American Waterways Operators elects officers

American Waterways Operators elects officers    The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, has elected Timothy J. Casey as chairman and George Foster as vice chairman.
   Casey is president and chief executive officer of K-Sea Transportation Corp., the largest coastwise tank barge operator in the United States It is headquartered in East Brunswick, N.J.
   Foster is president of JB Marine Service Inc., headquartered in St. Louis.
   Casey said the key priorities for the coming year include ensuring the new towing vessel inspection program develops appropriately. 'We have worked very hard with the Coast Guard to develop a reasonable, practical and unique approach to vessel inspection,' he said.
   Other challenges include preventing mariners from having to make a second trip to an enrollment center to obtain their Transportation Worker Identification Credential, and defeating a proposal in the federal budget for a lockage tax.