ONE Joins Trend Towards Optional Low-Carbon Container Fees

File image courtesy ONE

PUBLISHED APR 17, 2024 7:27 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Japanese ocean carrier ONE has added a low-carbon option for shippers who are willing to spend to reduce their emissions. Rather than selling carbon offsets for tree planting or conservation, the company is offering its customers the opportunity to pay for biofuel for the carrier's fleet, in an amount equivalent to the energy needed to move the shipment. 

ONE is buying regulation-compliant biofuels for a number of its ships, and customers can reduce their Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions by paying for the fuel. Customers receive a certification of the CO2-equivalent savings, independently verified to ensure compliance. ClassNK has validated the process and methodology behind the credits. 

The fuel product is a second-generation biofuel made from used cooking oil, which reduces well-to-wake emissions by more than 80 percent when compared to VLSFO. It meets the EU's definition of a waste stream, and does not require human food for production (like virgin soy-based biofuels). 

"We are fully committed to our target in achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050," said Gilberto Santos, Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Service Management at ONE. "The launch of ONE LEAF+ underscores our commitment to sustainability and provides our customers with the tools and transparency they need."

Like many carriers, ONE aims to meet the IMO target of net-zero emissions by 2050, and views the opt-in policy for low-carbon biofuel as a step towards that goal. Other carriers offer similar programs or partnerships: UECC has piloted biofuel voyages with BMW, Maersk Supply Service offers optional biofuel credits for the offshore sector, and MSC, Maersk, and Hapag all offer an optional service for customers to buy low-carbon fuel. With Maersk's recent dual-fuel vessel investments, its ECO Delivery option now includes methanol-fueled shipping in addition to biofuel. 

 

U.S. Increases Grant Availability to $316M to Modernize Ferry Services

Last year Alaska received the largest grants to modernize its Marine Highway

PUBLISHED APR 17, 2024 6:57 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced today the availability of $316 million to support and modernize passenger ferry service in communities across the country. With additional money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the 2024 initiative will increase by more than 40 percent federal support for ferry service improvements.

"I have seen firsthand how, for many Americans in many different parts of the country, ferries are the best and sometimes only way to get where they need to go," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He estimated that across the country, there are approximately three million ferry riders each month, utilizing the transit services to get to work, school, healthcare appointments, and more.

The funding from the Infrastructure Law will be added to the Federal Transit Administration’s longstanding Passenger Ferry Program. The 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity announced today breaks down the availability into three tranches with a June 17, 2024, deadline for applications.

The Passenger Ferry Program will support capital projects to buy, replace, or modernize passenger ferries, terminals, and related equipment in urban areas. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, $51 million is available.

The Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Program will provide federal support to transit agencies to buy ferry vessels that reduce emissions by using alternative fuels or onboard energy storage systems. For FY 2024, $49 million is available.
 
The Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program will provide federal support to ferry services in rural areas, including capital, planning, and operating costs. For FY 2024, $216 million is available.

"Passenger ferries provide critical and cost-effective travel for people throughout the United States, but many ferry agencies are not able to maintain all of their vessels in a state of good repair and make necessary investments in safety," said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. "FTA is pleased to provide federal support to help modernize and expand how people travel by water while reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Past grants have helped transit authorities upgrade ferry service across the country, from Alaska to Maine, to Georgia and California. Last year, the largest grants went to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Included in it were funds for a new vessel to replace a nearly 60-year-old ferry.

Other grants in 2023 included the American Samoa Department of Public Works to build two new low-emission ferries while in San Francisco funds will be used for a battery charging system at two terminus points. The Michigan Department of Transportation also received funds for a new ferry and to repair a dock. In total, over a dozen grants were awarded valued at over $220 million. 

The FTA has been administering the program for more than a decade to assist local ferry transit operations. 
 

 

Emissions Milestones for ERMA FIRST

ERMA FIRST's Flexcap boss cap fin technology

PUBLISHED APR 17, 2024 6:15 PM BY ERMA FIRST

 

Once best known for its leading position as a ballast water treatment system manufacturer, ERMA FIRST now oversees a portfolio of sustainable marine solutions, including technologies that help ship operators to cut emissions while the need to burn fossil fuels continues.

ERMA FIRST Co-Founder & Managing Director, Konstantinos Stampedakis stresses that the Greek company is intensely focused on helping ship owners decarbonize their operations over the next 15 to 20 years with a portfolio of sustainable future-proof solutions.

The company has been developing a range of new energy-saving devices, such as a unique modular propeller boss cap fin to cut ship fuel use, as well as alternative maritime power to connect them to shore-based electricity in ports and onboard carbon capture and storage solutions to capture their emissions at sea.

Long-term view

An offshoot of longstanding marine technology developer Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE), which has been in operation since 1977, ERMA FIRST was set up in 2009. Today, it retains its commitment to provide solutions to meet shipping’s full ballast water treatment systems needs, at a time when most competitors are quitting the market.

“We’re fully certified by IMO, USCG, China and Korea, and the combination of flexibility on installation and highly competitive OPEX has established ERMA FIRST as one of the leading BWTS makers worldwide, with systems on 3,800 vessels by the end of 2024,” said Mr Stampedakis. “Our commitment is to offer unparalleled long-term cooperation and stellar support to our BWTS customers.”

The commitment to collaborating with owner is characteristic of the ERMA FIRST position on energy saving devices and emissions, added Mr Stampedakis.

“We know alternative green fuels will be the eventual solution to maritime decarbonisation, but for the next 15 to 20 years the majority of vessels will continue to burn fossil fuels while facing increasing challenges to cut emissions from regulations such as the CII, EEXI and EU ETS.

“Decarbonisation targets for 2030, 2040 and finally 2050 are eminently achievable if all stakeholders act sooner rather than later. We passionately believe there is a lot of room for technologies to deliver operational improvements that reduce fuel consumption and vessel emissions.”

Konstantinos Stampedakis is clear that despite slow progress in ports setting up cold ironing facilities to connect ships to shoreside mains electricity or offload captured and stored carbon, owners need to start investing in existing technologies that can help reach approaching decarbonisation targets.

When the cap fits

An immediate step owners can take to cut fuel use and emissions by 2% to 3% is to fit a boss cap fin (BCF). Installed at the hub of a ship’s propeller a BCF effectively utilizes water swirl, while its fins catch and absorb the rotating water force. Together they reduce energy loss by weakening the propeller hub vortex, boosting thrust and improving propulsion efficiency.

But there are hundreds of different propeller and ship types and sizes, making it prohibitively expensive to design bespoke BCFs for individual vessels and limiting the effectiveness of off-the-shelf models.

The innovative modular design behind the ERMA FIRST FLEXCAP overcomes this issue. At least 22 different models are possible from combining various fins, caps and flanges. The modular design ensures a low cost that means a return on investment is achievable within less than 12 months.

“We can adjust the angle of the fins, or the selection of the cap based on a specific vessel’s needs,” said Mr Stampedakis, “giving a bespoke propeller cap at the cost of an off-the-shelf model.”

Broader perspective

ERMA FIRST’s efforts to help owners use innovative but practical and marinized solutions to achieve looming targets for ship decarbonisation cover operations in port and at sea.

Emissions restrictions in ports are ramping up fast, with selected Californian ports already requiring 80% of berthed container, reefer and cruise ships’ power to come from a shore-based source. The rules are extending to include car carriers and tankers, respectively from 2025 and 2027.

In Europe, the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package contains proposals for ports to have cold ironing infrastructure in place by 1 January 2030 for passenger and container ships of over 5,000gt. China already requires ships on international voyages to use the equipment if it is installed.

ERMA FIRST BLUE CONNECT is an alternative maritime power system which enables vessels to connect to a port’s electrical grid to run onboard services, systems and equipment. Meeting all latest international standards for cabling and connections, the solution means a ship can switch off its diesel generators, in order to reduce both emissions and noise while in port.

BLUE CONNECT has received approval in principle (AiP) from leading classification society Bureau Veritas and is also recognized as an Energy Saving Device by DNV. The first installation of BLUE CONNECT will be made this Fall, while ERMA FIRST has received orders for six to eight units to be delivered by the end of the year.

At sea, the focus has been on onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) as a method of reducing ship emissions, with two versions of the same system – named ERMA FIRST CARBON FIT - under development.  .

An Amine Absorption version is aimed at deepsea ships with the system capturing CO2 through well-established technology which absorbs CO2 from the flue gas and stores it in a liquid state. This reduces the volume for long distance voyages. In this case, the technology has secured AiP from Lloyd’s Register and DNV. 

A simpler Calcium Hydroxide-based version is aimed at shortsea vessels. In this case, the organic alkali absorbs CO2 from flue gas in a specially designed reactor and dehydrated calcium carbonate slurry is stored onboard until its disposal at authorised facilities.

ERMA FIRST is aiming to install pilot units in August 2024, with commercial sales following from the second half of 2025, with clients indicating intent to place orders.

Under normal operating conditions OCCS systems are expected to cut emissions by 15% to 30%, said Mr Stampedakis.

Technical answers

The potential offered unmistakable evidence that technology could play a massive role in helping ship owners reach their environmental targets, Konstantinos Stampedakis emphasised. Ballast water treatment remains a major focus of ERMA FIRST’s sustainability drive, with Mr Stampedakis seeing the potential for stricter regulations ahead that will require continuous investment in systems development.

Whatever the requirement, ERMA FIRST’s sustainable solutions have been built through a blend of in-house experience and new expertise. “It is about creating and supporting a portfolio of products to help owners improve vessel performance and extend a ship’s life into the lower carbon future,” Konstantinos Stampedakis concluded.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

 

Oregon’s Port of Portland to Suspend Container Operations as Losses Grow

Portland will suspend container operations due to mounting financial losses (file photo)

PUBLISHED APR 16, 2024 7:01 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Oregon’s only ocean seaport, the Port of Portland, informed shippers yesterday that it plans to suspend container operations as of October 1. Like many smaller, regional ports, volumes increased during the pandemic as they provided an alternative to the congested major seaports but as the industry returned to normal volumes, Portland has seen its financial losses grow.

Port executive Keith Leavitt wrote to shippers saying they had decided to suspend the operation after negotiations with a potential third-party operator collapsed last week. He said they had not expected this outcome but without the prospects of an operator, mounting financial losses, and the lack of financial support from the state, they needed to suspend container operations. The port will continue to handle its RoRo car and vehicle operations as well as break bulk and heavy cargo.

The port cited its fixed costs saying that it had made it difficult to expand the container service and more costly for shippers using the port. They had hoped to have a larger operator that could spread the costs over broader operations. They said while volumes had steadily increased since 2019, the port has lost more than $30 million from the container operations over the past three years, including a projected $14 million shortfall this year.

While Terminal 6 has berths for five vessels and seven container cranes, including four Panamax cranes, port officials acknowledged the facility “faces a number of unique challenges.” It is more than 100 miles from the ocean and the Columbia River has limited depth to accommodate the largest vessels. In addition, they said it is a relatively small consumer market and they were further hurt by the loss of a rail service partner BNSF that had provided a connection to Seattle and Tacoma.

Suspending the container operation will be especially difficult they said for the agricultural and seafood sectors which use the port. They will have to truck goods through other ports, raising costs. Container operations also supported as many as 1,500 jobs in the region.

As late as last month, port executives were holding out hope that they could maintain the container operation. They had asked the state for $10 million in support but lowered the request to $8 million after meeting with carriers who committed to helping with the operation. The goal however was a long-term lease with a third-party terminal operator.

It is not the first time the port has had problems with its container operations. In 2010, it made a deal with ICTSI to operate the container terminal but the company became embroiled in a labor dispute that dragged on for years. The labor slowdown began in 2012 and by 2015 carriers were leaving the port. ICTSI pulled out of Portland in 2017. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) filed for bankruptcy in 2023 due to the dispute but finally reached a settlement agreement with ICTSI in 2024.

The port became its own manager for container operations. In 2020, they marked the return of container service including an agreement with SM Line.

Lawmakers failed to include the financial support in the state’s new budget but left open the possibility of future discussions. Port officials said they were still looking for future alternatives but currently, they do not have the funding necessary to maintain the operations.

 

Baltimore Shutdown Drives More Ro/Ro Traffic to Port of Brunswick

Courtesy GPA

PUBLISHED APR 17, 2024 11:35 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The shutdown of Baltimore's inner harbor has been a disaster for local shipping interests, and has disrupted the logistics networks of countless shippers. But it has also provided a boost in traffic for other East Coast ports, like Brunswick, Georgia, Baltimore's nearest competitor by volume in the American ro/ro market. 

Brunswick was already quite busy: over the last nine months, volume was up by 16 percent. In March, Brunswick set a new record by handling 52 vessels and 77,000 units of cars, trucks and equipment. This month, the number could hit 87,000, the port told the New York Times.

“March was the busiest month ever for Ro/Ro cargo in Brunswick, with organic growth and new customers driving increases in both autos and high and heavy equipment,” said Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch. “Import and export trade has increased as auto makers expanded production and Colonel’s Island processors have captured additional market share in the South Atlantic region.”

Brunswick is handling some of the farm machinery export cargoes that would normally pass through Baltimore - including a large volume of John Deere tractors for customers in Asia. “If we didn’t have Brunswick, I think the supply chain would be in a bad way on the auto side,” Lynch told the Times. 

Brunswick's capacity is finite in the immediate term, but it is growing rapidly to accommodate its expanding car business. The GPA is in the middle of adding another 120 acres of parking space and 640,000 square feet of car processing space, and both will be ready by late summer, the port says. After that, the focus will turn to adding a fourth berth, which will speed up vessel handling. 
 

 

Consortium to Decarbonize Corridor Between Canada, Japan, and South Korea

The effort looks to launch a green corridor between Canada, Japan and South Korea for commodity shipments (Vancouver file photo)

PUBLISHED APR 17, 2024 5:29 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

As momentum gains for the concept of green corridors, a consortium of carriers, terminals, and ports from North America, Asia, and Europe aims to work together to decarbonize the value chain for commodities between North America and Asia. Initiated in June 2023 with discussions between Canada and Japan at the G7 Transport Ministers Summit, the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium’s founders represent approximately a quarter of the 100 million tonnes of bulk commodities shipped from Canada’s Prince Rupert and Vancouver ports.

The participants will apply their collective expertise to develop a corridor for the decarbonized transportation of multiple commodities, including agricultural products, metal concentrates, and steelmaking coal. They look to become a catalyst for decarbonization efforts, exploring new markets for low-carbon fuels in North America and Asia, exploring propulsion options, and showcasing how carbon reduction initiatives can strengthen commercial partnerships.

The NPGCC brings together diverse sections of the value chain including bulk commodity producers, railway and intermodal transportation providers, marine vessel owners and operators, port facilities and port authorities, and clean technology providers. Its activities will focus on pathways to optimize energy efficiency with the specific goal of advancing projects and infrastructure required to achieve meaningful emissions reductions in the near term. Consideration will be given to the potential production, storage, and bunkering of lower-carbon fuels and propulsion options for use by NPGCC members and other parties.

The nine founding members are Canadian National Railway Company, Mitsubishi Canada, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, Oldendorff Carriers, Prince Rupert Port Authority, Teck Resources Limited, Trigon Pacific Terminals, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The NPGCC highlights that it is open to additional members and partners, in particular end-use customers, to contribute to the development and implementation of the green trade corridor. 

The concept of green corridors to accelerate global decarbonization for the shipping industry was formalized at the COP26 conference in Glasgow in November 2021. At the conference, 22 nations pledged to support the creation of at least half a dozen green corridors by the middle of the decade, with an ambition to scale up and expand the scope of the initiative by 2030. Since then plans have been announced for efforts along shipping key routes to provide the infrastructure and support to drive decarbonization efforts.

 

Ontario Shipyards Shuts Down its Thunder Bay Facility

Fabmar Thunder Bay (file image courtesy Ontario Shipyards)

PUBLISHED APR 17, 2024 4:32 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Canadian firm Ontario Shipyards has decided to shutter its plant at Thunder Bay, citing a shortage of workers and a slow market. 

In 2020, Ontario Shipyards (then known as Heddle Shipyards) entered an agreement with Vancouver shipbuilder Seaspan to construct blocks for the future two-ship Polar Icebreaker program, part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). The following year, Heddle bought a yard in Thunder Bay - Fabmar Metals - and equipped it for building ship modules. 

Because of delays at Seaspan, the Canadian government reopened the NSS to a new round of shipyard bids, intending to bring in more capacity to build the icebreaker program. It selected Quebec's Davie Shipyards to join the effort, and it awarded one polar icebreaker to Seaspan and one polar icebreaker to Davie. Seaspan has been progressing with R&D operations to support its side of the project, including building a test block, and it plans to begin building the first production block this year. 

The impact of the divided icebreaker contract on Ontario Shipyards is unclear, but Ontario has decided to mothball its facility at Thunder Bay. The site remains fully equipped and ready to turn on again at a moment's notice, but 15 workers were laid off, according to local media. 

Ontario Shipyards also operates two other locations in Port Weller and Hamilton, Ontario. It has invested heavily in equipment and workforce training at these sites, and they remain open. 

Tech exec predicts ‘AI girlfriends’ will create $1B business: ‘Comfort at the end of the day’

Ariel Zilber
Mon, April 15, 2024



It’s only a matter of time before someone builds the next billion-dollar dating app that will pair real-life users with artificial intelligence-created girlfriends, according to a tech executive.

Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout, wrote a blog post on X in which he shared that he met a man in Miami who “admitted to me that he spends $10,000/month” on “AI girlfriends.”

“I thought he was kidding,” Isenberg wrote. “But, he’s a 24 year old single guy who loves it.”


AI-generated virtual girlfriends are on the cusp of becoming a billion-dollar industry, according to a tech executive. Conversation, X/Kimochii Ai


When Isenberg asked him what he loved about it, the Miami man is quoted as saying: “Some people play video games, I play with AI girlfriends.”

Isenberg said that he was told by the man: “I love that I could use voice notes now with my AI girlfriends.”

“I get to customize my AI girlfriend,” the man told Isenberg. “Likes, dislikes etc. It’s comfort at the end of the day.”

The Miami man stated his preference for two websites — Candy.ai and Kupid.ai.

Tech executive Greg Isenberg said he met someone who spends $10,000 a month on his virtual AI girlfriend. 

Candy.ai bills itself as “the ultimate AI girlfriend experience” which offers “virtual companions for immersive and personalized chats.”

Kupid AI says that it uses AI algorithms to generate virtual and fictional characters — or “companions” — with whom one can communicate through voice notes.

“It’s kinda like dating apps. You’re not on only one,” the Miami man said.

Isenberg said he was left “speechless” by the encounter and predicted that “someone will build the AI-version of Match Group and make $1B+.”

Match Group is the parent company of dating apps such as Tinder, Match.com, Hinge, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish.

AI-generated girlfriends are becoming increasingly popular, according to surveys. Fa

Websites like Romance.AI offer up virtual dating partners using technology that can mimic real-life human interactions.

An app such as Romantic AI “helps you create the perfect girlfriend with whom you share interests and views. You can talk about everything, get support and feel needed.”

Another app, Forever Companion, offers users the opportunity to chat with bots based on popular social media influencers.

Replika, the AI chatbot software, offers users the chance to create their own boyfriend or husband for just a few hundred dollars.

Platforms such as Nomi.ai and Soulmate even encourage erotic role play.

Users can personalize AI chatbot’s avatar and give it personality traits depending on whether they want a friend, mentor or romantic partner.

The nature of the messages could resemble “sexting” so any erotic conversation would have to include explicit instructions on what the user would like to happen.

Some one in five Americans say they have chatted flirtatiously with an AI bot. 

Unlike Replika, which has filters to stop people from using overtly sexual language, Nomi.ai allows users to tailor the AI bot to their preferences by deciding which clothing the avatar wears and how open they are to sexual activity.

Users also have the option of making their chatbots submissive or dominant.

A group of Gen Z TikTok users reported that they were “falling for” DAN, ChatGPT’s alter ego with a flirty macho male voice that some have compared to Christian Grey from “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

A recent survey from Infobip found that nearly 20% of Americans have flirted with chat bots. Nearly half of them — 47.2% — did so out of curiosity while 23.9% said they were lonely and seeking interactions.

Nearly 17% said they were “AI-phished” — meaning they did not realize they were talking to a chat bot.

The survey also found that 12.2% were seeking sexual chat within a private space.

New leader of Jesse Jackson's civil rights organization steps down just months on the job

SOPHIA TAREEN
Updated Tue, April 16, 2024

 The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III speaks to reporters, Feb. 1, 2024, in Dallas. Hayes, a Dallas pastor who took over leadership of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s longtime civil rights organization resigned Tuesday, April 16, after less than three months on the job. 

(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

CHICAGO (AP) — A Dallas pastor who took over leadership of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s longtime civil rights organization resigned Tuesday just months after he took the job.

The Rev. Frederick Haynes III told The Associated Press that he submitted a letter with his resignation as head of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition, effective immediately.

“After a time of prayer and consultation, I felt it was best to step down as president and CEO of Rainbow PUSH,” he said by phone from Texas. “I am forever honored that the Rev. Jackson graciously considered me worthy of following him as president of the organization that he founded.”

Haynes, 63, said he felt it was “necessary” to move on in light of “challenges that continue to exist,” but declined to elaborate further. His resignation letter, written on Rainbow PUSH letterhead, also did not go into details about his decision.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Jackson said the organization accepted Haynes' resignation and they would remain “partners in the fight for peace, civil rights and economic justice.”

Jackson said his son, Yusef Jackson, an attorney, would continue to serve as the organization's chief operating officer. He did not mention the prospects of choosing another president and CEO.

"We will carry on the vital work of protecting, defending, and gaining civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields," Jesse Jackson said. “Our commitment to promoting peace and justice around the world remains unwavering.”

The civil rights leader announced in July that he would step down from the organization he founded more than 50 years ago, and he introduced Haynes as his successor.

Haynes, the pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, was formally installed as president and CEO in a February ceremony in that city. He planned to lead Rainbow PUSH, which advocates for social justice and political activism, from Texas. He has been senior pastor since 1983 at Friendship-West, which has about 13,000 members, according to the church.

Haynes said that even though the formal takeover was in February, he hit the ground running over the summer with duties in the office and hoped he could collaborate with Rainbow PUSH and Jackson in the future.

“He remains one of my heroes. He remains one of the great leaders of all time,” Haynes said.

In his resignation letter, he said he plans to continue his work “in the fight for liberation and freedom.”

Jackson — who was pivotal in the modern Civil Rights Movement — has faced numerous health issues in recent years and has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Still, the 82-year-old two-time presidential candidate hasn’t shied away from the public eye.

Jackson appeared at a packed Chicago City Council meeting in January to support a controversial resolution for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

TRANSPHOBIA KILLS

Idaho's ban on youth gender-affirming care has families desperately scrambling for solutions

CLAIRE RUSH
Updated Tue, April 16, 2024 

FILE - The Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho, is seen on June 13, 2019. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Monday, April 15, 2024, allows the state to put in place a 2023 law that subjects physicians to up to 10 years in prison if they provide hormones, puberty blockers or other gender-affirming care to people under age 18. A federal judge in Idaho had previously blocked the law in its entirety. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler, File)More


Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when she began to take medication to block the onset of puberty. The gender-affirming treatment helped the now-16-year-old find happiness again, her father said.

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court late Monday allowing Idaho to enforce its ban on such care for minors could jeopardize her wellbeing once again. Horras is scrambling to figure out next steps and is considering leaving Idaho, where he's lived his whole life, to move to another state.

"It would be devastating for her," Horras, who lives in Boise, told The Associated Press. “If she doesn’t have access to that, it will damage her mental health."


Horras is among the Idaho parents desperate to find solutions after their trans children lost access to the gender-affirming care they were receiving. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision allows the state to put in place a 2023 law that subjects physicians to up to 10 years in prison if they provide hormones, puberty blockers or other gender-affirming care to people under age 18. A federal judge in Idaho had previously blocked the law in its entirety.

The ruling will hold while lawsuits against the law proceed through the lower courts, although the two transgender teens who sued to challenge the law will still be able to obtain care.

At least 24 states have adopted bans on gender-affirming care for minors in recent years, and most of them face legal challenges. Twenty other states are currently enforcing the bans.

Monday’s ruling was the first time the U.S. Supreme Court waded into the issue. The court’s 6-3 ruling steered clear of whether the ban itself is constitutional. Instead, the justices went deep into whether it’s appropriate to put enforcement of a law on hold for everyone, or just those who sue over it, while it works its way through the courts.

In his concurring opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch said “lower courts would be wise to take heed” and limit use of “universal injunctions” blocking all enforcement of laws that face legal challenges. In a dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the court should not decide the fate of those actions without reading legal briefs and hearing arguments on the issue.

Rights groups in Idaho are supporting families to make sure they're aware the measure has taken effect. The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho said it plans to hold a virtual event over Zoom with licensed counselors and legal experts to help people process the shock and answer any questions they may have about the law.

“Yesterday was really just an outpouring of fear, questions, people trying to figure out how this is going to affect them personally,” said Jenna Damron, the group's advocacy fellow. “Getting information out quickly that is accurate is kind of our first priority.”

Paul Southwick, legal director for ACLU of Idaho, said the group wants families to know what their options are.

“Gender-affirming medical care is now immediately illegal for minors in the state of Idaho. However, care remains legal for adults, and it’s also legal for minors to seek gender-affirming medical care out of state,” he said.

In Boise, Horras' 16-year-old daughter wears an estrogen patch and receives estrogen injections every six months. Her last shot was in December and Horras now has two months to find a new out-of-state provider who can continue administering the medication. The situation has left him feeling scared, he said, and angry toward the state politicians who passed the law last year.

“It's cruel,” he said.

Advocates, meanwhile, worry that lower-income families won't be able to afford to travel across state lines for care. Arya Shae Walker, a transgender man and activist in the small city of Twin Falls in rural southern Idaho, said he was concerned that people would alter the doses of their current prescriptions in order to make them last longer. His advocacy group has already taken down information on its website on gender-affirming care providers for young people in the area out of concern of potential legal consequences.

The broader issue of bans on gender-affirming care for minors could eventually be before the U.S. Supreme Court again. Last year, a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in Arkansas was shot down by a federal judge, while those in Kentucky and Tennessee were allowed to be enforced by an appeals court after being put on hold by lower-court judges. Montana’s law is not being enforced because of a ruling from a state judge.

Laws barring transgender youth from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity are also being challenged across the country. An appeals court on Tuesday ruled that West Virginia’s transgender sports ban violates the rights of a teen athlete under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. Hours later, an Ohio law that bars transgender girls from girls scholastic sports competitions was put on hold by a judge. Set to take effect next week, the law also bans gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Those who support the bans say they want to protect children and have concerns about the treatments themselves.

Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. However, England is limiting the ability of people younger than 16 to begin a medical gender transition.

The National Health Service England recently cemented a policy first issued on an interim basis almost a year ago that sets a minimum age at which puberty blockers can be started, along with other requirements. NHS England says there is not enough evidence about their long-term effects, including “sexual, cognitive or broader developmental outcomes.”

Medical professionals define gender dysphoria as psychological distress experienced by those whose gender expression does not match their gender identity. Experts say gender-affirming therapy can lead to lower rates of depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among transgender people.

Chelsea Gaona-Lincoln, executive director of Idaho-based advocacy group Add The Words, said she's anticipating “a pretty horrendous ripple effect.” But seeing her community uniting in support has given her a glimmer of hope.

“There are people coming together, and it’s so important, for especially our youth, to feel seen and affirmed as they are," she said.

Southwick, the legal director of ACLU of Idaho, said the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to hold a hearing this summer on its lawsuit challenging the law.

___

Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed.