TEUs in 2001.
   “Despite increased container volume and tonnage, the rate of growth in the Port Authority’s container traffic is actually slowing, because we are running out of space. The need for the proposed Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal is abundantly clear,” said James T. Edmonds, chairman of the Port Authority Commission.
   The Bayport project remains under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected to issue a final environmental impact statement later in 2003. When constructed over several years, the Bayport facility will triple the container handling capacity of the Port Authority.