Ceres Terminals Inc., one of the largest stevedoring and marine terminal operators in North America, has announced it is joining Green Marine and will enter five of its U.S. and Canadian terminals in the environmental program.
Ceres’ terminal operations in Charleston (South
Carolina), Savannah (Georgia), Houston (Texas), Baltimore (Maryland), and Halifax (Nova Scotia) will be participating in the program starting this year. Ceres is also joint owner of Termont Montreal Inc., already a Green Marine participant.
“A secure environment, safety and security are given the highest priority in all Ceres operations and our new membership with Green Marine is a way to acknowledge our commitment to sustainable terminal operations,” said Thomas J. Simmers, President and CEO, Ceres Terminals Inc.
David Bolduc, Green Marine Executive Director, believes that the Green Marine environmental program is valuable for participants like Ceres because it allows them to highlight the efforts they have already made in area of sustainable development and to set their goals for further improvement. “The Green Marine environmental program was tailored-made for marine operations and this aspect is helpful for our participants, especially when a company is entering five of its terminals, like Ceres is doing.”
For Green Marine, the arrival of an important player in the U.S. market such as Ceres strengthens the bi-national character of the environmental program. “We see this as an important endorsement of the credibility of the program and the value it offers the marine industry coast to coast, both in Canada and in the U.S.,” noted Mr. Bolduc.
Ceres Terminals Environmental Manager, René Hayes, pointed to the clarity and relevance of the self-evaluation guide. “We already have an environmental management plan in place, but what I like about the Green Marine program is using the check list,” she said. “That way we learn more about the areas we need to improve on.”