Port of Houston could lower tariff charges due to Hurricane Harvey

A meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority on Wednesday revealed that Executive Director Roger Guenther has the authority to lower tariff charges, according to the Houston Chronicle.    The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met on Wednesday to discuss the option of lowering tariff charges for customers affected by Hurricane Harvey.
   In a public announcement on Monday, the Port Commission announced a special port commission meeting to discuss tariff charges, real estate, economic development negotiations or incentives, employment and security-related matters. 
   According to a report from the Houston Chronicle, Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther stated during the meeting, “We don’t want to penalize the customer due to hardships from Hurricane Harvey. That’s it in a nutshell.”
   The actual decisions to adjust tariff charges will be made on a case-by-case basis, confirmed the port to American Shipper.
   Guenther was granted the authority to authorize tariff charge changes during the Wednesday meeting, giving him the “flexibility to do something rational and sensible in light of this catastrophic storm,” said Port Commission Chair Janiece Longoria.
   The port is also struggling to dredge the channel, which was not at its authorized depth before the hurricane.
   “We had minimal impacts to our port-owned facilities, but we have significant impacts to the Houston Ship Channel from siltation,” Longoria told the Houston Chronicle. “We have as much as 10 feet of silt in certain parts of the Houston Ship Channel, as much as 5 feet of silt right here at the Turning Basin.”
   To address the issue, the port commission authorized an additional payment not to exceed $2 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.