Port of Hueneme takes delivery of eco-friendly pilings

Engineered from recycled plastic, the pilings will be used in the harbor-deepening project.    Two railcars full of eco-friendly pilings arrived at the Port of Hueneme in California on Wednesday to be used in the harbor-deepening project set to begin late this summer.
   As the pilings are impervious to marine creatures and salt water, they are not treated with chemicals as traditional pilings would be and therefore do not harm any of the marine life in the harbor, the port said. 
   “These new eco-friendly pilings will help support and reinforce the port’s South Terminal as the harbor is dredged from 35 feet to 40 feet deep over the next several months,” said Oxnard Harbor District President Mary Anne Rooney. “The deepening project will allow our existing customers to load their ships with more cargo, thus increasing efficiency and reducing air emissions all while creating more family-sustaining jobs for our local community — 563 jobs to be specific.
   The port’s deepening project also will allow for larger ships that need the extra five feet of depth to enter the harbor. 
   The port said it estimates the project will generate $28 million in increased business revenue, $5.8 million in additional local purchases and $4.6 million in state and local tax revenues.
   The sand from the harbor deepening has been tested and approved by the California Coastal Commission to be used as near-shore replenishment for Hueneme Beach.
   The port is expecting another shipment of pilings on the rail’s South Spur within the next four to five weeks. Bedford Technology, located in Worthington, Minn., manufactured the environmentally friendly pilings.    
   “Our products, manufactured in the United States, are engineered from recycled plastic into a sustainable building material that is built for generations to come. This project alone will divert over 1.5 million pounds of HDPE plastic out of the landfill and help support the Port of Hueneme’s environmental and sustainability initiatives,” said Jesse W. Hooge, director of sales training and Multi-X sales at Bedford Technology.
   Port CEO Kristin Decas said, “These pilings will support the port’s foundation, serving as the pillars that enable our business community to move products around the world, creating jobs and economic growth.
   “Environmental stewardship and sustainable growth are knitted into the very fabric of how the port does business. With the beach replenishment component, the project serves as a significant environmental win for our local community,” Decas said. 
   The port said the use of rail to transport the materials also is saving the road from multiple truck trips and thereby reducing emissions and preventing street congestion.