WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced today that two federal grants totaling more than $1 million have been awarded to the State of Hawaii and a local business, with the largest grant for shipyard improvements.  

Under the Maritime Administration’s new Assistance to Small Shipyards program, Pacific Shipyards International, LLC, of Honolulu will receive $869,977 to cover 75 percent of the cost of a water-blast system and the full cost of $405,000 for a new mobile crane.  

“For more than 70 years, Pacific Shipyards and its predecessor have been operating out of Pier 41, and the existing dry dock cranes date back to World War II,” Senator Inouye said. “The water-blast system and the mobile crane will allow Pacific Shipyards to operate in a more environmentally friendly and more flexible manner that will benefit the company and the nearby community.”  

Pacific Shipyards is poised to be relocated within Honolulu Harbor as part of development plans for the Kapalama corridor.  

The nearly $870,000 grant for Pacific Shipyards constitutes the lion’s share awarded under the initial grants from the Assistance to Small Shipyards program. The program’s mission is to improve and strengthen the nation’s marine transportation infrastructure to benefit the economic and security needs of the nation.  

Senator Inouye also announced that the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will receive $132,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out fishery data collection and management.  

Senator Inouye is Chairman of both the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

 

 

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