Grays Harbor port has big bill for Uncle Sam

Grays Harbor port has big bill for Uncle Sam Officials from the Washington state Port of Grays Harbor plan to hand over a bill to the federal government for the nearly $366,000 in service costs the city accrued earlier this year during the loading of military equipment.
   Helicopters, vehicles and other cargo destined for service in Iraq were shipped from Fort Lewis and loaded at the port over an eight-day period in May.
   Following large peace protests during earlier military loadings at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Grays Harbor officials felt obligated to station additional security both at the Terminal 4 facility and outside the port property utilizing forces from the adjacent city of Aberdeen. Protesters showed up en masse on three days of the loading, but the demonstrations were all peaceful and no arrests were made.
   The port bill, according to the local Daily World Web site, includes:
   * $145,995 for longshore labor.
   * $95,000 for facility usage.
   * $30,346 for armed security at the terminal.
   * $22,592 for port security services and supplies.
   * $32,880 for vessel berthing fees and other services.
   * $38,501 for bar pilots and tugs.
   Not included in the bill was a $178,000 reimbursement request to the port from the city of Aberdeen for their security personnel.
   The city of Grays Harbor amassed $101,000 of its own expenses during the eight days of loading, representing about 2 percent of the city's annual police department budget. City officials hope to recoup the money from either the port after it is paid by the military, or directly from the military itself.