Association: Great Lakes shipping “dodges bullet”

Association: Great Lakes shipping “dodges bullet”

Association: Great Lakes shipping “dodges bullet”

An association of shipping companies whose members’ vessels ply the Great Lakes is calling on Congress to build another lock capable of handling the largest freighters following a malfunction of the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., on Sept. 24.
   “The Poe Lock that connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes is the single point of failure that can cripple Great Lakes shipping,” said James H.I. Weakley, president of Lake Carriers’ Association. “In 2007, the Poe Lock handled nearly 65 million tons of cargo. Without that lock, America’s steel industry is cut off from its major source of iron ore. Without that lock, Great Lakes basin utilities are denied access to clean-burning, low-sulfur coal. There just aren’t enough ships that are small enough to transit the MacArthur Lock to make up for loss of Poe-class vessels.”
   The association said there is a “pressing need for Congress to appropriate the funds to build another lock capable of handling the largest U.S.-Flag Great Lakes freighters.”
   While the delay last week had only resulted in vessel delays of three hours, the group said, “Had the problem been more severe, cargo movement on the lakes would have slowed to a trickle. U.S.-flag Lakers whose length and/or beam restrict them to the Poe Lock represent 70 percent of U.S.-flag carrying capacity.
   “The need for a second Poe-sized lock was recognized as long ago as 1986 when it was authorized in that year’s Water Resources Development Act. But it wasn’t until last year that Congress authorized construction at full Federal expense.'
   Weakley praised the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as doing “a fantastic job of maintaining the locks at the Soo, but mechanical problems are inevitable as the infrastructure ages. Great Lakes shipping is the raw materials lifeline for America’s industrial heartland. We must twin the Poe Lock as soon as possible.”
   He said $17 million has been appropriated to begin in-depth design work and build coffer dams. But project's total cost will be more than $340 million and could take as much as 10 years to complete.
   “Every day we wait puts America’s economy at risk. The railroads don’t have the rolling stock to haul the cargo that moves on the lakes. Even if they did, ships burn less fuel and produce fewer emissions than trains (and trucks). Loss of the Poe Lock won’t just hurt the economy, it will harm the environment.”
   Lake Carriers’ Association represents 16 American corporations that operate 63 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes.