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16 | NORTH STAR PORT | SUMMER 2023 PORT LOGBOOK The Duluth Seaway Port Authority and its terminal opera- tions on Rice's Point ranked among the nation's top perform- ers in the recently released Green Marine 2022 environmental performance report, posting a 4.0 score on Green Marine's five-point scale, an improvement from 3.8 in 2021. The overall average for port authority participants in 2022 was 3.09 The annual report rates port authority partic- ipants in eight categories: air emissions, com- munity impacts, dry bulk handling and storage, environmental leadership, underwater noise, waste management, spill prevention and stormwater man- agement, and community relations. A record 51 North American ports participated in the evaluation process this year, with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority ranking No. 7 in the United States and No. 1 among U.S. Great Lakes ports. "Green Marine provides a tangible annual scoreboard for environmental stewardship, with performance criteria that become increasingly robust each year, and independent review of the scoring," said Jeff Stollenwerk, Duluth Seaway Port Authority director of government and environmental affairs. "The process raises awareness of our work to minimize environmental impacts and it helps us continually look to improve." The voluntary Green Marine certification pro- gram began in October 2007 and now includes 175 participating ship owners, port authorities, seaway corporations, terminal operators and shipyard managers. Program participants must adopt practices and technologies that continually reduce their environmental footprint on the land, air and sea. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority has participated since the program's inception. Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, was elected to the nine-mem- ber Green Marine board of directors in June 2023. Duluth Seaway Port Authority climbs in Green Marine environmental stewardship rating Kesti, Vatne earn River Quest writing contest honors North Shore Community School sixth-graders Addy Kesti and Addison Vatne claimed first-place honors in the 2023 St. Louis River Quest Captain Ray Skelton Writing Contest, with Kesti copping the poetry prize and Vatne winning the essay category. The award-winning duo was among approximately 1,300 sixth- grade students from 12 different schools who participated in the 2023 River Quest field trip, which occurred May 15-18 at the DECC and aboard the Vista Star in the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Now in its 31st year, River Quest featured 10 hands-on learning sta- tions focused on raising awareness of the St. Louis River ecosystem, Lake Superior and its interrelated commercial, industrial and rec- reational activities. Each learning station ties in with Minnesota and Wisconsin educational standards. Local businesses and organi- zations sponsor the event. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority is a founding sponsor, and also hosts an education station each year. To learn more about River Quest, visit stlouisriverquest.org. Addison Vatne Addy Kesti